Drad

Yeah, it's Thundercracker. Says so underneath.

Get it right, man! It's Imaji Narigai.

And you're on MacrossWorld, why? Yeah, some people get out of hand and are harsh on ROBOTECH. This is MacrossWorld. I like ROBOTECH too, but I expect it to get bashed here or for members to have a lower opinion of it than Macross. Again, sometimes it gets a little too nuts.. but that comes with the territory. One of the major reasons I come to this board instead of ROBOTECH.com is because it's not policed by any corporate entity. We don't have to worry about getting slapped down for saying that we don't like Yamato's Valks or Big West sucks the big one, or any other company for that matter. If I saw negative opinions toward Macross on ROBOTECH.com, they'd bother me, but I wouldn't be playing my little Macross trumpet over there, y'know?

Well f*ck you and the white horse you thought you rode in on...... Ouch! While his phrasing may not be the most tactful, AgentONE does have a point. Southern Cross was arguably the least popular segment f Robotech, back in '85 and today. Im sorry, I have to third that,,,Sales of those items kinda proves so, So in saying that, I dont think they will use that part of the "franchise" I'll fourth that. When I was buying my ROBOTECH DVDs, I thought maybe I'd buy the Southern Cross segment just for completion's sake.. but I decided against it. I did buy the Macross and New Generation segments, but I realized I'd never watch Southern Cross if I had bought it. I agree that unfortunately for Southern Cross fans, that general feeling toward the series is probably why we're not seeing related product today. Besides the old ROBOTECH action figures and hovertank by Matchbox, I think the only other Southern Cross merchandise I saw were the original SDC Southern Cross armored pilot figure kits from Japan.

Edit, old news.

It's not my intent to be anal, especially at a time like this, but I'd just like to mention that his last name is Reeve, although quite similar to George Reeves, who played Superman in the old TV series. Thanks everyone.

Godspeed, Chris. Thank you.

A flat.. flat.

Happy Birthday. Enjoy it.

I'm praying for this to be re-issued via the new partnership between Bandai and Diamond. For a reasonable price instead of eBay prices. Pray with me, everbody!

I'd get the Alternators to play with and the Binaltechs to display. The Alternators are mostly plastic and molded in color which means less chance of paint chipping, so you can just transform them or play with them without worry of damaging the beautiful paint job found on a Binaltech. The Alternator shares the same design as the Binaltech, so quality and engineering aren't an issue. You're getting the same toy, and you don't have to be quite as careful with it. The Binaltech, however, wins in terms of appearance and satisfying diecast feel. To me the Binaltechs look more attractive and are closer to the appearance of real cars than the Alternators. The finish is showroom beautiful, not plastic. There's no comparison here. Plus, you get that nice, hefty diecast feel when you pick it up. It just feels good. If you grew up in diecast days, a toy with a good amount of diecast in it just takes you back. Buy the Alternators for play and the Binaltechs for display. They're both great toys, but if budget demands that you buy only one of them, the Alternators aren't a bad choice even if they lack the diecast found in the Binaltechs. They're cheaper and better for use as toys if you're the type who prefers to avoid paint damage. They may not look quite as nice on display as the Binaltechs, but they don't look bad, either. They're excellent toys that are worth your money.

Yeah, I guess diecast is better if you're the type who likes going into a fight situation with an armload of toys.. or sticking them into electrical outlets and electrocuting yourself. Supporting your opinion with facts still doesn't keep it from being an opinion in this case. No matter how much reasoning or how many facts you give. Again, whether or not diecast makes a "better" toy depends on how you're going to use it, which you and I agree upon. If having a diecast toy fulfills all the criteria for being a better toy for you, and this is the key.. for you.. then yes, it is better in that case. But everyone's different, as are their opinions as to what makes good toys. My nephew Riley is about nine months old. He's got some of my hand-me-down Tonka trucks lying around the house. They can certainly take more of a beating than most of his plastic toys. They're still as bright and strong as they ever were when I and then my brother enjoyed them, if a little worn for the experience. Does he care? Not likely. He's got a red plastic Elmo toy that he absolutely loves. It's not much, really. Just a simple chunk of red plastic with eyes, nose and a smile. For him, Elmo is the better toy. When he gets older, he'll probably find the Tonka trucks more appealing, and hence, better. But right now, he likes his plastic Elmo just as much as you like your diecast toys, for who knows what reasons. I'm sure they're not the same reasons that you have for appreciating toys that have a lot of diecast in them. It's all about preference. For the time being Riley chooses Elmo over Tonka. Preference doesn't have to make sense. Everyone knows those Tonka trucks are bigger, tougher and more complex than that red plastic Elmo. But Riley still loves it to death and pays far more attention to it than the trucks. Preference, my friend. Opinion. If my nephew can figure it out, I'm sure you'll have no problems.

By that rationale, we should all be playing with some of the old, outdated and sometimes ugly diecast toys of the past. Sure, if I grabbed one of those and started whacking the crap out of my plastic toys, the diecast would still be in one piece and my plastic toys would be so much junk. That still wouldn't mean that some of the plastic toys in that pile might not have been better than whatever diecast toy I'd used to smash them to bits with. Again.. diecast, no matter what it gives to the toy, does not necessarily make it better than its plastic counterpart. "Better" is always going to be a matter of opinion, which we all have.

Correct. Durability isn't the sole criteria as to the overall quality of the toy. It depends on what you're going to use it for. For example, my Binaltech Meister looks just awesome, and it's diecast. However, it sucks as a toy because I have to worry about paint chipping and all that. I can't mess with it and enjoy it as easily as I could the Alternator version. It does make an infinitely better display model than the Alternator Meister, however. But to play with and enjoy.. I'm going to be getting the Alternator version. Binaltech Meister's going to have a nice spot on my shelf to sit and look cool. Both versions have merit.

No. Diecast makes the toys more durable, but not necessarily better. You're entitled to your opinion. No matter how strongly you state it, it remains as such.

When we were kids, diecast usually did mean a better quality toy, simply because often times, the plastic toys that were available to us, by and large, were fugly little pieces of crap. We didn't have the option of high-quality plastic toys back then. Today's kids are going to play with whichever toys they like best, regardless of the materials used to make them. Just like we did. I enjoyed my G1 Transformers, but I also loved my G.I. Joes and vinyl tokusatsu/sentai toys. Not all of today's plastic toys are masterpieces either (Masterpiece Collection, anyone?), but some of them are truly excellent in many ways. They're just not made of metal, and a lot of times.. they just don't need to be. This is 2004. Not 1974. Let's remember our old favorites with fondness and even buy up today's cool diecast offerings. But there's a lot of great toys available now that we just didn't have before, because the technology just wasn't there yet. It's here now. Diecast, plastic, or anywhere in between, there's lots to enjoy. It'd be a shame not to give good toys credit where it's due, no matter what they're made of.

Diecast doesn't make the toys better. Your preference for diecast makes them better. Remember.. not all of today's plastic toys are crap. Some of them are every bit as well-made and boast some pretty slick engineering, the likes of which we'd never have seen back in the day. Are they as durable as diecast toys? Probably not. But that still doesn't make a plastic toy inferior to a diecast one. Quality isn't determined by materials alone.

Diecast was used back in the days when we didn't have today's plastics technology and engineering. When we held a diecast toy back then, it usually meant quality. Today's plastics are stronger and more durable. Current toys use diecast for strength and balance where necessary. They're mostly plastic now, but not because they're lower quality toys. Diecast simply isn't needed the way it was when we were growing up. Do today's kids care if their toys are made of metal? Probably not. They're not part of that generation. We are. High diecast content in a toy these days, as in the case of chogokin and similar items, is only there to satisfy the collector market's demand for it. Many of us equate diecast content with quality, and frankly it just makes us feel better about what we're buying. But is it necessary? Nah. I love my diecast toys. They'll always have a place with me. But these days I find myself appreciating well-made mostly-plastic toys because they look good, and continue to look good.. because paint damage is less of an issue. The 1/48 is a great example, as are the Alternators.. but we still get goodies like the 20th Anniversary Convoy and the Evangelion chogokin figures. It's a great time to be a fan.

Isn't the news enough?

Yes it is. I was referring to the way the lightsaber effects have been updated on the 2004 DVDs. I should've been clearer about that.

I think they should've fixed the lightsabers in ANH only. The lightsabers in TESB and ROTJ looked just fine to me. Better than the funny pink and baby blue that we see in some shots, now.

I'm Drad.

Soul Of Popynica SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO Gimme.

They weren't designed with that in mind, no. Back then, it was all about looking appropriate for the Star Wars universe.

The two major lightsaber builders are Parks Sabers and Lightech. I own a Parks replica. It's extremely well-made and is film-accurate (ANH Skywalker version). Film designs are not available on the website for obvious reasons, but Jeff will make them or any other custom design for you if ask. Some of his designs are able to use a new dual-cell power source that runs on two 9-volt batteries instead of one, resulting in 35% greater brightness than the single-cell models. Prices include shipping and batteries. He also offers parts, extra blades, stands, and accessories as well as several stock saber designs. As far as I know, Parks sabers do not have sound effects. I'm alright with that, though. I just wanted a film-accurate replica lightsaber with a detachable EL blade, and I'm quite happy with it. Here are some examples of Jeff's film-accurate lightsaber designs from earlier in this thread. Lightech sabers have the option of interchangeable parts to make your own custom lightsabers. Their website offers several stock designs as well as parts, upgrades, accessories, etc. They do offer a sound module, although it's not integrated into the saber hilt. Instead, it connects to the base of the hilt. Both Lightech and Parks use similar EL blade technology, but the blades are not interchangeable between each company's products due to differences in inverter design. Like Parks, Lightech's sabers are powered by one or two 9-volt batteries. Lightech does not appear to offer film-accurate saber designs. Prices seem to be a bit higher than Parks. I can't speak for their overall quality since I don't own one. Personally, I prefer lightsaber designs from the films.. so my next sabers will also come from Jeff Parks. I'm sure Lightech sabers are just as sturdy, and they do offer the sound module, but I prefer the look of Parks Sabers over Lightech's. I do wish my Parks saber had sound effects, but for me the appearance is more important. It might be possible to attach Lightech's sound module to one of Jeff's sabers, but I'm not certain. In my opinion that would mar the film-accurate look of the saber. I'm hoping that Jeff comes up with a sound chip for use in his designs.