Graham Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 For those who are wondering, yes the VF-25G can stand unsupported just fine in battroid mode with the Super parts. And here's a few quick pics I just took in my bedroom at night, with flash, so they are not so good. Graham
Vifam7 Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) They don't on the 1/100, they are parallel to the ground. Graham Actually they do. Depending on how you decide to form the lower legs... ^^; When I raised the lower legs as high up as possible (and glued into place) in order to get that distinctive hump in the rear, the wings got a slight dihedral. Like a 2-degree dihedral. ^^; Anyway, with regards to the Super Packs, how difficult/easy was it to fit them on? Edited March 21, 2009 by Vifam7
Graham Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Actually they do. Depending on how you decide to form the lower legs... ^^; When I raised the lower legs as high up as possible (and glued into place) in order to get that distinctive hump in the rear, the wings got a slight dihedral. Like a 2-degree dihedral. ^^; Heh, in that case the dihedral is from end-user modification (gluing them in place), not as per factory spec. Graham
edwin3060 Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) OK, so just spent about half an hour with the toy. Started off in fighter mode and added the Super parts, then transformed it to battoid mode. The toy looks great with the Super parts in both fighter and battroid mode (haven't tried gerwalk yet), but there's a couple of negative points about the Super parts, I've found so far: - The hip/intake armor is really unsecure and falls off at the slightest touch. The crotch armor can only be attached in battroid mode and has to be removed for fighter or gerwalk modes. Oh and a minor complaint but one I knew about, was I would have liked the 'SMS' letters on the display stand to be prepainted in yellow, instead of being unpainted. Graham 1) Thats sad--- I guess Bandai should have just put a notch or drilled a hole in there to hold the armour better. 2) I've suspected that since I saw the crotch armour design and how it attaches. Oh well... Graham, I was wondering if you could provide a side view of the rear landing gear and how far it extends past the Super parts armour? I'm just curious. Thanks. The_foul_fowl Thanks for the link, looks like they forgot to rotate the shoulder missile packs 180 degrees. Re: Dihedral-- I'm actually not as bothered about the dihedral at the wing roots as I am that the wings themselves are actually curving upwards-- that shouldn't happen, dihedral or no. Edit: See drifand's post just after mine, which is good news! Edited March 21, 2009 by edwin3060
drifand Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Pretty much what the G-man said: Thigh armor pieces are really a P.I.T.A. when transforming between modes or posing the toy. However, I'm not so sure that the crotch piece has to come off. I think the first step for the armor in the booklet was to flip the crotch+legs open to attach the crotch armor and then flip it back into closed position. I had no problem locking the wing gloves onto the leg armors even with the crotch armor 'wedged' inside. I was keen to display Michael's ride in battroid-sniper config but seriously, the fighter mode is just so much more bad-ass right now.
edwin3060 Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Pretty much what the G-man said: Thigh armor pieces are really a P.I.T.A. when transforming between modes or posing the toy. However, I'm not so sure that the crotch piece has to come off. I think the first step for the armor in the booklet was to flip the crotch+legs open to attach the crotch armor and then flip it back into closed position. I had no problem locking the wing gloves onto the leg armors even with the crotch armor 'wedged' inside. I was keen to display Michael's ride in battroid-sniper config but seriously, the fighter mode is just so much more bad-ass right now. We need proof!
SuperHobo Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Great pictures guys. I can't wait till Overdrive ships out mine! So whats the deal with the sniper rifle is it on normal hinges when you transform it or does have like a spring loaded gimmick?
drifand Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Pix Pix Pix! Michel ready for action. Even with Super Pack on, the toy still balances well in battroid. However, the thigh armors detach too easily. Nice thruster detail. I did find myself wishing the rear leg armors were designed better because knee rotation is very restrictive. I'm gonna SNIPE you!... wait, wrong show... The sniper rifle is much nicer than the wimpy standard gunpod. The materials seem stronger, and the detailing is excellent. You do want to be careful when closing the X flanges... the hinges tend to stick. Is this the Son of Armored Gerwalk? I find that for Michel+Super Pack, it doesn't pose well with the arms out. Wouldn't balance well in one hand, and the armor parts make it harder to do so. Plus the rear half of the plane is weighed down by the boosters and would then to droop. Unless you lock the legs in for the dangly-pose in the so-so display stand, I'd rather have it in half-G mode. This is probably how it would land (Well, this TOY anyway.) Gerwalk rear view. Slightly higher angle to catch the armor details.
drifand Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Now for my favorite mode of the toy... Fighter! I just want to say: I have ZERO love for the included display stand. For figther mode, yes, the stand allows the big rifle to be mounted. But the hoops you have to jump through to get everything aligned is a joy killer. And right after you got the toy in-place... want to pick it up and fly it around? WAIT. Detach all the pegs, slots blah blah blah. I'm better off with my improvised card holder! Delicate balancing act... Boosters galore... I'm pretty happy with the tampo printing so far. As long as I don't abuse the toy (like when I put Alto into surgery), no real worries. Let the Itano Circus begin... ! Here's my Macross line-up today. Had to keep my old school Regult. Once Luca arrives, I'll have another dilemma.
Negotiator Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Great pix everyone. Now how strong are the ankle locks in sp batt mode?
drifand Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 Ankle locks? You mean when the metal block is extended out, whether it 'clicks' into place? That's a non-issue because the loose thigh armor won't allow you to get much of an action pose in battroid anyway. Spread the A-stance and the inner side of the thighs will graze the crotch piece, causing the armor to pop off. F!@#$!
Negotiator Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) Ya, I meant when the ankles are extended. Thanks drifand. Too bad about the thigh armor Just poppong off Edited March 21, 2009 by Negotiator
Letigre Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 I wonder if there is fix for that. Either way, I am pretty tempted to get a -G.
Dangard Ace Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 I wonder if there is fix for that. Either way, I am pretty tempted to get a -G. What? Never heard of elastic bands? Keep the pics coming. You're wearing down my resistance to ordering these things online.
edwin3060 Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 (edited) Great pics Drifand! Thanks alot! Looks like the five dot shoulder block is just unpainted metal on the 5 dot side! In the lineart it is grey though so I guess that's acceptable. So the weight of the super packs causes the back hinge to droop? Oh well, it seems like if it's not one thing, it's another. As least the wings don't droop in Gerwalk with the super packs like the model kit does! Unfortunately the left and right chest pieces seem not to have the clear sensors that the model kit has. Looks like you win some you lose some. Where does the front holder for the sniper rifle attach to in gerwalk and fighter modes? Oh and minor nitpick-- the shoulder mounted missile packs should be rotated 180 degrees, but nobody seems to do it. Edited March 21, 2009 by edwin3060
m0n5t3r Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 wow! thanks for the SP'd pics drifand... pretty pretty shots, esp. fighter mode... i'm really hoping Bandai made loads of these...
505thAirborne Posted March 21, 2009 Posted March 21, 2009 This is the VF-25 I was waiting for!! Looks amazing!!
Graham Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Great pictures guys. I can't wait till Overdrive ships out mine! So whats the deal with the sniper rifle is it on normal hinges when you transform it or does have like a spring loaded gimmick? Normal hinges. Has to be manually opened. Not spring loaded.
Graham Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Great pictures guys. I can't wait till Overdrive ships out mine! So whats the deal with the sniper rifle is it on normal hinges when you transform it or does have like a spring loaded gimmick? Normal hinges. Has to be manually opened. Not spring loaded.
maximilian_jenius Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 nice, but the landing gear still sucks and for that reason the valk get a low score. I thin that the VF-25G looks great in battloid, gerwalk and figther but not in landing fighter. the valk is expensive, but still not "perfect transformation" for that reason I will continue the 1/72 line.
drifand Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Where does the front holder for the sniper rifle attach to in gerwalk and fighter modes? Oh and minor nitpick-- the shoulder mounted missile packs should be rotated 180 degrees, but nobody seems to do it. Thanks for pointing that out. To be honest, I still haven't familiarized with the VF-25 design yet. Aside from easily recalling Alto's green visor and Ozma's skull-back, the RVF and G's are just a blaze of green and blue in my mind. As to Michel's rifle, the front mount pegs into the slid-open slot that is also used to secure the groin in battroid mode. Hope everyone who wants one manages to secure an order. The price is, frankly, wrong – we know what you're doing Bandai – but if you plan and budget for it, I think you will enjoy the toy despite the shortcomings noted so far.
Graham Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 A few other observations on the VF-25G: - The backs of the hands now seem to be glued on, unlike the Alto and Ozma, where you had to glue them on yourself, otherwise they fell off real easily. Big improvement. The metal ribbed ankle section does seem to be a bit tighter when extended. For those of you asking how the sniper rifle attaches in fighter and gerwalk modes, it attaches via two removeable clips, one at the front and one at the rear. The rear clip is similar to but slightly longer than the standard gunpod clip and connects into the same hole. The front clip is much shorter and attaches to the part of the rifle that looks like the pump handle on a pump action shotgun. It then plugs into the sliding hatch on the back of the groin area (the female half of the battroid groin locking mechanism). Graham
Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Despite my dislike of Michel(most of my purchases are character driven), this toy is beautiful and I'm tempted to buy it. Awesome shots Drifand.
m0n5t3r Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) The price is, frankly, wrong – we know what you're doing Bandai – but if you plan and budget for it, I think you will enjoy the toy despite the shortcomings noted so far. i think i can accept the ~HK$1300+ (really hoping Bandai made lots of these so the prices don't go up like last time and there would be some left by the time i go there later this year...)... locally i project this will be sold for ~US$200+... the non-SP'd Alto and Ozma were sold here for the same ~HK$1300+, and some local shops actually put up the Alto for US$200++... makes me sick to my stomach. Edited March 22, 2009 by m0n5t3r
todd77 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the awesome pics, drifand. I always look forward to your impressions. Just a question, how well does the fighter mode hold together with all those super parts? I want to be able to fly mine around without worrying about parts falling off or flopping around.
drifand Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Fighter with SP is pretty tight, except for the thigh pieces which still tend to pop off too easily. But at least your hands are unlikely to bump into them, unlike for battroid and gerwalk.
Graham Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 Like what Drifand said, fighter mode locks together nice and tight, with the Super Packs fitted, except for the blasted hip armor.
todd77 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 ^ Thanks for the replies. Really appreciate it. Despite some of the flaws mentioned here, I still can't wait for mine to arrive. Just hope that it doesn't suffer from other QC problems. Just noticed that this reviewer's 25G has a nasty gash on the crotch. Hopefully it didn't come that way out of the box.
Negotiator Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) Graham, just curious but are you transforming the G's neck the "right" Way or the instruction's way? I can't tell with all the armor on. Edited March 22, 2009 by Negotiator
edwin3060 Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) I guess the hip armour needs some double sided tape then-- I'm thinking of sticking it to the plastic front intake so there's no chance of it peeling paint off the die cast-- would there be a nice surface on the inside of the armour for it to stick to? Also, given the mentioned crotch gash, how does mounting and stripping the super parts affect the paint? What are the problem areas? Edited March 22, 2009 by edwin3060
Letigre Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 (edited) God now I am awfully tempted, there a re a few fair deal s on Ebay right now. I was really only planning on a Full Armor 25 and a VF-27 to be my Macross F representatives. But after seeing how the -G looks like, getting one (especially since it's a Super), doesn't seem to be a bad idea. Edited March 22, 2009 by Letigre
GGemini Posted March 22, 2009 Posted March 22, 2009 I just want to say: I have ZERO love for the included display stand. For figther mode, yes, the stand allows the big rifle to be mounted. But the hoops you have to jump through to get everything aligned is a joy killer. And right after you got the toy in-place... want to pick it up and fly it around? WAIT. Detach all the pegs, slots blah blah blah. I'm better off with my improvised card holder! I just got mine yesterday and I haven't tried the stand BUT... even in the always-useful FlexiStand, it's a pain to balance the VF-25G because of the rifle. I guess I'll go with your improvised card holder!
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