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mikeszekely

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Everything posted by mikeszekely

  1. mikeszekely
    MP-14 is Red Alert. Well, Soundwave I'm digging. Like Grimlock, he's got the right blend of looking good in bot mode, looking good in alt mode, and being solidly poseable. I'm not digging him enough to import him, but I'm digging him enough to pay $50-$70 for a US release. Sideswipe is another story. On the one hand, I really want to love him, as Sideswipe was my first Transformer back in the '80s. And he does look good from the front, if a little simple (yes, the Autobot symbol is huge... but that's fairly accurate to the cartoon and the G1 toy). And he looks fine in alt mode. But seriously, that's a ton of Lamborghini cockpit hanging off his back. I dare say it's worse than MP Hot Rod's "backpack". And frankly, the size might scale nice to fit in MP-10's trailer, but that means he's more likely to replace Universe Sideswipe on my Classics shelf than to have a real place on my MP shelf. There's no way I'm importing him, and even if it comes to the States, I can't see paying more than $30 for him.
  2. mikeszekely
    I see Rumble and Ravage in that pic...
  3. mikeszekely
    I'm going to pass on Soundwave... at least, his Japanese release. I'll wait for an inevitable US release that'll cost half or less.
  4. mikeszekely
    Because it had bland, generic enemies, was lacking in Dracula, was lacking in Dracula's castle, etc. Actually, with the main weapon being a sort of cross, and the devil being the final boss, I felt it had more in common with Dante's Inferno than previous Castlevania games. Actually, the original Devil May Cry, which mostly took place in one castle, felt more like Castlevania to me than LoS. I don't know how well the retconned origins of a certain character were taken by the fandom, either. I know I found it to be wholly unnecessary and didn't care for it. Anyway, I'm not saying it was a bad game. I really enjoyed it for what it was... it just wasn't Castlevania to me.
  5. mikeszekely
    Yeah... even though this is a Macross board, not all of us buy Macross toys. I think third-party TF stuff is too much to pay for toys; I think Valks are too much to pay for toys. Domestically-released Transformers are ok, but when you start to go too high, I'd rather spend the money on some new electronics.
  6. mikeszekely
    My router is a Netgear. I rebooted the router and the PS3 jumped right on afterward. Like I mentioned, I've been having some issues with this router. I might replace it with one that's got more throughput. This one craps the bed every time I do even a little bitorrenting.
  7. mikeszekely
    I'm one of them. See, I liked Lords of Shadow for what it was... but it wasn't really Castlevania. And even though it didn't bear much resemblance to Castlevania, even though it retconned the story or spun off an AU Castlevania, I liked it enough for a sequel on home consoles, which we're apparently getting. But I still like the Japanese-made Metroidvanias. SotN was excellent, and the GBA and DS Castlevanias are some of my favorite games on those platforms. I want more of them.
  8. mikeszekely
    I'll try the reboot thing. The thing that irks me, though, is that this exact PS3 used to work fine with my current router. And although I've got around my house manually assigning IP addresses to the stuff that I have online regularly, I haven't actually changed my router's settings. On the other hand, I have been having some problems with this router lately. For the last month or two, it seems like it drops my internet connection whenever I use bittorrent. And, although I'm online as I type this, the router isn't actually letting me log on right now, it's just hanging on "Connecting".
  9. mikeszekely
    I'm feeling a little frustrated... I've got a PS3 in my bedroom. It's an old 40GB model my brother gave me because the disc drive crapped out. I was mostly using it to watch Netflix. Awhile back, my 60GB PS3 died. I bought a new one, but I managed to use the drive from the dead one to fix the one in the bedroom. Loaned it to my dad for awhile, hadn't really used it since I got it back. Today, I decided to use it for Netflix again. Can't get it to connect to my network. I've tried using automatic settings, and I've tried using manual ones. I even tried updating the firmware from a memory card. It finds my network, no problem, but it won't get an IP. It keeps giving me an error 8013013D.
  10. mikeszekely
    OK, I said I wasn't going to buy it, but while I was in Beijing I found the TF Prime Entertainment Pack for around 329 yuan, or around $55 US, at an Ito Yokado. Overpriced, to be sure, but my in-laws had given me spending money and I hadn't gotten used to working out conversions yet, so I went ahead and bought it. Not a fan of the Deluxe Optimus. His arms look weird, and the fake windshield chest looks pretty bad. Best I can say is that he's got less kibble on his back than the RID Powerizer Optimus and comes with a better gun, otherwise Powerizer Prime is better. The kind of tie in vehicle mode. They're both a mess from behind. Megatron is surprisingly pleasing, though. He's a shinier silver than the RID Powerizer version. His fusion cannon seems a little smallish, and he's got a little more back kibble than the Powerizer version, but having shoulder armor that's actually attached to his shoulders makes him ever so slightly more posable. Transformation is actually pretty similar... extend the crotch, get the chest armor down by the crotch, get the back kibble up around the head, fold the arms underneath, split the legs so that you have the rest of the bottom and the wings. But it works better on the Deluxe. His arms are folded up, making his shoulder armor the back instead of his limp wrists. This also has the benefit of not having his shoulder armor awkwardly jutting out in front of his wings. His small Fusion Canon blends onto the vehicle instead of dwarfing it. And the intakes on his back kibble are larger. The result is a sleeker, more toon accurate jet (although it's not perfect), where things peg together nicely. I think I'd use Deluxe Megatron instead of Powerizer Megatron as my display Megatron, if it weren't for the fact that he's dwarfed by Powerizer Starscream and only slightly taller than Deluxe Soundwave.
  11. mikeszekely
    On the one hand, I liked Lords of Shadow, although it never really felt like "Castlevania" to me. On the other hand, it's not the 2D Metroidvania we all hoped it would be.
  12. mikeszekely
    I'd be more keen on buying another first-gen MP Seeker if one of my Hasbro Starscream's wings hadn't busted at the hinge. But I do have Hasbro Skywarp, and the completionist in me would like to have all three Seekers...
  13. mikeszekely
    I tend to prefer HPs (for inkjets, anyway), but Epson's my runner up. Good print quality, but the cost-per-page is a little higher and they're not as dead simple as most of the HPs are. In this particular case, though, I'd go so far as to say Epson might even be the better choice. I'm assuming it's for graphics? The Epson's got a higher-than-average print dpi, six inks (versus four in most of the competition), and borderless printing. If you went with an HP, the Officejet 7500A will do borderless 13x19, but 4800x1200 print dpi and four inks, but you're gaining scan/copy/fax functions if you need 'em, it'll have a lower cost-per-page, and the printer itself is cheaper (I see Staples offering it, through today at least, for $180). The Epson Artisan 1430's looks to be more of a specialized, graphics-oriented printer, while the HP is more of a workhorse sort of printer.
  14. mikeszekely
    I'd repeat my Officejet 8600 recommendation, then. It sounds like they mostly work with documents. I think most HP printers these days come with OCR software and scan-to-pdf features, and they'd have to print A LOT to go through more than one at a time. Heck, I've printed half of "Expedition to Castle Ravenloft" for a D&D game I'm running, and I've only had to replace the black ink. And it wasn't a high-capacity cartridge, it was the one that came with the printer. The only downside is that the printer is fairly huge as far as inkjets go, but that's partly mitigated by the fact that it's also wireless, so you can stick it pretty much wherever.
  15. mikeszekely
    We'll see. I mean, I get you on the scale thing. Voyager Starscream, hunched over, is a only a head shorter than Optimus or Megatron, a head taller than any of the deluxes, and about even with Bulkhead. Straighten him up and he's as tall as Optimus and Megatron, but he appears taller because he's so thin and his wings are higher than his head. On the other hand, while his deluxe may well be great, his Voyager is pretty awesome too. And I just don't need two. Same reason I'm not going to buy Deluxe Optimus or Megatron if they ever turn up. Well, I heard that a there may be a package of FE Starscream, FE Bumblebee, Silas, and a DVD this year. And I do kinda want FE Bumblebee, since RiD Bee is the worst Prime toy I own (basically all the RiD deluxes and Voyagers). So maybe I'll end up with deluxe Starscream that way.
  16. mikeszekely
    If they ever turn up for a reasonable locally, I'll replace the Bulkhead, Optimus, and Bumblebee I already have. I've got no real interest in deluxe versions of Optimus, Megatron, or Starscream, though, and I'm not convinced First Edition Arcee is actually better than the Robots In Disguise version. As for Cliffjumper, which version is better is kind of moot, he's just not an important enough character to buy twice. Heck, the only reason I bought him at all is that I wanted a new figure and I got tired of waiting for the next wave to be released.
  17. mikeszekely
    I have a photo of that Gundam from the old location as my wallpaper on my Mac.
  18. mikeszekely
    Well, I was getting my car inspected this morning, and the place I go for that is near a TRU. I hadn't been there in awhile, so I figured I'd stop on my way home. I wasn't expecting anything, since the two Targets and a Walmart I frequent haven't had much besides Bumblebee in some time. They'd moved things around since I'd last been there. The aisle that used to have Transformers was full of Avengers and other Marvel film toys. But an endcap at the end was full of Transformers. That is, some of the DotM Deluxe Optimus with trailer, a ton of Prime Deluxes we've already seen, and probably a dozen each Voyager Optimus and Megatrons... and a solitary Voyager Powerizer Bulkhead. Eventually, I found the actual Transformer aisle. And it's more of the same. Optimus and Megatron, tons of Deluxes and Legions, and some DotM figures. And a solitary Powerizer Starscream. Bulkhead, as anyone who's seen pics on the internet can tell, isn't so hot. The mech-tech (or whatever they're calling it) weapon is big, stupid, and there's no way to make him hold it that doesn't look stupid. The First Edition version doesn't just look better, it looks WAY better. Of course, there's no way for me to know for sure, since there was never any chance for me to obtain a First Edition version that didn't cost me more than I've spent on the entire Prime line so far. Taken for what he is, his head sculpt is spot-on, and he's recognizable as Bulkhead... y'know, if Bulkhead went on a diet. Aside from his torso not being Bulkhead huge, everything else is fairly in proportion and reasoably poseable. He's got some back kibble, though. His transformation has a few tricks, but it's basically unfolding the kibble on his back, swinging his arms back behind him, moving the doors back, pulling out the front, and stuffing everything underneath. Sadly, this leaves most of his forearms and some of his feet visable, hanging from his undercarriage. In bot mode, he's a bit taller than Animated Voyager Bulkhead, but in alt mode, he's significantly smaller. Starscream, meanwhile, is one of the best Prime toys so far. His bot mode is pretty much spot on, with his smirking, hunched head, spindly limbs, and what have you. He's got a little more junk on his feet, his shoulder armor isn't quite right, and his chest place has a gap for a light-piped Decepticon symbol. Oh, and he's got a nose cone for a butt. But he still looks great. And yeah, his mech-tech weapon is just as lame and stupid as Bulkhead or Optimus's, but unlike them his is almost superfluous. He's got two missiles that clip onto his wings in alt mode, and wouldn't you know it, you can peg them on his forearms in bot mode, giving him the null-ray-looking G1-inspired look of the show. Sadly, they're molded gray. I may have to paint mine red. His transformation is pretty straightforward, aside from some bits with his shoulders. His arms actually make up a lot of the back of the plane. His legs spoil is alt-mode a bit, though. Aside from sticking out a bit, his heels and ankles have some decorative bits that jut out even further. And he doesn't have any landing gear. Still, I'm mostly used to jets like the Generation Seekers, with their limited poseability, or Silverbolt, Jetfire, and Thunderwing, where you've basically got a plane with a robot underneath that turns into a robot with a plane on his back. Compared to them, Starscream's looking pretty good in his alt mode.
  19. mikeszekely
    Meh. I'll probably look for the Legion-class "discs" since Hasbro never released the Scout-class Rumble or Frenzy. But I have some Laserbeak-looking scout from one of the movies, and I have the Ravage that came with Hound. As for Soundwave himself, he just doesn't look like a big enough improvement over the Deluxe version to merit buying him again when there are a ton of other toys out or coming that I want more.
  20. mikeszekely
    I saw it and loved it. For that matter, the Spectacular Spider-Man was, IMHO, the best animated Spidey to date, and Iron Man: Armored Adventures is actually pretty good once you get over Tony Stark being a high school student. Ultimate Spider-Man and The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes are both just ok, though. And for what it's worth, I liked all of the Marvel Animated movies so far, inlcuding Next Avengers (although Next Avengers is probably the second-weakest, with the only worse one being Thor: Tales of Asgard). I think I'm going to disagree with this more than the other half of what you're saying, Keith. DCAU has been really great, and I'm especially fond of Justice League: Doom and Batman: Under the Red Hood. But there hasn't been a good live-action DC movie without Batman since Richard Donner's Superman. Even if we just count movies made in the last 10 years only to overlook the shame of some of the Superman and Batman sequels, we've still got Superman Returns, the Green Lantern, and Catwoman up against two-going-on-three Dark Knight movies. Hardly what I'd call a "firm grip."
  21. mikeszekely
    Who? If you mean the actress who played Maria Hill, I know her only as Robin Scherbatsky. Or occasionally Robin Sparkles.
  22. mikeszekely
    Ha ha, I'll be out of the country for most of the month, so I'm actually hoping May is a dry month!
  23. mikeszekely
    I don't know if ALL of the Call of Duty games do. But the three Modern Warfare games are connected. And Victor Reznov, the guy you play as in the Russian campaign in World At War, is a prominent character in Black Ops. I don't know if Modern Warfare takes place in the same continuity as WoW/Black Ops. I also don't know if any of the CoD games before Modern Warfare belong to a particular continuity, or if each one was it's own continuity, or if any of them have ties to WoW/Black Ops or Modern Warfare.
  24. mikeszekely
    Az, that was my first thought too, but I couldn't find any settings on my router (a Netgear N300 with Gigabit). David, I had different issues with Avast a few years back, and at the recommendation of several PC mags/blogs I switched to Microsoft Security Essentials. It's extremely light and unobtrusive, integrates well with Windows, and performs well in testing.
  25. mikeszekely
    Ugh. For some reason, my computer was connected to my network, but my wife complains her computer wasn't. So I check my Mac, just to see what it's doing, and it's not connected either. I do a power cycle on the modem and router, and my wife hops happily back onto the internet. Which is fine, until later when I go back to my lair to work on my computer some more, only to find that I couldn't connect to the internet because, as Windows helpfully points out, another device is using its IP address. See, as I'm sure many MWers do, I do bittorrent. And to keep my torrenting at its speediest, I set a static IP up on my main computer so I could forward a port for my bittorrent client. But my main computer is the only computer I set a static IP on, everything else is on automatic. So I spend the next half hour checking the IPs on all my other connected devices, only to find that it was my freaking Blackberry Playbook. A device I haven't used as more than on overpriced clock on my desk in probably two months. In the meantime I set static IPs on my iPad, my Mac, and the Playbook. Maybe tomorrow, I'll see about getting a static IP for the other Mac, the bedroom computer, my laptop, and my wife's laptop. That'll still leave several game consoles, an HP Touchpad, and an Acer Android tablet with automatic settings. The moral of the story, I suppose, is you don't realize how much of your crap gets on the net until something gets screwed up.
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