M'Kyuun

18 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

No joke, when I saw him I was thinking "who the heck is this clown that thinks he can just walk in here and play all these Chris Latta parts?"  And I was iffy on his Wheeljack, though I could tell he was trying.  But he won me over with his Starscream.  Arif Kinchen also did Scatman Crothers proud as Jazz.

The highlight for me was Frank Welker, though.  Actors voices change as they age, and we're talking about these guys reprising roles from 40 years ago.  I've often thought when listening to Peter Cullen do Optimus Prime in the Bayverse films and Transformers Prime that he sounds a bit older, and bit more... I dunno, tired (though I thought he sounded just like he did 40 years ago at the table read).  I'm thinking, especially with the sheer range of characters he does, that there's no way Welker would be up for all those voices.  But, oh man, did he nail it.

Now, the table read was fun, and I was super glad to be a part of the 40th anniversary celebration.  I can't overstate the impact Transformers has had on me; Transformers, TMNT, and NES pretty much sums up the bulk of my childhood that I can recall.  That said... I don't think I enjoyed it as much as the screening of the '86 movie on its anniversary.  And what it really boils down to is that the '86 movie is a tightly-paced story that still holds up today, but (while some episodes are better than others) the original cartoon kind of hasn't.  Don't get me wrong, the cartoon introduced this colorful cast of characters that sparked my young imagination and are still near and dear to me me, but there's too much that's just hokey watching as an adult.  Like when Sparkplug and Bumblebee volunteer to plant the bomb in the mine, Bumblebee transforms and Sparkplug gets in and they drive all of five feet to the mine entrance before switching back to walking.  Or how Megatron comes up with this convoluted plan to lure the Autobots into a cave, then traps himself and the Decepticons inside with him, only to easily blast his way back out when he needs to get back to the space bridge.  He then re-collapses the entrance, and he's so sure that there's no way the Autobots can get out, even though he literally just blast his own way out.  And what happens?  The Autobots immediately blaster their way out. 

My friend that went with me suggested that maybe they should have only done the first three episodes, instead of the first four, since they were a three-parter while "Transport to Oblivion just seemed kind of tacked on."  I think he was right.  It was a bit much for one sitting.  I'm thinking I might continue re-watching G1 Transformers with my DVDs at home, but probably one episode at a time, definitely not four.

Yeah, there were certainly hokey bits in the OG. IIRC, the kid sitting next to me laughed when Bee and Sparkplug made their short drive to the Burma cave entrance. However, even though it was aimed at 8-year-olds, stuff like Prime's frustration after getting shot down chasing the Decepticons' ship, or the concern after, the moment when Prime tells Ironhide, "There's a thin line between being a hero and being a memory" after he's injured speak still to the older me. These are the moments that continue to resonate and manifest the more mature tone of the first season over successive seasons when the writers were essentially given carte blanche and the show became much more silly, and ultimately lost my interest even when I was a kid.

I agree that the Space Bridge ep should have been left off and the presentation should have just been the OG 3-part miniseries. 

Prior to this, Frank Todaro and Arif Kinchen were unknown to me. Frank's Wheeljack wasn't convincing, but his Starscream was impressive. Arif channeled Scatman Crothers pretty well as Jazz, and I was glad for it. Crothers had a unique voice, which he lent to other toons over the years, most notably Hong Kong Phooey, which I also watched as a younger tike. Welker and Cullen were still pretty on point. Cullen's Ironhide wasn't as robust as it was in '84, but his Prime is still just as good as ever. Welker is just amazing for his range and his ability to switch between voices instantaneously. Age hasn't done much to tarnish his pipes. 

As cool as it was to have the VA's voice the first ep, I was glad when they played the rest with their OG voice tracks, as those voices and the inflections are what I remember and love still. I was glad they had the names of the VA's who've passed, but it was up there and gone way too quickly. These people gave voice to much of my and many other kids' childhoods, a huge impact, and it would have been nice had their names been on screen long enough to read all of them.

22 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

It's one of those details that I never paid much attention to, because the control art happens to have the main rotor directly over the horizontal stabs.  Then I was like, "yeah, but that's a detail that even most of the 3Ps get wrong."  But I'm curious, because I have a few 3P Springers.  So I grab Open & Play's Big Spring, put him in chopper mode, and no, he's got little ones.  MMC Saltus?  Small and a bit triangular, but present.  Toyworld Spanner?  He's got the biggest of the three (similar proportionally to the G1 toy).  I started googling the ones I don't have.  Unique Toys Allen?  Big ones, and green like the animation.  Fans Toys Apache?  Smaller than Allen's, but bigger than Saltus or Big Spring.  XTB Virtus?  Gray, but the most cartoon-accurate size and shape.  So now I'm wondering how Hasbro not only got away with the missing stabs, but how they gaslighted me into thinking that nobody else else gave their Springer stabs when they everyone but Hasbro included them.

Side note, somehow, while researching this topic, I wound up ordering copies of Apache and Virtus, despite owning Saltus, Big Spring, and Spanner already.  Think I might hunt for Allen, too, and then do a "which Springer is the definitive one" sort of review in the 3P thread.

In doing my research while writing my previous post, XTransbot's Virtus caught my eye as the best representative of Springer in all three modes over the other MP-scaled toys, and over other toys as well including MFT's legends take (although MFT's has the stabs). I have MMC's Saltus as my MP Springer, but he's hardly accurate for all the liberties taken, most notably his car mode, which was also the reason why I chose him, as I never cared for the canon aft section being narrower than the front. However, I have to tip my hat to XTB for the extent of their accuracy.

Looking forward to your review and whether you reach the same conclusion. Regardless, enjoy your new not-Springers.

14 hours ago, sh9000 said:

Excited to watch the first four G1 episodes on the big screen later today.  Here's my shirt for the day.

Oh that's sweet. I wore this. Like Mike's theater, mine didn't have the cup or bucket either. No biggie personally, as I didn't get any concessions knowing I was going to dinner right after the show. Glad I abstained; dinner was excellent.  

4 hours ago, sh9000 said:

Overall it was pretty good.

I thought so, too, even though the loss of many of the OG VA's was noticeable as they did the table read through the first ep., and some of the OG VA's voices have changed with time. Still, I appreciated the effort, and they looked like they were having a good time. The fellow who voiced Starscream did an admirable job; Chris Latta's high pitched delivery is so distinctive and tough to mimic. I knew I was going to enjoy it though; first season of G1 is my favorite and the only one I own on DVD.

Saw the Transformers 40th Anniversary showing of the first four eps of the G1 toon today. A number of OG voice actors and a couple stand-in VA's performed the majority of the first ep's lines "live" - the timing was a little off here and there, but it was still pretty cool, and they did a split screen format so you can see the VA's doing the lines along with the show. Welker and Cullen have definitely maintained well. I was a little bummed that Corey Burton wasn't part of the table read; he voiced Spike and Shockwave, and Gregg Berger, bless his soul, sounds nothing like him in either voice, or Casey Kasem for that matter. Kasem had such a recognizable voice from doing radio, but I'm always amazed at how well he was able to change his voice for the various characters he performed. I was pleased to see a memorial to all the OG TF VA's who've passed on at the end of the presentation. I was hoping for some sort of dedication or mention; it's a blink-and-you'll miss-it moment, but at least it's there. 

21 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Actually, in the cartoon (much like the G1 toy) there's some molded detail (suggestive of the tail rotor?) but only the very bottom of the tire is actually visible.  In other words, I agree that I'd have liked his legs remolded a bit to hide them, but they wouldn't even have to rotate to do so.  Probably would have been better use of the plastic than the missile or the hammer.

(Note the green hubcaps on the front wheels and green rotor blades... cartoon accurate on SS86 Springer).

Agree, but at least on SS86 you can swivel the shoulder pads to cover them and look more cartoon accurate in the process.

Hmm, honestly, I prefer the tires visible in car mode even if it conflicts with the animation. I'd still rather they rotated 180 with tire on one side and the tail rotor housings on the other. I was going to mention the incongruity of his front wheels having green rims whilst the back ones are grey, but it makes sense in the context of the animation, especially since they didn't bother retooling him with his rotor housings. Both Siege and SS86 are also missing the intake/exhaust details on his shoulders under the yellow and green wheel fairings. They're included on the SS86 box art, though. Subsequent to the arm design and transformation schema, the heli modes of both Siege and SS86 versions lack their wing engines and fail to cover the front tires. I just noticed, too, that Neither version has the large horizontal stabilizers in heli mode. Even the G1 toy had small horizontal stabs. I could keep nitpicking, but suffice it to say, while I think the Siege and SS86 Springers are good figs on their own merits, the Studio Series version still falls a little short of movie accuracy despite the improved shoulders. To really approach any semblance of screen accuracy, SS86 Springer should have been a whole new mold. Maybe someday.

On 5/10/2024 at 8:38 PM, Uxi said:

Interesting perspective.  I'm a slightly younger combat vet (OIF), and normally love the serious ones (Macross Plus and SDF are my favorite) but Macross 7 remains one of my favorites, above even DYRL (which is just too short and I prefer the TV designs TBH and if they're gonna do the big samurai shoulders, they might as well have speakers or sound boosters on them ).  My wife was certainly surprised.  As I was crossing the Euphrates in 2003, I was humming Fire Bomber songs.

I still haven't seen Delta yet tbh beyond a few clips.

Rather than even MORE new Valkyrie designs, I'd rather see a migration fleet that chose upgraded variants of the VF-22 for special forces (VF-22T or maybe VF-22V or Kai)  with VF-19 GX and VF-19 SX as the mainstay fighter (use the shorter shoulders of the YF-19, wings of the F/S, etc but the FAST packs and  boosters of Isamu's from the Frontier movie and maybe something like the VF-27's big BGP-01β Beam Gun pod.  Put a bayonet on it, and they can use them like polearms maybe.  Standard Low viz paint schemes,. 

Make the major enemy a mix of Marduk from Macross II with another Bodolza style fleet.  If they're a Protoculture variant, or perhaps even better Supervision Army they could be using the original SDF design as their gunships on the enemy side. This would require our protagonist fleet to have a standing Minmay Attack Jamming Birds unit (less... eccentric and undisciplined than Basara's Sound Force but engaging in "sing offs" while the UN Spacy fights more Fleets of the Strongest Women.  Of course, they'll throw a love triangle or two in there. 

And lets Bandai reuse their current designs with slightly modified tooling. Perhaps a few new treats like a GBP on a VF-19. 

 I was an aircraft hydraulics tech in the Air Force, retiring at 20 years back in 2011.  From the standpoint of having served, thank you for your service. 

Fortunately, Kawamori likes to experiment with the Macross Saga, so it's hard to predict how the next installment will play out. We definitely want different things, but however the next installment turns out, it's nice to know we have the older shows to fall back on to fulfill what we like most about Macross. If you liked M7, I'd say give Delta a watch. Instead of just having one or two singers like most Macross series, Delta has a group of girl singers and there's more frivolity IIRC. I only watched it once, I don't remember if I even finished it, and it's been years since I've watched it, so memory is pretty faded. I remember my impression more than anything, and it just didn't grab me like Frontier, Plus, SDF:M, or Zero, which all had more mature tones.  That said, I liked it better than M7. Hayate was a better protagonist; I didn't care for Basara.  I'm waiting for Disney plus to stream the majority of the Macross series sometime this year. I'm hoping it'll land big with American audiences creating a robust market for Macross merch, especially Valkyrie toys. Moreover, I look forward to the opportunity to rewatch some of the shows (with my wife who has only seen SDF:M and Plus). Some may consider it heresy, but I hope they provide English dubs for all the shows; reading subs is a PITA when you're also trying to follow Valks in action, and the dialog delivery is really quick necessitating rewinding so you can follow one or the other. I personally find it more enjoyable when I understand what's being said, even if some original nuance is lost. 

Pertaining to your mention of Macross II, that's kinda the black sheep of the Macross Saga, and it's highly unlikely we'll ever see any official reference to it in anything that Kawamori produces. I wish Arcadia would make a VF-2SS- lovely design that deserves a really good toy.

On 5/16/2024 at 7:50 PM, mikeszekely said:

Yeah, ditto for Cliffjumper.  And I do like the brighter yellow on 86 Bee vs. the borderline orange on Netflix Bee.  And I think it's worth remembering that Netflix Bee was a store exclusive, and there was a Bumblebee in the Target multipack, but this is technically the first mainline G1-esque Bumblebee since Titans Return.

I just have three nitpicks with Bee-

1. The front end is too angular, kind of reminds me of Bumper as much as it does Bumblebee.

2. I wish the tires folded under his feet the way Netflix Bee does.

3. The dark windows.  I just have this funny feeling that another version will come in a year or two, maybe as another store-exclusive, with blue windows.

Guess you don't want to wait until I have one in-hand and do a review, since I don't have those Vietnamese factory connections.  But I'll still hook ya up.

I tend to forget how many of these figs are exclusives, SS86, and other lines and technically don't fall under the mainline umbrella. They're all the same scale and aesthetically made to work with each other hence my inclination to lump them all, or many at least, under mainline. Anyway, regarding your nitpicks: 

1. The front end is too angular, kind of reminds me of Bumper as much as it does Bumblebee. I concur. It's an obvious concession to eventual retooling as Cliffjumper, but it would have been nice had it been executed a little better to homogenize the shape of the entire hood/feet. alas, no.

2. I wish the tires folded under his feet the way Netflix Bee does. Honestly, I hadn't noticed, which is weird b/c I share the same preference anytime feet are made from a chunk of vehicle with wheels. 

3. The dark windows.  I just have this funny feeling that another version will come in a year or two, maybe as another store-exclusive, with blue windows. Most likely, as they'll find some way to repackage it with subtle changes to milk both the mold and the fandom. The black windows don't bother me that much, but yeah, the blue looks better and matches the animation. Odd that since this is Studio series and that's the whole point of this line.😒

Guess you don't want to wait until I have one in-hand and do a review, since I don't have those Vietnamese factory connections.  But I'll still hook ya up.

Good find, and thanks. Yeah, I like that. I can live without the other sword, hammer, and the catapult shell. Of course, the shell has meaning from that one scene in the film, but honestly, it'll just stay in the box for perpetuity. I just want his rifle and prop-sword. It would have been nice had they retooled his legs a bit to be able to rotate the tires 180 degrees to manifest the round bumps like the animation. All their retooling focus was on the upper body, but that would've been a nice touch for the legs. 

Gotta say, we've come a looong way from this (Credit to Brave Fortress from whom I shamelessly copied pics):

I still have my G1 Springer, and he was a bit disappointing back in the day, although I still think he has a pretty good helicopter mode. Bot and car modes, though, leave somewhat to be desired. Obviously, a lot of creative license was taken with his animated bot mode for the film, and between Siege and SS86, we're only just now getting figs that even come close nigh 40 years after the film. Both versions are a bit lean compared to his chunkier toon model, but honestly, I prefer the look of the Siege/SS86 versions. Too bad they couldn't make those tires on his arms disappear into the body, but otherwise, looking pretty good.

On 5/15/2024 at 4:51 PM, Hikuro said:

Wow steeljaw and springer are already sold out on BBTS. Missinglink Bumblebee and Cliffjumper at 40 bucks a pop is honestly a bit to mucuh for me considering how small those toys are. So I guess I'm gonna pass on them. 86 Bumblebee will be a pass as well...I'm quite happy with the netflix variant and I don't feel like this one is really all that great.

Well, we like what we like. personally, I dig SS86 Bee; I've been wanting a mainline Bee that resembles his chibi G1 car mode for some time. I like the Netflix version, too, with its realistic car mode, though I'm not crazy about the partsforming aspect shared by Bee and Cliffjumper. At least the partsforming bits can attach to their backs and look like they're part of the bot mode instead of some awkward shield or weird weapon that neither of them ever had in the toon. As for non-partsforming chibi Beetle SS86, I'm looking forward to him and his obvious retooled moldmate, Cliffjumper, to add to the collection. The Missing Link Bee and Cliffy just aren't doing much for me, as the OG toys just weren't that great, and even with articulation, the proportions are odd, especially the arms. SS86 manages to give us the Chibi Beetle and a better proportioned bot mode, and that's the stuff of awesome.

I busted out my Siege Springer and ran through the transformations yesterday all while looking at the new SS86 retool. Def some improvements towards toon accuracy. I'm also glad they made his sword transform into the main rotor, although it's odd that there are no stock shots of him holding it-- just the other non-transforming sword he comes with. I wish they'd done more to cover his front tire in heli mode, and his faux landing skid should have been yellow. Otherwise, the majority of the changes look good and the new shoulders may even give him more range of motion, as they're a little limited on the Siege version. I ususally try not to double dip on figs, especially when they're as well done as I feel Siege Springer is, but the improvements look to be just that, and IMHO, worth picking up his somewhat new and improved self.

24 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

Dunno what's the thinking behind not putting SS86 Bee on Pulse, but here's the Amazon link.

The rest of the reveals are on Pulse, but Steeljaw already sold out.

I managed to preorder everything except for the generic Decepticon Soldier.

Thanks Mike. SS86 Bee wasn't showing up when I searched for it on Amazon, so I appreciate the link. Scored a copy! My humble thanks. 🙏

I also got Steelpom and Springer on Pulse. Rather fecally inclined that they didn't put Bee on there too. Kind of a slap in the face to members.

34 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

So how'd you guys like the stream today?  I haven't been super interested in the comic book line so far, because I'm not a fan of the weird cel-shaded look, but I did grow up on the comics and I'm actually pretty stoked for Straxus.  I had hoped for a bit more from Springer, but I think they changed just enough that I'm in for him, as well as Steeljaw and Bumblebee.  I hated Gamer Edition Barricade, though, so a generic Decepticon based on that figure is a huge pass.  I'll get BB Skywarp just to complete the BB Seekers.

Which kind of segues into the pipeline reveals.  Of course, I told you that most of that stuff was coming already so it's not that surprising, but I can't help thinking about how Legacy just keeps going downhill.  I bought every mainline release during WFC.  I think I even did through Legacy and Evolution, but I just can do it anymore.  I've already skipped Legacy Chromia, and I'm telling you now that even with the G1-ifying that goes on in Legacy the Animated aesthetic has never worked for me.  Bad enough I bought Prime, Motormaster's a no-go for me.  I was disappointed with Core Megatron and lukewarm on Bouldercrash, so I'll be skipping both wave 4 Cores.  Soundwave's cool for those that missed the Netflix one, but I didn't so I'm good there (unless he comes with Buzzsaw, then he's a $50 core-class purchase).  A new deco isn't going to sell me on another Metalhawk.  I'm ambivalent on Armada Galvatron, but I do think I'll end up with him.  I wish Slipstream would have been a bit more heavily retooled, but I'm in for her.  Am I supposed to be excited for Quake just because he's G1?  I think I'm reaching a point where I want the "main" casts completed from other shows before I want late G1 figures that weren't in the cartoon, like say Red Alert, Demolisher, or Cyclonus to round out the initial Armada cast, or X-Brawn or Prowl to go with Sideburn.  I'm surprisingly curious about this new Deluxe-class Optimus.  Since I first heard about it I was wondering why I'd want a Deluxe-class G1 Optimus when I know SS86 is coming, but the fact that it's based on the G1 toy instead of Sunbow is an interesting spin.

So, the vast majority of what was shown held little interest for me. I'm mostly into the G1 stuff, so Steelpom, er Steeljaw , SS86 Bee, and SS86 Springer have my attention more than anything. I already have Netflix Soundwave, and I'll not buy another copy even if it does come with Buzzsaw. I'm holding out hope that Dr. Wu will get around to making all these mainline cassettes eventually. Anyway, I already have Siege Springer, and an excellent fig is he; however, the SS86 looks to have enough improvements that I may double dip- this version lacks the battle damage of the Siege, has the angled shoulders, and I love that they worked in his integrated wrist gun. I'm a sucker for features like that, and I wish more bots came with them. SS86 bee is probably the biggest surprise, and I love the direction they took. I like the ER version a lot, partsforming notwithstanding, but I like how they're leaning into the "penny racer" look of the OG minibots for Bee. Of course, you know there'll be a Cliffjumper and other repaints/retools- this is Hasbro we're talking about, and that's just fine. As long as I get Bee and Cliffy, I'm happy. Not happy that SS86 Bee's not going to be on Pulse. One additional thought: I prefer this approach over the Missing Link; most of those old toys just don't enthrall me, and honestly lost their appeal for me back in the 80s. I pined for what we have today, and I'm just glad the franchise hung on long enough for technology and passion to give us what we wished the toys would have been. YMMV, of course, but that's my outlook.

With the upcoming leader class SS86 Optimus, this G1 toy-inspired version is curious, especially with Missing Link now available, which is as close to the OG toy as you can get with modern articulation. Is this going to be a happy medium between something like ER prime and '84 Prime? It's definitely a headscratcher, but I'm curious. Right now, I'm more interested in SS86 Prime. ER Prime is such an excellent figure; for me, he's the mainline Prime to beat so we'll see.

So, I'm a Soundwave/cassette fan and let's be honest, the Netflix/Walmart-exclusive Soundwave, a retool of the abysmally terrible Siege figure with the nondescript whatever-the-heck-it-is alt mode beggars for a completely new figure from the bottom up. If I had my druthers, he'd be rescaled to accommodate the G1 cassettes, allowing them to be universally swapped between lines. Moreover, the larger scale for the cassettes would permit better engineering than this crappy smaller scale (although Dr. Wu is doing a much better job within this scale than Has/Tak). However, even keeping within the current scale, Netflix Soundwave's leg transformation to recorder mode bends the knees the wrong way leaving the specifically shaped kneecaps, which filled in a gap in the facade of his G1 recorder mode, just hanging out weirdly. I still have my OG Soundwave, and those kneecaps, that decision to turn the Netflix version's the wrong way, just annoys the hell out of me. Takara did a great job on MP Soundwave, so why isn't that attention to detail being applied to the mainline? Or at least with consistency, as some figs are just amazing. Third parties are nailing this sort of stuff (I type as I look at my Magic Square Soundwave and his little minions, which are all better than the Hasbro figs at a much more diminutive scale). Anyway, I'm hugely disappointed that HasTak didn't avail themselves of the opportunity to completely redesign Soundwave and his minions for the better in an SS86 leader scaled release. ☹️

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

Don't forget, fan stream tomorrow.  Here's a sneak peak.

 

Well, it's better than Ravage, but still pretty underwhelming, especially those stubby non-articulated legs. Looks more like a Pomeranian than a lion. The head, mane and upper body and integrated weapons are a plus, though. If they'd put more of the budget into the figure instead of that superfluous speaker accessory, perhaps they could have figured out how to give him longer legs with at least knees. The G1 toy was more articulated and just looked better, flatness notwithstanding. Modern figs should manifest progression; this is a step backwards IMHO. Too, would it have killed them to apply some grey paint to the other reel? This just looks weird. 

I desperately hope Dr. Wu does improved versions of all these cassette bots. 

Well, the reveal I was most looking forward to is out there now. That and the toy itself are a bit disappointing. Still planning on getting Steelpom, but man, I was really hoping for better from an SS86 release- more Eject and less...this.

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

It's funny, but as I was writing my review for Sword Dancer I kept imagining an MMC version of Slamdance and Squawkbox. 

That makes two of us. And from there it's easy to extrapolate to so many other cassettes. I want them all.

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

 I think they'd be pretty epic, but their output has been pretty slow.  I think they only put out maybe three new molds in all of 2023.  Sadly, we're a long way from an MMC Slamdance... I know that they're still working on Ramhorn and Ratbat, but they seem pretty focused on their combiners right now.  And why not?  They seem to be pretty big hits for MMC, with Bruticus going through something like three runs.  And they're quite good!  But I digress.

I was going to mention the snail's pace of MMC releases, but it got lost in the shuffle of my thoughts. But yeah, unfortunately their releases come at a trickle rather than a deluge, and as you mentioned, their success with combiners overshadows the cassettes, which I assume are probably seen more as novelties by comparison. I think the same for Dr. Wu comparing his mini-takes on the mainline characters and his mini-micro-cassettes. In either case if I was to hazard a guess on which are the more popular products, the cassettes would finish last. That sucks for cassette fans like me, but hopefully in the case of both companies they're seeing enough sales of their cassettes to warrant continuing production. 

Mentioning MMC's Bruticus, my favorite of the combiners, I put up a strong resistance to getting them, as I love the all-in-one direction they took and I thought they all turned out looking pretty good; Onslaught suffered the most IMO, but considering everything he has to do without the amelioration of add-on parts, he's more than acceptable. Moreover, if I did get the team, I have no idea where I would put them as I have so little space for stuff in my house. Eventually I want to install a decent sized building in my backyard for storage/shop/ and display, but I'll probably have to wait a year or two.

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I really liked Steeljaw, but he's not the most recent.  Just last fall MMC released their take on Rewind and Eject.

I stand corrected. I got my copies of Eject and Rewind well before my Steeljaw, as I had the version with chrome gold paint POed from showz for a long time and finally FOMO made me settle for the regular gold painted version instead. The time lapse between acquisitions owed to the disparity in my mind.

I wasn't aware that MMC was working on Ramhorn or Ratbat, but that's favorable news indeed. Perhaps we'll see at least one of them release this year. I'm still happy that they led with Ravage, my all-time favorite cassette. Still brilliant and still gives me the warm and fuzzies when I see him in my Detolf.

Agree with the crossover consensus: let this be its own thing detached from prior shows. Divorcing it from any other continuity allows for more creative freedom with the characters, and that's the most interesting aspect of this show thus far. Heck, they could even change Bruce's origin story or his motivation for becoming the Batman; maybe his parents are still alive but some other tragedy touched his life at a young age leaving a profound impression. Perhaps changing the family dynamic such that Bruce's parents are cold and aloof businessmen and social elites who alienate their precocious son who finds solace in a fatherly Alfred. Alfred is murdered while protecting his young charge during an outing (ironically with Bruce buying a Christmas gift for his detached parents to try and curry attention and favor). Bruce grows up with that void and an ever-growing separation from his family but uses his genius to make his own way forging a rival company to his parents, eventually surpassing them. But Alfred's loss remains heavy on Bruce and the Batman is born out of that grief. Perhaps his parents are the first corrupt people the Batman takes down. With his parents in prison, Bruce then takes over the Wayne Foundation, the manor, and establishes his Batcave. I just made all this up off the cuff, but I wouldn't mind seeing this revised story in a new telling of the Batman story. 

12 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

So about that...

Here, in the middle, we have Sword Dancer, Dr. Wu's take on Slamdance.  My first thought would be that the G1 toy used a darker gray- here it's light enough to mistaken for white, the way Streetwise often is.  His face is also a bright metallic pink, where the G1 toy was simple the same shade of red plastic used elsewhere.  To be clear, I think Dr. Wu did release Sword Dancer with a darker gray and an unpainted face, but I dragged my feet so long that I was happy enough to find any color available, and frankly, this is close enough.  Although, even if I had got the more accurate one, there's still a big difference in that Sword Dancer has gray hips and blue thighs, and the G1 toy was the other way around.  On the other hand, his torso is filled out a lot better and he seems less skinny than the G1 toy.  And he scales nicely with Dr. Wu's own version of Squawkbox, just a bit taller than Rewind.

The back view is a bit less put-together than the front, but to be fair, it's not worse than the G1 toy.  And to be totally fair, I should mention that the one flap dangling on the back of his head actually can be folded up, I just forgot to and didn't feel like reshooting these pictures.  Sorry!

I'm going to say that Sword Dancer comes with these three gun accessories.  You could argue that he actually comes with five; the missiles on the sides of his head are just pegged in and can come off.  In theory, though, they don't have be removed for transformation while the above three do.

Sword Dancer's head is on a ball joint, but due to the shape of it you're not really going to get tilt, just swivel, and even then there can be clearance issues.  His shoulders have hinges that give him over 90 degrees of lateral movement.  Those hinges are on ball joints, with the socket in his chest.  The ball joints give him shoulder swivels and forward butterfly joints.  His biceps and wrists swivel, and his elbows bend 90 degrees.  No waist swivel.  Ball-jointed hips go 90 degrees forward, backward, and laterally.  And while he does have some swivel around the ball joints, he's got dedicated thigh swivels just above his knees, which bend 90 degrees.  His feet are on ball joints, with the socket in the leg instead of the foot.  This gives him tremendous upward foot tilt, but nothing really down.  It also provides an ankle pivot, but a fairly limited one.  Still, I'm not inclined to complain too much when it's all far more articulation than Hasbro gave to any of their cassettes, even the Studio Series Core-class ones.

Sword Dancer's hands don't have any way to hold accessories, but the finned guns plug into his forearms.

Meanwhile, the other gun has a tab on it that fits into a slot on either shoulder, then the barrel folds over the top of his shoulder.  This is fairly similar to how the G1 toy worked.

Speaking of how the G1 toy worked, Slamdance was the combined form of two other cassettes, Raindance (a jet) and Grand Slam (a tank).  And so, too, is Sword Dancer made up from Traveler Plane and Patriot Tank.  Here we're getting a bit more departure from the G1 toy.  Traveler Plane is probably the easier to get from legs to jet; bend the legs backward at the knee, then correctly the actual knee.  Slide his toes in, turn the feet 180 degrees, and fold them up onto the shins.  Turn his legs at the thigh swivels so that the feet are touching, then take the gray chest and swivel it 180 degrees so you can tab it onto his legs.  Then you just fold out the wings and stabilizers.  The two guns that were on Sword Dancer's arms plug into each other first, then they plug into the top of the jet. 

Patriot Tank isn't much more difficult.  Fold the bulk of his head over his face, then unfold a few flaps from it.  You have to twist a few joints in his arms to get the treads all lined up, then you use the ball joints to swing the arms in front of his chest, using one of the flaps from his head to tab everything together.  The shoulder cannon slides onto a tab to form the turret and barrel.  As I mentioned before, in theory the missiles on the sides of his head don't need to be removed for transformation.  In practice, though, they'll pop off the minute you start manipulating him, so it might be better to set them aside and put them back on when you're finished.

Traveler Plane and Patriot Tank have a bit more liberties taken than Sword Dancer.  Traveler Plane's gray hips mean the intakes are gray instead of blue, and he's got actual vertical stabilizers instead of raised edges on the chest piece.  The wings have a white stripe, and there's no cassette holes.  The lack of holes means that they're not available for the guns to plug into, so he can't carry one under each wing the way G1 Raindance can.  As for Patriot Tank, he's got visible, painted treads along the sides.  And where G1 Grand Slam had a raised section with his weapons piled on top of it haphazardly, Patriot Tank's raised section has the turret attached to the front and the missiles on the sides.  As @M'kyuun noted, their individual modes are better executed than the Dr. Wu Squawktalk and Beastbox, but I'd go one step further and suggest that they're a bit more coherent than the G1 toys as well.  Traveler Plane reminds me a bit of a Gundam Core Fighter, and Patriot Tank looks more like a tank than a pile of boxes with a bunch of guns on top.

Going from jet to tape is super easy for Traveler plane.  Put his feet back into their robot mode position, but leave the toes pushed in.  Instead, flip out some tabs on his heels.  Straighten his actual knees, fold in his wings, then make him do a split at the hips.  Swing the chest panel back around and it'll latch onto those heel tabs, then just fold the vertical stabs over the chest.  Patriot Tank isn't actually more difficult, you just have to take a bit more care to make sure you've lined everything up right.  Swing the arms back out to his sides and lift the turret back up halfway, so it's sitting above his face instead of behind it.  Rotate both arms 180 degrees at the ball joint.  Now, fold his entire head back, and his arms forward at the ball joint.  That'll give you the clearance you need to bend the arms 90 degrees at the shoulder hinges, then 90 degrees back at the ball joints.  If you did it right, the arms should tab into the guns on the sides of his head, most of the treads lined up on the side with his exposed face.

I don't know if there's much a point for me to mention that Traveler Plane and Patriot Tank's "tape" modes don't much resemble G1 Raindance and Grand Slam's.  To be fair, I don't think Hasbro's own Siege/Legacy/Studio Series tapes are going to pass for microcassettes, either.  The important thing is that, yes, either of them can fit into Kingdom/Studio Series Blaster or Twincast, though only one at a time, of course.

Dr Wu is definitely doing us a service here, releasing Siege/Legacy/Studio Series-compatible cassettes for Blaster and Soundwave that Hasbro seem unlikely to ever get to, especially since Slamdance and Squawbox weren't in the cartoon.  And Sword Dance is a pretty good value, too- he's made of two tapes, and cost only a little more than two of Hasbro's Studio Series tapes, and better articulation too boot.  And, as mentioned, Sword Dancer is a definite improvement over their Squawkbox.  If you want a complete set of tapes, I can definitely recommend Sword Dancer as a stand-in for Slamdance.  However, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that they feel a bit delicate compared to the official tapes, with a few annoying tolerance issues that I'd find unacceptable in larger, more expensive figures.  All-in-all, good enough that I'll definitely pick up Dr Wu's Slugfest and Overkill when they come out, but flawed enough that I'm more excited for the Doctor's other upcoming Micromaster-sized Transformers like Wheeljack, Cyclonus, Bumblebee, and Megatron.

Nice review, Mike. 'Preciate the shout-out. As you and anyone who 's been reading my posts for a while knows, I'm a cassette bot fan. I love your wording: Dr. Wu is most certainly doing us a service, as most of these non-main character cassette bots wouldn't see the light of day under Hasbro, and moreover, not at the levels of articulation that Dr. Wu gives them. They're not perfect; most of them lack the reel holes that are the signature feature of a cassette as well as any cassette deco. However, they are rectangular wafers resembling the basic shape of a mini microcassette (since Hasbro made the stupid decision to make the Legacy cassettes smaller than the real-world scaled microcassettes from G1 and the MP line) that, as Mike demonstrated, can fit in either the most recent mainline Blaster's or Soundwave's chest cavities. Given their scales, and the fact that most of us generally keep our cassettes in their bot/vehicle modes, it's forgivable. Moreover, there's a dearth of options here, so for now it's Dr. Wu or bust if you desire to have these other cassette characters in your collection. For my money, they could certainly be worse (ahem Hasbro's official cassettes) so I'm glad that these exist and I vehemently hope that Dr. Wu will continue to work his way through all these peripheral cassette characters and eventually get to the core cast of Ravage, Rumble, Laserbeak, Frenzy, Buzzsaw, Ramhorn, Steeljaw, Rewind, and Eject. I will say, however, despite my criticism of Hasbro's cassettes thus far, Eject was done well and I hope the upcoming SS86 Steeljaw turns out well, too. Regardless, at this point I feel that Wu's would be superior to Hasbro's takes.

On the flip side, I've been collecting MMC's full-sized cassette bots and I've been pretty impressed with most of them (their condors were so-so, mostly b/c of the way the outer wings are overlapping panels that hold together via magnets). One of the coolest aspects of these figures is that the old chrome add-on weapons are generally integrated into the cassette mode either by transformation engineering or just tucking away seamlessly. Articulation is excellent, presentation in cassette mode holds true (they all have their requisite reels) although some are a little light on deco. The most recent release was their take on Steeljaw, which once again cemented MMC's reputation as masters of plastic origami at this scale. I'm hopeful for a Ramhorn to follow, and honestly, all the cassette figs from core to peripheral. The only drawback to these guys at this scale is the lack of a Soundwave or Blaster that can accommodate them in cassette mode, but that would require those figs to be larger than current MP scale. However, for what MMC brings to the table in the form of these detailed, transformable, highly-articulated versions of the old G1 cassette bots, which scale well with current MP figs in their bot modes, the lack of a similarly scaled Blaster or Soundwave is easily overlooked.

14 hours ago, Bolt said:

I noticed. It's definitely become a Kawamori thing , now.

He was recently, and may even still be, doing the tourist thing in California, posting pics on Instagram. In pretty much every pic, he's throwing up the Dyson YF-19 hand sign. Next thing you know, he'll be wearing a life-sized pendant made from a cast of his own hand doing the -19, carry an inkpad in his pocket, and use the pendant to sign autographs, and well, anything requiring his signature. It'll be his Prince move. 😁

4 hours ago, Bolt said:

That's very cool. Interesting aircraft design.

Looks to be inspired by the F-16. 

Kawamori has totally embraced the Isamu Dyson YF-19 pantomime. I wonder if he has that trademarked?

2 hours ago, lechuck said:

Hasbro (thank god!) has nothing to do with this, it is going to be a 100% made by Takara product for their market. Takara is not relinquishing anything or outsourcing toy making to another company here, it's just that they are also cooperating with other designers and implementing their different design aesthetics.

I stand corrected, and appreciate the info, Lechuck. In that case, kudos to Takara for being openminded and embracing collabs. I hope it results in some cool figs, stuff we wouldn't normally see from them or, as in my Seeker suggestion, better executed stuff than they've been doing.

2 hours ago, Radioguy said:

If Hasbro has no input, I wonder if Takara would have the balls to integrate the Gun Robo line into this effort with new models; even if not Megatron. I mean, when even ray gun alt modes like Shockwave's is no longer even allowed via Hasbro, maybe we can get some output through here?

That would be cool. The fact that obvious sci-fi ray guns can't even be realized in Hasbro's lines is just ludicrous. A realistic looking Walther P-38 is understandable, but Shockwave's alt stretches the argument's credibility. I miss the days when nearly anything was fair game as an alt mode.

Bot mode is pretty sharp but I'm not too crazy about the car mode. MMC had a version of this guy as well. I find it interesting that Hasbro is starting to relent on their no-transformation restriction for other parties making Transformers figures: Robosen, LEGO, and now this collaborative approach with other toymakers. With all the talented third parties out there who've been doing it as well or better than Takara, there's a lot of potential for some really cool official toys to come out of this collab.

Hopefully a really well-executed Seeker will come of this, something along the lines of Touch Toys' Carefray, which is one of the most accurate transforming fighter figures to date, an incredible feat of engineering. It sets the bar high, and I'd love to see the same approach with an F-15, an F-35B (complete with lift fan and rotating nozzle for VTOL), or an F-22. I'd really, really love to see a YF-23 done this well, but now I'm just dreaming bigly.

2 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

I dunno, this one could be pretty good. I'm hearing Leader-class '86 Springer, core-class '86 Steeljaw, and some kind of Deluxe-class G1 Bumblebee. And if you're into the old Marvel G1 comics, Straxus.

Oh, well, in that case, interest piqued. Thanks. I'll definitely try to tune in.

On 5/8/2024 at 1:06 AM, WhatBoutMyStar said:

I don't think it's the lack of popularity of Delta compared to Plus in itself (I recall a poll in Japan about 4 or 5 years back showing Delta was actually more popular than Plus). It's that the fans of Delta aren't in the typical demographic who would buy expensive collectible figures/toys, who are typically older and often driven by nostalgia. I remember that poll showing Delta fans being much younger, and I believe it was the only series where more than 50% of the fans were female. Also just from my experience with my own teenage kids and their friends, they simply do not care about toys and figures like I did growing up. They are more interested in their electronic devices and streaming/social media. Given the crowd sizes at Walkure concerts, I'm sure more way more revenues have been generated just by ticket sales of Walkure shows alone compared to what Bandai has grossed or will gross from sales of DX 19 and 21 valks from Plus or all of the Delta valks that have been released.

I'm speculating that Bandai realized this and decided it wasn't worth the risk going forward to press on with more DX valks from Delta, especially when the early releases of "hero valks" like the multiple releases of Hayate's 31J and Messer's 31F ended up quickly inundating the aftermarket for below retail price.  Plus, like SDFM/DYRL, falls much more in line with your typical collectors and should be a much safer bet for Bandai in terms of selling DX valks.

Not at all surprised that Delta resonated with a younger, mostly female crowd, especially in Japan. It definitely did not resonate with me, an American retired Veteran in his forties at the time of release. Macross Plus hit home in a big way, as did SDF:M, Macross Zero (those dogfights!), and Frontier for its more mature storytelling, good use of the music/singers, and the lovely VF-25 and variants. M7 didn't really grab me like the others, and not until I was already halfway through. Couldn't stand useless Basara and hated most of his songs. The VF-19 was wasted on him. I also didn't like that Max and Milia were split up- such a good team; putting those two characters from the OG series in that situation was just gas on the fire. I hope the next series is more like Plus or Frontier and less like Delta or M7 with at least three new valk designs to salivate over. I like the stories when they're good, but I'm in it for the awesome transforming jets.

Today's kids' focus on electronics and heavily on social media as opposed to collecting toys and figures is just sad.  Toy loving nerds need to take back the world! When the internet goes down, I have plenty of toys to keep myself occupied; I don't need likes and subscribers to give me a sense of purpose or validation. Alas, the situation doesn't bode well for toymakers down the road after all of us 80s kids are gone.

10 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Armada Galvatron and the next wave of Studio Series, likely.

Thanks for posting these, Mike, as otherwise I'd have no idea. That said, more and more, less and less is appealing to me as they move further into Armada and Bayverse. Little sad on the collecting front, but good for my wallet. It's a really good LEGO year, so my funds won't be as stretched. Speaking of which, there's a rumored LEGO Bumblebee coming which I imagine, like Prime, will be based on his G1 toy. No pics yet, unfortunately.

1 minute ago, Radioguy said:

Them doing a Walther alt mode would be amazing if they are permitted to.

Well, I believe Takara are taking lead on these so they're not under the same restrictions as we and other countries so far as toy gun restrictions go. We would simply have to buy it from Takara directly or another overseas store. I imagine Takara will get around to updating his old G1 self eventually.

11 hours ago, sh9000 said:

Missing Link Bumblebee and Cliffjumper.

The additional articulation would have made me very happy back in the 80s, but I've been spoiled by any number of modern takes on these characters. The old G1 toys just don't look that great to me, even with the added articulation. If they get around to doing Megatron, I might bite, as I never owned G1 Megs. Too, the G1 cassettes if they were to trick them out with better articulation. For the most part, though, I'm happy to leave the G1 toys in the past and embrace modern figs with what I feel are better aesthetics and engineering. However, nostalgia is a powerful draw; I get that. I'm far more drawn to vintage LEGO sets than vintage Transformers, but that passion is the same. There's definitely an audience for these and I hope they're fun and fulfilling as they fill a certain niche in the collection.

12 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I really really do not trust Bandai to do this, after what they did with the Sv262.  There was all the opportunity in the world for them to milk that mold with several more variants, and they haven't even looked at that design since the initial release.

I think there's definitely a little more potential with M&M releases.. but we've seen how enthusiastic they've been about getting us the M&M DX VF-1s.  I'm not holding my breath.  

The DX Sv-262 is a PITA to transform. I managed to transform it to battroid and that's how it has remained. I don't think I ever reattempted going back to fighter. The majority of it wasn't too bad, but those wing armatures were no fun. Since I display my valks in battroid, I'm good.

I venture the opinion that Macross Plus is more popular than Delta (will ever be), and so, too, the two primary valks (although I have a soft spot for the VF-11, a lovely design in its own right and a valk that gets too little love). If initial sales of the YF-21 are good, I think Max and Milia versions will follow at a minimum. However, we already know this toy is going to be a mixed bag, as we've already exhausted many pages airing our grievances of which Bandai seemingly did little to nothing to fix since the unveiling in 2019. Desperation for a new toy is driving the acquisition of the YF-21 for many, myself included, but I'm not blind to its faults, either. If it's a solid toy with a non-frustrating transformation, good tolerances, and overall good quality, I think it'll soften some the more questionable design flaws, at least make them a little more tolerable. However, given the amount of critique this thing has already suffered, any misstep in quality or build is going to deep six this toy due to the umbrage onslaught. I'm sure Bandai's fully aware of the criticisms, but they're betting on the fandom's desperation. The fact that all this feedback is out there and yet nothing really changed for the better indicates that they're happy to one-and-done with this mold. FWIW, I hope it's a solid toy. Shitty backpack design aside, I've been pretty content with the battroid mode since the proto was unveiled in '19, so for my display purposes, it does the job. That said, I don't really handle my high-end toys, but for those who like to mess with them, the build quality, tolerances, and aesthetics are going to be far more meaningful; failing these criteria, I don't see much of an afterlife for this toy in repaints. If it sucks, the internet won't hold back.

I was very much hoping that Bandai's DX would inspire Arcadia to take another crack at the YF-21. Even if they only did a partial retool of the Yamato to bulk up the legs, it would be the improvement I desperately desire. In all other regards, it's about as close to perfect as humanly possible. I'll take a chubbier jet mode if it means the battroid is more proportional, and hopefully the hips would be on ratchets this time around. The best thing about Arcadia is their genuine passion for Macross; it comes through in their toys, the little touches. I think a new YF-21 release from them would smoke Bandai's DX. Shame they didn't capitalize on the opportunity. In that absence, I feel we the fans lose.

On 5/5/2024 at 12:40 PM, Uxi said:

T-bar broke  on my Yamato YF-21 so will probably never transform it again from fighter.  Gamlin VF-22 seemed ok last time I transformed a couple years ago.

Liking the exrra tampo printing so probably getting this. Hope they'll do the Max VF-22.

Considering there's money to be made from milking a mold, I'm sure we'll see every possible variant.

Sorry to hear about your Yammie's breakage. At least you can display it in fighter, which is its best mode.

Stoked for the B:TAS Batmobile,, another grail realized. The choice of dark blue as opposed to black is unexpected, but I can live with it. I wish the Batmobile itself had some pop-out gadgetry of some sort, even the hood guns like the '89 Batmobile, but as far as capturing the look of the car from the show, it's pretty dead on. The only Batmobile left that I'd love to see in an official set is the Arkham Knight version. Oh, and perhaps the Batman Beyond version as well. Fingers crossed.

Glad to see villains other than the Joker in this set; however, given how large a role Joker played throughout the series, I hope we'll get a B:TAS Batwing with Joker, Penguin, and Catwoman.  Nightwing and Batgirl sets would also be welcome with Poison Ivy, Two-Face, and Scarecrow. Needless to say, I hope they're just getting started with Animated Series sets.

The Nolan Batman with Batpod is another pleasant surprise. There was a limited edition Batpod set released a few years back which sold out very quickly; I missed out on it and have lamented it since. There have been no other Batpod sets released until now and I'm itching to get a copy.  I love that the buildable Batman can ride it. If they make a Dark Knight Rises Catwoman, that'll be pretty cool, too.

There've been a lot of summer sets revealed. Some notables:

City has been expanding beyond its boring focus on Police and Fire sets with some interesting and inventive sets, and this one stands out notably for its inclusion of a scaled down but instantly recognizable version of the Exo-Force Stealth Hunter from 2006. Admittedly, the set as a whole doesn't interest me much, but man would I love to have a whole series of those mini-EF mecha as stand-alone sets.

For some reason, car transport tractor trailers have always fascinated me. This set really hits home for me, as it's just so well executed both aesthetically and functionally. However, while I'm not a car guy, that tricked-out 50s car kinda steals the show. 

Speaking of aesthetics and functionality, construction makes a return this year:

While the mobile crane is impressive, I intend to pass on it; however, that excavator is a must! Love all the faux hydraulics (even simulated hoses running over the top of the main boom) throughout all three parts of the digger arm. The cab is beautifully realized, and the cabin window even has safety bars. I hope there are more like this coming in the fall wave. This beggars for an articulated dump truck and perhaps a heavy bulldozer or an articulated front-end loader.

Cargo is one of my favorite City subthemes and I've enjoyed collecting a number of cargo ship sets over the years. However, this set is a departure from previous sets as the ship's hull is not a large single hull piece that floats, but a return to brick-built like the old 80s and 90s sets. The ship is also quite small relative to previous cargo ship sets. However, what the ship lacks in scale, the entirety of the set makes up for in atmosphere and charm. While I prefer the boats to float, I have to admit this set is warming my heart.   

This year's City Jungle Explorer subtheme sees the return of Johnny Thunder, LEGO's answer to Indiana Jones in the Adventurers series which ran from 1998-2003 and saw Johnny tackling everything from mummies in Egypt, scorpions, dragons, and yetis in the Orient, to Dinosaurs. Johnny's return is a little more grounded as he explores the jungle. Notable this year are the introduction of an adult and baby gorilla as well as a red panda. 

I'm quite taken with that helicopter, especially the cockpit section. Nice-looking Chinook-inspired heli.

Space is ever popular and LEGO is leaning into it this year:

Not only did the designers capture the look of the Apollo rover with all of its instruments bristling, but it even folds up like the real vehicle to fit in the Lunar Module. Too bad there's not a scaled version of the LM to squeeze this into. Now that would be a big, impressive set.

Speed Champions returns this summer with three new sets:

I saved the best for last. While the first two I pictured are just meh to me, the Lamborghini V12 Vision from the 2020 Gran Turismo Sport game is such a stunningly beautiful and complex design. I had my doubts they'd tackle it, but I'm sure glad they did. It's not perfectly accurate, especially the shape and size of the front part of the canopy but considering the medium and the scale they're working in, it's a really good capture. I'd love to see Speed Champions tackle other media like tv cars (K.I.T.T.) and anime: The Mach 5 and the Asurada from Future GPX Cyber Formula. 

As they've been doing for the last couple of years, LEGO's releasing yet another large elaborate Marvel set that's both playset and display piece. 

And in the mecha realm, these two have caught my eye. The first is Cole's Titan Dragon Mech. Once again, Ninjago gives us a large, lovely anime-styled mech with decent articulation (even knees!).

The second mech of note has a completely different aesthetic, but no less interesting (at least to me). From LEGO's Dreamzzz theme, this is Mateo and Z-Blob the Knight Battle Mech. For those who've not seen Dreamzzz, Z-Blob is a gelatinous dream creature created by a kid named Mateo. With Mateo's creative power in the Dream World, Z-Blob can change forms, usually adopting a robot suit. 

This new mecha is a nice upgrade. Moreover, most Dreamzzz sets have a 3-1 feature where the main model is partially rebuilt or modded, and the same is true for this one. 

My only gripe is that the articulation suffers due to the use of those round curvy trans yellowish-green elements which are meant to represent Z-Blob's exposed extremities between the armor bits. It makes for a cool look but hinders the pose-ability. Nevertheless, I find all the models appealing, and though I rarely do so, I may end up building all three configurations.

There are so many more sets coming; I just picked a few that appealed to me. Looking forward to picking these and others up as summer approaches. Lots to look forward to. 

7 hours ago, 26662 said:

He’s got an impressive cock-pit.

That he does.😄