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mikeszekely

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  1. mikeszekely
    I got a few emails from Amazon. A bunch of my Transformers preorders that were listed for November and December will apparently arrive Friday. Hasbro must be rushing to put Earthrise to bed and get Kingdom going.
  2. mikeszekely
    Congrats on the house! I don't think I've kept as busy as you, but I honestly can't complain. The whole COVID thing hasn't impacted my family as badly as a lot of other people we know, and I was at least able to take my daughter to Lake Pymatuning this summer. It was a big deal for me, because I used to go there every summer when I was a kid and I loved sharing that experience with my own kid. Plus it was her first time swimming in anything besides a pool. Thanks for the kind words. Yeah.
  3. mikeszekely
    I didn't even realize that Maketoys did that mold in Powered Convoy/Delta Magnus colors. And I was just thinking that I hadn't see any pictures from you lately, @Kuma Style. Hopefully you've just been busy with other things, but I was a little concerned. This is 2020, after all...
  4. mikeszekely
    But here's the crux of it... you can't copywrite an idea, only the expression of the idea. I can't re-write and sell Harry Potter, but there's nothing stopping me from writing a book about a young boy who leaves his life with his ordinary family to go a secret wizard school (except for laziness and/or not being that great of a writer). Hence why two competing cartoon and toylines about two factions of alien robots continuing their battle on Earth with the ability to turn into vehicles dominated my early childhood without one of them suing the other into oblivion. Yeah, I'm no lawyer, but it's my understanding that to win a copywrite case you have to prove that the alleged infringement is substantially similar. The game and Discovery simply weren't substantial enough, especially when we're talking one little guy going up against a huge corporation.
  5. mikeszekely
    Does he, though? I'm not familiar with his game and can't personally comment on how similar they were, but the impression I got was that they're less similar than, say, Gobots and Transformers. And last I checked Marvel/Sunbow didn't give anything to Hanna-Barbera...
  6. mikeszekely
    I looked at it again, and let's say I think we're both right. As I noted, there's a seam here. I expect that the section to the right and above the seam actually ends up in Starscream's chest, while the rest collapses into the void left by it to fit into his backpack. Here, you see this thing behind the seat that looks like a broiler pan? (I'm sure David knows more about it, but I think it's basically a cover for the empty space on an F-15C where the second seat would go on an F-15D). You can see the part of the cockpit (top arrow), as well as the broiler pan and part of the the rim of the actual canopy (bottom arrow) behind the fake canopy. While I think Takara could have made fewer sacrifices for an as-good bot mode and a better jet mode, I have to be honest and say that I prefer they go this route (with a few exceptions). Almost every Transformer I have on display is in robot mode. In some cases, like Bumblebee and Cliffjumper, I actually prefer the chibi cartoon proportions over a realistic Beetle and especially over a realistic Porsche. I didn't even realize that Cliffjumper was supposed to be a Porsche until well into adulthood.
  7. mikeszekely
    I guess it comes down to what you really want. I agree with everyone who says that Starscream 3's jet mode looks pretty bad with that big chunk of stuff covering the chest/gap (I'm not convinced it's covering a faux chest- you can see seams where the nose might break apart and part of the cockpit might actually be the robot chest), and I'm certainly not going to tell anyone who's happy with MP-11 that they're wrong, but even with the thinnish thighs I think Starscream 3 looks far superior in robot mode. And for all the issues with the underside the top of the jet looks fine to me. If I were still rocking MP-03 or MP-11 and Takara weren't charging more than $150-ish I'd definitely trade up. But, I've got the Meteor mold for the three Season 1 Seekers, and I have a hard time imagining Takara charging less than double what I'd pay, so I'm good with what I've got.
  8. mikeszekely
    I mentioned a few days ago while looking the Go Better spoiler kit for Siege Sideswipe that Nonnef was also doing a spoiler kit that I'd check out. And they came today. As I said before, I decided to try the set in white for Red Alert and Black for my custom Clampdown. When I ordered that was all that was available, with red and yellow listed as "coming soon." Each sprue has three pairs of mirrored parts- a small filler, a larger filler with a hole, and a wing with a peg. Installing the kit is easy. The small filler goes into the smaller gaps, and it's a nice touch because the Go Better spoiler left that gap unfilled. The filler with the hole goes into the larger gap. Once they're installed, the wing plugs into the hole on the larger gap. The fit is pretty good, better than the Go Better kit, but you might want to use a little glue if you're worried about them coming out. The completed kits look pretty good. The gaps are filled, and the wings line up pretty well. Aside from the filler for the smaller gap, the main advantage to Nonnef's kit is that the wings can rotate on the peg they're attached with, so unlike the Go Better spoiler they won't interfere with the figure's knee articulation. All-in-all, I'm quite pleased with this kit. When Nonnef gets the yellow ones sorted (the red wasn't available when I ordered, but is at the time of writing) I'll pick up red for Sideswipe and yellow for Tigertrack. Since Nonnef charges a flat rate for shipping you're better off buying more kits at once. I decided I'd also grab this set of eight guns. I chose gray, but you can get them in black, red, and purple, too. His store refers to them as being for Legends-class figures, and states that they're specifically designed for Hasbro's old Huffer (the yellow repaint of IDW Prime), Gears, and Cosmos, plus Titans Returns Brawn and Seaspray and Power of the Primes Wincharger, Outback, Beachcomber, and Tailgate. Of course, there were other Legends-class figures like Powerglide, the Insecticons, Wheelie, Slash, etc that some of you may still be using for your collection, or you may have a larger figure like Wheeljack that you might be thinking could have used a better gun than whatever pack-in accessory it came with. No worries! The designs of the guns are fairly generic, and since the handles are designed to fit into any 5mm port means it doesn't have to be those eight figures. You're not even restricted to Legends-class; they should fit most Legends, Deluxe, or Voyager-class figures. That said, there are two guns and two figures I want to talk about in particular. See, most Legends-class figures don't have anywhere to store a weapon. And six of the guns just have your basic handles. But, if you remove the accessory that came with Seaspray you'll find the slot it tabs into. and one of the guns does have a little tab on the handle. Beachcomber has a little hole, smaller than 5mm, on his engine. And one of the guns does have a little peg on the bottom of the handle. Those two specific guns, then, can store on those two specific figures when they're in alt mode. But again, the handles are still 5mm, and you don't have to use these guns with these figures. Personally, I think I can always use a few extra guns. Not only am I happy with my purchase here, but I'll probably order another set in black when I get the other two spoilers. The guns are another worthwhile upgrade kit from Nonnef, and if you needs some more I'd recommend them.
  9. mikeszekely
    Be honest, though... were you really being objective? Presenting the ratings for a Thursday re-broadcast of a show that's been available for three years on other platforms and pointing out how much worse they are than the ratings for any other Trek's episode on the day it first aired when that was the only way to watch it does use objective facts, but it's presented in a way to make Discovery look bad with what's really more of an apples and oranges comparison. And, whether intended or not, your original post came across like you were gloating over Discovery's implied failure. Or a Spelljammer fan.
  10. mikeszekely
    The 3090 seems to have features that are good for content creators, but the gaming performance over the 3080 was super disappointing. And the 3080, while an improvement over the 2080, was hardly the leap Nvidia was suggesting. At this rate I'm thinking the 3070 will be the sweet spot in terms of cost vs performance if you're building a new machine or upgrading from a 10-series or older. But they're really not giving me a compelling reason to replace a 2080.
  11. mikeszekely
    Yeah... I figured I'd look into that plagiarism thing from a less hostile source. To quote the judge on the case, "Defendants’ motion to dismiss is granted because Star Trek: Discovery and Plaintiff’s Videogame are not substantially similar as a matter of law in concept, characters, settings and ‘overall feel.’ In particular, the tardigrade in Star Trek: Discovery is not substantially similar to Plaintiff’s tardigrade in concept, attributes and overall feel. “The plots of both works are similar solely to the extent that the characters go on adventures in space, and some of the adventures involve alien tardigrades.”
  12. mikeszekely
    I'm like a year late to the party on this one (I play on PC and refuse to install the Epic Store, so I had to wait for Steam), but I finally started playing Control. Hot dang, this game is good. It's basically what you'd get if some Warehouse 13 fans decided to make a 3rd-person shooter after spending way too much time on the SCP wiki. Early in the game you get telekinesis after catching an old 8" floppy disk with Soviet launch codes on it that tried to kill you by flinging the containers that go in pneumatic tubes at you, and I love it. It's the best blend of action and horror I've encountered since in a videogame since FEAR.
  13. mikeszekely
    Speaking of your hidden remarks, @mechaninac, I was re-watching Community recently. I got confused when they started referencing the D&D episode, because I hadn't re-watched. I thought maybe I skipped it, but no, turns out Netflix just removed that episode because of Chang's drow costume.
  14. mikeszekely
    It looks better than MP-11, but I'm good with Meteor.
  15. mikeszekely
    Season 1 was a mess, and Burnham sucks as a character. But I liked most of the other characters and I enjoyed Season 2.
  16. mikeszekely
    Prepare for disappointment. Now, this is technically just a rumor, but the word is that this poster was actually concept art they came up with to pitch the Kingdom line in the first place, and not every character should be taken as a confirmed eventual Kingdom release. As a matter of fact, the word is that Polar Claw and Gears are definitely not coming, as they were planned but cut. The same sources for the above are telling me that we are indeed getting an Earth-mode Ultra Magnus. It'll have a new, more traditional cab but will largely be a retool of the Siege figure. And while I'm at it, same source is telling me that the Ark's robot mode is based on The Last Autobot from the Marvel G1 continuity. It's going to come with a packed-in Deluxe-class figure. That figure's alt mode will be Teletraan-1, and it's robot mode will look like the G1 Action Master Mainframe. Finally, if there's anyone out that that still needs a Leader-class Optimus, the Earthrise figure is expected to get repackaged in a Kingdom box and sold in the first wave.
  17. mikeszekely
    To be fair, though, the "television broadcast debut" is still essentially a re-run. I'd assume that a lot of the people who wanted to watch it already did in one form or another. Myself, I wasn't going to add another monthly subscription over it but I did wind up buying the Blu-rays.
  18. mikeszekely
    Well, not to take away from the excitement of all the new stuff today, but we still gotta wrap up Earthrise. And with that I give you Deluxe-class Airwave, the second (and apparently last) of the Modulators. Airwave, like his Autobot counterpart Ironworks, is not a modern version of a G1 character. They're both G1 Micromaster bases who were assigned the names of those bases pack-in Micromasters. So this time, instead of being a burgundy Micromaster F-14, Airwave is is the airport that burgundy F-14 came with. Of course that means that I don't have a lot to talk about concerning the robot mode aesthetic. Ironworks at least made some effort to call back to the Micromaster version with his yellow arms ad the asymmetric use of red on his chest, but Airwave really has no connection to the Micromaster, and I have no insight into what the designers were going for. I will say that I actually didn't realize until I had him in hand that he's a Decepticon (his badge is on his left arm). The colors just struck me as Autobot, I guess. Modulators share a gimmick with Weaponizers in that they don't really come with accessories, they are accessories. This is how many pieces you can pull Airwave apart into (actually, there are panels on his lower legs that can come off, too, as they're just connected via the ramp connectors they started employing with Omega Supreme). Was that what Hasbro thought we liked about Weaponizers? That they came apart? Anyway... Airwave's head looks like it might be on a ball joint, but due to the shape of his head it only swivels. There is, however, a transformation hinge that you can use to get him to look up, though. His shoulders rotate and can move laterally 90 degrees (if you move the black part from his shoulder right shoulder. His biceps can swivel... as long as his elbows aren't bent, because they apparently get in the way of the swivel. His elbows bend 90 degrees, by the way. His left hand has no articulation. His right hand is a gun formed by two parts that can be removed. His waist can swivel. His hips can move 90 degrees laterally and over 90 degrees forward or backward. He has thigh swivels where the silver hips meet the blue on his thighs. His knees bend 90 degrees, and they also swivel again just below the knee due to the way he's constructed. His feet can't tilt up or down, but he does have 90 degrees of ankle pivot. The instructions have his gun hand and the other gun-looking part plugged into his shoulder. He also has a peg hole for a left hand, peg holes under each foot, peg holes on the backs of his ankles, peg holes on the backs of his thighs, and one on the back of his head. He's got a peg on either side of his head, in his chest, on his right forearm, and one on each shin. Plus, the two parts that make up his gun hand each have a peg, as does the gun-thing they suggest plugging into his shoulder. Like Ironworks, you don't transform Airwave so much as you rip him apart and then put him back together in another configuration. Wait... was that what Hasbro thought was cool about the Weaponizers? Ripping them apart? Is that why Hasbro thought we'd like their re-imagined Micromaster bases as much as guys that you can use as guns? Anyway, what alt modes you come up with for Airwave are going to depend on how you stick him back together, but the instructions do suggest a few. The first is a kind of tiny airport, with a single building and traffic control tower and a runway. It's kind of similar to the G1 airport base in that it has a building with a tower and a runway. The tower is round now, not rectangular, and black instead of orange. The building is, I supposed, molded to look like it has windows, but they're not as obvious as the G1 toy's stickers, and he doesn't have the big orange hanger door. The runway can't ramp down like the G1 toy, but it does end on both sides with the connectors that connect it to other bases. This mode is pretty ok. Rip the airport apart, stick it back together, and you get this, a sort of AA emplacement. It's loosely a version of the G1 toy's other mode, in that it has a flat bottom and a hinged roof with two missile/guns on it. It doesn't have the spot for the Micromaster Airwave to hide, though, because it's busy with the rest of ER Airwave's parts. The gun/missiles are also black instead of orange, which is kind of weird because I think they were actually cast in orange plastic and painted black. I'm really not a fan of this mode. I get what they were going for, I just don't think they pulled it off. Fortunately, he has one other official mode, and it's basically an aircraft carrier with tank treads. This mode I actually dig. Sure, the building section made from his upper torso is a bit bigger than you'd have on actual aircraft carrier but I think it still works. The fact that this mode passes as a vehicle and not just a base like Ironworks elevates Airwave over him in my book as the top Modulator. That being said, I'm not really a fan of the Modulators. Giving me new versions of the robots that came packed with the G1 Citybots was cool. Designing them to come apart to be used as weapons for other figures, cool. But the Micromasters weren't really cool the first time around, and a pack of two for $10 hasn't been a great value proposition in modern times. Frankly, Hasbro doubling-down on Micromasters by giving us their bases as Deluxe-class toys that retain the pull-apart gimmick of the Weaponizers but not the utility was a bad idea, which is probably why they only did four of them (two retail, two Gen Selects repaints) vs nine Weaponizers (four retail, five Gen Selects) out of four molds. Airwave isn't terrible, but he's not necessary, either. You can pass on him. Hopefully the Fossilizers that are replacing Modulators in Kingdom will be more fun.
  19. mikeszekely
    Got my orders in for Breakdown/Vehicon and the Clones. Here's the link for the Clones. Here's the link for Breakdown and the Jet Vehicon. Here's the link for Prime Megatron. EDIT: The Kingdom stuff is live on Amazon and Pulse, didn't look anywhere else but I ordered all but Vertebreak and Core Prime.
  20. mikeszekely
    Yes. The TF Prime reissues are Pulse-exclusive, and the Autobot Clones are Amazon-exclusive. The Kingdom stuff is all mainline stuff and should be available everywhere. EDIT: Pulse is down, with a message saying they'll be back at 5:00.
  21. mikeszekely
    Maybe the difference was that New Voyagers and STC had an occasional Star Trek alumnus as a guest while Axanar wanted to hire professionals for every role? Or that, as @technoblue mentioned, STC was working as a non-profit while at least some of the Axanar team was looking for work in Hollywood and putting Axanar on their resume? I'm not an expert, nor do I claim to have all the details. I was just pointing out that CBS/Paramount has been pretty friendly toward fan works. Axanar did something to piss them off, and whatever it really was the project getting shut down wasn't just the usual case of lawyers spoiling everything.
  22. mikeszekely
    Promo artwork for Kingdom. Titan-class Ark confirmed, I'd say. I also see more Fossilizers, more Beast Wars characters (Rhinox and Waspinator, plus a bird and another guy I'm not familiar with). On the G1 side we've got Huffer, Gears, Galvatron, Inferno, and Tracks who I don't think I have been formally announced. And while it could just be a stylistic choice, dare I hope for a new Earth-mode Ultra Magnus?
  23. mikeszekely
    The second (actually the third, but the second is getting skipped for now) Galactic Encounters pack will be a re-issue of the Legends-class Autobot clones. Amazon-exclusive, preorders start at 5:00pm EDT. The Prime 10th anniversary reissues are also going up at 5:00, but they'll be on Pulse. The Kingdom reveal officially happened. Expect preorders to start around 5:00 as Hasbro and partners get them up. Core-class Optimus Prime Vertebreak Rattrap Deluxe-class Cheetor Black Arachnia Warpath Paleotrex Voyager-class Cyclonus Optimus Primal Leader-class Megatron I'm not thinking I'm a big fan of the Core-class, so I'll probably skip everyone but Rattrap. I do believe I'm in on the rest. Still hoping for some Studio Series '86 news. And to hear what's up with Thrust and Bluestreak.
  24. mikeszekely
    CBS/Paramount have actually been fairly tolerant of fan creations. Take Star Trek: New Voyages for example. Roddenberry Jr. consulted on their first episode, some of the TOS and TNG writers have contributed material, and Walter Koenig (Checkov), George Takei (Sulu), Grace Lee Whintey (Rand), and Denise Crosby (Tasha Yar) have made guest appearances. And Star Trek Continues had guest appearances by John de Lancie (Q), Michael Dorn (Worf), Jason Isaacs (Lorca), and Marina Sirtis (Troi) and continued to make full-length episodes even after Paramount published their fan works guidelines. I don't know if we'll ever have the whole story, but the Axanar team clearly did something extra to antagonize Paramount. The gist I got seemed to be that Paramount would, from time to time, contact the creators of various fan films asking them not to do specific things and they've generally complied, but for whatever reason Axanar would not or could not. I may be misremembering, but I seem to recall it had something to do with Axanar's fundraising to hire professional actors and looking for actual film work, essentially using their work on Axanar as a resume and blurring the distinction between fan-film and professional production.
  25. mikeszekely
    Speaking of Starscreams, apparently MPM Starscream is already half-off on clearance at some Targets. Looks like they're clearing the space to make room for MPM Ratchet.
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