M'Kyuun Posted July 19, 2019 Posted July 19, 2019 Got my copies of New Age Harry(Prowl) and Max(Cosmos) today. Really pleased with both. I think NA captured the look of Cosmos a little better than MS, although I think MS' version probably has better articulation, and eschews the buttflap that New Age's sports. The hips on my copy rub a bit on the bottom of the torso when rotating the thighs more than 10 degrees or so fore and aft, and the shoulders are very limited, as they're attached to a small ball peg that doesn't extend very far from the body. The elbows are ball joints which provide both 90 degrees of elbow bend and side to side swivel. The knees have 90 degrees of bend, and the feet, due to transformation can bend down, and the ankles have a little bit of tilt. The transformation is surprisingly complex for such a small figure, but not difficult. I dig it, although clearance is pretty close quarters due to the size of this guy. It also comes with a three-part stand that forms a cone that resembles a clear beam funneling down from the spaceship. I love it- it just makes for some great presentation. All that's missing is a little dude getting beamed up. Or a cow! Harry's an adorable little guy, and will probably be my travel companion from here on out. He's just a little bigger than a Hot Wheels car, but packs a lot of articulation and presence into a very small package. He features just about all the articulation of MP Prowl, minus rotating wrists and opening hands, plus a pelvic joint that can act as an ab crunch. The paint is ample, including, I believe, the Datsun emblem on the hood, and the police shields on the doors. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the police chevron detail on his shoulders, or 'Police' on his doors, or the 'Highway Patrol' on his feet. Moreover, while his shoulder missiles are picked out in silver paint, his gun is molded in a brownish grey plastic which could have used a coat of that silver to make it closer to the original chrome. I'm sure Toyhax will have all this and more covered eventually. As a toy, especially at legends scale, this thing is just amazing for how well it captures both bot and car modes, as well as imparting an extraordinary range of articulation in a figure this size. If this is a standard in the current third party legends lines, I can certainly understand the allure. It doesn't hurt that they take up little space, either. Anyway, these are my first figures from New Age, and I'm really pleased with them. I got Magic Square's Huffer earlier this year, and for its size, it's also a remarkably articulate and toon accurate figure. One thing of interest: New Age went cheap, retconning (read: stealing) the old G1 box art for both Prowl and Cosmos, simplifying them both a little to better resemble their figures' decos. It's one thing to make figures that just so happen to resemble those of a well known transforming line,- at least the toy design is their own, somewhat. But blatantly stealing boxart and putting it on your product- cajones grandes. With China cracking down on IP theft, I hope New Age doesn't become a victim of their own 'cost savings methodology', as they're making a good product, if these two are any standard, and they could avoid an easy C&D just by putting product photography on the box instead of instantly recognizable 80's boxart. Just my $.02. Quote
anime52k8 Posted July 20, 2019 Posted July 20, 2019 On 6/7/2019 at 8:43 PM, mikeszekely said: Well, I got my metallic MS-01... And it's not really the knockout improvement I was hoping for. From the waist down it's (nearly) perfect. The silver and metallic blues look fantastic, I just wish they'd have painted that last little bit at the knee. From the waist up, though, the design decisions kind of baffle me. The metallic blue looks great on the head, but they skipped painting his ears and for some reason made his forehead black. Likewise, his silver face is a stark contrast to his unpainted neck. The red parts seem like they're still unpainted, same with his hands so they stand out from the legs and head. Actually, with the forearm arrows left unpainted on the new version it seems to have less paint than the original. And what paint there is is just too dark, trading the flat gray paint for the cab stripe and the silver around the lights on the original for a metallic gunmetal color. So now I'm facing a dilemma. Originally I wanted to get the metallic and sell the original. Now I'm seriously thinking about using the metallic head with the original face one the original upper body. Then maybe I can figure out how to separate them at the waist linkage and put the original upper body on the metallic lower body. Of course, after I put the other parts back together I'll have a metallic upper body and face with the original helmet and legs, and I don't know that I could get anyone to buy that. Did you end up hacking your MS-01's to pieces or are you still playing on selling one whole? I think I spent too much time going back and forth between TE-01 and MS-01 because MS-01 is sold out most places. Quote
anime52k8 Posted July 20, 2019 Posted July 20, 2019 Also, does anyone have any opinions on X-Transbot's version of Wildrider as a stand-alone toy? I'm not looking for another giant combiner and I don't really care for Menasor in general, but I'm really liking what I've seen of their Wildrider's car mode and I'd really like a nice looking 308 GTB that turns into a robot. Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 20, 2019 Posted July 20, 2019 5 hours ago, anime52k8 said: Did you end up hacking your MS-01's to pieces or are you still playing on selling one whole? I think I spent too much time going back and forth between TE-01 and MS-01 because MS-01 is sold out most places. Everything connecting the top to the bottom was pins, so I couldn't figure a way to safely get them apart. I'll shoot you a PM. 2 hours ago, anime52k8 said: Also, does anyone have any opinions on X-Transbot's version of Wildrider as a stand-alone toy? I'm not looking for another giant combiner and I don't really care for Menasor in general, but I'm really liking what I've seen of their Wildrider's car mode and I'd really like a nice looking 308 GTB that turns into a robot. I think it's pretty great. On par with Takara's MP cars. Much more cartoon accurate than DX9's, with very nice paint, and its backpack collapses much tighter than their Breakdown. The only issues you might run into is that there's not a ton of clearance under the car for it to roll smoothly, and/or the panels with the red trim don't seem to tab in neatly. Both issues are apparently related to some parts in the ankles being a little too thick. A few minutes with a file can fix that. Time will tell how Fans Toys' version will measure up, but for now I'd say it's there best version of the character. Quote
nhyone Posted July 22, 2019 Posted July 22, 2019 (edited) Hasbro has competition: https://m.weibo.cn/status/4396879280142547? It looks G1, for Zeta anyway. It used to be in the past 3P steered clear of TT. Edited July 22, 2019 by nhyone Included image Quote
JB0 Posted July 22, 2019 Posted July 22, 2019 56 minutes ago, nhyone said: Hasbro has competition: https://m.weibo.cn/status/4396879280142547? It looks G1, for Zeta anyway. It used be in the past 3P steer clear of TT. I can't read any of that, so I have to ask: Is it a complete Unicron, or a replacement head in the old tradition of "we mostly make upgrade parts for Transformers" instead of the modern one of making legally-distinct converting robots that are coincidentally very similar to a certain popular franchise. Quote
nhyone Posted July 22, 2019 Posted July 22, 2019 (edited) Zeta teases only the head now. But from their quote, I think they have more in mind. They play a pun on the word "head" in Chinese. (It is hard to start [head] any thing, every thing starts with the head.) Edited July 22, 2019 by nhyone Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 22, 2019 Posted July 22, 2019 From what I gather they only teased the head, but there will be a while Unicron and it's been in the works since as far back as 2016. It's also rumored to be around 40”, which IMHO is way too big (maybe something got lost in translation and it's closer to 40cm). Quote
tekering Posted July 22, 2019 Posted July 22, 2019 (edited) 53 minutes ago, mikeszekely said: It's also rumored to be around 40”, which IMHO is way too big A meter high? Sorry Haslab, I'm backing Zeta's Unicron instead. P.S. This is Unicron were talking about, Mike. There is no such thing as "too big," much less "way too big." Edited July 22, 2019 by tekering Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 22, 2019 Posted July 22, 2019 21 minutes ago, tekering said: A meter high? Sorry Haslab, I'm backing Zeta's Unicron instead. P.S. This is Unicron were talking about, Mike. There is no such thing as "too big," much less "way too big." Unless they're making it the side of an apartment building it's not going to scale accurately with anything, so all you get out of that size is a toy that's too unwieldy to pose and transform and too big to fit on a shelf. As long as the engineering and aesthetics are spot on I don't need a Unicron bigger than, say, Utopia. Quote
nhyone Posted July 23, 2019 Posted July 23, 2019 8 hours ago, tekering said: P.S. This is Unicron were talking about, Mike. There is no such thing as "too big," much less "way too big." Oh yes there is. After all the gung-ho size talk, the practicality of storage prevails. Since this is Zeta Toys with its size fetish, I think this will be Constructor-sized. This is already pretty big. Quote
technoblue Posted July 23, 2019 Posted July 23, 2019 Yeah. I like that G1 Unicron face sculpt Zeta is teasing but Hasbro's dimensions are already at my own personal limit. If I have to compromise, and I have to choose one Unicron at the end of August, I will go Hasbro but that's just my opinion. Quote
captain america Posted July 23, 2019 Posted July 23, 2019 (edited) On 7/22/2019 at 10:24 AM, mikeszekely said: From what I gather they only teased the head, but there will be a while Unicron and it's been in the works since as far back as 2016. It's also rumored to be around 40”, which IMHO is way too big (maybe something got lost in translation and it's closer to 40cm). Despite the artistic license that Hasbro took with Unicron's chin, I prefer their overall facial aesthetics (and detail) way better than this thing... Assuming it even ever gets completed. Edit: looks like they're actually moving forward with this. The surface detail on these panels doesn't seem to fit with the head pic shown earlier, so color me confused. Edited July 23, 2019 by captain america Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 Anyone have any thoughts on DNA's Susanoo? Preorders have gone up for a new run with a weathered look, and it seems quite a bit cheaper than the original run at only $80. I have no attachment to the G1 toy, and I like how Susanoo (and previously Hasbro) used the skeleton samurai motif of his Pretender shell for his actual robot mode (something IDW eventually did as well). Aesthetically it's the closest thing I think I'm going to get to my notion of an MP Bludgeon, but I've heard the build quality is a little so-so. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 Are there any side-by-side comparison pics for Graviter vs Stomp in dino mode? (Gigapower's vs FT's Sludge). I rank dino-mode as the most important thing for a dinobot, but I seem to be in the minority. I'd also be very interested in the same thing for their Snarls. Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 1 hour ago, David Hingtgen said: Are there any side-by-side comparison pics for Graviter vs Stomp in dino mode? While I would love to review FT's dinos and compare them with Giga's that's not likely to happen short of someone letting me take a look at their FT dinos. So I grabbed you a few screen grabs from some YouTube videos other people (Ben's Collectables, Bobby Skullface, and Old Painless Reviews) made. Biggest differences in dino mode are the paint and chrome, the size, the shape of the head, the front legs, and the joints in the neck. First one is Giga's chrome version, the others are metallic. The big differences I'm noticing are the shape of the head and the greater level of detail on Gutter. Someone suggested that FT's looks more like the cartoon while Gigapower has more toy detail, and I think that's fair. Oh, and again, Gigapower's is bigger. Quote
JB0 Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 28 minutes ago, mikeszekely said: Someone suggested that FT's looks more like the cartoon while Gigapower has more toy detail, and I think that's fair. That was the impression I got looking at Not-Slags. Especially obvious there, because cartoon Slag's dino back rises very high above his hips. Quote
tekering Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 51 minutes ago, mikeszekely said: FT's looks more like the cartoon while Gigapower has more toy detail, and I think that's fair. Oh, and again, Gigapower's is bigger. FansToys' "Dibots" are indeed closer to their animation models, and more accurately-scaled than Gigapower's... ...in robot mode, at least. Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 (edited) 45 minutes ago, tekering said: more accurately-scaled than Gigapower's... Debatable. That's not to say that you're wrong, just that the animation is very inconsistent, and while I've seen scale charts that put Optimus close to Grimlock's chin (ala Fans Toys) I've seen others that put Optimus roughly mid-chest (ala Gigapower). There's room for interpretation, and I think that both sets fall within the range of "accurate." And I personally prefer them on the larger size; when Wheeljack unveils them to the Autobots for the first time they're in awe of how big they are (and that's an episode after they'd already met Skyfire). Edited July 27, 2019 by mikeszekely Quote
tekering Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 31 minutes ago, mikeszekely said: I personally prefer them on the larger size; when Wheeljack unveils them to the Autobots for the first time they're in awe of how big they are (and that's an episode after they'd already met Skyfire). Hmm... maybe FansToys are too small, then. Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 6 hours ago, tekering said: Hmm... maybe FansToys are too small, then. I think it depends on your impression of them. Like I said, I think both are in the range of correct, and which one is "more" correct is subjective. And it's not entirely about scale, either. FT's are definitely more cartoon-accurate in robot mode, as you said, down to Sludge's T-shaped torso and Snarl's red pelvis. If that's something that matters to you then they probably look better to you. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 I think I've come to the same conclusion as before----despite the zillion 3P Dinobots, there's still none I really like in dino mode (the most important mode). They all have some stupid deal-killing design decision (or two or three). Quote
Scyla Posted July 27, 2019 Posted July 27, 2019 (edited) I got FansToys Maverick (G1 Silverbolt) and I have to say major kudos to the designer. It is probably the best jet Transformer that I have in my collection. Especially considering that he turns into a Concord. He doesn't pull it of perfectly since he has to transform into a bulky robot and a block that hides behind Superions chest but he is pretty close. I recommend them for not going the easy way and having a box under the jet fuselage. Being part of a combiner people tend to give those a lot of leeway since he has to do so much but FansToys didn't skimp out. Only things that would make him better would be a panel to cover the thighs in jet-mode and a way to compress the forward fuselage better in robot mode (not a fan of the coattails). Things I hate: there is no reason why he doesn't have an accurate lowering nosecone. Things I love: in the G1 lineart his feed fold out of his lower legs leaving behind gigantic holes. Now Maverick does the same but has some sliding doors to cover the holes. They are even a little bit retracted so his legs have some depth to it. Other than that he is mostly the standard FansToys fare: somewhat limited articulation, lots of great looking paint, a hefty in hand feel and a powerful stature. He diverts from FTs MO by having an enjoyable and straightforward transformation. It mostly works other than being a bit unhandily because he turns into a long jet. Also on mine the aft fuselage seems to be under stress when transformed but that could be an error on my side. [edit:] I currently have Machine Wars Starscream on my desk so I know how terrible a robot that turns into a jet can be. Edited July 27, 2019 by Scyla Quote
David Hingtgen Posted July 28, 2019 Posted July 28, 2019 2 hours ago, Scyla said: . He doesn't pull it of perfectly since he has to transform into a bulky robot and a block that hides behind Superions chest but he is pretty close. I recommend them for not going the easy way and having a box under the jet fuselage. Only things that would make him better would be a panel to cover the thighs in jet-mode and a way to compress the forward fuselage better in robot mode (not a fan of the coattails). Eh, there's less below because they added humps on top. Considering how visible the upper surface is compared to the belly, I'd have actually preferred a little bit more "robot under the plane" rather than adding FAST packs alongside the passenger cabin, blocking out those very expensive first-class views outside the window... Quote
nhyone Posted July 28, 2019 Posted July 28, 2019 On 7/27/2019 at 10:03 AM, mikeszekely said: Anyone have any thoughts on DNA's Susanoo? Preorders have gone up for a new run with a weathered look, and it seems quite a bit cheaper than the original run at only $80. If you rather have the original paintwork, both DS-01 and DS-02 can be had at ~300 yuan (US$45) on TaoBao. Shipping to US may add another US$20+ maybe. This is not a strong seller. Quote
anime52k8 Posted July 28, 2019 Posted July 28, 2019 15 hours ago, Scyla said: [edit:] I currently have Machine Wars Starscream on my desk so I know how terrible a robot that turns into a jet can be. Machine wars Starscream is not that bad of a jet. Also I love that toy even if it is a total brick. Quote
anime52k8 Posted July 28, 2019 Posted July 28, 2019 BTW, does anyone have any knowledge/opinion of Wei Jiang's omega supreme? I'm seeing some on ebay for about $200 and I'm trying to decide if it's worth the extra money over getting the Titan Class version coming out. Quote
Scyla Posted July 28, 2019 Posted July 28, 2019 20 hours ago, David Hingtgen said: Eh, there's less below because they added humps on top. Considering how visible the upper surface is compared to the belly, I'd have actually preferred a little bit more "robot under the plane" rather than adding FAST packs alongside the passenger cabin, blocking out those very expensive first-class views outside the window... Meh, they all the Aerialbots are military jets so Maverick is probably the bomber version of the Concorde and those are probably conformal fuel tanks. I get where you are coming from but Transformers jets are godawful most of the time and even if they are decent (like MP-3 Starscream) the bot mode suffers. I'm not saying that it is a perfect Concord but is great as far Transformers goes. Especially if it comes with an good transformation from a company that is not know for good transformations. I will take what I can get from FT... ...but don't worry everyone, the other Aerialbots are boxes hanging on the bottom of a fighter jet from what I can tell. Quote
JB0 Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 3 hours ago, Scyla said: but don't worry everyone, the other Aerialbots are boxes hanging on the bottom of a fighter jet from what I can tell. Hooray! G1-accuracy! Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 7 hours ago, anime52k8 said: BTW, does anyone have any knowledge/opinion of Wei Jiang's omega supreme? I'm seeing some on ebay for about $200 and I'm trying to decide if it's worth the extra money over getting the Titan Class version coming out. I've heard good things. I think it was, on paper, supposed to compete with Gabriel and Terminus Giganticus, but enough liberties were taken that it's not really accurate enough in my opinion, but I don't think that matters as much with CHUG. Build quality is supposed to be fine. I like that it comes with blast effect parts and a stand to make the rocket look like it's flying. The tank is a little weird looking. Personally I've got Gabriel for my MP and I'm still in for Hasbro's, but I don't see any reason that this couldn't be a good alternative. I've thought about buying the blue and white Ultima Guard, though. Just never pulled the trigger. Quote
anime52k8 Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 Gabriel looks really nice and I'd love to have one but he's very expensive. Technically I am looking for something that'll go in an MP collection, but I'm also looking for affordability and for whatever will look the best with ToyWorld's Constructor. I will say, something I like about both Gabriel and the Hasbro version are that the track is physically connected to the launch gantry, although Ultima's tank is motorized and actually drives around the track. Quote
mikeszekely Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 58 minutes ago, anime52k8 said: Gabriel looks really nice and I'd love to have one but he's very expensive. Technically I am looking for something that'll go in an MP collection, but I'm also looking for affordability and for whatever will look the best with ToyWorld's Constructor. I will say, something I like about both Gabriel and the Hasbro version are that the track is physically connected to the launch gantry, although Ultima's tank is motorized and actually drives around the track. Gabriel was around $30 more than Ultima Guard at retail and I'd say worth the extra money, but I guess if you're finding discounts on Ultima Guard then I guess that does make the choice a little harder. Without having handled Hasbro's Omega Supreme I can't say for sure, but I think Ultima Guard is a little closer to MP in terms of materials and polish. Quote
David Hingtgen Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 Visual guide for all you need to know about 3P Omega Supreme: https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/dx9-d12-gabriel-not-omega-supreme.1109629/page-100 Though IMHO, DX9 and FT are both massive fails in alt mode, because the entire track assembly is pointless since their tanks can't actually use the tracks at all. (And they don't even LOOK like they can either----no suspension of disbelief possible here) I mean, the tanks can SIT on top of the flattest part of the tracks, but they can neither take the curves nor go up and down the "hills" or roll around on it. It's like trying to get an MP carbot to use HotWheels track. Half the alt-mode may as well not exist. I am anxiously awaiting to see if HasTak Titan OS can actually USE his track to some degree. Or if it's really just a 3D background... Quote
JB0 Posted July 29, 2019 Posted July 29, 2019 8 minutes ago, David Hingtgen said: Visual guide for all you need to know about 3P Omega Supreme: https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/dx9-d12-gabriel-not-omega-supreme.1109629/page-100 And my dirty toy-supremacist self is going to concede the wisdom of not drawing much from the original toy in all three cases. It was the toy I wanted so much as a kid, but in hindsight it just looks kinda... terrible. Quote
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