Bandai VF-19 Advance....!!!

[wm cheng]

Ah, thanks. I'm never logged out so I didn't know. Also I don't frequent those "other" parts of the forums.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

What??? There are other parts different from the toys/models sections????

[slaginpit]

Sorry where do I go to get the YF 19?

[no3Ljm]

Sorry where do I go to get the YF 19?

Are you looking for Yamato or Arcadia? You can check the For Sale threads or the Where to Buy threads in the Sale/Trade section of the forum. If nobody's selling it, you can post it in the Wanted thread. And just a heads up, there's YF-19 over at Jungle, Yamato and Arcadia releases. Good luck.

Edited December 8, 2015 by no3ljm

[jenius]

Better late than never! I still have a couple pictures and a video review to add to my post but the article is now live on anymoon.

[Mommar]

There's more than just that in the promo photo. If you notice the wing roots actually overlap with the leg super parts, like the Arcadia (and the lineart) do as well.

[alejandroso]

http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=8151

[no3Ljm]

There's more than just that in the promo photo. If you notice the wing roots actually overlap with the leg super parts, like the Arcadia (and the lineart) do as well.

The other funny thing about the 'promo photo' is that since they removed the tab on the wings, and move the mounted fast pack legs a little bit higher, they should've somehow made the shield/legs gap a little bit smaller too so that it will look more 'believable'.

Again, just being sarcastic on the 'believable' remark.

[Sandman]

Seriously one of the dirtiest moves i've seen since starting this hobby.

[F360]

What if the original design doesn't have the top tab. I mean if the top taps get totally shaved off , it will look much closer to the promo pic/ box art. Maybe they added it At the end.

[jenius]

What if the original design doesn't have the top tab. I mean if the top taps get totally shaved off , it will look much closer to the promo pic/ box art. Maybe they added it At the end.

No, it's not that, it looks like the front of the legs are right with the Gerwalk joint being down one but the back is wrong with the legs being straight and the leg armor pegging into the top tab rather than the bottom.

[Valkyrie Driver]

I don't really care what bandai did on the box art, hell they could have used line art or some other picture and I still would have bought it. It could have been a brown box...

I personally love this toy, and I find myself agreeing with Jenius's review, though my opinion on the arcadia is based on secondhand information, and the only other toys I have to compare it to is my Yamato YF-19 and my Yamato VF-19F.

All three of my 19's are great toys, so I'm happy. I would like to have another 19F and a 19S, and of course I'd love to have an Arcadia YF-19, but money is tight and there are so many other toys I'd like to have.

[jenius]

Alright, video review is now up and so are the final couple pictures I was working on. Check it out on anymoon.com

[Valkyrie Driver]

There are definitely some things I like about the arcadia that you showed off Jenius. The shield in fighter mode covering more gaps being one, the gun pod being another, and the overall chunkiness of the arcadia is more pleasing. I would have liked to have armaments for the VF-19Advance but it's not a dealbreaker, and it's nice to not have to keep track of all that.

Seems to me that your basic point is that the Arcadia is a great display piece, but a subpar toy, and that the Bandai is a great toy, but a mediocre display. Does that about sum it up?

[jenius]

There are so many different strengths and weaknesses between the toys that I would just sum it up like this: If the Arcadia toy was flawlessly executed, I would have a hard time arguing that one of these toys is BETTER than the other as they do different things right. Since the Arcadia toy isn't flawlessly executed due to the various fit issues, it's easy for me to advise people to get the Bandai if they have to choose just one. The fact the Arcadia needs to balance on its own ankles due to the looseness is a bit too obvious a flaw to overlook.

[QEssential]

There are so many different strengths and weaknesses between the toys that I would just sum it up like this: If the Arcadia toy was flawlessly executed, I would have a hard time arguing that one of these toys is BETTER than the other as they do different things right. Since the Arcadia toy isn't flawlessly executed due to the various fit issues, it's easy for me to advise people to get the Bandai if they have to choose just one. The fact the Arcadia needs to balance on its own ankles due to the looseness is a bit too obvious a flaw to overlook.

I'm still sitting on the fence with this one. I don't have any of them but I like prefer the look of the Arcadia toy but seems like the build quality of Bandai is better.

So the question now is can the problems with Arcadia be fixed? E.g. the loose ankles and wings? Can someone who has the toy advise? If Arcadia's toy can be remedied at home then we have an obvious winner.

[Sildani]

For over $300, why should it have to be remedied?

[QEssential]

For over $300, why should it have to be remedied?

You are right. For that price it should be perfect out of the box. But we are where we are now. As it stands, I rather do a little fixing than get the Bandai version. I can live with that.

[wmkjr]

I'm still sitting on the fence with this one. I don't have any of them but I like prefer the look of the Arcadia toy but seems like the build quality of Bandai is better.

So the question now is can the problems with Arcadia be fixed? E.g. the loose ankles and wings? Can someone who has the toy advise? If Arcadia's toy can be remedied at home then we have an obvious winner.

For the ankle fix and a few other various fixes (attempt at your own risk): http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=41401

Edit: Sorry, seems like you've been there already.

Edited December 13, 2015 by wmkjr

[spanner]

you can still find both available for purchase but on a price basis the Bandai is pretty hard to pass by. I know there are a few Arcadia's available on Jungle but they aren't listed as new or sealed items but you can get the Bandai brand new on NY for example for the same money as a "B" rated used item on Jungle. To many that would make perfect sense of which one to get.

On a visual stand point I still prefer the chunkiness of the Arcadia but its shonky ankles and sparse surface details compared to the Bandai really let it down. Im glad I have both to enjoy for each their own good and bad points.

[Scyla]

There are definitely some things I like about the arcadia that you showed off Jenius. The shield in fighter mode covering more gaps being one, the gun pod being another, and the overall chunkiness of the arcadia is more pleasing. I would have liked to have armaments for the VF-19Advance but it's not a dealbreaker, and it's nice to not have to keep track of all that.

Seems to me that your basic point is that the Arcadia is a great display piece, but a subpar toy, and that the Bandai is a great toy, but a mediocre display. Does that about sum it up?

How can you say that when the gun is missing the vents and has the wrong color?

[jenius]

Another option is to wait and hope Bandai makes the yf19, they might include wing weapons and maybe they'll listen to the feedback and change the leg fast packs to tab in. If you're quick you might also save a bundle getting in on a pre-order.

[kajnrig]

Any chance of seeing the 19 in fixed-mode toy/kit form? Because from that picture, neither of them look that appealing. The proportions in battroid mode are all out of whack... (An inherent flaw of the design, perhaps, but still...)

[jenius]

The Yamato GnuDou sounds up your alley.

Edited December 13, 2015 by jenius

[Valkyrie Driver]

How can you say that when the gun is missing the vents and has the wrong color?

I had not noticed that. Still the arcadia gun is better proportioned, and offers more in terms of play, and I think the hinged gunpod is a bit wonky. I'ts nothing I can't live with, I mean, the VF-19Advance isn't a YF-19 so it stands to reason that some things will be different.

Still, I'd prefer the gun pod be redesigned if bandai does a YF-19 release, along with the appropriate cockpit gimmicks.

Arcadia did make some big mistakes in reusing as much of the M7 VF-19 molds as they did. They needed to improve on it, not just reuse it.

[Lolicon]

Arcadia YF-19 doesn't reuse any of the VF-19 molds. Don't know why people keep repeating that these two different variants share the exact same molds.

In any case, why does this need to be a zero sum game?

Edited December 13, 2015 by Lolicon

[Chronocidal]

Maybe not the molds themselves (except for some internal parts possibly), but the proportions of the design definitely carried over, and it's partly why the knees on the YF are so gappy.

I'm guessing they didn't want to rework the positioning or proportions of the legs from what worked on the VF-19, and it just didn't work well with the different shape of the YF, giving us the knee design we wound up with.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Chronocidal

[kajnrig]

The Yamato GnuDou sounds up your alley.

Oh, I'd forgotten about that, despite owning two of them. (No FAST packs, though, sadly.) Yes, something like that scaled up and perhaps with slightly better articulation I'd gladly pay a pretty penny for. Otherwise, I'd love to see Kawamori revisit the 19 the same way he revisited the VF-1 in the VF-25.

Great review. I've recently started watching your reviews on Youtube, surprise surprsie to see you frequenting this forum. Keep up the work.

[QEssential]

Another option is to wait and hope Bandai makes the yf19, they might include wing weapons and maybe they'll listen to the feedback and change the leg fast packs to tab in. If you're quick you might also save a bundle getting in on a pre-order.

Eh? Bandai making a YF-19???

I also prefer the Arcadia YF-19 because it fits in better with my Yamato collection. I think the bottom line is these 2 valks are great toys. It really boils down to personal preference.

[AlphaOne]

Here's the whole thread:

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=43121

[Scyla]

Arcadia YF-19 doesn't reuse any of the VF-19 molds. Don't know why people keep repeating that these two different variants share the exact same molds.

In any case, why does this need to be a zero sum game?

It is not that Arcadias YF-19 reuses the VF-19 molds but that it has the same transformation scheme, the same part albeit in a different shape and I think one of the problems with the Arcadia YF-19 is that the designer couldn't free himself from the design of the VF-19 which leads to many of its problems. The hallow thighs, the same faulty design in the ankle joint and the gap in the chest are all traits that continued from the Yamato VF-19 design and hinder my enjoyment of the toy. With the feedback Yamato got from the VF-19 these problems shouldn't be present in the toy.

[Valkyrie Driver]

Honestly, there are fewer mechanical issues with the Bandai (complex transformation notwithstanding) than exist with the arcadia. I'm not saying the arcadia is bad, I still want one. It's just that it's fit and finish is sub par. You're paying BMW money for a Triumph, is basically what it amounts to.

[jenius]

Honestly, there are fewer mechanical issues with the Bandai (complex transformation notwithstanding) than exist with the arcadia. I'm not saying the arcadia is bad, I still want one. It's just that it's fit and finish is sub par. You're paying BMW money for a Triumph, is basically what it amounts to.

To add to that, it's incredibly frustrating because the quality of the Arcadia toy "feels" absolutely top notch. It's not that things are too loose because of mild imperfections in the mold or something. Everything is perfectly crisp, the lines are sharp, but it's as if several parts were made a micron too big or small. My canards fell out constantly. The intake covers fell out constantly. The top of the head fell off constantly. The back of the gun would slide off if I grabbed it by the gun in fighter mode. That's all without mentioning the ankles and the wings which again, SEEM like they should be good designs but somehow just come out as floppy. I really feel like, if Arcadia could do a second release of this toy and just make tiny changes in a few places, it could be excellent but I think Bandai has intentionally moved themselves to a position to prevent that from happening.

Edited December 13, 2015 by jenius

[CoreyD]

I wonder how much of that is due to manufacturing tolerances at the plant?

[Valkyrie Driver]

I wonder how much of that is due to manufacturing tolerances at the plant?

Considering that the Arcadia YF-19 has a lot of common parts with the Yamato VF-19 line, that just doesn't fit the case, given how reproduceable computer assisted machining is, no I think it's more likely that the tolerances were engineered in. If it were a tolerance issue, you'd have a lot more variation some stiffer and some looser, Yamato/Arcadia Y/VF-19 joints are consistently loose, the joints on my 19F are a bit tighter than most people's which makes me think my example is slightly tighter tolerance, or that I haven't played with mine nearly as much as others.