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GameHED
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Post by GameHED »

Cool. Will check with them the next time I'm looking for something in particular but can't find.

Overall I'm glad they decided to make a MP Starscream. Originally I think the story was he was going to be part of a Alternator "jets" line but they made it into masterpiece instead. That might explain why they weren't so afraid to put in non-canon things on him later on. (much to the anger of purist G1 SS fans. But I guess that is what the classic SS is for)
Last edited by GameHED on 02 Feb 2007 12:56 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by GreyWizzard »

Is Nemesis Prime real, or is it just a bad arse looking Prime in black?
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Post by GreyWizzard »

answered my own question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemesis_Prime" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Post by GameHED »

Hmm it's probably only a matter of time they release a white repaint of alternator prime and call it alternator ultra magnus . :D

And then..:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scourge_%28Transformers%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
(scroll down to "Transformers: Robots in Disguise" section)
..release another black truck and call it Alt Scourge. :D
ImageImage

I'm surprised they didn't do this with masterpiece Prime yet.

Here's why I need to buy a stand for all this stuff:

Image

Nice angled dramatic poses that you can't quite get on flat surface without fear of falling over. The VB6 Monster looks pretty good next to a yf19, although the two are not to scale with each other.
Last edited by GameHED on 02 Feb 2007 02:23 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Post by GreyWizzard »

I was never a fan of gerwalk mode. I dunno why, I just thought it looked goofy.
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Post by GameHED »

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Well it depends under which conditions it is used in:

-you can drop to earth and emergency brake with style and gracefully skate across the ground on a cushion of thrust (Dyson does this in mac+ movie edition)

-used it as a reverse thrust (see "Do You Remember Love?", where Hikaru Max, Fokker and Kakizaki after having used thier missiles at long range against enemy regult and glaug, and before engaging the enemy at close range using gunpods in hand, they first transform into a GERWALK to hard brake. Much faster and less time-consuming than doing a 180 and exposing your back.

-rescue operations: how else is hikaru supposed to save misa/minmay in an area with no landing strip and hover to safety with one girl in the hand and the gun in the other if there were no GERWALK mode? So many times he would have to risk his life to save the princess this way. For single seat fighters, GERWALK is the only logical way.. :D

-ground combat: battroid may have better close in-fighting abilty but GERWALK makes you a harder target to hit as you have a smaller profile. If it were a real thing: I think you could avoid more fire this way. The sensors are located beneath the cockpit with less chance of getting headshot off and blinding the pilot. (actually the ugly destroids like the spartan are good realworld robot design for this reason for having no "head" period. When you think about those robots shows like gundam, I often wonder why the mecha designer even bother giving robots heads to begin with. It's not needed!)

And if there were no gerwalk mode it would pretty much take away the thing that makes macross unique to the other transforming robot shows. I think it is the one that stood out to me. Where a crazy accidental afterthought, turning into a not a bad (if a little half-arse in concpetion) idea. Of course something like this would be dangerous (doubt it could fly or even balance safely) but welcome to the world of anime where all kinds of crazy shit can happen because it is animated. Where an f14 with VTOL abilities can be used to fight giant chickenlegged machines and people can jump out of the cockpit in mid air to physically grab someone in freefall before going back in for a safe landing by transforming into a giant armored robot to absorb the shock which would ordinarily kill the pilot or transforming in to a plane with legs to seamlessly continue a fight on ground against giant humanoid aliens who could just as easily step on you in plane mode without needing to shoot you down. Phew! that was a long sentence even for me.

Now the idea of a huge transforming battleship which can punch huge holes into other battleships with its "fist" to blow them up from inside out...er not so keen on that idea. That is a bit too goofy and even I have limits. Only the japanese could come up with something crazy like it.
edit: for convenience reasons, all the older news from my previous posts from here on, I am placing in hide tags for easy scrolling to more current posts below so you can get to the most relevant info easy. This just allows more current images/news of the final toys to have priority over older stuff which I want to be placed out of view. This way all the old pics can still be seen for a newer visitor to track the history of the thread if they want to, but the up-to-date discussion and news gets to be seen quicker. ie lot less mouse scrolling
Last edited by GameHED on 11 Jan 2008 06:41 pm, edited 7 times in total.
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Post by GreyWizzard »

lol :D I get the point to the mode. I just always thought it looked funny :P
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Post by GameHED »

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Well the aliens must think the same of the human vehicles. (the humans just reverse engineered alien tech) That what makes the mecha interesting. I'm reminded of a chicken with arms when I see that mode. But if you really stare long enough it is a human robot with a head up its arse in GERWALK. :D

Just been browsing the boards for more news and it seems the SV-51 (anti-UN mecha in macross zero) will be coming out soon in 1/60 scale. How this thing will stand up with its skinny frame is beyond me. It may have the floppy arm/leg syndrome unless osmething is done to make the joints tight enough to keep it from falling.

Yamato is really milking thier macross license..I wonder if when it expires some time other companeis may attempt to try to outdo thier efforts in future? For now the large scale lines they make are all fans have got.

EDIT:
quotes from the news page on macrossworld:
NEWS:

I just got off the phone with Yamato and they told me that for future releases of the 1/60 scale VF-0 toy, starting with the upcoming VF-0A Shin type, the breakage-prone shoulder and elbow joint parts will be changed from ABS to POM plastic for increased durability.

Regarding replacement arm parts for those with broken VF-0A and VF-0S toys, these will be made available, but only in Japan.

If you purchased your VF-0 though HLJ or other online Japanese based stores, contact them in a month or so when the parts are ready and ask for replacements.

Graham
more in that in this thread.
..and why it might be better to go with HLJ for imported yamato macross stuff. (this has to do with the licensing issue with harmony gold who wish to block macross related products sold outside japan as it clashes with thier robotech name.)

It seems that if you wait for a second run like what I've been doing for a lot of newer yamato toys like the yf-19, you may benefit from the little improvements made and get a slightly better quality toy as these issues are addressed gradually. They tend to have a hit or miss repuation with thier 1/72 line years ago but graduallly the later releases fixed all the design problems of their first releases and are rock solid with no fear of breakage through transformation or rough treatment. (so far imo you can't go wrong with thier 1/48 vf-1 stuff. I've never had any major issue with these. And because the VF-1 is such a popular plane I doubt I would ever have trouble looking for spare parts in the future if something were to snap or break)

So some good advice when you buy expensive large scale Perfectgrade level stuff, (which comes in big boxes and whose shipping cost is a big problem for you):

be patient and wait for other people's impressions before jumping in early unless you can't wait to have it right now. You will gain from improvements made over time as people's feedback allows some time for them to alter the design a little or make a certain fragile piece more sturdy and durable than otherwise would be on the initial releases. You will be much happier if you take a laid-back approach.

I find that bigger places like HLJ are a bit safer to go with (maybe not the best in speed) since they are well-known and I get the satisfaction that they might just help me if there is an issue with a piece that is fragile. Sometimes I can get a better deal on Ebay, but you often wonder if the seller is giving you an earlier release but describing it as a later improved release. (like with early xboxs, there are slight differences depending on when they were manufactured as the later ones might have a fix to some problem that was there in early run. Unfortunately it isn't easy to tell apart all the time.)

I'm not a big fan of modding something, and would much prefer the thing just be good out of the box, with very little tampering on my part to get it perfect, so waiting for the best one I can get (when yamato addresses all the major issues early adopters complain about in a later run) isn't a big deal for me. Some of the modelers like to shave/file some plastic off to loosen pieces or unscrew thier toys, or add nail polish or superglue to thicken a surface which will tighten some areas. But I don't think I'd have the patience to bother doing this unless the issue was really annoying.

EDIT 2:
This is news that would be worthy of this thread as it details yamato's plans for the future and gives a hint of what is to come around the corner for fans of 80s mecha (I thought I would just copy and paste it for convenience):
NEWS:

Here's my report of my recent interview with Yamato representatives.

There's lot's of interesting news, but as usual I can only reveal a small portion of what I was told. You will be happy to know that Yamato remains firmly committed to the Macross franchise and has a great many exciting new products in the pipeline.

So on with the news: -

1/60 Scale SV-51
Although many Macrossworld members guessed or suspected it was coming, I can now announce that Yamato will be releasing a transforming 1/60 scale SV-51 toy around the middle of 2007. The CAD design is complete and work has already started on the tooling. The first version to be released will be Ivanov's black SV-51, with other color variants to follow. This will be the largest variable fighter toy made by Yamato so far. Although I don't have the measurements from Yamato, I estimate it should be nearly 38cm long in fighter mode.

The toy will come with a specially designed display stand to help support the toy in Battroid mode. The toy's legs are too long to work with the normal Yamato display stand. The SV-51 will probably require the use of the display stand to stand in Battroid mode, just like Bandai's Aquarion toy (another Kawamori design), as it will probably suffer from being top heavy with the large folded wings mounded on the back and having skinny legs. I say "probably" because while the heavier resin sculpt needs the stand, the lighter finished ABS product may be able to stand unsupported in some posses, but we won't know until the tooling is finished and the first test shots are made. Interestingly, the SV-51 is never shown standing in the anime, so perhaps Kawamori never intended it to be able to stand? Even in the scene where Ivanov invades the Asuka, the SV-51 is just shown on hands and knees.

The retail price point is not set yet, but expect it to cost more than the 1/60 scale YF-19, due to it's large size and complex design with greater number of parts.

Expect photos of the SV-51 to start appearing in the Japanese hobby magazines around March.

YF-19 Fold Booster
Yamato confirmed that the YF-19 Fold Booster will feature LEDs, but no sound chip, as it does not make any sound in the anime. My source will get back to me with confirmation of the LED colors. So keep watching for updates.

It was also confirmed that the Fold Booster & FAST Pack set will be released both separately and as a set together with the YF-19.

Other YF-19 News
It was mentioned that Yamato are strongly considering producing the wing-mounted missiles and missile pods shown on the cover of the TIAS Macross Plus book as an accessory set for the 1/60 scale YF-19 toy.

The Heavy Arm Weapon is not planned at this time, due to lack of any official line-art.

The white and orange Super Nova scheme is being seriously considered for a YF-19 repaint variant. I'm hoping they will eventually consider the white & blue Super Nova scheme as well.

Yamato are planning other non-canon repaint schemes for the YF-19, including possibly a low visibility version and an all new color scheme especially designed by Mr. Kawamori.

Macrossworld Members Questions
Here's some Q&A based on questions supplied by Macrossworld members: -

Q: Will Yamato consider smaller boxes for their Macross toys?

A: Not for the initial release of a product, but for reissues we are considering smaller packing, perhaps with no flap and no window.

Q: Will Yamato reissue the 1/48 VF-1J Super Max & Milia?

A: We may possibly reissue them, but perhaps without the Super parts. It has not been decided yet.

Q: Will Yamato release 2 seat 1/48 VF-1 toys, such as the VF-1D, VT-1 & VE-1?

A: Not in 1/48 scale.

Q: Will Yamato improve their QC.

A: We are always trying to.

Q: Will Yamato redesign the shoulder of the VF-0 toy after so many people have reported it breaking.

A: Actually, we have not heard this problem from Japanese customer, but the factory is looking into it.

Future Macross Products
I did get to hear some news about what Macross items are currently in development or being planned for the future, unfortunately I'm sworn to secrecy.

Non-Macross Products.
Yamato has some non-Macross products coming which may be of interest to Macrossworld members. The 1/12 scale Red Shoulder Custom with full weapons will no doubt be a big hit with Votoms fans. This may be the one that finally gets me to purchase a Yamato Votoms toy!

On the Megazone 23 front, as well as the upcoming Military Garland paint variation, Yamato also has a racing version planned.

Lastly there's another transforming toy in development based on a popular 80s anime, which will please many Macrossworlders.

Graham
Now if the 80s mecha show is mospeada I will be pissing my pants. If yamato could pull off a Transformable Cyclone from robotech Next-Gen/Mospeada (hint: look at thier recent attempt of a bike with the garland from megazone) I will be so buying this.

If the mecha show is bubblegum crisis and they do the motoslave it would be great too. Although, I think mospeada has more varied stuff in it because you have the alpha and beta fighters and if you think about it, they could just milk the molds because the only differences are in the head of the mecha and the paintscheme of the various characters. Similar to macross there is less effort if they only need to create one thing. The whole VF-1 line is just the same thing repainted.

I was not happy about toynami's MPC alphas so if this is true then it would mean we finally can throw out all the old crap that seriously is out of date by today's toy standard. As a little kid the thing I dreamed about was for there to be a perfect transforming Alpha and Beta fighter from robotech and nothing appeared for it. At least macross had the bandai chunky munky/jetfire back then. (which when you look back isn't such a bad toy for its time) I also always liked the mecha designs by the guy who did them. They look cool (if not so great in realism compared to kawamori's valkyrie which actually flies) and even if it did not transform, the Legioss/alpha in bot mode has a certain ruggedness to it that you don't get with the valks in macross which really don't look like they could take much of a beating due to thier lightness of having to be a jet/space fighter. (although in the canon they have higher armor when in battroid mode due to the engines converting some of that energy to strengthen the armor. This may be why hikaru has to turn into a battroid for a crash landing in ep1 of sdf:macross as the extra armor can help soften the blow as the valk is plowing through all those concrete buildings.)

Pics of the sv-51 should be the next major thing to look forward to. It's going to be interesting to see what the CAD drawing reveal about the toy. (ie how much compromise there is between modes, whether it can top the vf-0 in terms of accuracy of sculpt etc)

In the meantime here is the review of vf0-a. These appear as the cannon fodder during the time of macross zero when the anti-un were ahead in technology and had better transforming fighters. Really its just more of the same as the vf0s but without the S head. Oh and diferent squadron markings for the customisers on the sticker sheet. For those who like the head design of the cannon fodder with its single head laser, this is for you. I think this covers all that I might have missed.

"Cannon Fodder" grey paintscheme: (the most accurate sculpt yamato has done so far)
Image

VF-0A head: (very similar to VF-1A head with a single laser but less 'boxy')
Image
Battroid full body shot:
Image
Image
Image

Tha last pic shows the un spacy marking upside down. The marking should actually be right side up only when the gunpod is attached underneath the plane in plane mode. (so that in robot mode when the gunpod is hand held the marking appears upside down) In the SDF:macross tv series the secret of the transformation of the valkyries was not publicly known until the day the aliens attacked the humans. So having all the marking look right side up in fighter mode was the "normal" way to have the markings displayed. /trivia Whoever put the sticker on made a mistake. Although its possible the vf0 (being rushed) were so secret anyway that nobody cared about this. But usually unspacy markings on gunpod appears upside down for bot mode (handle of gunpod pointing down) and right sideup in fighter mode. (where the gunpod sits with handle pointing up)
Last edited by GameHED on 11 Jan 2008 05:53 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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GameHED
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Post by GameHED »

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Pics of the SV-51.
Image

Kinda skinny. Will be fragile. But hopefully they got some quality materials to hold it all together. Will definatley be waiting for reviews of this before jumping in. That looks too scary to handle with fear of those bits easily snapping..

pic comparing the early prototype to the hasegawa model and lineart:
Image

Large two page spread from figure oh mag (includes an interview with SK) here. (warning to 56k ppl)

more lineart here.

Edit: while I'm at it: for info, lineart, and specs on a specific mecha in the macross world, I recommend this new website: http://www.un-spacy-qmtdb.com/M3.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It isn't complete but it tries to combine the canon macross info (from macross compendium, info approved by bigwest) with images and lineart from various published macross books, for easy reference. (some of these are not easy for the average person to obtain)
Good if you were confused by all the various RPG stat sites which have the made up stats for games. (many of them out there)
Last edited by GameHED on 11 Jan 2008 06:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad." -Shigeru Miyamoto
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GameHED
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Post by GameHED »

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Here's an interesting article on plastic yellowing and what may be causing it:

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you are a collector of vintage toys or gamesystems or other items with white plastic and want to keep them looking clean and pure not rotted and yellowed, you might like to read it. In my instance I want my macross DYRL valks to be kept just like they were new and retain thier proper colour over time. I do like to display them, but I'm still in the "people who keep things in thier original boxes packed away from the harsh environment" category.

Update for TF fans:
pics pf Kiss Player/BT rodimus:
http://pony-hp3.web.infoseek.co.jp/TFKISS-HOT.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

alt mode:
Image

bot mode:
Image

With weapons:
Image

Looks like Mirage and HotRod = Best Alts/BTs out of the lot!

Jetfire Classics review here.

Video review showing transformation here.

Must buy!
This is quite a nice update to the original jetfire/skyfire imo. It is the only Transformer Classics bot I would be interested in. (too much money spent on macross, MP Transformers, and Alternators) Note how it even allows for a half-arsed GERWALK mode? :D Good to see jetfire back as a fighter again. :up:
without booster
Image
with booster
Image
Image

bot mode with helmet and super upgrade (over the shoulder cannons unfolded):
Image
without helmet wings folded down:
Image
Art from the Stormbringer comic:
Image

Pros:
-decent jet mode (if a little blocky for a sleek fighter)
-bot mode retains old school blocky look of the G1 tf.
-the super armor upgrade really makes him look well armed. Look great sleek for a toy jet, but beefy and agressive with the backpack/booster/over-theshoulder-canon.
-retractable landing gear
-close to how JF look in the comic
-the color scheme is just like the original G1 Jetfire.

cons:
-not the best leg articulation (swivel joint too low)
-hands don't retract into the arms, so there is a hit on fighter aesthetics
-head looks chunky with helmet on
-backpack is too high and the bot mode suffers a bit from being top heavy, affecting the posability when the super upgrade is attached.

Apart from that, this is a great toy I wouldn't have minded seeing in some kind of alternator "fictional Jets" line or a more detailed version in the masterpiece line.

More megatron masterpiece info:
Image
Image
Image

mag scans of megs:

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k119/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... mp-5_b.jpg
lineart:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k119/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... mp-5_a.jpg

Alternator Ravage:
its out! Pics by a fan of this toy (note how he goes to the trouble of creating catlike poses - big difference in how it is presented in official pics)
http://homepage.mac.com/drifand/Alt_Ravage/01.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://homepage.mac.com/drifand/Alt_Ravage/02.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://homepage.mac.com/drifand/Alt_Ravage/03.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://homepage.mac.com/drifand/Alt_Ravage/04.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://homepage.mac.com/drifand/Alt_Ravage/05.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is an interview that gives a bit more detailed info on the transformers movie toys and the various sizes they will come in and prices (there will be collector grade toys for hardcore fans who want details and kiddy versions of the toys):
http://www.wizarduniverse.com/magazine/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 382592.cfm

11-2-07
Update for macross plus fans:
more info on the upcoming YF-19 Fold booster Fast Pack set (personally, I think it is best to get the yf-19 with the FP instead of seperately)

YF-19 with Fast Pack bundle
FP with Fold Seperate

Much larger scanshere.
*crossing fingers the fixes and improvements have been made on the yf-19 included in the bundle set which is what I intend to go for in future.

Toynami Macross toys:
--------------------------
So what's the verdict on the series 2 toynami macross 1/100 transformable vf-1 valkyries that have just come out? Some impressions from MWB here.

Improvements:

-tighter joints from the last release
-The balljoint on the stand is stronger. No longer cracks under the weight of the toy
-there is no longer a stupid raised skull squadron emblem on the heatshield

Bad stuff:

-still got the skinny legs which look off
-the vf-1J headsculpt looks ugly. (worse than the 1A)
-not necessarily good value for money for what you get. But still the best in its scale from any other company. So if you are a fan of smaller scale toys to display on your shelf these would be recomended: just don't expect much accuracy in sculpt. As many know, Toynami has a tendancy to waste effort making boxes look good than spending time on the quality of the toy itself.

I might actually buy a set of these. Unlike the MPC you can handle them and not run the risk of something snapping off, and they are transformable. The 1/100 scale is perfect next to the 1/100 destroids if you have any. Also great for customisers who want to practice painting thier own non-canon macross paintscheme. (low visibility or camouflage for example, something that might not be advisable if you lack the skill or don't want to take the risk of spoiling your more expensive stuff)

Toynami Mospeada/New Generation/Robotech:Shadow Chronicles toy news:
Click here to see some pics of the upcoming Ride Armor ("Cyclone" for Robotech) by Toynami. update: click here for more pics at different angles.
..and a video of the toynami alpha and cyclone shown at the new york toy fair 2007.

Oh please don't let these be brittle and hard to handle! I so would want one but not one that falls to pieces. I'm not holding out much hope that they could stand up to much abuse, but we'll see what the happens when reviews are out..
Image
Image
The transformable shadow alpha: (beware it doesn't crumple into fine powder by breathing near it, let alone transforming it :wink: )
Image
Image
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left to right: transformable Beta fighter/Tread, (acts as a booster backpack for the alpha in space) Cyclone/Ride Armor in armor mode, Cyclone/Ride Armor in bike mode.
Image
Alpha fighter/Legioss linked to Beta fighter/Tread. (both in fighter mode) This is the first toy ever for these mecha from Robotech: New Gen/Mospeada so fans of them are pretty excited. But the QC problems of toynami in the past make people cautious.

REVOLTECH
--------------
Recent revoltechs: (click links to see images)
Dangai-o and patlabor (type 0 ingram)
http://img306.imageshack.us/img306/3752" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... chs0dv.jpg

Better pic of dangai-o and type zero (56k warning):
t zero:
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/456/10054670a6xl.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/5715" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 0a27mo.jpg
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/5715" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 0a27mo.jpg
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/2104" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 0a36et.jpg
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/4516" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 0a42cl.jpg
Dangai-o:
http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/4672" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 72a2ul.jpg
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/990/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 2a23fx.jpg
http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/8483" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 2a30bs.jpg
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/6449" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 2a46en.jpg
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/2397" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 2a55wt.jpg


Convoy/ultra magnus:
http://toysdaily.com/news_photo/15_12_9.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Griffon (patlabor)
http://211.10.28.43/ami/images/product/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 38A_01.jpg
http://211.10.28.43/ami/images/product/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 38A_02.jpg
http://211.10.28.43/ami/images/product/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 38A_03.jpg
Giant Robo:
http://211.10.28.43/ami/images/product/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 38B_01.jpg
http://211.10.28.43/ami/images/product/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 38B_02.jpg
http://211.10.28.43/ami/images/product/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... 38B_03.jpg
Getter 3:
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g254/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... etters.jpg

news on Megatron for apr 07:
here

17-2-07
video review of the transformable Garland from Megazone 23 here. I had shown in the past pics of the transformation but this video may be worth referencing if you own this toy the first time you transform it. Given the price for one, and the fragile appearance of the shoulders it may be worth the time.

Link to a thread for the 1/60 YF-19 gunpod and landing gear fix. (this fixes the minor problem of skinny gunpod handle and landing gear not being able to cant all the way outward. Hopefully later release yf-19 avoid these problems and yamato address it for the next run)

26-2-07
--------
Very good news to all fans of Genesis Climber Mospeada and/or Robotech: New Generation:

CMs is release a fully transformable Legioss (alpha fighter) and Tread (beta bomber) set!

Click here for pics.

official thread in MacrossWorld:
http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... opic=21797

Alpha Fighter in soldier mode:
Image
Beta in vehicle mode:
Image
Image
(hands look like that have been mistransformed as they are suppose to retract)

This shows where it can disappear into: (showing where the hand would slip into the arm)
click for pic

This thing is about the size of the Toynami Robotech Alpha Fighter so it will compete directly against that brittle model-posing-as-a-durable-toy. Like the wait for a decent toy of the yf-19 from macross plus, (which I've been pimping al this time) this is the most eagerly awaited mecha by fans of this show. If you'll notice by looking at the pics in the thread, the Alpha fighter/Legioss has taken on an almost humanoid stylised approach to its shape and lost the boxy appearance from the show and lineart. One thing of note is that this sculpt appears to have made the fighter nose more sleek and long. Will be interesting to see how this turns out later.

Here is some lineart to compare with the toy:
Image

Shown is the Alpha Fighter/Legioss in fighter mode linked with the Beta/Tread and the Legioss can take on the soldier mode cofiguration to link the Tread and use this as a backpack booster for space along with the usual configuration of Fighter linked to bomber. What's not shown so far is the Beta transformed into its robot mode. If all the reviews are good and this thing can hold together I will be really interested in trying to get the whole set.

Looks like fans of mospeada can finally die happy. (and throw those overpriced toynami alpha fighters in the bin :D )

Wonderfest 2007:
more pics of masterpiece megatron in various poses:
http://fantofan.jp/news/event/won-fes-w" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... report.htm

Bubblegum Crisis Motoslave (this is a powered armor that transforms into a bike similar to the Mospeada ride armor):
http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... t&id=40752

Bubblegum crisis is a cult fave anime of mine. I love the streamlined powered armor in this. The motoslave in particular is what interests me as it is essentially a powered suit in a powered suit but also has a cool looking altmode like the ride armor in mospeada and garland in megazone 23.

3-3-07
-------
More coverage of wonder fest. The yamato booth in particular. The megazone 23 Garland, bubblegum crisis motoslave, (a powered suit for a powered suit?) Macross GBP Low visibility Armor, SV-51, and other goodies were displayed such as the already pimped yf-19. (but this time showing off the new light-up LED spacefold booster)

Between trying to complete the alternator collection, saving up for a CMs Mospeada Alpha and Beta fighter combo, and trying to keep up with the transformers masterpiece collection, there isn't really much money left for other mecha stuff. (eg: if these large scale toys were not made I could easily see myself having bought a whle army of revoltech or smaller scale macross mecha) This is the golden age for high-detail, accurate sculpt perfect tranfroming macross toys.

10-3-07
---------
2007 Winter Wonderfest coverage with pics of the CMs Legioss and Tread (alpha and beta fighters for the RT people) combo right here. click the thumbnail for bigger images.
I have a feeling that once these come out those USD $600 transformable Legioss Gakkens you see on ebay will plummet right down as they get superceded by these. (similar to how the jetfire/chunky munky VF-1 from bandai went down when the yamato vf-1 came out)

I will be looking into the reviews before committing though. I haven't bought anything from CM before but from what I hear they've done ok with the patlabor stuff so there is nothing to worry about. Anything better than the recent toynami Masterpiece Alpha Fighter can only be good news for mospeada fans.

14-3-07
---------
More pics popping up of the 1/60 scale SV-51 from macross zero:
http://ga.sbcr.jp/g-toys/miyazawa2/01/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This is the DD Ivanov paintscheme. (Roy Fokker's teacher)
Preorders are up on HLJ along with the Shin Kudo VF-0 with Ghost Drone Booster pack. I'm going to wait for impressions before jumping in for the sv-51. The thing just looks really skinny so it could be delicate and stuff just because the design itself is like that. (don't want to break anything)

GBP armor parts in urban camouflage paintscheme have come out. Equip the 1/48 VF-1 with this and it will fit into the environment walking around unnoticed even though its a giant robot and probably makes very loud noises when it steps around buildings and crushes thing under its own weight. Oh well it looks cool like the recent stealth Vf-1 that came out and that's what is most important I suppose..

Finally a review of the 1/100 VF-1J transformable toys here.
The series 2 are much improved over series 1. Worth checking out if you want a smaller scale VF-1. (good to pose near the 1/100 koenig monster actually)
Last edited by GameHED on 11 Jan 2008 06:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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24-3-07
There will be a new improved version of the Yamato Megazone 23 Garland upcoming with stronger shoulders this time.

People have been complaining about the existing garland for a while now but all looks to be well for future releases.
As was known to many early adopters of the yamato Garland there were problems with shoulder breakages and the toy had a reputation of being too fragile to be safe to transform and play around with. (I haven't bought one for this reason, similarly I avoided yamato vf-0 due to loose bicep joint, unlike the prob-free 1/48 vf-1 line)

But there is hope out there as those with those problems have been able to get replacements (no harmony gold style bloackages as we've seen with the macross toys thankfully, in fact robotech.com sells theyamato garland with other RT stuff) and those interested in still getting one with the later fixes can rest easy with version 2.0 of the garland with fixes applied. (hopefully no new probs pop up this time)

I may order one of these soon depending on how they stand up to being handled. One of my fave mechas along with the Cyclone/ride armor and the motoslave!

Now with news of CMs releasing the Legios and Tread combo things are looking good. The mecha has not had a propery toy for like 20 years and the series wasn't popular in japan. Fuck about time. If you were a fan of the Alpha and Beta fighters in robotech as a kid you should be happy these are finally being made with proper ratcheted joints and everything. Just hope now that the sculpt is accurate to the anime and lineart.

Upcoming Ride Armor by Beagle toys:
source
Beagle toys have a booth at this years 2007 Tokyo Anime Fair, and they will be releasing a 1/12 scale VR-052-F Mospeada Ride Armor. They are aiming for an early 2008 release in Japan. They didn't have prototype just a Mospeada display as a formal announcement. It will be fully transformable and made of ABS plastic and die cast metal. It is also a new sculpt not a reissue of the old Gakken mold. Beagle plans to release all 4 types of Ride Armor, and should have the VR-052-F on display at this year Plamodel Radicon Show.

I think this will be their first transformable toy, right now they mostly have a few PVC figures for Ghost In The Shell, and Range Murata characters.
Woot. Throw out the old crappy outdated models. These look to compete directly against the toynami cyclones pictured in my post above. This is all good news for fans of retro anime mechas.

28-3-07
---------
Yamato Reissue news:
Prices for Max and Milia super valkyrie were reaching insane levels on ebay. (around the $300US) Good news for those who missed out on them as now reissues of these two are now available. (they are not limited editions like the low visibility, just took ages to be reissued and people thought they had to give into the scalpers)

Milia TV series Super
Max TV series Super

HLJ force EMS shipping so you might be better off with toywave or some other hongkong based seller to save a bit.

4-4-07
-------
New news related to mospeada:
There is going to be another company doing the legioss (in 1/48 scale) in transformable form. Aoshima. Hopefully some pics of the prototype appear soon so it can be compared to the CMs and Toynami efforts. May the best version triumph and more is done in future for the fans of this neglected series so people can say goodbye to the rip off ebay prices for the older and rarer retro items.
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Transformer Masterpiece news:
MP-06
Skywarp is the next in the line. So far what I've heard is there will be more diecast than SS.

Unlike SS, the colours are more toonish as opposed to realistic. (so no strange bluish greenish greys)
pics
bigger ones here

Some speculate a proper SS with kibble on the legs instead of as "samurai sword/skirt" will be done to please fans in future. Good news for those who didn't like SK "YF-19" changes to the design.

Image
:lol:
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Post by Ben »

I didn't mind the whole samurai sword bit... but yeah, so otherwise this is pretty much just going to be a recolour but die-cast? :( ohwell

hey has anyone heard anything about Megatron yet? I'm sure it's out, but I've been reading there are issues getting it into Australia.. like it's been completely stopped rfom coming in?
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Someone on macross world boards who is an aussie had his checked by customs.

link to his post

Looks like the packaging of him in robot mode didn't help much because of the image of the gun on the box. Oh well..
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Post by Ben »

GameHED wrote:Someone on macross world boards who is an aussie had his checked by customs.
Yeah I realised after I posted that, that I was reading an old thread (about a month).

Does anyone know the best place to grab him now? I was looking at transfigure toys but they still have it listed as coming in, in march...
Otherwise ebay has lots, but I'm weary of ebay and HK sellers..

edit: oh sure now it says sold out when I look lol.
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Maybe try an australian online toy shop? I tend to buy my stuff from retail (example I bought classics grimlock just the other day for $24 from big W)

The reason I go online is only for stuff that is a bitch to find or is blocked from sale(like the HG issue with robotech/macross toys for eg) here for some reason. (no alternative)

Sometimes if you buy stuff from specific shops they are happy to give you replacement parts if the early versions of the toys were found to be a little brittle in some areas.

A good example is the megazone 23 garland. People who complained about the weak shoulder were able to get replacement pieces. (new editions will have the improvements to make them less fragile in that area)

But for anything macross, you get no support. Waiting until fixes in later second editions is best for OS people.

One thing that pisses me off is the gunbarrel issue. The japanese toys have the gunbarrels and stuff on ALL alternators (doesn't matter the car manufacturer), but the US versions have things taken out. It's like PAL gaming! :down:
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Somebody recommended these guys for collector grade toys to me:
http://www.casefresh.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

free shipping. Not sure if they deal with the imported stuff though. (only the recolored 20th anni prime is shown on their site)

Now that the movie toys are coming out I think stores are clearing their shevles of the classics and alternator to make space for those. So maybe ebay is the only way in future. Again, I use that more as a last resort though.

Best hong kong shop for me is toy-wave, for my macross stuff. HLJ.com is ok if you don't mind being forced to use EMS shipping which can be expensive and boost price for larger stuff. (never had a problem with them so far)
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Post by Beer Belly »

GameHED: I LOVE YOU BABY!

Mospeada models....ZOMG drooool......
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BB: I get excited about news of a proper transforming Legioss toy (that is you don't assemble the thing and it is "solid" not hollow like an easter egg) because for 20 years there was nothing for fans of that particular show to get. (gakken is rare and way out of the price range on ebay of normal people, plus the sculpt is out of date for today)

The thing you should really look out for is the the transformable Legioss and Tread from CMs. The toynami's robotech alphas don't have a good reputation for durability and poses (diecast in the wrong places) but the good news is if you like that version there will be a japanese version of the toynami Alphas coming out soon with "some fixes". Haha. Hopefully those fixes mean they change all the problems that went wrong with the toynami robotech alphas.

Mospeada is somewhat of a cult show. Didn't recieve much popularity compared to macross. So hopefully some toy companies can see the potential for profits from the diehard fan of these transforming mecha. I[ve said it before on MWB: This is something that should have been ages ago. Not now.

Things to keep in mind:

-the CMs one will be sold as a combo. You will buy both a Legioss and Tread together.
-They will both combine and fully transformable. (woot!)
-As for Toynami Beta fighter: no comfirmation if the beta fighter will ever be released or if it would be transformable. Sucks ass. Maybe it will maybe it won't But I posted the picture anyway.

---
Recent transformer classic I've bought:
Ramjet (spotted at big W)
Starscream (same place)

verdict: well articulated, overall nicer looking bot mode than jetfire. Paint on my lower left leg of starscream seems a little faded. For $25 I don't feel ripped off. These classics are great alternative for those who loved the g1 characters but can't afford the more-expensive MP line.

negative points: Although these look good from above views in fighter mode, they have yucky looking landing gears and are not sleek when seen from below or from the side. There is this big arse empty gap underneath in fighter mode that isn't pleasing to the eye. Otherwise it is a great mainstream line for fans of the g1 characters in the transformers.

positive: good accurate appearance to the characters in the show. Unlike the MP SS, the hips have no kibble and the fins fold neatly to the side of the ankle. The null ray cannons are too big and you have to bend SS wings down a little to have clearance to point them forward or else have him hold the cannon in his hands (either underarm form or regular). It's because of the spring loaded gimmick. Had that not been there they could have made the cannon skinny, but oh well.
Ramjet looks really nice, and I like the menacing expression on his face.
I'm going to leave SS and ramjet in bot modes, and jetfire in fighter mode.

My fave of the TF classics line is still Grimlock. The amount of articulation on that tail and those legs....this is the must have imo. It's a lot better than the old g1 grimlock toy and has a much better transformation. No stupid dino parts hanging off his back like wings. This time the mouth of the dino become his feet, and the bot mode is as good as his dino mode. Only problem is his wrists seem short like a dwarf. They attempted to put some weathering on his body but only got to his midsection. Sloppy. The weapon he uses has a bayonet on the end. Nice touch. I can imagine grimlock impaling people with bladed weapons for close range kills given his physical strength over shooting skill. Leaving him in either mode is good but I find the dino mode slightly better for the articulation of the legs and the general intimidating poses you can put him in. Also seems more iconic to me in that mode.

Now although I am not a transformer expert (I don't normally collect anything from them) I think classic is the kind of line that really appeal to the person who doesn't like the new TF stuff. (really fugly fluro coloured toys with vomit inducing paint schemes) It goes back to the days when robots were still blocky, had one main paint colour to distinguish themselves and not draw attention to themselves, and the transformations actually served a semi-useful purpose of being alt modes that hide from the enemy or just useful to fight or move around in. (ie the alt mode wasn't a completely made-up vehicle and if someone had picked up the toy in the alt mode, chances are they woudn't know it transformed into a robot without actually looking for signs of it)

Hopefully we see more classics in future after the movie toy line. Unlike the alternators there should not be a problem with the limit of having to make everything into cars even if the original characters were other vehicle types. (and no need to have problems with sticking to a strict scale)
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More news trickles in about the CMs Mospeada transforming Legioss + Tlead combo:
Image
Mag scan shwing prototype. Note how unlike the toynami masterpiece alpha fighter, it looks more modernised and skinny instead of blocky?

And the Gerwalk mode looks a little weird. Hopefully that gets fixed so it has knees that can bend the other way. (maybe double jointed knees like the yamato yf19 has?)

Those little cyclone/ride armor figs... holy shit they look nice.

Looks like there may be some kind of mospeada revival (possible a new series, prequel series, or sequel) this would not surprise me as lately there are old school mecha anime series like Votoms and macross getting new shows. So it would fall to reason that all kinds of new mecha and models and toys and stuff for it could be in the making if true.
scan of some inbit/invid mecha.

direct link to scan of some concept which looks to be for a remake of mospeada or a sequel click to see

Looks to have lost a LOT of weight from the 80s version which was bulky and heavy like the destroid artillery mech from macross. Hopefully this and the new more organic looking inbit concept designs is for some new real robot anime show.

edit: this looks to be a false alarm. Just some new images or reimagining illustrations for an interview :( No indication of a new anime.
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Hey for those that are interested K-Mart has the protoform deluxe movie toys (Optimus Prime & Starscream) out for $19.95, I wasn't going to bother initially as I'd only seen them around the $30 mark most places, but for $20 I went out and grabbed the Optimus one today! :D

Seems pretty cool, though I've only transformed it to the protoform and left it at that so far as I didn't have much time when I got back from my lunch break, but seems pretty poseable. The gun ammo looks a little silly but that's because it's the flame coming out the back of the protoform mode when he's transformed.
If you just make him hold the gun minus the flame bit it looks cooler.

Also! I read on the Tranformers Hasbro site that the first wave of Transformers movie toys will be out June 2nd! woot! Can't wait to get my hands on the proper movie Optimus Prime! Though the $90 price point is a bit of a kick in the arse compared to what the Americans are paying (39.99 USD=48.4581 AUD~) though it doesn't seem so bad after buying items from the masterpiece line.

Hopefully he'll be a bit cheaper than that, or there will be movie related sales nearby, but I reckon I'll be caving and buying him, day 1 :lol:

Looking through the rest of the catalogue though, some of the deluxe figures look a little disappointing, Bumblebee for example doesn't seem to have quite the same flair in his toy form as his movie form does. Which was a bit of my problem I guess with the way Bay has handled the Transformers appearance in relation to the toys. I just knew that because he made them so complex in their movie form that they would just come across as being way to complex and fiddly/easy to break, or just way too simplified, and it looks like it's the latter :(

Ohwell, some of them look alright. I don't mind Barricade, and Blackout looks alright too, though the page with his pictures doesn't show him completely transformed as the helicopter rotors can all bend down a bit more. As he is shown there he looks a bit stupid.

Oh another also, I recently picked up the classics Astrotrain (went splits with a mate in the Bumblebee/Astrotrain 2 pack), it's a pity that both his transformed modes don't look quite as good as his G1 counterparts transformed modes, but he's pretty cool nonetheless (the space shuttle form looks best probably) and the robot mode has a heck of a lot more poseability than the stiff G1 version, but I guess I'm a bit of a stickler for the old steam engine style train that he used to transform into hehe.

actually, mind you looking at some of the G1 pics of him maybe my memory is a bit hazy, the transformations look a bit simpler than I thought, but ohwell still cool.

Anyway on to my point, because I've sort of been dragging my mate around with my hunting Transformers in recent weeks he picked up a Classics Prime when I did, and for anyone that has him knows he has 2 guns, but his Bumblebee lacks any guns, but what's cool is it seems like all of the classics line have a universal gun holster hand size, so for poseability sake his Bumblebee now has a gun :D

But I thought that was cool, as often Transformers all have different sized hands etc but it seems the classics line at least has a universal plug size so you can use them interchangeably when they're in their bot form.

Oh hey, the Transformers that that PS2 game was based off a little while ago, does anyone know what series that was based from? I think it's Armada but I'm not certain.. I kind of wanted to grab the Optimus Prime from that series as well but I'm not certain on what to search for..
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It was Amarda.
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GreyWizzard wrote:It was Amarda.
Neato, thanks grey! :up:
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That's cool that you got the two pack classics. See for me forking out $25 for two TF classics (picked up hot rod with starscream double pack) that have superior poseability to their originals and (especially in the case of grimlock and his legs in dinosaur mode!) more details, I consider that a bargain. I much prefer the new grimlock to old grimlock. Astrotrain isn't too bad in bullet train mode either, but yeah shuttle is the best for me. I never owned the old steamtrain triple changer of him from g1 so I don't have anything to compare.

Bumblebee not having a weapon is a little disapointing. All they needed to do was give him a small pistol or something. The good news is like you point out you can have him hold other weapons (and I think also TF energon weapons too, which I don't own so I can't verify) so he isn't just a sitting duck. I have him using astrotrain's weapon. The advantage of not having these toys to scale with anything is that the weapons don't look too weird when characters hold a weapon for other characters due to the peg being the same size. The only exception to this is mirage who has a different size. But his crossbow-shaped gun is part of his body anyway so it wouldn't suit anyone else. (he looks like an anorexic EVA)

Classic Ultra magnus/prime looks ok and has great posability. Not a big fan of the fake grille though. Why would a TF need to have a fake grille in robot mode? Don't you find that funny?

As for movie toys: protoform prime looks pretty good. The one movie design I don't mind is jazz. (click here for pics) He looks pretty cool in toy form with his shield and extendable gun. Only problem is his forearms have a big empty space which from the side doesn't look too great*. But overall it and maybe one of the truck primes (not sure which size I will get) are the ones I have been looking forward to.

In fact I think Jazz in g1 color actually would have made a decent classics Jazz. haha Hopefully after the movie toy line, they come back to classics TF later on. The older gen has MP for now, true, but the cheaper line of g1 reimaginings are the casual g1 fan's impulse purchase. After alternators stopped (will we see an alternator hotrod I wonder? I think Hasbro should do it, and exchange the fishing rod for something else) the G1 TF fan had little new stuff to sink teeth into. (mp releases are slow and gradual)

*I had the same problem for alternator hound who has big gap in his chest. But at least you don't notice it unless you look underneath. I like robots to be solid! Even skinny ones like classics mirage is fine with me so long as there are no empty gaps and things.
Last edited by GameHED on 11 Jan 2008 06:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Just thought I'd link to a post on scans for the upcoming yamato SV-51:
http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... t&p=488142

I'm looking forward to this (it will be even larger than the 1/60 vf-0s and vf-0a) but looking at its structure am worried about fragility. The thin design just doesn't make this toy look sturdy from pics so I'm taking a wait and see attitude like the yf-19. (which hopefully sees some small improvements in 2nd releases)

As a fan of the macross mecha, here is my list of things to get:

1. VF-0a shin with ghost drone booster pack (yamato applied fixes here to address complaints about the 0s)

2. YF-19 with space fold booster pack (never bought the yf-19 standalone. As stated in previous posts I am a bit disappointed that the chest piece doesn't lock down into the robot, which was one of my beefs with the 1/72 they made years ago)

3. SV-51 ivanov (based on reviews if positive. So far it has ugly intakes but this is forgivable given it is a transforming toy unlike the models)

4. 1/60 scale vf-11, yf-21 (depending when/if yamato makes these. I still have the old 1/72)

With the news of a new macross tv series coming out, it will be interesting to see what new variable fighter jet designs Shoji kawamori can come up with or what company will be involved in the making of the toys and which group (collectors or the casual buyer) they will aim to sell to.

For Transformers the Alternators/BT and MP were for collectors, while classics were a small sized toy for the masses. I tend to go mainly for the detailed larger sized stuff loaded with features.
Last edited by GameHED on 11 Jan 2008 06:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad." -Shigeru Miyamoto
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