NEW Official MPC Thread!!!

[Opus]

can anybody confirm that the it is the pre-3000 Alphas have the most problems? Or it doesnt matter. Based on what I am seeing, it seems so but I wonder if anybody compile this data.

I have a sinking suspicion that that is the real reason for the different versions and the paint on the intakes was changed in an attempt to distract us.

[Göönk]

OPUS :

I recieved mine a few days ago from Twin Moon Animes and the S.N. is in the 1300s

So, a pre-3000

Only two small problems that my mind can handle :

- hinge of the right arm won't rotate at 90° but 80 or 85° in the horizontal axis (from plane to gerwalk)

- left arm shoulder missiles trap hinge is inverted. hard to explain but the small piece of plastic is inverted. I tried to invert but the whole arm is in plastic and it's glued. I dread that the patient may loose the whole arm during the surgery, so, I will let it that way but you see it only if you know it.

except those two problems, I have :

- no broken part

- no paint issue

- no missing piece

The right arm is even ok for some position and it is not so loosy as some people complained about. If you rotate the elbow completely, the elbow is rather solid actually and I can pose in gerwalk/battloid modes.

The paint job is perfect. The colours are perfect. As accurate as my mind can remember.

The wheels suck big time ahah they're ridiculous. Hopefully I bought a stand so it's not a real problem because it looks so much better on a stand than on the shelves.

The weight of the toy makes you feel confortable about solidity.

The box is a piece of art.

I like the stickers a lot. They're so much better than Yamato's. All in all a perfect toy that I like as much as the 1/48 Yamatos I already own. Buy it if you like the robotech new generation anime.

(ask for jpegs I have a digital camera if necessary.)

Edited August 26, 2004 by Göönk

[Opus]

OPUS :

I recieved mine a few days ago from Twin Moon Animes and the S.N. is in the 1300s

So, a pre-3000

Only two small problems that my mind can handle :

- hinge of the right arm won't rotate at 90° but 80 or 85° in the horizontal axis (from plane to gerwalk)

- left arm shoulder missiles trap hinge is inverted. hard to explain but the small piece of plastic is inverted. I tried to invert but the whole arm is in plastic and it's glued. I dread that the patient may loose the whole arm during the surgery, so, I will let it that way but you see it only if you know it.

except those two problems, I have :

- no broken part

- no paint issue

- no missing piece

The right arm is even ok for some position and it is not so loosy as some people complained about. If you rotate the elbow completely, the elbow is rather solid actually and I can pose in gerwalk/battloid modes.

The paint job is perfect. The colours are perfect. As accurate as my mind can remember.

The wheels suck big time ahah they're ridiculous. Hopefully I bought a stand so it's not a real problem because it looks so much better on a stand than on the shelves.

The weight of the toy makes you feel confortable about solidity.

The box is a piece of art.

I like the stickers a lot. They're so much better than Yamato's. All in all a perfect toy that I like as much as the 1/48 Yamatos I already own. Buy it if you like the robotech new generation anime.

(ask for jpegs I have a digital camera if necessary.)

I hear you but mine is #01831 and it basically exploded right out of the box (read through this thread from about page 73 on for details) so either you got lucky or I got a lemon but since more people have found problems with thier pre 3000s than havn't I'd say you lucked out.

[Hikaru Ichijo SL]

I went to my local gamestop today and was told they sold the few they had and that is it no more. They can not even order more.

I live In Phoenix Arizona, the place I checked was at the Paradise Valley Mall Gamestop store.

Edited August 27, 2004 by Hikaru Ichijo SL

[macu5454]

can anybody confirm that the it is the pre-3000 Alphas have the most problems?  Or it doesnt matter.  Based on what I am seeing, it seems so but I wonder if anybody compile this data.

Well the guy at my local GameStop said that their shippment was in the range of 3000 and above. He is aware of the Alphas problems himself because he said he was a robotech fan too and his own Alpha fell apart as soon as he took it out. He even said several customers came back with their parents complaning even though the purchaser was over 20. HAHA but still no refund. He said at first his manager was accepting exchanges but too many people were coming back so he had to stop all exchanges and refunds. Hence he had to place a sign up. My own Alpha is below 3000 and I had alot of problems with it too so i guess its kind of a gamble.

Edited August 26, 2004 by macu5454

[EXO]

Wow! Lots of people buyng this Robotech toy. There must be a lot of Robotech fans out there. Maybe they are Mospeada fans......... Maybe they just buy things to buy things....... I am waiting for the second batch.... Looks like alot of the same problems that are in this thread.....

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=143

Dump the Diecast and just make the toy Transformer Alternator quality. All plastic with no stickers. All decals painted on. No chipping or flaking of diecast paint and no sillly stickers to peel off. This would also cut the cost. Look how much the Binals cost compared to the Alternators. Diecast is for people stuck in the 80's! Wham sucked then and they suck now!

Are the stickers really as obvious as they are in the pictures?

Where is the damn Mospeada version? Maybe somebody can make some nice Mospeada book covers........

There's no need to defend Toynami by linking to the Yamato thread. People pretty much got the idea that the Alpha is better than the original MPC and caught up with initial Yamato QC issues. People still have the right to bitch about it. For better or for worse, it would seem like Toynami listened to the customers, both RT fans and Macross fans and is starting to go towards the right direction. (Both Yamato and Toynami should head towards the Takara and Bandai way though.) I'll reiterate that the toy is wonderful... until you get to the arms. I'd hope they fired the retard that approved the arms for this otherwise nice build.

[macu5454]

I went to my local gamestop today and was told they sold the few they had and that is it no more. They can not even order more.

The Gamestop you went to where is this one at?

Well the guy at my local GameStop said that their shippment was in the range of 3000 and above. He is aware of the Alphas problems himself because he said he was a robotech fan too and his own Alpha fell apart as soon as he took it out. He even said several customers came back with their parents complaning even though the purchaser was over 20. HAHA but still no refund. He said at first his manager was accepting exchanges but too many people were coming back so he had to stop all exchanges and refunds. Hence he had to place a sign up. My own Alpha is below 3000 and I had alot of problems with it too so i guess its kind of a gamble.

[Kin]

I hope this issue is going to be published on some anime model/toy magazine if they excist. I mean surely... everyone knows that 80 buks is rediculous. It's being produced the same way as transformers... but cheaper with paintjobs.

Also my opinion is that Toynami want to take a big gamble with the legioss since there are no competitors in that kind of branche. But "if" Yamato has desided build one, they will hang eventually.

Did toynami aquirre an exclusive licence to build a legioss? Or may other companies get the chance to make one themselves?

Edited August 26, 2004 by Kin

[mechaninac]

I think that, aside from plastic models, the rights to all Mospeada merchandise, including toys, belong to Harmony Gold at this point. I believe that they have this one locked tight under their Robotech license; thus, any chance that another toy manufacturer such as Yamato or Bandai will produce Mospeada, or Southern Cross, toys is nil. What really gets to me is that HG could have contracted better companies to produce their MPC lines.

While the Alpha I bought is remarkably free of problems, only minor stuff that don't bother me, reading people's experience with this toy and the previous VF-1 line, it's becoming apparent that Toynami has a 25-40% defective rate going out the door...that's inexcusable on an $80.00 collector's item. Harmony Gold is being poorly served by Toynami's apparent disregard for Quality Control...They could have done a lot better.

[Opus]

Hopefully Toynami will learn from thier mistakes and use a different factory and sturdier materials on the next two.

Needless to say I wont be buying another Toynami product unless it gets 100% rave reviews.

[Pat S]

I'm going to buy each of these releases, and if one is bad, I'm sending it back to Toynami for a replacement.

[Kin]

Imagine this scenario:

An individual(most likely) or an anonymous company is willing to design/produce a legioss toy for free, only let people pay for the material being used. No profit no loss...

Is that against the law? Since it is actually a hobby and the expenses being administrated... no marketing no names etc.

Edited August 27, 2004 by Kin

[JsARCLIGHT]

The answer is supposedly "yes" and ask Captain America how much of a "yes" it is.

As for the whole alpha issue, mine is also on it's way back to toynami. I got mine from Kevin but I saw no reason for him to bear part of the hassle of this crappy toy so I went straight to the source of the problem. I'm expecting my replacement back any day now.

On another note, if many peole keep returning their toys straight to the manufacturer with nice little letters like mine perhaps they will get the point... but in all seriousness I doubt they will. With the first MPC they had the chance to learn from mistakes and this new release shows they learned nothing, instead choosing to keep making mediocre, sub-par toys at rediculous profit margins. Also don't believe anyone telling you the "Toynami is a small company and the price of the MPC is indicative of their costs for making a short run toy" as that is malarky. Toynami in my mind is just as capable as another small company called Yamato and they could use good plastics, paints and make things a lot better than they do... they just actively decide to place the money in their pockets rather than into quality toy design.

And in other news the other guy in my office who bought my legioss then asked for his money back bought one of his own online and got it this week. He is just as dissapointed with it as he was with mine and it has almost all of the same issues mine had. These toys are such russian roulette that there are just as many poor samples as there are "acceptably adequate" ones. If toynami has to do replacements on several hundred of these toys then would the logic not persist that out of the 15,000 supposedly made if a fifth of them are returned that means a fifth less in the total number... making these pieces of crap even more collectable to the number oriented. Every toy returned and exchanged is one less toy in circulation.

[Opus]

If toynami has to do replacements on several hundred of these toys then would the logic not persist that out of the 15,000 supposedly made if a fifth of them are returned that means a fifth less in the total number... making these pieces of crap even more collectable to the number oriented. Every toy returned and exchanged is one less toy in circulation.

Unless they start a new production run to compensate foy the units taken off the market.

When I get my replacement I think I might keep it MIB and see how much I can get for it in few years.

[JsARCLIGHT]

It's that kind of logic that made me wonder if they are just not going to run off a few more thousand claiming "reutrns" and just release them into the market.

[wolfx]

And in other news the other guy in my office who bought my legioss then asked for his money back bought one of his own online and got it this week. He is just as dissapointed with it as he was with mine and it has almost all of the same issues mine had. These toys are such russian roulette that there are just as many poor samples as there are "acceptably adequate" ones. If toynami has to do replacements on several hundred of these toys then would the logic not persist that out of the 15,000 supposedly made if a fifth of them are returned that means a fifth less in the total number... making these pieces of crap even more collectable to the number oriented. Every toy returned and exchanged is one less toy in circulation.

I thought the guy in your office totally despised the thing....and he decided to take his chances? I know I wouldn't...if I was given a chance to handle a crappy alpha.

[Zeta Otaku]

Just got my first and ONLY Toynami MPC from Keving today. While nothing instantly exploded, I realized that I've bought bootlegs with a higher standard of quality. For instance, the legs... they wouldn't budge. Had to pop them open. What do I find? Well, the polycaps that allows the legs to slide were GLUED in the track. freed them, cleared the track, and it's all good.

Now, is it just me or do the arms just NOT want to fold together and lock in with the legs as snuggly as they did when it was first boxed?

Anyway, on my own personal scale of Lego to Binal Tech, the MPC Alpha rates as a "meh"... there was a lot of promise here, but there's just too much wrong with this sucker. I'm sure when the bootleg comes out, it'll be superior to this guy in some ways warrenting a kitbash for a true MPC.

And this thing is definitely staying in Fighter or robot (whatever they call it) mode. Guardian/Gerwalk/roadkill mode will not be used.... ever.

[bsu legato]

Has anybody found any discussion on the Alpha MPC on any other boards? There's too many exploding MPCs for it to be isolated to Macross World, but I'm curious to see what other "non partisan" consumers think.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

sadness is the fact that toynami bears the sole license, therefore we have to put up with this crap if we buy it kuz we have no choice!! there IS no other company who can make these legally!

[JsARCLIGHT]

I thought the guy in your office totally despised the thing....and he decided to take his chances? I know I wouldn't...if I was given a chance to handle a crappy alpha.

He is actually a lurker on here somewhere and he read that people were getting "good" ones so he pressed his luck and ordered one...

... he guessed wrong...

[GobotFool]

Well wish me luck guys. Mine arrives tomorrow. I am praying it's not a turd.

[Doctor Reggae]

Wow...I think I got lucky...I got my MPC Alpha in the mail today from Big Bad Toy Store, and after reading all the bad press, I was gritting my teeth. Thankfully, I seem to be one of the comparatively lucky few that have an Alpha that doesn't completely suck. Granted, one of the arms is a bit floppy, and I had a hell of a time transforming it back to fighter mode the first time, but that was it.

The Alpha I have is # 03115.

[CoryHolmes]

Now, is it just me or do the arms just NOT want to fold together and lock in with the legs as snuggly as they did when it was first boxed?

Yeah, I just noticed that problem myself, with the arms. It looks like maybe the legs aren't retracting far enough in fighter mode so all the tabs line up as well as they could.

Also, when transforming from Battloid to the other modes, does any one have a problem getting that back "hatch" to come back up? When I was transforming from Fighter to Battloid, the only way for me to get the cockpit/canard assembly to fit flush onto the back was to get that hatch to ratchet down. Now that I'm going the other way around, I can't get the darned thing to come back up flush with the fusulage.

Anyway, on my own personal scale of Lego to Binal Tech

That's actually something I don't understand. The Binal Tech/Alternators are designed purely to look as cars, and the robot modes are awkward and disjointed clumpings of parts, only superficially resembling the robot they're designed after.

I'm looking at my Sunstreaker right now, and his lower legs/feet are simply horrendus.

But make no mistake, I love him and I'll be getting a few of the others (when they arrive up here in Canuckistan, that is), but I just don't see how they are consistantly ranked as the best when it comes to transforming toys.

[eugimon]

Just got my first and ONLY Toynami MPC from Keving today. While nothing instantly exploded, I realized that I've bought bootlegs with a higher standard of quality. For instance, the legs... they wouldn't budge. Had to pop them open. What do I find? Well, the polycaps that allows the legs to slide were GLUED in the track. freed them, cleared the track, and it's all good.

Now, is it just me or do the arms just NOT want to fold together and lock in with the legs as snuggly as they did when it was first boxed?

Anyway, on my own personal scale of Lego to Binal Tech, the MPC Alpha rates as a "meh"... there was a lot of promise here, but there's just too much wrong with this sucker. I'm sure when the bootleg comes out, it'll be superior to this guy in some ways warrenting a kitbash for a true MPC.

And this thing is definitely staying in Fighter or robot (whatever they call it) mode. Guardian/Gerwalk/roadkill mode will not be used.... ever.

if the arms aren't locking in place in fighter mode (plane) than the problem maybe the position of the hips.

the hips need to be pushed up (assuming the plane is horizontal) they will lock in place (who knows for how long) and the arms will fit better.

and I am happy to see that I am not the only person who had joints glued together by still wet paint fusing...

[ewilen]

Has anybody found any discussion on the Alpha MPC on any other boards? There's too many exploding MPCs for it to be isolated to Macross World, but I'm curious to see what other "non partisan" consumers think.

They have about the same rate of lemons over at robotech.com. They seem to have concluded rightly or wrongly that the QC issues are concentrated in the pre-3000 units.

Over at the Waist Joint (requires a quick and painless registration), a fellow who goes by Shaggydog initially offers a mildly positive review, with caveats, but eventually in the thread, after owning one for a week and experiencing more and more problems, he wrote that the Alpha is "almost comically breakable". Meanwhile, other posters reported various minor and major problems.

[Chowser]

They have about the same rate of lemons over at robotech.com. They seem to have concluded rightly or wrongly that the QC issues are concentrated in the pre-3000 units.

haha, back when Toynami first annouced the notice about 1-3000 being variants, we were all joking, "Oh yeah, we found some problems, but we're just start fixing it now and call the first 3000 special variants." instead of scraping the whole batch and starting over.

It should be, you have bought xxxx of 3000 problematic MPCs.

Now, we have the next series, the xxxx of 15000 MPCs with less problems.

I finally tried to transform mine (#2579) and the arms are loose and the left wing is loose. So I gave up, put it back in fighter and stuck it on a stand.

in the back of the display case

behind the

1/48s,

the 1/55s,

the 1/60s,

the 1/72s,

you get the idea

[GobotFool]

That's actually something I don't understand.  The Binal Tech/Alternators are designed purely to look as cars, and the robot modes are awkward and disjointed clumpings of parts, only superficially resembling the robot they're designed after.

I'm looking at my Sunstreaker right now, and his lower legs/feet are simply horrendus.

But make no mistake, I love him and I'll be getting a few of the others (when they arrive up here in Canuckistan, that is), but I just don't see how they are consistantly ranked as the best when it comes to transforming toys.

I think many people rank BT's as the best that the Transformers franchise has had to offer, but forget to take into consideration the plethora of other transforming robot lines and their merits.

Also it should be noted that many other transforming toy's, while having great robot modes, have alt modes that more or less look like a robot bent in half.

I personally don't mind being reminded that the robot I'm looking at used to be a car when it has a hood, fender or door sticking out. I do mind lame alt modes that look more like a robot contortionist than a vehicle or a piece of equipment. But that's just me, both approaches have their ups and downs, I just prefer transforming toys that put more emphasis on a good alt mode than a good robot mode.

Of all transforming mecha designs the macross valk is still the best. It looks great as a robot and as a plane, and does not have that much kibble left over in either mode to tip off that it has an alt mode. The same can be said of mospeada's designs.

Here is my list of best to worst in terms of transforming design, I know I've missed a lot of lines but I'm just listing the ones I collect.

-Tie between Macross and Mospeada

-Dorvack (cept the tulcus, ugh!)

-Binaltech transformers

-Diaclone and Micromen (AKA G1 most of series 1 - 2 and some of series 3)

-RID

-All the original non diaclone and microman molds from Transformers G1 series 3

-Machine Robo

-All other transformer lines

-Orguss (While I still love them they are one of the worst offenders of the bent in half alt mode)

-Most transforming Gundam designs.

While I love all the lines i've listed this is my OPINION on which ones have the best and worst transforming designs.

Edited August 27, 2004 by GobotFool

[bigkid24]

Add another crappy Alpha to the list. I finally got around to opening one of the two I bought. (Yeah, I bought two. I forgot I already had one on pre-order.) The one I opened is 979 and one of the pieces on the heels is upside down so the heels are asymmetrical to each other. How do you miss that?! Anyway, I need to open my other one but don't have the patience to do it tonight.

[wolfx]

Add another crappy Alpha to the list. I finally got around to opening one of the two I bought. (Yeah, I bought two. I forgot I already had one on pre-order.) The one I opened is 979 and one of the pieces on the heels is upside down so the heels are asymmetrical to each other. How do you miss that?! Anyway, I need to open my other one but don't have the patience to do it tonight.

With each new report of crap valks, it becomes almost incriminating evidence that toynami has a factory that uses kids zombiefied with Robotech as their main workforce.

[Drad]

Don't forget to add your votes to the Alpha poll, guys! Keep those numbers coming in. Thanks.

[bandit29]

Has anybody found any discussion on the Alpha MPC on any other boards? There's too many exploding MPCs for it to be isolated to Macross World, but I'm curious to see what other "non partisan" consumers think.

I've seen some of the same complaints at the RT.com forums. Parts missing from the head, arm has fallen off etc.

While I started out kinda liking this thing, I'm starting to loathe it and wish I would have spent my money elsewhere

[aaajin]

c'mon people ~! stop talkin n post more pics of yer alpha!!!

[EXO]

Don't forget to add your votes to the Alpha poll, guys! Keep those numbers coming in. Thanks.

You know what would be an interesting poll? I want to see how many people believe there will be a Beta/Tread for this thing. Every connection people have suggested gets covered up in Battloid and Fighter mode. Do people still believe it's possible? I'd have to give Toynami some kudos if they pull it off...

[jwinges]

I think we should have a retarded alpha contest.

Who has the most retarded alpha...pic (not more than 2 showing your alpha's worst flaws). Who's alpha will be crowned the most retarded alpha in macrossworld!

Requirements:

Its Id number

1-2 pics of how its retarted

If a mod ok's this lets start it in a new thread.

Any mod want to be a judge?

[bsu legato]

Every connection people have suggested gets covered up in Battloid and Fighter mode.

Have you checked for magents?