Sumdumgai

Never mind, didn't notice those pics were posted as I don't come to the model section that often.

I've been hoping for a PS2 adaptation as well. I don't want to get a hand-held system, and I'm not ready to go for a next-gen system.

Well with the VF-25 the only times we've seen the second seat in use, they weren't planning on carrying a passenger that necessarily knew how to use an EX-gear. Michel took Ranka to Galia IV, but in the event that they had to eject, she'd probably be more dangerous to herself with an EX-gear than without one. On Galia IV it seems doubtful that the zentraedi stationed there had any EX-gears for Michel to put in the back for Sheryl should there be an incident. Just because we haven't seen an EX-gear in the back for a passenger/co-pilot, doesn't mean it can't be done. So far we've only seen civilians in that seat, oh which one probably doesn't know how to use an EX-gear, and the other probably has some training (but may still be dangerous to herself and others). Good point on if the pilot is unconscious hobbes! Imagine if Sheryl and Michel had been shot down in an atmosphere! Sheryl goes flying and goes splat (unless she can fly with the boosters on her space suit), while Michel makes a bloody crater on the ground.

I voted other. I wish for Yamato to make a 1/60 VF-4G Lightning III. Oh and the protect armor for the upcoming VF-11B. I want to outfit that thing to be a bad mother f**ker.

I saw it as a nod more than a big reference, like a Daedalus Attack, singing DYRL, or having giant hologram Ranka like giant hologram Sharon Apple. Watching the last episode still puts a smile on my face. Absolutely loved the VB-6 unloading a face full of whoopass on the Galaxy Bridge. I have to admit I was surprised that it took those blasts without much apparent structural damage. Not that a Frontier Punch ripping the ship in half is anything to just sneeze at.

I had thought that it was designed that way from the way Millard was talking about the Super Nova Project. When he was talking about how the next generation fighter should be capable of getting in and out fast in a crisis and have the ability to rescue hostages. I figured that it would be better to have a second seat to put a rescued hostage in rather than have them sit on the pilots lap. And post Macross 7, it would seem like a good idea to be able to make fighters capable of being quickly converted to two-seaters, especially if they needed to form a Jamming Birds type of outfit. Not that I'm knocking that plot driven part, it's definitely plot driven.

Maybe the seat is folded over behind the pilot seat of the YF-19. As it is in the Design Works book, when looking at the cockpit sketches you can see that the co-pilot's monitor is already there. I wonder about the VF-25 as well. It's a nice feature to have, especially for hostage rescue missions, or if there's the possibility you need to pick up a passenger.

Just prior to Alto's kill shot on Grace, he ejects everything from his VF-25 (except Michel's sniper gunpod), just like Shin did in Macross Zero just prior to flying up to the Birdman's head in Macross Zero. Opposite of Macross Zero, Alto didn't rescue the person in the head, he blew her away.

Now that I think about it... Where's the second seat in the VF-25? And where's the Ranka figure to go there?

Bandai can pull off 1/100 and 1/144 pilot figures, but they can't engineer a good looking perfect transformation 1/60 VF-25. Sad. Cool, there's going to be a little Minmay figure.

Other than "breaking the neck" during transformation to battroid the rest of the YF-19's transformation is a piece of cake. By the way, congratulations!

Alto is the one that managed to get through to Ranka when she was under the control of Grace and puppet-Brera. Without Alto wearing Sheryl's earring, no one would have realized Battle Galaxy was there until it was too late. Ranka would not have been able to snap out of the mind control. Without Ranka free of mind control Sheryl would have succumbed to the V-infection and died. There would have been no turning point in which the Vajra came to the aide of Frontier and turned on Grace. Grace would have been able to try to take over the galaxy. Alto also pulled the trigger on the shot that "killed" Grace (I'm not convinced that that's truly the end for her). In short, Alto's decision to stay behind to protect Frontier and Sheryl lead to him being one of the key players in saving mankind from annihilation/slavery.

Kawamori certainly doesn't look excited or pleased with what he's holding... I wouldn't be either.

It's a bullet. Any pics of lipstick that look like that as counterproof?

Captain Pike is in the movie, played by Bruce Greenwood. As to the why for the romulan, I'm trying not to read the spoilers. Zachary Quinto will pull off a good Spock. I've also got a lot of faith in Karl Urban as Bones, Chris Pine as Kirk, and Simon Pegg as Scotty.

The "And next" could be for Michel and Lucca's valkyries... I mean it's in the middle of their display, under the pics of the two new valkyries.

Hopefully if it is the Quarter it won't wind up looking like a fatty too!

The VF-25G seems to be the only VF-25 with a neck! The RVF-25 has no neck, the VF-25S has no neck, the VF-25F has no neck... And what a damned fugly gap in fighter mode with the head. @animek52k8: About the "A" game thing. Look at those Saint Cloth Myth pics and go search for some screenshots of those characters from the anime. You may not like the style, but Bandai got the looks spot on.

So far looking good. Despite the crotch/leg placement, it's got the essence of the VF-25 there. I may just pick up a couple of them.

In short they would be pulling what they did with Macross 7. They were going to release more valkyrie toys (Miria's VF-17, the VF-19F or was it the VF-19S?) but decided not to because they weren't selling well for some odd reason...

Like the VF-1 and YF-19, the VF-25 needs to have the legs bent at the point where the legs come down for gerwalk, and at the knees for the leg portions of the fast packs to attach. You can see it in the pics posted of the VF-25 where you can see the underside at an angle. It also explains why the fast packs for the legs extend past the knees a bit, like with the VF-1 and YF-19, to hide the gap created where the knee joint is bent in fighter mode. So this choice was stupidly pointless, as even the old chunky monkeys had this aspect of the fast packs correct. The Saint Seiya Cloth Myth line is an example of Bandai's "A" game. Although not mecha, you have an example of old school chunky monkey toys with the old Saint Seiya toys from the 80s, which they have re-released many times, and have even made some toys of later characters in the older style. They have also given slightly modified updated sculpts to the old style toys (see the Surplice Gold Saints with new hair sculpts). In addition to continuing the old style of toys, they went ahead and made the Saint Cloth Myth line. It's comparable to what Yamato did with improving valkyrie toys. I have no "A" game example for mecha toys as I'm not a Gundam fan and I haven't bought any other Bandai mecha toys other than the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie. out of desperation when there was no such thing as Yamato. Addition: pictures for quick example Ex1: Old Chunky Monkey Saint Seiya toy of Gemini Saga "A" game Saint Seiya Cloth Myth toy Ex2: Old Chunky Monkey Saint Seiya toy of Siren Sorrento "A" game Saint SEiya Cloth Myth Siren Sorrento (also shows the alternate fixed pose hands, cloth cape, and the "object" the armor parts form into)

Make sure to watch the transformation videos of the YF-21 and YF-19 to aide you in transforming them, and to make sure that you handle some parts of the transformation with extra care. These toys are truly awesome.

Bandai is capable of a much better looking VF-25, and I'm certain they could make it damned sturdy as well. I'm not telling other people not to buy it. If they like it and want to spend their money on it, whatever. Bandai has a monopoly on Macross Frontier, so they can make these as high quality or low quality as they want, and people will still buy them as they are the only game in town. Yeah they've provided an alternative to the 1/60 with a model kit, which is a poor alternative to a toy, and a 1/100 scale partsformer. Now if they had decided that in addition to this chunker they would make a better looking collectors piece that actually had the essence of the VF-25, I'd be whole heartedly applauding them and cheering (like the difference between the chunky monkey Saint Seiya toys they continue to release, plus the Saint Cloth Myth line for collectors). As it is it looks like it was meant for a kid to play with, yet they're selling it at a collectors piece price. So in that sense I would compare it to what Bandai did with Macross 7, except they're being a little bit more aggressive this time. Yet, they're not at 90% even. They're doing the motions, but they seem to being doing enough to make some money but not enough to win over more discriminating collectors. The plus sides of what Bandai has done with the VF-25: +VF-25 in 1/60 scale so it'll be in scale with the Yamato valkyries. That was a cool decision +Perfect trasformation, another great decision +/- Switchable hands (some prefer articulated) +Priced lower than similar sized Valkyries from Yamato, a great decision The negative: -Bad proportions -Doesn't look great in any mode -Gap between the back and the legs in fighter mode -Urkle ankles -Leg placement too high in battroid, making the torso look squat -Chunky (evolution of the chunky monkey) -Crappy landing gear -/+ Switchable hands (good or bad depending on what hand type you prefer) -Fatty when equipped with Fast Packs -Gunpod too thin People seem to be assuming that it will have fantastic QC and will kick the crap out of Yamato's QC department. We'll wait and see on that. I recall people being very vocal about how if Bandai were to make Valkyries now they'd kick the crap out of Yamato in terms of looks, engineering, and QC. So far two out three haven't come true. Let's see if they fall short on the third as well. Graham sums it up well. Bandai is capable of so much more, but they didn't bring their A-game to the table.

It wouldn't be all that surprising if Bandai keeps the Frontier license from ever being picked up by Yamato. "Buy our fatty piece of crap or our partsformer, or have nothing at all".

Bring on the VF-171 and a VF-17! VF-171EX while they're at it.