NEW Official MPC Thread!!!

[GobotFool]

rereading all the reviews. *sigh* once again it sounds like we have gotten a 70 dollar box and a 10 dollar toy.

[bandit29]

For the record, I'll just add mine doesn't have floppy arms. They are actually quite sturdy. And I do like the hands. They hold a gunpod better than any Yamato hand(sans the fat TV hand that came with the 1/48 VF-1J). Its too bad that you can't do two handed gun poses. So either Toyanami set the shoulders too far back or made the arms too short or the chest too big.

Also, is anyone else's sensor hatch loose to the point where it comes off? I think on mine one of the tabs broke or was snapped off when I got it. During the very first transformation it fell off...

[Lynx7725]

Can we have a post or site where we can keep track of all the problems raised in the MPC Alpha? Also, the number of satisfied vs. unsatisfied customers.

One problem we'll always have no matter what the topic is the vocal minority problem. Having seen the effects of that in action, I sort of prefer to rely on hard numbers/ facts.

Truth to be told I sort of expect some problems with the first Alpha. I want to get the Red Alpha, but two things are putting me off -- the apparently crappiness and fragilty (exaggerated or otherwise) of the Alpha, and the horrendous looking head sculpt in photos (bearing in mind photos are almost always horrendous looking).

[MEMO1DOMINION]

MAYBE A VOTE COUNT.....

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THEM...

[eriku]

It's possible to get a good one. mine doesn't seem to have the QC problems that people are complaining about, other than the slightly loose arms. Maybe it all depends on what day it was made or what mood the twelve year old Chinese girl was in when she put it together.

I like it, and I'm not really disappointed at all.

[Graham]

For the record, I'll just add mine doesn't have floppy arms. They are actually quite sturdy. And I do like the hands. They hold a gunpod better than any Yamato hand(sans the fat TV hand that came with the 1/48 VF-1J). Its too bad that you can't do two handed gun poses. So either Toyanami set the shoulders too far back or made the arms too short or the chest too big.

I'll second that, I think Toynami did a really good job on the hands. My Alpha also does not have floppy arms.

I was thinking about this thread last night and wondering are we perhaps being a little too hard on the toy too soon?

To be honest, I'm mostly happy with this toy. I mean yes, the paint job is fairly poor, but I was expecting that from Toynami anyway.

As for the fragility of the toy, well all we've had so far is one hatch breakage reported, so it's a little early to start panicking just yet. Yes, it sucks that EXO had a hatch break, but it's only one incidence as yet (cross fingers, touch wood etc.).

From now we all wil be extra-careful with the missile hatches. I don't plan to open mine much anyway. Frankly, I'm more worried about the wing hinges, but that has always been a weak point on all Alpha/Legioss toys and models anyway.

Yes, the Alpha MPC is not perfect and has a lot of minor flaws, but that's par for the course for Toynami. And let's face it most of the flaws are pretty minor. Heck this is Toynami we are talking about, it's hardly fair to expect Bandai or Takara quality from them

Graham

[boinger]

I really like this toy.

I have the same problem as dejr8bud; the hinge to the square flap, that the sensor array sits on, has one tiny little bit broken off, so the whole square piece will not stay on. Very fragile little hinges.

Other than that one problem, the alpha is really nice.

Thanks, Kevin.

[EXO]

Yes, it sucks that EXO had a hatch break, but it's only one incidence as yet (cross fingers, touch wood etc.).

I'm still on the pleased side. I'm just bummed that they don't allow for me to fix it.

[CoryHolmes]

Yes, it sucks that EXO had a hatch break, but it's only one incidence as yet (cross fingers, touch wood etc.).

I'm still on the pleased side. I'm just bummed that they don't allow for me to fix it.

It's called a "dremel" tool. That should fix your glued together problem

I wonder how long it'll be before we start seeing some Alpha customs?

[bomar]

well with all the stuff thats not right with the toy i dont know if i want to keep my peroder i have 1 preoder at gamestop thay will get it in on the 21 is it really as bad as every 1 makes it sound would the people that have the toy know still buy it

[eugimon]

yup, I did say I was overall pleased in my first post as well.. I just think we should be honest about the myriad problems this toy does have and their severity.

for me, the fact that people are getting such different experiences in terms of QC is a bad thing.

but the toy is nice, hopefully they can resolve some issues with the future releases.

[rewooh]

welp i just picked up mine.

i'm pretty pleased with the toy. the size doesn't bother me at all. I just had trouble figuring out with hatches open and which don't. Paint job on mine looks fine. I had trouble opening some stuff but nothing a knife couldn't fix. The gun sucks..it doesn't stay on and i can't pose it.

Only thing i wish is i wish the missles looked more articulated. It looks like a bunch of colored dots. From the protos, i was expected missels that looks like missles. I wished it protured and it was round, you know what i'm talking about? and also, like everyone else, the leg and arm missles aren't even there all the way. its open half way...but over all, its really impressive and ican't wait for future releases in the alpha new generation mpc series. I hope they make the cyclones. and I'm pretty sure we can expect the beta to come out.

[Graham]

would the people that have the toy know still buy it

Yep, I'm happy enough with it that I have no regrets buying it.

Graham

[bandit29]

After messing around with the fighter mode some more, the parts are starting to sit/move together better. Not as tight. Some of these parts are overly tight when you first get it(at least mine was, it reminded me of the YF-19 1st version from Yamato) . . It doesn't look so squashed or saggy anymore.

Also I missed this earlier.. you have to lock the rear landing gear into place. Move them completely forward. This helps the body to clear the ground just a little. But overall the landing gear is too short.

Overall I think the Alpha is ok. The sculpt is good. The parts fitting could be better but that problem is common with all transforming toys, even the 1/48. The paint job on mine is sloppy is some areas. The Alpha is not a piece of crap (that honor belongs to the VF-1 MPC or the YF-21 FP ) but its not great either.

[EXO]

Yes, it sucks that EXO had a hatch break, but it's only one incidence as yet (cross fingers, touch wood etc.).

I'm still on the pleased side. I'm just bummed that they don't allow for me to fix it.

It's called a "dremel" tool. That should fix your glued together problem

I wonder how long it'll be before we start seeing some Alpha customs?

I have a dremel. Let me know when you take yours apart and customize it...

Edited August 18, 2004 by >EXO<

[CoryHolmes]

(that honor belongs to the VF-1 MPC or the YF-21 FP

What about the VF-11 non-fastpack version?

[CoryHolmes]

Yes, it sucks that EXO had a hatch break, but it's only one incidence as yet (cross fingers, touch wood etc.).

I'm still on the pleased side. I'm just bummed that they don't allow for me to fix it.

It's called a "dremel" tool. That should fix your glued together problem

I wonder how long it'll be before we start seeing some Alpha customs?

I have a dremel. Let me know when you take yours apart and customize it...

I would, if I had any customizing skills.

I can barely build a snap-together, pre-painted model.

[jwinges]

Overall I'm happy with the toy itself. I'd much rather it would be priced better than have the lousy box. That's my biggest gripe. These are for alpha #03363

Likes:

I like the poseability

I like the sculpt

Gun design

I have no paint problems

I only have 1 mold flaw in the left intake, i expected many more problems

Like the mini cyclone

Like the canopy and pilot

Like all the leg hatches except the lowest one's.

Like the shoulder hatches (just be really careful with them

Like the many ajustments that can be made to the feet (its very stable and doesn't want to fall over like all of the yammies.

Like the size to weight ratio

Hates:

Loose wrists

Lowest leg missle hatches...doors fall off

Forearm missles are worthless (design flaw)

Stiff left wing

Funky hip adjustment (just dislike it)

Tough transformation (very stiff...feel like its going to break)

Big toes

Not perfect transformation

Rear Landing gears and front landing gear hatch sucks (biggest flaw)

Almost impossible to pull out front gear

Need tabs on the leg hatches (I needed to use an exacto to get them open)

Fragil shoulder hatches (be very careful...don't end up like EXO)

Ratings (I'll include my ratings of other forum toys for reference)

Alpha

Cost...4/10 (is it worth the price)

QC... 8/10 (overall QC)

Design...8/10 (sculpt accuracy, and transformation process)

Paint...8/10 (quality and accuracy)

Poseability...9/10 (can it hold a pose?)

Overall...7.5/10 (Overall enjoymentrating and happiness with product)

1/60

Cost...6/10

QC...3/10

Design...2/10

Paint...7/10

Poseability...5/10

Overall...4.3/10

1/48

Cost...3/10

QC...7/10

Design...9.5/10

Paint...8/10

Poseability...9.5/10

Overall...7.7/10

Toynami Veritech

Cost...1/10

QC...1/10

Design...3/10

Paint...5/10

Poseability...6/10

Overall...3.3/10

Bandai Reissue 1/55

Cost...7/10

QC...9.5/10

Design...8/10

Paint...10/10

Poseability...6/10

Overall...8/10

Joke Machine

Cost...10/10

QC...9/10

Design...10/10

Paint...9/10

Posability...6/10

Overall...8.5/10

Just my personal opinion...let the flames begin

[Mechafan]

is it really as bad as every 1 makes it sound would the people that have the toy know still buy it

Yes I would say it is a keeper for me.

Got mines today.

Minor paint issues. Nice tight joints. The hands are awesome. Unable to get one wing to lock onto cotpit in battloid mode. I face my gun the opposite way so I do not have to remove the clip. This is much better than the VF-1 MPC.

Only two design flaws:

(1) Landing gear to short which makes chest drag

(2) Arm missiles only show half way.

Engineering should have caught those.

[bomar]

well thanks 4 the info i will keep my preorder this will be my 2nd robotech toy i have the mpc vol. 2 for 20 bucks its ok i don't know how bad it really is cause i don't have any other robotech toys but if is any when close to the way the mpcs are i will never buy anything from toynami again

[dr_vandermeer]

Really sad and disappointing to hear some of the problems people are having with their Alphas, after it seemed like a lot of people walked away from MWCon4 pretty impressed with the toy that we had seen.

Though in hindsight, I guess if it were me, I would also try to bring the best piece I possibly could to show off.

I thought that Toynami had done the Alpha justice. Now...

[Kin]

is it really as bad as every 1 makes it sound would the people that have the toy know still buy it

Yes I would say it is a keeper for me.

Got mines today.

Minor paint issues. Nice tight joints. The hands are awesome. Unable to get one wing to lock onto cotpit in battloid mode. I face my gun the opposite way so I do not have to remove the clip. This is much better than the VF-1 MPC.

Only two design flaws:

(1) Landing gear to short which makes chest drag

(2) Arm missiles only show half way.

Engineering should have caught those.

a dragging chestplate... man I think the whole part of the body is completely wrong. Shouldn't the chestplate be detractable and level up with the lower part (his X)

Sorry to whine so much but: the one who is responsible for the model sure did his job without enough love.

Edited August 18, 2004 by Kin

[JsARCLIGHT]

OK, I'm drinking in the irony of what happened to me yesterday and today.

Got my crappy MPC Legioss.

Hated it.

Complained about it.

Brought it to work in the box.

Co-worker was interested in it and bought it off of me.

Come in today and co-worker wants his money back.

Refund money and take possession again of this crap-ass toy.

Even he felt ripped off at half the price and wanted his money back.

I hate this toy. It's going in the closet when I get home and never coming out. I am also having a hard time understanding how the quality level of mine can be so much different than other peoples... are your parts lined up right? No crooked doors or panels? No crooked seams? Do all of yours stay together when in all three modes? No parts pulling apart? No fugly unbalanced look? I think a lot of people are giving this toy too much leeway just as I am giving it too much critisism. This is a bad toy... bad bad bad. I actually prefer the first gen MPC VF-1 to this toy. At least the first gen VF-1 did not flop around like a dead fish and have all these transforming, posing and just downright quality issues. If mine is the worst of the worst they have made then the good ones must barely be likeable.

I know to everyone I must seem like the angry old ahab tilting against a toy that most people find to be a blessing but this thing is the first toy I have bought in years that has made me this dissapointed and angry. I wished this toy would have been at least tollerable but mine is just garbage. I should also point out that this is really the first time I have ever taken a toy this poor out of the box, usually I'm overjoyed at my toy purchases even the bad ones. But this toy... UGH!

[wolfx]

OK, I'm drinking in the irony of what happened to me yesterday and today.

Got my crappy MPC Legioss.

Hated it.

Complained about it.

Brought it to work in the box.

Co-worker was interested in it and bought it off of me.

Come in today and co-worker wants his money back.

Refund money and take possession again of this crap-ass toy.

Even he felt ripped off at half the price and wanted his money back.

I hate this toy. It's going in the closet when I get home and never coming out. I am also having a hard time understanding how the quality level of mine can be so much different than other peoples... are your parts lined up right? No crooked doors or panels? No crooked seams? Do all of yours stay together when in all three modes? No parts pulling apart? No fugly unbalanced look? I think a lot of people are giving this toy too much leeway just as I am giving it too much critisism. This is a bad toy... bad bad bad. I actually prefer the first gen MPC VF-1 to this toy. At least the first gen VF-1 did not flop around like a dead fish and have all these transforming, posing and just downright quality issues. If mine is the worst of the worst they have made then the good ones must barely be likeable.

I know to everyone I must seem like the angry old ahab tilting against a toy that most people find to be a blessing but this thing is the first toy I have bought in years that has made me this dissapointed and angry. I wished this toy would have been at least tollerable but mine is just garbage. I should also point out that this is really the first time I have ever taken a toy this poor out of the box, usually I'm overjoyed at my toy purchases even the bad ones. But this toy... UGH!

Sad to hear about yours dude. Pictures would help visualise what the problems are with yours?

I'm really having second thoughts on getting mine.

[mechaninac]

It sounds like buying Toynami products is akin to playing with fire...you know you're going to get burned, you just don't know how badly.

[eyesonme78]

Hi guys, think toynami's alpha to my opinion can be used as a model ( with proper servicing) but then not as a toy. well perharps that is my way of thinking but then with the alpha on my tripod seems so okay not much of a problem looking at it, but tranforming it so often is another problem. cause it doesn't last lke yamato toys, but the diecast weight feels okay. well my opinion i agree with most it's has more defects then advantages, but then it beats buying a way expensive gakken alpha with less details. ( my opinion only ) cause bought one at USD$180 with shipping way ex..

[Kin]

If I only had a little CNC machine I'll personally teach Toynami a lesson...

[JsARCLIGHT]

Sad to hear about yours dude. Pictures would help visualise what the problems are with yours?

I'm really having second thoughts on getting mine.

I currently don't have a camera but here is a nice list of all the things I have found wrong or unacceptable with my toy since I got it:

- paint quality on cockpit poor, bad edges with overspill

- paint quality on intakes poor, lots of overspill into the black areas

- paint quality on wings poor, edges "Fuzz out" and have poor definition

- paint quality on head poor, blue overbleeds onto white sides

- paint quality on tailfins poor, white is uneven does not follow lines

- front landing gear impossible to pull out without tools

- cockpit was painted shut on one side and on top

- everywhere there is a peg hole on a painted spot (chest, arms, etc.) the paint has already started to wear on those spots

- missle doors on shoulders are uneven, they don't line up and they look to be on crooked

- lower arms do not propperly seat against the shoulders in jet mode and stick out at about a 10 degree angle

- huge gap were tailfins fold in, plus gap is irregular on both arms

- forearms are starting to pull apart causing the above gap as well as others on the arms to become worse

- hands are difficult to flip in and out of the arms and due to the rubbery nature of the hands they are hard to pose

- shoulder transformation joint hits the wing cutout and will not swing into the right spot unless you grasp the wings and pull them in a bad way so it clears

- shoulder joints themselves are very loose

- left wing's second pivot point, the one in the middle of the wing, is offset which causes the wing to look like it is at two different heights with a nasty stepdown

- gun will not stay on wing pegs for more than a few seconds and slides right off

- Feet do not line up in fighter mode, left foot collapses farther than right and causes it to look lopsided requiring tons of figiting with the feet to line them up and they still do not line up propperly

- legs do not compress into the body in jet mode right which causes the yaw in the toy

- that VTOL jet in the robot's groin is way loose and rattles and moves around on it's own

- the head's hinge is loose and causes the head to flop when the toy is picked up or moved (Gakken syndrome)

- the missles in the forearms are so poorly designed that you only see the tops of them when the hatches are opened... and all four hatches rattle because they are not tight

- rear landing gear doors are impossible to open without tools as are rear landing gears

- when in armo-soldier mode if you hold the toy by it's chest and give it a little shake the whole thing rattles like an italian rifle

- the seams on the upper legs are very deep, black and noticeable

- the paint on the yellow inlet spots on all locations is sloppy with little yellow hairs peeping out and rough fuzzy boarder lines

- the majority of the missle hatches on the legs don't match the shape of the ports, i.e. port has nice square corners but hatch has rounded corners that leave nasty uneven gaps

- some missle hatches on legs are loose and sit slightly open whereas others are so tight they require tools to open

- design issues such as screw plugs on the back of the heels yet no screw plugs on the sides of the feet

- the hip joints are very unposable, possessing only the ability to rotate back and forth and on a Z axis for transformation

- knee joints are problematic, they sit too deep in the leg and if you pull on them any harder to try and extend them you get the feeling you are going to break them

- the kneecaps are begging to break

- the detatchable sensor pod... why did they even bother making the antenna collapse? It's so small and the thing detatches anyway...

- the little pivot hatch on the butt is useless... it moves in like a centimeter and then requires a firm yank to return to normal

Other issues that are my opinion rather than hard fact:

- sticker sheet is laughable

- size is pitiful

- pilot and ride armor unit are useless, plus ride armor does not go in the "anime correct" spot

- the "diecast" is useless. No parts that you would expect to be diecast are diecast. All the important hinges and moving parts are plastic while stupid things like the arm doors and the inside of the chest and legs are diecast. The diecast was put on this thing for two reasons: so they could claim "Diecast!" and so this punkass toy would be heavy to the feel and appear to be more solid than it really is.

The box is the best thing about this toy. If they had made it much larger and out of better materials and not gone with Crazy Eddie's Toy Factory and Used Car emporium to build it this might have been a decent toy... but as it stands this thing is a nightamre to me and a potential hazzard waiting to break for others.

Once again, I'm speaking out of frustration with this damn toy. All of the above except for the opinion parts is fact though about my toy. I have never in all my years of toy collecting gotten this bad of a toy... and I owned a lot of 1/60 Yamatos.

[Weaseldancer]

I must be lucky. I got my Alpha yesterday and don't seem to have any of the paint or floppiness problems some people have had. The only complaints I have are the arm missile hatches and the landing gear. So far this has been far better than the MPC VF-1's I've seen.

[jwinges]

So for those with problems what issue # do you have? Mine is above 3,000 and I have very few "problem" outside of the inherent design flaws. Are all the problems assiciated with pre #3000?

[EXO]

If I only had a little CNC machine I'll personally teach Toynami a lesson...

you mean your gonna carve out a spiky ***** and stick it up their collective *****?

[ewilen]

Alpha

Cost...4/10 (is it worth the price)

QC... 8/10 (overall QC)

Design...8/10 (sculpt accuracy, and transformation process)

Paint...8/10 (quality and accuracy)

Poseability...9/10 (can it hold a pose?)

Overall...7.5/10 (Overall enjoymentrating and happiness with product)

1/60

Cost...6/10

QC...3/10

Design...2/10

Paint...7/10

Poseability...5/10

Overall...4.3/10

[...]

Just my personal opinion...let the flames begin

No flames here, but I wonder why the 1/60 got such a poor design rating? Is it primarily the detachable legs?

[ewilen]

OK, I'm drinking in the irony of what happened to me yesterday and today.

Got my crappy MPC Legioss.

Hated it.

Complained about it.

Brought it to work in the box.

Co-worker was interested in it and bought it off of me.

Come in today and co-worker wants his money back.

Refund money and take possession again of this crap-ass toy.

Even he felt ripped off at half the price and wanted his money back.

I hate this toy. It's going in the closet when I get home and never coming out. I am also having a hard time understanding how the quality level of mine can be so much different than other peoples... are your parts lined up right? No crooked doors or panels? No crooked seams? Do all of yours stay together when in all three modes? No parts pulling apart? No fugly unbalanced look? I think a lot of people are giving this toy too much leeway just as I am giving it too much critisism. This is a bad toy... bad bad bad. I actually prefer the first gen MPC VF-1 to this toy. At least the first gen VF-1 did not flop around like a dead fish and have all these transforming, posing and just downright quality issues. If mine is the worst of the worst they have made then the good ones must barely be likeable.

I know to everyone I must seem like the angry old ahab tilting against a toy that most people find to be a blessing but this thing is the first toy I have bought in years that has made me this dissapointed and angry. I wished this toy would have been at least tollerable but mine is just garbage. I should also point out that this is really the first time I have ever taken a toy this poor out of the box, usually I'm overjoyed at my toy purchases even the bad ones. But this toy... UGH!

MGREXX was about as unhappy as you with his first Alpha, as he reported over at RT.com. Then he received his second which he said was much better. So you're probably not an angry old Ahab...just a victim of poor QC.

[jwinges]

the 1/60 to me is unbearable. I have the max and millia, the 1D, and the super and I hate them all. Poor design because of the floppy legs and arms. They don't hold a pose period in battroid mode. The super stays in its box. I'll probably trade or sell that eventually but the 1D I'll keep untill I make my custom 1/55 1D and the Max and millia I'll keep until I am rich and can get the 1/48's.

I HATE THE YAMMIE 1/60

[mechaninac]

...just a victim of poor QC.

Toynami QC = the customer