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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, kinda surprising that the Shuttle wasn't chosen as a nice follow-up to the Saturn V. I don't think the stand-alone gantry has enough appeal on its own; it would have to be accompanied by some sort of spacecraft, which would raise the price dramatically. The F-15 would have been cool, but I get why they wouldn't do it, as grey rebuilds would start popping up everywhere, or folks would just start arming it with missiles as-is. Human nature is pretty transparent when it comes to any kind of war-making paraphernalia. I'm not interested in any of the next round models, although I have to admit that all three of the seaside buildings are lovely; just not really my cup of tea, as they say. What I'm waiting for is Voltron. I'm hoping against hope that new stronger ratcheting joints need to be designed to make it work. If not, I'm still thinking it's going to be a pretty damned cool set, one of the best official mecha sets by far. And, I'll finally have a Go-Lion Voltron. Feeling optimistic.
  2. M'Kyuun
    I wonder if that's a Harmony Gold issue, or something else. Either way, shame for HLJ, but good that you were able to find it at a better price. I'd highly recommend buying directly from KC directly, esp since shipping is free and most of their SD valks are on sale for better prices than you'll pay through an online retailer. I already have 2 Arcadia 1/60 VF-1s, which fills my quota for now. The only other VF-1 I'd really like to own is an Elint, just b/c of the unique packs, so I hope Arcadia will do a rerelease. However, if Kitz Concept released one, and reviews are good for their 1/72, I'd accept that as a decent alternative. Scale's not a real big deal to me. If it was, I'd have quit Transformers, LEGO, and Macross a long time ago.
  3. M'Kyuun
    I wish they'd still had the VF-1S on sale, as it would have been my preference; however, in the interest of changing things up and getting a VF-1 in a color scheme I don't own, I went with the Max Sterling. I like how the FAST Packs are two-toned- nice touch. Anyway, for anyone on the fence, Kitz Concept has their SD VF-1s on sale, all with free shipping. here's the store link: https://kitzconcept.hk/ I sat on the fence for quite awhile , but I like egg-planes and SD versions when they're done well. After looking at pics and reviews, I'm pretty impressed overall with the proportions of these guys, and the perfect transformation they were able to execute, with one caveat: there is a removable plate that goes around the neck to help hold the chest and back plate in place. I don't know if it's there just as an extra assist, or if it's necessary to keep it from devolving into a sloppy mess. Either way, it seems a small price when the rest is done so well. I've been wanting an SD VF-1 for some time, so these guys have had my attention ever since this topic appeared. Guess it was just time to plunk down some cash and get one. I still kinda regret not getting the SD VF-25 when that was out, as it seemed like a cool little figure, too. Ah well. 'preciate the heads up concerning weight and the stand. Mine will likely spend most of its time in battroid, but if I get a wild hair to change up and display it in fighter with missiles firing, then it's good to know what to expect. As for the size thing, usually toys of this nature are small- I've got the SD Roadbuster Mugen Caliber repaint, and it's pretty small. Like these VF-1s, I wish it'd come with a second smaller head that could be incorporated into the transformation, but it didn't. However the last time a toy surprised me with its size, it was FT's Phoenix, which I knew was gonna be big, but it's surprisingly so in hand. Their Dinos are pretty good sized, too, but I understand Giga's are even bigger- wow. Also, Toy World's Devastator (Constuctor) when assembled is massive.
  4. M'Kyuun
    Couldn't resist the chibiness- ordered the Max Sterling with FAST Packs.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Well, I agree that Takara, as well as other makers of transforming toys in the 80's, were operating on the cusp of what was possible with given technology, materials, affordability, etc. But I think the toys also need to be taken on a case by case basis; as you pointed out some toys, like the F-15s with their separate hands, and any number of other figures exhibited cheats that perhaps could have, and have been since, designed to eliminate the need for those cheats. However, the innovative nature of the toys' transformation gimmick can't be ignored, and since it formed the focus, license was taken to that end. Moreover, I can also point out examples of transforming toys from that period that in fact did have decent articulation ( Shockwave most certainly, 1/55 VF-1 (Jetfire), Megatron could swing his legs fore and aft as well as position his hips due to the transformation linkages, I owned a few non-Transformer bots that turned into insects that generally had articulated legs that could rotate fore and aft, as well as Bandai's Scramble Egg SD F-15 which, despite it's unconventional robot mode, had a lot of ratcheted articulation). I'm sure there are more examples. However, for the Diaclone/TF toys, since transformation was the gimmick, all other considerations were secondary, and I think they were designed to be solid from the waist down to simplify manufacturing and ease transformation for little kids. So yeah, I think some designs were lazier than others, but within the grand scheme of TF toys, most shared the same shortcomings where articulation is concerned, and a few where cheats were employed to achieve transformation, and that was just the standard. It's also important to remember that these were solely targeted at kids without consideration of an adult collector consumer base who critique every little thing about every release, so shortcuts could be taken without fear of scathing YouTube reviews and angry fanrants on numerous blogs. It's an interesting time we live in, in which toys are now the playthings of adults as well as kids ( I didn't know of any adults growing up who collected toys), and with that adult sensibilities are brought to bear, which I believe, has had to have had some influence on how these things are designed. Maybe. I still wonder sometimes. As far as laziness being carried forward, IMHO, most jet TF designs today are still extremely lazy, as the bot just lays strapped under the jet fuselage, or the arms are just folded alongside the body with little attempt to incorporate them into the transformation. To that end, I actually like the transformation of the arms on the old G1 F-15, as they were at least incorporated into the fuselage. Granted the hands were a cheat- yeah, pretty sh!tty, but it is what it is. There was a G1 inspired Starscream in the Robot Masters line http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Starscream_(G1)/toys#Robotmasters in which the arms transformed in a similar manner to the original toy, which I thought was pretty awesome, and I wish was employed in a modern toy. CW Jetfire stands as one of the best official jet designs in recent years, although he suffers from a lot of backpack-it is. But his arms are integrated! And, though he's technically more spaceship than jet, I feel compelled to point out how well Fans Toys' Phoenix integrates those huge arms into his alt mode- warm fuzzies when I transform him. Anyway, I've blabbered enough. Interesting turn of the topic, though.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Since these are robotic versions of dinosaurs, with a lot of stylistic license thrown in, plus a necessity for transformation, I'm willing to overlook certain inaccuracies. Unless they're really wonky, or start looking like Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, I'm not too bothered by license. The G1 dinos themselves weren't exactly accurate, and the toys used cheats (looking a Sludge's forearms tucked neatly under his chest in dino mode). Of course, with standards and expectations being what they are, nobody'd buy a modern toy that employed such lazy engineering. But we sure gobbled them up back in the 80's. Which makes me wonder why folks still shell for those old toys. Nostalgia didn't improve their engineering. Thirteen year old me was envisioning toys akin to what we have now back in the 80's, as just about every TF purchase was an exercise in disappointment, esp when the boxart sold a far more dynamic picture of the enclosed toy. So as a fan of the G1 look, but not the G1 toys, the buffet of G1 inspired toys being offered is a long-held wish come true. I wish I could afford more of them, but I get more meaning from the ones I do buy b/c I have to be choosy. My FT dinos and Phoenix are hands down some of the coolest TF toys I own, and I keep them where I can see them all the time, as they never fail to delight me.
  7. M'Kyuun
    G1 and Beast Wars for me. Speaking of which, I got my Sunstreaker yesterday, and I'm really impressed with the articulation. He does have a sizeable backpack, which everyone wishes was smaller, but it's not, and honestly, it doesn't get in the way of anything so.... As for his butt plate- it's actually pretty small and the shape of it is at least complementary- again, it's unobtrusive. Having fun changing up his poses. Putting him alongside his brother showcases the evolution in articulation, and makes me hope for a MP Sideswipe Mk II in the future. At the end of the day, I'm glad I waited for Takara's, as I think he's a damn good figure, upstaging both third party offerings.
  8. M'Kyuun
    Having only fossils to examine, it's a difficult, nigh impossible, task for paleontologists to form any definitive conclusions as to the purpose of anomalous structures. The theory that seems fitting to me is that they perhaps aided in regulating body heat. just as well, they could have simply been for mating- maybe they changed colors. Who knows. They look cool, though, especially on robotic versions with all that yummy chrome. I'm just a general fan of dinos, so all the various iterations of them from all the various parties strike me as cool. I like the Exo Realm version of Snarl (thanks, Kuma!)- I think their Swoop looks awesome, too. I'm not overly critical on most things- I grew up with G1 TFs, and those things had virtually no playability outside of the transformation, so all these recent versions offer nice articulation, and even combining functions. All good things.
  9. M'Kyuun
    GCC did an admirable job with the IDW design for Prowl. Not really a fan of the design myself, at least not as Prowl, but I can appreciate it purely as a transforming figure. As far as Cybertronian modes go, at least this one looks believable and relatable. Over on TFW, some in-hand photos of Giga's Sludge (Graviter) have been posted. Gotta say, it looks lovely. http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/01/18/hand-images-gigapower-graviter-masterpiece-sludge-356871 If I was more financially inclined, I'd spring for a set of these, too.
  10. M'Kyuun
    An article I just read says she suffered from depression, as well as bipolar disorder, which, untreated, can be a difficult condition to live with, both for the sufferer and those around them. The article also mentioned that she had attempted to take her life once before by purposely ODing. I just read it, but I don't recall the source of that article. Apologies. Associated press reports that her death was not suspicious per police; however, an official cause is yet to be determined. A source close to Ms. O'Riordan says she sounded happy and anticipated a visit with himself and his wife later in the week during a phone call with her. Alas, what took her remains to be seen. It's a sad loss regardless.
  11. M'Kyuun
    Sad indeed. She was my age- always sad to lose people so young, but loss of singers and actors, who touch a global audience with their talent always carries a certain shared sense of loss. I'll always appreciate 'Dreams' as one of her finest songs- it still resonates. RIP, Delores.
  12. M'Kyuun
    I don't; I love them. That said, I've never handled any of Giga's, but I'm not opposed to them either. Options are good. And, I think Giga's versions are pretty nice looking G1 Dinos- there were just things about FT's that I liked a little more. It's purely subjective. Anyway, for those who chose Giga, great! I hope you love them, and that they fulfill your wishes for MP styled Dinobots. It's a great time to be a TF collector.
  13. M'Kyuun
    I've been seeing quite a few TLK Megatrons, too. Voyager class. No interest. But the Generations pegs are usually empty or have a few of the TR wave 5 figs. Oh, and Wally has one of those huge center aisle multi-compartment displays with all manner of small toys, including the PotP legends class figs, for which I'm thankful, as I was able to get Windcharger, Beachcomber, and Slash much sooner than I thought I would. I've since seen them at other stores on pegs, too, so at least they're seeing some distribution. Still, none of the stores I go to are clogged with PotP figs. At Target last night, they had one Swoop, two Dreadwings, one Grimlock, two Starscreams, and one each of Rodimus and OP. So, my timing was just right, or I'd have likely missed them. Having transformed Rodimus into his various forms, I wish they'd taken a little more time with his design. The fact that his arms need to be removed and stowed is kinda backwards from what we've come to expect in modern TF design. Moreover, using Hot Rod's shins to form the upper part of Rodimus' arms limits the articulation capable. He does have presence, though, just being that large, and can still manage a decent pose despite the limited shoulder/upper arm limitation. Unfortunately, Hot Rod also suffers from limited poseability in his arms due to how close they are to his body and by the substantial amount of back kibble he sports. In a leader class toy costing $45, it underwhelms. I haven't transformed OP yet (just unboxed him this morning, and managed to insert his matrix). Poseability is great with this guy, except his head which can only turn, but can't look up and down. A ball joint would have worked great here, but whatever. Despite the grey panels everywhere, he's still undoubtedly Optimus, and at $45, a great alternative for folks who can't afford MP-10. So, just removed Orion Pax and gave him a once over- excellent poseability in this figure, with a ball jointed head. He can even kneel or do an Iron Man pose. Seeing this guy and what they accomplished with the final figures, it makes me wonder how Takara went so right with OP and so wrong with Rodimus/Hot Rod. Ok, so having fully transformed both figs, it seems the primary focus with OP was his two bot modes, and with HR/Rodimus, his Winnebago mode. Just the impression I get having handled them for a short period. they did a decent job of panel-forming his OP body suit into a reasonable facsimile of his G1 trailer- far better than Orion's cab transformation. With a little more engineering, they probably could have shaped his arms to better form the back of his cab to make it all seamless. My takeaway is that both figs look nice for display, but OP is by far the superior toy. Both have flaws galore, but OP received the greater love, and Rodimus the greater degree of half measures.
  14. M'Kyuun
    First time seeing anything about Bayverse MP Ironhide. His was one of the few designs I liked, mostly b/c of that split hood that sells it as a Transformer more than most of the other designs. I like the chunky proportions, but there's something up with those front wheels that doesn't look right. I still have my old voyager from 2007, and I like that. The leader class they did a year or two later was pretty well done, too (didn't get it, but I took a look at it at Wally, and watched the obligatory reviews). I agree with the above statement that this looks a step backwards, esp with all his toes hanging out under the back bumper. Not looking too masterpiece-y to me. Struck the Transformer lottery tonight at Target, where they had almost all of the PotP figures. I know I criticized Rodimus and OP, but in my hands, the need to have them overcame any reservations. I also got Swoop and Grimlock, both must-buys. I vacillated on Dreadwing, but left him on the peg- pretty much a CW jet in funky colors. They also had Starscream, but even in hand, it just didn't really appeal- man he's got a small head given the chunkiness of the rest of him. They didn't have Slug, but as luck would have it, I ordered him and Grotusque through TRU a couple days ago, and should have them next week. I initially balked at paying $25 for a deluxe, but I have the original Grotusque and my nostalgia runneth over. They did a really good job on him, and we'll probably never see another official G1 version of him again, so I bit. Thanks to my wife and her odd mid-week craving for Olive Garden, which sits across the parking lot from Target, I was able to snag the toys I didn't think I'd manage to get for another three or four months (b/c TF distribution here in Spokane is sparse at best). Enough typing- got some transforming to do!
  15. M'Kyuun
    Yep; whoever thought a flying shoebox was a great design was sadly mistaken. All the toy companies and replica makers must have been like 'WTF' when Lucasfilms gave them early concepts to work from. Hell, they didn't even let LEGO know that Kylo Ren's ship, one of the better designs IMHO, could splay its wings in flight. But yeah, for a franchise known for cool ships, the last two Episode films were pretty lackluster. I like the U-Wing from Rogue One, though- neat ship, and it was a pretty nice set to boot. As for Tracker I, I got a TIE Defender vibe from it. The Tracker's cooler though, IMHO. The other ship LEGO created for the Freemaker series, The Arrowhead, is pretty sweet, too. I have yet to build it, but I love it on looks alone. Again, it's a far cooler design than most of what we've seen in the last two Episodes. That's a sad statement.
  16. M'Kyuun
    The Sunday over New Year's weekend, I saw four or five copies of the Saturn V at TRU. I was pleasantly surprised to see them, actually, although my TRU is pretty good about keeping Ideas sets in stock. Another place to check is Barnes and Noble; that's where I got mine months ago, with a nice member's discount no less. I must agree with Master Chen on his assessment; it's one of the most rewarding sets I've built, and I've built literally thousands of sets. If I may impart a slight detour; I just built the Tracker I set, which is a custom ship made by LEGO for its Freemaker Star Wars cartoon, and it shames just about every ship design in Force Awakens. It has a triangular cockpit which makes for a really neat build- one of the more notably enjoyable spaceship sets I've built. Sorry to derail. I think I'm gonna wait out the UCS Falcon until another double VIP point window, and hope I can get my order in before they sell out again. Fortunately, I have over $200 in VIP points that I've been saving to soften the blow, and I'll likely pad that a bit more between now and the next double point window. As for where to put it- I'm out of room to display small sets, let alone that monstrosity. So, time is good, as it'll give me time to come up with a solution.
  17. M'Kyuun
    If UFO Robo had been part of Revenge of Cronos, you may have gotten your wish, or at least a decent update anyway. Action Toys have been very slow to pump out their MR figures; it's been about a year since their proto for Turbo was shown, and has yet to show up for POs. As for Pathfinder's overall look, I think I still prefer the more 50's UFO look of Cosmos. Pathfinder (UFO Robo) looks more to me like a Buck Rogers or 70's Battlestar Galactica design- not a bad thing at all, but the classic UFO just appeals more to me. Anyway, if you have any building skills, Pathfinder could be realized fairly well with LEGO; it's not what you want, I know, but it's an alternate avenue.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Sweet pic. Man, it'd be nice to have a figure of that detail that does transform. Really makes me want to peek into the future maybe a decade or two and see where toy tech is compared to today, b/c unless there are new revolutionary materials brought to bear to allow extreme bending, twisting, folding, etc I can't imagine how it can really get much better than the engineering we see now. But, I'd still love to see an evolution akin to the 80's-to-present twenty years on.
  19. M'Kyuun
    IMHO, keeping the Japanese releases in line with Hasbro is a lowering of quality, for the most part. There are some figures where I prefer the Hasbro, but when you consider the addition of an entirely new figure, such as Blast-off or a deluxe sized Groove, or remolded arms and completely different articulated feet for Ginrai (PMP), or articulation for the Constructicons whose Hasbro counterparts were pretty limited, then quality goes beyond mere cosmetics. If decisions like these are stymied, then all collectors suffer, since a better official option is off the table. I think it's shrewd and slimy to tell the company who ultimately designs and produces your product that they can't make a superior version for their own market, as it both shines a light on their inferior product and woos a lot of Western collectors away from buying domestic. Instead of the Hasbro version, why not go for the Japanese versions instead? I know- money. I read years ago the difference between American marketing and Japanese is that America sets a price-point and keeps development within that box, regardless of end quality, and the Japanese develop the best product, within reason, and then settle on a price-point. I believe it. Alas, short of the new Dinos, not much of PotP is really appealing to me thus far. I wanted to like the Leader OP and Rodimus, but having watched reviews for both, I'm not really too crazy about either. I love what they were going for, but execution could have been better. Ah well, I'm sure they'll try it again someday, hopefully with better designs. Shrug.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Nice Valkyrie, len_d96. It's already been tried in Ideas, but didn't pass, most likely due to Macross licensing issues, esp here in North America where Harmony Gold still holds sway. Wait until 2021- things might be different then. Fingers crossed. len_d96, any insider word on a probable release date for Voltron? Looking forward to getting a copy, or two.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Lovely pic. Def digging Drift over that Prime (something about those tires on his hips bugs me, even though it's G1 toy accurate). As for PotP figures, from what I've read on TFW2005, it sounds like the toys are going to be the same without changes for the two markets. Not sure why. I'm sure that's got a lot of folks bummed. I've bought some Takara versions myself, when either paint jobs or mold differences appealed over the Hasbro version, so I can understand the thinking. I guess we'll see how well that goes as we chug along into 2018. Change of topic; I ordered MP-39 Sunstreaker through Anime Export, and have yet to receive any notification for shipping due. Curious if anyone else here used them and whether they've received any word from them. I do know that they just came off of a New Year's holiday, so they've only just been reopened for business since yesterday, but seeing all the reviews and pics being posted, I want my Sunstreaker, dammit! Any word one way or the other is appreciated (misery loves company, as they say). Thanks.
  22. M'Kyuun
    "Indeed. Very pleasing to my optic sensors" - Optimus Prime Really, a beautiful figure. Lovely photography, as always, Kuma. I'm guessing this is an newer iteration of Drift, as Classics Drift had a different look in bot mode and a completely different car mode (I looked at MMC's transformable version for comparison- nice toy, too, BTW). As JBO mentioned, and I agree, this version's bot mode doesn't really scream 'Transformer" as much as many other TF's, which boast their Earth vehicle parts rather obviously in their bot modes. This figure could be put in a lineup with Full Metal Panic, or some other similar mecha and fit right in. Nice design- I like it quite a bit.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Still love the figure. name's cool, too. Great photo, Tekering. Thanks for sharing. Hopefully I'll live long enough to see that entire lineup, with maybe the exception of Skyfire, as official figures. However, at the pace Takara's releasing them, probably not. For reference, I'm 46.
  24. M'Kyuun
    To that end, it's understandable why the transformation aspect isn't as important as the overall look, and articulation by extension, of the figure are important to you. Certainly, from a photography standpoint, the old 80's toys had to be a bit of a challenge to photograph while trying to impart any sense of dynamism, hence the more dynamic boxart. It worked; I bought Prowl, my first TF, despite the pics on the box of the actual toy, hoping that it could achieve a little of that look. Of course, he was a brick from the waist down, like the majority. Anyway, judging from your Drift pics, eschewing the tell-tale mechanics necessary to effect transformation has allowed for a stunning looking bot. Def getting a Chogokin vibe. Love those shoulders. For me, Transformers have always been about the transformation gimmick, although from the start, I always wanted and expected better articulation from the robot modes. Beast Wars was my first experience with decent articulation, and when Classics, TF:A, and the Bayformers came along, along with MP, I felt my vision for what TFs should be had come to pass. Now with articulation having become almost as important as the transformation itself in most TF toys, at least Generations and up, I'm glad my interest in transforming toys never waned, or I'd have missed out on a lot of really cool figures. Despite my bias, I have to say that some of the non-transforming statues and figures are brilliant objets d'art.
  25. M'Kyuun
    "Peg" still makes me smile. I agree with Mike, JBO, and Valkyrie Hunter- it's an old running joke here, and no offense was meant by calling him that in reference to your Drift review. Take it with a grain of salt; I still think of Drift as Peg- it's just something that stuck in the grey matter and won't go away. That said, I passed on the Classics Drift version of the toy in lieu of the Blurr recolor, as I usually just buy one version of a mold unless I really like it or there's enough difference between the toys to justify it. I have no formal connection to Drift, as I don't read the comics. That said, Kuma's pics of Drift look amazing; I dig the look of the character. It's a shame that figure doesn't transform, but I get that his bot mode is the focus. He looks good.
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