Wolf-1

Might the announcement of Steeljaw also hint at a possible new Ravage with upcoming SS86 Soundwave?  Credit where credit is due; they did include one with Netflix Soundwave, and the Bumblebee core Ravage does make for a decent stand-in, from a distance.  

On 4/8/2024 at 12:26 PM, mikeszekely said:

One other gimmick Gears has is that his chest can flip up to reveal some molded mechanical details underneath.  It would have been nice if it had been painted silver, but the molded details are clearly copied from the episode "Changing Gears," where Megatron removed a circuit board from Gears to use in his Solar Needle, and without that circuit Gears' personality changed to happy and helpful.

 

Apparently, the cassette from either Core Class Soundwave/Soundblaster will fit or work as the missing circuit, though color is wrong.  So maybe another repaint/refresh of CC Soundwave with Ratbat?  Learned the M on the back of his head isn't for Microchange, and he has a lazy Cybertronian mode; fold the tires in, add some blast effects and he's a Hover-truck.  

14 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

fun fact: The sprinter trueno has a wheelbase 2.5 inches shorter than a Countach but is 3 inches longer overall.

Wheel base is closer to 3" difference; don't know which Sprinter you're using for overall length but the longest version I could find was 162", which still fell short of the Countach's 163".  Citing Google.  

They really should have picked a better scaled option to put Drift up against.  Taller in Bot mode and the exact same wheel base in Alt mode as a Lambo; G1 scaling strikes again.  Now I'm all excited for an official crossover, I know won't be happening anytime soon.

Well at least they figured out how to bring the Capt. back, without bringing the Capt. back from the dead. Wasn't sure if one of the Con's is supposed to be Det. Lowrey's son or not.  After the last one, I refuse to get excited about this one, just like the current news with a Boondock Saints 3 finally happening, w/o T. Duffy.  

14 hours ago, renegadeleader1 said:

30mm is a reference to the socket hole on the kits that makes most accessories and add ons universal across Bandai's model kit brands as well as some other company's like Kotobukiya and Max Factory as well as the kits being relatively quick and easy to build hence the name 30 Minute Missions.

 

It absolutely 100% has nothing to do with the 30mm scale wargaming hobby.

 

That being said there is a relatively new game called MechaTop that integrates 1/144, 1/72, and 1/100 kits into a table top game that was inspired by Gundam Build Fighters a little while back.

I didn't mean to imply that they were intended to go along with 30mm wargaming; only that I've seen people at gaming shops with the kits and running games.  I presumed that the games were designed to run about 30 minutes, hence the name.  This town has one shop that dabbles in Bandai's various model lines, 30MM included; in another shop in town, dedicated to tabletop gaming, the kids are getting together with these kits and doing things; whether or not it's official or some fad that has taken hold here locally I can't say, only that they are indeed being incorporated into tabletop gaming.  

To my knowledge 30MM is Bandai's way of attempting to mix models with gaming similar to that of Warcraft 40K.  Since I've never actually played the table-top, turn based systems I can't speak for how well the system works or doesn't.  I have seen these kits sold at Gaming stores typically dedicated to the miniature table games.  I have purchased a couple of the weapon packs and integrated them into my HG Gundam set-ups and one of their winged transports.  Lately, I have found that I'm gathering up their Bridge & Building sets to go along with my Tomitec buildings as well.

I'm typically of the mind where, "One doesn't mess with the classics".  My nuggets might have had a new packaging last night but they were still dipped in good old Sweet&Sour, been that way since I was getting HappyMeals. 

Had they included both Rewind and Eject in solid colors, I would have bitten, a third time on Blaster.  As is, I'll wait for either the Core Class or Gen Selects Combo; or simply do without.

They really missed an oportunity with this Hound release.  While I think reissuing the other figures is a nice touch for those who missed out initially or just want to update to the sturdier figures is great, they really missed a chance with this one after the leaks of Devestator dropped.  Why not package him with a big non-transforming Bot that made Devestator leak all over himself; finally giving us one of Hound's holograms.  Rant over; bring on the Combiners!

On 10/5/2021 at 12:35 AM, peter said:

I've read about Hideyoshi, Ieyasu (Toronaga was based off him) and Nobunaga, so I sort of know what it's about, but I should familiarize myself with the content of this story. 

Essentially; Nobunaga has come and gone, Hideyoshi just recently passed and we are dealing with the same fall-out that followed in real life; underage heir technially will rule but the Regents who were put in place to hold the power for him would much rather just take it for themselves.  English Blackburn is just there to stir the pot up every possible way, so far. 

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

That's nice, but odds are high that his alt will be a tank or some other gun-wielding thing, just not the proper pistol he should be. I still can't believe they won't give Shockwave his G1 space blaster alt mode. Megs I can understand due to his more realistic pistol mode, but you'd have to be a color-blind and myopically challenged cop to mistake Shockwave as a real gun.

It seems an oxymoron that toy guns are so regulated in a country where guns are deeply and irrevocably ingrained in the culture, and it's easier for a kid (of legal age) to open carry than to go to the store and buy a toy gun. Back asswards.

I seem to recall an incident in 87' where a kid was killed with a Laser Tag gun in hand.  What pistol was ever manufactured that had an enclosed hand grip and just as large as a Desert Eagle .50; not saying they aren't out there but they are so few and far between that the term "common use" doesn't enter into the conversation.  So sci-fi guns can still be misidentified, unfortunately.  

While a G1 fan only, I always found Megatron turning into a gun to be, well, silly.  Yes, once transformed he is an incredibly powerful weapon, but at the mercy/will of whoever holds him.  What size is he when transformed, sometimes he seems to have a small barrel, other times he can fit a massive power device into the barrel and boot into the atmosphere.  Also didn't help that the scope was the actual arm's fusion cannon.  Was it a clever feat of engineering for it's time; you bet, was he a must own, no.  Galvatron made far more sense to me, at least as an artillery piece he can aim and fire himself and the "Big Gun" concept carries over into Bot mode.  Seeing as the show went out of it's way to not transform either of the baddies, make them mobile artillery, it makes far more sense; even on Cybertron. Besides, Astrotrain tugging around Meg's just sits right with me at least.  

Just finished-up Amazon's Zorro and was pleasantly surprised.  The show is filmed in Spanish but Amazon does provide a dubbed English track.  The show mainly sticks to the typical Zorro story but did throw in a Native aspect that I haven't encountered before; it adds to the mystique while also providing addition drama.  Action scenes kind of go all over the place; some fights are very technical, while others, editing does the work; the Mexican Army isn't full of idiot's this time around so, it has that going for it.  No one is going to win an Emmy but performances are for the most part, good.  It's not going to compete with Mask of Zorro or even the Legend of Zorro; but it does beat out the old Family Channel show, which is where I really came into enjoying the character as a whole.  Overall, worth checking out at a bare minimum.   

4 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

I gave my initial impressions of it a couple posts ago.  I haven't done any multiplayer at all, but I'm close to completing the career mode.  I just have Prototype Power and the showcase left of the featured Track Tour, the Pony Car Showdown, C8 Tour, and showcase from the Power Tour, and the B, A, S, and showcase from the Open Class Tour.  I've just been playing here and there, it hasn't been my "main" game.

You're further along than I am; I find that for career mode I only have about 2-3 races in me before I tire of the rinse-and-repeat anymore.  Practice is a double-edge sword, either cut it short because you know the track and lose out on XP or suffer through the 10+ extra minutes so that by the end of the series the vehicle in question is all but maxed out. I am impatiently awaiting the release of the "Green Hell" this coming Spring.

Anyone lapping around on the latest Forza Motorsport?  Don't play Multiplayer that often but I'm always looking for more Rivals. Had a group on FM7 that did a weekly Hot Lapping challenge with winner choosing track, car, and P.I. and occasionally a specific "tune"; though given the new "unlock" feature of tuning that may need rethinking.  Still adapting to the newer physic's but still maintaining a 75-95% world wide ranking on official Rivals, depending on track, car class.  Looking forward to chasing some of you down or at least getting frustrated in an attempt.  

Not sure how or where this guy fits in, genre wise, but I'll take the mix and heart.  

15 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

Maybe I'll hit Ollie's this weekend.  I'd actually seen Silverstreak there before, but I already have one.  Technically I already have Coronation Starscream, too, but for $15 a pop it's worth it for the chairs.

That's pretty much exactly how I justified the purchase; 14.99 for the chair and a free figure with some extra bits.  Takara Tomy's Leadership set suddenly isn't near as appealing as it was just a few days ago.  Silverstreak was one I also already had, unfortunately, because there is no local Target, I paid a premium; so seeing him for a Lincoln kinda poured salt in a wound I wasn't aware of.

14 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

I went to my local Ross over the weekend and all I could find was a Walmart reissue BW Scorponok.

Ollie's is worth checking out if you have one in your area.  They have lots of Silverstreak from the Buzzworthy line and I couldn't pass up on Coronation Starscream for a whole $14.99.  

7 hours ago, Old_Nash_II said:

https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/todd-mcfarlane-will-be-releasing-transformers-figures/47909/

The real question is:

They will produce original figures from new comics, or the will put a "tag" in the box for the new collection

McFarlane is doing a Page Punchers run; with the mini figures to start.  Two per comic: Optimus & Shockwave/Soundwave and Megatron &  Bumblebee.  The real question becomes which comic run are they using?  The new comic run already has a slated list of 30+ cover variants, might these simply be two of them?

Displacer Beast is a decent figure, though it makes the previous Guenhwyvar release look like a typical panther now.  The tentacles do have a  wire inside, so some poseablity is attainable. The legs have plenty of articulation, ,though with six of them to mess with, it takes awhile to achieve a pose.  As far as monster figures go, this one is good, just not as good as the Owl Bear in my estimation. That one has some heft behind it on top of it's size and just about all the acticulation one could want; it can pull off the looking behind itself, just not on all fours.

59 minutes ago, M'Kyuun said:

 

In other news, apparently there's a "Dying Prowl" version of Earthrise Prowl coming. It's a rather macabre and unnecessary way of reissuing the fig, not to mention there are still characters in need of figs that have yet to receive them. The forsaken Omnibots come to mind, as well as Gears, Seaspray, Powerglide, any number of cassettes (including existing ones that could use some serious improvement-looking at you, Ravage), improved Mirage and Seeker molds, an 'origin' version of Wheeljack in his boxy Cybertronian alt mode (of which brilliant custom model maker Jizai Toys just created an amazing digital model), and perhaps new Deluxe Autobots that skew closer to their original Dorvack models. I really wish, too, that Takara would work out a way to make a proper G1 Megatron that turns into a Walther P-38 to fit in with the WfC/Legacy line. That would sell like water in the desert, and I'd be all in for a copy.

 

 Dying Prowl is a Buzzworthy SS release, so I've heard, and the code indicates yet another two-pack  release.  So is it Ratchet or Brawn to keep the "Dying" aspect of the pack going?

42 minutes ago, TangledThorns said:

Thought we're talking about Paramount's movies 😜 But yes, their franchise related series have been poor however their Taylor Sheridan related series are excellent.

1883 was good, but far from great.  One doesn't give up a Ferrari(Stallion) for a woman and then allow said woman to just wander off hundreds of miles in the hopes that she'll return. "Oh I've lost one family already, what's another one."  The fact that Elle is still the Narator for 1923 didn't land really well with me, her story is told and it had very little to do with Yellowstone beyond the fact she was buried there.   

6 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Man, I was all-in until you mentioned arm guns; I'm a fan of bots with hands to hold a weapon, not have the arm be the weapon.

JK, about the all-in part, not the arm weapon part. The latter's true. This set doesn't really appeal to me at all. However, I'm rue to be down on a toy simply b/c it doesn't meet my personal preferences, which are likely a little more sophisticated than your average 8-12 year old's. There are likely adults out there who have fond memories of these toys, just as many G1ers have fond memories of the G1 toys, despite their limitations. I try to keep the 'toy' aspect in mind when judging these things and hope that somewhere, there's a kid, or a big kid in many of our instances, who adores these things warts and all.

So, Chefatron already has Legacy Armada Prime in hand. Legacy Evolution Commander Class Armada Optimus Prime In-Hand Images & Video - COMPARED! (tformers.com)

I'm not a fan of the entire UT, so my interest is very low. However, I know this is a highly anticipated toy for many, and judging by Chefatron's comparison shots to earlier toys, this one looks to be the best version yet, as it should be at the commander class budget, and by virtue of being a new release. Granted it doesn't auto-transform like one of the previous versions, a pretty neat feature even if it rendered the combined mode's legs immobile, but it does offer a fairly clean combined mode with a sizeable backpack, but otherwise no kibble to interfere in posing, which IMHO, is the best you can ask with this sort of fig. I hope Legacy Armada Prime fulfils the longing of many a fan, and just turns out to be a really good toy.

I watched that earlier today as well.  While I can recall being excited about the news of the release, mainly due to it being somewhat like PowerMaster Prime/God Ginrai, in that the trailer and regular figure combine to make a larger Bot.  I'm still excited, just for the Power Master and the upcoming S.S. Ultra Magnus now. I'm actually impressed with how well the combined mode turned out since the leaked photos had the mode mistransformed, nothing new.  I do feel like the truck is a little too long in the back half of the chassis, but necessary for the combined mode.  Should this see a Nemsis/Scourge repaint I'm down, but I'm not feeling the typical Prime colored version.  I am a bit worried now that the S.S. Ultra Magnus will end up measuring the same rough 10 inches, which only puts him a few inches shorter than Jetfire/Skyfire or Menasor and any other previous Combiners. 

While the Trailer looks entertaining, I couldn't help but giggle and cringe at some of the scenes.  If Jason Mamoa's character is so badass, why wasn't he turned loose on the crew once they torched the first stack of money that led to the vault heist?  It's not like Bryan and Dom were subtle with winning new cars to try and find the right ones for the job; this film even does a call back to that very street scene.  If Dom and company took this dude's entire fortune, how is he funding this uber revenge plot?  Granted he still has a network he could tap into, but on that side of the fence, nothing is done with or for a promise of better riches, needs proof in the pudding.  Are we simply seeing the Letty story reused with the return of Giselle in this film?  Why would Bryan allow his wife to get involved if he's not? Will wait until it's free to stream.