DarrinG

Did you notice the detail on the leg lights? The detail on the chest lights? The 2 diff treads for the front and rear tires? -- Look at me! I haven't even gotten the MPC yet and I'm already wishing for something else! But I just watched the Jonathan Wolf episode with my son, and for that episode anyway it really shows the Cyclone armor to be like the Beagle - not Gakken or the Toynami that never was. Those remind me of some 'ol suit of armor that makes mobility difficult. They're cool but not like the streamlined shape of this one coming out. The Beagle/MPC is more of a light, zipping around suit that I would want if I were taking on the purple slugs.

I wonder who the lucky devil is who gets one of these proto-types to display in their personal collection. The Toynami Cyclone that never was. eBay in 10 years; $5,000

Maybe its not too 'rabbity' - just the nose and mouth. Here's a comparison pic with an actual rabbit with helmut. I do like the early Toynami head sculpt best out of all.

So Toynami's own manual will show photos with the Beagle head? Not sure I like the Scott illustration on the outside - looks a little 'rabbity'. The changes I hoped for are not there of course, like the darker red, better cloth and less bright white plastics. Oh well - pumped to get this thing - hope it ships soon.

I have not gotten ANY 1/60 v2s yet! Will get all the TV versions soon. Going to get: 1S (re-release, shoulders better?) 1J with fastpack (switch fp to roy, and a set of TV hands slightly dirtied up) 1D, 1A Max and Kak I skipped on the previous 1/60 line, then skipped the 1/48s and am I glad I did. I can't believe all the posts from so many who wish they had waited. BUT - would still like to know if they're going to come out with weathered versions of each of the 1/60 v2s though?? I have the weathered Tomahawk and have a line on the weathered Defender now too. I like to wait and get the ultimate so I have no wish-I-wouldas. Although things are coming out so fast I'm not sure I can afford that luxury!

The chest white is off compared to the rest of the white plastic. Just the proto I guess. The DYRL heads or colors compared to the TV versions never enters into consideration for me thank God. I swore many moons ago to keep my collecting to only the TV series. This has kept my collecting at a somewhat sane level and has allowed my family to eat from time to time.

There is only do, or do not - there is no try! They will make a Destroid Spartan.

Don't like the OD Defender. It's design is subtle and this color scheme hides the details too much. But if I was piloting one into combat I would take this one over the yellow for sure!

Inspired by the pics posted here I took out my Tomahawk again. The hip joints are to dang loose, floppy even! I've only handled it twice. He does look great though . . .

Ha! Fantastic job on the lilly pads. I might want one now! I always thought the OD version needed to tone down the bright white of the missiles. Still do. I guess they technically would not get dirty if they were covered. It just doesn't look right to me.

While I like the Tomahawk its a little too froggy in the face for me. The green just makes it worse. Where's the lilly pad?

The Weathered Defender looks great. Will try for that one. Yamato should heavily consider including some missile installation or tech vehicles with the Spartan and Phalanx, and some extra ground crew. Those models don't quite have the universal appeal of a Tomahawk, and may need those extras to keep sales going. We won't be able to resist the cool diorama making possibilities and will have to get the remaining two.

Not to beat the shoulder missile thing to death but what bugged me was it didn't look like they had any reason to skip these. They took the time to put Alpha fore-arm missiles in you can't even see but leave out what would seem to be big square bays on the beta. (again- $150 in this economy) Does anyone know what that top yellow/orange rack is supposed to be? Is it a sensor array? I believe the RPG and other places say its missiles. The Japanese is right there in the art if someone can translate. Anyhow - it must not bug me that much cuz I already pre-ordered the red version . . .

Finally got to pull out my blue Alpha over the weekend and connect it to the new Beta. I was shocked when I first slid the white connector bar over the "cup" and there was no friction whatsoever. I thought this cannot be good. Pushed back the two Beta chest nozzles and spread the alpha foot thrusters apart a bit and gave it a try. Still not really working until I "unpegged" the Alpha's calves. BINGO. The foot thrusters came just short of the Beta cockpit eyes so I didn't even worry about scratches. Fit perfect and looked awesome. I whooshed it around the room like I was 10! I haven't seen this mentioned here yet (prob missed it) but the 3 cannons on the front should have all been triple barreled like the rifle. Would this have been hard to do?? And I'm still bummed they did not take the time to include the top missile bays. Those can be ( could have been ) seen when they're combined which is how I will likely display it. I mean - this is a masterpiece after all. Two thumbs up on the Alpha-Beta combo.

I really enjoy my Weathering Edition Tomahawk. The weathering is scraping off on both hips just below the hip overhangs but I supposed I could fix that up with a little gunk. I've never put on decals to this point but if I start I can always put some of that same gunk (fireplace soot?) over the decals once they're applied with a Q-tip. I wouldn't have to worry about it coming off as these pricey toys will not be getting played with.

Just got my weathered Tomahawk today. Can't stop smiling. My short review is that this is a perfect representation of the mech. If you're a Macross fan it's a must. The whole lower half is too loose for my liking but it holds all the poses I've attempted. Would love a 1/60 destroid pit crew set with repair vehicles, extra technicians, base and backdrop, elevators etc. I took out my Takatoku Destroid Conversion Kit this past weekend in anticipation of getting my Tomahawk . . . uh, this is much better.

Thanks for the Beta screen shots. Those are supposed to be the fists hanging down in sight right? Glad Toynami decided to hide those.

I posted these comments on your great review page Jenius but thought I would throw them in here too. Got my Beta today, my first reactions - Good: 1. HUGE - how can you not smile when you handing this massive box. Out of the box it is simply the perfect size mech. The book-style packing still oozes extreme high-quality. 2. Felt solid, colors are great and looks awesome in all modes - especially bomber. 3. Toynami actually covered the hands in bomber mode, which is something even better than the line art - kudos. 4. The way the cockpit extends down when opened as in the anime is very cool. 5. Locks together solid in bomber and all the thrusters extend - fantastic. 6. The gap between the legs and yellow top missiles is not a negative. I thought it would be from pics I saw - not even noticeable. 7. The two chest cylinders extend to lock the front missile bays in shut. Bad: 1. Would have liked the cockpit to lock in place in bomber mode, I kept bumping it out of position when I did anything. 2. The hip joints - too lose even though good poses in battloid are not effected, just feels wrong. 3. The connector mechanism - should have gone into the bomber like a collapsible antenna. That way the front landing gear is closer to the beta, not sure what the line-art says here. 4. The stand - you mean I can’t attach it to the beta without the connector? The Ugly: 1. Of course the cockpit in battloid mode. Wish it did not bug me so much. Why can’t they include a cover for it like the connector cover? Someone please make these and sell them to all of us. 2. They HAD to include the top missile bays and didn’t! Those would be so cool in all modes. I can’t figure out why they skipped this ??? Bottom Line: I will weigh in with my take among the many thousand differing ones on Toynami vs. CMs. I don’t have the CMs set so I may wrong here but just look at the comparison photo side view of the two linked up and tell me how you could choose CMs. The CMs Alpha/Beta linkup looks like it was stepped on by a shock trooper. That and the CMs colors are too cheap and cartoony. The CMs beta legs are shaped better, cockpit is covered in battloid and they included the top missile bays. Other than that Toynami wins.