regult

does anyone wonder if the ventral fins retract completely inside the leg or is exposed behind/above (incorrectly) as in the 1/72 model?

that is a very very hard to answer question...I've been puzzled myself. If Bandai can do the job in time, no need to wait for years til the next brand picks up an outdated topic.

The VF-27 is starting to look dated!

Now the wait begins... Cross my fingers this is not going to be a technological disaster. Can't believe it took them so long to do a decent-looking VF-25. I may be an exception, but actually I prefer bare VF-25s with the exception of the armored S.

Ｉam not that optimistic. The armor and super packs could very well be exclusives, since their main focus is in the Japanese market and don't really give a crap about overseas sales figures, online in Japan doesn't make things harder to get for locals, it's probably even easier since you click and the package arrives at your doorstep. Selling online and skipping the retailer is a trend, to our disadvantage.

Crap! I misread the question. VF-25 and YF-29 do seem to share some common parts (cannon and toy). The cockpit canopy is identical, the feet/exhausts are identical, maybe the shoulder connector as well. I also wonder if those apparently almost identical legs could be recycled or they will not attach high enough in fighter mode. Honestly, I don't think Bandai needs to do a lot of homework to go from YF-29 to V 2.0 VF-25, unless the Gundam mentality counterattacks.

Probably not a single part (in universe or the toys), despite sharing the transformation mechanism... I will take a semi-informed guess about the size: they're supposed to be identical (or very close, to the point of being dismissible on the toy), but the compromises, mechanism and esthetic choices on the toys made the YF-29 taller (for starters, the VF-27's hips don't swing down to a lower position).

thanks for all the photos Swoosh. It looks like this is the best Frontier Valk Bandai's ever made. Really makes me look forward the V 2.0 VF-25 now.

There were two Yamato versions, and everyone just loves the V 2.0, profusely photographed here. The older V 1.0 also illustrated (with the window box) was less appealing. There was also a 1/55 Bandai version, but that one probably appeals only to those looking for vintage. Fellow member jenius has a comprehensive comparison of the VE-1s http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=4599 http://anymoon.com/blog/?p=194 go and explore his site!

yeah, same here. It's all pretty good, the only problem for me is that it's not a VF-25

partsformers, came in random boxes, horrible looking in all 3 (three) modes. Stay away, I've been there and I know how it feels when you open the box and get one of these. The Regult and the Battroid-only figures from the same collection are not completely terrible though.

Good one! high five!

and mine... My wallet is secretly celebrating that I hate both the YF-29 and the Mac Valk. The VF-19Kai by Yamato may be the greatest feat of engineering after the wheel, but my deslike of its aesthetics has saved the wallet. Same with the engines over engines over engines YF-29 thing. I am probably a big loser by stupidly waiting for a V2.0 YF-19 and VF-25...but at least the wallet is happy!

how do you ship it? in a coffin?

Dobber, if you don't want to put the money in a camera, just make sure there is a lot of light on the model, more than your eyes think is necessary, any camera does a better job when the subject is well lit.

does anybody have problems assembling gunpla? because I don't, and I guess entry-level should mean easiest build, but judging from the pictures, a "finished" entry-grade requires extensive paint to achieve a more "realistic" look. Don't know about you, but I have problems with paint if I am a beginner, not clippers and snap fitting.

looking forward to your builds, as usual! do share!

instinct tells me the gazillion gimmicks will probably be the source of (floppiness-related) pain in the neck. a clean, plain toy has its advantages, especially if it does not have countless engines hanging around, it's a law of physics, I know that.

well, boyarque did say "vintage" so I was just going with the drift! Seriously, I didn't buy any VF-25 because they looked awful despite people saying it would be very well built. Turns out it wasn't. I did buy a Vf-27 because it looked wonderful, and almost never transform it. Turns out some of us have had floppiness by just displaying it in one mode. Mine rests in Fighter. I am not going to buy any YF-29 because of the looks. Besides, I still can't get myself to like the G-mode, the heavy backplate, the profusion of engines, engines and more engines, and start to wonder what is going on with Kawamori.

It probably is, they made Kawamori change the VF-25 to fit their old toy which had been sitting on some obscure storage for decades, that explains why it becomes a floppy mess by just looking at it. Just hope the gazillion gimmicks on the YF-29 won't make you wonder how it looked originally after a few months on the shelf.

I will say it again but this model needs landing gears

I still think Max Jenius with a TV version VF-1A and a gunpod is the deadliest VF-1 you can ever get.

OH NO, NOT HERE TOO!!!!!!

Did anyone notice the model shown is missing one of the most prominent panel lines? the one between the hip guns and the shoulder piece in battroid mode? Actually it's not just that, but the whole hip gun piece is not "cut away" properly with a seam line. The painted prototype has a huge gap instead, just like in the transformable 1/72 model. I don't need that gap, but a missing transformation seam line is a bit disappointing.

Because Bandai hates me