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Chronocidal

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Everything posted by Chronocidal

  1. So.. I have to assume the little stand base is just a standard accessory that they already produced? Because seriously, his feet are almost as big as the platform.
  2. That's interesting. I'm not at all familiar with how they treat mature content (or Chainsaw Man, for that matter), so my curiosity is mostly how they'd treat the central subject matter in Plus.
  3. Funny that in the 171's case they didn't even come close to scratching that goal. It should be a posterchild for how not to design a transforming toy, collectible or otherwise.
  4. I'm actually thinking this might be related to the relationship Disney already has with Bandai for certain things. They've been cross-pollinating properties for a while. I can't really help but crack up about their choice of a poster child for that announcement though. The franchise as a whole isn't something I'd really consider targeted to young kids, but Plus in particular is probably the most mature subject matter in the entire library.
  5. Really glad I have the original releases of classic Battlefront, since it looks like this re-release found all sorts of new and creative ways to downgrade a full release into a beta test-level product.
  6. Yeah, uh.. I feel like my reality checks are all bouncing at this point. Did I wake up in some weird parallel universe? Like.. I'm pretty much done with Disney regardless, but this is just a wild twist.
  7. Wow, so they actually shrunk them quite a bit. I hope that doesn't have any adverse effects on their structural integrity, since while not exactly fragile, the hinge pins are sometimes pretty easy to snap off (especially the ones in the feet). It looks like they're molding them in multiple colors now as well. Impressive all around.
  8. Do these characters actually have opening helmets or alternate heads? Or maybe work with other existing heads? Just wondering, since I would have expected to see pics of them by this point.
  9. I tend to throw this sort of product in the same bin as those weird multi-colored "prototype" Star Wars figures... ducking fugly, and really only good for completionists to throw on a shelf.
  10. Every time I read more about how convoluted the international releases have gotten since that BW/HG deal, I just imagine a monkey paw flipping me off.
  11. Pretty much, though they wander around depending on the particular proportions and transformation.
  12. Yeah, my understanding is just that it's a very common example of this trope: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BlandNameProduct I couldn't even name them if I tried, but I feel like I've seen the same upside-down McDonalds logo in a ton of anime. Apparently it's common in Inuyasha, and I think it happened in Haruhi as well. Various series love doing this with all manner of brand names, coming up with misspelled twists like "Espon" printers, "Sanisonic" electronics, "Starbooks Coffee," and I know at least one instance of a computer with a pear as a logo. How this one ascended into a real life crossover meme I have no idea, but I would be curious to try the different sauces. I know I've had a type of sweet chili sauce before, but might not be the same thing.
  13. Originally I only picked up extras of certain favorites, usually for alternate display options. When Bandai entered the arena, I started buying extras for two more reasons: 1. Bandai does not offer replacement parts, and good luck getting a replacement product at all when they purposefully keep their production numbers so low 2. Certain webshops have proven to be unreliable in actually delivering what you pay for. Sometimes I order from multiple sources just to make sure I get one at all. In the case of things like the VF-171, I bought extras just to have spare parts to repair the ones that disintegrate. While I don't have a good display space setup yet, I do plan for how I would like to display things, so that usually means at least two of each valk for multiple modes. Certain favorites I'll grab more for alternate loadouts or display options, or just to have extras of certain features, like the pile of Bandai YF-19s I picked up so I could have missiles to load every other naked Bandai valk (it's my favorite anyhow, so it's not like it was just for the missiles ). I have reached the point where many of the multiples don't really make sense anymore though, and I am considering thinning the collection. I've never bought things with the intention of later selling them, but the idea that some of them could serve as a resource in an emergency has always been in the back of my mind.
  14. Yeah, kind of. Between the insane number of independent joints in the arms having to be lined up, the incredibly tight metal joints in the backplate, and just all of the issues existing in the legs, it really is the most aptly named valk ever.
  15. Maybe we'll get lucky, and the NA release will wind up the way the PC release of HAWX included all of the future DLC in the original install, and all it took was a text editor to unlock it all.
  16. I think Frontier was Bandai's first foray into "aircraft things" for the most part. The main characters got numbers, but anyone not named was treated with all the respect of a typical grunt Zaku. The overall markings of the 171s make me seriously question whether anyone working on the animation models had ever seen a military aircraft in their lifetime. Fortunately that mostly got resolved by Delta, and there's a reason why the Kairos is so loved. And yes, some of the releases had "NO STEP" printed on both the upper and lower surfaces of the wings. The "excuse" commonly cited is that they operate in space, but I think it's a lot simpler than that. They just replicated the CGI model textures, which copy-pasted the upper and lower wings. They put them there because the production photos had them.
  17. Makes me wonder if the old SDK is still archived and available somewhere. I had a great time making custom maps for BF2 back in the day. Hoth was a lot more interesting when the map was doubled in size.
  18. Real pity we never got a seated Minmay for the VF-1D. Still feels ridiculous.
  19. Looking closer, I want to know who goofed up and gave Hikaru's 1J yellow circles on the legs like Roy's and Max's.
  20. The parts swapping for the MAXL is going to be so extensive they might as well just give you two separate kits. Can't read any of the text, but is there anything there about it being a multi-mode kits like the others?
  21. So I've continued my spree of builds (and box condensing, because yeesh), and threw together one of the VB-6 kits tonight. Pretty good size, but smaller than the Robot Spirits version, so it's less of a match to the HMRs than that version. Feels good in the hand, and very swooshable in shuttle mode though. I think it actually holds together a little better than the Bandai, though being lighter helps there. It's still a hefty kit though, lots of very dense plastic construction in the legs and body. Design looks closer to the original lineart than the variations made for the Frontier version, with more of the original layered nose shape. This one's an oddball, in a couple of good ways. First, unlike every other VFG kit that requires a ton of parts-swapping and alternate builds to make the various modes, this one is very close to being a perfect transformation kit. You pretty much just remove the motorcycle-style seat cushion to free up the hinges to achieve the standard Monster gerwalk. Otherwise, the transformation has one part to swap: just the cockpit/head for going to destroid mode. There are two additional parts that aren't required, but I was impressed that they included them, because they actually achieve something Bandai didn't even try with their Robot Spirits version: they actually gave the shuttle retractable landing pads. They're nothing particularly special, and they have to be removed for transformation so they don't snap off, but the shuttle has two fold-out pads that pop out near the hip joints, and work as landing supports. There's also a third stationary skid in the back.. so it's kind of a half-done job. But still. It's something the previous VB-6 attempts haven't done. I didn't try transformation to destroid, but going to gerwalk was simple enough. Lots of hinges and posability in the arms, and they weren't too heavy to stay up. I think my only real complaints are that the back section where the figure would sit looks weird (not to mention the motorcycle-style handlebars that remain), and that the cannons feel pretty undersized. I know why they are, but the shuttle is definitely the best mode here. Being perfectly honest, I only really bought these for the shuttle mode. I do find it funny how capable a transforming kit it is though, and it feels like it has better flexibility than the Bandai version, probably from the number of multi-directional joints in the legs. The build is pretty complex though, especially in the legs, and there are a couple of easy ways to mix up the parts for the hip joints, meaning you might have to take things apart and rebuild them to make sure they line up. I also actually needed some clamps to get the thing together, because the main hip joints were so tight. No amount of finger pressure was going to get those pegs into the sockets. Imagine my frustration when I discovered that the pieces that took the clamps were the ones I assembled the wrong way... It wasn't as bad as I first thought though, and the really difficult socket didn't need to be pulled apart, just twisted the other way and reassembled with the parts on the opposite side. Altogether a fun little build, in an absolutely massive box. I could probably melt down the trees and make another kit.
  22. Either that.. or they're inflatable pool toys.
  23. I've really been enjoying these, and the VFG kits the past couple weeks. I could definitely finish them up nicely, paint them, decal them, and all.. but I just have fun snapping them together quickly. They come apart again easily enough to go back and finish, it's just satisfying to cut the parts loose and build something in an evening. I probably spent more time cutting and trimming the parts than I did actually building. Sadly though, the way the weapons mounts work on the CF is really just cheap looking. The pylons are simple tabs sticking out of the wing, and the weapons just slide onto them until they hit the wing. Even the DX versions were better than that. I wound up just using the plain wings. I'd really recommend just going through spare parts bins for some actual weapons pylons to use, or just cut something better out of sheet plastic.
  24. I just discovered something kind of hilarious about these kits. In the process of putting together my 171 EX, I noticed that there was one spare piece that the instructions never used, and I couldn't tell if they ever mentioned it at all. It was just a U-shaped bar, that looked like a support for something. Not having a place to put it, I decided it would make a good set of armrests for the EX-gear seat, since it didn't have any, for some reason. Filed a slot in the center of the part and in the back of the seat to slot together, and bingo. Armrests. Imagine my surprise when I go to put together my teal 171 kit, and discover that's exactly what the part was for. Somewhere in production, they forgot to cut a slot in the back of the EX seat to let the armrests attach. The normal 171 used a different seat back design, which had the slot for them all along. Makes me wonder what was going on when they released these kits, since the EX version came out first, without weapons, but using a part meant for the CF.
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