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M'Kyuun

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  1. M'Kyuun
    And the Russians can barely afford to fly the Blackjack.
  2. M'Kyuun
    I love their Alpha sculpt, but the materials and quality of their toys just doesn't stand up. If they made vast improvements in both these areas, I'd be willing to shell for more of their products. That new Voltron looks good to me; I never watched the show, but I like a well designed toy, and so far this puts a nice emphasis on the individual Lions, as well as the combined form. I'm curious whatever happened to Mattel's Voltron Force toys, which were seen at SDCC 2011, IIRC? I thought the cartoon sucked, but I loved the new look of both the individual Lions and Voltron. I never saw it in stores, and there's little info about them on the internet beyond SDCC. I was looking forward to making that my first Voltron. I'm guessing the show tanked, and the toy prospects followed suit. Tis a shame that marketability of a show and its related toys hinge on the success of both seemingly in equal parts. They are separate entities to me, as far as my spending habits go, but I guess I'm the exception rather than the rule. the same fate killed the Thundercats reboot a few years ago. Loved the show, but didn't really care about the toys. The toys didn't sell well, and the show got yanked. Again, it's a shame the show couldn't stand on its own merit.
  3. M'Kyuun
    Combiner Wars stuff has been rare in my area as well, but I finally found some deluxes at Walmart; picked up Dragstrip, Firefly, and Skydive. They had Alpha-Bravo, but I think I'll wait and pick up the eventual Vortex repaint. These guys are pretty simple, but fun. I like the linkage used for the jets' leg transformation; it's more stable than Dragstrips' traditional sliding mechanism. No sign of Powerglide or Bombshell yet. I have yet to see Arcee or Chromia, for that matter. All the figs I want are sold out on the Hasbro online shop. I think they're taking a page out of Bandai's marketing strategy playbook: make something that is going to have huge demand, produce low numbers, distribute unevenly. With the cheap production quality, higher prices, and greater difficulty finding the Generations toys, Hasbro is rapidly leaching the joy out of collecting Transformers. No wonder My Little Pony has become their number one product; they're too busy overproducing Bayverse toys, 1 and 2 step changers, and seemingly ignoring or underproducing the CHUGs, which seem to sell out faster than any other product line, at least in my area. Tracks is ok; they did a good job on him and I'll likely get him, but I'd much rather have Ironhide and a new Megs comparable to Apollyon. I'd love to have all the first season G1 figs in Masterpiece.
  4. M'Kyuun
    I was just perusing the official Constructicons pics, and all but Bonecusher and Scavenger look like they're the products of about 20 years of design regression. Scrapper has no elbows, Hook and Mixmaster's lower arms are tiny and barely hanging on by a small linkage, and Long Haul's bot mode barely resembles his G1 look, as well as having stubby forearms that hinge laterally instead of fore and aft like normal elbows. I really wish they'd put in the engineering to make the individual bots better, at least with the minimal articulation that's become standard for each figure. I was planning on getting the whole set, but I want and expect better, esp with these figures who've been long overdue a modernized design to bring them up to today's engineering standard. Such a letdown, but more money to spend on the Protectobots and Stunticons, who all look to have superior designs. Also disappointed to see that Cyclonus is a retconned Silverbolt.
  5. M'Kyuun
    Saw it today. Honestly, I didn't find the young lead all that charismatic, but Colin Firth owned his role as a Bond-ish sort. I liked Sam Jackson's bad guy from Unbreakable more than the character he plays here, but he was ok. His henchwoman was far more interesting when doing her thing. Overall, I thought it was a cool movie, with just enough self-knowing cheek, a multi-digit death toll, and some cool spy movie clichés to make it fun and enjoyable.
  6. M'Kyuun
    Aptly put. Takara can't seem to design a Concorde or an SR-71 based plane without basically strapping a robot under a jet. That new Machine Robo/Gobot SR-71 reminds me of Experten's VF-14, esp the way the center fuselage folds to form the upper torso of the bot mode. From looking at the various albums in the aforementioned link, this thing turned out to be a pretty sleek design, where every part of the plane, except the forward fuselage, becomes part of the robot. The forward fuselage becomes back kibble. Still, it's far more ambitious and well executed than any Takara/ Hasbro Blackbird I've seen. Valkyrie2008, I wouldn't exactly consider Gobots to be TF knockoffs, as both Transformers and Gobots were introduced in North America in '84. If Gobots had had a stronger storyline with a different animation style, and more stylistic packaging art, it could potentially have overtaken TF in popularity, since the vast majority of the line was based on real vehicles, which makes more sense than cars vs tape recorders and pistols. The alt modes were well done on most of them, often with working features. Moreover, they were smaller and less expensive to collect. And while the initial run of toys had very simplistic transformations, they became more involved as the lines progressed. But history proves that the better packaging wins. TF had a better show, striking box designs, and some nifty toys. For the record, I had very few Gobots, preferring TFs, as a kid. However, with the unveiling of these new Gobot designs on par with todays TF toys, I've been doing a little research, familiarizing myself with the Machine Robo toys. That most had very well done real-world alt modes really stands out to me. I hope this new line does well enough to see several waves of releases. I'd love to collect all the aircraft figures, along with a number of others that I like.
  7. M'Kyuun
    I'm more concerned about quality and availability than in the licensing. So far, these look pretty good to me, and I hope they're easier to get than Bandai's Macross offerings. Given their approximate deluxe CHUG size, the presumed $50 price tag seems a bit high, but these guys are in a niche market. I'd be happy to see Hasbro buy the rights to mass produce these, as I'm sure there are still a lot of folks with enough nostalgia to pick up a few. I didn't watch the show much, but I'd be happy to add a number of these to my collection. I'm a sucker for a decent transforming toy, esp of real world vehicles and such.
  8. M'Kyuun
    If you mean a VF-1 based Jetfire, then our old pals at Harmony Gold would put the brakes on that. Personally, I think they struck an excellent compromise on the new Leader Class Jetfire: his bot mode looks as close to Skyfire as we'll probably ever see, and his jet mode resembles an F-22, giving him a nice modern alt mode. If I have any complaint, it's that they didn't make his gun peg in under the jet anywhere except the nose, which looks atrocious. I wish they'd put a peg hole on the interior of the FAST Packs so the gun could sit between them in fighter. I also wish they'd made his main gear extend and retract, as they look like crap in bot mode with the leg packs removed. Overall though, he's a solid figure with an easy transformation and looks great in both modes. He resides on my coffee table, and I can't help looking at him or messing with him during commercials. One of the most fun figs I've bought in a long time. I got the Takara version for the additional paint apps. No regrets. It'd be great if Hasbro could get the rights to market the new Gobot/Machine Robo figs. I'd buy quite a few, if they were similarly priced as their TF counterparts. Looking at them a little more closely and comparing to pics of the originals, they did a nice job of preserving the original transformation schemes for most while giving them a much needed modern makeover. Very cool.
  9. M'Kyuun
    Add Spay-C to my list, and any other real world aircraft if they can make them look as good as Leader-1.
  10. M'Kyuun
    Those Gobots are looking pretty good. At the least, I'd like to get Leader-1, Turbo, Cy-Kill, and the SR-71 guy (don't remember his name). What, no Crasher? Scooter I can live without, but Crasher would be cool. I'd also love a Road Ranger fig that becomes a full tractor trailer like the original.
  11. M'Kyuun
    I believe what he's saying is that we often anticipate these figures with a definitive picture of what they should look like, whether its based on the animation, artwork, an original toy, or an alt mode based on an existing vehicle. We want these to look a particular way based on personal preference, and it's often disappointing when the toy manufacturer, be it Takara/Hasbro/ third party, takes a bit of creative license and makes a toy that is similar to what we want, but different enough to lose our interest. It's especially frustrating when a character you really like is announced to be made, especially if that character has little hope of getting official treatment, and you get your hopes up, you build it up in your mind, you scour the net for any crappy picture you can get, and then finally the clear pics start coming and it's....wrong, sooo wrong! I know I've done it. This was the case for me when Bandai's original chunky DX VF-25's were revealed. I already had the 1/72 model of the VF-25S with proper proportions and hip placement, so I figured the toy would follow suit. It didn't. We had to wait for the renewal version. But there were a lot of people who bought and defended the originals. And the same goes for TFs; people like different things, and often its more of the little details, or lack thereof, that irk us. Concerning the 3rd party Astrotrain, I'm with David; make it look as close to the real shuttle as possible, and as close to a real train. Those things exist, and the original toy looked as close to a real shuttle as 80's toy tech would allow; we've come along way since then, and when one company can churn out something with accurate-to-real-world alt modes, why can't they all? Some choose to take license just for the sake of it; that's fine for those who want something different, or just aren't that picky. I'm patient enough to wait for the "right" version to be made.
  12. M'Kyuun
    And a bigger cab for Mixmaster. Devastator looks like he has a club foot and a shrunken head, plus a bad hangover. I guess symmetry has been struck from the list of design factors, along with complexity beyond 10-15 steps. In the wake of all the third party Not-Devastators, I was expecting something better from a company with 30+ years experience to set the bar, esp on such an iconic character. I erred. More money for LEGO, my other addiction.
  13. M'Kyuun
    +1 Realistic alt modes is a huge part of the allure of transforming toys. I've always disdained Cybertronian modes b/c it generally seems to give license for shitty alt modes with lazy transformations, with a few exceptions. That shuttle and train mode look good to me, but I'm also not caring for the split vertical stab on the chest, nor the open areas in the abdomen. Fix those two areas, and that will be a fine Astrotrain. I'm also on the fence about preordering Apollyon; I have a feeling Takara/Hasbro are going to shy away from making another Walther alt mode. Moreover, if this thing turns out to be pretty solid, it'll be a challenge for Takara to do better, IMHO. I think I'll wait for some reviews, but more than likely I'll get him eventually. The G1 Megs will always be my favorite version, and MP-05 was a bit of a letdown. I hope Apollyon turns out awesome.
  14. M'Kyuun
    Yeah, I'd like to have a copy, too, but I learned my lesson with the 25S scramble. I'll stick to NY, HLJ, or CDJapan. No more YesAsia for me, at least not for valk preorders. I'm in the same boat as Valkyrie Magnus; I'd like to have it, as it has enough differences from the Arcadia to make it worth the purchase at a reasonable price, but it's not a must-have at this point. The Arcadia 19 is a pretty fine representation and fills the void left by my Yamato 19 after its right arm fell off when its shoulder spontaneously disintegrated. IF NY end up getting a bit of stock after release, and the mark up isn't too excessive, I may spring for one then.
  15. M'Kyuun
    Ironically, I didn't care for Track's character, but I had the toy. Contrarily, I didn't have Ironhide, but he was one of my favorite characters. I had Ratchet, though. The original G1 toy for Ratchet and Ironhide was odd, so I can see why the animation model was changed. Hopefully , the MP version will do justice to his onscreen appearance. If so, a MP Ratchet will be sure to follow.
  16. M'Kyuun
    I'm hoping that Ironhide, and Ratchet by extension, are truly getting the MP treatment. Tracks seems an odd choice to me, since he was more of a side character, esp when there are still quite a few of the original and better known characters (Jazz, Hound, Cliffjumper, Mirage, Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker, just to name a few) that still need their own MP versions. Rumor from the UK Toy Fair says the new Devastator is going to be Titan Class, but due to aiming across multiple age groups, the bots will be pretty simplified. My thinking is, make two versions: a simplified version to go along with the rest of the 1-2 step TFs, and one for the Generations line with a little more complexity to the transformations. I personally hate the new trend of taking the transformation out of Transformers; to me, that's the allure. While I can't stand Bay's TFs, I have to say that many of the toys that came out of at least the first two movies were amazing little feats of engineering. I'm not saying that the Generations line needs to have that kind of complexity, but I'd hate to see what I consider their main line of TFs to be reduced to 2-3 step changers with little to no real transformation involved. At that point, I guess I'll save a bit of money and concentrate solely on the MP line.
  17. M'Kyuun
    If the rumors are true, I hope they tackle Ironhide first. It'll be interesting to see how they translate ideas from both the G1 toy and the animation model. My one hope is that he can deploy his cannon out of his back like in the third part of the original 3 part pilot, and still retain it in his van mode as well.
  18. M'Kyuun
    MMC's version looks better to me, too. Both are cool, though. Classics Mirage is still one of my top 10 favorite TF toys, but I'd like a little more complexity, as well as better front wheel displacement, in a MP toy. MMC's does the job. Badcube's Warrior Wardog is a thing of beauty. They've set the bar high for Takara to beat, if they even give Warpath the MP treatment.
  19. M'Kyuun
    Transformers was the end-all of cool to me when it first appeared in '84, and all those characters from the first season, a few from later seasons, and of course The Movie, all still resonate strongly with me. As much as Hasbro keeps trying to reinvent the franchise, it seems they always mine the original show for characters, names, and story ideas (Key to Vector Sigma, Well of Allsparks, Cosmic Rust, etc). With that in mind, the CHUG line is generally one of my most anticipated, along with MP. This year's line has me especially happy as we're finally getting Arcee; but beyond that, this year's line also seems to be much more faithful representations of the G1 characters in both bot and alt modes. Essentially, these are the toys I wish we'd gotten 30 years ago. The frustration is that we've known about them for months, there are vid and pictorial reviews on most TF sites now, but the actual toys are nowhere to be found in stores. I refuse to pay online prices and shipping for something I should be able to get at most local retailers. Moreover, CHUGS are usually the least stocked TF items when I do encounter them, esp if it's a movie year. All those shitty Bay toys just clog the pegs and shelves. I used to enjoy the hunt, but anymore it has become exasperating. Why are these things so hard to find?
  20. M'Kyuun
    I enjoy collecting CHUGS, and trying to hunt them down has become wearisome. Aside from seeing Jetfire at TRU last month, I've yet to see another new release to date. I don't know if local retailers are being more cautious about stocking TFs due to the voluminous amount of AoE toys still bending their pegs, or if it 's just Hasbro's inability to meet demand, but collecting these things seems to be an increasingly frustrating enterprise with each passing year. I see where Technoblue and MikeSzekely are coming from.
  21. M'Kyuun
    Nice, but those decals look more like they belong in a Barbie's New Sportscar set than with a giant transforming artillery battery.
  22. M'Kyuun
    Shame they didn't hire the Waschowskis to direct this. Of all the directors in Hollywood, they are probably the most familiar with the source material, and have proven experience copying anime style action. They, or James Cameron, would have been my picks for director(s). I also think Scarlett was chosen to put a big name on the marquee to Band-Aid an otherwise loose and soulless adaptation. It'll make a decent opening, but once the reviews start, it'll die a quick death in theatres, followed by a quick release to DVD with a lot of extras that nobody cares about. Hollywood is like a dumb kid who pisses on an electric fence again and again. It hurts, but they don't learn from their mistakes.
  23. M'Kyuun
    Missed 'em all. Congrats to everyone who scored. Time for bed.
  24. M'Kyuun
    I tried and failed with the 25S preorder, but I'm up for giving it another go for Bandai's VF-19. I got my 25S from NY, and hopefully that'll work out a second time if I miss the nanosecond preorder window. Up to 16 guests and 5 anonymous lurkers. Aren't we popular tonight!
  25. M'Kyuun
    I'm surprised, and just a little bummed, that Takara haven't so much as teased what the next MP is going to be. My hope would be for Megatron, although I have a feeling that was in the pipeline until they saw Apollyon, at which point they returned to the drawing board. I hate to sell Takara short, but I think Apollyon is going to be a tough act to follow, at least aesthetically. In the meantime, waiting...
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