Graham reviews the new Yamato 1/60 VF-1

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Honestly I don't see why people are like "omg it's better than the 1/48".... the 1/48 has been around for like 7 years

Good point. I want to see the Bubblegum crisis figure yamato is releasing now, get better versions of them in later years. What are the chances of this happening graham? Bigger, more detail, more accuracy, perfect transformation etc?

Why didn't they put the same effort in that as the megazone 23 or garland toys? Macross has had 3 generations. 1/60 v1, 1/48, and now 1/60 v2.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

The man hands on this thing look really good. And they manage to fit in the sleeve. I hope they translate that knowledge towards making the vf-11 have beefier hands too. Yes fighter mode is important; I'm not saying it isn't, but judging by the impressions and reviews of this 1/60 maybe a majority of macross fans are now more into a toy that looks balanced in all modes over just fighter mode?

It will be interesting to see what direction yamato go in based on the reviews of this 1/60. 1/60 imo in terms of battroid mode shape has these better things:

-better hands (bigger)

-improved head sculpt

-arms are more manly

-chest isn't so wide

-arms can curl, legs look better for gerwalk mode

For fighter mode:

-canopy looks better from front on

Gerwalk:

-the increased legs poseability and less pointy nose make this mode seem a little more practical to me. I think a pointy nose for gerwalk looks wrong despite being good for fighter mode.

Overall I'm buying it for better arms, hands and poses.

Edited July 20, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[miriya]

I love this new valk and think it looks fantastic but I do have one aesthetic gripe and that is that I think the legs (sans fastpacks) look too skinny (the part below the knees). But still I will be getting some of these regardless of that. It really poses well and looks great otherwise.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Thanks for the review!!!

[Scream Man]

that review and Swooshes pics sealed it for me; just ordered from toy-wave. Should have it in a couple of weeks.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

I make it a rule not to buy something if i find out i REALLY want it afterwards and the early bird price is gone, especially if it's shippable by SAL which is a huge bonus...

I guess i'll have to wait for an re-issue. Or, i buy the stand alone Roy release. And use the FP's from other bundled valk/FP packs. To be honest i'd rather use by a standalone no FP/Booster Roy1S.

Maybe they will bring out TV suit Roy-1S.... That's what they should do for standalone releases, and they would sell like hotcakes. When have we ever had a Roy TV version suit fig???

Edited July 21, 2008 by ruskiiVFaussie

[Kyp Durron]

Never, which I always thought was retarded.

-Kyp

[ruskiiVFaussie]

Easy enough to do ourselves of course... just saying that it would be VERY smart to release the Roy 1S by itself with TV Roy suit pilot. Just need an extra TV suit.

Edited July 21, 2008 by ruskiiVFaussie

[MacrossMan]

BLASPHEMY! You will anger the 1/48 gods. I am only putting one 1/60 on display with my other 1/60s but the 1/48s will stay displayed.

I will always be a 1/48 collector till I die; especially seeing that the the scale is dieing in Yamato's Macross stuff at least. I have enough glass left to start another collection, but please believe the 1/48's can never be replaced! My 1/48's will remain for a while either way. In nothing else, the new 1/60's will be displayed by themselves.

OO

[ruskiiVFaussie]

1/48s are in a league of their own. But the 1/60's are all for keeping in scale. plus giving us battroid lovers the edge in posing.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

What if yamato revisit the 1/48 and make v2 of them like they did for 1/60 though?

[Valkyrie addict]

then we will all be dumb enough to buy them cause it will be Yamato's new fad, hahaha!

[UN Spacy]

Enough of the 1/48's.

Yamato needs stay with the 1/60's and stick with it.

[Nexx Stalker]

This is what makes this toy a no-buy for me: it is designed for 2 seater vErsions, but on 1 seater Valks the neck/body part is just plain ugly.

[eugimon]

This is what makes this toy a no-buy for me: it is designed for 2 seater vErsions, but on 1 seater Valks the neck/body part is just plain ugly.

yup, that part bugs the hell out of me as well. The head should nestled in that depression, it shouldn't be sitting up high like that.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I hope the GBP is less bulky in this version. The skinny legs may hint at slimmer body.

I bet enhanced 1/48 comes out years from now. Unless Bandai revisit vf-1 making the vf-1 cheaper which pushes yamato out of the SDF: macross game? (forcing them to make me a Variable Glaug)

[Sumdumgai]

Looking at the evolution of Bandai's VF-25 prototype toy, I don't think that Yamato is in any danger of being pushed out of the SDF Macross game.

I noticed that neck/body part in the picture too. I'll have to see it in battroid in different poses at different angles to decide if it's something that'll bother the living crap out of me or if it's something I can ignore.

[wolfx]

The high neck looks like the same ugly crap as the Starscream toy.

I'll probably only start this line for the 2 seaters.

[Toonz]

who needs to eat?!

cant wait for it man!

thanks graham

[Rabidweezil]

eww....never noticed that neck before and it looks nothing like any Valks I've seen in any of the Macross eps.

I find it amazing w/all the technology available, that's the best Yamato could come up with to work w/2 seaters.

Ugh....

More love for my 1/48's apparently

[MaveRick]

ohh.. the pilot being tuck too forward doesn't bother me that much.. but that neck, ack!

i'll wait for the second version

[Scream Man]

the nedck at the top doesnt bother me, but then Im less worried about linearty accuracy than many.

[Raptor One]

eww....never noticed that neck before and it looks nothing like any Valks I've seen in any of the Macross eps.

I find it amazing w/all the technology available, that's the best Yamato could come up with to work w/2 seaters.

Ugh....

More love for my 1/48's apparently

The neck isn't long cuz it's designed for two seaters, its long cuz the nose slides up to make it shorter in battroid mode. So it's either the long nosecone of the 1/48's or the long neck of the 1/60's...

[danth]

This is what makes this toy a no-buy for me: it is designed for 2 seater vErsions, but on 1 seater Valks the neck/body part is just plain ugly.

With the fuselage pushed that far up, there's no room for a longer fuselage for a two-seater (which is needed for a longer canopy). I hope Yamato doesn't plan on just cramming two pilots into that cockpit for the 1-D. That would be total BS.

[Apollo Leader]

Though I my days of collecting $100+ anime toys are pretty much over (the 1/55th reissues are under a $100 so that's why I'm buying those ), I got to give Yamato serious props for continuing to refine their VF-1 toy designs and have now truly come out with the best Valk toy yet.

Thanks Graham for all the hard work you put into this and all your reviews,

[LadyLuck®]

This is what makes this toy a no-buy for me: it is designed for 2 seater vErsions, but on 1 seater Valks the neck/body part is just plain ugly.

For me its a Small Problem...but com'on its Yamato, for sure they will have a 2nd release, they might fix some notable bugs when they read some consumers review and recations. (e.g. YF-19)

Still its a remarkable piece...But for now I'll wait just then.

Patience is Virtue.

[Alex]

My God.

I bought a Yamato valkyrie and didn't have any problems getting the huge azz box to work on the train.

No injuring people in the back of the knees. No dinging myself in the legs with the sharp corners of the box.

The way things WERE going, Yamato should have just done an MP Convoy with their boxes and have them printed so you could assemble them into a 1:1 SDF.

[ruskiiVFaussie]

Whats the chances of Yamato changing it (the high neck/head) now?

Edited July 21, 2008 by ruskiiVFaussie

[kensei]

Low, especially since it's now released. When changes were made to the 1/48 down the track, they were real minor. This looks like it'll take a little more effort on their part.

Edited July 21, 2008 by kensei

[ruskiiVFaussie]

lol yeah, specially since the 1A is already on the way. I got doubts about the VT-1, the cockpit is different, are Yamato imaginative enough to milk the molds with non-canon custom colour variants to make it worth it? Even still the VF-1D has only 2 canon variants, so i guess there is hope..... come on yamato.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Thanks Graham for all the hard work you put into this and all your reviews,

He was too positive in his review imo though.

He could have mentioned that there were no side parts. (honestly just two pieces of plastic) The head being higher than it should be. And the head lasers looking chunky. ..But overall very informative. He can't piss off yamato too much.

I wonder if he'll go really mean and strict for the bandai VF-25 toys? hehe.

Edited July 21, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[wolfx]

He was too positive in his review imo though.

He could have mentioned that there were no side parts. (honestly just two pieces of plastic) The head being higher than it should be. And the head lasers looking chunky. ..But overall very informative. He can't piss off yamato too much.

I wonder if he'll go really mean and strict for the bandai VF-25 toys? hehe.

Graham has always been positive even when shoulders are breaking and gunpods were crooked.

But good long review nevertheless. Nice photos as well.

Edited July 21, 2008 by wolfx

[UN_MARINE]

if Graham says you can do barrel rolls with the FP's on, then i'm sold.

i won't have to treat it like some kind of bomb anymore.

the only thing left is a flail test.

[sidearmsalpha]

I'm more impressed with the fighter mode on this, and without the Super/Strike armor. When is the armor-less VF-1S due out?

[Black Valkyrie]

http://www.yesasia.com/global/macross-1-60...-0-en/info.html