Warmaker

FAST Pack equipped VF-1J's? In SDF:M... Hikaru's white / red VF-1J in space. Namely the one where he escorts Misa's shuttle to Earth. The one where he does morse code with his exterior lights, salutes, and banks away. Thankfully, the art quality was top notch this episode also! Max & Millia's specially colored VF-1Js do get the FAST Packs towards the series' end. In DYRL?, I think there was a single VF-1J but it was an Armored Valk, not FAST Pack equipped, and it wasn't flown by Hikaru. VF-1J's were extremely rare in DYRL? to begin with. Strike FAST Packs were also only shown in DYRL?.

Screw it, HLJ has regular YF-19 kits in stock. That'll suit me just fine

Ahh, Patlabor. I'll check it out, especially the Helldiver.

I'm a bit neutral about EA doing this. I think Ultima Online is the only MMO they run, and they don't really promote it much anymore. AFAIK, it is still after all these years. Just as long as Sony Online Entertainment doesn't run it, then this KotOR game is already going in the right direction

I could care less about the anniversary decals. I just want another YF-19 kit! I'm just sick and tired of the same old, same old paint scheme used from Macross Plus. I have one done that way and it irritates me looking at it now

Bump for awesomeness. We were talking about recruiting ads at work today and my guys wouldn't believe some of the stuff out there

"You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance!" I remember the EGM issue talking about "Sheng Long" when my classmate brought it to school. I got into SF later than all my friends, but was amused by their insane devotion to the game. I mean, a boatload of guys played it, and during lunch would go down the street and play the standup SF2 for the break

My SF favorites! Ryu: All versions of SF, but his Dragon Punch in SF3 rocks! He was also the first one that I began to learn. Ken: All versions of SF also, for very familiar gameplay yet different in speed and combination ability. Chun-Li: Really only with the SF2 game versions for me. Had alot of fun with her back then. Sakura: For SFA2/3. Like Ken, familiar gameplay to Ken & Ryu. She didn't have the power of Ryu or combo madness of Ken, but it was fun beating people with her "Damn man... you just lost to some schoolgirl..." Juni & Juli: SFA3 only, naturally. 1 of them had a playstyle similiar to Cammy, the other had some great moves but hard to pull off. As far as the AI goes, I was always annoyed with the AI pulling off charge moves with no preperation, especially back in the SF2 days. After playing Guile players so much, it irked me alot when the AI walks up to you and does the Flash Kick thingie. Same thing with Blanka's cannon ball. Great SF2 moment of enjoyment: Hitting Blanka out of a Cannonbal attack with a Dragon Punch "Wow, look at that health meter go!" I still remember SF's height at the arcades here in the US. Crowds of guys lined up, their quarters slotted at machine. Winner stays on, takes on all challengers! ---------- As for 2D fighters, my favorite series were Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown. I had fun with Last Blade 1 & 2 when I saw them over in Okinawa and Japan, but never got good with it like in SF & S.Shodown. Favorite Samurai Shodown character? Yagyu Jubei before they removed him. Otherwise, Haohmaru or Genjuro. Favorite Last Blade character? The Samurai with that black western cape thingie. 3D? I didn't stick through a series long enough really. But I did play alot of Tekken 2 and the first Soul Calibur game. Wow, that was a long time ago. Anyways, my favorite Tekken character was Nina.

There needs to be a 3rd option. "Neither" Both are Douchebags, but Isamu just tries harder at being one

I was in MCAS El Toro from 1994 until 1997. The airshows were massive at El Toro, IMO completely dwarfing Miramar's. I've been stationed at MCAS Miramar since 2000, but I've been off and on with attending the airshow. Either way, I usually go through the groundside of the static displays when I do attend (or work). As for the Abrams and M60s for the Corps, I do recall reading an old Marine Corps Gazette and then-Commandant, Gen.Al Gray (who some old Marines still swear "was the sh!t"), talking about the pro's and con's of switching to the M1. He loved the capability of the M1 but was dismayed by the weight But as you experienced, he went with the M1 despite the weight issues. Speaking of Marine Tankers, I just remembered someone I used to know from the late 90s. I had a buddy in VMGR-234 (reserve KC-130T squadron in NASJRB Ft Worth, Texas) who was a -130 Powerplant mech. He was a lat mover from being an Abrams tanker, and IIRC, got as far as being a gunner. He said he loved it, driving 60+ tons of hate & discontent, blowing sh!t up, causing hate & discontent. I still remember him since he was quite special. He was born at and raised many years somewhere in England. He still had a thick English accent despite being on a second contract with the USMC (at the very least 4-5 years at least living in the USA when I met him). Always corrected us on "Proper English"

I don't have my SDFM DVDs with me, so I can't check. But going from memory, the uniform was essentially has Hikaru's service uniform color. White, red trim, blue background for he shoulder thingie. It's been a while though.

Yeah, the US were putting out M48's and M60's for wide distribution back in the height of the Cold War era. I never thought the M60's were that big until I finally saw one at a display. This was after I had climbed around an M1. The 60's definiely had a tall silhouette. Nice catch about the M60's in Bayformers. Regarding American tanks: Even as a kid, I was amused at seeing WWII movies with the Germans using American tanks as Panzers. Battle of the Bulge was a big examle. Yes, I understand the reasoning (Germany lost, most of the Panzers lost). But since I built alot of models of Shermans thru M60A3s, I could ID American tanks right away as a kid. Kinda scary Still, I had a soft spot with the M24 Chaffee. I had fun building that model in 1/72 and it was the only tank model I played "cars" with. And it stood up to the punishment as well!

I'm down for a humongous 1/32 YF-19, if still possible. I'm a sucker for large scale aircraft

1/48 has historically been the realm only for aircraft models. 1/35 is the common large scale for "ground" based subjects. Tanks, infantry, AFVs, etc. I know some companies make ruined urban dioramas in 1/35 scale, some not ruined. But the ones I have generally seen are geared towards WWII era buildings. But even if you do find modern buildings in 1/35, you will have scale issues with your 1/48 VF. I'm not sure how much it will affect since I can't physically check my 1/35 & 1/48 models for the next couple of months I'm afraid you will have to scratchbuild a modern / future urban setting.

I vividly recall that 2D fighters were supposed to dwindle with the advent of 3d fighters, and this little hoopla started in the mid 90s. As of 2007, the only 3D fighter that's still remembered and active is the Soul Calibur series. Well, 2D is still there (thankfully) with the still very tight gameplay. Anyways, lots of titles come and go (2D as well as 3D) but Street Fighter's always been there. But I didn't play as much SFIII, but spent tremendous amounts of time on SFA2 & SFA3... but still loved the differences in play between the Alpha2/3 and SFIII games.

I didn't notice any M60 tanks in the movie, though the "movie quality" where I saw it at wasn't too great. All I recall seeing were the rows of Abrams parked. As for actually climbing into a tank, the only time I've done so were the MCAS El Toro (miss those days) and MCAS Miramar airshows. Since the airshows were from Marine installations, the USMC wanted to show the whole MAGTF thing (Marine Air Ground Task Force), which meant the grunts and all could come down for some fun with their toys... fancy guns, LAV's, and of course the crowd pleasing M1 Abrams. When I get off working the airshow, sometimes I got off early enough to walk from work to the displays. Get to BS with the groundside guys and climb around. I've built alot of models of the Abrams so I had alot of fun climbing around and sitting in the Commander's Cupola, pretending I knew what I was doing since I was in uniform still As for the Miramar Airshow for this year, missed it since I'm deployed. I wanted to see the F-22 fly. I would like to check out a Leopard 2A5 or A6, simply because they look so sexy for a panzer

I can't check the site from where I'm at. But I'm still a big fan of the SF series. It's still there despite the whole "2D fighters are dead, 3D is the future" BS

Can we get some Zentradi equipment? Pods, the fighter, and even the TV series' green-colored Quadluun Rau. It shouldn't be too hard to produce green Q-Raus, right? 1/60 would suffice since it will be large enough. The Max / Millia Quadluun Raus are also in 1/60 already. 1/48 Zent. would be huge though, but cool to ponder. Seeing the rest of the VF lineup in 1/48 or 1/60 would be nice also. The VF-1 variants like the -1D, Super Ostrich, Elintseeker have yet to see 1/48 scale. Macross 7 has a slew of possibilities also. Then there's the VF-4. Then there's also the VF-11 that needs fresh love.

I don't think there's a "Best" Valk, but I have always been a fan of Max's blue & white VF-1J. Millia's red version complements well also.

We're veering off into another direction for the thread but I'll leave this portion with my experience. I arrived in SF from the Philippines in 1980. I had went to school there until 5th Grade, but always went there to visit friends and such as a Teenager and all. But even when we lived outside SF, my family was always in the Bay Area. I didn't leave the Bay until I joined the USMC in 1993. During my time living in the SF Bay Area through the 80s thru early 90s, and from checking the news in the 90s, there was no "Anti-Military" feel to the region despite its history during Vietnam. It only started at "9/11," even as early as Afghanistan / OEF. That's when it started happening again. As for the lack of a fleet and all in the Bay, that was all part of the massive series of base closures with the end of the Cold War. The SF Bay Area used to have as many military installations as Southern California did. NAS Alameda, Treasure Island, Presidio Army Base, Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo. All gone now, and closed very quickly in the early to mid 90s. The military presence was essentially gone before 2000. Travis AFB is the nearest military base in Fairfield, but that's nowhere near the Bay Area.

It had been a long time since I attended Fleet Week in the SF area. How long ago? When I was a kid and my Dad took me aboard the USS New Jersey, BB-62

Blood the Last Vampire was released years ago here in the USA by them. But nothing outside it ever since. But apparently Sony picked up the rights to release Blood+ internationally. Ask John Anime News Network The problem is that the news is from January 2006. From what I also gathered, it's also showing on Adult Swim recently... I'm deployed, so I can't check the tube Edit to add: Ask John - Oct 2007 - Regarding Blood+ and no DVD release here in the USA

Blue Angel low level flight in San Francisco Bay! Naturally, my former hometown of San Francisco being San Francisco, there are a few offended people of seeing military flights in the US

Came across this while searching around, figuring what the whole Blood thing was about. The girl doesn't have the Saya look, but she's cute

Schoolgirl + Katana + Vampire Hunting Hmm. Nice combo! But I haven't see any of the Blood related stuff before either.