M'Kyuun

I'm enjoying the hell out of it. I'm about 60% through. I'm a slow gamer, b/c I like to look around and just enjoy the game. There's a nice detective element to the game, including "detective mode" that illuminates everything in a bluish cast, and highlights electrical panels, removable grates, various hidden clues, and shows enemies wherever they are as skeletons. The "free-flow" combat looks good if you have good timing to counteract enemies' attacks. I'm so-so. Bonus: Mark Hamill voices the Joker and Kevin Conroy voices the Batman. Mark Hamill obviously had a great time in the studio. Of course, there are quite a few gadgets, but they're doled out as the game progresses. Except for scripted fights, it's pretty free-world for Batman within the confines of Arkham Island. There are also Riddles and various items hidden about for every area. Finding stuff and solving the riddles are probably my favorite aspects of the game. It sets it apart from your standard beat-em-up superhero game. I'd definitely recommend getting it, or at least rent it.

Picked up Jolt and Blazemaster from ROTF. I bought Jolt on impulse, but let me just say the box pics do not flatter this figure at all. He has some great poseability, except for the head due to a pointless wedge shaped piece that sits directly behind the head. It has no part in the transformation, no part of alt mode. It's just there. I wonder what the designers are thinking sometimes. Blazemaster has been on my buy list since pics first floated on the internet, and he doesn't disappoint. While Takara can't make a jet for poo without showing robot parts hanging out, this guy is a thing of beauty. The colors on mine varied alot from the box (I'd prefer the gold colorings..most of the gold parts on the bot based off the pic are white on mine. This, a single thumb with no fingers, and the inexcusable lack of forward and back shoulder rotation due to the ball joint facing forward are my only gripes). The rotor has a spin mechanism, but it folds nicely on the arm. The gear extend and retract. I get an Airwolf vibe everytime I look at it head on in chopper mode. Anyway, the bot mode is very lanky, and all the excess kibble folds nicely on its back. Transformation is a bit of a pain, but the final chopper is worth it. As a really impulse buy, I also picked up ice ream truck Skids/Mudflap. The final truck is neat, if not a bit of a novelty. The separate bots are very small, about Scout size. Each has a quite a bit of poseability for its size. I hate the fugly heads and the asymmetrical hands, but overall, the bots resemble their screen likenesses, and the ice cream truck is well done, and, well, kinda cute.

I'm American, and I approve JBO's message.

I agree with everything you said. Moreover, what it's really missing is the "big reveal" of the aliens. I still remember that first scene where a visitor is exposed. That was pretty awesome stuff, and especially awesome for a tv miniseries back in the '80s. There was alot of great tension in the original, and I doubt they'll be able to recapture that as well in a remake. I'm hoping it'll be good.

Today's ep was great. I loved the semi-serious tone and the past sequences. The humor was a little more subdued, but still there. My sadness is deepened knowing there's only one more episode. Hopefully, there'll be a TF:A movie down the road, or a decision to proceed with a fourth season after all the movie hype dies down. I'd love an Ultra-class Omega Supreme toy. Sure the scale would be way off, but it'd be great to have an Ark that transforms.

Got mine today. Looks fantastic. No issues thus far. Everything's nice and tight, including the fingers, which are usually very floppy on my valks. The gear are a pain, as stated, but add so much to the realism, and the doors flush right up with the legs and fuselage. It's a thing of beauty, and all the little sliding panels and such are great touches. The heat shield snapped tight, first try. The transformation is simple, almost intuitive, if you're used to handling transforming toys. One of the hinged shoulder panels came off of mine while I was rotating the shoulder into position, but it snapped back on with no further worries. So far, this feels like a solid toy; there's very little flimsiness or delicate parts, really, beyond the head laser. My only gripes are the limited elbow articulation( c'mon Yamato, double jointing should be standard on a high end toy), and, although it's not in the current design, a little more articulation could have been possible if the shoulders were mounted on ball joints. Overall, a great looking toy with some neat engineering to overcome "anime magic". To anyone on the fence, I'd recommend it highly.

Seconded. I have alot of transforming toys across a variety of lines as well, and I still dislike the Movie aesthetic. Moreover, what really irritates me are transformer characters that do not look like they could transform into anything but a pile of metal shards, i.e. Megatron and Frenzy. Scorponok didn't transform into anything either. The tank version of Megs from the second movie looks about the same, except he has treads on his legs. His Cybertronian tank form looks like a pile of scrap on a set of treads. I don't like the look of Bay's Devastator, either, and the Ravage and Soundwave toys do not transform into anything realistic. They can make anything turn into anything given enough artistic license and a large budget for computer animation, but it feels like a cheat. I'm still hoping that Bay will lose interest in the franchise, and someone like James Cameron will pick it up. Cameron would have been my only choice for helming Transformers.

Wow, I knew of most of these, but I just posted the few newer ones I'd seen on brickshelf. Macross has a nice little niche amongst LEGO fans. Pretty cool. I've got my own mini-fig scale VF-11 and YF-21 in the middle of builder's hell. I need to finish my VF-11. It'll be perfect variable, including the heat shield. These are pics of GLA-GLA's perfect variable LEGO Konig Monster.

This guy's version is more detailed and colored to match it's inspiration. SK's version is, for all practical purposes, a maquette, designed for testing the mechanics and basic aesthetics. While i'm sure SK could build a much better representation of his valks, LEGO is his tool more than his creative medium, which is fine by me. LEGO is quite simply an excellent constructive medium. While this isn't the cleanest transforming model I've seen, it captures the basic essence pretty well. LEGO, admittedly, is not the easiest medium in which to create transformable mecha...I have a laundry wish list of parts I wish LEGO would make to ease the burden. So, I'm generally impressed when anyone attempts it, and very, very impressed, if not envious as hell, when the final models are clean, feature a complex transformation, and become articulated robots. There are some great models floating around the internet. Many can be found on Brickshelf, with a bit of searching. Some links: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=377751 http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=340720 http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=298826 Note: My avatar is a pic of a transformable LEGO VF-117 created by GLA-GLA, one of the finest and most enigmatic of LEGO builders. He is well known in LEGO circles for his mecha. He has built several Macross models. His variable Konig Monster was notably exceptional for its clean look and accuracy.

Looking at Leader Jetfire, and TF1 Starscream, not to mention nearly every other Tf with an aircraft alt, I have to wonder why Takara can't, or won't, design a kibble-less aircraft Transformer, but they can make damn near any land vehicle with no or nearly no kibble. Kawamori has spoiled me when it comes to transforming aircraft. I was hoping for a really well done SR-71, even in the movie aesthetic. I should have known better to raise my expectations. I dig the shape of Jetfire's legs, but, on the whole and like 95% of the movie figures, I don't like it. The only movie figs I intend to buy are Leader Prime, Starscream (much improved over the original, but the hands sticking out the back in alt really stand out), and Sideswipe.

Got Animated Wasp last night, and I like it alot. While his transformation is very simple, he's a good homage to the original despite his dark green coloring and angular sculpting. I actually like him better than the original (which I don't own b/c I didn't like the aesthetics). I actually had no interest in getting this version either, but with a little spousal prompting, bless her heart, I grabbed him. I was actually looking for Samurai Prowl and Wreck-Gar, but alas, my part of Washington state is ground zero of interminable suck when it comes to finding new Transformers. Watched Transwarped this weekend, and minus one or two little things, thought it was great. So many cameos, and Judd Nelson reprising his role as Rodimus. Lots of win that I hope translates to lots of toys. I never thought I'd like this series, or its toys, as much as I do, but I'm going to miss it when it's done. Whatever follows, I hope it's comparable, and produced domestically, with perhaps some of the same team behind Animated. GI Joe is getting a more mature version, with death and killing depicted. I don't remember what it's going to be called, but I'd be happy to see a more mature take on Transformers (similar in tone to Clone Wars), but without anything Michael Bay related. Classics, or something new; perhaps Transtech?

It'd be great if Hasbro would give talented folks like this a limited contract to mass produce their designs, or buy the rights to mass produce the designs themselves, as freelancers often produce toys or models rivaling, or bettering, the official products, as well as producing items not officially released. I know Takara has given such contracts to these guys http://jizaitoys.seesaa.net/category/4822805-1.html for the duration of Wonderfest. Their version of Powerglide is all around win, and makes Has-Tak's look all the worse in comparison, IMHO.

I'm an E-7 in the Air Force, so financially, I'm doing ok. I have a guaranteed paycheck for the next 3 years, unless Pres. Obama disbands the military. I bought a house near base last fall, so I'm working on building equity, and I've always been a saver. Toy-wise, I have an eclectic collection of Macross, Transformers, LEGO, Evangelion, and other assorted figures. LEGO makes up the bulk of my toy spending, followed by TFs. I rarely buy repaints, so once I have a particular toy, I'm happy. That goes for Transformers and Macross. I buy copies of alot of LEGO sets, esp the Star Wars sets. Unfortunately, LEGO sets this year have seen a hike in price, so I'm being a little choosier. Macross wise, I intend on getting a VF-11 to finish my M+ collection. Minor flaws aside, I'm pretty happy with my Yammies ( I have about 14, including the Konig). The only breakages I've had to date were: the left leg broke off my 1/72 VF-11 non-fast pack(like many others), and a piece of my VF-19's right inner bicep around the hinge broke. I fixed both toys and they are fine now, packed away somewhere. For those of you hit hard, I wish you the best. I'll be at the mercy of the civilian market in three years, as I have no intention of staying past twenty on active duty. Besides, at the rate we're going, the USAF will revert back to the Army Air Corps again by the time I retire.

Excellent figure, all the way around. Sad that Animated is going away; for me, it was the answer to everything wrong with the live action movie, and I liked the toys better, despite their cartoony look. I, too, hope we get a few more third season toys, and that the Arcee toy is not cancelled. Dear God, I hope Animated is not replaced with a live action movie based animated show. A Universe Classics show would be cool.

As do I. Smallish tailfins don't really bother me. This thing won't have shopping cart casters for main gears, and battroid is pretty much kibble -free. Overall, it looks pretty good. I'll be getting one to round out my M+ collection.

I hope that TFA goes the route of Ben 10, redone and set a few years into the future, hence Sari's older form. The storytelling can take on a little more maturity. Not a bad thing, IMO. I'd be happy for the show to continue a few years into the future. They're just starting to create a new mythology for the franchise, and so far, I like what they've done with the story and characters. It'd be a shame to quit now.

Animated is win, again. I'll echo the "finally" for a G1 representive Arcee toy. I wish her car form 's wheels weren't covered by the fenders and that it was a bit more rounded, but overall, I think it's awesome. Yay for Ratbat. I'm looking forward to the toys that come , esp since the show will end after season 3. As someone (sorry, I forgot who) mentioned a few posts back, BW and TFA are , IMHO, the best TF shows. G1 was ok, but I only liked the first season; it became really silly after that and I stopped watching....cosmic rust, Decepticons drunk on energon, Seaspray, Warpath's obnoxious onomatopeia, Kremzeek..nuff said. Movie Prime definitely looks more like himself with the new mold, although I imagine he has a ginormous backpack to hold all the kibble. Still, it's pretty cool to see the spread leg stance in a small pic thinking it's a CG pic, only to realize it's the toy upon enlarging. Kudos to the designer. I like Mudflap and Skids, but what's up with the cartoonishly goofy faces? Overall, the toys look decent with good poseability throughout, but those heads need replacing. Sideswipe looks pretty good, but his feet beg the question of stability. The neo-F-35 jet, Breakaway, isn't too bad...I kinda dig the head in the cockpit area. It has more of an Animated feel to it. Also reminds me of the 3 super-deformed transforming planes (Egg-something or other) back in the 80's where the whole cockpit lifted up to reveal eyes. I have the F-15, and I still get a kick out of it. Starscream, whose original toy I eschewed, looks much better this time. One would think the designers could have hidden the hands in jet mode, and brought the legs together a little more in bot. Overall, though, an improvement. Not caring for Devastator; I'm not a gestalt fan, but as mentioned, there were quite a few produced over the years that were quite well done. With all the talent and technology available, not to mention experience at Hasbro and Takara-Tomy, this design is disappointing. Then again, if the movie designs are the creations of ILM and the producers, with little input from either Hasbro or Takara, then I can forgive them. In the first movie, IIRC, the designers chopped up the image of the vehicle and placed the parts helter-skelter on a robot frame, until the look was finalized. Thus, they're not designed as transforming robots. Although I'm still not crazy about the movie aesthetic, I think the toys strike a decent balance most of the time. Where I think these things succeed is that they are pretty true to their licensed alts, have unique and sometimes unorthodox transformations, and still have a pretty high degree of articulation. Unlike alot of fans who judge whether or not they'll buy a toy by how much they like or dislike the character in the show/movie (which strikes me as funny, but whatever), I judge the toy buy its own merits, esp the movie toys. Of course, I compare the toys to their various media, but overall I generally like the toy for what it is, and articulation is usually my biggest concern. That said, the movie toys are ok, but I'll be glad when the movie hysteria dies down and Has-Tak can get back to what's really important...Universe Classics!

The movie designs are hit and miss for me; while many don't look like Transformers at all, there are a few that sorta do. The toys look more like Transformers than their on-screen incarnations, just b/c they have to really transform, so the toys are generally more appealing to me than the CG renderings. Not too spun up for the second go-round. I expect more of the same, and unfortunately, Bay's vision and my own are contrary. I'll see the movie out of morbid curiosity, b/c I'm a kid at heart, and aesthetic aside, it's neat to see a real car become a robot and move around. I still like what was done in the Citroen commercial years ago better than any of the last movie designs, and that thing could dance, pun intended, circles around Bay's skele-formers. I agree that this round truly resembles recent years' Bionicle sets. Devastator is ...different than I expected, but exactly what I should have. I'm not against making the things alien, per se, but if you're going to attach a well-known and much loved brand name like Transformers, at least make the characters look like their namesake...make them recognizeable as such. I doubt any fan would associate first movie Megatron, Frenzy, or The Fallen as Transformers without having seen the movie or read current news of the second. I wouldn't, and I love this stuff. That's really my beef in a nutshell, along with plot, humor, writing, lack of character development, too much Shia, Sector 7, pointless hacker subplot, etc, etc. I liked the parents, oddly enough, and Peter Cullen is and always will be Optimus to me. I hope, like the Hulk, some other director will take on the franchise in live action and take it in a different direction. That's my positive comment after the rant.

While I don't presume to speak for other fans, personally I'll take a modern articulated homage to a G1 toy over an original G1 toy. The only two classic G1 toys I have bought in reissue are Prime and Soundwave. Both of them are still MISB, and i'm one of those guys who's compelled to emancipate his toys from their plastic and cardboard prison and transform them at least once. Fortunately, I own an original soundwave, and I've had plenty of opportunities to transform G1 Prime, so both of these guys are packed up. That said, I have a majority of the Universe Classics line, and most of the TFA line, and consider these to probably be my favorite lines, followed by Binaltech, and a select few movie toys. Well designed bots that become licensed vehicles are amazing to me..it's what I envisioned as a kid, finally realized 20 years later. I'd love to get a peek at Transformers toys 20 years down the road, given that the franchise is still around.

I agree; most typical American shows aimed for a young audience eschew blatant violent death scenes. From the movie, I gathered this show was going to be poorly written with a lot of uber-cheesy "Skyguy" and "Snips" back and forth, no grit, and very simple plots. While the plots are still simple enough for kids to follow, I'm glad to see it is a darker toned show with politics, diplomacy, betrayal, and yes, murder, shown. After all, the Separatists are evil, and they're shown as such. Someone mentioned Battle of the Planets; I knew it as G-Force, and it was one of my favorite shows when I was 4 or 5 years old; perhaps I'm twisted, but I loved the fact that people died, and died badly in some cases; it felt more real to me, and to this day, after watching a lot of f##ked up stuff , I've yet to have a nightmare. But people are different, so I can understand the concern. I have no kids, so I don't tend to think as a parent. I am glad, however, that CW is not the new G.I. Joe, where everything is wrapped up neatly, everyone parachutes out, or otherwise escapes to fight another day; that's not how war is, and I'm glad the producers have taken the approach they have. To be fair, there is a parental warning on Cartoon Network, esp for the eps with harsher scenes of violence or death. A similarly themed show concerning smugglers might actually be interesting, with the occasional interaction of a Jedi (maybe hunting down our anti-hero protagonist). It'd be a welcome change to have good guy with a lot less scruples than the sqeaky clean Jedi.

I still find the first movie disappointing; a Transformers movie should focus on the title characters. I wanted to like the first one, but I disliked more than I liked. If the entire movie had maintained the same tone as the beginning, with the attack on SOCCENT, eliminated the hacker and Sector 7 elements, eliminated the many lame and sophmoric attempts at humor, eliminated Frenzy, and eliminated Sam altogether, the movie may have been better. Too, Prime and the Autobots speak English through monitoring the web; how did Megs speak it upon awakening?; more poignantly, why would he, since he has naught but disdain for humans? Overall, the movie was terrible, IMHO. Nothing about it, beyond Peter Cullen's voice, made it feel like Transformers to me. Having said this, the new trailer looks to deliver more of the same from the same team. I was hoping some stuff would change due to feedback, but they've established this as the new look and feel of the franchise with Hasbro's blessing and support. I still think they could have used an aesthetic closer to Binaltech, with minor design changes to allow for more poseability; at least they'd look like Transformers. I think the movie would have been better served if it had started on Cybertron, like the original series, with some background and character building, prior to arriving on Earth and continuing the battle, with an older more mature human character as a guide and friend to the bots, and a wary human govt as well as the Decepticons as rivals. The human govt's trust could be earned; the Decepticons defeated, but not destroyed, could retreat strategically, allowing perhaps, a glimpse of new Decepticons arriving, or being built, ala the Constructicons, as a lead in to the second film. For those of you who think the first movie rocked, cool. I hope you like the second one ttoo. I'll give it a watch, b/c I'm a glutton for punishment that way, but any enthusiasm I had for the first is, sadly, gone. I love the whole transforming concept, and while i'm not crazy about the designs, there's still something appealing to see these things rendered in a live action film. ROTF could serve the fans , too, with an R rating and a gratuitous, no plot value whatsoever nude to semi-nude shot of Megan Fox. Just saying.

Great job! Really gives the 51 a more authentic Russian look.

lol...that's too funny. No disrespect meant towards you, Yellow; I just like the image. I still need to watch "You Are Not Alone". I thought NGE was a pretty good series up until the end; while I get the overall metaphysical hokum, the village idiot in me would rather see more smash and bash by the EVAs. I prefer the "Death and Rebirth" and "End of Evangelion". Asuka has some shining moments.

Dude, small world. I grew up in Elk County, PA..very much "Pennsyltucky" up there. I'm stationed out here in Spokane at Fairchild AFB. It's better than the PA podunk. That Defensor is Amazing. And I'm not really a big fan of gestalts. Great work from a damned talented guy.

You're from Spokane too? JK We're pretty hick, but not that bad. On topic, I've been to 2 Walmarts and Toys-R-us, who usually get stuff before Wally and Target, and they're all still carrying the last wave of T-Formers, both Universe and Animated. Third world countries get new stuff before Spokane. I've been eyeballing Henkei Cyclonus; to me it looks much better than the domestic version, and I've yet to own a Henkei. Suggestions on stores?