52TOYS -- Interesting mecha toys

[MILKAUTICO]

A few months ago I have been seeing publications of I'm interesting mecha toys. And I must say that along with others that have come out, I especially like the latter, which I am sure will add to my collection when it is released. I hope you adjusted this post.

 

 

[M'Kyuun]

I recently discovered this line, and subsequently bought a number of them, including the Alien Queen and the Alien. Out of the line, the Alien Queen is the most complex, having a more involved transformation, a lot of detail and moving parts, and pretty good overall articulation. Definitely a fun little representation. I've got the Powerloader, which sadly doesn't come with a Ripley fig to operate it, and the Landbreaker PO'd. 

There's a pretty good thread on TFW2005 for these. Scroll down to see some proto pics. I'm down for all of them, but those mantids are especially awesome.

[renegadeleader1]

58 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

I've got the Powerloader, which sadly doesn't come with a Ripley fig

A lot of these have opening and closing cockpits, but do any of them come with pilots?

[M'Kyuun]

Nope, except the whale, which comes with a mini-Jojo (gorilla).  It's a bummer that they don't make pilot figs. I guess the Diaclone figs fit in some of them (the crab comes to mind, and possibly the Landbreaker ).  I thought about getting a pack, but those things are ridiculously overpriced for what you get. So, my BeastBox/MegaBox figs will remain sentient until a cheaper pilot alternative comes along. I wish 52Toys would make pilot figs for the BB/MB figs that accommodate them, as well as a Ripley fig for their Powerloader, but thus far they've shown no inclination towards doing so.

[M'Kyuun]

This thread has gone silent; time for a few updates:

The Predator.

Looks like there's a Stegosaurus in the works. More dinos is a good thing.

POs are up for Leonardo, Darkwave, and Stargazer, as well as the Landbreaker mentioned a few posts back. 

Edited July 24, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[David Hingtgen]

I'm a huge Stego fan, but I'm just not feeling theirs.  I think the plates are simply too small, all the same size, and not staggered/alternating.  (we've found enough skeletons by now to know they alternated/zig-zagged, not "paired" along the spine)  

I am quite tempted by the Brachio though, it's EXTREMELY Zoid Ultrasaurus-esque. 

I want the shark, and the lobster---but both first releases are red?  (red lobster=obvious, but I want my Seacon-colored versions, or at least "aquatic" blue/green/purple etc)

[M'Kyuun]

Give it time; just about every mold they've done has been released in various color schemes, so you may get your wish. Personally, I'm not crazy about the reuse of the gator mold for a shark, but I do like the gator. I think a dedicated mold would have worked better, but it is what it is.

The longnecks are both cool, and a lot of the figs in this line give me a Zoids-lite vibe. 

Shame about the Stego back plate inaccuracy, but it won't dissuade me from getting one. Most of these guys are so stylized already that I'm pretty forgiving of minor stuff like that. I wish they'd give them better articulation. That's been my biggest niggle with the line.

[David Hingtgen]

It's just that a stego's plates are THE defining feature.   It'd be like having a short-necked brachio...

You can mess with/stylize a lot of things----just not THAT thing.  

[MacrossJunkie]

27 minutes ago, David Hingtgen said:

It's just that a stego's plates are THE defining feature.   It'd be like having a short-necked brachio...

You can mess with/stylize a lot of things----just not THAT thing.  

Haha, or like a triceratops with only one horn.

[M'Kyuun]

At least he has plates, and tail spikes, even if they're not asymmetrical. Here's a colored shot. Fortunately, those colors aren't final. I like the colors they used for the longnecks, especially the Brachiosaur. Some tan and dark green would look nice. Back plate arrangement notwithstanding, I like the overall sculpt, especially the neck and head. I was afraid it might be more like Snarl, with the head just tacked onto the body. The legs look like they're single piece units with no articulation.  That's my pet peeve. I hope it at least has the ball jointed ankles like their Triceratops, but it doesn't look like it.

[David Hingtgen]

The single-piece legs are the most annoying part of the dinos.  Seems at odds with the rest of the line. 

[M'Kyuun]

Got my Landbreaker on Monday, and it's a pretty fun little set. I very much like the construction theme they went for, and the tampos look crisp. I wish they'd make pilots to accompany them; I guess DiaClone figs work, but man, those little guys are crazy expensive. So for now, my Mole and Groundhog remain delightfully sentient. I still haven't transformed them into their box modes; I'm having too much fun messing with them as construction vehicles. The combined vehicle mode seems the least fun to me, and the combined mech mode is all kinds of fun. The articulation is excellent. I haven't explored the modularity as of yet. Honestly, my interest in that capability is rather low. However, after they've released their undersea set, I may get the itch to want to swap a few parts just for sh!ts and giggles. Anyway, thought I'd share a few thoughts and see if anyone else here got this set.

[M'Kyuun]

"Get away from her, you B***h!"

I really wish they made a Ripley figure, or at least a scaled humanoid figure, to go with this. For it's needing to fold into a box, it's rather well detailed, with nice mechanical features, like moving piston rods in the arms, crisp paint apps, lots of tampo markings all over, two sets of detachable hoses for additional detail, and plenty of articulation (ankle pivots and rocker; knees to about 60 degrees; hips on balljoints that go 90 deg forward, almost 90 back, and about 25 laterally; shoulders on a ball peg which can butterfly back a little at the body joint, and rotate 360 at the shoulder, as well as some play due to the ball joint; elbows that go a little past 90; a rotation joint mid forearm that rotates 90, another rotation joint at the fork that can go 360 without the hoses attached, and the forks can independently move on a slider with enough friction to maintain position. The canopy hinges upward on a double hinge for transformation, and it has the little welding torch attached on the driver's right side (I thought it was on the left in the film, but I'm not sure), which can rotate on a peg. Mine's very loose, along with the right forearm rotation joint. Otherwise, everything is appropriately tight. I also forgot to mention that the footpads can rotate up into the leg for a more streamlined look, but I think that's for transformation. Last nitpick, I love the hydraulic hose attachments, but they don't plug in very tight, and pop out very easily. They're designed to be removed, and need to be for transformation into cube mode, but , you know, loose stuff is always a bother. On the whole, my nitpicks are just so, and I think this is one of the coolest figures in their Megabox line. For such a small rendition and its cube-forming gimmick, it's really a great little representation that would make for a splendid desk toy. Recommended.

Edited October 11, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[Xigfrid]

I have bought a dozen of these cubes as small Christmas gifts for my kids and their friends. They were between $21 and $30 bought from aliexpress. 

[M'Kyuun]

Yeah, they're the perfect size for stocking stuffers, not to mention there's a nice variety of animal forms to choose from, with more coming later in 2021. Too, they have a kawaii aesthetic that's pleasing, transformations that aren't terribly complex (younger kids will probably need some help), and most of the molds come in different color schemes for some variety. Great gift idea.

[M'Kyuun]

Got a new haul in yesterday. This line continues to be enjoyable on the whole. I wish some of the figs had better articulation, but they make up for it in cool styling.

The Chinese Dragon in particular is impressive for sculpt, articulation, and engineering. It's a fantastic toy in that it begs to be played with. The origami involved in the  transformation is impressive, as this is the longest MB/BB toy in the line, and it seems impossible that it could fold into a 2"x2"x2" cube, but it does, and it's a satisfying feeling to both fold it up, and then unfurl it. The resulting biomechanical dragon is a thing of beauty.  This toy was the result of a collaboration with an artist named Yuki Tsuboshima who makes his own transforming toys out of metal that generally convert from one animal to another with very clever engineering. Based on how well this turned out, I hope they do more collaborations in the future.

Edited March 21, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[M'Kyuun]

Some new additions arrived yesterday. CW from upper left: White Noise, Tukuru (Neon Blue), Icarus (jet combiner), Gunpowder, and Havok.

White noise is quite literally not as solid as their macaw mold, which IMHO is one of their strongest molds in the entire line. With his wings spread, from the side, you can see right through him. However, in terms of articulation he's pretty much on par with the macaw.

Tukuru, IIRC, started out as an exclusive. He's also the only fig in this line to feature heavy use of die-cast, and the weight is appreciable in such a small fig. I love this thing's design- kind of a cross between the Tachikomas and some of the stuff that Boston Dynamics is dreaming up.  It came with two guns that can be held in its claw-like manipulators (perfect fit), but I think it would have been grand had it come with a welding torch and some sort of power tool as additional accessories to vary its role. Too, I was happy that the Neon Blue version became available at retailers; initially, they only had the red version, which I had POed, and then canxed in lieu of Neon Blue.  Blue looks great. Kinda wish I had a blacklight to make him floresce.

Icarus' two components, Eagle and Raven, came in their futuristic jet modes in a rather large box featuring some beautiful artwork.  This is the third original combiner fig 52Toys have done; the two previous were construction vehicles and undersea exploration vehicles. Icarus is the first to not require any of the add-on pegs that were included in the box to  facilitate combination/transformation. Too, they must have learned from past difficulties removing said pins, as they included a pin removal tool with the set. That's good b/c my construction guys still have a pin I couldn't extricate by hand. Anyway, this set is definitely my favorite of the three. I love the jet modes (they even have retractable gear), and the combined mode has a lanky and, if I may say so, kinda creepy hunched look to it that I dig. Icarus also boasts a rather extensive range of articulation. It does have some wonky proportions, especially the limbs, but considering what it's made of, I don't mind the oddities. All is not perfect, however; while Raven, which resembles the B-1 Lancer in profile, is pretty solid in its jet mode, Eagle's wing areas tend not to tab in as securely allowing the wing areas to be easily moved inadvertently and asymmetrically. More care is required in the handling of Eagle on my copy.  That being my only real complaint, I'm pretty happy with Icarus- def my fave of 52Toys combiners thus far.

Gunpowder is a nice addition to their growing roster of Arthropods represented in the line.  I love the legs, of which the back pair feature an extended bit to give them just a little extra length over the front two pairs. My only real nitpicks are that the abdomen have a rounder more organic shape and terminate in a point like a real wasp, and that the abdomen hinge allow the abdomen to raise as well as lower. Alas, it's a robotic wasp, and the intent was obviously not to mimic the real creature but to create a suggestion of the shape. Too, it has to convert into a box, and the transformation into cube mode was a little more challenging with this one. I managed it without consulting, but it took me awhile to sort it. these things just keep getting more and more complex- good in some ways, a little frustrating in others, but still pretty cool.

Finally Havok, the Pterosaur.  As a kid I had a large Ptero Zoid that walked and flapped its wings, and I still remember how the wings had these huge cutouts giving the impression of webbed wings. Havok follows suit, to good effect IMHO.  The legs are a little weird to me, but they're pretty well articulated, as well as the wings, which allow them to be configured such that he can stand on all fours, a look I particularly like. Havok also features, much like T30 Waspinator, a flapping mechanism that I could have lived without, as it leaves his shoulder joints a little floppy. Regardless, it's still a pretty cool take on the Pterosaur, and the Zoid-like characteristics, including two guns with extendable energy bayonets that can tab into any of several ports on his back and wings, ring that nostalgia bell.  Some things are timelessly cool, and the Zoids aesthetic is one of those that, if we 're still here as a species, will still be copied and cool a millennium from now.

[Bobby]

I just received a haul that had both the Icarus and the Tukuru and very pleased with both! Your comment about the weight of the Tukuru is spot on and really makes the toy worthwhile imo. However, I am pretty disappointed in how easily the florescent "tron-like" markings rub off! I have a backlight flashlight to activate it and can see where it's already missing. Although a really cool effect, just simply transforming it is removing the reflective paint ... all in all it just comes off way to easy and they should have applied a coating or used decal instead of such a thin, flaky paint. The Icarus is super cool and feels like a refreshing take on some awesome looking jet fighters and surprisingly tall combined when considering they fit into two-and-a-quarter-inch boxes! My only disappointment is that while both Eagle and Raven have working retractable landing gear, Eagle is in a constant pop-a-wheelie pose since the center of gravity is too far behind from where they placed the rear wheels. 

Edited April 16, 2022 by Bobby

[M'Kyuun]

On 4/15/2022 at 10:57 AM, Bobby said:

I just received a haul that had both the Icarus and the Tukuru and very pleased with both! Your comment about the weight of the Tukuru is spot on and really makes the toy worthwhile imo. However, I am pretty disappointed in how easily the florescent "tron-like" markings rub off! I have a backlight flashlight to activate it and can see where it's already missing. Although a really cool effect, just simply transforming it is removing the reflective paint ... all in all it just comes off way to easy and they should have applied a coating or used decal instead of such a thin, flaky paint. The Icarus is super cool and feels like a refreshing take on some awesome looking jet fighters and surprisingly tall combined when considering they fit into two-and-a-quarter-inch boxes! My only disappointment is that while both Eagle and Raven have working retractable landing gear, Eagle is in a constant pop-a-wheelie pose since the center of gravity is too far behind from where they placed the rear wheels. 

Yeah, my Eagle does the same. I love that they both have retractable gear, but it kinda sucks when it's not really useful b/c CG is off. But I'll echo your sentiments about its combined mode- the most fun and interesting of their combiners thus far. I love the lanky, and somewhat creepy, look of its bot mode. Too, the near-futuristic jet modes. Raven takes some cues in profile from the B-1B Lancer.  I have yet to put mine in their box modes- been keeping them combined since I got them.

I haven't had any issues with the florescent paint flaking or chipping on my copy of Tukuru. I just wish it was a lighter paint that didn't require a black-light, which I don't possess. I can only enjoy the designs when the light hits it just right. Still, between the red and Neon Blue, I'll stick with the latter, as I like all the trans-clear blue accents throughout the exterior casing and the color blue.  It's a very cool design-- really appeals to me, and reminds me of the Deus Ex games, and to a lesser extent, Ghost in the Shell. I'd love to see something akin to it in an anime or a live-action sci-fi show/movie. It makes a lot of sense in a space that's limited, cramped and in need of something to handle logistics, repairs, and defense.  

 

[M'Kyuun]

 Nice BtS look at upcoming products from 52Toys's Beastbox line. I'm so down for that chameleon, butterfly/moth, and the more robotic looking Doberman (w/ visor instead of anatomical dog's head). I may spring for the meerkats, too- they're executed far better than the penguins, which had virtually no articulation.  I love it when developers give some insight to their process, and this was pretty interesting. 

[sh9000]

TMNT.

[M'Kyuun]

This thread has been silent for some time. Here are a few upcoming items from 52Toys. I'm most excited for the giraffe and the Beastdrive kitty-car. The racing car and weird motorcycle combiners are interesting; the car looks amazing, but the bike is so-so. I wish, like the jet combiners, they'd made them both racing cars, but they didn't.  The combined mode looks alright though. Kinda digging the Beastdrive flyers (wyvern, Pteranodon, and bat) although the color palettes aren't really appealing to me, especially the wyvern, which is probably my favorite design of the three. I hope they give the giraffe a somewhat naturalistic look and don't go crazy with the colors.