Yamato & Bandai Macross compared with MP Seekers

[kurdt_the_goat]

Hey guys.

I don't actually have a toy from either company.. yet - I've got a new VF-1A waiting for me with my in-laws in Japan.. and a YF-19 coming soon.

But... i do have a Masterpiece Skywarp, and personally think it's a very realistic, great piece of work for a transforming toy (assuming you don't want to pose it without a stand of course

Overall, do you think MP Seekers are better or worse than any Yamato or Bandai Macross toy (forgetting character appeal for a moment)

Which has the more complex and/or elegant transformation/engineering? How do quality of materials, mould details and accuracy compare?

I'm after anything you can offer as a comparison, basically.

I'm itching to get my Yamato toys (have to wait till August for the VF-1A.. might get a DX VF-25 while i'm in Japan too) and i'm not sure whether i should go in with higher or lower expectations!

[Desty_Nova]

Well personally I wouldn't touch a seeker with a 10 foot pole (transformer?-ewwww!) but I did buy one for my TF fan brother and from what I've seen they are much, MUCH more complicated than the valks.

[Radd]

The MP seekers have a very limited range of articulation due to pieces getting in the way. This is particularly bad with the hips and waist. Quality-wise, they're comparable to Bandai's DX toys. Better on the detailing, actually much better on the detailing and paint apps, than the DX VF-25 toys, which fall way behind the other two companies in that regard.

I like the seekers well enough to own all three, but I don't like them as much as either the DX toys, or Yamato's various Macross toys. The poor lower body articulation really hurts how much fun they could otherwise be. If it weren't for that, I'd say they were hands down better than the VF-25 DX toys, speaking strictly as far as judging them as a toy goes. As it is, the MP seekers are definitely nicer looking, again speaking strictly quality-wise and not discerning between preference for either design, but not as much fun as the DX toys, which are much more poseable.

I think the Yamato toys are the best of the three. Of course, I've never had any of the QC issues that others have experienced. So all I can say is that my Yamato toys tend to be much nicer looking than either the DX or the MP Seekers. Definitely much more poseable than the seekers. Yamato toys do tend to have more fragile bits, like thin antennae poking out here and there. The kind of details sturdier toys tend to leave out entirely.

I would agree that the MP seekers are more complicated than the VF-1 toys, but less complicated than some of the later model VF toys like the SV-51 and the YF-19. Complexity is not a straight across the board comparison, as the different models of VF are all different in that regard. Bandai's VF-25 is not horribly complex, about the same as the MP seekers. About as complex, yet easier to transform, if that makes sense. The transformation is more elegant.

Yamato has a broader range of VF designs released, some more complex than others. The VF-1 transformation is pretty simple and straightforward, though. The 19 can be tricky. More difficult than the MP seekers, for sure.

[kanedaestes]

Well personally I wouldn't touch a seeker with a 10 foot pole (transformer?-ewwww!) but I did buy one for my TF fan brother and from what I've seen they are much, MUCH more complicated than the valks.

Uh no, depends on the valks in question, the seekers are cool, I have all four, but compared to a YF-21, SV-51, or the VF-27 it is now where near a complicated as those. The valks just have a simple transformation to begin with.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

The MP seekers have a very limited range of articulation due to pieces getting in the way.

Just with the hips. The arms move just fine.

Overall, do you think MP Seekers are better or worse than any Yamato or Bandai Macross toy (forgetting character appeal for a moment)

Which has the more complex and/or elegant transformation/engineering? How do quality of materials, mould details and accuracy compare?

I'm after anything you can offer as a comparison, basically.

Beautiful toys, have a gloss coat so it looks very polished, a great looking display piece and can be played with. I was surprised at how durable the MP Seekers were(I heard the 1st grey Starscream was fragile, but I have the US cartoon color version, and MP Thundercracker, and they are very sturdy). Transformation seems a bit more complicated than a bandai, and easy if you are used to Yamato valks. You'll have a harder time transforming the v2 1/60 VF-1, and to be honest, that toy is not hard to transform at all. As far as accuracy, Yamato is most accurate, with the MP Seekers and Tamashii DX's not as accurate. Kawamori designed both and it shows(short landing gear that isn't as detailed, liberties taken compared to the animation design/lineart/whatever-the-hell-people-use-to-complain-about-but-still-buy.

[VFTF1]

Allow me to answer your question in a few back to back seperate posts:

Pete

[VFTF1]

Pete

[VFTF1]

Pete

[VFTF1]

Pete

[VFTF1]

Pete

[VF5SS]

I'd caution anyone on the MP Thundercrack. The one I just got from HLJ had some QC issues. Lots of sprue marks and loose parts.

Edited April 21, 2009 by VF5SS

[miriya]

Stupid question alert,,,

Are these F-14 or F-15 or something else?

[kanedaestes]

Seekers- F-15s.

VF-0 is based on the F-14s, sort of.

Edited April 21, 2009 by kanedaestes

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

I'd caution anyone on the MP Thundercrack. The one I just got from HLJ had some QC issues. Lots of sprue marks and loose parts.

Mine turned out just fine. Not loose at all.

[MacrossJunkie]

I find the MP seekers look really good in fighter mode while looking at them from the top or the side. They are also far more detailed in terms of panel lining and markings as you can even see the individual rivets on them. Where they start to fail is from the front, the intakes don't look right as it's just a solid piece covering most of where the intake should be and then part of the fan juts out below it. The cockpit detail is pretty much an after thought. Also, you can see the robot parts like the arms and hands and such from the bottom. But that's not too much the fault of the toy since Macross fighters were designed from the start to be transformable while the seekers had to be adapted from existing planes. Kawamori wanted to make those parts covered, but decided it took too much away from the robot mode. The landing gears are nothing to speak of as they are far worse than even the DX's. The null ray guns seem like they were just kind of done with far less care compared to the toy itself and the included missiles are cheesy.

I think overall, the look of the valkyries when everything is considered is a much better toy and design.

As someone else said, the robot's lower articulation is very low. This is due to the way they implemented the hip kibble. You can't spread the legs out as much as they should be able to unless you take the hip kibble off. I actually take mine off and reattach them to the legs themselves which also has the double benefit of allowing better articulation and also making the legs seem thicker. Problem is you have to use the stand because they can't stand up on their own that way.

One nice thing though is that the seekers are exactly 1/60 scale so you could display them next to your 1/60 valks if you wanted to put a real world fighter in the same scale next to them.

Edited April 21, 2009 by MacrossJunkie

[mpchi]

I have both valks and the seeker. I think the valks are prettier toys to look at overall (better designed curves and flow of shapes), more fun to play with and have more modes, options, and add-ons, and comes in more flavors in designs. But they are also very delicately designed, regardless of QC. There are a lot of small thin parts that you can snap the wrong way if not careful. Seekers on the other hand excels at that, like many transformer toys. Build with sturdier thicker parts, and a blockier build and look overall. You won't break the MP Seeker easy, unless you really try to or had a big drop. Even the pegs it has is quite thick and stubby. There are indeed a lot more panel lines on the body, but they are not as well designed as on some valk toys with interestingf shapes and angled lines. The ones on the seeker look dense, but more static, but fits the content of a robot with more American aesthetics or appeal.

[eugimon]

Really? I've never worried as much transforming a yamato valk as I have transforming my MP SS... not all of it, just the back/wing assembly, that part gives me nightmares.

[Shin Densetsu Kai 7.0]

just the back/wing assembly, that part gives me nightmares.

The hinges that have to be folded 180 or so? I heard the runs after the first MP-03, such as Skywarp and Thundercracker had some modifications done so that the problem areas wouldn't be as prone to snapping.

My Walmart Screamer and MP Thundercracker haven't cracked. I heard to go further and prevent cracking altogether, you could cut some of the plastic away from the hinges, this reduces tension when folding the back/wing panels up. I'll do this in the future but for now there aren't any breakages on mine.

[eugimon]

The hinges that have to be folded 180 or so? I heard the runs after the first MP-03, such as Skywarp and Thundercracker had some modifications done so that the problem areas wouldn't be as prone to snapping.

My Walmart Screamer and MP Thundercracker haven't cracked. I heard to go further and prevent cracking altogether, you could cut some of the plastic away from the hinges, this reduces tension when folding the back/wing panels up. I'll do this in the future but for now there aren't any breakages on mine.

Huh, good to know, thanks! Those joints haven't cracked on mine, but I do have stress marks over the panel lines that happen to run right over those hinges.

I've pretty much left it in fighter mode as I really don't like how the bot mode looks around the shoulders/neck area.

And as for the poor thigh articulation, it's not just the hip kibble but the way the skirt is designed that limits mobility. There's a guy who took a dremel to it to remove some of the extra material that greatly improves mobility but that's a little more than I'd care to do.

[miriya]

There are some really nice completed die cast models of F-15 in 1/72 by several different companies. I just got one from Dragon. That way I have the fighter mode with good detail for $30. I can pretend it turns into a robot.

[ntsan]

There are some really nice completed die cast models of F-15 in 1/72 by several different companies. I just got one from Dragon. That way I have the fighter mode with good detail for $30. I can pretend it turns into a robot.

That like why get Yamatos when you could do with Hasegawa kits with much more detail and much cheaper price and pretend they do gerwalk and robot mode.

Yamatos are more fun when they are at 7000 yen clearance price @ YJA than their RRP. At least it is not a huge gold sink when it broke.

Edited April 21, 2009 by ntsan

[eugimon]

That like why get Yamatos when you could do with Hasegawa kits with much more detail and much cheaper price and pretend they do gerwalk and robot mode.

Yamatos are more fun when they are at 7000 yen clearance price @ YJA than their RRP. At least it is not a huge gold sink when it broke.

actually, it's nothing like that since one is a diecast model and the other one is a box full of plastic bits that require a knife, some glue, putty, sandpaper, paint, some time a poo load of skill to look good.

[miriya]

Thanks eugimon, took the words right out of my head.

ntsan, Dont get me wrong. I am all about vehicles that transform into robots. And I am all about yamato macross transforming figures. It is just that I had been considering one of these transformers and I realized that I really just liked the F-15. So for me I just saved $100(+) to get what I really wanted.

Edited April 21, 2009 by miriya

[ntsan]

A MP seeker is not expensive, I got mine for $67 shipped, which is much cheaper than what they charged locally which is like $120+

[eugimon]

and yet, 2x as much as a diecast F-15 apparently.

[ntsan]

and yet, 2x as much as a diecast F-15 apparently.

But Seeker is bigger and more moving parts than a diecast, and if you live in USA you could get those MP SS for $40, certainly much cheaper than Yamato which is like 3~4X more expensive.

Anyway MP seeker doesn't seem hot in YJA, even with 5000 yen buy now people would rather bid for cheaper instead. Henkai exclusive deluxe size Skywarp and Thundercracker on the other hand, can sell much more (around similar end price as Yamato YF-19/VF-0/YF-22)

[eugimon]

But Seeker is bigger and more moving parts than a diecast, and if you live in USA you could get those MP SS for $40, certainly much cheaper than Yamato which is like 3~4X more expensive.

Anyway MP seeker doesn't seem hot in YJA, even with 5000 yen buy now people would rather bid for cheaper instead. Henkai exclusive deluxe size Skywarp and Thundercracker on the other hand, can sell much more (around similar end price as Yamato YF-19/VF-0/YF-22)

All he's saying is he's happy to have a non transforming prebuilt f-15 replica... I'm not sure why you're so insistent that he's wrong with his personal likes.

[ntsan]

Well it doesn't cost him $130 to get a seeker like he says "Save me $100"

[eugimon]

okay. yes, he only save 30 bucks, obviously he's wrong and he should rush out and buy something he says he doesn't want. Happy?

[edwin3060]

Thanks for posting the pictures of the MP Seekers, VFTF! You just saved me some money! IMHO, the MP Seekers just can't compare to the Yamato VFs. The money I saved is going into the new YF-19 recolours and the VF-22S!

[VFTF1]

Thanks for posting the pictures of the MP Seekers, VFTF! You just saved me some money! IMHO, the MP Seekers just can't compare to the Yamato VFs. The money I saved is going into the new YF-19 recolours and the VF-22S!

Glad to hear they helped.

The only value I see in the MP seekers is that, IF you are a big fan of Transformers G1 (I am), then of course you cannot help but be happy with the MP seekers because despite minor flaws and shortcomings, they are very cool representations of some memorable and beloved characters.

But if these characters mean nothing to you, or you're just a fan of mecha and jets in general - then yeah - Yamato Valkyrie are better in general IMO

Pete

PS -

RE: QC of the MP Seekers -

All three of my Seekers, like all of my MPs - have no QC flaws.

however, some of my customers have complained about their MPs. It seems that some of the MP Skywarps came without the vent-fans inside some of the chest parts (as unbelievable as it is). Now we hear that there was a problem with the Thundercrackers. Interesting, since most Takara-Tomy products have been free of such problems up to now.

Edited April 22, 2009 by VFTF1

[chen]

Well I think despite the fact that both are transformable jets that turn into robots there quite different. The Seekers have a realistic jet mode based on a actual F-15 so there robot mode is constrained by that while the Valks may be based on modern jets they don't have to follow any set designs and can fudge a bit here or there to make a better looking end product. Personally I think the seekers look better in robot than say the YF-21 and for sure the SV-51, but it's all a matter of taste.

[kanedaestes]

Blasphemy!!! lol

[chen]

Blasphemy!!! lol

Considering where I am I'm expecting the villagers to burn me at the stake lol.

On a side note I've been wondering which design is older, the Seekers or the VF-1's? I'm assuming it's the Seekers if you go back to the Diaclone roots but I'm not 100% sure I guess it depends on when the Takatoku Macross figures came out.

[kanedaestes]

Yeah if you use Diaclone it is the seekers, if you use Transformers it is the VF-1. I like the seekers man, I just playing with you. I think they are very well done, and look great but I am a Macross guy and I think the YF-21 is the best valk on the market right now. Welcome to the site, some of us are forgiving, most of us grab our torches and burn the heretics. But is all in good fun though.

EDIT: It appears you have been here for awhile just haven't posted a lot or something.

Edited April 23, 2009 by kanedaestes