Dio Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 I preorered Alto ages ago as well, and BBTS basically told me they somehow didn't get any of the first release. They're waiting for the April re-release, and I'm in the same boat as you, having the armor set ordered and paid for, but at this point, since I got my Alto preorder in at the $129 BBTS price before they jacked it up, it's just not worth the hassle or actual dollars to cancel and find one somewhere else. They did seriously screw up tho, and they have a terrible track record of not making it known when items are going to be delayed, or are simply not going to be stocked. Last week BBTS FINALLY got the Revoltech YF-21 and 19 figures... there are also multiple Gundam import item preorders that are well over two years old and still listed as arriving next month... their computer system I think just auto pushes stuff back, and things slip thru the cracks. My experience with BBTS has been pretty good thus far, I got the shipping notice yesterday for the 25G I had preordered way back. I haven't had any trouble with them in the past... wish they had carried the 1/72 models though, I ended up having to order my 1/72 Alto from Image Anime at a slightly higher price. I hadn't ordered the RVF-25 but I am getting more and more tempted from the photos you guys are posting! Might just get the Armored Ozma though, it's about the same cost.
promethuem5 Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 My experience with BBTS has been pretty good thus far, I got the shipping notice yesterday for the 25G I had preordered way back. I haven't had any trouble with them in the past... wish they had carried the 1/72 models though, I ended up having to order my 1/72 Alto from Image Anime at a slightly higher price. I hadn't ordered the RVF-25 but I am getting more and more tempted from the photos you guys are posting! Might just get the Armored Ozma though, it's about the same cost. I've had plenty of good experiences with BBTS, and am a huge proponent of theirs for their excellent customer service, but on the VF-25s they just dropped the ball and didn't tell anyone.
edwin3060 Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 Great pics, QJ. I think the problem with the RVF-25 DX radome is, that it is too low and close to the VF, making the RVF-25 Super look too cluttered. In comparison, my RVF-25 1/72's radome has more space between it and the back of the VF. mph2501: Negotiator seems to be the expert on fiddling with the toys to find out tips to make things fit (see his VF-25G Sniper rifle fighter mode fix), he might want to try with the RVF-25 gunpod.
Negotiator Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) mph2501: Negotiator seems to be the expert on fiddling with the toys to find out tips to make things fit (see his VF-25G Sniper rifle fighter mode fix), he might want to try with the RVF-25 gunpod. Why thank you, edwin. I didn't order a dx rvg though, only the 1/72 if only to satisfy my ghost needs. Let's face it, Luca didn't anything I did try the alt neck with the armor and it still works fine as long as you keep the shoulders at a horizontal level and since the shoulder armor is on ball joints instead of pegs, you can mess with it more to give it a nice angle. *I think I need a new 25F, it's been so abused. Edited April 4, 2009 by Negotiator
Twoducks Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 Got my Luca this morning. I felt kinda led down: I was expecting MP Grimlock but HLJ shipped Luca by EMS, so the latter arrived first. To further the RVF's bat timing, the baby woke up thanks to the mailman's constant ringing and last night I had transformed my DX Alto and felt like I was getting sick or the battroid mode. “Luca better deliver” I thought while I opened it. Well it did. First the green color... I don't notice any differences. That is until I take a picture or put it under artificial light. Don't know the chromatic phenomenon involved but I see a solid block of green. I have to look at it really hard to notice a slight difference. In the pics the difference becomes bigger. No missing color applications. Some of the white parts do seem to be easy to scratch off. It's like the toy is missing a protective coating in the white areas, which feel rough. Some overspray could have been avoid too. Don't know about the shoulders markings since I haven’t transformed it yet. The radome is fantastic. It looks great on and, as other members have noted, the turning mechanism feels very soothing. It’s like it belongs in a clockwork machine and not in a toy. The fast packs look great on Alto. Last night I had misstransformed the neck-chest area but now that I have it all positioned correctly I’m in love again with the deign. The DX VF-25 really shines with Fast Packs on. The hip armor parts do suck. They do click into place if you pull back the hip guns a bit to the back to make room for the tiny peg. But they still pop out really easy if you touch them to much. No problems with the groin or the missile pods. Bandai can choke on their web exclusive Alto packs. Green doesn’t look bad on the 25F. So far I really like it. The green scheme works very nice and the radome and antennae adds a really nice touch to the already great looking VF-25 fighter.
mph2501 Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 Hate to tell you but looking at your fighter your backplate's green is different from the radome, shield and wings. Legs look slightlier minty greener then the backplate. Battroid : Forearms and upper legs are two greens. You've got a two tone. I have to agree with the folks who are saying the camera's picking these things up. I'm eyeballing the thing right now and I just.... don't.... see it. Another issue with those pics is the way they green shades differently. All of the light is coming from the right hand side of the pic (or the RVF's starboard, for you technical people) so the way the shadows fall, you're seeing several tones anyway. Also, the plastic's glossy, so it's bouncing light, too. I still like the toy. It looks cool next to my Elint Seeker, and is currently flying formation with Michel and the SV-51 Ivanov type (which is their predecessor, design evolution-wise, but that's a whole other discussion). And yes, that is an all-Tachikoma ground crew marvelling at them.
Letigre Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 I'm trying to remember my color theory, but IIRC green is supposed to have one of the widest spectrums of visibility, meaning you should be able to pick out more shades of green than any other color.
todd77 Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 I'm trying to remember my color theory, but IIRC green is supposed to have one of the widest spectrums of visibility, meaning you should be able to pick out more shades of green than any other color. Either that or the more limited color gamut of cameras which seem to favor colors in the green wavelength but don't quote me on this...
miriya Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 Where is the image of the DX Armored in Fighter mode?
valhary Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 bandai sucks Coloring mistake on Ozma Super Parts Super Parts for Bandai's DX Chogokin VF-25S Messiah Valkyrie Ozma Custom just arrived, and I received an email from Bandai notifying customers regarding a painting mistake on the item. Both intake armors were painted wrong. Here's a look at the Super Parts. Bandai will send the corrected intake armor parts soon but there is no specific date announced at this time. Customers who ordered the Ozma Super Parts from me can either choose to ship out the item now and I'll then mail out the corrected parts at customers' expense as soon as I have them, or hold onto the Ozma Super Parts and ship the corrected parts with it.
miriya Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 Of course!!! hehe And i´ve got the 1/72 ver. Thats it. Thank you and Awesome.
Negotiator Posted April 4, 2009 Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) Oh yea I forgot to mention the sniper rifle has a telescope you Can pull up. Most pics I've seen has had it down. Edited April 4, 2009 by Negotiator
MacrossJunkie Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Really? For all the pics I've seen with the Dragunov rifle's tines deployed, the scope was up as well. The only times I've seen it down is when everything on the rifle is folded in.
nugundamII Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Got my Luca this morning. I felt kinda led down: I was expecting MP Grimlock but HLJ shipped Luca by EMS, so the latter arrived first. To further the RVF's bat timing, the baby woke up thanks to the mailman's constant ringing and last night I had transformed my DX Alto and felt like I was getting sick or the battroid mode. “Luca better deliver” I thought while I opened it. Well it did. First the green color... I don't notice any differences. That is until I take a picture or put it under artificial light. Don't know the chromatic phenomenon involved but I see a solid block of green. I have to look at it really hard to notice a slight difference. In the pics the difference becomes bigger. No missing color applications. Some of the white parts do seem to be easy to scratch off. It's like the toy is missing a protective coating in the white areas, which feel rough. Some overspray could have been avoid too. Don't know about the shoulders markings since I haven’t transformed it yet. The radome is fantastic. It looks great on and, as other members have noted, the turning mechanism feels very soothing. It’s like it belongs in a clockwork machine and not in a toy. The fast packs look great on Alto. Last night I had misstransformed the neck-chest area but now that I have it all positioned correctly I’m in love again with the deign. The DX VF-25 really shines with Fast Packs on. The hip armor parts do suck. They do click into place if you pull back the hip guns a bit to the back to make room for the tiny peg. But they still pop out really easy if you touch them to much. No problems with the groin or the missile pods. Bandai can choke on their web exclusive Alto packs. Green doesn’t look bad on the 25F. So far I really like it. The green scheme works very nice and the radome and antennae adds a really nice touch to the already great looking VF-25 fighter. first i must comment on the awesome toys pic!!!!! I want now more for myself but they are bloody hard to find and expensive. And congratulations on being a daddy. You must post pics I will have my second this june 3rd
Negotiator Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Really? For all the pics I've seen with the Dragunov rifle's tines deployed, the scope was up as well. The only times I've seen it down is when everything on the rifle is folded in. I must not be paying attention lol
Salamander Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 bandai sucks Coloring mistake on Ozma Super Parts Super Parts for Bandai's DX Chogokin VF-25S Messiah Valkyrie Ozma Custom just arrived, and I received an email from Bandai notifying customers regarding a painting mistake on the item. Both intake armors were painted wrong. Here's a look at the Super Parts. Bandai will send the corrected intake armor parts soon but there is no specific date announced at this time. Customers who ordered the Ozma Super Parts from me can either choose to ship out the item now and I'll then mail out the corrected parts at customers' expense as soon as I have them, or hold onto the Ozma Super Parts and ship the corrected parts with it. So...they suck because they are correcting the problem by sending replacement parts? And the shop (Overdrive, I assume) is paying for the shipping themselves so the customer doesn't have to? What's wrong with that? Why don't we ever hear the same about Yamato (considering how many replacement parts they need to mail out due to broken shoulders and other problems)? Would you rather have Bandai to say there's no problems whatsoever with the toys and ignore customer complaints?
ff95gj Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 bandai sucks Coloring mistake on Ozma Super Parts I think valhary was perfectly clear on his standing.
drifand Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Well, I went down to China Square (here in Singapore) this rainy afternoon, not really planning to buy the first run of 'Super Luca' but gave in when my regular store gave a discount. I paid 250 SGD (about US$165), which is LESS than Michel's VF-25G. No doubt, they were anxious to clear this batch of 'color problem' toys... I opened my purchase on the spot and truth be told, I could SEE the mismatch right away. Still, I decided to take it home and see if it really bothered me. Now that I've played around with it, I can safely say: the mismatch doesn't bother me. Regardless of whether I put the armor on or off, the uniqueness of the RVF's radar and fin-sensor array is just so much fun, I had no time to notice whether THIS piece of green looked out of place next to THAT piece of green. To me, this whole issue is the toy equivalent of 'pixel peeping' on digital camera performance. The bottom line: I ENJOYED THIS TOY VERY MUCH :-) Other things: Gunpod cannot attach in fighter mode? Of course! This is a recon jet, duh? And! The included display stand has found some use on my shelves at last! I used the 'Gerwalk' configuration to prop up the RVF-25 in fighter mode with a nose-down angle. This is ideal for keeping the radar dish in sight while on display. See the following: Now, my SMS skull squadron is complete! Closer look at Luca's jet mounted on the gerwalk-configured stand. Yes, the long fin antenna is deployed and kept clear of the stand's supporting struts. Ozma has been shifted over to the right... Happy! :-)
jonwayne Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 i don't mind the wrong colour on Ozma fast pack as long as I can have one. It'll still look great when you place all of the valks together. And if you compare the same area on Micheal's fast pack, the blue is also on the inside, white on the outside. To me, this mistake is too minor compared to broken shoulder and such.
ff95gj Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) I love your display too Drifand. Hope I have such space... Never transformed my VB-6 to Battroid. He is that big? Edited April 5, 2009 by ff95gj
drifand Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Haha, you're missing out if you'd never tried VB-6 Battroid! But seriously, I was 'forced' to use Battroid because the standard monster (gerwalk?) mode has a much larger shelf footprint. At the moment, I'm contemplating displaying either Michel or Luca without super parts... I think I'll go re-watch Frontier in its entirety to refresh my impressions of the VF-25s in action. :-)
OmegaD3k Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Broke down and got Michel's VF-25G, and to be honest, I'm quite surprised at the QC! It's a huge, HUGE improvement over the Alto and Ozuma. - But that's not saying much.. :/ - The armor is a SEVERE pain in the arse. They fall off simply by looking at them. It's not that they simply "fall" off, they literally pop, spring, and shoot off, flying half way across the room. - The hips are sloppy and loose, making any Gerwalk mode impossible. - The Hip piece keeps popping out, making the Battroid collapse backwards (if not on a stand...) - Gunpod is slightly slanted to a direction when attached to fighter mode - Sniper gun cannot be attached to fighter mode. It points at a downward angle and hinders the jet from standing correctly on its landing gears Overall this Chunkykin is "ok". The stand is a MUST if you want to display the figure in any mode other than Fighter. Pics: EDIT: I may have sounded a bit harsh, but upon second review and despite the many manufacturing flaws and sloppy design choices, I'm starting to warm up to this line.. @_@ I catch myself wanting to transform the 25 more and more. XD Edited April 5, 2009 by OmegaD3k
jedimech Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Hi Drifand, Congrats on your purchase!! Nice display you got there. Coincidently, I have also bought one RVF-25 from China Square today as well..... I bought it at 255 SGD, never get that much discount as you.... Cheers!!
emerson Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Hey Drifand, what are you using to display those Doyushas in flight?
promethuem5 Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Are we expecting the mis-colored Luca's to drop in price because of the color? I like that figure, and with TokyoHunter telling me it'll cost more to ship the Alto super parts, if I could get the Luca set for cheap to have an armored valk, I'd kinda like to cancel my Alto set, because I don't even have the damn toy from BBTS yet and the armor ended up being pretty expensive.
drifand Posted April 5, 2009 Posted April 5, 2009 Hey Drifand, what are you using to display those Doyushas in flight? Hi! My trio of Doyushas are set up this way: - Removed landing gears on planes. - Dark grey 'Page Up' paperweight/page holder as base. - 3 U-loops of metal wire stuffed into page holder slot, wire tips inserted into vacated landing gear holes, then bent to preferred balance and angles. - Stickers from a 1/60 v1 VF-1J. Cheers!
emerson Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 Hi! My trio of Doyushas are set up this way: - Removed landing gears on planes. - Dark grey 'Page Up' paperweight/page holder as base. - 3 U-loops of metal wire stuffed into page holder slot, wire tips inserted into vacated landing gear holes, then bent to preferred balance and angles. - Stickers from a 1/60 v1 VF-1J. Cheers! Aha! Thanks.
izzyfcuk Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 Well, I went down to China Square (here in Singapore) this rainy afternoon, not really planning to buy the first run of 'Super Luca' but gave in when my regular store gave a discount. I paid 250 SGD (about US$165), which is LESS than Michel's VF-25G. No doubt, they were anxious to clear this batch of 'color problem' toys... I opened my purchase on the spot and truth be told, I could SEE the mismatch right away. Still, I decided to take it home and see if it really bothered me. i hate to say this but that's rather exp guys.
drifand Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 No question about it, Bandai is totally milking the franchise. After all, they have seen what the 'going rate' is for Macross collectibles... the rest is up to us. Tough choices to be made, but a choice nonetheless.
Graham Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 i hate to say this but that's rather exp guys. Here in Hong Kong, I paid HK$1,250 for Luca, which is approx US$161.29, so only a few bucks cheaper than the price in Singapore. Graham
bb_f1 Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 i hate to say this but that's rather exp guys. You've got better lobans?
izzyfcuk Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 (edited) AFAIK. VF-25G and RVF are going for approx 240SGD each. That's the rate going at "the old man's shop" on 2nd floor of China Square Central I managed to get it just slightly lower Edited April 6, 2009 by izzyfcuk
Dashgtr Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 Just came back from Jap.....the standard is ard 14700 yen - 16700 yen....the cheapest I find is 12700 yen.....so it's ard there when covert to Sing from the high Yen. AFAIK. VF-25G and RVF are going for approx 240SGD each. That's the rate going at "the old man's shop" on 2nd floor of China Square Central I managed to get it just slightly lower
Graham Posted April 6, 2009 Posted April 6, 2009 Yay! My Alto & Ozma super parts just arrived from OverDrive. Won't have time to open them until late tonight though.
Recommended Posts