1/60 Perfect Transform VF-4G Lightning reissue.

[no3Ljm]

I'm still confused why this toy is so hyped up? I've never seen it in any macross series or maybe I've and forgotten.

And it's piloted by Hikaru Ichijo on the Flashback 2012. And piloted by 'You' on the VF-X Digital Mission PS game.

[Kanedas Bike]

You think this is a tough crowd?.....you should see the hate going on in the VF-2SS thread!

Ha, touche'!

And I've browsed over there, but have avoided commenting because...well, I'd be in the tough crowd group.

I'm quite pleased with the release. Sure I'd prefer a FB2012 (I like the color scheme of the VF-X version) release and I don't like the design of the head turret (no head lasers? Come on!) but it is a great looking Valkyrie toy and from the reviews I've seen it looks super fun and quality. Of course there are some areas that would benefit from improvements but overall I'm looking forward to it.

Some small improvements I could think of:

• Locking points for the various wings and canards
• Locking forearms and integrated articulated hands
• Wider inner forearms
• Missiles that stay in place during transformation
• Integrated gunpod
• Solid joints in the arms but not too stiff to cause breakage

I don't think that are big changes and we will probably get the missiles and stiffer joints if Arcadias fit and finish is any indication. Keeping the other Arcadia reissues of Yamato molds in mind I don't think we get any other differences (maybe less markings ). Rotating shoulders would be great but I think for that the whole toy had to be redesigned because there is a metal strut running through the fuselage in this area.

I'm hyped for the release!

True, improvements of existing features would be nice but I'm not holding my breath. Besides the 4G, in my humble opinion, was a pretty good release initially. Plus the less Arcadia fiddles, the less reason to increase the price (other than their increased cost to manufacture them).

Like everybody else here, I'm excited about this release...not so excited when it comes to payment time though.

Come on Arcadia, you know we're more concern about what crazy price you gonna slap on this valk rather than the release date!

QFT

I'm still confused why this toy is so hyped up? I've never seen it in any macross series or maybe I've and forgotten.

What others have already commented, and then the "rare" factor, the Fighter is one of the prettiest in all of Macross and most people never thought a toy would version would see the light of day, let alone come out as nicely as it did. As send-offs and final releases go it was a damn good one for Yamato.

-b.

[Mommar]

Some of us are fans of the Battroid mode too. The VF-4 is beloved

Yes, this is true. I'm quite a fan of the Battroid mode.

[Zonnet]

I also think that VF-4 is one of the better and interesting designs in Macross universe. Yes, the gerwalk is weak, but I really love the fighter and battroid (except the flat feet). Yamatos design looks solid, so I'm looking forward to this one. I just hope that Arcadia doesn't over price it.

[jvmacross]

And it also appeared in Macross 7 Trash manga too if I remember right.

Really? Guess I should get around to reading these....

[Ignacio Ocamica]

That's the Spanish edition I have that one!

[Valkyrie addict]

It only appears in a small flashback of one of the main characters, mm....2 panels only or something it if I remember correctly. The rest is space skating.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Valkyrie addict

[Sildani]

Couple more pics from Mr. K. Is that a good amount of tampo, or just well applied stickers?

And what's in the plastic tray?

Edited October 15, 2015 by Sildani

[Garfinkel]

I am tempted to get two, so that i can do this to one of them.

[Gakken85]

No clue. Not that familiar with the game to know any extra stuff

[wmkjr]

And what's in the plastic tray?

image.jpeg

Looks like the Getter Proto color version gun and some other accessories.

[Loop]

You may be correct about that wmkjr, I thought I saw an announcement for getter robo toys from Arcadia.

[Toonz]

what is preventing them to make this into FB2012 color scheme i wonder...

[505thAirborne]

what is preventing them to make this into FB2012 color scheme i wonder...

Acquiring the Flashback license seems to be the biggest issue (Correct if I'm wrong guys but that is the main issue, right?). If they owned it a Hikaru FB 2012 version would be made.

[jenius]

Yes, it might have been in the "what's next for Arcadia" thread where we discussed that recently. The thinking goes (in no particular order) that one of the following item prevented Yamato and now Arcadia:
A) The FB license itself might have some legal question marks in relation to Tatsunoko or any other companies involved and so it just not available (though it's seen life in gashapon)
B) There was also a statement at one point that the VF-4 from Flashback doesn't transform and perhaps the developments of the other modes until a later date causes some other licensing issue for a transforming version of the toy.
C) The other option is, of course, that BW just wants a lot for a fairly obscure theme but deals the gray scheme out on the cheap so Arcadia is making the more economical decision.

[Reaction Warhead]

Acquiring the Flashback license seems to be the biggest issue (Correct if I'm wrong guys but that is the main issue, right?). If they owned it a Hikaru FB 2012 version would be made.

No license is too difficult to get if you got the money, so yeah it's a money problem.

[505thAirborne]

No license is too difficult to get if you got the money, so yeah it's a money problem.

If that's the case then Arcadia needs to pony up some cash for that FB license. (Cough, cough, VF-4 - 1/5000 Megaroad-01... cough.)

[Reaction Warhead]

If that's the case then Arcadia needs to pony up some cash for that FB license. (Cough, cough, VF-4 - 1/5000 Megaroad-01... cough.)

Asking Arcadia to cough up the cash for the license is like asking us fan to cough up 500 bucks for them VF-4s.

NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT!

Edited October 16, 2015 by Reaction Warhead

[skullmilitia]

I would be willing to say, it's a sign we won't be getting any other schemes, and that besides this being a good sell for Arcadia.

Might just be the only color variant they are allowed to do.

Talking about licensing issues, the only license VF-4 FB2012 product I remember was the Bandai 1/44 gashapon. So Bandai might

have got some sort of grip on FB2012, keeping it from being used else where.

Either way, I'm excited to get another one, or two at retail.

[jenius]

I think it was the 1/250 scale Gashapon that Bandai did and I wouldn't make any conclusions from that because it's a tiny margin product in a series that includes nearly every conceivable fighter. It doesn't transform so we can't rule out the whole 'those modes weren't finalized and thus aren't included in the license' argument. Since it's part of a series with all the other fighters it seems like Bandai may have worked out a deal with BW that was more about the concept than the individual licenses. Something like "We will pay you X% for a gashapon series covering any and all Macross shows/derivatives for domestic distribution in the 1/250 scale." So the individual cost of the FB license wouldn't have been independently computed and may have only been allowed as more of an oversight... 'cause who thinks of FB when doing those deals? Rampant speculation obviously but I just wouldn't lend that "toy" a lot of relevance. If we see a Hi-Metal VF-4 (OMG fingers crossed) we'll know it's all about the Benjamins.

[Lolicon]

Correcton: it's all about the Fukuzawas.

[Reaction Warhead]

Calling it now. Bandai DX 1/60 VF-4A Macross Delta ver.

[Universe1010]

Anyone know when it'll go on preorder?

[no3Ljm]

Anyone know when it'll go on preorder?

No one knows the exact date when it will be up but it's towards the end of this month as already been mentioned from the previous pages.

[ArchieNov]

Calling it now. Bandai DX 1/60 VF-4A Macross Delta ver.

Well if for some reason Macross Delta ends up being the show where the Megaroad, Shin and Alto reappear after their mysterious disappearances, then a Macross Delta ver DX VF-4 might not be that far fetched.

We might get a DX VF-0A (Battle damaged Shin ver) from that as well, although that's really stretching it.

[Reaction Warhead]

Well if for some reason Macross Delta ends up being the show where the Megaroad, Shin and Alto reappear after their mysterious disappearances, then a Macross Delta ver DX VF-4 might not be that far fetched.

We might get a DX VF-0A (Battle damaged Shin ver) from that as well, although that's really stretching it.

So, planet Delta is like the lost and found center/garbage dump of the Milky Way galaxy.

What happened to Shin and Alto (movie ver.) anyway, getting really tired of these main characters disappearing due to space magic.

Battle damaged...man, that's just the Yamato 1/60 VF-0 lines.

[Lolicon]

I blame Char's Counterattack for that.

I'm sure others did it before, but I'm going to blame CC anyway because I had to sit through 90 minutes of Quess.

Battle damaged would be the early Bandai Frontier toys that would fall apart just sitting on a shelf.

[Faboy]

Customizing this valk isn't that hard really. It has a really nice greyish light blue base color already so any other airbrushing with bright colors wouldn't look off-ish on it. For those of you that are hoping for other schemes for this toy I would recommend getting with your local hobby shops and asking for

Their master modelers, take them a picture and they most likely would do a comissioned job for a decent fee. I build models myself and, having gotten into Macross toy collecting late, find that cuatomizing certain parts of an already built toy fairly easy. Just a thought, after all , having spent so much for a piece already, isn't it worth going the extra mile on your own? : )

[chyll2]

^I myself knows that is possible, but the problem with painted toys is that you cant play with it like a toy now. You have to treat it as a model.

[Kyp Durron]

Couple more pics from Mr. K. Is that a good amount of tampo, or just well applied stickers?

image.jpeg

And what's in the plastic tray?

image.jpeg

Tampo and Arcadia in the same sentence....

Edited October 18, 2015 by Kyp Durron

[spanner]

Tampo and Arcadia in the same sentence....

LOL!!!

Edited October 18, 2015 by spanner76

[Dr. Z]

Sold mine a couple months ago, but I'm so getting another one, I've always regretted selling it. The transformation is awesome on that thing.

[aceoftherebellion]

I think it was the 1/250 scale Gashapon that Bandai did and I wouldn't make any conclusions from that because it's a tiny margin product in a series that includes nearly every conceivable fighter. It doesn't transform so we can't rule out the whole 'those modes weren't finalized and thus aren't included in the license' argument. Since it's part of a series with all the other fighters it seems like Bandai may have worked out a deal with BW that was more about the concept than the individual licenses. Something like "We will pay you X% for a gashapon series covering any and all Macross shows/derivatives for domestic distribution in the 1/250 scale." So the individual cost of the FB license wouldn't have been independently computed and may have only been allowed as more of an oversight... 'cause who thinks of FB when doing those deals? Rampant speculation obviously but I just wouldn't lend that "toy" a lot of relevance. If we see a Hi-Metal VF-4 (OMG fingers crossed) we'll know it's all about the Benjamins.

A little late on this one, but the more simple explanation is that not all merchendising is created equal. Prize figures may simply have different licencing restrictions than full toys, which we see on our own shelves- novelty key-chains and the like are technically 'toys' but are categorized as accessories and require seperate licencing agreements over here, and AFAIK Gashapons and Prize figures work similarly. An excellent example is any trading figure that includes a peice of terrible candy- they do that so that they're actually selling 'food', with a toy as a bonus, which completely circumvents certain licencing and selling restrictions. You can't really use prize and trading figures as a yardstick to see which company has which licence, as they're licenced under different considerations.

[TheLoneWolf]

I think you're misunderstanding what jenius wrote. He's trying to explain how Bandai might've been able to affordably pay for the license for Hikaru's VF-4 in their gashapon line, whereas Yamato/Arcadia was unwilling (or "unable") to pay for the license for use with their premium line.

Unless I'm misreading what you wrote, both you and jenius agree that Bandai most likely does not have an all encompassing, exclusive license to Hikaru's VF-4.

[jenius]

I don't think he's misunderstanding, I think he's just adding a bit of real world flavor to my speculation that ends at approximately the same place. The existence of a gashapon VF-4 in DYRL scheme doesn't really tell us anything about the possibility of a more deluxe toy ever bearing that paint scheme and doesn't indicate that Bandai has any rights locked up or anything like that.

I still think that BW doesn't have the rights sorted out themselves and so they can't license it... but that's again just me speculating. I can't think of any other reason why they'd choose not to get ANY money from the license instead of whatever Arcadia would be willing to pay.