jenius

I think you're being cynical. There's an in universe YF-24 that was the basis for the VF-25 and VF-27. So, within the Mac universe it makes sense there'd be three extremely similar fighters. To my knowledge we don't know the basis of the YF-29 yet but it very easily could have been a situation where a story was created to accomodate a new mech design but the story calls for lots of commonality and so that's what Kawamori delivered. It doesn't mean that Bandai dictated it (as you pointed out, they felt free to retool themselves when they did the 27) or that Kawamori is feeling tapped out of Valkyrie schemes. Now, if we get the story and this YF-29 is a design from an entirely different company than the one that did the YF-24 then yeah... that'll seem pretty lame but I suspect it's just a revamped YF-24 based on what they've gleamed from the success of the VF-27.

Since MSRP isn't determined yet they may still be weighing their options and they might still elect to include less (imagine the original YF-19 release). That said, what's the most expensive valk released to date? Maybe this is just going to be a few Yen more than that so no biggie... or maybe the SDF-1 is a hint of how whacky Macross prices are getting.

Can't help with your question but I think you made an excellent choice. I just got the ZR24w and I'm in love. I also just finished my build and am using Windows7 for the first time and overall I think it's pretty dreamy.

I find it highly unlikely this toy would be an exclusive. I just heard a rumor that the MSRP hasn't been determined yet but to expect it to be the most expensive valk to date (and that's before we even consider the better Yen:Dollar times). Maybe that means it will come packed with lots of goodies though.

I haven't heard anything about the projected release date yet.

Instantaneous image quote? tacky. I certainly hope the battroid mode is a bit more sophisticated.

From what I understand... you better start saving.

Mine is being shipped with my Yamato SDF-1 so I'll probably have to wait until January

I just asked a friend in Japan. I'm sure TokyoHunter or someone similar will make it more readily available.

I have not yet seen False Diva and would like to see it but have no real intention of downloading it. Maybe I could get the conference room at a corporate office so we can project it from someone's laptop? EDIT - my corporate office is located next to SFO... which may prove to be the most inconvenient location since it would be in between everyone.

I just placed my order... but this outfit costs as much as a 1/60 V2 Valk so I'm not sure how I convinced myself to buy it. I'll probably turn around and sell it with my Max TV-1A a couple months later.

It looks like a rejected VF-27 draft to me but whatevs, it still looks cool.

I just got done Eureka Seven and overall I loved it. I'd give it a solid 9/10. It doesn't get that one extra point because I'm still not exactly sure what the hell was going on. I get the general idea, Holland's brother has lots of issues and is doing stuff that could destroy the world but anything deeper than that just seems to get mangled. I have a very strong suspicion it's because there's a lot of "we need the plot to go this way" elements that wouldn't hold up to logical scrutiny if they did try to explain it better. Now that that's done I thought I'd seek out some new anime. I did Eureka Seven with subs and am now looking for a dubbed anime (so I can work while I watch). I watched a couple episodes of Claymore dubbed and the kid tagging along with Claire is destroying any fun I'd have with this show already. His voice actor's voice grates on me as it is... plus he acts like an idiot. I'll give it a couple more episodes but I think this might be the first anime in a long time I don't finish. Before this I watched Gurren Lagann (mighta spelled that wrong) and thought I'd stop after two episodes but went on to really like that show.

I don't hate anything in particular but I do hate the fact there isn't some miraculous remote control for everything yet. Someone needs to make ONE remote that does all of the following: A remote control that I can switch to phone mode and call people A remote control that I can turn sideways and play video games on A remote control that controls all my components... even the funky crap that is seemingly owned by no one but me A remote when, on a table, is a mouse A remote that, when I take it out to the car with me and press a button, unlocks my car. A remote that, when in my car, I place in the face plate area of my car stereo and voila... it is my car stereo's face plate I will stop short of insisting that I should also be able to use this remote as my electric razor, a laser pointer, or anything else. If they could get it to be a RID key and be swipeable as a credit card that would be a plus.

What parts are popping off on you during transformation? I don't remember any parts falling off in transformation but I haven't handled my 1J in a few weeks.

It goes without saying that it's light years ahead of the Toynami. People are comparing it to the Yamato V2 toy because it's that good.

I hear December 28th.

Nah, it's only better because they made better color choices and the Tornado armor is pretty solid (especially compared to the Super Parts or Armored toys). All the other common issues seem to be just as prevalent (although I still think it's a fair toy).

It's funny the Yamato vs. Bandai comparisons that get made on this board. It makes sense though that people would hope Graham could bend Yamato's ears to our problems. Then again, when Yamato's response to Graham's inquiries about the VF-1 V2 shoulders and the VF-0 shoulders was "what issues?" there shouldn't be too much hope.

Yes, cars with auto transmissions are very slow to downshift and they seem to engage the clutch to coast longer. I can't swear to that last part but my autos have kept their speed much more than my manuals (but I've obviously never had an auto and a manual of the same car).

I enjoyed one enough to enjoy GT2 but I found GT4 pretty boring and I hear GT5 has even less of an excitement factor. The old car enthusiast in me would probably love the tweaking but I'm sure I wouldn't play the game enough to warrant a purchase.

That's a very dynamic comparison though. Six months from now you'll be able to get Hi-Metals at big discounts that will negate the observation you're making now comparing a brand new product to one that super saturated the market. Well, unless Bandai isn't producing these in as big a quantity as Yamato did (or unless the demand is much higher) so stock doesn't stick around as long. That should be the value of the MSRP comparison. If you can get a Yamato right now for 30% off, chances are with the Hi-Metal is older you'll find that discount too. EDIT - on that MSRP comparison, the Hi-Metal is definitely smaller but it seems nearly just as complex as the 1/60 V2 toy. The fact that it sells for roughly 50% of a V2 toy has me convinced that it's a pretty fair price. That's not to say I wouldn't love all these things to be cheaper

There seems to be some confusion on how prices work these days. Here's a breakdown (Bandai prices HLJ and Keiichi, Yamato prices from Yamato): Bandai Hi Metal / Yamato V2 5,500 / 10,290 (normal release) 6,500 / 13,440 (super release) 5,775 / 10,290 - 15,540 (low end is for Hikaru 1J with gray head visor, high end is for weathering edition)

Keiichi, you probably just need something to support the camera on when you're taking low level photos. Or, if your camera has a viewfinder, hold the camera against your face and use the viewfinder instead of looking at the screen... that will reduce the tiny tremble of your hands and take crisper shots at low light. I prefer the Hi Metal in battroid to the V2 but both are amazing toys. Why are people talking about removing the intakes? That's optional on both the Hi-Metal and the V2. I think it's amazing that a 1/100 toy even has the option of exposing the turbines.

Try doing a search on Youtube, I'm sure a few people have filmed themselves transforming it or the VF-1J by now.