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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    In the process of watching your review for this guy. Another nice entry from IF. If I have a critique, it's that the windshield separates to form his weapon, which means if you lose or misplace that weapon, then his vehicle mode remains incomplete for perpetuity, unless you get a replacement. However, in terms of styling, color, and just overall look of all three of his modes (IF's figures make better looking limbs than Has/Tak's, IMO), this looks great. It doesn't hurt that Bruticus is my favorite of the Combiners, and a legends scale version done this well just really piques my interest. 'Preciate the photos, Kuma. I'm looking forward to the final combined review. Let's see what kinda crazy poses you can pull off with him. As for Machine Robo, overall, I've liked what Action Toys have done with the line. Along with Shuttle, I recently got Missile Tank, and he's a pretty impressive figure overall: homages the original toy very well, but with an innovative transformation that mirrors aspects of the original, while employing some updated techniques ( including a full 360 rotatable missile launcher, as well as the standard up and down), judicious use of die-cast, and some great poseability. Some may dock it due to the lack of little wheels within the faux treads, as he doesn't roll- he just slides across a smooth surface. It doesn't bother me, but YMMV. IMHO, he's one of the best designs in the line. My copy had nice tight joints (I remember Kuma's mentioning his Shuttle was floppy), but with toys with so many moving parts and close tolerances like these, I think they're often the luck of the draw. All it takes is one slightly crooked pin installation to give you a bad experience, and I've had instances of this nature with both official and 3P toys. Unfortunately, these things aren't cheap, so an issue with one figure can often color one's perspective towards a whole line. While they're not flawless, I've had pretty good luck with my MR figures thus far, enough to keep throwing money at them. I'm hoping Supercar (Turbo) will eventually get released, as we've seen his protos. Harrier is the guy I want, though- hope he's the next new design teased.
  2. M'Kyuun
    That's a really clean transformation on Boosterspear (where do these 3P guys come up with these names?). They integrated the arms nicely. The closest analog I have to this is Shuttle Robo, who's kibble-tastic. But yeah, as usual Iron Factory does wonders at the Legends scale.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Sticker shock is kinda the norm for third party- stuff's expensive, so I'm choosy about what I buy. I've always liked the cassettes, so these are appealing enough for me to drop some cash. MMC did a good job on their Rumble/Frenzy mold; I recommend. I can't say the same for their take on the condors; the quality of my copies varies between them, with Buzzsaw (Buzzard) being tighter and less floppy than their Laserbeak (Volture). Had they sold them only in singles and I had gotten just Volture as my representative of the mold, I couldn't recommend it in good conscience. Even with the better quality, Buzzard is still looser than you'd want at the neck connection. If you haven't put in an order, I'd recommend passing on them.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I don't know who the top three figures are (purple guy, yellow guy, and the wolf guy), but Chun-Li and Blanka are immediately recognizable. LEGO can ceratianly be a harsh taskmaster when approximating the look of people (I have no talent for it), but for what you want to do with them, those work well. Moko is a builder I'm familiar with who excels at this sort of thing- just an incredibly talented builder who builds across all spectrum of things, but does an amazing job with figures, and getting their details just so.
  5. M'Kyuun
    If they made Omega Supreme in the current scale, that is, scaled to MP-10, it would still be a sizeable toy, estimating 25- 30 inches tall, going by the Sunbow TF scale chart. Not sure how accurate that is, either, but it is an official guide for the animators.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Somewhere in there, someone needs to make an Animated Omega Supreme. Sadly, it doesn't seem like we'll get an official version. I was hoping for that for the tenth anniversary, but we got absolutely nothing. Anyway, that's the only version of OS that interests me- never really cared for any of the other versions. As for rebooting the MP line afresh, I can't even imagine the vitriol and madness that would ensue. I'd be disappointed, though, as I'd like to have a few more of the original characters in the present scale. I'd also like a new seeker mold. Maketoys Meteor shames the old MP- it's overdue. Actually, I think the present scale is good- any smaller and they're pretty much at the same scale as the retail toys, which might limit the engineering. I think MP-01 scale is, well, huge; I don't have room for that, let alone the Japanese who live in shoebox sized apartments. Current scale is perfect, IMHO. Sky Lynx was always an odd TF to me. The Shuttle section was cool, but the big blue box wasn't much of an alt mode. However, at least you got a two-fer with that figure. I was really disappointed that the TR version combined them into one- why? Had they kept the dual bot concept, I'd have gotten him, blue box mode notwithstanding. It'd be interesting if Giga took some initiative and applied a little license to perhaps make the Lynx half actually become something other than just a blue box- a triple changer of sorts just to make him more interesting.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I understood his meaning to be that it's sad that some fans react negatively towards mention of new versions of toys, esp when the present one has a following. As for me, I like to see improvements, so the idea of version 3 MP OP brings with it potential for better articulation, integrating his back wheels into the transformation so his legs are flush, getting his proportions better (no more ape arms), all the while maintaining a realistic truck mode. What I hope doesn't happen is that they turn him into a Chinese puzzle box with panel lines criss-crossing all over him like Megs' gun mode. That's my biggest criticism of MP Megatron, well that and the fact that his upper torso doesn't look right , since it's made up of a lot of moving parts sandwiched together instead of his gun slide. That's really iconic to G1 Megatron, and I don't feel they captured it. But, on the whole, he's just a magnificent action figure- so much fun. A matching OP would be nice. As for the next MP, I'd also like to see another of the G1 Ark characters that hasn't been made yet get the treatment. Hound and Jazz stand out as pretty big omissions. I would have preferred them over Inferno or Tracks.
  8. M'Kyuun
    The 80's definitely have their charm, esp when just about every facet of media and pop culture are still relevant and influential today. And yeah, Stranger Things is a fun show that taps into that decade's nostalgia very well. Since there are movies made in just about every time period, I don't think that's as much a detractor as the production values, although I think the younger crowd probably want to see more current vehicles being used for alts. That's like the only thing I think Bay got right- the guy doesn't know squat about Transformers, but he's got a great eye for cars. PotP Prime is a really fun figure- lots of articulation, and better proportioned than MP-10. I wish Orion had been designed to integrate a little better, but for what it is, still fun. Like Dangard Ace says, this thing isn't high end collectible- it's meant to be played with, and to that end I think Has/Tak designed him well. The truck mode is ok, excepting the obvious top of his OP cab in the front of his trailer, and Orion 's forearms are just kinda there in cab mode, not really integrated into the alt. There's a bit of panel folding to form the trailer, but it all comes together pretty nicely. Rodimus didn't fare so well in the design department, but he still looks cool and has presence, if only because of his size. I like how they tried to integrate Hot Rod more into the larger Rodimus in a meaningful way, using his legs as the larger bot's arms, but the articulation falls woefully short and it ends up with some awkward shoulders. I also wish they'd found a better way to fold things so the back of his space Winnebago mode was cleaner and more accurate to the G1 toy/animation. It just looks bad.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Ah, ok. I've heard of Dai Atlas, but I have no familiarity with him at all. The same can be said for any of the Japanese TF shows- I'm aware they exist, but have never felt any compunction to watch them. My impression is that there's much more of a super robot vibe to them, with a lot of non-realistic alt modes, which doesn't appeal to me- not my jam, to borrow a phrase. My only foray into that universe is Takara's Ginrai, which I chose over Hasbro's Power Master Prime because he had poseable feet and a more G1 cab. The feet are weird, though, but at least he has some ankle tilt. Oh, and I got TR Alpha Trion, who turns into a uni-lion, which I believe is based on a character from one of the Japanese cartoons as well. I got him simply b/c I didn't have an Alpha Trion figure in my collection, so why not. Anyway, I know you're all-in with super robot and the Japanese TF universe, so, great that they're making that stuff too. In regards to your photos, and your explanation of Dai Atlas, Iron Factory just impress me with what they are producing, esp at the scale they're working in. Sorry to hear that their version doesn't do tank mode; it seems a pretty big omission, quite frankly. But, you sound happy with him regardless, and that's really the point. When it stops being fun, time to get a new hobby. As always, grateful for the lovely pics, and the elucidation. I'm a little bummed that Hasbro did nothing commemorative for TF:Animated on its tenth anniversary, and I've been hoping that one or more third parties would take an interest and produce some of the characters we didn't get as toys. I know one company made two Huffer-like characters in Animated style, but there's really been nothing else. Like a lot of folks, I was an early skeptic, but I loved the show and the toys that came with it. I'd love an Omega Supreme. I've developed an interest in Peg, er Drift, of late, no small thanks to Kuma's Flame Toys Drift pics. God, what a gorgeous figure. However, my tastes run more to the transformable versions, and AFAIK, the only ones out there presently are MMC's Stray, as well as his Deadlock form, Ater Beta. I've been doing comparison's between the Flame Toys and the MMC, and while the FT obviously has the superior bot mode, the MMC is looking pretty good, and I absolutely love the car mode they made for him, kinda Batmobile-ish. I'm generally not a Cybertronian alt fan, but I can't argue with a cool design, and this one screams cool to me. Out of curiosity, I took my Blurr recolor of Peg down from my CHUG shelves (hard to believe he came out in 2010-where has the time gone?), and gave him a once over. He's a pretty respectable version of the character after doing comparisons with these latest iterations. I far prefer MMC's alt over Hasbro's more conventional Earth car mode. I did notice, however, that there are a lot of moving parts on this guy, as well as a pretty high parts count within the figure itself, generous paint apps (even tail lights), and just overall pretty good fit and finish for a retail figure. Comparisons to recent CW, TR, and PotP figures definitely shows a lowering of standards (PotP Jazz's tail lights are molded but unpainted). Anyway, I've had Drift on the brain of late and just wanted to put those thoughts and observations down somewhere. I even started working on a LEGO version of him in LDD. I'm generally not the obsessive type, but something about this guy's design has suddenly piqued my interest and won't let go.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Good point- these movies are nothing if not advertisements for cars- granted the majority of which are cars most of us will never be able to afford, but there's money to be made. I think Dizman has the right idea: introduce the movie in the 80's, showing the arrival of our intrepid bots and their war over resources to return to Cybertron. Fast forward to present, and the war carries on. Win for young and old, even if the old stuff is brief.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Or a B-1B. While the BUFF is still an impressive aircraft, she's showing her age, and the B-2 is more apropos to this generation IMHO. I think it'd work great as his alt in an alt-universe Cold War story, though. But I get what you're saying about the contrast between alt mode and personality where Megatron is concerned, at least G1 Megatron. TF:A Megs was more subtle and calculating. He was shadowy. Great review for Furor and Riot, Mike. Funny, I didn't even notice the near lack of upper arm, although mine has the same limitation on the shoulder where it catches. Guess it's endemic to the mold, unfortunately. However, for such a small thin figure, I was really impressed by how much articulation they imparted, and the transformation is ingenious. There's certainly more to love than not. Along with Furor I got the condors, and in hand they don't feel nearly as refined as Jaguar or Furor. The cassette doesn't really lock solidly, at least with my Volture (Laserbeak). It tends to want to flex since the lower two-thirds of the cassette splits into the engines and wings, with only one small tab to peg the engine sections together in tape mode. Moreover, one of the wings refuses to tab down flat, and I'm not sure why. I don't recall having that issue with Buzzard, however. Anyway, the outer wing half is supposed to tab into a tiny post sticking up from the inner wing structure; all but one on my Volture tab securely. I don't recall having these issues with Buzzard, so MMV from toy to toy. As I mentioned, the outer wings are comprised of two halves that simply lay over each other, with nothing tabbing them together in condor mode, thus requiring constant readjustment if you're handling the thing. On both of mine, compared to Furor and Jaguar, who have tight joints throughout, the joints in the neck, head, and wings on the condors feel loose. It holds a pose, but things move at the slightest touch. The leg joints are all sufficiently tight and support the weight well. The leg attachment points, which swivel down out of the body, are pretty tight, both joint-wise and clearance. Pulling those things out is a tense moment, hoping they'll come out without breaking anything. I was disappointed that the wings could not swing back further than 90 degrees perpendicular to the body. No sleek wings-raked-back poses for these guys- just straight out, or raked forward. One odd bit of articulation is the breast-crunch, where the breast section of the bird can rotate down if the rest of the body is perched in a more erect pose. It's unnecessary, IMO, since the neck can rotate at the base accomplishing the same thing, essentially. Finally the aft body is split into two sections, each containing a faux tape reel which acts as the inner wing pivot on either side. Both aft body sections are mounted on a slider to close the gap in condor mode, but without any locking mechanism, exhibit a bit of longitudinal rotation, albeit with light friction, which may be intentional for posing. IDK. So, yeah, a few flaws. The good: They look like Laserbeak and Buzzsaw, have some nice paint apps or tampo approximating the look of cassette labels on one side, just like the 80's toys and the MPs. Note that Jaguar, Furor, and Riot do not come with cassette label apps and require decals to give them the appearance of real cassettes. On with the positives, the legs and feet from the knee down are all die-cast, giving them a stable base. Moreover, the feet are broken into four hinged segments which allow them to be wrapped around a small object for perching or grasping. The engines also feature a yellow-reddish engine glow tampoed on the exausts- kind of a neat thing- I dig it. Both inner and outer wings are painted (topside only) , and paint apps are pretty crisp. FYI: I just realized that there are small silver circular magnets installed in the outer wings, which are intended to hold them together. Unfortunately, both of the lower wing magnets had fallen out of their holes while still sealed. I've recovered both and temp installed them in the wings, which is a marked improvement, although adjustment to keep the wings in alignment is still necessary. At least the wing halves stay together now.. My final thoughts are that the quality evident in MMC's other cassette releases just isn't here. If you're on the fence, honestly, unless you're a completist, or you just really love the condors, pass. I hate to say that; I really want these all to be high quality releases, but in this case I have to say that the excellent Takara MP condors are superior. Hope this is a one-off, as quality goes. Edit: After posting I took another look at my Buzzard; he's much tighter in the joints and overall fit than my Volture. Which is the prevalent example of the overall line remains to be seen. I also noticed that one of the lower wing magnets had fallen off of Buzzard ( the joints are tighter, so his wings stayed together regardless), so this is definitely an issue to be aware of if you're getting these guys. Regarding Kuma's post, I find it interesting that the alt mode for Crystalys has more in common with a Gundam Waverider than pretty much anything in TF lore (that I'm aware of, anyway). It's a little too jumbled robot in alt mode for my liking; if it was closer to the Delta Plus, I'd be more interested. I'm glad you dig it, though- I know you're more into mecha/ super robot stuff, so the aesthetic is more to your taste. Dif'rent strokes.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Ask a question, get a deluge of info. Thanks Mike, and you, too, Kuma. I appreciate your posting those 'tail-out' pics of Pinchar. I dig it. Like I said, that's a nice option. Sarge is nice looking figure in his own right, and he has a sweet car mode. Reminds me a little of RtS Jazz. When it comes to the comics, I'm pretty ignorant. I get a vague sense of the varying designs when Hasbro releases comic based toys, but I've no idea who designed what in most cases. It's conversations like this that enlighten me. Subsequently, I'll chime in a preference for Don Figueroa's stealth bomber design over the various tank designs for Mighty Megatron, and even though it's a complete departure from his G1 look (which I love), all around I think it fits ole Megs. I guess a tank mode does, too, and that's been around since G2, but I like aircraft, and that's an undeniably cool alt mode. I'm biased.
  13. M'Kyuun
    Geez, how many iterations of Prowl are there in the comics? The version Mike posted looks like a cross between a Hummer and a dune buggy (the hood section). It's not bad, but if we're going with alternate Prowls, I think I prefer the space car, which is odd given my own bias. As Kuma mentioned, the alt mode is done so well that it could stand on its own, and that's really a litmus test for a good alt, IMHO. Plus, I dig the styling of it, the circular details on the wheels, the overall shape of the car, etc. It's definitely one of the nicest Cybertronian alts I've seen- kinda growing on me. I'll have to poke around Kuma's gallery now- too nice a figure not to see more. Moreover, I'd like to check out more of Pinchar's pics. Thanks for the info on his tail, Kuma. 'Preciate the kind words, Kuma. TFW2005, this is not- some very rude, profane, and often aggressive posters over there- a rather unpleasant lot. While we've had one here a time or two, they generally end up banned, and the vast majority here conduct themselves like rational adults, which makes it an enjoyable place to come and share thoughts/pics and ask questions. I've been here for around 14-15 years- I lurked more than posted for about ten of those. However my collecting blossomed a bit in the mid 2000's (I was an AF TSgt with no kids, so a nice bit of disposable for the hobbies), and this place was always the hot spot for info relating to Macross (of course), but additionally, the Transformers conversation grew to encompass official and third party offerings, so again, it became a great place to share. I have nothing to do with running this site, but after a visit to TFW, I always feel a spot of pride for being a member here, even if my contributions are minimal. Hope you find a 'home' here, Kuma, and continue sharing your ideas and hobbies, not to mention photo skills.
  14. M'Kyuun
    That Robox (first link) reminds me of the Transformers cassettes. Interesting concept. I wonder if they make a construction version- it'd look pretty snazzy in grey, yellow, with black stripes her and there.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Referring to Kuma's group-shot of Drift, Prime, and Prowl, that Drift just looks amazing (absolutely love the shoulder design). As for Prowl, the showcase figure, I dig him as a toy, but I'm not feeling him as Prowl. I so, so love G1 Prowl's design that I'm forever biased. However, I get that he's a Cybertronian version of the character from the comics (IDW?), and to that end, it's a really good design. I'm generally not a fan of Cybertronian alts, as they're often unrecognizable as anything real, look like a robot doing yoga, have exposed bot parts here or there, or are just so far out there as to lose their appeal. Often, but not always. Just as a stand-alone transforming toy, apart from his association with Prowl or even TF, I think he's an excellent figure with a really nice sci-fi car alt mode. As Prowl, well YMMV. Had they made him his own character, I'd totally be down. But, that's my opinion, which is worth nothing; what does matter is that you plunked down money for this guy, and judging by the pics, you scored an impressive action figure that just happens to transform into a believable car with sci-fi flare- all good things. Hope you enjoy him, Kuma, and as always, thanks for sharing pics of these guys. Edit: I got so caught up commenting on Prowl that I forgot I was going to ask if that Lost Exo Realm Snarl's tail can unfurl to sit like wings, similar to his G1 toy. I hadn't noticed the first dozen times I looked at the pics that the tail halves were folded into a backpack. Actually, it's a nice option if they do unfold.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Pretty much have the same criteria. Maybe a little better proportioned, as MP-10's arms are too long. That and the fugly wheel wells hanging off his legs are what dissuaded me from buying him initially. Over time, as pics of him were circulating, though, I finally caved, and I admit I think he's a really nice figure. But, I've always thought they could do better, and I'm hoping everything you mentioned and perhaps other issues, will be addressed in a third version. I hope they keep the rubber tires, though. Using plastic tires on all the carbots is not a sign of high grade, IMHO, and quite frankly Takara's being shown up by a lot of these third parties. I do think a third version will see marked improvement in articulation over MP-10, as that's a stated goal for the MP line, and that's phenomenally glorious, so long as they can pull it off and still produce a believable looking truck. Hopefully the finer details will still be there, too- rivets, molded panel lines, maybe some diamond plating, etc that give it the proper fit and finish, as well as a touch of realism. Not digging the toon-centric approach as far as fine detail goes. I like that they want to make the robot look generally like he did in the toon- get the general look and proportions of the characters close to how they looked on screen, but give the final toy all the finishing touches we expect in a modern day high end toy. I find it very difficult to believe, looking across various lines of Japanese toys/figures/models, all imbued with extremely high levels of detail, that the Japanese Trans-fandom want bland undetailed robot modes in the MP line- it seems counter-culture and dubious, and just a little, dare I say, cheap. Moreover, it's a little backwards when the level of detail on the mass retail Generations toy lines of late are equitable if not better than the last few MP figures (MY CHUG shelf is right behind me, and I've got Volcanicus, PotP Prime, Moonracer, Rippersnapper, Jazz, Hun-Grrr, Roadtrap and Battleslash hanging out on my desk, so I'm looking at these things as I write and comparing them to MP Sunstreaker and Ratchet- sadly the retail toys win hands-down in the detail department). I'm thinking this is one of those situations 10-20 years down the road when hopefully the situation has reversed, and everyone looks back and wonders 'WTF were they thinking?'. Hopefully by then there'll be all sorts of memory materials being used that allow for some impressive dynamism and a nearly organic ability to assume complex shapes as well as close up gaps- that's the sort of leap I'd like to see analogous to how toy tech has improved since the 80's. Fun to dream about this sort of stuff.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I have no kids, and I'm retired military, so I have lots of time to dedicate to hobbies. But, I have friends, and have had coworkers, with kids, so I can understand how work and family can monopolize one's time. Even with time on your hands, there's nothing wrong with preferring the simpler, more intuitive transforming toys; they are fun, and as you said so eloquently, that's ultimately what it's all about. I like the complex toys for the challenge, but I rarely transform them b/c they usually are frustrating. And then there are toys like XTransbot's Eligos ( MP scaled Cyclonus) which is a beautiful figure, both bot and alt. But the transformation is an exercise in frustration due to poor clearances and some ill-designed tabs. The transformation itself isn't too complicated, sharing cues from the recent CW and TR figures, just scaled up. But I hate transforming him b/c of those clearances, so in lovely bot mode he stays, unless I get a masochistic urge. Y'know, as much as I like the G1 characters, I'm not opposed to just letting nostalgia drive sales of the MP line. Would I like to see those old characters on the big screen, perhaps with an EJ Su aesthetic - yeah, part of me would. But again, I think that's nostalgia. I also think it'd be neat if they redid the G1 cartoon with CG, and just used the old voice/sound tracks with some necessary remastering. I'd buy that. For a complete reboot of the cinema franchise, though, I think it should be just that- all new everything. New crew of bots, their own story, new settings- fresh from the bottom up. Of course, they can keep some mainstays- Cybertron, the Primes, taking on Earth alt modes (and maybe actually use the 'disguise' element , as they did in TF: Prime). There's so much they can do with this franchise to reinvigorate it, but I think they need to let go of the old and create a new story for this generation, with the inevitable homages to the G1 here and there. They did this brilliantly in Animated, although they were a mix of old and new with a lot of homages. I just hope we never get metallic skeletons coated with shards of metal as Transformers ever again- make them look more like the toys with some industrial design thrown in for realism. However, I do think it's a crap move on Hasbro's part not to be more active in selling the MP line here in the West. I guess it's good for TRU to have them as exclusives, but they don't seem to get a great deal of stock. Moreover, they price gouge b/c they have that monopoly, which sucks for us as fans and consumers who desire these figures. And, there's nothing G1 currently out there promoting them, so sales are driven entirely by 30 years of nostalgia. So Hasbro, reskin the old show in CG loveliness, remaster the tracks, and see if that reignites interest in the old show enough to justify selling the MP line domestically.
  18. M'Kyuun
    MP Megs is a little involved, especially figuring out the arms, but once you've got it, it really comes together into a lovely figure with insane poseability. The upper torso/chest is the only criticism I have- that's iconic to Megatron, and it just doesn't look right due to all the folded bits comprising it with a flat plate slapped on the front. But, it's still an amazing little work of engineering-those legs and feet are brilliant. Due to his complexity, it's a rewarding experience to get him transformed. The 262 is less complex than Megatron. Those back hinges are a PITA, though, esp due to the lack of clearance. If you can transform MP Megatron, you shouldn't have too much trouble with the 262. Like anything else of its nature, take your time and you'll get it. I don't see how anyone can own a transforming toy and never transform it- defeats the purpose. I will say, though, some transforming toys are more fun than others, and after transforming the more difficult ones at least once, they often remain in bot mode for long spans of time until I get an urge to try it again. To that end, I empathize.
  19. M'Kyuun
    It's been about two weeks since my last TRU visit, and I don't recall any MPMs there. I've only seen MPM Prime there once a few months back. They do get them here, but it seems like a blink-and-you'll-miss-it opportunity, and I don't go out there too often. Finally got all the PotP Dinobots and assembled them into Volcanicus. I'm with Scyla; the supplied feet are too small (might have to dig out the extra hands and try them). I'm using Slag as his right leg, and the foot pegs in securely, but it rotates easily under the weight, which makes just a standing pose tricky. I really hate how they did his legs- it would have worked much better and been more stable had they enabled Grimlock's thighs to absorb one way or the other into his lower legs. It would have shortened his gestalt a little, but the added stability, as well as more natural point of hip rotation and thigh length, would have improved him overall, IMHO. I appreciate that they tried, but the end result is a less than fun combiner. But I still like the individual Dinos, so the combining element is just a nice extra. Now Hun-grrr makes an excellent torso, with his ratcheted arms forming the gestalt's thighs, they're perfect length and situated naturally on the body. Looking forward to assembling Abominus, as I think he'll be a far better combined bot. As well as picking up Snarl and Sludge this past weekend, I also got Moonracer and Rippersnapper. I was a little disappointed that Sludge's back feet aren't hinged- even a limited ball joint would've been nice. Ripper's pretty nice; the only issue I have is that his legs clamshell open a little too easily and his knees also unpeg very easily, so his legs come apart with minimal handling. I'm a fan of the trapeze linkage for leg foreshortening- I think it's an elegant design. However, it's completely dependent upon those leg halves firmly snapping together to be effective, and in this case, it's weakness is manifested. Hopefully I got a bum toy, and the rest hold together better. I think he's a fun little figure otherwise and I dig his odd land-shark alt mode. I picked up Moonracer b/c I found her interesting as a toy; I have no familiarity with her as a character. She's half shellformer, with half her backpack covering her legs and forming the central cabin section of her car mode. Her feet rotate up to become the hood and partial windshield of her car mode, and panels on her forearms fill in her back fenders to complete her transformation. In bot mode her feet are hinged to allow fore and aft and also hinged to enable a little bit of ankle rock inwards- if you hit the small sweet spot due to the small flared bit of molded detail at the base of her shins. Had that been smooth and rounded, she'd likely have ankle rocker regardless of foot position. It's one of those smack-your-forehead kind of designs. So close to effective... but not. She does, however, have double jointed knees, so that's nice. Her car mode is long and thin, and despite being a Cybertronian alt, I like it. Her hands are clearly visible at the rear of the car, however, so there's that. This is a design that I think was hampered by the necessity of making her a combiner, not to mention giving her humanly feminine proportions. Had that combiner peg been omitted, they could have eliminated half of the backpack and perhaps integrated more of the shell section. Despite the shortcomings, I like her. She has disproportionally large feet which offer good stability and poseability, and she's a femmebot, which is rare. Moreover, I dig her color scheme- it's rare we get a light green TF car, and it works for her all around. One other negative I'll mention is that there are two tabs molded into the white section around the combiner peg that end up directly under her back wheels and sit flush with the ground. They look like deliberate parts of the mold rather than flashing, but the tabs serve no purpose- they don't tab into anything. The shell section rests against them in bot mode, so they appear to create clearance between the shell and the frame. It seems an odd unnecessary part of the mold to me. Anyway, I'm interested to hear others' experiences/ opinions on these figures, and hope my mini-critiques are helpful.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Thanks for clarifying, Scyla. I've looked at those guys before, too, esp their version of Swoop, but not enough to know them on sight. Nice designs. I passed on Scoria in favor of Perfect Fusion Cesium, who's heavily influenced by the G1 toy, although he's a chunky fellow. I had him PO'd for quite some time, but after looking at comparison shots of him with Scoria, he was worth the wait- pretty much an overall improvement. I don't recall what influenced me to go with FT over Giga, beyond reputation. I liked what I saw on the FT side of things, besides Scoria, but I think Cesium had already been announced. Sever (Snarl) was my first FT dino, and it impressed me greatly. With that as my starting example, I bought the rest, never really looking beyond the FT dinos. I have no regrets, but there's always that curiosity about the thing you didn't buy and how it compares to what you did. Alas, I have neither the room nor finances for another MP scaled team of Dinobots, so I'll remain content with my FT Dibots and enjoy the pics and reviews of the others. To all contributors, esp Mike and Kuma, thanks!
  21. M'Kyuun
    Saw it yesterday, and thought it yet another strong entry in the MCU. I gained a strong admiration for Panther's character as he was portrayed in the 2011 cartoon The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, a thoughtful, rational, morally straight guy of few but poignant words who was prone to look before he leapt. He was a great counter to most of the team, esp Thor and Hulk, who are habitually rash. Anyway, I hoped some of that characterization would come through, and while Boseman's take isn't as generally philosophical or reticent, two movies in, I think he's a great choice for the character. Above all, I think the plot served the character well- he ran the gauntlet of human experiences in this film, and came out the other side victorious, doubtless with a few scars inside and out. It was a great character-building film, and I'm looking forward to his next outing in the Infinity War. Enjoyed the traditional African Tribal music in the score- good stuff. Always reminds me a bit of the Lion King opening, which never fails to give me goosebumps. Whoever said they were distracted by Killmonger's hair- me too! As bad guys go, he was ultimately a pathological thug, but at least his pathway to that point was explained in a way that makes sense, to me anyway. I try to empathize with his circumstances and wonder how they would have affected me at a young age. Anyway, I think he had one of the better backstories for how he became a bad guy, even if he came across as an arrogant punk to me every time he was onscreen. He was over the top sometimes, but not like Andy Serkis, who chewed every bit of scenery he was in like it was taffee. Guy enjoys his job. I thought the scenery and settings were gorgeous. It's one of the prettiest Marvel films. Loved the integration of traditional thatching on some of the modern buildings in Wakanda- just some lovely scenery there, as well as much of the styling. I'm curious to see how they follow up on the ending sentiments of the film. If only Wakanda really existed.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Kuma, is that one of the FoC/WoC Dinobots? Love the ankle articulation there; I wish FT had found a way to accomplish better foot articulation, as it's difficult to get most of their dinos into any kind of walking pose that'll hold- feet are just too big and there's no fore and aft ankle pivot, just minimal A-stance. Nice looking fig, although the black paint job throws me off- variant or the regular scheme? Anyway, lovely figure, beautiful photography as always. Giga makes some lovely Dinos; if I hadn't started down the FT path, I'd likely have a shelf full of GigaPower Dinos. I think either way you go between these two companies, you're getting a good product. I love my FT dinos, but I confess that I prefer some of Giga's aesthetic choices. I enjoy the photos of these guys, as I'll probably never get a chance to see them in person.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Huh, I only glanced at it, too distracted by transforming it. I'll have to take a second look. But yeah, kinda wish it was paint or tampo. The toys themselves are pretty neat, though. Want the rest.
  24. M'Kyuun
    My sentiments exactly.
  25. M'Kyuun
    Got my MMC Ocular Max Remix condors and Furor (Rumble) yesterday. Both are pretty awesome, but their take on Rumble is especially impressive. If you're a fan of the Cassette bots, I highly recommend. Interesting note on Furor; he comes plain with enclosed decals for a more accurate cassette look. Wish he was painted like the condors, but still nice that they come with the figure.
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