Graham's review of Super O & Elint

[Sumesh]

Graham, when will you be putting your reviews of the Yamato Super O and Elint up?

[Graham]

When I have time. I'm very busy at the moment, so I'm not sure how soon it will be. I also have the review of the 1/48 FAST packs still to write as well

I did finish the review of the VF-11B FP about a month ago (told you I was behind), but Shawn has been too busy to post it yet.

Graham

[Sumesh]

Completely forgot about the FP review!

Thanks, Graham.

[91WhiskeyM6]

Well, hurry already Graham !!!

[trueblueeyes]

Well, hurry already Graham !!!

Yeah, what he said..we want it now with no excuses! After all, it isn't as if Graham has a job, a wife, or a life outside of Macross fandom! So obviously he must have plenty of time to write reviews to please whiny fanboys!

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[Capt Hungry]

Is anybody else willing to step up to the plate and do a review of these valks?

Shawn and Graham both go to such lengths for us, we should support both of them in anyway that we can.

[JsARCLIGHT]

I'll throw my hat in the ring and deliver a short short brief review of them, just the good and bad points. Nice and to the point. No pics though as I'm at work right now.

SUPER OSTRITCH VT-1 1/60

PROS:

- the sculpt is good, very accurate to the line art

- several new unique pieces make this guy stand out against all the other 1/60s, it is definately a head turner

- little Hikaru and Minmay figures rather than two generic pilots make this a more personal, movie specific toy which makes me smile

- the joints (with some exceptions) are tight and easy to move

CONS:

- the molded plastic orange colors, when under lights, look cheap and "plasticy". This 1/60 seems to look more "toyish" than any of the other previous releases

- the backpack... ugh, the backpack... both the VT-1 and VE-1 use a new type of backpack design that is tollerable at best and terrible at worst. My VT-1's backpack when up is horribly floppy and if you so much as touch the toy it flops and moves all over the place. It is a pain to get the backpack locked up into the right position in the first place (some folks might even not do this as you have to apply so much pressure to the part to get it to lock in place you feel like you might break it).

- the paint quality on my particular one was abysmal. Overspray everywhere, chips and missed spots. All in all this is the worst paint job I have ever seen on any 1/60 I own

- the arms, since they have no arm armor, connect to the legs in a strange way and never seem to sit quite right in fighter mode

- this is a minor gripe but the head and neck are double jointed, meaning the neck piece swivels and the head has a four way joint on it which makes lining up the head and collar piece in any mode kind of a pain.

OTHER POINTS OF NOTE:

- the VT-1 does not come with a gunpod and only comes with two hands

- the VT-1 does come with two nose plugs and the large backpack antenna (which is easy to install and looks good when on)

- it has two sticker sheets, a standard new 1/60 type and a specific VT-1 sheet. The stickers are typical Yamato.

MY VERDICT:

It's a trainer. It's boring. If it didn't play such a pivotal role in the movie this toy would have never been bought by me. It has some quality issues that I feel it would have behooved Yamato to spend more time fixing but as this guy and his brother (the VE-1) are seeming to be the last of the 1/60 VF-1 series I feel that the line is going out with a whimper rather than a bang. The huuuuuuuuuuuge box belies the sub-par toy that is inside. I will admit that the toy is starting to grow on me a bit but any love I have for it is being overshadowed by it's glaring problems. I might end up liking it more later on, who knows for sure. My advice is that if you are addicted to the 1/60 line and are an uber-completist like me... you have to get this toy no matter what I or anyone else may say about it. Just don't come bitchin' to me when you open it up and are dissapointed.

ELINTSEEKER VE-1 1/60

PROS:

- the colors on this one are higher quality, more on key with the rest of the 1/60 line

- the accessories are numerous, two different arm sensors, backpack fins and dish make this valk very unique and noticeable from across the room.

- the two pilot figures are your standard no-name generic pilots but they are painted a different color than the previously released VF-1D pilots so they stand out

- the toy really "spreads out"... meaning it is very tall and it dwarfs some of the other 1/60s

CONS:

- the head... ugh, the head... it's pretty much an unmoving blob of plastic that hangs too low in fighter mode and just looks goofy in battroid

- the same backpack issues that the VT-1 has are present in my VE-1, only that the VE-1's backpack does a better job of locking in place and does not wiggle around a lot.

- several parts on this toy have been made in a total "what the heck where they smoking?" sort of fashion. Most notably are the large radome mounting arm and the arm sensor pods. The large radome arm is not only not removeable but it only has one joint on it which makes it only possible to achieve one or two poses. Lame. Mainly because the defualt poses are so high up in the air and gangly looking it is just ugly. (it should be noted though that you can remove the screws on the backpack and remove the radome arm from the backpack... why you would do that though is beyond me)

- the arm sensor pods completely obstruct almost any and all chances of this fighter sitting on it's landing gears in a decent way. The only way to make the fighter sit is to turn the head around backwards and fold up the large arm sensor into the cockpit as tight as it will go in a vain attempt to keep it off the ground... only to have the other arm sensor hit the ground and have the whole valk sit off kilter. This toy almost demands a display stand to be properly displayed.

- the sensor fins that extend from the sides of the backpack boosters are very flimsy and fragile. Be careful when installing them or handling the toy.

OTHER POINTS OF NOTE:

- the VE-1 does not come with a gunpod and only comes with two hands and an extra nose plug

- it has two sticker sheets, a standard new 1/60 type and a specific VE-1 sheet. The stickers are typical Yamato.

MY VERDICT:

It's a recon unit. It's boring. It only appears for two seconds in one movie. Once again, some fundamental design flaws keep this from being a top notch toy and that enormous box makes you think you are getting something wonderful... in reality I think Yamato made the boxes so big so you could not flush these down the toilet. I know I'm being harsh but the letdown factor when taking these toys out of the box is the worst I have ever felt with a Yamato product. Much like the VT-1 I will say that this toy may grow on me as time goes on but for right now it is an ugly, gangly and clumsy looking toy. Until I get a display stand it must sit in it's half folded up way as it cannot be propperly displayed without a stand. My advice again is that if you are a die hard "must have them all" 1/60 collector then this will be a purchase no matter what I or anyone else has to say... but if you are cash strapped or on the fence, avoid it.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I'm one of Yamato's biggest fans. I love their Macross toys. I have never had an issue with their quality control, paint, parts or designs before. I've been more than willing to accept very small blemishes or loose parts in the past but these two toys just tore it in my mind. I found myself thining "how can a company that makes the technological and artistic wonder that is the 1/48 with FAST packs turn out such poorly designed toys?" I have been left with the feeling that the VT-1 and VE-1 are almost like manufactured kitbash toys. It's like Yamato was in a rush to crank out these toys and just started substituing parts here and there and turned out things that look rather good but fit and function quite loose and sloppy. These toys would really have benefited from some slight redesigns that would have just made them a tad more solid and functional. Now before people start jumping me for bashing these toys let me just say that of you leave them in one mode (fighter) and walk away from them they are nice display pieces... but when it comes to being a toy they are a train wreck. I almost feel obligated now to buy some of Sithlord's stands just so I can display these things "right" and possibly get some love for them in my heart.

[Manji]

- little Hikaru and Minmay figures rather than two generic pilots make this a more personal, movie specific toy which makes me smile

THAT is funny...glad it makes ya smile

[Mechamaniac]

FINAL THOUGHTS:

I'm one of Yamato's biggest fans. I love their Macross toys. I have never had an issue with their quality control, paint, parts or designs before. I've been more than willing to accept very small blemishes or loose parts in the past but these two toys just tore it in my mind. I found myself thining "how can a company that makes the technological and artistic wonder that is the 1/48 with FAST packs turn out such poorly designed toys?" I have been left with the feeling that the VT-1 and VE-1 are almost like manufactured kitbash toys. It's like Yamato was in a rush to crank out these toys and just started substituing parts here and there and turned out things that look rather good but fit and function quite loose and sloppy. These toys would really have benefited from some slight redesigns that would have just made them a tad more solid and functional. Now before people start jumping me for bashing these toys let me just say that of you leave them in one mode (fighter) and walk away from them they are nice display pieces... but when it comes to being a toy they are a train wreck. I almost feel obligated now to buy some of Sithlord's stands just so I can display these things "right" and possibly get some love for them in my heart.

Thanks for the review JSA.

Before reading your review, I had decided not to buy these toys...

After reading your review, I am convinced that I was right not to do so...

I think that the 1/48 line was the single best and worst thing that Yamato ever did to themselves. I used to like the 1/60's, but after getting the 1/48, the 1/60's just started looking stubby, and quite honestly hideously ugly to me. So, if Yamato does a Super O and Elint in 1/48, they will get my cash.

If not, and I realize one day that I made an error, experience has shown that 1/60 Yamato valks can be had for half price or less 6 months after their release dates.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Well, they could have just jammed in two nondescript TV pilots like they did with the VF-1D. Those two little TV pilots in that unit, to me, totally dissasociate it with the TV show. In my mind only a civvy flightsuited Hikaru and a civvy Minmay can pilot that unit.

[bandit29]

Against my wishes I bought a Super O. Not bad. Nice sculpt. The paint job on mine was good. No overspray or chipping. The plastic on the arms looks very cheap. Almost like recycled plastic was used.

The only problem I had was with the new back pack. The very first time I flipped it up it was under so so much pressure it fell off. I had to take apart the the Super O and reattatch it. I wasn't exactly thrilled taking apart a new toy I owned for only 10 minutes. The back pack is fine now. It locks well and doesn't loosen up.

I'm just leaving this one in fighter mode. Maybe a gerwalk every once in awhile. The Battroid mode is ugly. An afterthought really.

The Elint I didn't buy. No Valks with dishes on thier head for me lol

[Jawjaw]

Arc - You mentioned that your backpacks are really floppy. Are you locking them 'down' into place? Mine were very hard to do the first few times but it got easier. In fact, the first time I tried to do this with my vt1, the backpack broke off. Well it didn't break but I had to loosen several screws to slip it back into place. Basically, you flip the backpack over like normal, then push straight down so that the backpack arm snaps up into the backpack. If you do not do this, the backpack will flop around and not sit straight. When snapped into place, it is very sturdy and won't flop even in battroid.

My VT-1 and VE-1 were off great quality. The best I have seen since the VF-1J super. I fixing to put up my reviews on my website in the next couple of days..

[JsARCLIGHT]

Yup, I followed the picture instructions to the tee. I usually try to carefully examine any transforming toys before trying to transfrom them just to make sure I'm doing it right. Both my VT-1 and VE-1's backpacks where nearly impossible to bend the two angle piece into an upright position (the locking lug that holds it up was too tall and prevented it from going up) and I saw how the backpack side of the piece slid into the unit while it rotated up. It looks to be set correctly but it is still just so darn floppy. I know that is possible to be "locked down" as my VE-1's backpack is transformed the exact same way and is much more solid (but still a little wavy).

My VT-1 has more QC issues than any Yamato toy I have ever had... actually it is the first time I have found myself angry at a toy's quality. If I had not paid about $90 for this thing I'd most likely let a lot of these gripes slide and I bet there are ones out there that are better painted and put together than this one... and I seriously hope there. At it's core the QC issues with my two are compounded by the slapdashedness of their designs. You have to admit that the VT-1 and VE-1 toys have that sort of Kitbash "nothing fits quite right" feel to them.

[kensei]

Apollo Leader's Gunsight One newsletter is a bit behind as well isn't it?