M'Kyuun

On 10/8/2024 at 10:10 AM, mikeszekely said:

Rathalos Prime is available to preorder on Pulse. 

@Tking22

Not familiar. What is this this guy from? Looks like a D&D crossover to me.

19 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Nearly five years ago, I said I was "blown away" by Earthrise Leader-class Optimus Prime.  I acknowledged the toy's flaws, but also talked about how excited I was to have that much accuracy in a mainline Optimus Prime toy, the first mainline G1 Optimus to come with a trailer and repair drone (even if it was missing Roller).  Despite my praise for the figure, I started buying accessories to improve the figure.  Stickers added the missing yellow to the crotch, the lackluster paint on trailer stripes, and added color to the repair drone's cockpit.  Multiple kits replaced his rifle with a more proportional one, replaced the weird shield door on the trailer with a more G1-accurate one, added Roller, added the supports for the command deck, etc.  Meanwhile, other issues, like the gray plastic on the insides of Prime's legs, the visible wheels, and the lack of fuel tanks on his legs were left unaddressed.

Now... what if, instead of buying a $50 figure and then dumping a ton more money into upgrades... we simply had bought a Prime with a higher initial price tag that benefitted from a larger development in the first place?  I supposed the result would be Studio Series 86 Commander-class Optimus Prime.

Wow... just, wow.  OK, given that accuracy to the '86 movie is the objective, I'll note that he's got white pants and more of a flat gray for the stripe around his ribs, on his face and forehead, and on his toes rather than silver, and the vents on his shins are more like molded details than actual vents.  These things might not be my personal preferences for an ideal Prime, but they're still an A for this assignment.  The proportions are less svelte than the Earthrise toy, bringing that cartoon chunk.  The molded triangles and lines on his forearms are spot on, and he's even got the little triangles on his shins... so it kind of pains me to point out that the molded details on his thighs are actually not accurate.  There's also a tiny bit of red poking out from behind his shins.  To be fair, you can probably use a little alcohol to remove a line of paint from the part behind his shin without affecting anything.

Whereas all six of Earthrise Prime's wheels were visible, none of them are showing on SS86.  The backs of his legs have that sloped shape the cartoon did, plus he's got his missing fuel tanks.  The blue on his crotch wraps the entire way under and around to his butt.  His smokestacks are taller, and not marred by peg holes.  I'd say the elephant in the room is probably his backpack, which is giving me MP-44 flashbacks.  It's a little large, yes, and gappy in ways that are definitely not cartoon accurate, but I think it's still better than the wheels on the back of Earthrise Prime.

Actually, scratch that.  The backpack's not too bad, the real elephant is Prime's size.  We've been told since Siege that Hasbro has been paying attention to scale, but suddenly Siege/Earthrise Prime are too short?  Too be fair... yeah, kind of?  I think SS86 actually does scale better with most of the Autobots released in the last five years, and SS86 Prime is now about the same size as Galvatron.  However, this does mean that Prime is taller than Siege/Earthrise Megatron, which is not ideal.  Thankfully we're supposedly getting a Leader-class SS86 Megatron next year, which I'm sure will address the height difference with Prime... while simultaneously making Megatron too big for Soundwave, Shockwave, and the Seekers.  I guess it's a good thing that Soundwave and all six Seekers also appeared in the '86 movie.  I have a feeling that upgrades are inevitable.

We're not here to talk about potential SS86 Seekers, though, we're here to talk about Prime.  The bump to Commander didn't just make for a slightly taller, more accurate Optimus.  Some of that budget went to accessories.  Prime's got his trailer/command deck, which is much larger and has a proper ramp door but is as disappointingly barren inside as the Earthrise trailer.  Where are the blue consoles?  We again have Prime's ion rifle, with much better proportions and a nice coat of gunmetal paint.  We've got a Matrix of Leadership, and... actually I think it's the exact same one that Earthrise Optimus came with.  We've got a repair drone.  It's larger than the Earthrise one, accurately done this time with both blue and gray plastic instead of all gray, with a translucent cockpit door, just one arm, and an antenna, making it more accurate to the G1 toy than the Earthrise one.  Then, going beyond the Earthrise toy, we've got an Energon axe and some orange effects parts, plus we've got Roller.  While I prefer a blue Roller, silver does better match the maybe two episodes it appeared in the cartoon.  Roller is larger and less hollow than the one that came with the Centurion Drone.

The trailer has landing gear for staying upright without a cab, but also the side underride guards that were missing from the Earthrise trailer.  Like the MP and G1 toys, the underride guards can swing out to help support the sides of the trailer when it's in command deck mode.  Unlike the MP version, there's no mechanism that automatically lowers the feet as you swing the guards out, instead you have to twist the ends 90 degrees.

Side note, while we're looking at it... yes, I prefer the blue stripes on the trailer.  But the trailer is more screen accurate without the blue, so I can't actually criticize the choice.

I'd already shown that the trailer does in fact open up into the command deck, but I'll mention that you can still stand it up, and the drone does still attach to the end oppose the trailer door.  When the trailer is up like this the repair drone can do, well, repairs on Prime.  Or you can lie it back down and the drone is an AA gun.

The cockpit on the drone opens, and it can plug into Roller to drive around outside the trailer.  There's three hinges in the stem of the drone, a swivel for the antenna to fold down (but no swivel for it to spin around), a swivel for the arm's "shoulder" and "bicep", a hinged elbow, and a hinge in one of the claws so it can open and shut.  The spots where the missiles would go on the G1 toy have little nubs that are compatible with some of the effects parts.

Roller can also roll around without the drone.  You could instead plug in Prime's rifle, which is also compatible with the blast effects.  If you still have some, Roller's seats can accommodate four Titan Masters, though the ones that sit in the back have to face backwards.

Roller's 5mm ports aren't just for attaching Prime's gun or the repair drone.  You can also use one as a hitch so Roller can pull Prime's trailer.

All of Prime's accessories can be stored in the trailer.  The drone plugs in near the front, as I already mentioned, and folds up.  Roller has to notches under it's front end that grab onto two tabs on the front of the drone's base.  There are nubs with clips below them on either side.  The ones closest to the front are for the axe, while the ones next to roller are for the laser beam effects.  There's also tabs near the axe clips that can plug into slots on the sides of Prime's rifle, allowing you to lock it in place as well.

Meanwhile, fold the bumper down and you'll unlock the rear wheels.  You'll find a space between them where you can toss the rest of Prime's effect parts.

Accessories are good and all, but you guys are probably more curious about Prime himself.  So, Prime's head is on a ball joint.  He doesn't have a ton of up/down tilt, but it swivels and he's got decent sideways tilt.  His antenna are separate parts now, and can swivel, though that's really more for transformation.  His shoulders swivel and can technically move 90 degrees laterally, though clearances with his smokestacks and backpack can limit the lateral movement when his arms are raised.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows bend 90 degrees.  His wrists swivel.  In what I believe is a first for a mainline toy, not only are his fingers hinged at the base, but they have a second knuckle as well, plus his index finger is separate from the other three for pointing or to pose as a trigger finger.  His waist swivels.  His hip skirts hinge up to give him 90 degrees forward, backward, or laterally on his hips.  His thighs swivel, and his knees bend about 120 degrees.  His feet can't tilt up, but his toes can tilt downward, and he's got 90 degrees of ankle pivot.  Really, the only things I could wish for are deeper elbow bends and an ab crunch*.

Despite having articulated fingers, Prime's hands are still compatible with 5mm accessories, which is how he holds his rifle.

To use Prime's axe, you have to fold his fists into his forearms like you're going into truck mode, which will leave a peg on Prime's wrist.  You can then plug the axe onto the peg.  While you're playing with gummy translucent orange parts, Prime's smokestacks swivel for no reason except that you might want to pretend that they're guns.  The tips of his smokestacks are even compatible with the beam effect parts (just don't leave them on there, as I've heard that prolonged exposure to the rubbery effect parts can damage the paint).

Most of Prime's accessories will have to go in the trailer when he's not using them.  He can, however, carry his rifle on his backpack.  There are tabs on either side that fit into the same slot that the rifle uses to secure itself into the trailer.  This being a Studio Series release instead of a Legacy one means that Prime doesn't have the abundance of 5mm ports for Weaponizers, Fossilizers, Armorizers, etc.  Aside from his fists, the only ones he has are under his toes.

As for the Matrix, just like Earthrise Prime, you can open the chest on SS86 Prime and wedge the Matrix handles around some tabs you'll find in there.  Unlike Earthrise Prime, SS86 Prime has an additional door that folds down over the Matrix before you close up his chest, similar to what was seen in the movie, though less detailed.  The Matrix is pretty tiny in Prime's hands, but you can take advantage of that finger articulation to pinch his index fingers around the handles.  Plus, Prime's got butterfly joints in his shoulders that serve no transformation purpose.  They're just there so Prime can get his hands close enough together to hold the Matrix.

*You probably thought, "what about butterfly joints?" when I said the only extra articulation I'd wish for was deeper elbow bends and an ab crunch, but Prime had butterfly joints all along.  I was just saving their mention for this part.

Clearly, it's not just that Prime's bigger or has more paint.  There's definitely a higher parts count going on here to help justify the price difference between a Leader and a Commander.  There's even little bits like this, where you have a this extra armor part that fits around the hip joints.

Prime's transformation into truck mode is definitely a more elaborate affair.  If you didn't appreciate the aesthetic improvements a Commander-budget brought, you'll definitely notice it here.  His fists fold into his arms, which then rotate 180 degrees at the bicep and bend backward at the elbow.  The blue part of his butt detaches and folds between his thighs.  The top of his backpack folds up, freeing his backpack to fold away from his back.  He rotates 180 degrees at the waist, then panels on his sides fold up so his chest can rotate 180 degrees back.  Prime's head folds into his back, then another panel that was underneath his head double hinges outward.  His bot-mode grill folds up to hide his face, and his lats double-hinge into the space his grill just vacated.  The flaps on his sides go back down, then his arms do the classic Prime transformation to tuck in.  Meanwhile, back on the front side, the back of his backpack unfolds to the sides so you can fold the backpack further down, revealing the bottom half of the cab.  The grill opens so you can fold out the rest of the grill, then the whole thing hinges up under his chest to fully complete the front of the cab.  Panels on the sides open then fold up to fill in the sides of the cab.  His shins wrap around to the insides of his legs, similar to MP-10's, and a tab swings out from between his left heel and toes while a matching slot folds out from his right foot, allowing you to tab the legs together.  The toes fold down, and you lift the skirts on his butt up, then his hips and crotch detach from the front of his pelvis and swing backward.  The top of the backpack can fold into the space his crotch and hips left, tabbing in between the front wheels.  His calves fold up, plugging into the back of the cab as well as plugging into and covering his thighs, which also frees his heels to fold down.  Finally, the sides of his legs swivel at the fuel tanks, with the part running down his leg below the tank spinning 180 degrees to fill in the bottom of the cab under his arms between the front wheels and the fuel tank, then his rear wheels fold out from the insides of his legs.

I might again decry the lack of a silver stripe on the cab, or point out the molded but unpainted windshield wipers, but there's that pesky cartoon accuracy.

It's not all cartoon accuracy, though.  Whereas, even in the '86 movie, Prime's truck mode is largely devoid of detail, the designers of this toy seemed to look at MP-44 for inspiration.  There are the aforementioned molded windshield wipers, plus a number of rivets and the intake vent, orange paint on the marker lights on the roof, silver wing mirrors, and the rectangular double-square headlights.  There are steps on the sides of the cab, and molded doors and handrails.  More steps are behind the rear wheels, and taillights molded into Prime's heels.  It's still not totally accurate to a real truck, but the rear doesn't just look like robot legs chilling out.  Instead we've got a fairly cohesive (and far cleaner than MP-44) area with a molded hitch.  My only real gripes are that the fuel tanks stick out a bit while the real wheels don't, and the back of the cab is still a bit gappy and unfinished.

The molded hitch has a peg hole that you can plug the trailer into.  The bigger cab means that, even though the trailer is bigger, it's still a tad undersized.  However, I think it's far more proportional than Earthrise Prime, where the entire truck and trailer can fit on SS86's trailer alone.  And for those curious, although I didn't take a picture, I did compare it to the G1 trailer.  SS86's trailer is a smidge shorter vertically, but a bit longer horizontally, and almost the same width.

Prime and his trailer roll, and there's enough clearance for Prime to make tight turns with the trailer... which I'm realizing that I'm only now giving you a proper look at the rear of.  As you can see, more accurate molded doors, painted taillights, and a proper bumper.  The doors don't open like a real truck (or MP-10's), they just fold down like the G1 toy's, which is fine.  The interior of the trailer is wide enough for most Deluxe cars to fit into- I had no issues with Earthrise Sideswipe and Prowl or SS86 Jazz, but be aware that a few like Armada Hot Shot here are a bit too wide.

In case you were wondering, yes, SS86 Prime can pull the Earthrise trailer, and vice versa.  The 86 trailer doesn't look too bad with the Earthrise cab, if it would only sit back a bit further.  SS86 Prime looks ridiculous with the Earthrise trailer, but that's not the point.  The real point is that other figures like Kingdom Huffer that could pull the Earthrise trailer can still pull the SS86 one.

There's nowhere on Prime's trailer to stow any of his accessories, so again, it's fortunate that we have the trailer for that.  However, there are some effect parts that are meant just for alt mode; the one that store in the cubby under the trailer rather than in it.  You combine them to make two bits with flat bases and tabs on the top.  The tabs fit into these slots next to the front wheels, so Prime can recreate that scene from the movie where, after mowing down a few Decepticons, he jets into the air to transform and gun down a few more before landing.

There's one last thing that needs mentioning.  As far as I know, every copy of SS86 Prime is misassembled. Basically, his heels are swapped.  It's almost not noticeable in robot mode, and barely even then in truck mode.  You could probably ignore it, but it's the kind of thing that once you know it's there it might bug you.  Fixing it isn't supposed to be too difficult, but it will require removing two pins to take the heels off, turn flip them over, and then swap them to the other feet.

Oh, one final thing... over then months ago, when the existence of this figure leaked but we didn't know anything about it except it was a Commander, I said:

Aside from the upper body transformation being like MP-10's (not that it's like ER's either), boy, did I nail that or what?

Anyway...

40 years after The Transformers debuted Takara celebrated by giving us the toy from 40 years ago, but with better articulation.  Meanwhile, Hasbro celebrated by giving us the most cartoon-accurate Optimus Prime toy to ever hit a regular retail line.  No, it's not perfect, and I did point out a few nitpicky flaws.  And, yes, a Commander-class toy is significantly mor expensive than a Leader-class one, which is going to rub some people the wrong way.  That being said, SS86 Prime is a brilliant figure that addresses the flaws I had with the Earthrise figure that I already loved, as well as some more flaws that I didn't know I had.  Given Hasbro's propensity to keep the money-making characters in rotation I'm hesitant to say that this is the definitive mainline G1 Optimus toy, but this is the first one that makes me feel like I don't need for there to be a newer, better one down the road, and I don't need to shop for some kind of upgrade kit to address my quibbles.  If you're a fan of G1 Transformers, buy this toy.  Simple as that.

Very comprehensive and enjoyable review, Mike. As to your prognostication skills, pretty much right on the money with this guy. I love the Earthrise fig, and while I didn't invest as much in decoing my copy, I did apply some paint and an upgrade to the trailer to bring it a tad closer to true and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. That said, as close as this is to an ideal mainline Prime (def the best G1 incarnation since, well, G1), it's not quite perfect. And thanks to SS86, no longer the most accurate.

That said, there are still things it does that I like better than SS86- the silver painted and molded shin vents, the painted wipers, I prefer the way its feet taper down in truck mode (purely subjective, but I think it looks better), the cab's silver stripe, and the bot's smaller backpack minus the butt wheels. Despite my nitpicks, SS86 is absolutely a leap forward, and honestly, a bit of paint or some stickers will remedy most. I do wish they would have condensed the backpack down to the size and shape we see in the movie and toon. Magic Square did it perfectly with both their recent legends and MP scaled Primes, both of which I consider the pinnacles of Optimus Prime toys in their respective size classes. As you said, I don't think Hasbro or Takara want to create an absolute perfect representation as that will preclude the need for future toys, so a few flaws are acceptable. In my mind, the 90- degree limited elbow bend at this scale and price point as well as his chonky backpack bring this down from a perfect 10 to a solid 9, but in all other considerations this is certainly the most well-designed and accurate G1 toon-inspired official Optimus Prime toy outside of MP-44. How I wish the technology and mindset had been present forty years ago to put this on shelves instead of the Diaclone toys we got. Outside of the core fig, I'm glad to see as much attention given to the trailer, as it's an intrinsic part of his alt mode, even if it will eventually be chucked aside as a dust collector along with ER Prime's, Volvo Prime's and Rodimus' trailers. My biggest fear is that after dropping $90 on this version Hasbro will release a toy version with all the apropos paint, stickers, and perhaps retooled shins with molded vents. I really don't want to drop another $90 on a fig I already have, but to have it with all those additional details would be sorely tempting, as that's really the version I crave. I guess we'll see. I'm still waiting on BBTS to get their shipment in- I think they exist in a slower timestream than the rest of us, so excruciatingly slow is their receipt of items to fill orders. My anticipation is pretty high for this guy so I hope it ships soon.

On 9/29/2024 at 6:37 PM, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

I took my boys out for this one, and they had a blast.  I liked Pax's "hero shot" that called back to the '86 movie as Prime leaps in the air while using his blaster, and of course Elta's jab saying that Pax neither has "the touch or the power" 

Yep, I caught both of those references, too. 😄 Guessing the writers Barrer and Ferrari are fans given all the references, knowledge of the lore, and characters across the franchise. 

It's a really well-done Transformers film, and I think more fans owe it to themselves to check it out. It's unhampered by human antics, focused purely on  Cybertronians and Cybertron, and serves as a prequel to all that came after, at least in one corner of the multiverse. Speaking presciently, I think it'll be looked upon kindlier over time, just like the '86 film.

I had no interest in the Amazon two-pack, but wow, that Ruckus is a pretty impressive retool from the standpoint that one could be forgiven for not recognizing it as such. I wish more  retools were that extensive.

On 9/29/2024 at 10:58 PM, mikeszekely said:

Dang, I should have waited before I bought 4 of them.

Welcome to my world where I consistently miss deals and sales and generally always pay full price. The ouch is ouchier when you multiply it by four, though. Sorry, Mike.

My wife and I went to see it today and I enjoyed it. I'm sure I probably missed a few, but I enjoyed the peppering of references and use of characters from other continuities beyond G1. There were certainly liberties taken with the lore, but ultimately it was an easy story to follow, and it made sense. I think it had greater impact beginning as a buddy film and showing the rift grow as D16 becomes Megatron. It was full of tropes, but ultimately, I thought it was a fun enjoyable film which I can't say about any of the Bay films.

I can see where a lot of G1 fans might not like it, but it's not meant to be G1. It nods to G1 a fair bit, but it's its own tale, and I thought it was told well enough. The actors all did a good job with their parts, and I think it comes through that they were having a good time as well. I enjoyed the visual language of the film- I couldn't help but think it a precarious technology to have the train track form only feet in front of the train while it's in motion. 

I'm with @TangledThorns in the hopes that there'll be another film or possibly a series. I thought it a fun visit to one universe in the multiverse of Transformers and both my wife and I would like to extend our stay.

21 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

So, I'm pretty sure I already listed leaks for basically the entire Age of Primes line (though I'm not entirely sure what's going in what waves anymore)... at least in the Deluxe, Voyager, and Leader categories (it's possible I didn't get all the Leaders).

I got word today that the Commander-class is definitely Silverbolt.  That's probably not surprising anyone, given that four of the Deluxes were Aerialbots.  But I also got word today that the Titan-class is Star Convoy, and that's a huge surprise.  I thought for sure it'd be something like Animated Omega Supreme or something.

At some point in 2025 we're going to get some G2 Dinobots through Pulse.  It's one product number (G1375).  My source says he's not sure if it's Leaders or Cores, but given that G2 Grimlock is already a mainline retail listing for Age of Primes and I really don't see Hasbro releasing a $275 five-Leader boxset the safe money is on Cores, maybe with some of the extra accessories in the Dinoking set.

Walmart will have exclusive "retro-inspired" Deluxes, Brawn and Seaspray.  Given that they're actually listed as Deluxes I don't think they're part of the same retro line that's been shoving out G1 reissues in cartoon colors.  I'm guessing Brawn is probably the SS86 toy with a new toy-style head, but Seaspray?  Hopefully it's a new mold, and hopefully it doesn't turn out to be a shortpacked nightmare to get like Cosmos was.

As for Target's exclusives, they're going to fall under the Studio Series banner.  SSGE WFC Optimus and Megatron are going to be part of the line, but they have the word "variant" in the listing.  It's not clear what that means, if it's just variant packaging, if they're repaints, or retools.  The other two are listed as Devastation Sideswipe and Devastation Wheeljack.  Again, it's not clear if these are new molds (we know a Deluxe-class Devastation Optimus is also coming, but in the regular retail lineup), or if they're be repaints/retools of the Siege/Earthrise toys.

I hope Silverbolt and the Aerialbots are done better than in the past and that their plane modes are an improvement over the usual box o'bot with plane bits attached, but I have little faith.

I wish they'd done Animated Omega Supreme, but let's face it, any version of Prime is a money maker. The Japanese cartoon toys aren't really my cuppa, but I'm happy for those who've been wanting a Star Convoy for their collections. I had to look him up as I have no familiarity. Easy pass on my part.

I wish they were doing FOC Optimus. Between the two games, the FOC version really struck a chord with me. I still play with my little deluxe, but like the upgraded Legacy WFC fig, FOC Prime needs his due.

Seaspray is the only other thing mentioned that holds any interest for me. As Mike said, hopefully he won't be another short packed fiasco like Cosmos. I get that these store exclusives are money in Hasbro's pocket, but I really wish they'd find another avenue or leave the exclusives for the redecos or less popular characters.

Been reading through these posts and felt I should probably chime in. First and foremost, a magnitude of thanks to both @Test_Pilot_2 and @ChristopherB for your generous compliments on my behalf. You're far too kind and I appreciate it immensely. Too, from one old retired MSgt (USAF) to two fellow vets, an enormity of gratitude for your service and all the sacrifices and high points that a career in the military entails.

@ChristopherB, your work is nothing short of excellent. For my part as a Macross fan, I humbly admit that I wasn't even aware that a GERWALK armor even existed. Moreover, I wasn't aware that a little unsung design company named Matsushiro was behind many of the amazing 80s transforming toys sold through Takatoku. I had to employ my Google-fu, but it was an interesting read (Toybox DX to my rescue). Anyway, for the knowledge of both tidbits to expand my own useless Macross knowledge, I'm ever thankful. As to the Variable Glaug, a unique valk that absolutely deserves a toy, should you ever feel compelled to take it up as a project, I humbly request that you keep me in the loop, as I may have some small interest in such a thing. My thanks and again, brilliant work on your GERWALK armor.  I hope you find a home here on MW.  I've been roaming these halls for probably close to twenty years now, and I've found it an inviting and helpful refuge when some others have become cesspools of invective and negativity. We've managed to maintain our civility in no small part due to @Shawn, @Graham, and the many mods over the years who've cleaned up after us and put those in need into time-out, as it were. Welcome to our little corner of fan(atacism) and I do hope you'll prop up your legs and stay awhile. Cheers!

-Bill (M'Kyuun)

12 hours ago, twich said:

I agree! I cannot wait for the teased VF-19 Kai Fire Valkyrie and a VF-11B or C would be absolutely awesome! The only VF-11 I have ever owned was the First Yamato 1/72 VF-11B. It has long since crumbled and it is being held together by crazy glue in fighter mode. My 16 year old has it now and enjoys it.

Twich

I'm guessing you missed out on the Yammie 1/60 VF-11B, a pretty solid toy and a definite upgrade from their breakage-prone 1/72 toy. Speaking of which, my girlfriend at the time, who's since upgraded to spousal unit for the last 21 years, was present when I first received my 1/72 VF-11 and proceeded to have its right leg, IIRC, snap off in my hand while simply attempting to rotate the leg. This was probably within minutes of removing it from its plastic shell. I was able to disassemble it and affect a lasting repair using a screw and some glue, but that was definitely one of those heart-sinking moments. Another was the day the right arm of my Yamato V2 YF-19 (the one with all the moaning over its gullet) just fell off with no provocation save for gravity. Fortunately, I haven't had any issues like that with any of my other Yammie, Arcadia, or Bandai valks, but I'm always leery to handle them, especially the older Yamato stuff. My wife still mentions the leg coming off my VF-11 from time to time.

I wasn't aware of an upcoming VF-19 Kai; I still have my Yamato 1/60 VF-19S posed prominently on my desk next to Yamato's V3 YF-19, and they look fantastic. Two of Yamato's best toys, IMHO. Not a big fan of the Kai, personally; I didn't care for Basara as a protagonist, or the concept of "song energy", or the use of musical instruments as controls, or the face on the Kai, or the red color, -- well, the list of what I don't like about it is much longer than that of what I do. I love the VF-19's design; however, I prefer it devoid of all the musical nonsense and in better color schemes. I have Bandai's VF-19 advance, and I think it's a really well-done fig. It certainly manifests more ingenuity and care than their YF-21, but I digress. Anyway, if Bandai applies all the nifty solutions they employed with the YF-19/VF-19 Advance to a VF-19 Kai and variants, I'm thinking, cautiously, that they'll probably be pretty good toys.

I just learned of your projects, ImChris5115, and I'll echo the sentiments of the other members: truly incredible and inspiring work. Of course, being a Macross fan on a Macross forum, the inevitable comparison to Kawamori-san's prolific variable fighter designs is both expected and offered as high praise for what you've accomplished with your Types 1, 2, and 3 designs. However, it needs to be said that your battroid styling is a departure from Kawamori's usual designs giving it a uniqueness visually, as well as a complexity and innovative quality that's as intriguing as it is brilliant. Looking forward to these and future projects. Please keep sharing your vision and talent with us.

After waiting a few weeks for other items in my pile of loot to arrive for consolidated shipping, my YF-21 showed up today, and what a beauty. I even like the fighter mode, though I know other members have their reservations in that regard. As a battroid fan, I'm willing to suffer the few indignities visited upon the fighter mode in order to have this: 

What an improvement over the old Yammie! Proportionate legs, tight joints throughout the legs, and throughout the entire battroid on the whole. 👍 Note that my head laser is straight; I was purty anxious about that, but as I slid it out of the box and saw that, much of my anxiety about the fig melted away. I also checked my canopies to see if they had cracks, but nope: everything was intact and in good working order. Like others' copies, the wingtip bits on mine pop off fairly easily, but fortunately they just peg, a little too loosely, back into place. I probably won't handle it a great deal, but if I do get the urge, I may have to wrap a little tape around those pegs to increase the friction a tad without resorting to any permanent modifications. The only negatives I have thus far are the inexcusably too-short main landing gear (there's room for at least a few more mms of gear or they could have made an extending mechanism that allowed for proper ground clearance with or without FAST packs and guns installed); the ugly elbow joints, even if they do offer excellent range of motion; the crappy poseable hands that can barely hold the gunpod (C'mon Bandai, you do much better on your Gundam kits, but you can't do better on a $300+ high-end toy?); the backpack design, with its huge gap and need for a partsforming bracket that could and should have been engineered into the toy itself- it's an extreme low point, again, for a high-end toy that should never have been remotely in consideration let alone employed. Oh yeah, and the need to remove and reposition the pilot and seat in order to affect the proper positions between battroid and fighter modes. Why they couldn't engineer a rotating seat is anyone's guess, as that's a minor issue compared to what they came up with for the foot stowage. Go figure. Gripes aside, though, I love the overall look of it: the blue hue they used looks great, paint apps are sharp, I love all the tampo ( the lack thereof on most of Yamato's and Arcadia's valks still vexes me), the ability to hold a pose unassisted despite that backpack and its distance from the battroid's back (no favors for the thing's center of gravity), all the included accessories to achieve just about any look you desire from the YF-21 (even if there's some heavy partsforming involved, especially for delimiter); and, though it may be controversial, even heretical to some, the truncated belly panels. I never cared for the largely shellformery aspect of the YF-21 and I've long disliked those long panels hanging off the legs. I think the short ones look better and allow the legs to be manipulated without getting in the way. Honestly, like all his other valks, I wish the legs had been visibly incorporated as part of the jet instead of being hidden inside those panels. IMHO, it's one of the weakest aspects of the design beyond Kawamori's liberal use of artistic license to shrink and enlarge proportions between modes to favor each mode without regard to practical realization. It's the bane of toy and model makers, but I'm happy with the balance Bandai struck with this figure. I'm probably in the lower percentile of fans who display their valks exclusively in battroid, but Bandai made this thing for me and my ilk who grew dissatisfied with the gangly skinny legs and instability of the Yamato. I'm glad they decided to release it despite its few shortcomings. I can now fill the void in my Detolf: 

And b/c I'm not a big GERWALK fan, this pic represents the first and last time I'll likely ever put it into this mode, but I will say, it pulls it off well. I even managed to get the poseable hand to hold the gunpod. I wish they'd put a slight bend joint in the butt of the rifle so it didn't hit the arm when being held by the poseable hands. Would've made a slight difference for the better, though those fingers really beggar a second joint to allow them to curl around the grip. All I think of when I see it like this is the scene where Guld's errant thought to push down on Isamu's VF-11 actualizes causing Isamu to crash. A VF-11 to reenact that scene would've made a nice accessory. 😜

On 9/20/2024 at 9:16 AM, RavenHawk said:

Yeah, I was keeping quiet, but definitely remembered that.

 

FWIW, my BGC figs are the only Yamoto items that I legit play with here and there, and not just have as display pieces.

My Linna fig is way too fragile to handle, as her arms fall off at the merest provocation, including gravity. There's just not enough friction generated by the little nubs onto which her arms attach, and I wish they'd mushroom pegged them or found some other more permanent means of attaching them. As for the Motoslave, it's a bit of a fiddly toy, although without Linna inside, it's more fun to handle. I keep Linna inside it for display purposes, so I try not to touch it lest her arms detach themselves. I'd love for Sentinel to do a slightly upscaled version with better joints in the Knight Saber figs. The Motoslave is one of my absolute favorite transforming motorcycle designs, even if, practically, it requires some partsforming. As a motorcycle-cum-mecha-cum exosuit, it's just an elegant, beautiful design and I'd love to have a robust definitive toy or model of it, preferably toy.

Digressed a bit, but back OT, at least generally Mospeada, I'm still loving my Arcadia Proto-Garland, which I got a couple years ago. It was a long-time grail finally procured and I remain enamored with it. I wish they'd been able to realize it without resorting to the truncated Shogo fig like the original Yamato's managed to do, but the Proto-Garland itself is a thing of sheer beauty. As much as I like transforming motorcycles, I've never cared for the Ride Armor design from Mospeada. I think I'd like it better if, like the Motoslave, it was a fully realized and complete exosuit or better, mech, but it's essentially gauntlets and a big backpack for the rider and it just doesn't grab me the same way the Garland or the Motoslave do.

As to the upcoming Tread, looking forward to it and all the intricacies and engineering touches Sentinel brings to the fore, as they did with their incredible Legioss design. I'm still in awe of that figure, as the Legioss was way overdue for an update, but they went beyond mere update and innovated some great solutions resulting in what is easily the best transformable representation of that design. I hope for, and kinda expect at this point, the same in their Tread. So far, just from the marketing pics, it looks to outdo all previous attempts. After showing off their prowess at making incredible transforming toys, I'd love to see them take on Dorvack and BGC designs at some point. Mugen's Calibur and Ovelon's Gazette helicopter are two great designs that beggar for innovative updates, and even if Takara does them as future Roadbuster and Whirl figs, I fear they just won't be faithful to the OG designs with too many liberties taken. I'd really love to see what Sentinel would do with G1 Starscream, but that'll never happen so I can only try to imagine how they'd attempt it if they tried to make his F-15 mode more accurate to the actual aircraft, unlike the obnoxiously atrocious MP-52. 

10 hours ago, tekering said:

As much as it's off-topic here, I can't ignore this:

It appears in both the first and the fourth Bubblegum Crisis OAVs.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled transforming motorcycles. 😉

Oh, wow, I did not remember that at all! The only KS I remember having a MotoSlave was Priss, probably b/c she was most featured with it. Actually, she had two different models if memory serves; the second one had a sentient A.I. IIRC which surprised Priss but proved pretty useful in battle. Been probably 5 or 6 years since I last watched it, and I have trouble remembering what I did ten minutes ago, so thanks for setting me straight and forgive my semi-senility.

The Tread-Legioss connection is cool, but it seems odd, at least to me, that more of the rear of the Legioss isn't subsumed by the Tread for a more homogenized craft overall. That's my take as a LEGO mecha builder and just as a longtime mecha fan. Regardless, that's not what the original designers did and the result, a jet perched somewhat precariously on a thin stick in front of a much larger, oddly proportioned, but cool nonetheless, spaceplane is what we have instead. I'm looking forward to both potential Legioss rereleases (I wasn't aware of the first rerelease) and the release of the blue Tread to go with my lone Sentinel Legioss. My Legioss is a first release, and the shoulders are still incredibly stiff; I wouldn't mind adding the green one to my collection, hopefully with looser shoulder joints. I'd be content with a single Tread, as I've never owned one, I'm super impressed with Sentinel's take on the Legioss, and I feel that their take on the Tread will be no less impressive. Not sure where I'll put the big SOB, but I'll make room somewhere for it. 😁

Gonna have to keep posted to this thread for when POs go up- definitely want to score one of these.

Referring to the MoShow ride armors, let me preface by saying I've never been a fan of the design; I far prefer a bike that becomes a mech like the Garland or the MotoSlave over a fragmenting bike that becomes armor for the rider. That said, for what it is, I think the new takes look pretty good. Still not my cuppa, but from an aesthetics POV, I think they look cool. I'd love to see Sentinel take a crack at the MotoSlave. I have Linna and her green MotoSlave (which she never had in the anime, but whatever😄). I missed the boat on initial release; Priss would've been my obvious first choice, but Linna's was within the realm of affordability, so I got her just to have a copy of the Yammie MotoSlave. It's a fickle toy and Linna's arm's pop off at the merest touch. I'd love to see Sentinel do a slightly upscaled, better articulated, and more robust version with far more solid Knight Saber figs. Digits crossed.

POs are up on Pulse for the TF One figs. Bee's already sold out, but Alpha Trion and Elita-1 are still available. I POed Elita. One.  I notied that Pulse doesn't have the usual range of toy pics for these as they usually do. You get one pic of each mode and that's it, just repeated to fill all the slots usually reserved for action shots and such. Kinda would've liked to see Elita's bike mode from a higher angle, but I generally dig TFs with bike modes, so I plunged.

40 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

I don't think that's entirely fair, because I think it has less to do with Kawamori vs Takara and a lot more to do with what Macross fans want vs what Transformers fans want.  Macross fans want the fighter mode.  Skinny limbs, limited articulation, partsforming, whatever it takes to nail the fighter mode.  Transformers fans, on the other hand, prioritize the bot mode.  Heck, the majority (of which I'm not a part) not only prioritize the bot mode, they want that bot mode to be Sunbow accurate down to the animation errors.  And frankly, it's a lot easier to nail a jet when you start with the Fighter and work backwards to Battroid than it is to take Sunbow's art, which didn't even particularly resemble the toys in the first season, and figure out how to make a vehicle out of it.

There's no contest that a large contingent of Macross fans prioritize the fighter mode. I'm not one of those, as I display all my valks in battroid. It's bit of an irony considering my interest in planes, but no less true. That said, I love the satisfaction of transforming a valk and having a realistic looking jet in my hand with retractable gear, an opening canopy, and sometimes even moving wings or flight controls. It's a feeling I seldom get from transforming a Transformers jet. I'm in the minority of Macross collectors to be sure, but I doubt I'm the only one who enjoys that aspect of collecting the high-end Macross toys. As to articulation, the only real limitation that most valks have is with hip abduction, or "the Van Damme" as Skullface likes to call it. Still, the valks I own can do a decent spread for a suitable A-stance for posing. I can't do the splits myself, and I've never put any of my Transformers capable of it in such a pose so it's less important to me than having a full range in the arms, a feature the majority of my Macross collection enjoys. Most valks, too, have limited or no waist swivel due to how they transform. Again, it's never really bothered me. I appreciate it when they can, but before waist swivel and then ab crunch became popular wants among Transformers fans, neither seemed that important to me personally. I also eschew partsforming, a necessity among many of the High Metal toys, which is one of the reasons I don't collect that line. Although some valks have swappable accessories and weapons, none of the valks in my collection require partsforming to achieve any of the three modes. That'll change soon, however, when I receive my copy of Bandai's DX YF-21, and believe me, I'm not at all happy about the partsforming aspects of the toy, especially for the price. But, I prefer the battroid proportions over the Yamato's and that was the deciding factor.

As a Transformers fan since the beginning, I differ from the crowd who want absolute 'Sunbow accuracy', an oxymoron if ever there was one. I was a fan of the Hasui approach, marrying aspects of both toon and toy into the best amalgamation to represent the character. I like details, textures, greebles and mechanical bits; after all, these are robots so those things are apropos. I think Has/Tak are doing a good job in this vein with the current mainline and SS86 figs, although sometimes they lean one way or the other and I find myself wishing they'd taken a different approach but overall, I'm pretty pleased. Magic Square and Newage have certainly leaned hard into the Sunbow look, although they still manage to throw some G1 toy details in here and there. So far as taking an alt mode like a fighter or a ground vehicle, I can attest from my own experience designing transforming mecha with LEGO that I always start with the alt mode and work towards the bot mode. I'm inclined to think, however, that Takara may take a different approach, at least where jetformers are concerned, as they so rarely even incorporate the arms into the jet and generally, the jet bits, especially forward fuselages, are undersized or otherwise disproportionate. Whatever their approach, more often than not I'm left with a feeling of frustration and disenchantment, especially when so much more care is taken with hiding bot bits in ground vehicle modes. After forty years of collecting Transformers with mostly crappy jet modes, Macross has become my refuge for beautiful transforming jets; it's my primary draw to the franchise although Macross Plus owns me for numerous reasons. It's just a damned excellent anime.

3 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

Have to agree with your earlier thought though, I'd be really curious to see how Takara would approach the subject.

Well, when this is their latest F-15 alt for a masterpiece entry, I have little faith in them. 

That said, MP-03 had a far more accurate F-15 mode thanks to Kawamori's inputs. The bot mode suffered, but the F-15 looked good, which illuminates the variances in philosophy between Kawamori's  Macross and Takara's Transformers designs. Diaclone, too, which Kawamori had a hand in designing, also had a heavier focus on the vehicle modes, as originally, they were conceived of as vehicles that turn into robots instead of the other way around. The Top Gun crossover, Maverick, borrowing a bit from the VF-1, is another notable entry as well as the Generations deluxe Scourge which was inspired by the Boeing X-48 blended wing concept. The latter is one of my all-time favorite aircraft alt modes and my favorite version of Scourge. I also like the recent Dreadwing Prime homage, which also borrows a little from Macross design, burying the arms within the fighter mode and using the legs to form the fuselage and engines. Animated's Lugnut, even with his toony proportions, and the inspired excellent main line voyager figure in 2010 are rare examples of Takara's producing incredible non-fighter aircraft that hide the robot mode exceptionally well. 2010 was a good year for retro Transformer plane designs, as we also got the P-38 Lightning inspired Highbrow. And let's not forget 2009's RotF's Ransack, a WWI biplane that, at scout class, was really well done and would fly circles, pun intended, around anything in the current core class.

Kudos to Fans Toys , as, to wit, theirs is the only version of Silverbolt that utilizes the Concorde's long fuselage to form the robot instead of consolidating the entirety of the robot into a giant block that's carried by a Concorde fuselage which ends up folding onto blocko'bot's back with no other contribution to transformation. I've long become disenchanted with Superion toys, as they almost all end up following the frustrating old formula of blocky bots with plane parts tacked on or blocky bots underslung under an anemic aircraft fuselage that has virtually no contribution to the bot mode. I give credit to FT for trying to break the formula, but there's still a lot of bot kibble under the wings and their Concorde's side profile looks too short and too fat. perhaps it's the camera angle, but while the top-down pics look alright, that side pic does it no favors.

 Due to their faithfulness to the 80s toys, Fans Toys' take on Skydive finds its F-16 mode also suffering from the need to contain a blocky bot. 

As an aircraft fan and an Air Force retiree who's been around military planes and helicopters throughout his career, I have a jaundiced eye when it comes to transforming aircraft, especially fighters, which have purposefully sleek aerodynamic shapes that are often tossed asunder to favor blocky robot modes. The number of decent aircraft modes created by Takara over the last 40 years is quite small relative to the number of aircraft alt-moded bots they's produced. I tend to gravitate more to Macross, as Kawamori has oft demonstrated his ability to maintain a sleek realistic looking aircraft mode, especially fighters, and yet coax beautiful robot modes out of them. Notable mention to TFC toys for their designs as well as Touch Toys' recent releases. Chinese toy developers, who've long dominated the third-party Transformers market, have established themselves as masters of the genre and these two companies (or is it the same company having undergone a name change?) are proving that a sleek fighter need not be a blocky bot or vice-versa. The fact that they are using licensed military aircraft and producing incredibly realistic and accurate versions of them that transform into interesting and fully articulated robots is nothing short of commendable. Directly or indirectly, I really don't want to support the CCP, but I'd be remiss if I didn't say I was incredibly tempted by these amazing toys. Touch Toys has a transforming Chinese Y-20 cargo plane coming out soon, and I'm very tempted, as cargo planes are far rarer as transforming toys than fighters, for reasons that I think are obvious, and having an affinity for cargo planes, I'm definitely tempted.

And just as a qualifier, this is a transforming cargo plane I built from LEGO about ten years ago. I endeavor to hold myself to the same standards I hold to other transforming toy makers, a task made more difficult due to the limitations of the medium.

I'm critical of transforming plane makers, but I hold myself to the same, if not more scathing, criticism. However, as much as I complain, I'm not totally jaded: there are, as I have enumerated, any number of transforming aircraft designs that are good to great, exceptional even, and I like to point to some of those as counterpoints to my own criticism. I want and wish for better transforming aircraft and it's always a pleasant surprise when something like Has/Tak's Lugnut (both versions) or Touch Toys' Carefray (the Chinese version of the American F-35) comes out and gives hope that good-looking planes without robot kibble spoiling the appearance are still produced from time to time. I wish they got the same love and care as most carformers, but I guess the rarity of the good ones just makes them all the more special and enjoyable.

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I'd give it a pass for being dated if it weren't still apparently the gold standard for VF-1 toys.  Like I said, I like it a lot, but I kind of want to see someone else take a crack at it.  Was kind of hoping ThreeZero might pull that off, but reviews of the VF-1J make it seem like more of a lateral move.

Have you seen Bandai's 1/48 take? I don't own one myself so I can't speak from experience, but it represents a newer take on the old design. It still maintains the thin battroid proportions, however, but I think that just works for the design overall. The toon, like most, tended to exaggerate proportions from mode to mode. Personally, I like it and still love the look of my YamArcadia VF-1s as well.

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

It might sound a bit heretical to the Macross-first crowd, but I think I'm ok with some liberties being taken with the fighter mode to make a better Battroid.  Not the kind of goofy proportions that Unix Square is doing, just better joints (hinges and swivels, no ball joints) and sturdier plastic that isn't so thin in spots.

You're right- it's heretical. 😄 That fighter mode is gorgeous, even today after so many other valks. I wouldn't want to mess with it beyond the super deformed stuff, which has its own charm.  I even own an SD Max version from Kitz Concept. 

9 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

  Still, not a lot of options for CHUG-scale Megatrons that turn into a gun.  Maybe I'll preorder one...

Exactly. I wouldn't hesitate, as there's no guarantee that magic Square will follow suit, although....

9 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Now'd be a good time for Magic Square to swoop in and each NA's lunch on this.  Heck, I'd settle for a fourth party to do an upscale KO of Magic Square's.

You couldn't be more correct and the time more opportune. Moreover, I think Magic Square has crafted the absolutely best transformable G1 Megatron in existence thus far.  He's clean with great sculpting, has a transformation that follows the G1 toy's schema (arms form the back part of the slide, chest forms the slide, legs form the handle), excellent articulation, great proportions. The only knock I can really find against it is that his trigger gives the illusion that he has a little tail. For everything else that's done so incredibly right, I can live with it. I want this in CHUG and MP scales so vehemently. I hope they see what Newage is doing and don't just meet them, but exceed them with an upscaled version to match the SS86 Prime fig.  Honestly, if I had my druthers, I'd take Magic Square's current OP fig upscaled to SS86 scale as well, as I feel they have the best OP fig in existence currently. It's more accurate and better articulated than even SS86 and I'd ecstatically welcome CHUG scaled figs of their OP and Megs for my collection. 

22 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I feel a little weird doing this review... I feel pretty comfortable asserting that I'm pretty knowledgeable about Transformers, both from a fiction/lore POV and regarding Hasbro's output since at least the mid-2000s.  But, while I enjoy Macross and have watched all the shows, I see myself as more of a layman when it comes to the franchise, and I'm just now dipping my toes into the realm of Macross toys.  So here I am with Fugu Toys FG-01 Autobot Air Guardian Jetfire, a toy that I'm approaching as something like a Missing Link Jefire, prepared to review it as a Transformer because that's what it is to me.  I have no other experience with this mold.  And yet, I'm sure a lot of you will recognize this as a KO of Valkyrie Factory's own KO of Arcadia's VF-1S Super Valkyrie, and are likely far more intimately familiar with it than I am.

I'm going to do something a little different than normal, and I'm first going to point out the box.  Because, boy, is Fugu brazen!  They've designed the box to be as close to the original G1 toy as possible.  The artwork is ripped straight from the original, and uses all the same names and logos.  Fugu just removed the barcode, added a "Fugu FG-01" after the "Autobot Air Guardian Jetfire," replaced the product photos, removed the Hasbro and Tatsunoko marks, and stripped all the faction symbols from the art.  Which is why, despite some stores advertising this figure as "God of Flame," I'm not sure that's actually correct.  The box and instructions just say "Autobot Air Guardian Jetfire."  It seems to me that the God of Flame moniker is suggesting that this is actually a KO of the KitzConcept God of Flame, which was also an attempt to do the Jetfire colors but on a different toy.  But, like I said, this isn't a KO KitzConcept, it's a KO of a KO of an Arcadia.  Well... unless Fugu actually is Valkyrie Factory, just flying this one off under a different label in case Hasbro shuts it down.  Because that box is practically daring Hasbro to shut it down.

But I digress.  I think, given that Fugu is working from a different base, they did an alright job capturing Jetfire's deco on the Arcadia VF-1.  The red and black on the chest, shoulders, cockpit area, and leg fins, the red on the thighs, etc, are broadly correct.  He's missing some of the other sticker details from the Jetfire toy, though, like on the toes, while other stickers have been replaced with more typical Macross-style markings, like the mechanical details on the original Jetfire's legs being replaced with a black stripe and "U. N. Spacy" markings.  There's also the black heat shield with the Jolly Rodger, a carryover from the Arcadia toy but not something that's part of the original Jetfire.  If you like, though, it seems like it's fairly trivial to pop the heat shield right off the slider if you want the exposed cockpit that the original Jetfire has.

Like I said, I'm sure a lot of you are more familiar with this mold than I am, but for me it was interesting to see how thin it is.  I know that G1 Jetfire was basically the old Takatoku VF-1S, and I know that those old Takatokus are often referred to as "Chunky Monkeys," but Fugu's Jetfire (and, I suppose, the Yamato/Arcadia VF-1), kind of show off how much anime magic was actually going into giving the VF-1 sleek proportions in fighter mode but heroic proportions in Battroid mode.  Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about it.  I mean, from a Macross perspective, the fighter mode is super important and a thinner Battroid is probably just more realistic.  As Jetfire, the toy I remember as a kid, though, I think that chunkiness is almost part of the character.  Despite watching Robotech as a kid (but I'm a Macross purist now, I swear!) I don't think I ever even made the association between Jetfire and the VF-1 at the time.

Like the original Jetfire, Fugu Jetfire comes with a lot of accessories.  More, even.  Sure, he's got the red plastic to decode the tech specs on the the back, the gunpod, armor parts for the back of the arms, back of the legs, sides of the legs, a pair of boosters, and a part to connect the boosters to his back, like the original Jetfire.  But you also get four black boxes with missiles molded in them, four racks of smaller missiles, two big missiles, two sets of paired big missiles, a translucent pilot, a chair, two neck fillers, two torso fillers, replacement TV-style fists, two gun-holding right hands (one TV, one DYRL), two open left hands (one TV, one DYRL), and a trio of stand adapters.  The stand adapters are probably more useful if you got the Deluxe edition, which comes with a stand.  Sadly, I did not.

I should also point out that, unlike the original Jetfire, Fugu Jetfire's boosters and leg armors can come off (because that's how Arcadia's do).  There's some really nice painted details inside.  And on that note, my copy of Fugu Jetfire came with translucent red replacement covers, which could be a nice way of showing off that inner detail without having them naked.  That said, I think the translucent parts were a preorder/first run bonus, so I can't promise that every copy will come with them.

Jetfire's articulation is... ok?  I mean, by modern Transformers standards it's not the best, but I guess it's kind of on par with what Hasbro did with Missing Link Convoy and it's definitely improved over the original Jetfire.  His head swivels, no sideways tilt, and it sits on a pair of hinges so you can get some extreme upward and downward tilt, depending on how much you're willing to break the sculpt.  Weirdly, the top of his head and face also hinges, revealing an odd double-chin underneath.  The head lasers can swivel.  His shoulders are on scary tight ball joints- I actually recommend sliding the outer covers off, opening up the shoulders and putting some silicone oil on the balls, and/or loosening the screws on the backs.  Once they're safe to move they'll rotate and can move laterally maybe 60 degrees, if I'm being generous.  Also, something I'm not used to, the shoulders are on flaps due to how he transforms.  These flaps don't actually lock into anything, which kind of gives him butterfly joints.  His biceps swivel, and his elbows are technically double-jointed and should curl nearly 90 degrees.  Should, because on my copy (and, it seems, most/all copies) the left arm has a tight but usable upper joint, but the right arm is, "oh crap this is going to break!" tight and I can't use it.  The stock hands can swivel, as well as bend up/down, with a solid thumb hinged at the base to move from along side the hand to over the palm, and fingers molded into curves but hinged at the base to open and close, with the index finger a separate part from the other three, which are molded together.  No waist swivel.  The hips are on ball joints.  In theory, they could move forward and backward to ridiculous degrees, but in practice their forward/backward movement is all but eliminated by bumping into his wings.  Fortunately, you can use a special hinge below the intakes (for Gerwalk mode) to get nearly 90 degrees forward.  Going back to the ball joints, they allow the hips to move about 45 degrees laterally, and you can also swivel the thighs around the ball joints for some thigh swivel.  There are dedicated swivels, though, just above the knees, which bend a bit under 90 degrees.  His feet are ratcheted, and when fully slid out (which you technically do for Gerwalk, but you can fudge for robot/Battroid) have some up/down tilt.  However, they don't really pivot.  There's some wiggle in the foot itself that suggests the ankles could pivot in theory, they simply don't have the clearance at the bottom of the leg.  

Jetfire's pegs are simply pegged into his wrists and are easy to swap.  If you used one of the fixed-pose hands the cutout in the grip is just the right size for the gunpod's hand to fit snuggly inside.  If you use the stock hands, though, you'll need to line the slot in the handle with the tab on the inside of the palm.  The slot in the gunpod's handle has another use, though.  When you collapse most of the handle and the barrel you're left with a bit sticking out.  That bit allows the slot to grab onto tabs on the outside of Jetfire's arm.  While, yes, carrying the gunpod on the arm like that is something we see Valkyries do in Macross, it's important to note that it's also something the original G1 toy could do, although it required the use of a clip.

Partsforming is a bit of a dirty word in the Transformers community, but I understand that it's pretty standard when it comes to Macross toys?  I would say on Jetfire they're really optional, but from some angles you can look straight through the torso if you don't use them.  So, for starters, there's a pair of white torso fillers.  These slide up into the gap between his chest and back, with rods at the top that snap into the c-clips behind Jetfire's shoulders.

As for the gap behind Jetfire's head, you have to options.  First is this piece that clips right in, with the rounded protrusion pointing toward his back.  This piece, you'll note, has little molded closed doors on it.

There's a second neck filler that has open doors on it, with a slot in the middle.  You can take the chair and plug it into the slot, and sit the pilot figure in the chair, to recreate that scene in the cartoon where they exit the Battroid this way.  Not that it really makes sense for a sentient robot to have to do this...

With Jetfire originally being a Macross toy, of course he does Gerwalk mode.  I'm not really going to talk about it much, though, because for a Cybertronian it's less of a deliberate mode and more a midpoint in the transformation.  In Fugu's case, a necessary midpoint.  Unlike the original toy, you have to move the arms out of the way to give the swing bar enough clearance to move the hips to the nose, but you also can't move the arms unless you use the hinges behind the intakes to move the legs down to their Gerwalk position.

 

The rest of the transformation is direct enough, since I guess there's only so many ways to transform a VF-1.  The swing bar actually unlocks from the back of the nose (after moving a flap out of the way, and be sure to move the hinged fillers into place before closing that flap up so you don't have holes in the sides of the nose bulges.  A door opens on the back for the head to swivel and then fit through so it ends up under the fuselage.  The chest rocks up away from the cockpit, and the heatshield slides inside, then as it comes back down you need to line up slots in it with the marker lights on his back.  Note that going from Battroid to fighter is simple enough, but going from fighter to battroid is super tight the first time you do it and you'll probably have to use more force than you really fell comfortable with.  With the fuselage mostly done, you can bring the swing bar back into the same c-clips you stuck the torso filler bits into, tabbing the backs of the intakes into the underside of the chest as you do so.  Fold the hands into the forearms, then they fold in but also swing around on sliders to so that the shoulders are touching, then the legs can be brought back along side them.  Use the double hinge to bring the tail into place, fold the heels and toes together, and shove the feet up into the legs.  When all is said and done, credit where it's due, the fighter mode is a lot more solid than the G1 toy (or rather, the Takatoku), which seems to rely more on friction from the toy's joints.

In a vacuum, aside from the chibi nose, I don't think the G1 toy/Takatoku looks too bad, but side-by-side with Fugu/Arcadia it's apparent how chunky the older toy really is.  Fugu is a much nicer fighter mode marred only by the fact that Fugu choice to use the UN Spacy kite on the sides of the fuselage and left wing, the black stripe and "U.N. SPACY" on the sides of the legs instead of the mechanical detail stickers, "001" on the right wing, and Jolly Rodgers on the horizontal stabilizers.  On the flip side, though, you've got nice details like translucent landing lights on the wings, painted marker lights on the wing tips, and caution marks near the intakes.  You can see the nozzles molded deep in the feet, and you can remove the intake covers to reveal painted intake fans if you like (though they're in stupid tight, and I broke a little tab off the one I removed).

One other thing that's a nice little touch... in the black around the canopy, where the pilot's name is printed, Fugu put "Air Guardian Jetfire."

They're not spring-loaded and full of diecast the way the original Jetfire's were, but Fugu Jetfire does have landing gear in both legs and under the nose.  The doors are a bit of a paint to open, but once the landing gear is out you'll find rubber tires on rolling wheels, and the nose gear can swivel and has a hinged launch bar.

Fighter mode is where I think you're going to get the most use out of your included accessories.  The canopy opens to reveal a detailed cockpit interior.  You can set the pilot figure into the seat.  Again, this is something that probably makes a lot more sense when it's an actual Arcadia Macross toy, but I think Fugu making the pilot out of clear plastic is a nice touch, like the pilot is just a hologram.  The various missiles and missile pods have small pegs in them that fit into little raised holes under the wings.  To my taste it required a little more force than I'd have liked, but on the flip side they're not going to come out accidentally.  As for the gunpod, the indents with the tabs on the outsides of his forearms where me stuck the gunpod in Battroid mode are mirrored on the insides of his arms, so you just sort of sandwich the gunpod's handle between them and squeeze so that the tabs grab into the slot on the handle.

Now, going off the box art alone, it's not really Jetfire until he's got his FAST packs on.  Disconnect his legs from his tail, and fold the tail up like you would for Gerwalk/Battroid.  Attach the boosters to the connector, then slide the connector into the gap between the tail and his back.  When it's in far enough tabs on the boosters will fit into slots on the tail, securing everything in place.  The arm armor has clips with slots that fit over the same indented tabs we used for attaching the gunpod.  As for the legs, the calf armor has a hook and a tab that fit into slots on the back of the leg.  Just make sure that the tabs on the sides of the calf armor are pointing outward, because you'll plug the side-of-the-leg armor into those tabs.

With the leg armor installed you'll have to bend the knee and Gerwalk joints a little, but the leg armor has slots that fit into tabs inside Jetfire's back to lock them into place, so once again everything feels nice and solid.  A downside of moving the legs, though, means that the landing gear in them is lower, so the fighter is slanting toward the nose.

This time, the "U.N. SPACY" on the leg armor doesn't bother me as much.  I mean, it's still not accurate, but the black stripe it's printed on is.  However, Fugu went with the DYRL-style Jolly Rodger on the boosters.  I really wish they'd have just left it plain black, then I could stick an Autobot insignia on it (and the nose) and call it a day.

Canopy still opens, you still have access to the landing gear, and you can still attach missiles/missile pods to the undersides of the wings.  You can also still carry the gunpod on the underside of the fighter, because the arm armor has it's own intended tabs, same as the arms themselves.

The extra bulk he gains from the FAST packs helps fill him out and make him feel more like Jetfire to me.  Unfortunately, I don't think you can transform him without all the armor on.  The stuff on the arms and legs, sure, but I found it necessary to remove the boosters and their clip so I could move the tail to open the door that allows his head to pass through.

Jetfire's also a little back-heavy with all his gear on.  The play between clicks in the ratchets in his feet can leave him leaning a bit.  The simplest solution is put him into a more dynamic pose, with his legs turned outward a bit.

Finally, here's how Fugu Jetfire looks with Siege Jetfire and Earthrise Starscream.  And... huh.  Y'know, I've always thought Siege Jetfire is a rather too big.  Might not be exactly scale chart-accurate, but Fugu's Jetfire is about exactly the height I think Siege Jetfire should have been.  Turns out a 1/60 VF-1 is probably too small for an MP collection, but pretty great for Classics/Generations/WFC/Legacy one*.

*Unless you're one of those alt-mode scale guys... then the VF-1 being smaller than an MP Starscream's F-15 mode makes sense.

I have to say, this has been an eye-opening experience for me.  Jet Transformers are often ridiculed for being boxes of robot bits stuffed under a plane that transforms into a robot with 90% of the plane on its back.  And, I mean, that's fair, but I think it's a lot harder to turn an animation-accurate robot into a jet on a Voyager-class budget than it is to design a jet first and work into a robot that you're going to sell for $100+.  But now I'm also seeing that Valkyries do make compromises and do benefit from anime magic, they just priortized the fighter mode and made the compromises to the Battroid.  

What's more, Macross toys have traditionally seemed expensive to me, and I know some collectors have said that they have a more premium collector feel compared to Hasbro's Transformers.  And yet, Fugu's Jetfire (and by extension, an Arcadia VF-1) has worse articulation than most modern Transformers, thinner plastic (that, IMHO, doesn't feel as good to handle), ball-jointed hips on scary thin rods, ball-jointed shoulders, and partsforming filler.  I gotta say, if this is "premium collector" stuff, I honestly prefer the mass-market kids stuff.  To be fair, some of it, like the plastic quality, could be due to his being a KO and not a genuine Arcadia, and the overly-tight shoulders and elbows and the excessive force required to separate the chest from the back are almost definitely due to it being a KO.  Still, I can't help but wonder what a Takara-made VF-1 might be like.

Don't get the wrong impression, though.  I like Fugu's Air Guardian Jetfire quite a lot, and I think for the $125-ish I paid that he's a tremendous value.  With the licensing issues involved a more modern Valkyrie toy with a close-enough paint job is likely the closest we're going to get to a Missing Link Jetfire.  So, if you're a Macross fan that happens to like this deco, or a Transformers fan who wants a more toy-accurate Jetfire, and certainly if you're both, this is a toy I can comfortably recommend.

I enjoyed your thoughts, Mike, knowing that you're far more invested in Transformers than Macross. Regarding your thoughts of the Yamato VF-1 2.0 as a collector's piece, when it originally came out circa 2008, it was revolutionary relative to all other VF-1 toys, including their own previous attempt. At the time, its articulation was next-level- double jointed elbows hadn't really made much of an appearance on transforming toys yet. It may seem a little dated by current standards, but that's because it is dated. Regardless, I still have a warm spot in my heart for it (I own at least four copies of Yamato/Arcadia 1/60 VF-1s) and I've long thought that it would be the perfect toy to convert into Jetfire. I got my wish, and aside from some of the paint details being wrong or omitted for a proper G1 Jetfire homage, I'm still really pleased with how it turned out. I ordered a copy last night, in fact, so it won't be long before I have him in hand. Personally, from a scale POV, I think he works better with CHUG, as his jet mode would actually be properly proportionate compared to general car modes. I wish vehicle scale had been prioritized from the beginning over bot scale, but that's a horse that has long since skeletonized. Anyway, as @Chronocidal mentioned, I'm sure Toyhax will have our backs with some proper decals to make our Fugu Jetfire even more Jetfirey.

Digressing, I mentioned yesterday that Newage, one of the most notable 3P legends scale TF toy makers currently, intends to release a CHUG scaled G1 Megatron that turns into a gun as an option over the upcoming SS86 Megatron which is going to have a tank alt mode. I had pondered whether or not they were just going to upscale their legends fig or build a new fig from scratch, and it seems they chose the latter direction. While I admit I think the thighs look a bit too thick and I'm not the craziest about seeing his trigger in his inner thighs, overall, I think it's a commendable effort and I far prefer a proper G1 Megs that turns into a gun over one that turns into a tank. A tank makes more sense; it's an argument I won't refute b/c it's absolutely true, but the fact remains that in the OG toyline, show and '86 film, Megatron transformed into a Walther P38 pistol, and by the Matrix, that's what I want for my CHUG collection. And so, I've already POed this guy. I really, really wish Magic Square would follow suit and just upscale their amazing legends fig, but at this point any option is a good one and Newage can be counted on for good engineering, materials, and paint. Looking forward to having him in hand, a long-awaited dream come true.

One caveat: it would seem Newage designed him to scale with ER Prime, as SS86 Prime stands noticeably taller. I love my ER Prime fig, so I can live with it.

A rather underwhelming PulseCon. Thanks to @mikeszekely, I got a copy of Cosmos when he initially released, and I already own Dirge and Ramjet; Thrust is the Conehead I'm waiting to be rereleased. Essentially, I already own all the rereleases shown and have no interest in the rest. I am glad, however, that Cosmos, OG Bee, the Coneheads, and any other originally store exclusive releases are getting a second wider releases for those who missed them the first time. Exclusives suck, and the Hasbro guys implicitly acknowledged it. At least there's an awareness there, although I doubt exclusives will end anytime soon since Hasbro makes money off of them and I doubt the designers or marketers have much say in those decisions. I will say, though, I'm always in awe of the enthusiasm and enjoyment they genuinely take in what they do and in the various franchises in which they toil. I'd love to see what they could really pump out if they had larger budgets to work with per size classes, as that always seems to be the limiting factor between a so-so release and a truly good one.

Got a chuckle over some of the comments referring to Hope, the rather fetching new marketer presenting in Star Wars. Missed Emily who always brings a lot of charm and enthusiasm to these things. Hopefully she'll be presenting for the Devy reveal which I'm looking forward to. I skipped on the CW version b/c the individual Constructicons were so poorly executed. I'm assuming Devy will be part of SS86, and thus very G1 faithful. I vehemently wish they'd done the entire team at voyager scale, which would make their construction vehicle modes scale better alongside carbots, but my understanding is that the limbs will be deluxes. Not the best but IIWII. At this point, I'm just hoping that the individual Constructicons will have full articulation, and that Devastator will connect solidly and feature a decent range of articulation and be stable.

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

We're getting a Missing Link Cliffjumper, so that's where Porsche stands. (Not to mention RotB Mirage, which Porsche themselves cross promoted with some clothes, of which I own the ball cap).

Egg on my face-- I own that figure and totally forgot that it was a licensed Porsche! That being a given, Missing Link Jazz is definitely probable, especially given his popularity, at least on this side of the pond. Not sure how popular he is in Japan, however. I still have my OG toy, whose roof fell off years ago when the trans-plastic loop that holds it on cracked, so i wouldn't mind replacing him with a ML version.

So I just learned this morning that Newage is planning to make a G1 Megatron figure that transforms into a gun in scale with SS86. I have mixed feelings, as I'm glad there'll be an option, as we'll never get that in an official toy, but having Newage's legends fig and Magic Square's far superior version, I wish it was magic Square upsizing their nigh perfect G1 Megs to fill the slot. There are no pics yet so Newage may start from the ground up, and if so, given some of their previous engineering marvels (like their Dinobots and Skyfire), this may end up being an excellent fig and a great placeholder at the least in a mainline collection beggaring for a proper G1 Megatron with his original alt mode. I preordered my copy already, as this has been at the top of my want list for some time. I hope it turns out great!

1 hour ago, Dangard Ace said:

 

Don't forget  there's a new G1 Sunstreaker mold.  The way the legs in the prototype are rotated make me think that's a Missing Link toy.   FYI:  Takara lost the OG G1 Sunstreaker molds so this showing up is exciting.  Means Official DInobots, Wheeljack can possible be back on the table.

At this point, just about any character is possible, with Jetfire likely one of the few exceptions due to licensing. Not sure where Porche stands at this point, but VW capitulated to the almighty lure of lucre years ago over their ridiculous "no war toys" stance, so hopefully Porche will follow suit and we can have a proper licensed Jazz. I'm not really into this line so much as I prefer the look and engineering of modern toys; however I'd be remiss if I didn't admit a certain nostalgic tug towards G1 Prowl, my first TF toy, or G1 Megatron whose toy I always wanted but to date have never owned. A Missing Link version of both would certainly be welcome. Soundwave and his cassettes as well. I wonder how they'll approach Ironhide and Ratchet given their desire to so closely match the OG toys. There wasn't much to work with regarding the robot portion of those toys, with most of the van being made up of the treaded weapons platform, or "tread sled" as I like to call it.

Arcee is an interesting surprise, although I confess it's not doing much for me. I applaud the effort, but to my eyes, it communicates the odd and awkward proportions inherent of many of the G1 toys. Sunstreaker, however, looks pretty good to me. When they get around to Hound, I'm curious how they'll address the OG toy's stubby T-Rex arms to actually make them proportionate and useful. As I mentioned, my toy collecting interest lies elsewhere for the most part, but I concede to curiosity how Takara will approach certain characters, given the limitations of the OG toys, and who among the expansive pantheon of characters will get the ML treatment. I'm happy for G1 collectors, as this breathes new life into an old line of toys, kinda giving us a retrospective look at how the toys may have been had the technology and mindset been advanced at the time. It's cool and I look forward to seeing where Takara goes with it and what surprises it may hold. Arcee certainly make the list.

8 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Can't unsee, thanks for that.

I'm here for ya! 😜

On 9/7/2024 at 11:18 PM, mikeszekely said:

His pocket square also makes for a little white-and-red stripe.  His wardrobe choices are clearly very intentional. 😁

Yeah, definitely not random. he did a decent job as Starscream, too. His Wheeljack wasn't there, but y'know, they had a lot of guys doing voices back in the day and even with all their talents, few VAs really have the range of Frank Welker or Scott McNeil. I wish they'd called on more of the OG VAs to do voices for this production, but some of them may be retired, unavailable, or sad to say, one with the Matrix. I enjoyed it more for the effort, but I still prefer the original voice track- I just think they nailed inflection, tone, feeling, etc so well in those first three episodes. It set the stage well for seasons to come, though I feel like they departed from that more serious tone in the second season and beyond. Anyway, it sounds like both Frank and Arif have serious reverence both for the show and certainly for the older generation VAs who brought those characters to life so vividly and memorably in the original show, and for that alone, I'm glad they had the opportunity to do the voices in place of Chris Latta and Scatman Crothers, two cartoon VA greats who definitely left lasting impressions. I'll toss Kasey Kasem in there, too. 

As to '86 Steeljaw, I knew beforehand what I was getting, but somehow having it in hand only deepens the disappointment at just how poorly done it really is. @mikeszekely's comparisons with Eject, arguably the best cassette bot thus far in this sub-micro-cassette scale that Hasbro created for WFC/Legacy, highlight even further just how craptastic Steeljaw is. Added to the lackadaisical engineering and lack of articulation the need to partsform part of the lion mode and the supposed esteem of the Studio Series line is dubious. The G1 toy was far better executed. It may have been a lion shaped wafer, but at least the wafer became a recognizable lion with articulated legs (3 points both fore and aft). This thing looks like a yellow Pomeranian. I can live with the accessories partsforming, though I'd rather they integrate given advancements and progression in transforming toy techniques. At this thing's scale, though, some concession is understandable. I'd have rather they just replicated the g1 toy at the smaller Legacy scale- at least it would have had more poseability and a better cassette mode. Like most of Hasbro's cassette efforts thus far, it only cements my profound hope that Dr. Wu will get around to making all the main cassettes as there's a need and a want there, at least on my end.

Regarding the TF: One toys, my Wally has them, or had them as of last Tuesday. I want to see the movie, but honestly, the aesthetic, especially concerning the alt modes, doesn't grab me. My feelings in that regard aren't hurt, as space is really becoming an issue for me. To that end, any toy I feel I can skip without regret, I happily do so. 

From a fellow with a stutter to becoming one of the most iconic voices in film history, James Earl Jones made an impact that few will ever eclipse. As @Hikuro mentioned, he rarely played lead roles, though he definitely made an impact as Mufasa. I still get goosebumps watching Lion King. He shone, however in supporting roles. He always had presence, a likeability to him, and that great baritone delivery. For Star Wars fans, certainly, his passing is a sad certainty that never again will we hear the true Dark Lord of the Sith utter another word. Imitators and A.I. may try, but there was only one James Earl Jones. Rest in Peace, good sir.