F-ZeroOne

One alternative is actually a PSX game - Xenogears. Occasionally very frustrating, but worth it if you can invest the time.

Here you go: http://www.anft.net/f-14/f14-history-f14b.htm I also found reference to a World War II "XF-14C" made by Curtis, but details on that seem to be a bit scarce.

Man, can they speak english right? What's exaclty the purpose of this sign? Couldn't make much out of it. Caution, do not butt your head against the wall? A lot of shrines, temples and other old buildings in Japan have low roofs or low overhead beams - I suspect its a mangled warning. I found this out the hard way when visting Himeji castle with my friend, who is six feet tall. I told him he'd better take notice of the sign just before walking head-first into the thing it was warning about... Incidentally, its also a problem in modern Japanese buildings - some shops in Akihabara have padded ceilings and walls!

Half-Life 2 uses Real Physics as part of the game engine. You'll find a number of puzzles rely on using objects around you. Just be patient and use a little lateral thinking...

It could be worse. No, really. Certain of us who grew up with 8-bit home computers might remember a copy protection device called a "Lenslock"...

Ico was crtically acclaimed but did poorly at retail. It appears the World really does prefer "EA Sports Simulation 200X" to original games... Ico was at heart a basic platform/puzzle game. What elevated it into an almost unique catergory of its own was that a) the castle in which it was set was an absolute masterpiece of level design. You would finish one section, then move on to another, and at some point you'd look back at the section you'd just come from and think "My God". The only thing I can really compare it to is the castle in Miyazakis "Castle of Cagliostro", for feeling like a real imaginary place... and b) Yorda, the person you help throughout the game. She doesn't speak. Your only means of communicating with her is a phrase that sounds like "Mah-plah". Shes almost entirely helpless, but due to the ingenious trick of leading her around by the hand all the time, she becomes more of a character than countless other CGI'd scripted FMV entities. Ico isn't for everyone, but if you appreiciate a simple story beautifully told, then it might be for you. Edit: typos.

Or you can use this even more straightforward formula: It will be BIG.

Er... everyone?

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/11/02/brain.dish/index.html Thanks to MegaTokyos Dom for the link.

Shin, I think Skull Leader has already answered your questions! Theres no doubt that if you want a brick of a toy the 1/55s feel much more solid and have much greater heft to them. The HCMs compensate with increased mobility, better (if not entirely accurate) detail and neat features like rubber landing gear and "proper" missile slots. I'm also a bit annoyed because I had the opportunity to buy the HCM "cannon fodder" VF-1A, and didn't, which is a shame, as I think its got a lovely colour scheme as a HCM. I've never handled a MPC, so I couldn't tell you how it compares, though its obvious in pictures just how much Toynami based the MPC on the original HCM design - and personally speaking, I think the HCM has better proportions; the MPC looks a bit too "stretched" into the larger scale.

The new Dalek - same as the old one! I wouldn't take those photos as being completely representive. Rumours of leaked storylines indicate that there could be one episode with a "classic" Dalek, and new Daleks appearing later on in the series, but I stress this is rumour, nothing definite yet. If that is the new Dalek, its interesting that they've kept the "sink plunger" arm, always a source of mirth among the public...! Edit: Forgot to mention: Daleks are "owned" by the estate of Terry Nation; its possible they didn't allow the BBC to make any radical changes, hence the "classic" alien pepperpot Overlords of the Galaxy shape...!

And now some fun! Hikaru: "C'mon, babe. You and me, we could show the Galaxy the power of love!. Who needs Minmay, anyway? <hic>!" Milia: "<blush> But what about...?" Max: "AHEM!"

Now my favourite, Battroid. Posed so as to show the increased leg mobility. Note the heat shield!:

Side. Note arm gunpod mount:

The rarely seen Gerwalk mode. Not the HCMs strongest mode, really. Front:

Fighter mode, side. Note the tailhooks. I'm also not entirely sure if I've transformed this correctly, the gaps at the side seem rather large and the tail has a rather tilted posistion:

Okay, I should have known better to make a statement like "I'll wait until the lights better" in England in winter... Anyway, as requested by Shin, heres some pics of perhaps the most underrated of Macross Valkyrie toys - the 1/72 HCM...! Fighter mode, top:

Eek...! Okay, Shin, hold that "Stomp" button for a bit - probably not this evening, but I'll see what I can do tomorrow when the lights better.

Actually, theres a couple of other scales for VF-1s: 1/100 and the 1/72 HCM Valkyries, the latter of which is about to get some sorely needed attention from me here. They've got a reputation for fragility, but I think that may be more because they feel like they're going to snap in half, not that they actually will! Okay, so they're not hefty metal like the 1/55s, or ultra-detailed like 1/60s and 1/48s. But... ...they have a pilot figure. A mountable gunpod. Missiles. Tail hooks (something not even on the 1/48!). A heatshield. Real rubber tyres (not on the 1/60s...!). Working trigger fingers (also not on the 1/60s!). Improved arm and leg movement over the 1/55s. They do have their issues - they're largely plastic, and feel it. The sculpt is only a modified version of the 1/55, and the tail fins stick up too much in Battroid mode (although I feel this is a bit exaggerated in reporting and not overly noticable when you actually have a 1/72 on display). Fighter mode has gaps all over. But... of all my Valkyries, I think the 1/72 has the best-looking Battroid mode, as a toy goes. Its not as accurate or as detailed, but its "feels" better. To me, anyway. The rest of you are probably ready to adminster the Monster stomp on me now... (the remaining problem with 1/72s is because Bandai never re-released them, making them look their best by fitting all the little covers and things means wrecking their value, if you care about that kind of thing... )

As I understand it, theres going to be a Christmas special followed by the TV series in Spring. However, I'm unclear as to whether the Christmas special is for this year or next (2005), and whether the special will be the pilot for the TV series.

One joke doing the rounds at the moment is that Christopher Eccleston looks like a Doctor who has the words "Time" & "Lord" tattooed on his butt! As for that epsidoe picture - can't remember the name, but I seem to recall the Daleks having some terrible nerve gas that really mucked people up...

Nice! Thanks for the link, from someone else who has recently got into FSS...

Has everyone having trouble installed Shockwave?

You're welcome. And it does remind of the scene in M+ where Guld is tracking missile trails in the YF-21...

http://www.ertdfgcvb.ch/p1/fly_2.html Arrow keys to move, requires Shockwave. "Higher. Faster... "