M'Kyuun
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Everything posted by M'Kyuun
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Some great QC there, Hasbro! Poor Luke, maybe the Force wasn't with him after all. All the figures I looked at had good apps, even the regular 4" figs. For relatively inexpensive mass produced figures, I was pretty impressed by how well they captured the shapes of their faces as well as the paint apps. Some of the best retail figures I've seen. I was feeling tempted to get the 6" Black Series Darth Vader, but I stopped collecting SW years ago due to all the other stuff I collect. Now, if they ever produce more ESB 4" snowtroopers, I may pick up a couple for my AT-AT.
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I bought some discounted SW sets on LEGO.com. I had to take my Mom-in-law to a doctor's appointment, and the office is right next to Walmart, so I went in to snag a TLJ set or two. They hadn't even put them out yet, so I got to check them out as the toy associate opened the various boxes. In the end, I walked out a proud owner of the First Order Heavy Walker- fun build, nice set. Unlike previous AT-AT sets, this set is predominantly dark grey, which makes it look even more ominous. I looked at some of the Black series and regular SW figs. Man, they've come a long way with molding capabilities. The faces on these figs are pretty spot on now.
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Well, overly expensive toys have become the norm, unfortunately. Also unfortunate is the fact that most Asian companies producing anime and pop culture toys have little to no interest in the Western market. If these were intended for international markets from inception, I wonder if it would help mitigate the pricing by virtue of volume. At any rate, $240ish USD for the Arcadia as opposed to approx. $500 for the Fewture speaks to me. It says, go low and hope for the best, or at least better than the previous Yamato releases. I like the Garland, and wouldn't mind having a nice toy version, but even at that pricepoint, with all the other stuff I collect or want more, it's a tough pill. I'll wait for the eventual Proto Garland, and let my finances at the time dictate.
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Just about every retailer out there will have this available, both brick & mortar stores and online. Retailers like Walmart and Target usually don't carry the larger sets like this in store, but still have them available online. As Chronocidal stated, initial demand for this is going to be extraordinarily high, but after the first month of release, fervor will start to fade, and it should be more easily obtained. LEGO are well aware of the popularity and demand for this set, so I wouldn't fret, as it'll likely be produced over the next couple of years, at least. My own enthusiasm was lukewarm, initially, as I own the original. However, I just watched the Designer vid and the improvements made over the original are quite significant. I'm gonna have to get one. Fortunately, I'm in the LEGO VIP program with about $300 saved up for just such an occasion. $800 is crazy money to spend on a toy. While it's already a really impressive model, I'll be truly impressed if they designed those gear to retract. The one disappointment I sense already, based upon the tunnel stickers, is that once again, as with all previous MF models, the tunnel leading from the main body to the flight deck will be blocked. I was expecting that to be a feature of this model, but doesn't look like it. Nice new cockpit canopy- at that size, I wonder what other usages they'll find for it.
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An official SR-71 would be nice shelf candy, to be sure, but I'd say it's pretty close to the line for LEGO to produce it. Moreover, given its unique capabilities, I wouldn't be at all surprised if at least one or two are still being maintained, or at least minimally preserved. Slapping the NASA logo on it might just be what gets it passed, though.
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I've been wanting a decent Garland toy for some time, so I'm hoping this will turn out well without all the fragility issues that plagued the Yamato release (which I passed on). I'm also thinking this will be in the $300 USD ballpark. Not sure what Fewture's is going for, but it'll be pricey, too. Edit: if this does well, I wonder if they'll take a stab at the Motoslave from Bubblegum Crisis. I found Linna's for $50 on ebay a couple years ago and jumped on it, having passed on all of them when Yamato first released them. Priss' goes for a small fortune, and honestly, the toy's just not worth it, but I wanted at least one version of it, as it's still one of my favorite transforming motorcycle designs. Neat for what it is, but not without numerous flaws. Definitely a mech design that could use a 21st century update.
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With FAST Packs, because, y'know, space.
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http://www.moc-pages.com/home.php/94679 Transforming robots and LEGO have been two of my greatest lifelong passions, and few builders meld these two like Alex Wong. I've been looking through his galleries, and this guy is pretty impressive, especially when you consider that he makes all, or nearly all, of his models to fit at least one minifig. Be sure to check out his Legioss and his Garland. I'd love to have both as sets, esp the former.
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Same here, concerning the fins; I think I like the LEGO ones, aesthetically, better than the real ones, so I've no problem with them. I'm not sure if all the bracketing on the internal structure was part of the original submission, or the LEGO designers' innovation, but it works amazingly well. It's a lovely model just to behold, but building it gives you an even deeper appreciation for it due to the techniques involved. Definitely recommended. Now I'm anticipating Voltron. I'd love to see some new stronger ratcheting joints come out of that project, but I doubt they'll have the budget for it. Then again, these days, you never know. I'm also curious to see how broad their licensing is; is it just limited to classic Voltron for the sake of this model, or does it extend to other variants, and to Netflix's version? I wouldn't mind the Netflix version. I would have really loved to have a version of the 2011 Voltron Force Voltron- loved those designs. Unfortunately, the show didn't do well, and even the toys teased at SD ComicCon by Mattel never made it to production, AFAIK. That's probably my favorite version of Voltron thus far. Heresy perhaps, but I just love the look of it, and the individual lions. Voltron never played on tv where I grew up, so I have no connection to it other than I like lion mecha.
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'Preciate the elucidation, Azrael. I think it's safe to say, we all hope that HG's lawsuit will indeed sour their relationship, and that their precious Macross license will be denied. It'd be pretty sweet if Bandai jumped on that opportunity to market Macross in the West. It's too long coming. Keep biting the hand that feeds you, HG!
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That Sidewinder is not the most appealing ship design. I'm not familiar with Elite: Dangerous, but having Binged some images, there are some cool ship designs that would have made for better entries, IMHO. No fault with the build, however; it's just not a flattering subject.
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A builder named SPARKART built this Brickheadz version of Ms. Minmay. Even better, he posted step-by-step instructions on his Flickr. Thought I'd share.
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I doubt it; NASA has proven to be a cash cow for LEGO. If the design is sound, and LEGO don't have a similar project in the works already, it stands a better than average chance of getting made, IMHO. On their own, they'll be making STS Orbiter sets long after I've turned to dust- it's just an iconic spacecraft that just happens to look cool, and translates well for playability. In fact, there's a 3-in-1 Creator Orbiter set out now. It's in my backlog of sets I need to build.
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Congrats on scoring the Prop Plane set! I remember when that set was out, but like you, didn't get it. Also like you, I had the Sky Ranger, which was a fun little set on its own. Anyway, it's always a nice feeling to find an old set you wanted but didn't get as a kid. I've since added the Polaris 1 Space Lab, the Blacktron Spectral Starguider, the M-Tron Mega Core Magnetizer, and the Galaxy Explorer to my collection. I digress- have fun building your plane; I hope it exceeds expectations. I wish LEGO would do limited releases of some of the more popular and highly sought retired sets from the 80's and 90's- one look at e-bay or Bricklink will show that, even after 30 years, many of those old sets are still selling for hefty sums.
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The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
I checked the entries for all the popular online retailers, and everyone that has them, even under their Japanese Transformers section, all have the Hasbro versions. Anime Export have it, but there's no delineation as to which version. I'm thinking you may just have to be patient and wait out a Takara release, or hope for the best with a current PO. With the tales of QC woe floating, I think I'd wait, esp for $140. best of luck! -
The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next
M'Kyuun replied to mikeszekely's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Glad I got the leader class RotF Prime- solid toy that does a really good job of capturing the character in both modes. That said, I've lost interest in Bay-verse toys, so neither MP Prime nor Bee were on my radar. The QC issues are a bit worrying, however. I have around 20 MP figs, and I can't recall any single one of them having that many issues. With a lot of third party competition, Takara need to manage their quality if they're going to continue the current pricing trend. By way of comparison, I just transformed a few of my FT Dinobots night before last, and those figures are so crisp, with excellent alignments throughout. That should be a hallmark for Takara as well. This kinda gives me some apprehension for Sunstreaker, especially with all the additional transformation mechanics to change from toy or real car aesthetics. Being a Countach, any misalignments will be readily noticeable. I hope they bring their A-game. I haven't seen any news recently, but with Wonderfest now in the rearview, was MP Dinobot on display in any capacity besides the CG model? Given the hot messes that pretty much all previous figures have been, I'm hoping they strike engineering gold with this one, earning the MP name. -
Face-palmed.
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I appreciate the kind words, fellas. Truly, it means a lot to me. Valk Hunter D- What does the 'OG' stand for? (I'm probably gonna face-palm when you tell me) So, the new LEGO Ninjago Movie sets are out and at the top of my want list were Jay's Lightning Jet and Kai's Fire Mech. The Fire Mech is quite imposing by LEGO standards, and visually striking. Articulation is rather poor, however. The feet are on technic ball joints, and shored to prevent a lot of movement, making the ankle joints nigh pointless. There are no knees and no thigh swivels. The hips can rotate fore and aft, and can bend outwards to achieve an "A" stance. A leg can be bent one click ahead of the other and maintain stability. More than a click is beyond the ankle's ability to accommodate, and the thing topples. It's a bit disappointing, as by now, I'd expect LEGO designers to be able to incorporate a full range of leg articulation into their mecha models. Gripe aside, it sure looks purty. Jay's Lightning Jet is one of those sets that makes me love this hobby. In hand, it has more of a MOC feel than an official set, and makes for a sweet sci-fi vehicle. It could have stood some better aft gear ( the gear is formed by a Technic handle which doubles as a hand grip to actuate it's spinning lightning engine feature), but it's a minor complaint on an otherwise excellent model.
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Also voted for Voltron and hoped like hell it would get approved. TBH, I'm not a huge Voltron fan, but I like the mecha, and a project like this will hopefully inform other mecha designs down the road, licensed or not. I'm happy to say this will be my first Voltron figure, and it pleases me to no end that it's an Ideas set. I wonder to what extent their license extends, as I wouldn't mind a LEGO version of Netflix's Voltron. It'd be nice if some new joints came about out of these larger mecha sets; the old Exo-Force clicky joints are decent, but quite limited in strength. I've given thought to submitting my transforming cargo plane, but given its lackluster reception on Flickr, MOCPages, and Deviantart, I'm reluctant to put forth the effort. The thought of seeing it on a shelf at TRU and B&N is warm and fuzzy, though.
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Ant-Man and the Wasp, in theaters July 6, 2018
M'Kyuun replied to azrael's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
This comes out the day after my birthday- Thanks, Hollywood! To be fair, in the first film, Corey Stoll wasn't really given much to do or to work with as far as outright over-the-top villainy is concerned. He plays a good @sshole, though. Otherwise, it was much better than I thought it'd be. Good casting makes a big difference. Hope the second is good, too. -
I love BrickCon; it's usually the highlight of my year. It's more fun, I think, to attend as a participant, i.e. build something to display. If you ever get the chance to go, I'd highly recommend going as a participant, as it affords you the opportunity to view all the displays before and after public hours-lots of time for photos and vids. Moreover, you get a chance to talk to the folks who build all these amazing things, and potentially make a few friends along the way. I hope you get to experience it- it's cool. If you do go, look for the short bald white dude in jorts who spends way too much time at the mecha table- I'll be happy to meet ya.
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I took a look at the Ideas shuttle, and , having 10213 from a few years back (in tribute to the orbiter program's retirement), I see little to improve on that set. Indeed, the Ideas proposal incorporates the cockpit parts from the Spaceport set above, which gives it a smooth look. Honestly, though, one could acquire the Spaceport set on Bricklink, ebay, etc, and mod it to achieve a more robust and accurate looking shuttle, similar to the Ideas set. Just not feeling it with this one. I'm still hoping that Voltron will get the official treatment.
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Macsam, I was hoping you'd linger a little longer on that Classic Space display-love me some CS. One thing that really captured my attention was the volume of Canadian flag builds; a very patriotic lot of builders there in Toronto. Nice little bit of mecha, with the VF-1, and that model of the super robot encased within the spaceship. If you ever get an opportunity, I'd highly recommend coming to BrickCon in Seattle. It's generally the first weekend of October every year. It's definitely worth the trip if you enjoy looking at everything and anything made from LEGO. One of the most impressive aspects of the convention is the participation: we've had folks from Australia, South America, Sweden, and many other far flung locations around the world bring their LEGO models to display. Amazing how these little plastic bricks can unite people.
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The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread
M'Kyuun replied to slaginpit's topic in Anime or Science Fiction
Couldn't agree more. I always liked his alt mode, and actually find it more interesting than just another VF-1, the likeness of which manifested ubiquitously in all manner of toys in the 80's. Skyfire looked Cybertronian, which is more apropos since he never took on an Earth alt. Even to my untrained eyes as a lad, Jetfire looked suspiciously like an F-14. See, I always thought 'Peg' was a shelf-warming reference, hence the mildly pejorative implication (i.e. in charming TFW2005 parlance, the toy is a POS). I never really followed the conversation concerning the character since I don't follow the comics, so that aspect was lost on me at the time. I thought the toy was ok, but I passed on Drift in favor of his Blurr recolor. In hindsight, just for variety's sake, and because I now have a superior G1 Blurr figure, I kinda wish I'd gotten Peg, er Drift. 'Preciate the backstory, Mike. -
I still have my Ivanov on display. I'll wait to see what improvements are made over Yamato's before I commit to a second. For starters, hopefully ratcheted hip joints and better weapon mounts. I never could get the FAST packs to attach to my 51's wings.