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mikeszekely

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  1. mikeszekely
    Yeah. It's a Mamba TE. It's got adjustable DPI settings, two programmable buttons, and RGB lighting. To be honest, I have a Razer Kraken X headset and a Firefly mousepad, too, but I could live without an RGB mousepad and I don't think I need Razer's software to use the headset. I know it's almost trendy to hate on Razer, and maybe their stuff was junk at some point in the past. I hear people talking about how their mice died, and either stopped registering clicks or started registering single clicks as double clicks. Ironically, the people who tell me this say they switched to Logitech, but I actually used to have a Logitech mouse (can't remember the model, but it was around $100 and the direct ancestor of the MX Master series) and switch to Razer when it started to have the problems everyone says Razer's famous for. Meanwhile, I've had my current mouse and keyboard since before my kid was born, and she'll be five next month, so I've got no complaints. I bought more Razer gear because I've liked the stuff I've bought, and if I knew Razer was going to come out with a low-profile mechanical to compete the G815/915 I'd probably hold off for it. As it stands, though, looks like I'm going to have to start setting some money aside and trying to track down a linear G915 (which is sold out everywhere, while clickies are plentiful for some reason). And if it comes down to it, I guess that Logitech G403 and G703 mice have a pretty similar shape and layout to the Mamba...
  2. mikeszekely
    So I was pretty disappointed with Matrix Workshop's upgrades for Earthrise Hoist. So I ordered Nonnef's. Nonnef's aren't 3D-printed, and this particular kit comes on two small sprues. Unlike the Matrix Workshop kit you get just the one hand gun, but you also get a round thing, a two-pronged thing, and some gap fillers. The gap fillers are two parts for each forearm, and one part for each thigh. They do the job well enough, but I can't help but note that there's no green parts. The gap is his bicep is left unfilled. As a rule, I don't buy gap filler kits for every figure Hasbro makes, because then I'd be spending as much (or more) on gap fillers than on Hasbro figures. I only buy them for really egregious figures, like Siege Ironhide/Ratchet or Siege Impactor. But if I am buying them, I'd kind of like them to fill all the gaps. The new gun hand is smaller than the Matrix Workshop one, and white. Not that it necessarily matters, but it's smooth since it's not 3D-printed. It fits into the mushroom peg slot in pretty much the same fashion. It feels slightly less secure, but the white matches his forearm better and it doesn't look so weirdly out of scale. It's a better fit. The pronged part can attach the same way. The nubs at the end can work with Siege effect parts, which I guess is nice. Or, the round can-looking thing has a hole in the side that happens to fit on those little nubs. It's... a tool? I guess? That thing from that episode? I guess, with just the single gun hand, that you have to do something to make it seem like you're getting your money's worth, but I honestly could have done without these parts. Now here's the rub... once again, you have to remove the gun hand for alt mode. But unlike the Matrix Workshop kit there are no tabs, pegs, or anything else on the gun hand (or the two-pronged thing, or the can) that you can use to attach them anywhere in vehicle mode. Not gonna lie, it's a huge bummer and the thing that pushed me toward the Matrix Workshop kit in the first place. Would it have killed Nonnef to put a little tab, slot, peg, or notch on it somewhere so it could be stowed on the alt mode? I mean, there's a ton of space under the front end. Actually... ok. So, there's no way to lock it in place, but you can kind of wedge it between his legs with the barrel tucking into the orange parts on the back of his bed. I gave it a good shake, and it'll stay in well enough. So, this kit's not perfect, but if you're looking to give Hoist a more traditional gun hand I'd say this is your best option. Since Nonnef charges for shipping (but has lower prices overall than the kits at TF Safari) I figure I'd better order a couple things. So while I was there I picked up two of these kits. They're for Siege Sideswipe/Red Alert/G2 Sideswipe, and they come in a few colors. I got red gun/white launcher/red missile for Red Alert, which I think is cartoon accurate, and a white gun/black launcher/white missile for Sideswipe. That's more toy accurate, but Nonnef seems to be sold out of white/white/white. The guns are just a single piece with a bit of molded detail. The launchers are actually three pieces, with detachable missiles and the tab at the bottom on a hinge. They come fully assembled. Compared to the Shapeways kit I'd picked up for Sideswipe earlier they seem to have better detail, but they were all marred by some serious sprue marks. The launcher wound up slightly bigger than the Shapeways kit, but the gun is smaller. Nonnef on your left, Shapeways on your right. Nonnef's gun actually seems like a better size; the Shapeways one looks like it should be for a Voyager. The bone-color is also a better match for Sideswipe's own non-quite-white arms and thighs. The rifle does have a nub at the end of the barrel for Siege effects, which is nice, but no extra 5mm peg holes. The hinge on the shoulder launcher is nice, but I wouldn't have minded if the whole thing were a little smaller. Red Alert isn't one of my more favorite characters. He already game with a gun, and I figured giving him Sideswipe's old accessories might be good enough for him (right). I was a bit surprised to find that the white launcher and the lack of excess pegs really makes a difference. While Nonnef's kits don't have any extra pegs, holes, tabs, or what have you these can at least use the 5mm peg handles on the guns and the tabs on the launchers to fit into the existing 5mm peg holes on the sides or roof of their alt modes. I'd say that alone makes these kits my favorite of the Nonnef kits I've bought, and they're worth looking into you have these figures. Here's hoping he comes up with some new shoulder launchers and cartoon-accurate guns for the space-Datsuns.
  3. mikeszekely
    Welcome! If it makes you feel better I'm almost never on the boards for the shows, and I actually did like the last one.
  4. mikeszekely
    If it's the Newage one, yes, I reviewed it back here. His hands are permanently angled, which means that he always holds his gun at an angle, and his wheels don't roll, but he's an adorably tiny figure that seems to scale ok with other 3P Legends figures. If it's the KBB one, it's a bit bigger and they fixed the wheels so they actually roll (but not the hands). The larger size means he won't scale with Magic Square or New Age Legends, but he scales great with Hasbro Legends... that is, he's about the same size as figures like Titans Return Seaspray, Brawl, and Windcharger or Power of the Primes Beachcomber, and he scales well with main line Siege and Earthrise figures. Both are inexpensive and look better than both versions of Takara's MP Bumblebee, IMHO, so you can't go wrong with either.
  5. mikeszekely
    No review, because I really don't have anything new to add from my earlier Siege Mirage review except that I think this is a pretty cool deco. I do think he'd have looked better with the toy-style head the used on invisible Mirage, though. Also I'm kind of mad at Walmart. I preordered Mirage and Hotlink as soon as they went up way back in February. I got an email months ago saying that they wouldn't fulfill my order until June 17th. The 17th came and went, my order is still listed as "delayed," but I walked into a store and found three of them on the shelf (plus plenty of Hound, Sideswipe, and Chromias, and one Megatron, but no Ultra Mangus, Scrapface, or Hotlink). Maybe fill your preorders before you start sending them to store shelves?
  6. mikeszekely
    My Best Buy finally opened, so I went over this afternoon. It was an enlightening trip. -No Surface Keyboards. They had a bluetooth keyboard for around $40 that didn't feel too bad. -The Logitech MX Keys isn't bad. Might even be an improvement over the Deathstalker keyboard I've been using in terms of overall comfort, and my typing speed felt reasonably fast. But it's still pretty soft. I guess it's hard to explain what I'm looking for, but on the Asus laptop I use the keys have a scissor switch. Even though it's not the same kind of switch as a mechanical keyboard the keys are stable, require a comfortable (not too soft, not too hard) level of force to actuate, and when you press them you can feel the switch scissoring. The MX Keys didn't offer much in the way of feedback on key presses short of not being able to be pressed in any further. -They had those little sample keys for trying out switches on mechanical keyboards. I tried both Logitech's and Razer's, and I think I prefer linear and silent. I mean, I definitely prefer silent, but since I'm bottoming out the keys the difference between tactile and and linear switches was noticeable but not huge. -While I think I like the key-press feel of mechanical keyboards actual typing on full-height keycaps is torture. -But I think I might have found a compromise: the Logitech G815/915 (the only difference between them is wired/wireless and price). It's an actual mechanical keyboard that uses their new GL switches (which may or may not be custom Kaihl low-profile switches). They come in three flavors- linear (and silent), tactile (and silent), and clicky. Then the keycaps on top of the switches are flat like chiclet keys. The overall key travel is still a little longer than I'd like, but the overall feel was much better than any other mechanical keyboard I've tried. The G915 is interesting, too, because it has a switch that toggles it between using it's "Lightspeed" receiver and bluetooth mode, which means I could use it primarily at my desk with my main computer but I could also pair it with my laptop if I feel like playing a PC game on the living room TV. The only downsides are the price ($199 for the G815 and $249 for the G915) and the fact that I'm not already using a bunch of Logitech gear, which means I'd have to install Logitech's software in addition to the Razer software that's driving my mouse, or replace the mouse too so I can ditch Razer's software.
  7. mikeszekely
    I've heard all sorts of conflicting stuff. I've heard that they do smaller runs, which creates scarcity. I've heard that they actually do larger runs than most other 3Ps, and they're just selling that well. I've heard that certain groups are driving the scarcity they they can scalp FT figures for double or triple later. I don't know what's actually true. What I do know is that collecting 3P Transformers didn't used to be this stressful. I've got US-based preorders locked in for Magnum, Smokey, and Thomas (while many Chinese sellers put up and sold out of preorders on Bandit and the last two Aerialbots I don't think FT has actually solicited them and US stores aren't take preorders yet). I'll keep the preorders I have, and I'll do my best to finish Menasor and Superion, but that's it. Whether or it's Fans Toys or the community buying FT figures is just too expensive and too stressful now.
  8. mikeszekely
    And for comparison, Magic Square's.
  9. mikeszekely
    I think he's talking about the back of NA Megatron.
  10. mikeszekely
    Isn't it easier to re-buy on Steam or GOG? I haven't installed them to see how well they do or don't run on modern hardware, but I bought X-Wing, Tie Fighter, X-Wing Vs. Tie Fighter, and X-Wing Alliance on Steam's last May the 4th sale.
  11. mikeszekely
    Fair enough. At 40 I'm probably in that older gamer group, so your theory tracks.
  12. mikeszekely
    It's another lull for me, honestly. I do have Zeta/Studio-1's Unicron on the way, but it's on the slow boat from China and I'm not expecting it until August. I have some other stuff on preorder that might be in before the month is out, but I'm just playing the waiting game for now.
  13. mikeszekely
    Picked up a few more 3D-printed Matrix Workshop kits at TF Safari. Up first we have this one for Siege/Earthrise Astrotrain. It comes in two pieces in the box, but it's a simple matter to push the fin into place on the other part. Both pieces are painted gray (which has scratched off in a few small spots on mine), and the larger one has some red, too. There's quite a bit of molded detail, plus we have the addition of two more 5mm ports. The kit is designed, first and foremost, to fix Astrotrain's horribly hollow, gappy shuttle mode. To use it you'll have to fold the original tail back up into his chest as you would for his other modes, then you just push the new tail into place. Despite not really having any obvious clips or places to grab onto it'll sort of click when it's lined up right, and it won't fall off. The paint isn't an exact color match, and while Matrix Workshop's printer certainly does a better job than my own it's not as nice as whatever GX Studio (or Go Better Studio, as they're now calling themselves) is using, so it's not a perfect match. That said, I think it does what it set out to do, since it definitely looks much better with than without. Astrotrain's shuttle mode here is fairly good now. I can't help but be disappointed that there's no fix for the train mode. To be fair, it doesn't advertise to, but if a big partsforming chunk of tail section can fix the shuttle I'd think a big partsforming chunk of locomotive front end would do wonders for the train mode. Alas... You can kind of store the tail inside the tender, but doing so will require you you to remove the guns from the inside. Fortunately both Astrotrain and his tender have some 5mm ports you can plug the weapons into (assuming you didn't give them to some other under-armed figures, since it's not like Astrotrain needed four guns and a missile launcher in the first place). Oh, and while I had one gun off to the side because I had that little missile launcher on top you could just as easily plug the gun into that port, and the missile launcher is small enough to fit in the tender with the tail section. The tail does have one 5mm peg on it, allowing Astrotrain to hold it like a weapon in robot mode (hence the molded and painted missiles on the front). The fin can hinge to either side, even, and the 5mm ports on the sides allow you to attach some of his other weapons (although I found the fit to be a bit loose). Alas, the peg is too short and the part to narrow, otherwise you could stow it on his back. A fin on his back is actually cartoon-accurate, even. As it stands, you can at least still stuff it in the tender. End of the day, I think $15 is a bit much for this kit. It does improve the shuttle mode, which is what it set out to do, but doesn't integrate as well with the robot or train modes. And the train mode is still crap- if you were passing on Astrotrain because two out of three modes were crap I don't think a partforming chunk to fix one of those modes is going to change your mind. The other kit I picked up is for Earthrise Hoist. You get three similar guns. One of them is a bit longer and has a 5mm peg for a handle. The other two (which are identical) have tabs instead of pegs, and they're a bit shorter with rectangular mushroom pegs on the back. They're all painted silver. The gist of this kit is to give Hoist a more cartoon-accurate look by replacing that big orange cone that was his sole accessory with a more proper gun-hand. To install you'll have to first remove one (or both) of his hands by sliding it off the mushroom peg (which is a bit of a bear), then slide one (or both) of the tabbed guns into its place. The end result isn't quite as good as I'd hoped. The gun-hands look too big or too long. And while the silver color is comparable to the G1 toy's chrome missiles, the toy also had chrome thighs and forearms that matched. Earthrise Hoist has white thighs and foreams, so the gun-hand would probably be better in white. It's a real letdown, because Nonnef also has a kit that gives Hoist his gun hand, and as far as I know it is smaller, white, and cheaper to boot. The other gun I don't have any issues with, except that the peg is a little tight in his hand. So, you can't actually transform him with the gun-hand attached (which is true for the Nonnef kit, too). I mean, you can, but the gun-hand is going to prop one side of the vehicle up in the air. You'll have to remove it if you want the truck to sit on all four wheels, which is fortunately easier to do than pulling off his original hands. The one advantage this kit has over Nonnef's, and the reason I bought it, are the tabs on the gun hands. They allow you to fit them onto the sides of the truck, where he's got 5mm peg holes on the orange parts. And the 5mm peg holes on top of the orange parts allow you to plug in the third gun, so however you decide to use this kit you should have some alt mode storage. This kit is also priced more competitively, as the $11 and free shipping I paid for it is close to the $5 I'd pay for Nonnef's kit and $5 to ship it. That said, while I love that this kit has alt mode storage Nonnef's works better in bot mode, which is probably why you want it in the first place.
  14. mikeszekely
    I mean, is she, though? Genuinely asking. I remember Guy well enough, because he was usually my pick. I remember Cody and Hagar, mostly as the dudes I didn't pick. And I know she was a generic enemy in the game, but I didn't think twice about her until she turned up in Street Fighter X Tekken. Then I remember there being some controversy about her being transgender, and I couldn't tell you if she's been in any games since (to be fair, I haven't played a Final Fight game since the SNES days, and the last Street Fighter I played was the vanilla version of Street Fighter IV).
  15. mikeszekely
    The word is that Squadrons will have a short single-player campaign but the focus is on multiplayer, like Battlefront II. Which, I guess, is a strategy that makes money for the suits that run the company, but effectively kills any interest i might have had. I'll dig out my flight stick and play TIE Fighter again instead.
  16. mikeszekely
    Persona 4 Golden is now available for PC on Steam. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to Junes.
  17. mikeszekely
    No one's talking about the PS5? I'm not a fan of the look. It's like what people in the 2000's thought future stuff would look like. But then again, I haven't exactly been blown away by the designs of any of Sony's consoles. What matters is the games. On that front, nothing too earth-shattering, but with stuff like the new Spider-Man and another Horizon game I expect that there will be enough PlayStation-exclusives (plus the usual stuff that only ever comes out on consoles, like my annual NHL fix) that I'll be interested in picking one up. Can't say the same for the Xbox Series X, though. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against the brand. I liked the original Xbox, preferred the 360 over the PS3, and I do own an Xbox One X (and use Xbox One controllers when I play some PC games). But I can't remember the last time I played a game on the Xbox One, and that seems to be because Microsoft doesn't seem to do Xbox-exclusive, they do Microsoft-exclusive (or they consider Windows 10 an Xbox platform). As a PC gamer first and foremost I've been able to get my fix of Halo, Gears, Forza, and whatever on PC, which leaves me very little incentive to buy the new console.
  18. mikeszekely
    Yes, Hot Spot. And that's why I really need to see more before I commit to Maverick. While Hasbro put a lot off effort into remolding parts and making Ectotron's alt mode look great the base figure is pretty dated and Ectotron lacks a lot of the articulation that contemporary Siege figures were sporting at the time. So I want to know what's Maverick's robot mode look like, and if he's a remold of another figure I want to know which one.
  19. mikeszekely
    I'm super down for Cyclonus. Yes, the Universe figure was good for it's day, but with it's smaller size and somewhat gappy alt mode it's not the Cyclonus I wanted. The Combiner Wars version was terrible. I picked up KFC's Tempest to try to get closer to what I actually wanted, but it's still too small and still has some issues (I'd have been mad if I bought it for full price back in the day, but I got it for pretty cheap well after). That Cyclonus on that watermelon pattern, though? Time will tell, but it certainly looks like it could be the one.
  20. mikeszekely
    A Weibo account called TFClub put up some interesting pictures. It's been suggested that these would have been SDCC reveals, prior to SDCC being canceled. This appears to to be an Earthrise Cyclonus. Judging by Megatron's feet in the corner I'd guess it's a Voyager. An Earthrise Thrust. The remolded wings have the fans molded in instead of being a pegged-on part, and they don't look to have the hinges that fold the wings around in robot mode, leaving them to dangle down like the G1 toy and Sunbow character model. Looks like Transformers is doing another crossover with an '80s movie. Given that Ectotron was an extensive remold and not a totally new toy I'm curious to see more of Maverick's robot mode than the box art. I can't say I'm totally in for Maverick, but I'm down with the general idea of Transformers X other '80s franchises. Gimme a Transformers X Knight Rider Kitt or a Transformers X TMNT Party Wagon. TFCLub Weibo also showed a picture of Earthrise Megatron in package, a bagged Cyberverse Thunderhowl, and a Soundwave. The Soundwave figure did appear to have a new deco, with bright yellow instead of gold on the tape deck door and none of Siege's dirt. From the angle of the photo you can't see his back kibble, but from what you can see it looks like the same parts as Siege. If it's an Earthrise version with a tape deck alt mode it's a minor retool and not a new mold (which I guess technically describes Megatron, too).
  21. mikeszekely
    Well, the Studio Series '86 plot thickens, as a new Walmart listing popped up for an '86 Deluxe-class Gnaw.
  22. mikeszekely
    Glad to help!
  23. mikeszekely
    Well, then you really only have two options. There's the official MP-28 (re-released in slightly modified colors with his Targetmaster buddy as MP-40). It's... ok. I think his arms are a little long and/or his shoulders too broad, and his torso is too flat, but his articulation is decent and the transformation isn't difficult. I think the car mode is pretty good. The alternative is Fans Toys Hoodlum. Personally, I think Hoodlum looks a little better in robot mode, but the transformation is more of a pain and several people reported scratches in the paint on its chest. Ultimately I think I would have bought Hoodlum if I needed a Hot Rod, but I didn't think it was enough of an upgrade over MP-28 that I was willing to shell out for a replacement. Also, for whatever reason, Fans Toys stuff has been selling out super quick and short of them reissuing Hoodlum you might have a hard time finding one at a reasonable price (the original retail was a little over $100, I want to say). Between the two, I think Hoodlum is a little taller, but they're both shorter than MP Ironhide and taller than the other MP cars. Now, if Hot Rod is your jam you might also consider MMC's Calidus, which is based on his IDW appearance and of similar size as MP-28 despite not being a part of their MP line. There's also DX9's Ancestrod, which is based on a doujinshi called "T-Beasts" that reimagined a lot of G1 characters (and some Beast Wars ones) with robotic beast modes. He's around a head and a half taller than MP-28. You have a few options for Rodimus Prime, too. For starters, there's the official MP-09 Technically I guess he counts as a Hot Rod, too. See, he has two faces, one younger and one older, and on his own he can transform into a car. He's as tall as MP-10, though, and transforms into a very big car, so he's not exactly in-scale as Hot Rod. He comes with at trailer, though, so he can also turn into a space winnebago, and he's in scale as Rodimus Prime. There's also DX9's Carry. Carry takes some flack in some circles because he's based on Studio OX and not Sunbow, but I like that he looks like an older, tougher character capable of leading the Autobots instead of being a taller, angstier Hot Rod with added lines on his face. He also takes some flack because his alt mode is much smaller than MP-09's, but that's because he doesn't have a trailer. This robot turns into the entire space winnebago, and its pretty clever and fun how it works. If you can find one I recommend it; Carry's still one of my all-time favorite figures.
  24. mikeszekely
    Hey, I'm right there with you. I'd love to be wrong. The PotP Dinobots missed the mark for me (PotP seemed like a big step backward from Titans Return, let alone the current Siege and Earthrise stuff), and bigger, better Dinobots with a G1-style would be great. It's why I bought both the Fansproject and the Planet X Dinos, but something more like DX9's Legends-class Dinobots made larger would be better.
  25. mikeszekely
    While I suppose they could lump the '86 movie in with the others for the Studio Series line, given how G1-accurate the WFC Trilogy figures already are and the fact that we already got Ultra Magnus, Springer, and Arcee (plus a pretty good Blurr, Hot Rod, Kup, Scourge, and Wheelie in Titans Return, especially if you got the Takara versions) I'm skeptical that that's what's actually going on here. I'll be shocked if an '86 movie accurate G1-style Leader-Class Grimlock actually shows up on stores. I'd love to be wrong, but my money's on a repaint of the existing Studio Series Grimlock in G1 colors as some kind of Walmart exclusive.
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