no3Ljm Posted August 16, 2015 Posted August 16, 2015 Wait. Are we talking about 'sales' now? It was the same as Arcadia YF-19 before. After it get released, it was sold out on most of the stores too. But to be honest, most are covered here on my concerns between Arcadia and Bandai. Bandai made the VF-19 more sweeter adding those waist joints and leg fillers. But as a overall for me, I will still choose Arcadia for what reasons I posted above. Quote
treatment Posted August 16, 2015 Posted August 16, 2015 the poll results are misleading because the sales reflect the opposite while the advance is sold out in the most of the stores is relatively easy get the arcadia Not quite true. Bandai has the ongoing habit of limiting the quantity and availability of dx-chogokins. Especially during pre-order time. Also, not really sure where YF-19 is "relatively easy to get" outside of ebay and/or scalpers... Quote
Valkyrie Driver Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 Clearly Bandai can only be the winner: - better tan colour and tampo printing - better nose cone/fuselage shape, no weired arching - compact fighter fit, shield integrates nicely with rest of fighter, no thick leading edge on the intakes - telesoping and tilting head - ball-jointed shoulders - seperate swivel joints for shoulder pauldron and arm - fully featured double-jointed arms, no faking like with Arcadia - shield that stays on arm, w/o constantly falling off - waist joint and ball jointed hips that allow better movement - slick and flush inner leg profile, no dents and carve-outs or extra parts needed - tabbed cod piece locks in - thigh swivel joints that allows for more natural articulation - fully featured knee caps - leg packs that stay on and don't fall off at the slightest touch in Battroid - foot and ankle joints that are a million times better than anything that Arcadia could come up with - layerd and internal details almost everywhere - well propportioned modern take on Battroid - better accessories: additional hands, pin-point-barrier effect and stands are all more useful than a tray of missiles And for all of this Bandai charged me less than Arcadia. I agree with this. Arcadia for me. For some reasons, I treat my Yamato/Arcadia Valks as the 'Masterpiece series' while the Bandai DX as the 'Voyager series'. Yamato/Arcadia is more collectible looking to me than Bandai DX which is more a toy for me. In other words, I transform my Yamato/Arcadia ones with care than the Bandai DX ones. I also agree with this. Though with the VF-19Advance, I'm having a hard time seeing it that way, with all the engineering and detail that went into it. Still, My yamato feels like a high grade model, while my bandai feels like a toy. Quote
no3Ljm Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I agree with this. I also agree with this. Though with the VF-19Advance, I'm having a hard time seeing it that way, with all the engineering and detail that went into it. Still, My yamato feels like a high grade model, while my bandai feels like a toy. Probably because the VF-19 Advance compared to other DX Valks, have a matte finish. And THAT is a big factor, I think. It separates from the other ones. Quote
Sildani Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 The Advance is available again at NY for 28K. Go to it. Quote
jenius Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) Well ya gotta figure people who couldn't afford the Arcadia bought the Bandai but wouldn't feel right voting since they don't own both. Edited August 17, 2015 by jenius Quote
Lolicon Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 If we're going by sales alone, then Michael Bay movies are masterpieces. That's a misleading argument anyway as both toys varied greatly in price and we don't know what the production numbers were. Quote
no3Ljm Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 Well ya gotta figure people who couldn't afford the Arcadia bought the Bandai but wouldn't feel right voting since they don't own both. That's true too. Should've added a second poll that asks who has both and who has the other one instead. Right now, I own 2 Arcadia YF-19 and 1 Bandai DX VF-19 Advance since I sold my other one. Quote
cyde01 Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 Wow as of now the poll is literally dead even! I'd love to hear Graham's perspective on this! Quote
Lolicon Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I have 2 from Arcadia and 3 from Bandai. Not because Bandai's version is necessarily better, but because Arcadia's high price kept me from getting a third, and I wanted to display the Bandai version with and without super parts in different modes. Just because I bought 50% more units from Bandai does not make theirs 50% better. Quote
Bolt Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I only have the Bandai version & the Yammy YF-19. The Arcadia is certainly available but the cost is prohibitive for me ,believe it or not. I would love to have all those hard point options. But the Bandai advanced really grabbed me. And the Arcadia (while better than the Yammy) just seemed like a slightly better upgrade for way more money than the Yamato YF-19. Nevertheless, as a collector , and someone who loves the Yf/VF design, I want the Arcadia version! Quote
Valkyrie Driver Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I only have the Bandai version & the Yammy YF-19. The Arcadia is certainly available but the cost is prohibitive for me ,believe it or not. I would love to have all those hard point options. But the Bandai advanced really grabbed me. And the Arcadia (while better than the Yammy) just seemed like a slightly better upgrade for way more money than the Yamato YF-19. Nevertheless, as a collector , and someone who loves the Yf/VF design, I want the Arcadia version! I agree with this. I'd still probably pick the Bandai for handling though, because at the prices the Arcadia commands, it's not worth the potential for breakage... The Bandai seems really solid, and me transforming it, and posing it and generally playing with it, it doesn't seem like it's going to break. Quote
ErikElvis Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I think this is a really tough one to answer. Overall I have to say I like the proportions better on the Arcadia but the pure lack of Tampo irks me a little. The gimmicks are cool with the bandai but the tampos a little overboard. Oh and of course the price was great for the bandai. It's apples to apples. In this case like Granny Smith vs. golden delicious. Quote
takatoys Posted August 17, 2015 Author Posted August 17, 2015 Like the poll so far. I thought Bandai had the advantage with more gimmicks, tampo marks and better tan color. No doubt Arcadia is making this even with a more friendly design and faithful representation. Both toys are great and the poll makes sense. Too bad Arcadia is raising the prices of it's valks. Right now, I can't afford the VF-0 valks and opted for the Bandai 1/100 Hi-Metal. Quote
no3Ljm Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I agree with this. I'd still probably pick the Bandai for handling though, because at the prices the Arcadia commands, it's not worth the potential for breakage... The Bandai seems really solid, and me transforming it, and posing it and generally playing with it, it doesn't seem like it's going to break. This is why I said I treat my Yamato/Arcadia Valks (Masterpiece class) with care. Build-wise, it's more on the display side of things. While the Bandai DX Valks (Voyager class) are meant for playing. Forgive me if I'm using Transformers toy terms here. Quote
ArchieNov Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) I'm curious though. What are the pros of the Arcadia over the Bandai? People have mentioned proportions (subjective), transformation process (subjective), less gaps, gunpod (subjective) and white landing gear. But aside from that, I can't recall anything else. Bandai has a number of advantages over the Arcadia though which other people have mentioned earlier. Some of the objective ones are price, accessories, overall articulation, tampo, and durability. The items marked above as subjective for Arcadia also apply for Bandai's version, as some people like myself prefer the proportions, gunpod and transformation on Bandai's. Honestly, I feel that if one was to do a straight up list of all the pros for each, Bandai's version would have more over Arcadia's. Edited August 17, 2015 by ArchieNov Quote
Ignacio Ocamica Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 In my case Arcadia has better articulation because I like gerwalk mode a lot and Bandai's VF-19 looks like it's riding a horse. Love the missiles from the Arcadia and don't like the packs at all for the YF/VF-19 series so again Arcadia has better accesories. I agree Arcadia's YF-19 could have more tampo but Bandai has a lot. So everything can be subjective or objective! I believe it's a win win situation because we have two companies to choose from. Quote
no3Ljm Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) Ok. After re-reading it, I noticed that the poll is kinda misleading now just basing on the answers. Title says 'Which is better overall?' Whereas the question on the poll itself states 'Which one do you like most overall?' Are we talking about personal preferences or which company delivers the most? Some likes Bandai due to its great engineering, poseability, tampos, up to the pricing. Whereas most of the guys choosing Arcadia, including me, likes the proportion and the collectibility of it without emphasizing how much the valk is. So yeah, I agree with Ignacio that it's a win-win situation and everyone is happy with their purchases whichever model it is. Edited August 17, 2015 by no3ljm Quote
ArchieNov Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) In my case Arcadia has better articulation because I like gerwalk mode a lot and Bandai's VF-19 looks like it's riding a horse. Love the missiles from the Arcadia and don't like the packs at all for the YF/VF-19 series so again Arcadia has better accesories. I agree Arcadia's YF-19 could have more tampo but Bandai has a lot. So everything can be subjective or objective! I believe it's a win win situation because we have two companies to choose from. Actually, I don't think it can be said that Arcadia has better articulation since Bandai's obviously has more points of articulation than Arcadia's (not just in the waist, but feet, shoulders, neck, etc). Articulation is usually judged in terms of number of articulation points and range of motion.Accessories can't also be better because Arcadia only gives you missiles, an extra Isamu, and an optional seat/Yang. Oh and some adapters for a stand and fold booster (both sold separately, but no longer manufactured at time of release). Bandai gives you the Advance packs, Pinpoint Barrier Punch effect, optional fists, and a stand. It's definitely more variety, and you can use them together at the same time. Lastly, I didn't think anyone would argue tampo being subjective. Usually it's judged on amount and quality of the tampo. Bandai wins out in those respects. But if you're arguing aesthetics, then that would be a separate category that's subjective. Edited August 17, 2015 by ArchieNov Quote
wm cheng Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) Bandai all the way (except for its ridiculous pre-order madness). Bandai Pros: -great sleek long angular proportions -lots of tampo printing (looks great out of the box!) -great panel lines throughout and details inside panels -great articulation (amazing poses in Battroid - and that's my least favourite mode) -nice light tint on the canopy -sleek recessed forward intake lip in aircraft mode -knee joint completely hidden in leg/engine and creates a sleek smooth line -proper articulation for the forward canards for transformation -collapsible central spine for transformation -loved the way the head is covered/integrated so its sleek from front to tail of the top -satisfying transformation (no scary parts of thinking I'm going to break something) -great hidden/well integrated wing root hinge that practically disappears when in aircraft mode -great internal detailing in the leg missile compartment (both are kind of hard to open when in flight though) -beefier metal wing arms with some detent indications -gunpod attaches to hands firmly in Battroid mode -cool folding panel system to cover up the indent for the arms on the legs -stand -reasonable price Cons: -more gappy than Arcadia (however with proper transformation & massaging, this can be minimized) -hard to attach fast/super packs -unrealistic landing gears -bending gun when attached looks odd -wished the canards can be locked at specific angles (too easily bumped to weird angles) -stupid pre-order madness Arcadia (keep in mind I'm an aircraft guy, so that's my preferred mode of display) Pros: -decent/realistic landing gear -choice of 2 versions of pilots (with and without helmet) -good investment Cons: -first big disappointment from Arcadia for me / underwhelming first un-boxing experience (after paying so much I was expecting a whole lot more!) -bare bones markings (not even the intake markings WTF?!) make it really old-school toy-like -no waterslide decals to make up for the fact there were next to no TAMPO -shallow minimal panel line details and inconsistent depths throughout -2wks of extra work in weathering, panel lining, making and scrunging extra decals to make it look more than just a cheap toy -a lot of extra/useless weaponry that you can't really use unless you setup for that one TIA shot -super thin shield boat tail armor piece that looks ridiculously thin/unbelieveable in aircraft mode from behind -big fat glaring wing root pivot hinge that screams TOY! -chunky fat legged squat proportions that are true to 80s design style for Battroid but doesn't work for aircraft mode -exposed leg knee joint and black slide up piece when in aircraft mode (visually breaks leg/engines) -overly complicated tailfin joints that makes it hard for the fins to extend fully and remain planar -crappy foot ball joint that isn't strong enough to keep the Gerwalk in A-Stance -big step down for the forward intake ramp that screams TOY! -leg missile compartment that is near useless to open up (hardly any detail inside - bunch of circles? really?!) -head not integrated into the back of the aircraft -stupid canards that you have to pull out and put back in (how's that "perfect transformation"?!) - no angle adjustment -not satisfying transformation (too many scary parts of thinking I'm going to break something) -thin metal swing wing arms (worried I'm going to break it) that doesn't keep the wings in any position (no swoosh factor!) -canopy blue tint is way too dark (for a convincing aircraft) -stupid way to have to open the front canopy (dropping the black portion of the nose? - how is that lineart accurate?) -finicky way to bring the black forward portion of the nosecone back up after closing the canopy -ugly dents on the insides of the legs (for the arms to fold into in aircraft mode) -nose landing gear too short -no stand -way too expensive for you get Edited August 18, 2015 by wm cheng Quote
mog_kupo Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) Well I just voted for the Arcadia one Yes, the tampoo its amazing on the VF-19 and the ammount of engineering its awesome But those missiles, the double cockpit, and the look on fighter mode (I keep almost all of my Valks on fighter) of the YF make it my favorite Also, I got both for almost the same price so that makes no difference to me Edited August 17, 2015 by mog_kupo Quote
takatoys Posted August 17, 2015 Author Posted August 17, 2015 Thanks wm cheng for giving all the pros and cons of both toys. Forgot the panel lines details on the Arcadia. Some of the lines tend to dissapear because of the inconsistent depths. Yeah, if you don't panel line and put decals, the Arcadia looks cheap. There is almost nothing to fix with the Bandai. Looks perfect right out of the box. Quote
ArchieNov Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 Yeah thanks, wmcheng. Some of your points I feel may be deemed subjective, but there were also definitely some where it cannot be denied that the Bandai version did better (e.g. knees not exposed in fighter, panel lines, and mold detailing, etc) Quote
locidm Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 how many voted for Bandai and only owns the Bandai? how many voted for Arcadia and only owns Arcadia? how many voted for either and own both? in my case, i own both, but haven't even bothered opening the Bandai yet......and I confess I voted for Arcadia, if only based on track record of DX valks. The latter Yamato releases and the Arcadia releases just feels so much more solid in hand than any DX valks. Yamato/Arcadia's valks wins on not just the matte finish, it's how things fit together, its heft, how the plastic feels, etc. It gives the impression that it is a high end piece. DX valks, on the other hand, while it looks good, at least to me, is never fun to mess around with, and gives a cheap toy feel. All personal opinion here. Quote
jenius Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I was honestly a little let down by the 'feel' of the Arcadia YF-19. I'm not huge on all those wing weapons they provided but I was really let down to find out how poorly they hold together. The connection to the hard points are fine but those little pieces that grab the weapons are loose and make it kinda easy to knock the weapons off. It's not quite as bad as it was on the 1/48 toys but still... I expect tightness at this price point. I experienced the same thing on the gun. The magazine slides out super easy. Sadly I've been way too busy with school, child, and most recently the stomach flu to play with anything but I really expected something a little more crisp from the Arcadia. Quote
Chronocidal Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 Accessories can't also be better because Arcadia only gives you missiles and an optional seat/Yang. Bandai gives you the Advance packs, Pinpoint Barrier Punch effect, optional fists, and a stand. It's definitely more variety. I would actually chalk the missiles up as a severe negative mark against the Bandai, since they give you wings with hardpoints, but no missiles, and the missiles that fit can't even be bought outside of an entirely separate product that's not even related to the VF-19. And while I like the advance packs, they cheapened out and didn't even attempt to make the shoulder packs accurate. Even without the wing boosters, the fast packs on the Arcadia are just better thought out (they actually attach to the wing gloves), and the missiles (for better or for worse) are your "everything you can ask for, plus two kitchen sinks" set. As for a stand.. I'd only call that an advantage if it wasn't so ugly. But that's just personal opinion, I know they're perfectly functional. As far as "amount and quality" of tampo though, Bandai went into overkill mode. They went above and beyond what was seen in the animation, and honestly, with all the SMS logos plastered everywhere, it's approaching the gaudy level of over-marking you see on the 171s... "How are the pilots supposed to remember which craft they're flying?" "Don't worry, we've painted the name of the aircraft on every available surface to make sure." It's really not that bad, but I think they overdid it in an attempt to appeal to the more demanding aircraft collectors. Some of the markings and warnings make perfect sense, but throwing "ACCESS PANEL INSIDE" all over the place only looks good if you can't read the text, and they used too big a font for that to work. The Arcadia really skimped on the tampo, though, and they seem to be adopting that approach for everything, sadly. I probably would have been perfectly happy with the intake warnings added, that might be the first time they actually left those off. I just hope in the future both companies try to hit that middle ground between the two. In the end I can't really vote, because I can't say either has an advantage in the long run. They both have features I like, and features I dislike, so it pretty much winds up averaging out. If anything, I'd say the Bandai has both better good features, and worse bad features, while the Arcadia kind of plays the middle of the field. Quote
Valkyrie Driver Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 The wing mounted weapons are a disappointment with the Bandai. I wish it had come with some. Gun pod is a bit wonky the way bandai did it, having the whole gun bend instead of having the grip move. I don't own the Arcadia YF-19, but from what I understand it's almost exactly the same, mechanically, as the Yamato VF-19 toys. Those mechanics are wonderfully done, but it suffers some problems, like those super stiff gerwalk joints that make transforming the toy a terrifying experience. The elbows on the Yamato/Arcadia toys are limited, and you have to fudge a double jointed elbow by using the bicep hinge. Now both toys really suffer in not having a true double jointed elbow, the Yamato/Arcadia toys joints are too spaced out, while Bandai seemed to want to go for a more robust arm mechanism (looking at it, they put the swivel in the only place they could, given the way the arm was designed. Yes it limits articulation in some poses, but I don't think most people are going to notice and/or care that much). Last is the ankles, the bandai's ankles are well executed and this toy can pull off some very extreme gerwalk poses, because of the range of motion the ankles have. The Yamato/Arcadia can't do heel up on the ankles, so it's gerwalk is very limited (unless you use Jenius's ankle cheat). Bandai went the extra mile to make sure that they didn't compromise the integrity of the look in any mode. I can forgive some gappiness, with the fast packs due to how well everything fits together on this toy without them. I'm sure I'd love the Arcadia, but given how similar it is to the VF-19F I already have, I think I'd still enjoy my bandai just as much as I am without an arcadia. I voted for the Bandai, given how close the mechanics of the arcadia are to my VF-19F. Quote
spanner Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) I never transformed my Arcadia YF-19 so I can't comment of that side of the toy but as Jenius mentioned the missiles issues was a bit of a let down. Was the reason why I eventually removed them as they kept working loose from the holders and falling off. I don't mind that the Arcadia is a little sparse in the tampo department as its just their (and Yamato's) style and the overall shape of the toy is just gorgeous! The Bandai not coming with any missiles at all seeing that it has the hard points was disappointing yes. The troublesome super parts fitment also was a bit frustrating along with the misleading box art and fast packs fiasco. I leave those parts off anyways. And the gun pod which is just too much of a gimmick. Athough Arcadia screwed up the gun pod stow point on their Zero-D so both companies are even there. Its hard to chose one or the other and last night I swooshed my Arcadia around and will say I just love the feel and sculpt of it! The Bandai whilst not feeling quite as solid (in fighter mode anyways) makes up so much ground on the Arcadia with the surface details which are superb! Better than any DX before it! One thing I do keep in the back of my mind is that I have transformed the Bandai to battroid and back to fighter where I haven't done so with the Arcadia, so its one critical point I cannot make a final judgement on. Although I have transformed all the other Yamato VF-19's through all modes and having also previously owned a Double Nuts which was a floppy mess which I know doesn't compare to the Arcadia. But still Im gonna call it even between them. Edited August 17, 2015 by spanner76 Quote
valhary Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 I think the opposite the landing gear of bandai are more accurate maybe not in the save form but if in the semblance Quote
ArchieNov Posted August 17, 2015 Posted August 17, 2015 (edited) You mean the color of the landing gear? Because looking at that pic, I think both Arcadia and Bandai got the rear landing gear sculpt wrong hehe. Edited August 17, 2015 by ArchieNov Quote
raptormesh Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 Bandai due to the tampos and its sleakness. Never really liked Bandai's other offerings except for the 30. Quote
PsYcHoDyNaMiX Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) I haven't voted and I own three of each. I'm not going to vote because there are things I like and hate about both. 'Brief' (not a full list) examples will be posted below. I just feel that voting one over the other isn't exactly justifiable because they weren't released 'around the same time'. According to HLJ Bandai released theirs about one year and three months after Arcadia. I just think that gives Bandai (a very large company with maybe unlimited resources) a very large edge and with more time to improve over Arcadia's version. Likes: Arcadia bit the bullet and attempted to improve the YF-19 over its predecessor (the Yamato YF-19) before Bandai. I don't think anyone expected a VF-19/YF-19 variant until Bandai announced it. Bandai put more engineering behind the VF-19... more than any other company did Dislikes/hates:Arcadia's use of the ball joints for the ankles Bandai's horrible... I mean horrible QC to no extent. It completely throws any of their collectible value out the window when you have to worry about exploding, broken, mismatched, missing parts. This is the reason I open all my Bandai products as soon as receiving them to ensure they're not defective out of the box. All three of my VF-19 Advances have small blemishes (embedded in the plastic) all over the valks, one had a gouged edge on a foot, another had nicks in the plastic on the arm, all three have over cut marks on the rear landing bay doors and there are more things I can probably complain about. Edited August 18, 2015 by PsYcHoDyNaMiX Quote
Chronocidal Posted August 18, 2015 Posted August 18, 2015 (edited) Bandai hasn't really tried to replicate the look of the VF-19's main gear, or really any of the valks they've done. I don't know if it's some vague attempt at paying homage to the old gear on the 1/55 chunky VF-1s, or what, but for a company so focused on mecha, they seem not to have much understanding about how landing gear work, or look. They have gotten better over time, but they still don't seem able to make realistically proportioned struts or tires. The VF-25's gear are supposed to splay out like the Yamato VF-19s do, but Bandai has stuck to simple rotating sticks from the get go. The quality of the sticks have just improved. The ones on the Arcadia, and all of the Yamato VF-19s look pretty close to that VF-19 kit line art, but the Master File is just a copy of an F-18 main gear, so I pretty much ignore that. I know that VF-19 kit image is old, but I don't know what reference they were using at the time. The thing that occurred to me about the ankles though.. and it's not really a flaw, but I find it irritating.. Bandai's folding panel shenanigans with the legs was creative, but it means I can't extend the feet in fighter mode. My favorite display position for most of my valks is actually standing on the feet in fighter mode, and the way Bandai built those ankles, it pops the legs out of position, because it extends the folding panels. I've honestly never been the least bit bothered by the recessed area for the arms on the Yamato/Arcadia mold, so while I applaud their skills in plastic origami, I think that entire mechanism is just excessive. Edited August 18, 2015 by Chronocidal Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.