Alex Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 (edited) Hopefully mine will be arriving today or tomorrow from HLJ. Seriously, I shouldn't have ordered from HLJ. I was scared of a repeat of the model kit situation of them not being available for ages, of of the DX situation with them selling at really high price, but it turns out that quite a few shops here have them and not too crazy price either. When I saw it in the shop yesterday, it did look really tiny. Even though I haven't handled it yet, I also don't know why they designed it that you need to swap out so many parts. Really, it is totally feasible to design it with less parts swapping. Again my guess is a tier 3 design team. Graham Good call on the design time. The problem is that they've tried to retain as much transformation as possible in the tortso which has required such a large number of swappable parts. The torso actually transforms almost exactly like the DX and kit. I would have preffered larger pieces and less of them. Having a transformed torso, a gerwalk torso and a fighter fuselage would not have been a big issue for me. Edited March 3, 2009 by Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Checked prices in a couple of shops here today, both were selling for HK$350, which is about US$46. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Checked prices in a couple of shops here today, both were selling for HK$350, which is about US$46. Graham Same price they're going for over here. Which is the same price as a perfect transformation 1/72 WITH fast-packs. The SAME price fer cryin out loud Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkReaper Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 (edited) And here a rendering of a YF-24 in 3d. Courtesy of the VFX mod for YSflight. [edit]Host doesn't support hotlinking Go here for picture: http://vierzero.blog53.fc2.com/[/edit] Edited March 3, 2009 by DarkReaper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Valkyrie Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 With all negative feedbacks, frankly speaking I`ve cancelled my VF-25G preorder from HLJ, from now on I`ll stick ONLY with Yamato 1/60 ver. 02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriku Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 With all negative feedbacks, frankly speaking I`ve cancelled my VF-25G preorder from HLJ, from now on I`ll stick ONLY with Yamato 1/60 ver. 02 There actually hasn't really been that much feedback yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Valkyrie Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Another main reason that it has so many swapping parts, I`m not in the mood for swapping all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriku Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I've been a lifelong opponent of parts-swapping. Even when I was a kid I had a couple of toys that required part swapping to transform and I vividly remember my dislike and frustration with them. I'd like to get over that though. One of the main reasons I'm giving the 1/100 a chance is to broaden my horizens. I'm sure I'll really dislike swapping all those parts, but I've got my fingers crossed that it wont be so bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin3060 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Well, if you like building model kits, its like assembling a new kit every time you change modes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriku Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I don't enjoy building models, but I also know this will be absolutely nothing like assembling a model kit where you have before you a tray full of hundreds of unpainted pieces that need to be carefully cut off sprues, glued together, sanded, painted, clear-coated, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I don't enjoy building models, but I also know this will be absolutely nothing like assembling a model kit where you have before you a tray full of hundreds of unpainted pieces that need to be carefully cut off sprues, glued together, sanded, painted, clear-coated, etc. It will also most likely survive in my hands, which is the main reason I was excited when the Fire Valkyrie was announced, I need a replacement for my 1/100 plamo version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lechuck Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Couple of more galleries courtesy of Ngee Khiong. SR../Blood Zwei Toysdaily #1 Toysdaily #2 Link no. 3 is quite interesting because it shows you the main VF frame without all the swappable bits. I really like Battroid mode and its range of articulation. And it does look like there is a pilot figure, albeit part of the cockpit mold. Can't wait for a VF-19S to roll out, hopefully without the Yamato gangling legs interpretation that Bandai seems to be copying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin3060 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks for the links. Looks like the closed gunpod is really bent out of shape.. That sucks. I wonder if there is a way to make it straight. Other than that, I wish that Bandai had included a stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vifam7 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Thanks for the links. Looks like the closed gunpod is really bent out of shape.. That sucks. I wonder if there is a way to make it straight. Other than that, I wish that Bandai had included a stand. Looks like the gunpod is made of PVC. I heard PVC can be straightened by putting it in hot water, straightening it out, and cooling it in cold water. Not sure if that's the best method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin3060 Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Looks like the gunpod is made of PVC. I heard PVC can be straightened by putting it in hot water, straightening it out, and cooling it in cold water. Not sure if that's the best method. :/ PVC again? I thought Bandai would learn better after their VF-25S head lasers. It's not like the gun is a thin fragile part where bendy-ness would be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GGemini Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thanks for the links. Looks like the closed gunpod is really bent out of shape.. That sucks. I wonder if there is a way to make it straight. Other than that, I wish that Bandai had included a stand. Funny thing is that it includes support for the stand that was linked before, but only for Battroid and Gerwalk modes, not for Fighter And a word of advice... the shield's plastic is EXTREMELY thin. Last night when trying to attach it to the arm, I heard a cracking sound. Nothing broke but it ended up a bit bent. To avoid that, I recommend puting something in the shield's gap while attaching it to the arm (the knife works) to avoid cracking the peg. This pic shows how many parts are left after changing it to fighter. I insist, at least the gunpod, the nosecone and the shoulders should not need to be swapped. I was reading (using google translate) the reviews in Amazon Japan and, basically, people don't like it. Many are also cancelling their pre-orders for the rest. Some even recommended the kit. Yes, the kit needs paint and it takes longer to assemble but it's just one time (and you're left with less parts) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobber Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I too canceled both my 25G and 25S preorders. This just dosn't look good, especially for the price. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vostok 7 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thanks for all your cancellations, guys, there goes any chance of getting anything else made in this line. Vostok 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Hoping the line survives long enough that we at least get a VF-171. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thanks for all your cancellations, guys, there goes any chance of getting anything else made in this line. Vostok 7 You got it all wrong. "Thanks for your cancellations guys, this will convince Bandai that their future 1/100s will have to be of a greater quality if they really want them to sell!" If I see lots of preorders and then lots of cancellations I see lots of demand be turned away by my crap product... but at least I see the demand was there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriku Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 From everything I've read I'm not the least bit convinced that this toy is as 'terrible' as some people are assuming. Luckily I'll have mine tomorrow or the next day so I can decide for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vifam7 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I've been reading the comments & reviews of Japanese fans. The general consensus and main gripe seems to be - it's overpriced. That the price should be 2500yen. Over-priced for a parts-forming HCM-Pro-like toy. *On a positive note there hasn't been any reports of major QC problems or breakages. Yet. Most don't have issues with the proportions. Fighter and gerwalk mode is pretty much perfect to most. For battroid mode, there are some who feel that the DX's chunkier proportions is better. There was one reviewer who felt Bandai perhaps should've started with the more simple VF-1 rather than tackling the complex VF-25 before gaining any experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) I was checking out some of the parts this morning and it would have been entirely doable (even mod-able) to have the crotch piece NOT be a swappable piece. Even the noce cone could have easily have been made to do this. On a plus note, I have to say That the Gerwalk on this is far better than the kit and DX a s you can leave the wing roots attached but still angle the legs into a nice A-stance. Edited March 4, 2009 by Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidearmsalpha Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 It's so ironic that you guys can see how this toy could have been made better, but Bandai's team of designers (guys with experience and degrees in design) couldn't. How lame. I'll wait for these to go down. Really liking the fighter mode. The lack of open-handed hands is ridiculous. If you're going to have a toy with extra fixed-pose hands, those should be standard. WTF, Bandai! You're the biggest toymaker in Japan, and you're making errors like this?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thanks for all your cancellations, guys, there goes any chance of getting anything else made in this line. I think the cancellations will motivate Bandai to decrease the amount of parts swapping for transformation on future releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) They saw fit to include two different types of grasping hands though. Pointless. I'm proberly going to mod the fighter mode crotch piece since it has the detail already sculpted into it even thoiugh it is not intended to be seen. All that it needs is a small hinge (and a little paint) and it will eliminate the need for the legs to be taken off between fighter and battroid. Gerwalk is another story though. Edited March 4, 2009 by Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin3060 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Looks like the 1/100 is going through the opposite process from the DX toy--- the DX toy was panned in the discussions here, but sold spectacularly. On the other hand, the 1/100 made pretty good impressions here but the sales seem to be dismal, if shops are already giving things like discounts on it. That doesn't bode well for the VF100s lineup. Looks like 1/60 is the way to go then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Looks like the 1/100 is going through the opposite process from the DX toy--- the DX toy was panned in the discussions here, but sold spectacularly. On the other hand, the 1/100 made pretty good impressions here but the sales seem to be dismal, if shops are already giving things like discounts on it. That doesn't bode well for the VF100s lineup. sad.gif Looks like 1/60 is the way to go then.Shows how different the target market is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkReaper Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Lousy visual design is subjective, lousy engineering is objective. Dx is mechanically solid but looks crap, the VF100 looks just as bad but has 2 billion parts and not only looks cheap, feels cheap but also isn't cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edwin3060 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Lousy visual design is subjective, lousy engineering is objective. Dx is mechanically solid but looks crap, the VF100 looks just as bad but has 2 billion parts and not only looks cheap, feels cheap but also isn't cheap. Very true! I should be receiving my 1/100 in a few days.. we shall see how it goes. Worst case, they become permanent displays on my wall cabinet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vifam7 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) Lousy visual design is subjective, lousy engineering is objective. Dx is mechanically solid but looks crap, the VF100 looks just as bad but has 2 billion parts and not only looks cheap, feels cheap but also isn't cheap. Few have objected to the looks. Most think it's pretty decent if not superb. Some of the more objective reviewers believe that a few minor tweaks to the engineering (such as tighter joints) could make this toy more favorable. I'm sure that improvements will come as the line moves on. Edited March 4, 2009 by Vifam7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkReaper Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 I will only get stuff in 1/100 that either won't be getting a 1/60 release or is only for the completionists like the RVF-25, or the YF-24. Still betting on a DX VF-171. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vifam7 Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Mine is waiting for me at home! I hope to post some thoughts on it later tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salamander Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 ...why are people complaining about the thing being a partsformer when they knew beforehand that it would be a partsformer from hell? Sometimes I think people on MW only post to complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eriku Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 ...why are people complaining about the thing being a partsformer when they knew beforehand that it would be a partsformer from hell? That's what I'd like to know. Meanwhile there's me, who originally didn't want this because it was a partsformer, but decided to look past my dislike and get one anyway. Mine just arrived from HLJ and I'll be able to crack it open tonight. Can't wait! My first thought upon looking at it in the box: "Wow, it looks exactly the same size that I expected a 1/100 VF-25 to look!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts