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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun

    Bandai DX VF-31

    M'Kyuun replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    So do I. I just don't want it to be as finicky as the 262, but yeah, I'd like to see what kind of engineering they could bring to the table. It'd be interesting to see a similar technique to MP-36 Megatron's legs applied to the Yf-21/VF-22 to maintain the thin profile in fighter, but allow for the bulky flared look in battroid. Anyway, Bandai are proving they're no slouches in the engineering department, although I wish they'd found an easier solution than the cramped double hinge on the 262's wing mount. Really close tolerances aren't beneficial on a highly articulated and extensively painted toy. Got my VF-31 yesterday, and managed a transformation to GERWALK and Battroid. I was working on a model for a model show today, so I didn't really have the time to mess with it too much. However, my impression is that this is a solid figure with some nice engineering to ensure everything locks into place. The joints are really tight throughout (the bicep swivels are so tight I'm afraid of snapping the lower arm off without bracing and going slowly). The poseable hands are great for fighter, but prove useless otherwise, as the fingers don't close and the optional hands must be utilized if he's to hold his gun. That's crappy, IMO, but whatever. Overall, though, this thing is really nice, and the tampo and paint are amazing.
  2. M'Kyuun
    Hey now, no stego prejudice! I've always liked the stegosaur, and as it happens, when I finally decided to get off the fence and actually dive into the 3P Dinobot pool, I went with Fanstoys' wonderfully G1esque Iron Dibots, and Sever (Snarl) was the first one I had in hand. The only Dinobot I owned as kid was Sludge (still my favorite), so Fanstoys' Stomp was my first order (still waiting for him to be restocked at TFSource), but Sever was available and I bit. Glad I did- wonderful, solid figure that churns my nostalgia like buttah. The only negative I can think of is that his dino head can't look up without disrupting the sculpt. Otherwise, he's the best representation of G1 Snarl available, and even if Takara decide to release all new MP Dinobots at some point, I'm not sure what they could really improve on over Fanstoys' Dibots. I've mentioned before that I think Swoop was the weakest of the original Dinobots in alt mode due to the concessions required for transformation, and that has seemingly carried through to all the modern takes, including Fanstoys' Soar, who by virtue of its faithfulness to the G1 toy and toon incarnations, remains rather blocky. It is what it is. To date, I think Derrick Wyatt's take on Swoop is my favorite, as he made a much more organic, sleeker looking pteranodon, and the thin, lithe bot mode suits the character. I wish he'd made Snarl and Sludge, as I'd love Animated versions of both to complete the G1 team.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Wow, seeing the state of that large plug, I can't help but cringe. Glad I went with Captured Prey- they didn't install plugs, and my Megs came factory sealed. Dangard, don't give up on transforming Megs just yet. The barrel rotation issue is pretty easily remedied if you sand down the ridges on the double hinge that holds the whole barrel assembly. I forced mine, but having seen pics of broken barrels, I rotated just the piece that the barrel attaches to. However, it was very tight, and very hard to rotate, and after the fact, a couple of the ridges on that hinge were smashed flat, but I was fortunate to not have broken anything. I figured mine was pinned wrong, thus not allowing for the intended tolerance, but it seems this is a QC issue experienced by lots of folks. It's not insurmountable, however, and you're fortunate to have forewarning of the issue, as well as suggestions on how to fix it. Sometimes it's good to wait for the slow boat.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I had the same issue, but was able to rotate it into place, gritting my teeth all the way. It was so tight, it ended up scraping off one of the raised ridges. Poor QC, there. Anyway, I know some folks have taken a file to those ridges . If you decide to force it into position as I did, I'd suggest gripping just the part to which the barrel attaches, not the barrel itself, as it could snap off. I think filing the ridges until the barrel moves easily is the best option. Forcing it just greatly raises the breakage potential, and this figure is too nice and too expensive to break him.
  5. M'Kyuun
    I have leader ROTF Prime, an amazing work of toy engineering itself, so I'm not really feeling any temptation to get this figure. I stopped collecting Bayformer figs after ROTF, as I'm not really a fan of the look, and none of the Bayformer figs from DOTM, AOE, and the upcoming Last Knight interest me. For those who do like the aesthetic, hopefully these are the MP figures you've been waiting for. Honestly, I may change my tune, at least for Prime, once reviews start popping up, if I find the transformation interesting. Doubt it though- I've pretty much lost all interest in anything related to the Bayverse, and I already have a nice collection of figures from his first three movies when the engineering in those toys was often complex and interesting (and sometimes frustrating, too). I'm hoping the next G1 MP fig will be announced this year, hopefully a new seeker mold, something surprising like Reflector or the Insecticons, or another Autobot car. In the meantime, I'm still enjoying looking at my Decepticons with their official leader- worth the wait.
  6. M'Kyuun

    Bandai DX VF-31

    M'Kyuun replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Congrats to everyone who've received theirs- looking forward to getting mine on Friday. Hadn't really ever paid attention to the head on Messer's valk, but after checking out the posted pics, I get the vitriol aimed at it. Kinda like a Uni-Kamen Rider sort of thing going on there. Fugly nugget aside, I love the overall paint scheme and skull emblem in fighter, which is why I got the 31F. Had I done my homework, I might have passed in favor of Mirage's, or the one with the radome.
  7. M'Kyuun

    Bandai DX VF-31

    M'Kyuun replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Paid for mine yesterday; DHL are leaving me a message as I type for Friday delivery. Nice start to the weekend.
  8. M'Kyuun

    Bandai DX VF-31

    M'Kyuun replied to UN Spacy's topic in Toys

    Just paid for mine- think I got fleeced a little: $219 USD through Amiami. Regardless, it's done, and since overall reception is good, I'm looking forward to getting it in hand. This and my 262 will likely be the only Delta birds I get, unless that Sv-54? (the F-104 look-alike) gets a release, and it's transformable. Or a new VF-22. Or a VF-9 Cutlass.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Too bad- it's a bit of a glaring omission, IMHO. Thanks, Sketchley.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Sketchley, do you know if there is an English translation of the interviews in Shoji Kawamori's Macross Design Works? I've looked for one for years and have come up empty. Figured I'd ask, as you seem to be the guy who'd know. Thanks. -M'Kyuun
  11. M'Kyuun
    I've heard others say that he's a fun figure to transform, and he seemed so from the vids I've seen. I've had my eye on him, and despite shelling for MP-36, I may end up getting him, too. More over-engineering, even less detail.
  12. M'Kyuun
    Colin Firth's character was the best part of Kingsman. I liked the movie, but Colin's protege left little impression on me- honestly, they could have killed him in the first 20 minutes, and I think I would have enjoyed the film more. I didn't care for Sam Jackson's character, either, so I'm glad they killed him irrevocably. They should have kept his ass-kicking attache alive though- she was a scene stealer. Anyway, the return of Colin gives me hope, as overall, I enjoyed the first film, and hope the sequel at least as good.
  13. M'Kyuun
  14. M'Kyuun
    That's a really nice looking Megatron. Since I already forked for MP-36, I'll skip this guy, but I look forward to the inevitable reviews. Looks like a more traditional transformation.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Don't worry, there'll be recolors of this guy, at least a Diaclone version, and a toy colors version, so there's a good chance an MP-38 Megs might yet be released. And if, not, not really a big deal to me and , yay, new mold! Personally, I'd like an all new Seeker mold, where the neck area is mounted lower than the upper lip of his chest intakes. That particular detail has bugged me about the current Seeker mold since it was released. Speaking of that, this mold is now over 10 years old- that's a lot of milking time for the mold. Time for an update.
  16. M'Kyuun
    Reminds me of Running Scared w/ Paul Walker...different plot but same kind of tone.
  17. M'Kyuun
    I got my Soar from an ebay seller, and the extra head assembly was in the packing, so I completely missed it when I pulled the box out (the packing was completely made of styrofoam perfectly fitted to Soar's box, and then wrapped completely in thick yellow packing tape. It was actually some of the best packaging I've ever seen). Anyway, I did the swap once I did find it, but haven't swapped the knee parts yet. I'm trying to be careful with the plastic ones, but if they do end up breaking, I'll go ahead and install the metal ones. I'm a rarity, as I prefer the look of TT's Shockwave over the 3P offerings. I wish he'd been a darker shade of purple, but overall, it doesn't bother me. Anyway, I thought Shockwave was pretty well done. In his case, I prefer the animation design over the G1 toy. Of course, opinions vary dramatically over this figure, and I can respect that. I'm glad the third parties veered away from the cartoon look, as the differences between the various versions should give everyone what they want, within reason.
  18. M'Kyuun
    Considering that he has to transform into a MP-10 scaled robot, they did a pretty good job overall of getting the shapes and proportions close. I wouldn't expect it to be exact, as it would be nigh impossible to do and make the robot mode as well without more sacrifices. Too, in this instance, I'd rather the robot mode got the most attention design wise.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Well, even though Constructor is my Devastator of choice, the vehicle modes are simplified, a little too much like the G1 Constructicons. I'm thinking primarily of their Bonecrusher and Scrapper, both of which would have benefited from full cabins to make them look more realistic. It's ironic that they went so far as to make rolling treads on Bulldozer, but then only gave him a convertible awning for an operator's cabin, when the latter posed a far less engineering challenge. Burden, who comes with his own quality issues (which I hope are fixed when they release the boxset this summer), is the best modern version of G1 Long Haul, IMHO. Quality issues aside, where I think they missed the mark to really make the figure shine is in the lack of functionality of his vehicle mode; how difficult would it have been to design a small set of panels to which the rear wheels would attach? These panels could be mounted at the knee and made to lock to the backs of the thighs, enabling the dumper to function as it would on a real dump truck. It seems such a missed opportunity, as nearly all the Constructors have at least some functionality in their vehicle modes, and that would have set this version above the rest for having that extra functionality. My opinion, but it bugs me when I think if only.... Until owning their Dinobots, I had only word of mouth to go on for Fan's Toys' reputation. Now that I have three figures in hand, I think I'm going to experience a bittersweet feeling when FT finally reveal their Constructicons. I'm too invested in TW, and one MP scaled Devastator is enough (both financially, and due to ever shrinking space restrictions). But, I'll bet they're going to be nice.
  20. M'Kyuun
    Wow, pretty extensive review, Mike. It's cool to see all of them together for comparison's sake. Ultimately, I went with Toy World's Constructor, as I like the G1 aesthetic they were going for, and, if I'm really being honest (I am), they had me with the rolling treads on Unearth and Bulldozer. I have their Scavenger, Bonecrusher, and Hook, and I love how solid and chunky they feel in hand. I have the full 6 figure set PO'd, and I can't wait to have them all. Along with 3P Constructicons, I've also started collecting 3P Dinobots, and I went with Fan's Toys Iron Dibots. Thus far, I have Sever (Snarl), Grinder (Grimlock), and today I got the blue version of Soar (Swoop). Every one of these figures is a treat to behold, and even to transform. There's a fair bit of innovation involved, and the results are really clean bot modes with a lot of die-cast heft, great articulation, and spot-on G1 aesthetics in both modes. In Soar's case, I wouldn't have minded their taking a little license to better integrate the arms into his ptero mode, but FT really were going for the G1 look, so his arms just kinda hang at his sides and give his dino mode a really boxy look that echoes the original toy ( actually, the original toy's arms tucked into the body a little for a little streamlining). I wish they'd allowed the arms to tuck in at an angle to give his pteranodon more of a V shape, but it is what it is, and it makes up for the boxiness with wing , head, and leg articulation. These are the only FT figures I own thus far, but I'm quickly understanding the high regard that many collector's have for them and their products. Very solid, and two of my Dibots have even had inspection stickers on them! One last thing, my copy of Soar came with a mis-assembled neck piece that wouldn't sit flush. Also included in the box was an extra properly-assembled head and neck assembly in a little bag. I guess the inspectors look for known issues and insert the necessary fix-it parts in the box. It was the work of several minutes and my Soar was back in perfect order; this is how a company should address quality issues. Very impressed with this company and its products thus far. Can't wait for Stomp and PF Cesium (their new Slag mold).
  21. M'Kyuun
    I'm starting to come around to that way of thinking, too. But, there's also a difference between a fairly complex transformation where everything transitions smoothly, and one where tolerances are too close or too tight, and that complicates the process far more than the transformation itself. MP-36 falls into the latter category. His transformation really isn't that difficult (the arms are the most difficult part for me), but the close tolerances and resistances just make this thing a nail-biting experience. I don't mind a challenging transformation, but it's best when the designers make allowances for parts to clear enough for other parts to rotate and move as needed. I'm gonna call out XTransbots here: Eligos has a pretty straightforward transformation, i.e., it's logical and makes sense. But, for whatever reason, the panels that go around the head and the panels on the backs of the legs , all of which need to swing open to allow other parts to move by or through them, have very limited hinge movement so that there's barely clearance. It's frustrating and I don't get why they didn't design the hinges to allow for more travel. On my copy of MP-36, the final rotation of the arms into their pistol mode positions causes them to rub, and it gives me an uneasy feeling. But for fun, I've really cottoned to the RiD figures and a number of recent TR figures just to grab and idly transform. Fun toys, as they should be.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Thor's prob my least favorite Marvel hero, so I've been ignoring the trailer for this up until now. Everything about this looks cool. The "friend from work" line is pure gold. Looks like it's going to be chock full of humor, and when it's done like this, I'm all for it. Great cast in this movie, too. Looking forward to it.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Internationally, they should just rename the size classes tall, grande, and venti; that would alleviate all confusion.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I tend to concur; I don't want to support HG in any way. However, getting back to the topic at hand, Kitz Concept's SD VF-1, I find myself a bit tempted to get one of these. By all appearances thus far, it's a nice little figure, and one of the best looking SD VF-1 designs I've seen. I dig it a lot. I wouldn't mind Focker's Strike Valk in all its FAST Pack glory. Sitting on the fence....
  25. M'Kyuun
    Derex, sorry I missed your earlier post; been away from the computer for several hours. My copy didn't have any plugs installed at all- pristine and sealed from the factory. I haven't even bothered removing the silencer from its tray, as I'm rue to scratch up Megs' barrel. It's really the one big misstep with this toy, that attaching the silencer will almost certainly cause damage. No intended feature or accessory should cause damage by using it in the prescribed manner, and certainly not at the asking price for this figure. I hope Takara are addressing it for future releases. The rest of us will have to content ourselves with the box pictures if we don't want to scratch up our toy. And while I could get a modicum of use out of it by assembling his big gun from it and the stock, I really feel no compunction to do so. Maybe someday I'll get a wild hair, but 'til then, it shall remain in the tray. I concur- in hand, just a great figure to pose, play around with, and display. Whoever first came up with the idea of interchangeable faces deserves some serious kudos; they've revolutionized the doll/action figure industry, enabling the user to change the emotional state of their figure to really illuminate its character and personality. I tend to stick to neutral faces, but I think the option to change expressions is an under-sung feature. Against my general practice, my Megatron is laughing while pointing his fusion cannon at whatever passes before him. He was worth the wait, IMHO.
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