Masterpiece Collection

[Skv0ra]

Can someone please fill me in on quality and articulation of these guys? Are they perfect transformers(no parts needed to be removed), how sturdy are these, and how posable and stable are they in each mode. I might pick up Ben's since its the cheapest that I've seen so far. Thanks.

[Die, Alien Scum!]

Look here.

[Skv0ra]

I see. I'll prolly hold off on these, but $35 total doesn't sound all that bad.

[Die, Alien Scum!]

Yeah, that's about all they're really worth. The toys themselves kinda suck, but the boxes do look nice displayed between the bookends. Still, I would recommend you save your money and put it toward a Yamato 1/48 instead. You definitely won't be disappointed with the 1/48s, but they are a bit pricey. Keep an eye on the "For Sale" section here. You can usually find better deals than what you see on eBay.

[Skv0ra]

Yea. I'm after Mac Plus right now and 1/48s are a little too much for me right now. I'll get one someday.

[robodog562000]

Just stick to Bandai, Yamato, and Takatoku. These companies provide excellent quality toys. I only make exceptions for other companies when the toys are rare or were never made by anyone else.

[jenius]

The MPCs are equal to the Yamato 1/60s and you can get both of them for about $45 pretty easily (depending on which ones you want). Wheareas the Yamato 1/60s have annoying screw top covers that flake off and get lost, a nearly useless GERWALK mode, funky hips in battloid, and squashed heads the MPCs have floppy legs in fighter mode, a much worse sculpt, and less poseability. I'm in the minority in prefering the MPC over the Yamato 1/60. Honestly, if there's one thing we all agree on its how great the Yamato 1/48 is. No offense to chunky monkey fans but the only reason to own a Bandai or a Taka is for purely sentimental reasons... or to give a kid a toy that's cheap and not easily broken.

Edit - Yamato's Mac+ toys are pretty terrible. I love 'em straight because I love the mechs they depict but otherwise those toys are BAD. Think of an extremely fragile toy with a complex transformation and paint that chips off if you look at it funny and you've got a Yammy Mac+ toy. I think that's the real reason they're becoming collectible... because most of them get broken. Don't mention that around here though.

Edited April 17, 2006 by jenius

[Mechafan]

MPC's for $35 is not a bad price. They are not worth MSRP. I have them all and deal with thier flaws like I deal with the flaws of other Macross items. If they are for display then good. Just do not expect to do much playing with them.

[Lynx7725]

The MPCs are equal to the Yamato 1/60s and you can get both of them for about $45 pretty easily (depending on which ones you want).

391632[/snapback]

Hey, I disagree strongly on this. I don't have an MPC Veritech but do own an MPC Alpha, and own 3 1/60. Overall I'll say the 1/60 has a better sculpt than the MPC and from reviews is a bit more sturdy -- there's no single part on the 1/60 that's likely to break "just because", whereas the MPC has QC issues out of box. Yes, the 1/60 does have problems with posability in Battroid but the screw covers aren't as loose as you make them out to be -- I had very few problems with them.

It really boils down to whether you want a display piece or a toy, so YMMV. But my impression when the MPC Veritech is released is that the overall quality of manufacture is better for the Yamato than the MPC, and as such I did not purchase any MPC Veritechs.

[jenius]

Hey, I disagree strongly on this. I don't have an MPC Veritech but do own an MPC Alpha, and own 3 1/60. Overall I'll say the 1/60 has a better sculpt than the MPC and from reviews is a bit more sturdy -- there's no single part on the 1/60 that's likely to break "just because", whereas the MPC has QC issues out of box.

I own approximately 8-10 of each type of toy and stand by my opinion. They're both just average toys with a plethora of things that could be better... things that are better on the 1/48. This whole "easily broken" image the MPC has is strange to me... it certainly *feels* easier to break than the chunkies but I don't really know anyone who has broken an MPC. Obviously I'm not saying they aren't breakable, I just don't see them as fragile. A few of mine have taken falls. Both the MPCs and the 1/60s make a similar thud when they fall from a distance (not that I wanted to ever know that). With the MPC missiles fly off and the toy needs adjusting, with the 1/60 the legs pop off and need to be put back in, I wouldn't describe either as fragile.

Definitely note that I'm just talking about about the VF-1 MPCs here. The Alpha MPCs are definitely easy to break but damn if they don't look pretty.

Edited April 17, 2006 by jenius

[Lynx7725]

I'm prepared to accept that the MPC Veritechs are more sturdy then they look -- after all I have no personal experience with them. But as personal taste goes, I find the 1/60 better in terms of overall quality, which is why I went with them.

As with anything to do with personal opinions, there is room on this planet for differing opinions to exists, so I'm not overally excited by this. After all, both the MPC Veritech and the 1/60 Yamato has been left in the dust after the excellent 1/48 Yamato has been debuted, and unjustly so IMO.

[jenius]

I agree with everything you said but this part:

After all, both the MPC Veritech and the 1/60 Yamato has been left in the dust after the excellent 1/48 Yamato has been debuted, and unjustly so IMO

Confuses me. The 1/60 got the Q-Raus and just about every valk you can get and is now getting the 0S. The only VF-1 1/60s I think were skipped were Max's 1A and Hik's VF-1S. Sure, enthusiasm these days is 1/48 based... but that's just because the 0S hasn't hit yet

As far as the 1/60 vs MPC thing goes, like you said, it's a personal taste thing. If you're going to display the thing in fighter mode then there's no doubt the 1/60 is the big winner. If other things are more important then hey, maybe the MPC has some pluses. I just try to do a little stickin' up for the MPC because of the rabid hate people 'round these parts spray at newcomers for either having purchased the MPCs or considering it. If it's not a 1/48 VF-1, it's just a VF-1, if you're getting the item for an extreme discount in either case you'll probably be happy with what you got.

Wait a minute... I think I see a dead horse somewhere else I need to beat.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

If they combined toynami box design with yamato quality control and made a new line of mospeada toys that would be awesome.

In defence of 1/72 macross plus toys, the later releases solved the fragile hip problems which people were complaining about. (see graham's reviews) It's great to see a company that listens to the complaint and addresses the problems to improve over time. If toynami could steadily make the quality better and better over time I would recommend them but I think the MP stuff should be thought of as transformable models which you should beware of if you treat them roughly. (similar to how the 1/48s have fragile areas like the back pack piece or the monster has those little tabs which risk getting stress marks and eventually cracking and breaking off - they are not toys in the 'kiddy' sense)

Toynami maybe were a little too ambitious with details on the alpha imo and should have went with a sturdy less detailed toy which people can handle like the bandai toys. I would be quite happy if they went with strong but light plastic rather than heavy diecast for toys since for me poseabilty is an important thing too. (this is why I like the vf11FP the most out of all the 1/72 macross plus toys, it doesn't feel loose)

Edited April 17, 2006 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Roy Focker]

See pinned or the MPC super thread