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mikeszekely

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  1. mikeszekely
    So my wife wanted a few things at Target today. I hit up the Transformers section while she and my kid went to pick up a prescription; nothing particularly interesting. But after we link back up my kid starts begging me to take her to look at the toys. Now on my first trip I followed the main aisle from the doors around to the toy department, looked in, and didn't see anything. But going back with my kid I kind of went through the middle, through the bed and bath section and between the gaps so I entered the toys facing the back endcaps... where I found a whole endcap for Transformers. It was mostly Earthrise, a little Studio Series. I could have picked up Studio Series Topspin, but I'm not sure how much I really want that one. Otherwise nothing I didn't already have... oh, except a certain two-pack... Interestingly enough I'd actually signed up for the "notify me when it's in stock" thing on Target's website, and three or four times I'd get an email early in the morning with an in-stock notice but they'd be sold out by the time I actually got up and checked. That happened most recently today, but the website showed them in stock in a store around 9 or 10 miles away. Not at my local store, but close enough that I was tempted (I ultimately passed because that neighborhood is a pain to get around in). So yeah, I was pretty thrilled when I found them at my local store that wasn't even supposed to have any in stock. I mean, the Siege versions are good, and I'm totally content with the Tetrajet design for Novastorm, Ion Storm, Acid Storm, Red Wing, and Hotlink (if Walmart ever sends the one I preordered way back in February). But once I got an Earth mode Starscream the need for a Thundercracker and Skywarp that turn into F-15s became very real. I'm not going to do another detailed review. I already reviewed Starscream here, and everything I said there still stands. While they have a number of improvements in aesthetics, proportions, and articulation they're still extremely similar to the Classics Seeker mold from all the way back in 2006. And so they're good figures, but less impressive than some of the other figures in the Earthrise line. Thundercracker is Starscream in different colors. Colors I expect David will have some thoughts on. The look is definitely leaning hard toward the cartoon and as such is a bit lighter than the Classics version, and it doesn't have that subtle undercurrent of turquoise that the G1 toy had. Skywarp is 99.9% the same figure as the other two, but he actually does have one small difference. Instead of the more neutral, stoic expression the other two have Skywarp's mouth is slightly agape, like he can't believe someone took his lunch out of the break room fridge because it clearly had his name on it. Like his fellow Earthrise Seekers, Skywarp's colors are cartoon-inspired, but I guess that's less of a problem for black and purple. Speaking of purple, the Earthrise version is definitely sporting a more traditional violet color than the borderline magenta on the Classics version, but I'd say that's more accurate regardless of whether you're comparing him to the cartoon or the G1 toy. The jet modes are unsurprisingly cartoon-inspired, with narrow stripes on the wings and solid colors on the noses, horizontal stabilizers, and (excluding Starscream) vertical stabilizers. It's fine for Starscream, who has some color on his vertical stabs, and I don't mind the all-black nose on Skywarp. I do kind of wish Thundercracker had some black on the tip of his nose, though, and if Reprolabels makes a set for these guys I might pick it up to put a little color on their vertical stabs. As I said before, I'm fine with the Siege versions of Acid Storm, Novastorm, Ion Storm, Red Wing, and Hotlink. And I don't need every Seeker; if I never get Nacelle or Bitstream it's not the end of the world. It'd be nice to get a proper creamsicle-colored Sunstorm, though, maybe as a Generations Selects figure (if I'm being honest, though, I'll buy whatever Seekers they put out). But with the Season 1 Seekers done (twice) now in the War for Cybertron Trilogy, what I think most of us really want now are proper Voyager-class updates of these guys. And on that note... I mentioned Thrust being part of a Weibo leak awhile back that included a very promising Cyclonus. Now this image of a possible Dirge turned up late in the week. Dunno if they're real or fake, but they're both looking just fine to me and I'd buy both in a heartbeat. Do Ramjet, too, and I'll be mostly content (still want Sunstorm). I just hope they're regular retail releases or, failing that, more broadly available Generations Selects releases and none of these pain-in-the-rear, sold out in minutes store-exclusives.
  2. mikeszekely
    No problem! While I grew up with G1 I kind of grew out of Transformers in the '90s, and when I got back into the franchise as an adult it was almost overwhelming to learn how much history I'd missed. I'm happy to share what I've learned since then. On that note, I'd love it if someone did a modern take on the Predators. The Turbomasters were ok, but the smaller Predators were an F-15, an F-117, an X-29, and a Y-23, and I think I speak for most Transformers fans on a Macross board when I say we need more transforming jets in our lives.
  3. mikeszekely
    G1, part of a line that came out in Europe, Canada, and parts of Asia but not here in the States, probably because they had firing missile gimmicks that wouldn't pass US safety standards.. The main group of Autobots were Turbomasters, the main group of Decepticons were Predators. Rotorstorm was a Turbomasters. Another, more well-known (now) Turbomaster would be Thunderclash. While the Turbomasters came out in other parts of the world in 1992 (G2 didn't officially start until 1993), we wouldn't get the molds here in the States until 1997, and they were modified both in colors and to pass US safety standards. Here they became part of the Kay Bee-exclusive Machine Wars line, and Rotorstorm would become the much more boring olive and khaki Sandstorm. Thunderclash, BTW, ditches the gold, hot pink, and teal for red, dark blue, and off-white and became MW Optimus Prime, a figure I just picked up (unfortunately with a little bit of green marker on some of the stickers and missing the missiles and rifle, but I was just happy to find one that still had its stickers and the trailer door).
  4. mikeszekely
    This, more or less. I get that content providers are wising up to the fact that cable's on the way out and streaming is the future, and they all want to get their fingers into the pie instead of licensing out their stuff. But really, if I started streaming because I didn't feel like paying $150 a month for cable then I'm not going to sign up for more and more streaming services until I'm paying $150 a month again. I've already got Netflix, Disney+, Hulu (with ads), and Amazon Prime Video (although that last one is more because I buy stuff online constantly and I want it fast, I rarely actually use it). That's enough. I'm not interested in Peacock, CBS All Access, Apple TV+, HBO Max, DC Universe, YouTube Premium, or whatever else.
  5. mikeszekely
    No problem, I put in an order myself. Now I'm hoping they reissue his tapes like they did with Soundwave. I never actually had any of Soundwave's tapes as a kid, but even though I didn't own Blaster I actually had Rewind, Eject, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw back in the day. It'd be cool to not only own them again but to actually have a Blaster to stuff them in.
  6. mikeszekely
    Yeah, looks like they moved it up to July for me, too. You can preorder it. As big as the figure is and as much as Walmart's charged for previous reissues it's surprisingly only $29.99.
  7. mikeszekely
    Yeah, I'm getting ready to take my kid to go swimming at her grandpap's place. It'll be after 1:00 for sure when we get there, but I'm going to try to get an order in after we get there but before we go out to the pool. I think I'm passing on Rotorstorm. I just don't have any real knowledge of or attachment to the character. I'm on the fence regarding Alternate Universe Optimus and Tigertrack. Not sure I really need a Prime corpse (especially when it's a "Leader" that comes with a (dead?) trailer. As for Tigertrack, I don't have any attachment to the character but who couldn't use a yellow Sideswipe? Although, I kind of wish they'd gone with Clampdown instead. Edit: I got a pulse preorder for centurion and tigertrack, and I did preorder Prime at Amazon. Release date's not until January so I can cancel if I change my mind.
  8. mikeszekely
    Hasbro did their Transformers live stream this morning. Some highlights- The Back to the Future X Transformers crossover is real, but the only announcement there was to expect another announcement next week. There will be a Hasbro Pulse exclusive repaint of Siege Brunt as Centurion Drone (from IDW). It's being billed as a "weapon pack," though and will come with a number of other accessories: Is this a response to the surge in 3P add-ons lately? I dunno. But preorders go up at 1:00 pm EDT. "Alternate Universe" Optimus Prime, aka the sleep mode Earthrise Optimus that leaked awhile back, will also being going up for preorders at 1:00. It's an Amazon-exclusive, and they're saying it'll tie into the Netflix series somehow (that somehow being that Optimus will die and pass on the Matrix... Rodimus Prime confirmed for the third part of the War for Cybertron Trilogy?). Two new Generations Selects reveals (and nothing super exciting). Sideswipe's getting repainted (again) as Deluxe-class Tigertrack, and Spinister is getting repainted as Rotostorm. Well, the base figures are pretty good, which is cool, but I don't really need more Autobots. Blaster will be the next Walmart-exclusive G1 reissue. That's all the really interested me, but they also revealed the already-leaked R.E.D. line of Walmart-exclusive, non-Transforming, (far too) cartoon-accurate accurate figures. They showed Optimus, Megatron, and Soundwave on the livestream. The rest isn't news (yet), but in the Q&A they suggested more Takara/Hasbro Asia figures that will be coming to the West, and that the Autobot clones may get a box set like the Target-exclusive Decepticon clones pack.
  9. mikeszekely
    Traditionally no. While the parts are for official figures they're unofficial, unlicensed kits, and this is the same separation that a big Transformers board (that shall remain nameless) uses. I agree with you in principle, though. People who collect unofficial 3P figures aren't really going to be interested in the add-ons unless they collect official figures, too, and people who collect official figures but don't read this thread might miss out.
  10. mikeszekely
    Is that the consensus? Because frankly I feel largely the same way about Frontier as I do Delta; I liked it, it was ok, but it was nothing special. I'd probably have to re-watch both to be sure, but I think I might prefer Delta. I rather feel the same about Frontier. Perhaps more so. Actually, I rather liked that Delta explored (however shallowly) how human colonization and the proliferation of UN/NUNs technology can affect indigenous civilizations. Well, that's the dream, eh?
  11. mikeszekely
    I'm apparently in the minority, but I liked Delta. No, it wasn't the greatest show ever, but it was better than a lot of other animes I've tried watching. To avoid spoilers I didn't follow the news or any discussions on the series, I just downloaded the entire series and took it with me when I went on vacation a few years back, watched it, then checked in when I got back and found that everyone else seemed to hate it.
  12. mikeszekely
    No toys, but the crossover already happened.
  13. mikeszekely
    The Turtles X Transformers turned out to be a fan-made custom. However, the Back to the Future one is looking to be real, as there's an Amazon listing for "Tra GEN Project Future Deluxe." Now, I've told you everything that I know, but I'm predicting here and now that what we're going to end up with will be a retool of Titans Return Chromedome.
  14. mikeszekely
    This too.
  15. mikeszekely
    This isn't confirmed and could turn out to be fake, but I'd kill for a transforming Party Wagon. Or maybe a transforming Technodrome.
  16. mikeszekely
    Not that I disagree with your opinion of the Bayverse designs in general, but I'd bet that Blitzwing's alt mode has a lot more to do with HasTak not licensing the F-4.
  17. mikeszekely
    @tekering's correct. I'm not sure, but I think the KBB Grimlock comes pre-assembled, but yeah, the original version was a model kit of a Legends-sized Grimlock that was made by Warbotron. In addition to that Grimlock they made a KO of MP-10 that's just a little taller than Siege/Earthrise Optimus. Well, technically it's a KO of Wei Jiang's oversized KO of MP-10, which had a few modifications that fixed the gorilla-armed proportions of the original MP-10. It doesn't come with a trailer, but in does come with alternate heads, a jetpack, a sword, and a Megatron gun. AFAIK it was released in regular Optimus colors, Ultra Magnus white, and Nemesis black. It's a pretty cool figure for around $35-$40; I wound up picking up all three colors.
  18. mikeszekely
    Really impressive collection, @Kuma Style. It's a shame we never got a Function X Hardhead.
  19. mikeszekely
    Like you, I have pretty big hands (something like 7.25 inches from wrist to the tip of my middle finger and and 4.5 inches from the base of my pinky to the big knuckle on my thumb) and I use a palm grip. Can't stand those little mice they market as portables for laptops like Microsoft's Wireless Mobile Mouse 4000, Razer's Viper Mini, or Logitech's MX Anywhere; the bigger the better for me. I like a mouse with a good hump; nothing flat like Apple's Magic Mouse. I prefer right-handed mice with a curve to ambidextrous mice, but I'm not a big fan of ledges for your thumb to rest on like the MX Master. I more or less judge mice by how they compare to the Deathadder. I could tell at a glance that the G900/G903 wouldn't appeal to me; I think the G403 and G703 are the only Logitech mice I'd even consider for my main computer (I'm a bit more flexible picking a mouse for tossing in a bag with my laptop, and a lot more flexible and a lot cheaper on tertiary computers). ----------------------------- In other news, I saw the announcement that Apple's dropping Intel in favor of their own, homegrown chips. I can't say I'm totally surprised. Macs were fairly niche products used mostly my graphic artists and a small but fiercely loyal group of fans. People talk about the "halo effect" from iPods, but I think iOS devices like the iPad and the iPhone have pushed Macs more into the mainstream than any other Apple product, and the convergence between MacOS and iOS has been ongoing for some time. I think, for a dearth of younger users who've used iOS devices far more than desktop or even laptop PCs will appreciate the added familiarity and the ability to use apps they're already using. I can't help but be a little disappointed, though. Back when it was OS X 10.2 Macs started to get interesting for me, as they felt light years ahead of Windows ME/XP, but for me OS X peaked with Snow Leopard. After owning four different Macs back in the day (an iMac G3, the first Intel Macbook, and two Mac minis, the second of which I still have) I sincerely doubt I'd buy another one.
  20. mikeszekely
    Comfy? I think the Deathadder is ever-so-slightly smaller than the Mamba, but the hump is a little further forward and that actually makes it feel bigger/more comfortable than the Mamba, but they're both fine for me. Following up on this, looks like Asus makes a mouse called the Gladius II Origin that's also pretty similar to the G703/Deathadder/Mamba. Reviews seem mixed, but the biggest complaints suggest the hardware itself is fine and it's the software that's bad. Which, yeah, I can agree with that.
  21. mikeszekely
    From the article @TangledThorns linked to, "The first two seasons will join the unaired third of the 'Karate Kid' sequel starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka on its the new platform." EDIT: And yeah, that typo is part of the quote, not mine.
  22. mikeszekely
    Yeah, when I first saw previews for Cobra Kai it looked like a good show, but there was no way I was subbing to YouTube Premium over it. Like you said, I've got enough streaming services (Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Amazon). But I'll definitely watch it on Netflix.
  23. mikeszekely
    Sounds like Hasbro's planning a Transformers-related livestream this Friday. I hope they reveal some new stuff (like maybe some of the stuff from those leaks I posted about awhile back, like the possible Earthrise Cyclonus or the Transformers x Top Gun thing) and they're not just showing off figures due for this fall that have (somehow) already made their way into the hands of Youtubers that already put up reviews (yes, I'm a little jelly).
  24. mikeszekely
    And yet, because I've yet to try another keyboard like it I think I'm going to pull the trigger on it. More specifically, I think I'm going to go with the linear G915 TKL, so around $230. I actually do prefer the number pad when I have to input numbers, but it's not like I'm constantly working with them, so saving $20 and getting better battery life (plus the fact that the TKL version with linear switches is actually in stock) seems worth the sacrifice. Even if I get a cheap standalone number pad for the occasions when I do need it I'll probably come out ahead. And while I initially thought I'd go wired I'm actually into the fact that you can use the keyboard with two computers, so I can primarily use it on my desktop but I have the option to use it with my laptop, too. Well, for gaming I think you almost have to bottom out, at least on WASD or any other keys you need to hold down for something. Presumably you type more than you game, though, and you've learned to press enough to actuate the keys without bottoming out, though, and the tactile switches give you the feedback you need to do just that. In my case I can touch type, but not super fast (a little under 70 wpm). And I'm even slower on mechanical keyboards with full-size keycaps because I bottom them out probably 90% of the time, so while it's possible I could learn to type better with tactile switches eventually there doesn't seem to be an immediate benefit for me to go with tactile over linear. But like I said before, while I notice the difference between them it's not a huge one, to me. I could live with tactile. Clicky's a non-starter for me, though. Yep. I had a Deathadder, I currently use a Mamba TE (which feels extremely similar, but I might give a slight edge to the Deathadder, but the Deathadder was green only and I wanted all my lighting to be blue, so...), and I bought a Basilisk X Hyperspeed to use with my laptop (I could do without the thumb ledge, but it's otherwise great). The G703 looks pretty similar to my Mamba, though, with a similar hump shape, a similar curve, and a similar two thumb-button layout. Before I'd buy one, though, I'd definitely have to go to Best Buy again and put my hand on one. AFAIK the Mamba doesn't have any onboard memory. I've never tried the thumb keys to see if they remember my programming, but it definitely doesn't remember the RGB settings as it does that flowing rainbow thing until the Razer sofware loads. Ironically the Deathstalker keyboard I'm currently using does have onboard memory, though, despite costing me two thirds what the mouse did and despite being the cheapest keyboard Razer made at the time. While I sympathize with the notion of just using the vendor software to configure the device then removing it, I suppose it went out the window when companies started sticking RGB onto anything marketed for gamers. Chances are you're going to occasionally change up your lighting, even if you have your mouse/keyboard setup the way you like. I know in my case I usually set mine to a static cyanish (something like Pantone 306) I like to change it up for some holidays Speaking of vendor software... I nearly forgot that in addition to Razer's (and probably soon Logitech's) I've also got Asus' Armory Crate installed because the tower has RGB lighting. I guess (since I'm not getting rid of the tower I just got in January) that I could look to see if Asus makes a mouse comparable to the G703 and the Mamba/Deathadder.
  25. mikeszekely
    Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you were. Defending my choice of Razer has just become a reflexive habit. They'll coexist fine, but to use programmable keys and to control the lighting you need their own separate utilities. They don't conflict, but it's just one more thing that wants to start when Windows does and is constantly sitting in the sys tray and running in the background. Going all-Razer or all-Logitech is a tidier, personal preference.
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