Macross Toy Reviews

[pud333]

Okay, so I know I am really, really late to the 1/60 scale Macross party (like, years late), but I finally managed to pick up the Yamato 1/60 VF-1S Roy Focker Valkyrie from Do You Remember Love. It was a gift from my girlfriend, and is single-handedly the most expensive toy I own. When it comes to toys, I like to keep it cheap and simple, but I've been staring longingly at this toy for well over a year now, and I finally got my dirty mitts on one! I just kept balking at the $150+ price tag, but I have to say, it is worth every single penny.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/IMG_2250.jpg

The version I have is a repack which includes the iconic strike parts for Roy Focker's Valkyrie. It comes with 12 sets of missile pods, the strike armor, three separate connector pieces to connect to the Yamato stand (which I don't have yet), the gun, a pair of extra movie accurate hands, and a rubbery Roy Focker.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/IMG_2253.jpg

The detailing is amazing. The best part about the toy, IMO, is the cockpit. I love the little rubber Roy Focker that is included. The cockpit itself has this metallic, rainbow hue to it that makes everything just pop. It also has landing gear, and the gun can be stowed away under the plane just like in the movie!

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The strike parts are awesome. Again, the level of detailing is amazing, allowing for the removal of parts of the armor to show a cutaway into the machine details!

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This is a perfect transformation, in that there are no parts to remove or replace. The transformation is a bit finicky at first, but once you transform it a few times, it's pretty easy to do.

Gerwalk mode:

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Battroid mode. This is where I like to change his hands for the more movie accurate look. I have also included a size comparison to Human Alliance Jazz:

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Finally, this set comes with a little pen light, which has the Skull squadron logo on it. It's nothing special, but kind of a geeky cool extra.

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This is a damn near perfect toy. It better be, considering how expensive this toy is. I have to say though, every single penny was worth it. You can really tell where the money went. It's gorgeous.

I should also emphasize the fact that this is a TOY. It's not a model, though it looks like one. It marries beauty and playability. You're definitely not going to want to keep this on the shelf!

Taking the Valkyrie out of the plastic tray for the first time was quite a rush, tell you the truth. I was having a total geekgasm. I am already planning on getting more Valkyries from the Macross Plus and Macross Zero shows, which means I have to clear out a lot of stuff and cut back on other toy lines. It's okay though, it'll be worth it! When I get more of these toys, I'll continue with more reviews in this thread.

Note: The early releases of this figure, as well as the other VF-1 Valkyries, had terrible shoulder pins. They were "knurled," and they would cause stress marks on the plastic and even make the plastic break completely. These pins have "teeth" and sometimes the shoulders would be broken right out of the box. This problem has been fixed with the later releases, with Yamato using smooth pins, so if you are going to spend money on one of these, make sure you get the newer releases. The ones in the DYRL boxes are fine.

[racerguy76]

Awesome. The price is the only thing keeping me from these beautiful figures.
________
Ford Ed Falcon History (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Ford_ED_Falcon)

[pud333]

Awesome. The price is the only thing keeping me from these beautiful figures.

You can still find some deals online, like at HLJ, where the Hikaru strike valkyrie is on sale for 20% off. But that probably still comes to about $150 total once shipping is included. It's still expensive. Just, you know, 20% less expensive.

http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT00179

[pud333]

The SV-51 is the enemy valk from Macross Zero, the prequel to the famous Macross series from the 80's. This particular one was piloted by Nora Polyansky. It's in the 1/60 scale by Yamato.

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This thing is massive. It's about 16 inches long, with a 13 inch wingspan. It comes with extra missiles, a rubbery Nora, and "fast packs" as well as a large stand with multiple attachments for its various modes. It comes with an instruction book, as well as a full sticker sheet. But unlike other Yamato valks, there's no need to really apply most of them.

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The SV-51 is a great looking bird. Lots of detail, very tight, nothing hangs off except perhaps the right wing, which seems a little floppy to me. If you turn it upside down, it flops about. It's the only fault with this figure, so I guess I won't be doing any barrel rolls anytime soon with this toy. (The loose wing is something well known to be a problem with this toy.) You can't see it here, but the gun attaches easily beneath the figure in fighter mode.

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Like the other Yamato valks, the cockpit is one of the best parts of this toy. It's so detailed, and the rubbery Nora figure is fully painted. The canopy also lacks the "rainbow" detailing that the VF-1S had. The fighter mode is definitely the best of the three.

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The gerwalk mode is the weakest. The transformation is cool and pretty easy, though all the spikey parts make it a little difficult to do without poking yourself. As you can see, it is a bit difficult to set the wings proper, as they tend to sag a little.

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The battroid mode is awesome. Very posable, though it takes a little getting used to. I didn't realize the legs locked in at the hips until after a half an hour of struggling with the floppy legs. Once they're locked in, the toy is fine.

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Finally, here it is all geared up and on the stand.

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This toy is an amazing display piece. The sheer size of it alone is just impressive on a shelf. All in all, I'd say this is a fantastic figure. However, the steep price of it is a bit much. When it first came out, with the currency conversion and cost to ship it from Japan, this figure could cost in excess of $250. I got this during HLJ's sale, where it was massively discounted, and managed to pay only about $100 plus shipping, which is an amazing deal on this toy.

[pud333]

Next is the VF-0S, the precursor to the famous VF-1. This one is piloted by none other than Roy Focker.

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It comes with missiles, fastpacks, a rubbery Roy Focker, and attachments for the Yamato stand you have to buy separately. It also comes with an instruction book and sticker sheet.

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As you can see, it bears a lot of resemblance to the VF-1. It's more bulkier, larger, less sleek, much like what you'd expect from an early model. The fast packs attach via small magnets, unlike the VF-1S, which uses clips to attach the fast packs. This is very cool, though less stable when trying to fly the plane around (and yes, I did fly it around accompanied by various WHOOSH-ing sounds. I'm not afraid to admit it :clapping:). The gun is stowed beneath the plane in fighter mode.

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The cockpit is very detailed, like the others. It even has a separate clear plastic H.U.D. piece, and bears resemblance more to a traditional cockpit. The best part is the fact that the seat can recline about twenty degrees, to accommodate the change in angle when transforming to gerwalk or battroid mode. Very cool. Like the SV-51, it also lacks the "rainbow" detailing, which I personally prefer. It makes the toy just pop.

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Gerwalk mode. Nothing too different. The transformation is nearly identical to the VF-1S. The shoulder joints were incredibly stiff when I first took him out. I had heard of breakage from other collectors and I was paranoid I'd do the same, so I had to take a screwdriver and loosen the screws slightly. This seemed to work wonders and I haven't had any problems with it.

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Battroid mode. As you can see, it is much bigger than its little brother, but still smaller than the SV-51. The SV-51 towers over everything. Very leggy.

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Final comparison in fighter mode. All three are in the 1/60 scale.

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The only problem with this toy is the fact that it's not as tight as the other two. In fighter mode, the nose sags a little due to the weight, and the legs aren't tight on the toy. Overall, I'm not too impressed. There's nothing that stands out. The VF-1S is nearly perfect. The SV-51 is almost as good. This one... there's something missing. Maybe it's because there's supposed to be an extra add-on set that includes the Ghost booster that I have yet to get. (I've preordered it, and it should be here in a month or two).

Given the chance to do it over again, I would buy it again, but perhaps wait for a better sale. Still, it's Roy Focker's first Valkyrie, and that counts for something in my books due to him being my favorite pilot. I also got this figure on sale at HLJ for $150 + shipping.

[pud333]

This review is for the VF-27 Lucifer, which is the enemy valkyrie in Macross Frontier, piloted by Brera Sterne. This is in the 1/60 scale from the chogokin line from Bandai. Besides the obvious fact that this toy comes from a different Macross Series as the other valks I've reviewed, there are some specific tooling that makes this stand apart from the Yamato valks.

It comes with three sets of spare hands, a rifle, a pair of vent covers (which are pretty useless), an attachment for the fold booster (which you have to buy separately) and an instruction booklet.

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The first difference you see between Bandai's product and the Yamato ones is the plastic itself. This valk is pretty shiny, whereas Yamato tends to use a muted plastic. This bird is gorgeous. Everything is super tight and fit together incredibly well. Nothing flops, nothing falls off. Right off the bat the qc is much better. The gun is huge, almost as long as the toy itself, and can attach beneath the fighter.

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The detail in the cockpit is nowhere near the quality of the Yamato valks. This toy comes with two rubbery figures - one Brera, one Ranka (one of the female leads). They can be removed.

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Gerwalk mode. Typical A-stance you see with other valks. What's great is the amount of diecast in the toy. The Yamato valks tend to have diecast on hip joints, landing gear, and the center T bar that helps with the transformation. This valk has plenty of diecast in the most important places. The shoulder joints are diecast (unlike Yamato which has plastic joints that are more prone to breaking), the hip joints, the landing gear, and the feet (which will be shown later). Overall, it gives the toy a nice weight. The VF-1S feels like a featherweight next to this thing. You definitely can tell where your money went.

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The battroid mode is awesome. Just awesome. The transformation is pretty easy, but there are so many sharp bits, I basically stabbed myself a dozen times during the transformation. The articulation is great, and the diecast in the feet helps anchor the toy, preventing it from falling.

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The huge gun transforms by splitting in half down the middle, where the beam cannon seen in the anime fires.

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Here are the diecast feet. The detail is excellent. The small boosters on the wings are articulated and you can move them in any direction.

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Overall, I really love this figure. The design, the weight, the playability... it's great. Second only to the VF-1S. It's pricey though. When this came out, it was well over $220. There are deals to be had though, and you could probably find this for about $150, which is what I paid for it.

Note: there are reports of the paint on the nose cone rubbing off, so when handling, be careful with that area. The paint on mine seems okay, and I've probably transformed it a dozen times now with no issues of paint removal. The only thing I encountered was the little wings by the cockpit that can fall off every now and then when transforming.

[pud333]

The VF-25G is one of the "hero" valks from the Macross Frontier anime series. Piloted by Mikhail (or Michael/Michel). In the anime, he carries a sniper rifle along with the typical rifle. This is not part of UN SPACEY, but rather a private military force called SMS.

The figure is built similarly to the VF-27, only with some shortfalls. The VF-27 was done after the VF-25's, and rumor is it was a completely different design team. I will go through the faults of this figure later. It comes with a stand, two guns (one is the sniper rifle), armor pieces and fast packs, along with multiple different hands (not pictured. I forgot), a knife (don't ask me why a robot needs to bring a knife to a space gun fight), and attachment pieces to connect the guns to the bottom of the plane in fighter mode.

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The fighter mode is very nice, with wings that fold back like the VF-1S. I personally really love the Macross Frontier designs. I've included a size comparison to the VF-27. As far as diecast content, it is pretty much exactly like the VF-27. Here you see the first fault: the landing gear is stubby. This is fine for how it looks, but you can't have the gun attached underneath like the other fighters while it has its landing gear on, which is really silly, and something that should have been considered. This is the first major fault with the figure. Ultimately I intend on displaying it with the stand, but still, it would be nice to have that feature. Also, while the cockpit opens, the figure inside is not removable, and looks nothing like Mikhail.

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Here it is all armored up on the stand. Most of the armor pieces attach easily and they stay on, but the hip pieces tend to fall off easily. And transforming the figure with the armor is annoying since the hip pieces fall off, but it's not anything that is so bad it diminishes the figure.

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Gerwalk mode. This is where the second major problem with the figure lies. There are no swivel joints in the thighs, so you can't have the typical A-stance. Major fail in this regard, and Gerwalk is clearly the worst mode. In order to get the A-stance, you need to unhook the hips, which looks fine, but again, this is something of a no-brainer and should have been done right from the beginning.

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Battroid mode. The toy looks so much better in battroid mode with the armor, while in fighter mode I generally prefer the sleeker, non armored look. As you can see, the figure has shoulder missiles that open up. The articulation is limited in the legs due to the armor pieces, which is again, unfortunate, but nothing that is too terrible. The gun splits open at various points for when Mikhail needs to sharp-shoot. I don't see what purpose this has except to look cool. (Tell you the truth, this is why I bought this toy over the other VF-25s) Here is also a final pic without the armor. Aesthetically, I love the design. My only gripe is the fact that unlike the VF-27, there are no shin guards, which means it looks like the VF-25 has flood pants on.

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Final thoughts: I really like this toy, but it is nowhere in the class of the VF-27. If the rumors of Bandai changing the design team for the VF-27 are true, then it was a wise decision. While the VF-25G is a very nice toy, it's not as good as the VF-27, and not as playable with all the armor parts. In the future, I pretty much plan on tossing the armor parts into a bin in my closet. When this toy first came out, it was well over $220 due to the import and currency exchange. I got mine for about $150 off Ebay, which is the most I would pay for one of these VF-25 toys. Since Gerwalk is not a mode I particularly care for, it's not as big an issue that it doesn't have thigh swivels, but that just seems like something that should have been done, and could have easily been done. I knew full well the problems of this toy before I bought it. But I didn't care, cause I wanted a 1/60 scale VF-25 from Macross Frontier. The anime is very good. I would only recommend the VF-25 if a) you don't give a shit about gerwalk mode, and b) you're a pretty big macross fan. If you're just a casual fan, better to stick to the VF-1S.

[pud333]

I have here the 1/60 Ghost Booster add-on pack for the VF-0S. In the Macross Zero anime, the UNSPACEY valks use these unmanned drones to not only fight along side them, but to attach onto the valks and boost their speed and firepower.

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The toy comes in your typical Yamato packaging. It comes with the instruction book, sticker sheet (which you don't really even use) two different sets of missiles, a couple attachments for the Ghost Booster, and a couple replacement parts (beige and grey) for your VF-0S/A, depending on which model you have, and what looks like a little white camera thing.

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The Ghost booster is a nice looking plane. Nothing special about it. It has the diecast retractable landing gear, and the rear booster is pretty cool, as it is able to move in various directions. In the anime, the valks use the boosters to alter their flight at sharp angles.

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Here is the VF-0S fully armored. In my review of the VF-0S, I mentioned that it was missing something. Well, it was missing the Ghost Booster, because this looks pretty bad-ass all decked out. Here it is in fighter, gerwalk and battroid mode.

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I really like the Ghost Booster. It does do wonders to the VF-0S. I paid $50 for it. If you can, try to find the bundled VF-0S/Ghost Booster pack, which should save you about $20-30.

[racerguy76]

These are all so beautiful. That's a great set you have there.
________
Zx14 vs hayabusa (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Which_bike_is_quicker_kawasaki_zx_-14_or_suzuki_hayabusa)

[pud333]

Thanks! I'm going to look into getting a vf-1a next and possibly one of bandai's hi metal 1/100 valks which are much cheaper.

[racerguy76]

I ordered one of these cause they are such a good deal(ie in my price range)! The closest I ever had to a macross toy was my G1 Jetfire.

http://www.automatontoys.com/item.asp?noJouet=AUTrevoltechFockerMacross083
________
Mexico City (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmJU7Qxsl9w)

[pud333]

Cool! I used to own those before I sold them once I started getting into the pricey valks. Another one you might want to check out is the Bandai Hi Metal series. The revoltechs are tiny, and the Hi Metal is a bit bitter, but more expensive than the Revoltech, obviously, but not as expensive as the 1/60s. It's in the 1/100 scale. I mean, you're still looking at about $70 per figure, but it's half the price of the new re-released 1/60's and everyone I've come across that has this one says it is the next best thing. Great articulation, almost perfect transformation (the landing gear doesn't retract and it gives two sets of wings. One for missiles, one without, and a heat shield. Basically you swap those parts out). It has some diecast in the feet and joints. Here's a video review of it. It looks fantastic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3cxVCoshX4

Buy it here:

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN958460

Next couple months they are releasing Roy's jet, but it's pricier due to having the fast packs.

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN961438

Unfortunately, there is nothing in the quality and price range between the Revoltech and Hi Metal series. The Toynami 1/100s which would run you about $30 and are probably more solid than the Revoltechs, are pieces of shit. :( The Revoltechs look nice but are finicky, so if you want a display model, Revoltechs are fine. But if you want a toy, you'll have to up your price to the Hi Metals.

Edit: Be careful about displaying your revoltech. I had mine in fighter mode on the stand, and because the stand is at the end of the nose, and the nose is a separate piece they glued on, instead of making the cockpit one complete piece, over time, you will see gravity start to weigh down the toy, and eventually the nose can split apart from the rest of the toy. I only caught this after a week and had to stop displaying it on the stand whenever in fighter or gerwalk mode. The nose of my valk was permenantly bent. :( Luckily I had two at the time so I was okay with displaying the damaged one in battroid mode.

[racerguy76]

Yeah, I'm impressed with the detail on the toy. Very delicate tho. I'm glad I got such a good price on it. It's not nice enough to make me want more of them, but I'm glad I checked it out. I do see you reasoning for going with the more expensive items. The quality looks about a 1000 times better.
________
IPAD ACCESSORIES (http://accesoriesipad.com/)

[pud333]

You definitely paid a good price for it. I think I paid about $25 for mine at the time. I think if you're really wanting a Macross figure, get the VF-1S Roy Focker DYRL? anniversary set. If it came down to one valk, that's the one to get. It's worth it. HLJ.com has the Hikaru one (red and black) for $130 right now. When I get my hands on a Hi Metal, I'll probably do a review here, but that won't be until I get back from my vacation, which is in December.

[racerguy76]

Awesome. I did not need to browse that website.

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN960994 Amazing!

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN966788 I totally want a couple of these for fodder.


*wallet hides under couch*
________
Buy Glass Pipes (http://glasspipes.net/)

[pud333]

Awesome. I did not need to browse that website.

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN960994 Amazing!

http://www.hlj.com/product/BAN966788 I totally want a couple of these for fodder.


*wallet hides under couch*

Yeah, the Monster looks amazing. Supposedly it's not in scale with anything, but the closest would be 1/100. It's too rich for my blood right now, so I'll wait for a big sale, which I'm sure there will be in a few months.

If you like regults, check this out:

http://www.hlj.com/product/YMTGK-14

The price is insane. But a 1/60 scale Regult would be awesome. Maybe one day if I win the lottery...

I did just order a hi metal VF-1J. I figured I'd have it delivered to my work, so when I get back from vacation, I'll have a nice little package waiting for me.

[pud333]

So I got the Bandai 1/100 Hi Metal VF-1J Hikaru Valkyrie and I have to say it's a good toy.

The Hi Metal series is Bandai's answer to Yamato's dominance in the Macross toy franchise, albeit in a smaller, 1/100 scale. Despite the name, there is barely any metal in the toy. The only metal is in the feet and the main sway bar for the hips/legs. That's it. But I suppose it technically has more metal than the Yamatos. The toy comes with multiple replacement fists, replaceable vents, landing gear, heat shield, stand parts, extra wings for missiles, the trademark Vaklyrie gun, and an extra pair of antennas for the head.

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This toy is not a perfect transformation. There is parts swapping, which basically means the landing gear, wings, heat shield, hands, etc. are all meant to swap out depending on what you want the toy to be doing. No built-in parts here. At the 1/100 size, it would be impossible to do a perfect transformation.

Fighter mode: very nice and it speaks for itself.

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Gerwalk mode:

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Battroid mode:

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Comparison pics with the 1/60 Yamato:

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Some specific bits: The cockpit is nowhere near as detailed as the 1/60 Yamatos, nor is the fighter removable. And Hikaru looks a bit small sitting there. The feet, while metal, are kind of flimsy. It seems there's more articulation than necessary, resulting in some odd angles on the feet. But the shoulder joint transformation is very interesting. All the Yamatos pretty much swivel out from the shoulders, which is a bit awkward due to the tight confines of that area, but the Bandai works on an innovative bar where the shoulders just slide out and then swivel out. Very nice.

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Final thoughts: While the 1/100 is a nice toy, it still pales in comparison to the 1/60 Yamatos. It's sort of unfair to compare the two lines, due to the size differences (it's sort of like comparing a 3.75" toy with its 6" counterpart). However, that's not going to stop me from comparing the two.

The superior toy is the 1/60 line. Hands down. Perfect transformation beats parts swapping any time. The detail is better in the 1/60, everything fits tighter and seems stronger. The Hi Metal felt a lot like the Revoltech Valkyries (and basically the same size, maybe a smidgen bigger). And it's tiny for the price you are paying. I got this figure from Angolz for about $62. Not only that, but the wings on mine are very loose. It's an unfortunate side-effect of having swappable wings, which I think was completely unnecessary. The 1/60s also seem more accurate, and not as tubby in fighter mode.

At the end of the day, if you have a strict budget and cannot budge from it, then by all means get the Hi Metal. It is probably the best toy for the cheapest price possible with these toys. Unfortunately, due to all the tooling and engineering, as well as the fact that Macross really doesn't have a huge fan base compared to something like Transformers or even Gundam, you will always pay a premium for these toys, short of some major sales which do happen frequently enough. It's just the reality of being a Macross fan in North America. If you want the perfect version, save your pennies and spring for the 1/60s.

Another unfortunate part about the Hi Metals, which I should mention, is that many of the other Skull squad valkyries (VF-1A Max, Hikaru and Kakizaki), are only available as Tamashii web exclusives. Which means you pay an arm and a leg to get these imported to Canada. I don't know if Bandai really has the desire to support these in full retail the way Yamato does. The VF-1J Max version of this toy is also a Tamashii web exclusive. I won't be diving into this line until price drops dramatically or, let's face it, I get bored and run into a toy drought and need my plastic crack fix. FYI: HLJ has their big Yamato sale on until December 24th. If you ever wanted a valkyrie, now is the time to get one. Some deals up to 40% off right now.

[pud333]

Here is the Queadluun Rare Klan Klang custom from Bandai's Robot Spirits line. This is actually from Macross Frontier, but I like to use it as a stand-in double for Milia's Queadluun from the Macross show. There is no scale for the Robot Spirits line. While this looks like a 1/100 figure, it isn't. It's smaller than the Hi Metal, when it should be as big or bigger.

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The figure comes with a detachable gun and missile pods that open up. The chest opens up to reveal Klan Klang and her ample bosoms (the Japanese and their fetish for aliens with physically impossible chest sizes always amuse me). Overall, the toy is very plastic and cheap feeling, but has decent articulation and looks great next to the Hi Metal. Still, it is overpriced at about $32 + shipping. Should be more like $20, IMO.

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Just because I've had some inquiries: The best places to look for deals on Macross toys are HLJ, Amiami, Angolz.

[pud333]

A couple quick reviews. First up is the TV series version of the perfect transformation Yamato 1/60 VF-1S Roy Focker valkyrie.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/1-5.jpg

For all intents and purposes, the actual mechanics of this version are no different than the Do You Remember Love 1/60 Roy Focker (review on the first page of this thread). There are a few changes though that make it more TV accurate. I intend to keep this toy MIB, so I won't be transforming him or putting any stickers on, but some of the major differences will be shown here. If you need to know what it looks like in the other modes, then just look at the first review and pretend it's whiter. :)

First off, all the accessories are the same, except this one doesn't come with the strike parts and it lacks the extra set of missiles. (There is a separate release with strike parts). And as you can see, instead of the movie hands, this one comes with the marshmallow hands that are shown in the TV series.

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On the left is the TV version, and it's white. Very white to match the look of the Macross TV series. (sorry for the dark pictures, but the flash made everything look the same). Personally, I really dig this really white look over the off-white, but then, I've always been a sucker for white toys. (eg: Ultra Magnus)

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The pilot is different. Here, Roy is wearing his blue flight suit from the TV series, vs the movie version yellow flight suit. Also, you can see the mold itself is all new. The TV Roy is holding a little flight stick.

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The canopy and cockpit are also different. The cockpit has a different screen than the movie version, and the canopy lacks the rainbow tint that the movie version has. I prefer the rainbow tint, cause I think it makes the toy pop sitting on the shelf. Everyone I know who has come into my toy room has commented on how great the toy looks. Going forward, this is a new running change Yamato has decided to do with their future valkyrie releases.

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The crotch connection is also different. On the left is the TV version which has the new crotch mold, vs the movie version. Again, this is a new running change. The older crotch was harder to connect the hips in. The new crotch makes it much easier.

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Those are the major differences between the two toys. There are some minor details, such as a black arrow on the head of the valkyrie instead of yellow, but those are just cosmetic. I got this from HLJ.com during their big Yamato toy sale. It was on for a cool 40% off, so I got it for approximately $70, which is an absolute steal. The price is so good, it's almost criminal not to buy one. The sale ends December 24th, so if you have been waiting to jump on the Valkyrie bandwagon, this is the time to do it. (http://www.hlj.com/product/YMT00195) During the month the sale has been on, I've seen it go in and out of stock three times! Considering the quality of the toy and the super low price right now, it's no surprise. I almost want to get another one just so I could pose in Battroid with his puffy hands! But then I would have three of the same toy and that's overkill, right? :D

The reason why I chose this one over the one with the strike parts, is because in the TV series, Roy never flew the VF-1S with strike parts (unlike in the movie). This is the only version that comes with Roy in his blue flight suit, which is why I bought it. Yamato has never done this in the past. The one with the strike parts comes with Hikaru.

The overall design changes are great, and make the toy even better than possible. My only quibble is I wish they kept the rainbow tint, but that's nothing, all things considered.

[pud333]

This review is for the perfect transformation Yamato 1/60 VF-1A Do You Remember Love? Max and Kakizaki. These guys are two out of the four Skull Squadron pilots, the other two being Hikaru and Roy Focker. The VF-1As are from the beginning of the DYRL? movie.

Everything is the same as the VF-1S Roy Focker toy, with a few differences. As you can see, they look exactly the same (Max on left, Kakizaki on right). The only differences are the paint schemes. Max is blue, Kakizaki is green. (sorry, photos are so dark they look the same, but trust me, one is blue, one is green) :)

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The pilots are the same mold, only with different colors. The canopies lack the rainbow tint of older releases. Also, like the TV version of the VF-1S (review just before this one), these have the new crotch designs for better / easier transformation.

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Gerwalk mode: Here I've only transformed Kakizaki to show off the other modes.

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Battroid mode: As you can see, the head is different than the VF-1S.

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And finally, the fast packs can have their casings removed to show the detail inside. These toys are great, because as I said in other reviews, they look like models, but are fun toys.

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I picked both up from the Yamato sale at HLJ.com for 40% off, which made them about $90 a piece. Again, a great price for such a wicked toy. The sale lasts until December 24th. The only one I need now is the VF-1A Hikaru, which is the red and black deco. Unfortunately, Macross collectors are still awaiting a re-release on the toy, since previous releases have all had QC issues of cracking shoulders. So do not buy that one unless it is re-released. To my knowledge, there are no plans for a re-release, and any version of the VF-1A Hikaru valk you find online and on eBay are the old ones with the shoulder problems.

[pud333]

Bandai's VF100's 1/100 scale VF-25 Messiah Valkyries. In clockwise order: Alto, Ozma Lee and Michael.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/A.jpg

These are valkyries from the Macross Frontier TV show. They're in the smaller 1/100 scale, and they are parts formers. Fair warning: when I say parts former, I don't mean you swap out a few bits and pieces. Unlike the Hi-Metal line, these parts formers completely embrace the concept of it, meaning nearly every single piece is swapped out. The point of this was to eliminate any unsightly hinges and to keep it as anime accurate as possible.

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These are basically repaints of each other, but there are some original parts, like the head sculpts:

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Like I said. Parts former. There is only one solid main piece, and the rest you have to basically disassemble completely. If you're looking for a transforming toy, you will be sorely disappointed. It's like putting together a model, then taking it apart and putting it back together, and doing it all over again.

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Gerwalk mode: Easily the weakest of the modes, but then, maybe it's because I don't particularly care for the gerwalk mode of any valk in general.

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Fighter mode: Like the Battroid mode, this mode is very anime accurate. I think these are the best looking valk designs since the original VF-1s. Michael's valkyrie comes with an extra set of spare wings, which have the speakers attached to them. This is so you can replicate the scene in the show where Ranka sings for the Zentradi soldiers and her voice is amplified through the speaker system.

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Michael has a different gun also, his sniper gun, which comes in little pieces. The regular Messiah guns also come in two versions (non-transformed and transformed). This seems a bit silly to me, since I feel they could have easily thrown in a transforming gun, but then, it wouldn't be a full on parts former. There are some QC issues, like the gun on the right, where you can see it is warped.

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Pros: Very anime accurate, looks great. Despite the fragile nature, it is quite posable and while it doesn't have the pick up and play feel of a regular toy, you can still sort of play with it. If that makes any sense. Honestly, these should just sit on your shelf as they will be doing on mine. These also look awesome with the Konig Monster, which is reviewed right after this.

Cons: It's a pain in the ass to transform, and it is fragile. I dropped one from one foot up, and it landed on the landing gear and broke one of the wheels. Lots of pieces. I mean... lots. What kills me about this is everything is in place to have a near perfect transformation valk. Bandai just didn't want to do it, but if they had, I shudder to think what price they would have charged.

Honestly, I cannot recommend this unless 1) you're desperate for an anime accurate Messiah, 2) you can find this for $20 or less. Originally these things sold for well over $50 each, which is outrageous for basically a frail model. I got mine for 65% off from the HLJ sale, and you can find these now on Ebay for around the $20 price.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/C.jpg

[pud333]

Bandai's DX Chogokin Robot Damashii VB-6 Konig Monster.

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/b.jpg

This is, flat out, an amazing toy. Amazing. It's mostly plastic, but there is a healthy amount of diecast, mostly in the joints, so when you lift it, you can feel the heft.

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Fighter mode: The toy comes with some stickers you can put on the sides. I opted for the Sheryl stickers to replicate the movie look of the Monster. Also, it comes with a stand to use in all three modes with different extensions depending on which mode you chose to display it in.

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Monster mode: This is the iconic mode from the show. It is wicked. It looks angry and ferocious and just plain mean. There is a back hatch which, in the anime, comes down and braces against the ground or wall so when the Monster shoots from its large cannons, it doesn't get blown back. However, as you can see, the toy version doesn't quite work out. The back hatch barely touches the ground.

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Battroid mode: I don't recall ever seeing this mode in the show. It is easily the weakest mode, and I probably won't ever be displaying it like this. You can have the guns propped straight up, but I prefer them to be bent forward.

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This is what it's all about:

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/D.jpg

As you can see the scale works. I believe the Robot Damashii line is a non scale line, however, I recall someone on Macrossworld saying it wasn't quite 1/100, but close enough.

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In flight:

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/E.jpg

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Final thoughts: I love this toy. Pros: Everything is tight, every joint clicks and falls perfectly into place. It's heavy, it feels like it is worth every penny.

Cons: The back hatch not touching the ground fully... and... I'm just nitpicking. This thing is perfect. When Bandai does something wrong (1/60 VF-25) they really get it wrong, but when they do something right (Monster), they knock it out of the park.

I honestly haven't put this thing down since I got it a few days ago. It originally retailed for close to $200 Cdn, but you can find it at Amiami for 29% off, at about $135. There are two versions for sale, this one, and the special Sheryl version, but that one comes with a larger stand for an extra $45, which is not worth it. get the regular version. Just buy it. You'll be happier for it. :clapping:

[aznpnoy]

**drools** that is HUGE! thanks for the review.

[pud333]

Yeah, she's pretty big. She can stand up taller too in Monster mode, but I like the crouching position. Built rock solid as well.

[racerguy76]

Man, I have have a raging nerdon for that monster!

Fighter mode is soo badass. Battroid mode is phenomenal, love the back hatch detail. I'm sure the super heavy Moster sinks into the ground a bit when walking about. I'm sure it touches the ground then. ;)

[pud333]

Bandai's 1/100 scale Hi-Metal VF-1S Roy Focker. This is from the Macross film Do You Remember Love?

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/P1060022.jpg

This is a great toy. Like the VF-1J, this is made out of quality plastic and has some diecast (feet, swing bar) but it comes with strike parts. It also comes with extra sets of hands, stand parts, landing gear, extra set of wings for the missiles it comes with, and a removable heat shield.

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This is a parts former, but unlike the Messiahs, this is mostly a perfect transformation. You just have to swap out the wings, heat shield, landing gear and hands.

Fighter mode:

Fighter mode looks great, both with and without strike parts. It isn't as tight as the Yamato 1/60's, but it's still pretty cool.

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Some comparison pics with the 1/60 Yamato, which I still consider as the definitive Valkyrie. As you can see, it's very close in design and look to the 1/60. The articulation is very comparable too. The detail isn't quite as perfect as the 1/60. For example, there are no extra stickers or decals to make it exactly like the anime. Also, the skull logo on the heat shield is too high, but I'm just nitpicking here.

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Close up of the head sculpt and cockpit (Hi-metal on left, Yamato 1/60 on the right). The Hi-Metal's pilot is not removable, and the canopy doesn't open; more like comes off since you need to replace it with the heat shield for transformation. Overall, the Yamato looks more sleek to me, but the Hi-Metal still looks fantastic.

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Final thoughts: Overall, just a great little toy. It still has the problem that the VF-1J had with regards to the feet, where it seems loose and over-articulated. However, if you can't afford the 1/60's, then this is your next best choice. It's sold out or on backorder at most online stores, but you can pick this up at amiami for 26% off, which comes in around $56. It's expensive for the size, but it is awesome. Highly recommended if you don't mind a bit of parts swapping.

[pud333]

Quick look at some Flight Pose stands I picked up. These are pretty expensive, at about $12.99 - $14.99 each, but they're really nice if you have a few pieces that you want to display prominently. They come in three different stand sizes: 2.5", 4" and 6". They are sturdy, with rubber stoppers at the end of each stand that helps hold up your toy. You can get them at Flightpose. Considering their high price, just make sure whatever you put on these is worth more than the stands. Cause, it would be kind of silly to have the stand worth more than the toy you put on it. Just sayin'. :)

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/P1060027.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/P1060029.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k176/politik1/P1060028.jpg

[pud333]

Been months since I've done a Macross review, so Ima just gonna continue on and pretend I've been consistant:

First up is the 1/5000 scale SDF-1 (Super Dimensional Fortress). This is the movie version from the film, Do You Remember Love? Made by the company Wave. It's a small figure, about 9-10 inches tall. But the detail is incredible. As you'd expect from a toy like this, there isn't a ton of articulation for what is basically a giant space fortress. There are joints in the arms, shoulders, legs, and the famous cannons can be tilted forward.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-5.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-6.jpg

The toy is transformable. It's a perfect transformation, and the cruiser mode looks just as nice as the fortress. The figure also comes with a stand that can be used in both modes. There's a replacement attachment that allows for displaying in either mode.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-5.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-5.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-7.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-4.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-5.jpg

Some size comparisons.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-6.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-4.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-4.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-4.jpg

Overall, it's a really nice collector's piece. It doesn't have the integrity of a "toy," as it seems a bit fragile, which is a bummer, considering the approximate $150 price tag on such a detailed figure. Still, it's a very nice version of the SDF-1, especially for those who don't want to pay $400 for the 1/3000 scale version.

[pud333]

Next up is Yamato's 1/60 scale VF-1J Hikaru custom. The VF-1J toy is the same mold as the VF-1S and VF-1A (see previous reviews), except the head sculpt is different, and it has the iconic paint scheme that represents Hikaru's valkyrie form the Super Dimensional Fortress TV show. Or, if you prefer, Rick Hunter's valkyrie from Robotech, as we've come to know it in North America.

I'm not going to go into detail about the VF-1J, since the mechanics of it is the exact same as the previous VF-1 valkyries, and you can see the obvious differences in the photos. I think the crisp, bleached white with basic red stripes makes the valk look amazing. (I am a sucker for white robots).

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF4.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF6.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF5.jpg

The GBP armour is the same one that Hikaru used during the tv show. You basically assemble it onto the valkyrie in battroid mode. There are little pegs to clip onto various parts, such as the legs, arms, torso, hips, backpack, etc. Like nearly every Yamato release, you get a sticker sheet to customize it as much as you want - or as little, if you are a minimalist. Personally, I like to make it look just like the show, with some extra stickers for added detail.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF7.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF8.jpg

The armour's main gimmick, are the pod doors that open up to reveal an arsenal of missiles, ready to shoot down any enemies. As you can see, there are missiles facing forward, backwards, etc. Also, the boosters on the backpack are individually articulated. Not much, but they do move.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF10.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF101.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VF11.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-4.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-2.jpg

The armour also comes with extra parts to fill in any gaps in the VF-1J. Due to the nature of the transformation, there are inevitably gaps under the arms and behind the head. All you have to do is clip these in and shazzam! No gaps.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-2.jpg

What I really appreciate about the armour, is that it doesn't hinder the already amazing articulation of the VF-1J. This is a huge plus, since previous armour incarnations would basically make your toy a giant brick. The MSRP is about $90 on this figure, but well worth it. This is easily the coolest thing I've bought for Macross since the DX Chogokin Koenig Monster. If you're a fan of the TV series, you owe it to yourself to buy one of these to go with your VF-1J. The VF-1J alone without FAST packs is approximately $110.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-2.jpg

[pud333]

SDF-1. Or SUPAH DIMENSIONAL FORTRESSUUUU!

My holy grail. This is the Yamato 1/3000 scale SDF-1 from the Macross film, Do You Remember Love? This is, quite bluntly, a beast.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4584.jpg

First off, I always felt that when toys get too big, they start to lose a certain appeal for me. They start to look like giant plastic bricks. The SDF-1 is not one of those toys. Like everything Yamato does for the Macross toy line, this is model detail in toy form. And it is a TOY.

Cruiser mode:

The SDF-1 is nearly 17 inches long from tip to end. It is an impressive piece of engineering and design. The amount of detail is staggering. It comes with a stand that has multiple attachments to display the figure in both cruiser and attack modes.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4599.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4600.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4602.jpg

The platforms (or the ARMDs) actually come off and they are ships in their own right. Though I won't be displaying them as such, since they were hella difficult to attach. It took me a good half hour almost to attach both platforms since I was afraid I was using too much force and would break them. But the truth is, you have to use lots of force. Don't worry, the toy is durable. The first one attached almost immediately, but the second took forever.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4604.jpg

This figure is very menacing from certain angles. Very impressive.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4607.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4612.jpg

The attention to detail is so amazing. As you can see, the detail on the bridge, at the back where you probably won't see often due to how it would be displayed; everything. Yamato really left no stone unturned.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4613.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4606.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4605.jpg

The left leg has a compartment with some added features. There is a viewing window that is clear on one side, so you could imagine seeing Minmay singing there, and then you can flip it over so it is shielded with armour.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4608.jpg

You can also pull off the plate, revealing Macross City!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4611.jpg

The transformation is pretty simple. I won't go into the details, since there are plenty of Youtube videos showing transformation, but despite the simplicity, it is a lot of fun to transform, due to how sturdy the toy is. To be continued next post...

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4615.jpg

[pud333]

Attack mode:

The SDF-1 stands at nearly 17 inches. It looks so impressive, with the giant Macross cannons that can obliterate anything in their path. The attack mode is what this toy is all about. The articulation is good for a toy like this. I mean, you won't be doing the splits at any point, since it is a flying fortress after all. In the anime, it actually barely moves beyond rotating the cannons down and moving an arm or two. But here, there is articulation in the shoulders, elbows, the platforms can rotate 360 degrees, the legs have articulation at the hips, and of course the cannons come down and they lock in place with the touch of a well disguised button on each cannon.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4616.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4617.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4618.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4621.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4619.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4620.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4629.jpg

Again, the detail is ridiculous. The back is probably the most impressive view of the toy. Also, there is plenty of diecast. The diecast is mostly in the major support joints, as it should be, since I feel diecast tends to limit articulation most of the time, but as support joints, it really works well.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4623.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4628.jpg

You can tilt the stand so it leans forwards or backwards, however you like to pose the SDF-1. Personally, this is my favorite pose. Slightly forward, cannons at the ready, about to kick some Zentradi ass.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4626.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4624.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4627.jpg

Pros: Everything. This is a beast of a toy, and just a magnificent display piece. This is the centerpiece to my entire Macross collection. My holy grail. Words can't really do justice as to how amazing this toy is. I believe the photos speak for themselves. Anime accurate is an understatement. It's fun to play with, fun to look at. Also, I cannot stress enough that this is a toy. It has the structural integrity and durability to be played with.

Cons: Nothing. But if I had to nitpick, which I will, it's the following. 1) Color. It's kind of a boring color, but that is how it pretty much looked like in the movie. 2) Price. I purchased mine at HLJ, which had it on for 27,880 yen - roughly $360 cdn. Regular MSRP is 32,800 yen. 3) It comes with a bunch of plastic pieces on sprues that you have to cut off and then attach to various spots on the toy. These are mostly to cover up exposed screws. While I appreaciate that no screws will be showing, I'd rather they did this at the factory. I know they did it to cut down on costs, but I would rather pay an extra $5 or $10 to have that done for me. It took me nearly 2.5 hours to put every piece in place. I'm not a model builder, so that was annoying. Some you could just push in, others it was better to glue on. It was a project.

Yes, you are paying a boatload of money for one toy, but what a toy it is. And that's the best part: it's durable. It's a toy. The weakest points are obviously the head, the prongs at the very front of the cannon (which can go in and out depending on which mode you have it in), and the shoulder bits. But so long as you are handling those areas with care so as to not stress the plastic, you will be fine. It's inevitable there will be weak points, since this is as anime accurate as you're ever gonna get.

If you are a Macross fan, and love the original TV show and movie, you need to own one of these. You will not be disappointed. It's sold out most places, but you can still find some on ebay and a few online stores like HLJ. There is another, cheaper version of this toy, but it is unpainted and not completed. It is for model builders only, and you have to put the whole thing together. It is distinguishable by the addition of broken cannon parts, which if you saw the movie, at one point they get damaged. That set also comes with glow in the dark stickers. So unless you like putting together models, avoid that one. Buy the completed, painted model.

With the 30th anniversary coming up, there are more on order, and I wouldn't be surprised if they come out with a TV version should this movie version sell well enough. Although the TV version would need all new tooling for the platforms, so I don't know if they'll just come out with a straight repaint or not.

Normaly I don't give a "score" since I think this is all subjective. Either you like it and want to buy it, or you don't. Simple as that. But if I were to give it one out of 10, it would be a 9.5 / 10. the -.5 deduction due to having to glue some small pieces on and the gigantic price tag that could turn people off. But really, it's worth it. Dollar for plastic, this is well worth the money.

Epic. That is what this SDF-1 is. Just epic. This is the most impressive piece of engineering yet by Yamato. I still consider the best being the perfect transformation VF-1, but that's only because there are more moving parts, the transformation is more complicated, yet it still pulls off the anime look. But this is definitely the most impressive. Epic, my friends. Epic.

[racerguy76]

The SDF-1 does look like an amazing toy, it's just too much for my budget. The only flaw lookslike the lack of paint apps. the takeoff\landing decks look great, i think a little shading would have gone a long way to bring that fantastic detail out.

Thanks for the photos!

[pud333]

The SDF-1 does look like an amazing toy, it's just too much for my budget. The only flaw lookslike the lack of paint apps. the takeoff\landing decks look great, i think a little shading would have gone a long way to bring that fantastic detail out.

Thanks for the photos!

No prob! Yeah, some panel lining or shading would have been perfect. I suppose a skilled model guy could do it, but I would just mess it up.

As for price, I know someone on TFW that got one shipped for $280 USD. It was a used one from Mandarake. For those that don't know Mandarake is an online site for retailers in Japan that sell used items, usually displayed pieces. They currently have two on sale, for 18,000 yen and 20,000 yen, which would put it about $240-$260 + shipping, which I gather would be about $50-$55. A brand new one would cost over $400 shipped. That's quite some savings for those that want to try.

http://ekizo.mandarake.co.jp/shop/en/search.do?searchStrategy=keyword&action=keyword&doujin=all&keyword=sdf-1+1%2F3000

I can't personally vouch for the quality of the toys being sold, but I have it from various other people who have bought stuff that Mandarake is legit. I plan to try Mandarake to snag a VF-19 Kai at some point in the future. And if they ever release a TV version of the SDF-1, if it has new tooling to make it anime accurate, then I might have to pick that up too, but only second hand since I don't think I could justify another $400.

For the record, the unassembled SDF-1 is going brand new online for 15,800 yen (approx $210). I suspect if it took me 2.5 hours to put the little plastic pieces in, trying to assemble the whole thing by oneself would take days. :)

Now I have to decide if I want to keep my 1/5000 WAVE SDF-1, since it looks so... tiny in comparison...

[pud333]

The following is a review of Yamato's 1/60 scale YF-21, with accompanying fold booster pack.

The YF-21 is from the anime Macross Plus, which was the official sequel to the original Macross series. In the show, the military is running tests to chose the successor fighter to the VF-11. The YF-21 is up against the YF-19. The YF-19 eventually wins the day - and the contract - but the YF-21 is a real gem.

This is the 1/60 scale version by Yamato. The box is typical old school Yamato packaging - big, bulky, and flimsy cardboard. Nothing to write home to mom about.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4645.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4646.jpg

The original release of this toy included a stand and FAST Packs, but the rerelease did away with the latter parts and instead you must buy the FAST packs separately with the Fold Booster. The FAST packs don't really add much to the toy, unlike the VF-1s, but they're still cool to have.

Like typical Yamato toys, there is diecast in the landing gear and major joints, but not much else. It's really mostly plastic. But the detail is very nice, such as the clear plastic pieces all over the plane. Much better than painted parts.

Fighter mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4658.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4660.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4661.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4659.jpg

The guns stow away underneath, attaching to the armour.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4656.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4655.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4657.jpg

Just like in the anime, the wings and rear fins can tuck in to show off that menacing high-speed look.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4685.jpg

Again, some excellent detail in the cockpit. The pilot, Guld Goa Bowman (a Zentradi/Human hybrid), is removable and made of a soft rubbery material. The YF-21 is piloted by the pilot's mind, though it does have traditional controls as backup.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4637.jpg

Gerwalk mode without the armour. As you can see, it doesn't really add much or take away anything from the toy:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4632.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4633.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

Sans armour. You can really see the alien Zentradi influence.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4641.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4640.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4651.jpg

There is a neat transformation gimmick where you can push the pilot seat back, to tilt the pilot right-side up during Battroid mode. Little details like this make the toy.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4643.jpg

Armour.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4652.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4653.jpg

Fold Booster:

This is the box with the Fold Booster and FAST packs. You have to buy this separately. On the front is the YF-19, which I will eventually review one day if there is ever a second version made. (The first version has a host of QC problems, from flimsy joints to the plastic literally exploding a year or two later).

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4647.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4648.jpg

Packaging tray:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4649.jpg

The Fold Booster attaches with separate pieces. The best part? It glows. It takes 3 LR44 watch batteries that you can buy anywhere, and it pulses different colors. The middle compartment glows green, and the front pulses blue and red. This completes the toy. What an excellent gimmick!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4662.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4670.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4668.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4693.jpg

Pros: So much to like here. From the design of the plane itself, to the little details like the cockpit. The figure itself is very durable. It's very anime accurate, which is what Yamato really does well. The Fold Booster accessory is just flat out AWESOME. Apparently a few pretty lights is enough to sway my opinions. Aside from the little pieces of plastic you have to remove when attaching the Fold Booster, as well as the plastic vent covers you have to remove in fighter mode, this is a perfect transformation. Another win for Yamato. Macross Plus is one of my favorite anime shows, so it's a real treat to be able to own this plane.

Cons: There are little things to nitpick on, such as the canopy, which seems flimsy when you open it, and won't stay open without you holding it, which is unusual for Yamato valkyries. The FAST Packs seem pointless really, but that's not Yamato's fault: it's the shortcoming of the valkyrie design in general. But the big con is the transformation. This is, by far, the hardest valkyrie to transform. I spent over 6 hours yesterday, and I couldn't figure out how to fit the legs back in properly. I still can't. I'm not the only one: I guess the problem was so bad that Yamato included extra instructions. Problem is, I don't read Japanese. A final con is that this toy feels a bit like a shell-former, if I can borrow a Transformers expression. But again, it's hard to make a toy about a hybrid alien/human designed robot that transforms.

The YF-21 is available at HLJ.com. The MSRP is a whopping 18,800 yen, but there is a sale right now until the end of the month. I got mine for 45% off at 10,340 yen, which is about $140 cdn. The Fold Booster is on for 4,930 yen - approximately $65, which is kind of pricey, but a must have.

Correction: HLJ's sale is ending October 27th, 6pm JST.

[pud333]

Finally. What I've been waiting for. A TRUE 1/60 scale VF-25F. This is the Bandai DX Chogokin VF-25F Alto custom valkyrie from the show, Macross Frontier. Bandai made these valkyries a couple years ago. However, much to the dismay of many collectors, there were many, many short comings. For said shortcomings, just go back in this thread to see my review on the VF-25G. This v2 is far superior.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4699.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4700.jpg

Typical Bandai packaging. Nice box art, and the toy comes in a styrofoam tray, which I personally prefer over Yamato's plastic ones. The toy comes with a stand that can be used for all three modes, as well as extra hands, a knife, a gun, a little Alto that fits in the cockpit, and an Alto wearing his ex gear, which he uses to fly about should he ever have to leave/abandon his valkyrie. Which happens more often in the show than one would think.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4701.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4703.jpg

Fighter mode:

This is a gorgeous bird. No doubt about it. Very accurate to the line art / anime. Everything about the first version has been fixed here. The VF-25F can sit in fightermode on the landing gear, even with the gun attached. This was a huge failing of the original version.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4739.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4740.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4738.jpg

The wings retract, and have a nice "clicking" function.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4735.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4734.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4733.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

One of the big problems with the first version was that the gerwalk mode couldn't pull off the A-frame stance. Now, it has no problems, and even has an extra bar that clicks things into place.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4704.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4705.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4712.jpg

The gun can attach in gerwalk mode just like in the anime.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4711.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

Unlike the v1, this version is very slender and elegant looking. Just a really nice looking robot. The articulation is actually very good, probably some of the best I've seen in any valkyrie. Bandai really did a great job on this toy.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4727.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4725.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4726.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4723.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4722.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4765.jpg

It's in the details. When you pay $150 for a toy, you want details, and lots of them. You really get your money's worth with this valkyrie.

I know this is a little detail, but it's important. The guns on the head can be pulled into a V shape, just like in the anime.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4719.jpg

The crotch piece justs out just like it is supposed to. The v1 did not do this.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4718.jpg

Die cast in the major joints, as well as the feet, which are on metal ball joints. Very, very nice.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4731.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4730.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4729.jpg

The hands are articulated and they grip the weapons very nicely.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4706.jpg

The knife can be sheathed within the shield.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4707.jpg

The gun transforms.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4709.jpg

The vents can be removed to reveal the turbines in fighter mode.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4744.jpg

[pud333]

One of the best parts about this toy is the little Alto in ex gear that it comes with. He's not articulated, but he does come with a base stand and a wire that shows off his flying. So, so cool.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4746.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4743.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4747.jpg

The cockpit is very interesting as well. Here, you see how it is packaged: Alto in the front, as a one seater.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4736.jpg

In the show, it is a two seater. You can remove the back plastic cover plate, and push the second seat back to reveal the two seater. I took the Ranka Lee figure from the VF-27 and plopped her in. Looks great!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4737.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4748.jpg

Overall, this is a fantastic toy. This is the way the toy should have been made the first time! Bandai really outdid themselves this time. Word is, it was a different team that worked on this version, and it was overseen by the guy from the Bandai hobby division, who worked on the excellent 1/72 scale model. I can't say enough about this toy. It's perfect. Probably one of the most beautiful Macross pieces there is.

Cons: the quality control I have heard is spotty on this toy. Mostly just paint chips, chips in the plastic, and some of the finer details being bent or stressed. The latter seems very rare and not widespread. Mine had no problems for the most part. Tight joints all around, perfect paint applications, nothing broken. However, my valk did not escape QC problems entirely. If you look at the circled spots, you will see the issue. The right side is normal, but on the left side, you can see some paint missing in the black paint. That is not a paint chip. The plastic is actually bent down and folded away. Looks like someone at the factory used more force than what was necessary. Still, nothing to cry about, and you really don't notice it unless you are specifically looking for it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/IMG_4749-1.jpg

Price. MSRP is 14,000 yen. I got mine from Amiami for 27% off, at 10,150 yen, which came out to about $135 + shipping. This is a fantastic valkyrie for such a low price. Yamato valkyries average these days well into the $200-$250 range, so you're really getting a great deal. The problem is, the preorders sold out super fast, and pretty much everywhere you look online, it is sold out. Some places still have it for sale, at around the $180 range. Buy one now, because if you miss out, don't be surprised to see this go for double, even tripple the value. These new v2 valks are highly coveted and prices will keep going up.

EDIT: Amiami just restocked. Unfortunately, no discount. You're basically paying MSRP now, which is about par for where everyone else that still has any in stock is charging.

[pud333]

I got some Yamato valkyrie stands in the mail from HLJ. It comes with various attachments so you can display your 1/60 or 1/48 scale valkyries in all three modes. Most of the new Yamato valkyries can be used with this stand. It retails for 3,900 yen, which is about $50, but you can frequently find this on sale at HLJ from time to time for 2340 yen - about $30, which is what I paid for mine. They're incredibly sturdy (I dropped the stand with my VF-1S Roy Focker while I was attempting to take photos for this review, and not a scratch.) There's significant weight to the base, and there are screws where you can tighten the various articulation points. All in all, a great stand and a must have for your valkyrie collection. I recommend you own at least one. With the newer valkyries getting bigger and heavier, this stand will be one of the best you can get. At $50, it might be too pricey, but at $30, it's worth it.

Fighter mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-10.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-8.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-11.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-8.jpg

Battroid mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-12.jpg

An example of the type of attachment it comes with:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-11.jpg

[racerguy76]

I love updates to this thread. I could pretty much use it as my holy grail thread. C'mon lottery!

[pud333]

Let's get this out of the way: I hate Macross 7. It is the official sequel to the original Super Dimensional Fortress Macross series, but I can't stand it. I can't even get through the first episode. Everything about the anime bothers me. And I'm not the only one. Many Macross fans cannot stand that series. However, the valkyrie designs kick major ass.

What I have here is Yamato's 1/60 scale VF-19 Custom Fire Valkyrie. (Sound booster review right after this). The Fire Valkyrie is piloted by flamboyant rock star, Basara Nekki who flies through space in his McDonald's toy shade of red, shredding on his guitar and blasting enemies with his rock music that blares through the giant speakers attached to his valkyrie. I did not make that up. :straightface:

Packaging:

Typical Yamato packaging, but the quality seems better. Box is a bit sturdier, and smaller. Yamato finally listened to buyers and got rid of the copious amounts of plastic and space to reduce their box sizes.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-13.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-19.jpg

The valkyrie comes with an extra anime-accurate shield, a tiny rubbery Basara, additional face plate, gun pod, attachments for the Yamato Valkyrie stand, and several plastic panels that are used to fill in gaps for anime accuracy. Yes, I know this defies the definition of perfect transformation, but it is not parts swapping. Just additional pieces that you don't need to use if you don't want to.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-13.jpg

Fighter Mode:

Yamato once again does a great bird. The diecast landing gear, the line art accuracy; it's all there.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-9.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-9.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-7.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-15.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-14.jpg

Basara:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-14.jpg

Gerwalk Mode:

Yamato does an excellent job making sure the torso is connected by tabs to the rest of the valkyrie in Gerwalk mode. In the previous YF-19 incarnation, the torso would be loose from the body, so that when you tried to handle Gerwalk, it would be a floppy mess. This time, no floppiness.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-10.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-22.jpg

Be careful when pulling the legs out. The Gerwalk joint has snapped on a couple people, where the black plastic came partly away from the red plastic of the leg. This is a minor issue that is entirely avoidable if you know what you are doing and don't force things.

Transformation:

This is so cool. The engineering on this toy is awesome.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-21.jpg

During transformation, Basara's seat flips down.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-18.jpg

That way, once in Battroid mode, the back panel behind the head opens up to reveal Basara sitting upright, just like in the anime.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-13.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

Yamato said Battroid was the focus of this toy, designing the rest of the toy around what they wanted Battroid to look like, and they did not dissappoint. They really did a great job in capturing the chunky, yet agile nature of Battroid mode. I particularly love the look of the samurai wing kibble on the hips. If it weren't for those, you really wouldn't be able to tell it used to be a plane.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-17.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-16.jpg

The spine is all diecast.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-13.jpg

How many valkyries can you pose on one foot? This is probably the only one. The articulation and the balance is amazing. It helps having those chunky feet.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-11.jpg

The shoulders open to reveal speakers. Yeah, makes no sense, but whatever. I think we've established by now that Macross 7 is nutty.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-20.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-21.jpg

Bits and pieces:

The Basara in civilian clothes on the left is the one that comes with the valkyrie. The rocker one on the right comes with the Sound Boosters.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-13.jpg

Missiles in the legs. Makes more sense than speakers in the shoulders.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-17.jpg

The gun pod has an amo clip you can take off. Also, the gun pod attaches underneath in Fighter and Gerwalk modes. I just forgot to do it, which is why none of the pictures show this feature.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo-9.jpg

Extra face plate, should you not like the clown face.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-19.jpg

Extra anime accurate shield on the right. Nice they included it, but unnecessary.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-12.jpg

Typical Yamato engineering with the hands folding out of the arms.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-9.jpg

Final thoughts:

Pros - Definitely lots to love here. This is Yamato's finest Valkyrie offering. All the years of trial and error have paid off. The QC is solid, despite the minor gerwalk issue, and some instances of people getting loose ankles right out of the box. Yamato changed their manufacturing to a different plant, which had much better QC control, and the change really paid off here. It really shows. You can transform this toy with confidence. The transformation itself is fun, yet easy enough to do. It takes me about 15 minutes every time I want to transform my Bandai VF-25F. It takes me mere minutes to transform this toy. The fluidity of transformation is second to none.

Cons - The only thing that really bothers me is the lack of fixed plastic fists that other valkyries came with, but it's a minor issue since the gun fits so well in the articulated hands. I suppose the red is a big turn off for many people. The VF-19 Fire custom looks like a Samurai Ronald McDonald on crack. If you don't like the red, there's the VF-19S alternative which just came out, in a shiny blue and yellow. This has different molding for heads, shoulders and wings, less gimicks and no Sound Booster accessory.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/2011_10_4_22_24_10_xsfCr.jpg

Another con might be lack of tampoo printing. The toy comes with stickers, but there are no instructions as to where to put any. Would be nice if this was the one valk that came panel lined for you, so it can bring out the details since the red tends to blur everything.

Price. It is EXPENSIVE. The change to the better manufacturing plant also meant increase in MSRP. The MSRP for this toy is a whopping 22,000 yen! (approx $290 cdn) You can find it at HLJ.com for 10% off. I got mine from HKCollectibles, which was the cheapest place at about $220 USD, which is an easier price to swallow.

It was worth every penny though. A must buy for any Macross fan. This chunky valk is so different than Bandao's sleek and sexy v2 VF-25F, but it is just as cool.

[pud333]

This review is the Yamato's 1/60 scale Sound Booster accessory that goes with the VF-19 Fire Custom Valkyrie.

The box is pretty much the same size as the one for the valkyrie. Slightly thinner.

Packaging:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-18.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-15.jpg

It comes with an extra Basara in his rocker outfit and a couple attachments

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-12.jpg

Attached in Fighter Mode: The attachment piece is really solid, letting it attach to the fighter very easily. However, my quibble is the attachment is too hard to remove off the sound boosters, but I assume that gets less sticky over time.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-10.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-10.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-8.jpg

You can have the sound boosterse attach to the Yamato stand (sold separately) on their own.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-15.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-12.jpg

These are the money shots. As you can see, the sound boosters transform to reveal the speakers inside. The detail is very, very cool and really makes the valkyrie look so menacing. Too bad these aren't cannons. (I prefer to think of these as giant blasting cannons, rather than speakers.)

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-17.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-12.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-16.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-16.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-14.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-18.jpg

The sound boosters are a must have accessory. I believe it makes the entire toy, and really makes this beast impressive. This toy is massive with the sound boosters on. Next to the 1/3000 scale SDF-1:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo_2.jpg

The only con is the price. MSRP is $8,820 yen, but you can normally find this for anywhere between $103 - $113, depending on where you look. I got mine from HKCollectibles, which had it at the cheapest price. The thing is, I could buy another VF-1S for that price or three Yamato stands. On its own, the Sound Boosters are just meh. But I believe it is necessary to put the VF-19 Fire over the top in terms of sheer awesomeness. Too bad it costs so much. Admitedly, it was easier for me to drop $220 on the valkyrie than it was for me to drop $100 on an accessory. The end result is just ballin' though.

[pud333]

Something a bit different today: The Zentradi Heavy Missile Carrier Pod - or Regult. This was one of 1,000 units made. It's a 1/100 scale vinyl toy, with 11 points of articulation. Made by Toynami, and presented by Harmony Gold (Boo! Hiss! :argh:) Not much to say except to show you photos, since it doesn't really do much except what you see.

Packaging:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-23.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-19.jpg

The toy:

The sculpt and size is okay for the price. But the articulation is horrendous. When things move, they're stiff and they feel like they could break, and most of the movement is side to side or up and down swivel movement. Nothing dynamic at all. And it certainly cannot do any running poses since the knees just swivel side to side at the joint instead of being a balljoint.

Normally the Regult is a white and blue color scheme, but this is from the Macross movie, Do You Remember Love? where the Regults were an odd shade of green. I prefer the blue and white TV version, which you can buy as well.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-18.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-16.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-24.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-24.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-20.jpg

Size-wise, it matches okay with the 1/100 scale macross toys. In this case, it is next to the Robot Damashii version of the Quaedluun Rau which is the same size (or maybe slightly bigger) than a VF-1 valkyrie.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-17.jpg

Obviously not in scale with the 1/60 Valkyries, but it displays nicely.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-19.jpg

Pros: For the price, the sculpt is okay and detail is nice enough. The price normally retails for $25 approximately, but these are on sale at BBTS for $16, and every once in a while they go on clearance. I got mine during the Black Friday sale for $9. I feel good about paying $9. At $16 it is borderline, and at $25, I'd consider it too expensive.

Cons: Could still use more detail, it seems a bit fragile, articulation is terrible despite boasting 11 points of articulation (11! Gasp! :eek:), and at full retail price this would not be worth it.

To be honest, I just bought it because it was $9. What you will be buying isn't really a toy, but more like a statue that displays okay. Unfortunately, I don't have $500 for a full 1/60 scale version of the Regult by Yamato. A version that is a kit, that you have to assemble and paint yourself, mind you.

For shits and giggles, here's a photo of the Yamato 1/60 Regult next to a 1/60 valkyrie. Maybe one day Yamato will make a more affordable, preassembled toy version. A boy can dream...

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/g.jpg

[antilles]

Nice review on the 19Kai. I pretty much went the exact same route as you for this one. Have much the same thoughts on it as well. I have to admit that while I immediately liked the heft of it (after being a bit disappointed with how light the SV-51 felt compared to the VF-1s), oddly despite the loud red colour, the fighter mode seemed kind of plain to me

Maybe you're right and it's the lack of panel lining. Compared to the 19S it does lack for tampo details.

Having said all that, this really is a fighter that begs to be put in batdroid mode; particularly with the Sound Boosters. It means breaking my general rule of fighter mode only but this is one nice looking robot.

Now however, I'm also looking longingly at the 19S as my fighter versioin of the VF-19. All in all, the Fire Valk is a solid release and enough to get me stoked for more - what are your thoughts on the upcoming (but even more pricey) VF-17?

[pud333]

Tampo printing would greatly help the Kai's fighter mode. I like the design of the plane, but you're right, the 19S certainly does show that off much better. It's funny, because I was thinking of doing the exact same thing: getting the 19S and leaving that in fighter mode.

As for the 17, I will probably get it too, but only at a steep discount. I mean, we'll see. Really,I would much rather have Bandai make a VF-171 EX Nightmare which shares a lot of similar design points to the 17's fighter mode. I think it is the superior design, and a 171 is pretty much a grail piece for me. I've said in the past I'd buy two without even thinking. That said, the whole frankenstein battroid mode is growing on me.

At any rate, my priorities right now are the following in order: 19S or VF-11C, VF-25S, and after that it's sort of a free for all. I suspect we'll see the 17 discounted later on down the line, so there is no rush for me to get one.

As for the SV-51, I agree, it's pretty light despite the gigantic design of the toy. Though, I do sort of regret selling mine. Considering how far Yamato has come in their QC and designs, I would like to see them take another stab at the Macross Zero series.

Off topic: Next two reviews will be Alto's Ex-Gear and Bandai's SD Infiniti VF-25F. One's in customs, the other is still in transit.

[pud333]

Here's a treat. Bandai's SD Infiniti VF-25F Alto custom. SD stands for Super Deformed, which is a line of robot toys with oversized heads and undersized bodies, giving an alternative, comic look to its original counterparts. This one represents Alto's valkyrie, the hero from Macross Frontier. Let's get into it:

Packaging:

This is different than typical Bandai valkyrie packaging, but it's small and compact, just like the toy within.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-28.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-28.jpg

He comes with a stand, transformation instructions, a gun pod, extra head, knife, extra hands, three stand attachments, shield and blast effect.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-24.jpg

Fighter Mode:

This is a great little toy. Lots of detail here for such a small figure. The paint apps are great and the design is solid. No landing gear though, and no real detail in the cockpit, but there's only so much you can expect form such a small transforming figure. The fighter mode attaches to the stand using one of three unique stands, one for each mode.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/28.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/29.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/30.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/31.jpg

Even with the shield, you can still see the fists. Normally the shield would cover these up in the 1/60 scale.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/23.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

Very surprised at how much I like it in Gerwalk mode. The legs don't really clip in anywhere, so they sort of hang there, but still, quite faithful, and you can still get an aggressive A stance.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/24.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/25.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/16.jpg

Battroid mode:

This is where the SD toy shines. You have the giant head, which is just awesome. Lots of detail, and it's nice that it has a clear plastic visor instead of it being painted on. The original VF-25F didn't even have that!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/20.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/11.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/12-1.jpg

[pud333]

You can replace the fisted hands for the ones molded to hold the weapons. The articulation is very good, with various ball joints and swivel joints. Also, diecast feet!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/13.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/10.jpg

This toy is just a lot of fun.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/6.jpg

You can add on the blast effect to the tip of the gun.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/14.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/15.jpg

Details:

The extra head is smaller, but it has all the detail as the larger head. You actually have to switch to the smaller head to transform it from Battroid to Gerwalk and Fighter. I suppose you can just leave the smaller head on, especially if you are transforming this a lot, but the big head is what the SD is all about.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/19.jpg

The gun pod transforms. But unlike the 1/60 valkyries, the bottom piece comes apart an attaches at various points to simulate the close and open gun pod look.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo-10.jpg

Final thoughts:

Pros - Very well made for such a small figure with so much detail. The transformation is different than its 1/60 counterpart, and it's actually a lot of fun! The added details like the clear visor, the diecast parts - all of it works very well. Finding diecast in such a small toy was a huge bonus. I didn't expect it, so imagine my surprise when there was diecast not only in the feet, but in the hip hinges! It is shockingly faithful to the spirit of the original valkyrie. Size. It's small, but that's the point. There's a really cool fun factor with this toy that makes it so different than the 1/60 scale valkyries. This thing is certainly cute! :)

Cons - Lack of detail in the canopy and legs not attaching at the hips to stabilize Gerwalk mode are drawbacks, as well as no landing gear, but really, you can't complain too much considering it manages to pull off so much despite its tiny size. The size itself is also a con. While the small size was a pro earlier, it's also a con due to the cost of the figure. It's about 4 inches tall, which really is tiny. This toy originally came out over a year ago and retailed for 4,500 yen, which was about $55-$60 at that time. Only diehard Macross fans would pay that much for such a tiny figure. But what you have to realize, is that there is so much detail that goes into it. Trying to fit a near perfect transformation into a 4 inch toy is why the price is so much. It would be a perfect transformation if it weren't for the swapping of the heads.

Overall, I really like this toy, and it represents all the fun of Macross very well. It's near impossible to find now for a decent price. I saw one of these sell for $170 in an auction on eBay just a couple weeks ago. It's certainly NOT worth that. I certainly didn't pay anywhere near that. But realistically, most people should wait for a re-release, if there ever will be one. I am doubtful on it. There was supposed to be an SD Gurren Lagann as well, but that hasn't seen the light of day ever since this was released over a year ago. My guess is that while these things did sell out initially, perhaps Bandai didn't sell enough to warrant future releases. I don't know. You'd have to ask them. I hope they release more, though. I would love a full Skull squadron of SD figures.

And now, some fun comparison pictures with its big brother:

Fighter mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-22.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/27.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-20.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/17.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/18.jpg

Battroid mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/7.jpg

Family portrait! Awww...

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/9-1.jpg

Coming soon: Reviews of Alto's Ex Gear from Bandai, and Yamato's 1/60 VF-11C from Macross 7!!!

[pud333]

HLJ is having one of their regular Macross sales right now.

http://www.hlj.com/scripts/hljlist?SaleGroup=SALEMACROSS&header=macsal1211

Valks from 30-70% off right now. For example, you can pick up the 1/60 VF-19 Fire valkyrie for 30% off! They also have a special EMS shipping sale right now for 2,000 yen. If you order one of the special items from the list, you can combine it with other orders for only 2,000 yen shipping! The 1/3000 SDF-1 and VF-22S are both on the special item list. If you order of those, you can then add other valks for super cheap shipping!

http://www.hlj.com/emscampaign2011.html

However, don't go overboard. Read the fine print. They have a max box size, so let's say if you order the SDF-1 and half a dozen valks, it probably won't fit into one box.

fine print:

IMPORTANT: Due to weight and size restrictions, larger orders may be split into multiple shipping boxes. The 2,000 yen shipping rate will be charged per box, not per order. Example: If a large single order must be shipped in two boxes, the total shipping charged will be 4,000 yen (2,000 yen x 2). Please note that we cannot make estimates about whether particular orders will fit into a single shipping box, or provide details on our various box sizes. For very rough estimate purposes, the largest shipping box the postal service will accept measures 82cm x 57cm x 44cm, and can weigh up to 30kg. These limits are lower for some countries.

Every order at HLJ shows the box dimensions on the toy order page, so you can probably guestimate what you can fit.

As an example, when I ordered the SDF-1 a few months ago, it came in a giant box with my MP-10, which is also a giant boxed toy. So you could easily fit the SDF-1 and at least one large valk. Heck, even if you can't take advantage of the cheap shipping, the valks themselves are discounted enough where it's worth it anyways! You can pick up some VF-1's for under $80!!!

Due to the terrible currency exchange, this is when I normally buy older valks; during HLJ's sales. Just picked up the VF-11C and another one of those Yamato stands.

Happy shopping!

EDIT: One more SD picture for the road... So much fun even Optimus likes to swoosh!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/e-1.jpg

[Tkim87]

Ahah, thats cute.

[pud333]

Yamato's 1/60 VF-19 Fire Valkyrie revisited:

The Yamato Fire Valk puts some people off due to its candy color and lack of tamp printing/details. It does come with an entire sticker sheet, but unlike other Yamato valks, there are no instructions as to where to put the stickers.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-29.jpg

However, if you look at the Variable Fighter Master File for the VF-19 Excalibur, there are illustrations that show more detail. Those very details are provided in the sticker sheet, so I went ahead and applied them.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/VariableFighterMasterFile-VF-19Excalibur-125-1.jpg

There aren't many, perhaps three or four you need to use, but I think it adds an extra flare to the valk. It's obviously not necessary, but it's the little details that make these toys very cool, so it's nice that you have the option to add extra details if you want. It does nothing for Battroid or Gerwalk, but it's still pretty minimalistic, and it makes the fighter mode a little sharper.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-30.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-25.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-23.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-30.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-21.jpg

After I took these photos, I decided to ad the "no step" stickers to the wings and it looks great. Sorry, too lazy to take a photo. Bottom line is: you can add as much or as little detail as you want.

[pud333]

This is a review for Bandai's DX Alto in Ex Gear. Alto is the main character and hero for the Macross Frontier series. He pilots the VF-25F. The Ex Gear is armour for the pilot should he ever have to leave his valkyrie. It allows him to fly through space, and almost acts as the defacto emergency ejection system. When piloting the valkyrie, it opens up to allow the pilot to freely move about the cockpit, but once the cockpit blows open, it transforms and allows the pilot to fly out. Let's get to the review:

Packaging: Typical Bandai packaging. Small, compact, with a collector's viewing window to see the toy inside. Nothing special.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-31.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-31.jpg

The toy comes with a stand, with several stand accessories. It also comes with an instruction book, the armoured parts, extra hands, a gun, and an extra head with the helmet on.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-26.jpg

The figure itself:

Not a bad figure. Lots of articulation. I find the face sculpt lacking. It would be nice to see some emotion, and the overal build isn't as great as something like a Figma, but it does the job, and it represents Alto nicely. Lots of use of swivel joints and ball joints. The sculpt itself does look dated though. Again, nothing like the quality and coolness of a toy from the Figma line, which I think are the best anime toys in the 5"-6" scale you can get.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-24.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-22.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-32.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-32.jpg

Geared up:

The Ex Gear is very cool. Easy to assemble, though the chest piece is quite tight to get on and off. The big problem with the Ex Gear though, is the limitation of articulation. You lose a lot of the range of the shoulders and legs, so really, this is the only pose you can do. You can do variations on this static stance, but you can't pull off the dynamic poses shown in the previous picture.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-27.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-25.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-23.jpg

The second head has some great detail here. Instead of cheaping out and just doing a black visor, Bandai bothers to do the facial features inside, behind the tinted visor. Very cool of Bandai to go that extra mile. I wouldn't have complained if it was just a solid black visor with no interior details. So to get interior details is a huge plus.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-34.jpg

[pud333]

The stand:

I was attempting to set up the stand for some flight poses, and guess what? The base split apart. It looks like the peg where the screw goes in sheered off, and because the spring forces the two pieces apart, and the screw is needed to hold things together, I would have to bind it to fix it. Like this, it won't hold any weight what so ever. I managed to tape it together for the purposes of the review, but it is pretty much useless for flying poses.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-33.jpg

Flight:

Once I got the stand taped together enough, it allowed me to do some of these poses. As mentioned before, even though articulation was greatly hindered by the armour, when in flight, it looks pretty cool.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-28.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-26.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-24.jpg

Pilot mode:

When piloting the valkyrie, this is what the suit looks like. Everything has been opened up and there are some nice details here, like the joysticks that are used by Alto to pilot his valk.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-34.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-29.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-27.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-25.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-35.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-35.jpg

Overall, I like this toy. It's a nice interpretation of Alto, and the gear is very cool.

Pros: lots of stuff to like here, from the little details to the look of the toy. It displays really well, and if you're an Alto fan, it's probably on your list of stuff to buy.

Cons: I know the stand breaking was a fluke occurrence, and I really never planned on using the oversized stand anyway in my display, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Other negatives involve the armour and how some parts don't stay on that well, like the codpiece, which kept falling off whenever I touched the toy. I understand why the armour was done the way it was, and I expect some articulation to be hindered, but it really turns a decent multi-articulated toy into one that has only a handful of articulation points. Kind of defeats the purpose of bothering to put in so much articulation in the main sculpt to begin with.

Another con is the original MSRP. It was released a couple years ago at 7,500 yen. That's nearly $100. If I had paid that much for this toy, I would be extremely unimpressed. That is way too much. However, you can find these for about $30 these days, which is what I paid for mine. Got mine off Angolz.com, which has since sold out, but I saw a few on eBay for around the same amount. Do I recommend it? At the orignal MSRP, heck no. It's not really a toy... more like a model, since whenever you try to play with it, pieces fall off. But for $30? Yes. But ONLY if you're a big Alto fan or Macross Frontier fan. It's really not a necessary piece to have. The stand breaking I don't think was a widespread thing. Maybe I forced it too much - even though I really didn't.

EDIT: I was wrong. It has been alerted to me that several people have had the stand break in the same place mine broke and some even had the crotch piece snap since it's on a tiny peg that it connects to, as well as one of the chest pieces. So be careful when messing with this toy. In light of this, because of the QC problems, it does diminish the fun factor of this toy. I cannot recommend it. But, if you are dying for one, I highly recommend you do not pay more than $30 for this toy if you buy it. Tell you the truth, I am a bit clumsy with my toys, so at first I thought it was just me, but after hearing three other people and how they broke theirs within minutes of taking it out of the box, I know now it is a widespread QC problem. Unfortunate.

[pud333]

This review is for Yamato's 1/60 scale VF-11C from Macross 7. Not to be confused with the VF-11B, from Macross Plus that the main character Isamu flew. That version was gray and orange. This one is the cannon fodder valkyrie from the all-round ridiculous rock symphony, Macross 7. The VF-11 is, I believe, the official successor to the VF-1. And judging from the looks of it, you can really see the VF-1 influence.

Packaging:

Typical Yamato packaging. Generic box with generic art work.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-40.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-40.jpg

The toy comes with a Super packs, a pilot, gun pod, and extra stand pieces to be used with the Yamato stand. Not pictured here but included, are the sticker sheet and instruction booklet.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-35.jpg


Fighter mode:

See? What'd I say? The VF-11 is heavily influenced by the VF-1. It is the in-between model between that and the VF-19 valkyries. You can clearly see the evolution. The wings sweep back just like the VF-1. The stark white is excellent. I love white robots, especially jets, as it invokes images of NASA's white shuttle to me. Pristine and steril. Some people think it is too plain, but I love the matte white colour.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-32.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-44.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-44.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-39.jpg

With Super packs:

The Super packs clip on easily to the back plate. The leg armour is actually magnetic, like the armour for the VF-0S (previously reviewed). They slide on with a satisfying magnetic grip. I love the magnets idea. Much better than plastic clip pieces that can wear away over time, as well as potentially break.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-36.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-45.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-45.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-33.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

Gerwalk mode is excellent. You can easily pull off the aggressive A-stance, and the valk can sit back pretty far on its heels. Very nicely balanced, and probably one of the best Gerwalk modes around.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-37.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-34.jpg

[pud333]

Gerwalk with Super packs:

It's a bit gappy in Gerwalk mode, but it is unfortunately a byproduct of the valkyrie design that really can't be helped.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-43.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-31.jpg

Battroid mode:

Very nice looking Battroid mode. Articulation is okay. Nothing amazing like the VF-19 Fire Valkyrie's articulation. The legs are actually limited due to where the hips meet the main torso. Still, a sharp looking valkyrie, where it's simplicity works for it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-30.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-42.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-42.jpg

Battroid with Super packs:

I honestly don't know if the Super packs add anything to the valk besides some colour contrast, but they do look nice.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-32.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-41.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-41.jpg

Details:

Gun pod doesn't transform, but the top compartment comes off to reveal some nice detail inside.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-38.jpg

The head sculpt is fantastic, reminiscent of the VF-1A. I like the fact that there is a clear plastic green faceplate, instead of just painting it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-29.jpg

Vent covers come off to reveal the turbines.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo-11.jpg

Super pack details:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-36.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-33.jpg

Probably the coolest feature of the toy is the removable cockpit. The VF-11C is cannon fodder in Macross 7. So virtually every episode shows these things getting blown up. However, the escape pod allows the pilot to get away safely. It's really cool they made it possible to remove here. Definitely the coolest feature.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-35.jpg

Transformation is a breeze. Took me a few minutes to get the hang of it, but it's really easy to do, much like the VF-1 toys. You basically have a plane that folds in half. The cockpit actually sinks in and the heat shield comes over it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-43.jpg

Pros: It looks very nice. Very clean and simple. Transformation is easy, but intricate enough to keep you interested. The removable cockpit is just wicked. Probably one of the best features on any Yamato valkyrie. They really added to the fun factor with that. Also, the magnetic armour parts is huge. You are not fumbling with plastic clips, unlike the VF-1 valkyries.

Cons: It's a bit on the light side. I can't even remember if there is any diecast, but after feeling the heft of other valkyries, this one felt like half the materials. Granted, it's a simpler design, much like the VF-1. Price. When this was released, it was 18,800 yen. That's like $240, and way too much for this. I got this during HLJ's most recent Macross sale for 13,160 yen (approx: $145) which is what I feel is about right. The fact that you get the Super parts with the toy at that price is good. Don't pay any more than that.

Final thoughts:

I really like this valkyrie, but I don't LOVE it the way some others do. The problem is not with the valk, but most likely due to how I have collected these toys. I have jumped around from the awesome VF-1's, to the beautiful VF-25 messiah valks, to the crazy good VF-19 and everything in between. So I am sort of going backwards. You can really tell the difference in quality and build between this and the VF-19. Yamato has come a long way in just a year or two. Still, it's great to have as part of the collection. The cockpit ejection alone is worth getting one of these.

[antilles]

Another nice looking valk. I bought the Vf-11b myself a couple of weeks back (I also like the clean look of the white fighters but as I now have several vf-1s and no greyish fighters yet, I figured I go for a change) but haven't taken it out of the box (the shipping box actually) as I'm out of room for display. So for an extra layer of protection in the basement alot of my stuff is still sitting in shipping packaging. Nice to get a look at what to expect when I finally do crack the thing open.
Thanks for the info on the fire valk as well. I'm always torn in situations like this at choosing between source books and actual anime look but have to admit the extra detailing does look nice (not enough to change my mind about semi-permanent robot mode but that's more a testament to the sound booster's greatness in that configuration than anything else)

[pud333]

Thanks for the info on the fire valk as well. I'm always torn in situations like this at choosing between source books and actual anime look but have to admit the extra detailing does look nice (not enough to change my mind about semi-permanent robot mode but that's more a testament to the sound booster's greatness in that configuration than anything else)

QFT. This is exactly how I feel. That was probably the last time I transform it back to Fighter. My VF-19 is sitting on the top shelf next to the 11C in battroid mode, and that's pretty much how it'll stay I guess.

[pud333]

This review is for Yamato's 1/60 VF-17S from the anime, Macross 7, piloted by none other than Gamlin Kizaki. Let's get right to it:

The packaging:

Much like the the VF-19, the packaging is smaller and slimmer than previous Yamato packaging, which is a good thing.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-49.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-48.jpg

The toy comes with a gunpod, Gamlin, a couple Yamato stand attachments, and a couple vent covers which will be covered later.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-50.jpg

Before we go any further, this also was included in the packaging along with the instruction booklet and sticker sheet: An announcement for Yamato's next valkyrie release, the VF-4G, which appeared for a mere few seconds piloted by Hikaru in the 2012 Flashback movie. I guess it makes sense considering it is now 2012, and the 30th anniversary of the original SDF anime. This is a very complicated valk, so I am interested to see how Yamato pulls it off. A few things to note: It's a Yamato web exclusive, but the good news is that most places will cary Yamato's web exclusives, unlike Bandai's. Also, be prepared to pay an arm for this. I expect this to be $300+.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-49.jpg

Figher mode:

My favorite mode. This sculpt is just awesome. Totally killer matte black finish, everything is tight and the valkyrie has some serious weight, thanks to all the diecast in the internal structure. Like a house, the most important parts are those you cannot see. It is probably one of Yamato's heavier valks to date.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-41.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-37.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-34.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo6-1.jpg

When I first saw photos of this toy, the purple canopy bothered me. It reminded me of a deluxe Transformer toy. But in person, it looks much better.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo10.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo11-1.jpg

(Purists - aka: Giant Nerdlingers - have told me that the Diamond Force logo is only supposed to be on the left side of the chest, and the cannons on the top, while they are used in fighter once or twice, normally they are pushed in. Just goes to show you how much I have seen of Macross 7. Apparently, watching only half an episode isn't enough.)

Gerwalk mode:

The VF-17 has a unique armless gerwalk mode. As you can see, the cannons are displayed in this mode. It's a great gerwalk, with a very aggressive stance.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo13-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo14-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo15-1.jpg

Of course, you can have the traditional gerwalk mode with the arms out and the gunpod in hand.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo19.jpg

A big problem with gerwalk, however, are the large gaps. Yamato didn't utilize the sliding panels to cover the gaps like they did in the VF-11. My guess is that it would add more to the cost of a valkyrie that was already hitting the $300 mark. The back of the valk is suppose to be even more gappy, but I pressed the side panels together so that it would cover the gaps in the back where the wings are.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo16.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

This thing is built like a linebacker. He is huge, and menacing, but ultimately kind of stiff looking at first. I wasn't sure how the cannon boobs would look in person, but they don't bother me that much. Not my favorite Battroid mode, but it's different and unique.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo24-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo25.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo26.jpg

To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of battroid mode, but once I realized how well articulated this toy was, it suddenly looked more dynamic and fun.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo29-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo30.jpg

Features:

The head sculpt is great. Looks a bit like a cross between Frankenstein and KITT from The Knight Rider. Still, the visor is a clear red plastic, not painted, which makes it that much cooler.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo27.jpg

The chest piece can be pushed up to reveal Gamlin! It's a very cool feature. I know there are other valks like the VF-11B and YF-21 that do similar things, but the difference here isn't a simple opening of the canopy or heat shield; the whole front chest piece can move up and down.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo28-1.jpg

The gunpod: Like many other valkyrie guns, the gunpod transforms, but it can also come apart.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo18.jpg

It comes apart because the gunpod cannot be attached in fighter mode. Instead, there are compartments in the legs where the guns can be stowed for when it is in fighter mode. Apparently this is from the anime, but since I hate Macross 7, I have never seen the feature in action.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo22.jpg

When not stowed, vent covers are hidden inside that can be pulled out. Too bad the covers cannot go over when the gunpod is stowed in the legs, but that would mean compromising on the length of the gunpod, or making the legs on the battroid mode freakishly long; either way, a lose/lose, so this was a nice compromise by Yamato.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo23-1.jpg

The hands are a brand new sculpt and they grip the gunpod really well. Unfortunately, you need these vent covers when the hands are inside during fighter mode. Not a deal breaker, but at the price you pay for this thing, I'd have liked it to not involve any parts forming. For something so important, if you lose a vent, it ruins the look of fighter mode from behind. I wish they did something similar to the vent covers in the legs instead of giving you separate parts; or at least give you extra pieces just in case you lose one.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo17.jpg

Finally, while almost everything is hidden very well, you do still see the diecast knee joints. They attempt to cover up part of it by installing these sliding covers on the sides. Not a huge deal, but it does stick out for me. Nice painted white diecast landing gear, which is a staple of Yamato valks.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo8.jpg

Beautiful diecast ankle joints.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo12.jpg

Transformation:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo21-1.jpg

Final thoughts:

Overall, I like this valk. Not my favorite, but it's still a solid toy. The fighter mode is bitchin', and the gerwalk mode is really cool. While normally I don't care for gerwalk modes, the armless, cannon gerwalk is really one of the best parts of this toy.

The cons involve the separate vent parts for the hands, the exposed diecast knees, the moderately difficult transformation back to fighter mode from battroid. And the lack of tampo prints. There are exactly 0 tampo prints. You get a giant sticker sheet, but in the anime, there are only a few designs that need to be tampo printed on there. Instead, Yamato does absolutely none. Rumor is, the head designer did not like the anime look of some of the designs on it, so they decided to not tampo anything on. This seems really weak to me, but it's the rumor right now.

Price: HLJ is selling this for 22,320 yen, which is about $290 CDN. Honestly, as cool as this toy is, it does feel like a step back from the amazing VF-19 Yamato released earlier in 2011. My recommendation: unless you are a huge Macross 7 fan, wait for a sale. Personally, I am all about diversity in my Macross collection. For the longest time I only had VF-1 valkyries, and so I am now looking to make my Macross collection as different as possible. The VF-17 is unique looking, and for that alone it was worth me having it.

EDIT: One more thing I forgot: be VERY careful when transforming to battroid. The clearance between the head and a diecast support bar is very, very tight. So tight, the bar ended up scratching the front of the face on mine. One way to help avoid scratching is by tilting the forehead forward, thereby tilting the chin back away from the bar, and then turning the head slightly to the side. Do this before you full-on transform to battroid. This will help avoid any scratching.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo20-1.jpg

Next review: Bandai's renewal VF-25S Ozma Lee custom. I should have it by the end of the week, and hopefully the review will be up shortly thereafter.

AMMENDMENT (January 27, 2012): I changed my mind. I've had this toy for almost two weeks now, and I've completely changed my opinion on this. I don't do this often, since my first impression is usually correct, but I love this toy now. It's really grown on me. At first I was like, "Yeah, it's nice, but it's no VF-19 Kai or VF-25F renewal." But now I'm like, "THIS IS AWESOME!" I finally figured out how to make the gunpod not rattle around when inside the leg in fighter mode. (There's a tab inside the leg itself that the gunpod tabs into, thus preventing it from rattling inside the leg whenever you try to swoosh it around. Yeah, I said it; I swoosh my toys. Whatcha gonna do about it? SAY SOMEFIN!?!?) The fighter mode is so sleek looking and so tight, I just love it. I still have problems with the exposed knee joints and the metal bar scraping the face if you're not careful, but I've changed my opinion on this toy, and I consider it right up there with the 19 Kai and the 25F/25S renewals. In fact, it's seen more off-shelf time than my 25F renewal. It sits on my coffee table every day, all day, ready for me to pick it up whenever I feel like it. It drives my gf nuts, since she has to move it every time she wants to eat breakfast.

I've just upgraded this from "Buy it if you can find a bit of a discount," to "But it now. You owe it to yourself to own such an awesome toy."

[pud333]

Wow. It's finally here! This review is for Bandai's DX Chogokin Macross Frontier VF-25S Messiah Valkyrie (Ozma Lee Custom) Renewal Version. Man, that's a mouthful. - That's what she said.

This review will be slightly different. Since I already reviewed Alto's VF-25F, and since this is a repaint with a few different bits of new tooling, this review will focus on what is different about this valk. I'm really not going to try to comment on most of the basic stuff. If you want to see the Alto review, it's a couple pages back. Instead, this review will be picture heavy since this bird is so gorgeous. Let's dive right into it:

Packaging.

Nice little 30th anniversary sticker on the front of the box. I'm going to try and salvage it before I recycle the box.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo38.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo39.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo40.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-47.jpg

Fighter mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-42.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-38.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-35.jpg

As you can see, the paint is just amazing on this valk. Unlike the Alto where I had some paint chipping, there are no problems with this. The paint is crisp and detailed and overall just really well done. They have gone with a bit darker gray than in the anime. I know some people complained about the coloring and cancelled their preorders, but I think that's a mistake, since this toy is just awesome. I'm still not a fan of the overall skull design - I much prefer the SDF designs, but that's not Bandai's fault.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo6.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo12-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo17-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo16-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo15-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo14-2.jpg

[pud333]

Gerwalk mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo18-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo19-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo21-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo22-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo23-2.jpg

Transformation!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo26-1.jpg

Battroid mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo27-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo28-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo29-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo30-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo33-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo34.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo36.jpg

[pud333]

Features and differences:

The head sculpt is superb. Obviously different than the VF-25F, I think this is one of the best head sculpts for a valkyrie out there. Bandai really nailed it here, with the clear visor and the shiny paint behind the visor. So awesome. The head also sits up better than the one on the VF-25F. The neck plate sits up nicely and stays put, and the head is on a ball joint that can be pulled up or down, depending on which mode you are transforming it to. When in fighter, the head actually sinks in and snaps into place. Bandai also included a separate set of head lazers. The ones that come with the toy out of the box are of a soft PVC, but the additional set is a hard plastic. I have opted to use the hard plastic ones here, since they don't warp easily. Also, lots of jeweled plastic pieces in this toy. The visor, the forehead, the shoulders, etc. Bandai really paid attention this time.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo32-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo31.jpg

Because of the new head sculpt, some retooling had to be done around the head area. As you can see, behind the head, there's a lighter gray panel with the handle of the sword painted on. This actually can pop off during transformation. Dont' worry; it's designed to do it to aid the transformation. You just clip it back on afterwards.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo7-1.jpg

Ozma comes with her sister, Ranka, and like Alto's VF-25F, it can also be a two seater. I don't believe Ranka really flew with her brother at all, so I'll be keeping her with Alto. What's nice is that you get a fully formed Ranka with both her legs, unlike the 2/3rds Ranka that came with the VF-27 (review in the first couple pages of the thread).

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo8-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo9.jpg

Vent covers, diecast landing gear and ankles.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo10-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo11-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo24-2.jpg

Like the VF-25F, the knife can be stowed in the shield, and the gunpod can be mounted in Gerwalk mode.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo35.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo20-2.jpg

As a strange design choice, Bandai decided to give Ozma a dark gray/black gun pod. The gun pod is supposed to be purple, but it still looks great. Looks better, in fact. Purple always seemed like an odd choice for a gun.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo37.jpg

Final thoughts: Just buy it. Seriously. There are no QC issues on mine, except for one of the wings which is sort of loose. But beyond that, it's a near perfect valk. The transformation is sturdier and fits together more tighter than the VF-25F. Banda fell flat on their face with their initial version 1 Messiah offerings, but they knocked it out of the park this time. If there was an award for valk toys, Bandai would get Most Improved Player.

Original MSRP is 14,000 yen (about $185 CAD), but I got mine from Amiami at 10,150 yen (about $135 CAD). This thing sold out FAST. And it sold out everywhere except at BBTS, which has it for $214.99 + shipping. Bandai has been playing it strange with their Macross items. There haven't been re-releases when it seemed obvious there should be. eg: YF-29 sold out really quickly and there is still a high demand, but over half a year later, still no noise of a re-issue. These are already going for $290 on eBay, so I recommend you try to pick one up sooner rather than later.

There is an armoured set being released for Ozma later in the year. It's a Tamashii web shop exclusive, so that means for us North Americans, we need to order through a third party that will charge a premium to do so. I already have a set ordered, but it's not set to be released until July. Just to give you a taste of what it looks like all suited up:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/222.jpg

Totally bitchin'. :raisetheroof:

[pud333]

Ammendment attached to my VF-17 review. If you're too lazy to go back in the thread to check it, here's what I added:

AMMENDMENT (January 27, 2012): I changed my mind. I've had this toy for almost two weeks now, and I've completely changed my opinion on this. I don't do this often, since my first impression is usually correct, but I love this toy now. It's really grown on me. At first I was like, "Yeah, it's nice, but it's no VF-19 Kai or VF-25F renewal." But now I'm like, "THIS IS AWESOME!" I finally figured out how to make the gunpod not rattle around when inside the leg in fighter mode. (There's a tab inside the leg itself that the gunpod tabs into, thus preventing it from rattling inside the leg whenever you try to swoosh it around. Yeah, I said it; I swoosh my toys. Whatcha gonna do about it? SAY SOMEFIN!?!?) The fighter mode is so sleek looking and so tight, I just love it. I still have problems with the exposed knee joints and the metal bar scraping the face if you're not careful, but I've changed my opinion on this toy, and I consider it right up there with the 19 Kai and the 25F/25S renewals. In fact, it's seen more off-shelf time than my 25F renewal. It sits on my coffee table every day, all day, ready for me to pick it up whenever I feel like it. It drives my gf nuts, since she has to move it every time she wants to eat breakfast.

I've just upgraded this from "Buy it if you can find a bit of a discount," to "But it now. You owe it to yourself to own such an awesome toy."

[pud333]

I'm covering something different in this post. If you own a Bandai DX Chogokin Valkyrie, eventually joints will go floppy. They just will. It doesn't matter if you have a v1 VF-25, or a v2, the VF-27 or YF-29. It's just a matter of time.

I found this out with my VF-27, which had tight joints until I recently transformed it, and even though it has been in fighter mode for months, it seems to have spontaneously overnight gone loose and limp in the shoulders. I was pretty pissed when it couldn't hold its own gun up. I really like my VF-27 - it's my favorite valkyrie design from Frontier. I really hope they do a renewal, but until then, the v1 is good enough, if a little outdated looking next to the renewal VF-25 Messiahs.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-38.jpg

Thanks to some instructions from a person on another forum, I've managed to fix the joints. Here's a how-to for those who want to tighten up the joints in their Bandai valkyrie. While this is specific to the VF-27, it will work on any Bandai DX Chogokin valkyrie.

1) First you need your tools. A simple screwdriver for glasses will work. You also need some crazy glue. You need to find the one with a brush application that is resealable. It took me forever to find one; all I found were the disposable one-and-done versions, until I went to my local art store, Michael's, where I finally found one.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-55.jpg

2) So when you pull the legs down you expose the shoulders. There are several screws that hold the shoulder joint together. The first is obvious, the others are inside the shoulder, which you will have to completely take apart.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-41.jpg

3) When you unscrew the above circled screw, where the arm meets the shoulder, you can pull the arm out at the socket.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo22-2.jpg

Once you unscrew it, you are left with the screw, a small plastic piece, and the arm. The plastic piece sits inside the shoulder and this is what gives some friction to the arm. As you can see, it is very small, and a big reason why the arm goes all loose after just a few transformations.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo11-3.jpg

4) There is a second ball joint where the shoulder meets the main body. You'll have to unscrew the joint next to it. Do this for both sides.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo33-2.jpg

So you end up with this:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo44.jpg

In order to get at the second ball joint, you'll have to unscrew it from the main plastic chest piece.

5) Once that is apart, you can then take the shoulder apart by removing the final screw. At which point once it is undone, you can remove the other balljoint from the socket.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo55.jpg

6) Once you have everything apart and all the ball joints exposed, you just take the crazy glue and apply it with the brush applicator. Just brush it on the balljoint itself. DO NOT apply to the stem or inside the socket.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-46.jpg

Remember to let it dry first before putting it back together. It will take about 5-10 minutes. When you put it back together, just do everything in reverse.

7) When putting together the first ball joint (the one for the arm into the shoulder socket), remember to put the little purple plastic piece in the proper way. It should sit flush like so:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-55.jpg

8) When you're all done, the joints should be nice and tight. My VF-27 couldn't hold its own gun up before. Now, you can see, it has no problems doing it with one arm. I didn't do the legs since mine were still tight, but the overall process is the same.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-45.jpg

If you do what I did, your joints will be tighter than when you first got your toy. Some helpful tips:

- Itemize which screws go with which parts. A couple times I got them mixed up, and I even lost the little plastic bits. Took me ten minutes to find them again! :p If you are worried about losing pieces or losing track, just fix one joint at a time, and keep the pieces in a tray somewhere so they can't roll around or be blown off the table.

- Wait until the pieces are completely dry before re-assembling. I don't want PMs from people yelling at me. :rofl:

- Finally, be careful screwing it back together. Don't strip the screw. All it takes is a little bit of pressure to make the screw just snug. No need to go nuts and over-tighten.

[pud333]

So the right wing on my renewal VF-25S was loose right out of the box. This is a problem that many people had when they got their valk. Simple solution that involves, yet again, krazy glue:

1) Get your krazy glue. Again, the one with a brush applicator works best.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-51.jpg

2) I dabbed two very small amounts of glue at the joints, circled in green, at the underside of the valk. That way no one sees it. You only need a very small amount. Don't go crazy.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-60.jpg

3) Once you have that applied, just fold and unfold the wing all the way. It's important you fold the wing all the way it can go. You have to keep bending and unbending the wing for as long as it takes for the glue to dry. DO NOT let it just sit there, or else you will permanently glue your wing. After a minute or so you will feel the wing tighten. Keep moving it back and forth all the way, and once it is dry, your wing should be good as new!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-60.jpg

UPDATE: YUS! I just scored a sweet deal on a VF-19 Blazer. So that will be my next review, probably some time next week.

[pud333]

Another day, another Macross toy review. This one is a quickie, so let's get at it!

This is the Yamato VF-19S Blazer valkyrie from Macross 7. It is in the 1/60 scale, which is the dominant scale for Macross toys these days. This particular valk was part of the Emerald Force squadron. As you can see it bears a lot of resemblance to the VF-19 Fire valkyrie. This review will mostly just show off the differences between this one and the Fire valkyrie. The transformation is the same, so if you want a more detailed review, just check out the Fire valkyrie review and pretend it is blue. :p There's just no point in me regurgitating the Fire review.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-62.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-52.jpg

The toy comes with an instruction book, sticker sheet, extra anime accurate shield, gun pod, pilot, stand pieces, and pastic parts covers.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-45.jpg

Fighter mode:

For reference, I used the Master Files to figure out which stickers I wanted to apply. This is not anime accurate. If you're looking for anime accuracy, leave the stickers alone.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-48.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-44.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-66.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-66.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-65.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-65.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-55.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-46.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-63.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-53.jpg

Transformation!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-42.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-67.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-56.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-49.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-64.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-43.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-47.jpg

The differences:

As you can see, the Blazer is missing the little fins on the side of the neck that the Fire valk has.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-41.jpg

Gun pod is different, and bigger.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-64.jpg

Wing shape is different. It's much shorter.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-45.jpg

The head sculpt is obviously different, with the typical double lasers on the side of the head like all S valks have. Also the shoulders are different. You don't have the speaker pods on the inside that the Fire valk had.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-67.jpg

Overall, it's another great valk by Yamato. Where the toy lacks in a feature or two that the Fire valk has, it gains in the cooler head sculpt and overal better paint job. The one thing that does bother me is the wing. It's very thin on the backside of the wing. Since the plastic is razor thin, it easily chips. I already had one or two dings in the wing right out of the box. I don't know if you can see it here in the photo (looks worse in person), but it did sort of annoy me.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-57.jpg

Other than that, it's a solid entry into the Yamato line of valkyries. You can find it for 19,800 yen (approx $240 CAD) at most places like HLJ and Amiami. but I managed to get mine at a steal for 14,000 yen (approx $170 CAD). Honestly, I am glad I got a nice discount. I don't enjoy Macross 7, so I didn't feel like paying full price for the 19S. If you're a big Macross 7 fan, then this toy will not disappoint. I still recommend the VF-19 Kai over this one, since you can get the sound boosters accessory and it makes one kickass display piece. But if you don't like the McDonalds color scheme, then by all means pick this one up. It's still a winner.

Also, this is one spiky valk. I think I nearly drew blood on the pointy tips, so be careful! ;)

[Pascal]

So that's the one I forgot to buy... It was on my list but I ended up getting that other dark blue Valk I already forgot the name of first...

[pud333]

OH NO! IT'S THE VAJRA!!!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-50.jpg

[antilles]

Thanks for the Blazer review as well as the Vf-25 joint tips (haven't opened mine - an all too common occurence these days - but nice to have the info in case).

Good job on the stickers for the 19S. Whereas the Fire Valk is more cartoony and thus I think anime is where I'd lean, the military/mass production nature of the 19S Blazer lends itself nicely to the extra detailing you provided (regardless of whether the show itself paints everything somewhat cartoony)

[pud333]

Yeah, the 19S looks very nice with the stickers. I forgot to ad the UNSPACY stickers on the legs, so I did that after the fact and they look sharp. (Though I used the white ones from the 17 sticker sheet).

I haven't played with the 19S as much since I got it, but it looks great on my M7 shelf next to all the others.

[pud333]

Here is Yamato's 1/60 scale VF-1D. FINALLY! I've been meaning to grab one of these for a while, but because I missed the boat the first time, it was too expensive on eBay. Finally, Yamato re-released it with option parts for the 30th anniversary of The Super Dimensional Fortress Macross TV series.

Like the other VF-1 reviews, this will not be indepth. Just a quick pictorial with the focus on what makes this toy different. If you want a more indepth review, check back further in this thread for earlier VF-1 reviews.

The uninspiring box where they slapped the 30th anniversary logo on it:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-71.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-72.jpg

As you can see, the toy comes with all the typical stuff plus some extras.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-61.jpg

The option parts come in a little baggie, along with some extra instructions.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-54.jpg

You get the optional seats for battroid mode, side vent covers, and neck plate cover. These option parts are there to cover up the major gaps in battroid mode as a result of transformation.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo5-48.jpg

Fighter mode:

Because this VF-1D is used as a training valk in the show, I opted to not use the sticker sheet, because I didn't want to personalize it at all. As a result, this valk is as naked as they come.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo25-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo26-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo27-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo7-4.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo8-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo9-2.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo10-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo16-2.jpg

Battroid mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo18-2.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo20-3.jpg

[pud333]

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo11-4.jpg

The differences:

Okay, here's where things are different (besides obvious paint apps).

The VF-1D is a two seater. The toy comes with Hikaru in his racing flight suit, with Minmay. Nice detail on such a small figure, but no face, sadly. Considering the size, it would be a tall order to ask for that.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo24-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo6-4.jpg

Here are the side vents. It is nice they painted or moulded the vents the same colour as the rest of the valk.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo12-2.jpg

Here is the neck plate. Too bad they didn't paint this:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo13-2.jpg

Different head sculpt:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo19-2.jpg

The two seats are nicely detailed. This is the quality I really enjoy from Yamato! You can recreate the scene where Hikaru reveals himself out of the VF-1D.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo23-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo14-3.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo15-3.jpg

The missiles are different on this release. Previous releases they were a dark gray, but this time they are black.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo22-3.jpg

Group shot! Here is my entire 1/60 scale Super Dimensional Fortress Macross valks.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo21-3.jpg

Final thoughts: The VF-1D is a nice valk. Since this is a re-release for the 30th anniversary, it's basically a cash grab. The good news is, Yamato gives you some extra parts to entice you to buy this. If you already have the VF-1D, there's really no point in getting this. While the option parts are great, they don't really add much in terms of whether it is worth it to pay another $100 for a valk you already have. If you don't have it, like me, it's worth buying for the valk alone. The option parts are just that: optional. They're just a bonus, and really doesn't lessen the toy's entertainment value if you don't have them.

That said, this toy was in high demand until the re-release, so I am glad I have it. It has sold out in most places, but you can bet Yamato will milk this sculpt again and will re-release it yet another time. If you see it and don't have it, jump on it.

[pud333]

Here is the VF-25F Super Parts for the Alto custom. This is a Tamashii web exclusive, which means if you aren't in Japan, you have to get them through a proxy buyer. This means you have to pay a premium to get them, unfortunately.

Packaging: the set comes in a brown mailer box. The packaging inside is your typical flimsy cardboard.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo1-73.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo2-73.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-62.jpg

The super parts are basically set to snap on the valkyrie. There are many additional stand pieces for displaying in the various modes.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-55.jpg

Fighter mode: The super parts definitely add additional bulk to the toy, making it look pretty beefy. I think I prefer the sleek lines of the valkyrie without the bulk of the super parts, but Alto spends so much time wearing them in the tv show, and they do look really nice.

The pieces snap on really easily, and it doesn't seem like they scrape the valk in any way.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00013.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00015.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00016.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00023.jpg

The missile pods open and you can see the little red missiles inside. And while not super detailed, they do look cool. When putting on the missile pods, you have to remove a piece of the shoulders. This is where a bit of parts swapping occurs, but it's pretty easy to do.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00022.jpg

The individual boosters are all articulated, even the small ones. This is really great, and just shows the attention to detail Banda has put forth this second time around.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00017.jpg



One thing I will note is that the super parts definitely make the valk noticeably heavier. Having a stand, while not necessary, is really helpful. While I think the stand Bandai provides is really ugly (I would prefer a clear stand), it is stable, which is always a plus.

Gerwalk mode:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00024.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00025.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00027.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00029.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode: I think the super parts look the best in fighter mode. Alto looks ready for war.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00041.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00042.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00043.jpg

The detail on the figure overall is impressive. Lots of tampo printing, which is what I love about these Bandai figures. Unlike Yamato, which relies heavily on sticker sheets. The overal weight distribution is also very well done.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00044.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00047.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00046.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00045.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00048.jpg

Final thoughts: This super parts set is fantastic. When bandai did the first release of the VF-25 valks, they designed them without thinking about the super parts. This second time around, they designed them with the super parts in mind from the beginning. The result is a much more secure and easy to install set of super parts. The ridiculous amounts of tampo printing and articulated boosters just make this set a must have for hardcore Macross Frontier fans.

Transformation can be done with the super parts on, but it is time consuming. The one negative about them are the vent covers. The armour pieces that go over the hip vents fall off easily. At least the left one does for me. The right one seems more sturdy. But that's a very small negative.

The other negative is the availability. As I said earlier, Tamashii web exclusives have to be bought from a proxy buyer if you don't live in Japan. I paid 6,000 yen for mine through Tokyo-Hunter.com. They preordered for as high as 7,500 yen, and that doesn't even include shipping. Web exclusives are made to order pretty much, so if you don't preorder them, the chances of you finding them later at a decent price are slim. However, if you want show accuracy, you'll need to get these, since Alto's VF-25F is rarely seen without them on.

[pud333]

Review: DX Chogokin Macross Frontier YF-29 Durandal Valkyrie (Alto Saotome Type).

Up for review is the YF-29 from the Macross Frontier film, Wings of Goodbye. This valk was basically created for the second Macross Frontier movie. It's been a while since I've seen that movie, but I don't recall any real reason in the plot to introduce the new valk, since Alto is always just destroying his ride. I suppose it's a reason to make a new toy. Regardless of the reasons, it's here, and here's the review.

Packaging:

This is the re-release. This valk was originally released last year, but it was re-released again in May. The packaging is the same as the original release, except it now has the 30th anniversary sticker.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00746.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00747.jpg

The figure comes with instructions, a stand, a gun, a knife, and spare fixed-posed hands.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo3-63.jpg

Fighter:

Right off the bat, you see that the YF-29 seems to be a blend of various different valks in one. It's like if you took the VF-25, VF-27, YF-19 and threw in a bit of SV-51 influence, you get the YF-29. In short, it's a franken valk. At least that's how I see it. It's more bulky than the VF-25, and no where near as elegant. It's sort of like seeing one of those experimental cars at a car expo. It's not really meant to have any real world functional use, or at least it's not meant for mass production. Anyway, I don't particularly like the look of the valk, but hey, it's all subjective, right?

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00738.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00739.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00740.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00741.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00735.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00732.jpg

The pilot is your typical miscellaneous Bandai design, and like the VF-25's, there is an extra seat that can be revealed.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00744.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

Gerwalk looks great to me. It looks pretty menacing if you ask me, and there are built-in cannons that extend out, giving this valk more firepower than normal. Some have complained about the unusually large back section, but the reality is the YF-29 is larger than the VF-25, so you're going to get a larger rear. Some guys like a girl with extra in the back end, haha.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00728.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00726.jpg

The gun can be stowed underneath in gerwalk.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00719.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode:

This is where the valk shines. I think this is where it looks the best. The problem though is the large wings. The wings, because they also have the boosters, seem unusually large, and thus makes the valk very back heavy. It's the equivalent of a valkyrie mullet: business up front, party in the back.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00715.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00716.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00717.jpg

The knife is sheathed inside the shield.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00718.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00714.jpg

Gimmicks: This valk has a LOT of gimmicks. Way more than most. And this is also part of why I don't particularly like this valk as much as the others. It's just so busy, like they piled on idea after idea with no check on what makes the Frontier valks so great: their elegance.

The boosters rotate:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00745.jpg

The wings are extended for fighter and gerwalk mode, but can also retract. Not pictured here is the gimmick where the tips of the wings, can actually be bent up or down by a few degrees. I have no idea what that does for the valk, and it is entirely unnecessary, but it's featured in the instruction book.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00742.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00743.jpg

Transforming gunpod:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00730.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00729.jpg

Rotating gun turret that can turn 360 degrees.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00723.jpg

The reason why battroid is so cool, is because the YF-29 is armed to the teeth. It has shoulder missile pods that open up.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00713.jpg

And leg missile pods that open and rotate 360 degrees.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00712.jpg

The final look is one badass valk. It's like they took the tornado armour, and the Armour pack and basically built it right into the valk. Very busy, but pretty cool never the less.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00711.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00709.jpg

Final thoughts:

It's a nice valk, yes, but I just find it too clunky and busy in Fighter to really enjoy. It's just because the frontier valks, the VF-25 and VF-27, are so sleek and elegant, that the YF-29 seems like a step backwards. Plus, because it is so busy, it seems like it was hastily put together to me, with so many other valkyrie designs thrown in, that to me, the YF-29 doesn't have its own personality. But that's just me.

The other downside is the transformation. The timeline for releases started with the crappy version 1 VF-25 valks, then the VF-27 where Bandai significantly stepped up their game, to the YF-29, which is almost renewal level quality, then the VF-25 renewal valks, which are near perfect. Bandai learned a lot in such a short time, and it is impressive, but it doesn't match the quality of the renewals. The transformation isn't as smooth, as the shoulders keep popping off just by looking at them, and the legs don't snap in place snuggly. The valk holds together enough to do the job, but it's not like the renewals where it is really solid. Also, due to the fins near the canopy, when in Battroid, the articulation of the legs are restricted, which is another negative.

I originally bought this during the initial release, buy put it up for sale within hours of getting it, mostly because I was really frustrated with the transformation. The shoulders popped off so many times I nearly threw the valk against the wall. But once I bought the renewal VF-25's, I realized my Frontier collection was missing something, and that something was the YF-29, so I bought it again. While my opinion on the transformation and Fighter mode haven't changed, I have come around to really appreciate the Battroid mode.

Finding one of these YF-29 valks at a decent price is nearly impossible. I got this for 12,320 yen, but the cheapest one can find it now on the secondary market is over $300 + shipping. The preorders sold out within minutes. Literally minutes. The newer renewals like the VF-25G coming in September, and the VF-171 coming late this month, also sold out within minutes. Bandai has been cutting orders, so stores aren't able to fulfill all preorders. It's a nightmare owning these valks now, so if you want one at a decent price, you have to pretty much camp out. Unfortunately, because of the time zones, when they go up for preorder in Japan, it's usually the middle of the night here in North America. Worse if you are on the East coast.

[mikeblizered]

Hello, I think you are lucky to have Macross as gift from your girlfriend.I saw the pictures of the toy that are displayed.Well, I can say $150 is a good price to buy it.Nice collection indeed.

[pud333]

Thanks! VF-171 is being released at the end of the month, so expect another review soon!

[SanMiguel]

great review its nice to see theres still some love on this valks/mechs in CND....im a big Macross junkie since the 80's era!!!

[solo0525]

Sweet reviews .. Makes me wanna start collection new macross stuff !!

[pud333]

great review its nice to see theres still some love on this valks/mechs in CND....im a big Macross junkie since the 80's era!!!

Sweet reviews .. Makes me wanna start collection new macross stuff !!

Thanks! I'm just glad people are reading this thread. Judging from the number of views, it looks like people definitely are. I find with most North American sites, the focus is generally on super heroes or Transformers, which I understand, since many of these Japanese high end toys are killer expensive due to the ridiculous exchange rate, and inability of these companies to sell these in our market, so I never know how these reviews are recieved.

Also, if you start collecting one, you're opening yourself up to a very expensive world where you may not be able to stop... I began thinking, "I'll just get one VF-1S..." That was a couple years ago when I was a couple thousand dollars richer. :rofl:

I'll be doing more reviews soon as more valks are released. So far for 2012, I'll be getting the VF-171, VF-25G, VF-17D (maybe), VF-4G, and possibly the RVF-25 if Bandai gets around to releasing that one this year.

[pud333]

Woah, speaking of new valks:

VF-171 to be released very soon. Oh. My. God. I may need a moment alone for this. :p

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/1-1.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/2-1.jpg

With armour and weapons pack, to be released later this year:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/3.jpg

VF-17D with Super Pack in the upper left corner, VF-19F in the bottom left, and the VF-4G coming at the end of the month. Prototype image only. Wow. This is a great year to be a Macross fan! :bow:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/4-2.jpg

[pud333]

My reaction when I got my VF-171 EX Nightmare Alto custom from Bandai. MWAHAHAHA!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/s8wZJ.gif

Okay, on with the review: The VF-171 EX Nightmare was one of the big reasons why I loved Macross Frontier. The VF-171 is a variation on the VF-171 cannon fodder version, which has a different colour and head sculpt. These are the valks that the New UN Spacy (NUNS) uses in the Frontier show to fight the enemy. Alto pilots this later on in the series, and thus this white EX version is considered a hero valk.

Packaging:

The VF-171 comes in your standard Bandai valkyrie packaging. It comes in a styrofoam tray with a generic non-SMS stand, extra fixed hands, extra set of hard plastic head lazers, gun pod, pilot, hand covers, and an instruction manual.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00837.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00838.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo-22.jpg

Fighter mode: As you can see, the VF-171 certainly resembles the VF-17 quite a bit. It's like if you took the nose of the VF-25, and stuck it on the VF-17, then put it on a diet. The fighter mode is extremely tight and very streamlined. I think this is the best mode of the three. It's simply gorgeous, and Bandai really did an amazing job. The glossy white plastic is beautiful and the black and red tampo printing really looks sharp. This thing is infinitely swooshable, folks!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00781.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00779.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00778.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00782.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00783.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00790.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00794.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00791.jpg

Gerwalk mode: Gerwalk mode is typical of valkyries, but the really long legs of the valk make it look a bit spindly. Stilly, very nice and solid, with a good looking A-stance.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00798.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00797.jpg

Transformation: The transformation is incredibly tricky. I HIGHLY recommend you follow step by step everything in the instruction book. Don't assume anything. There are a whole bunch of little pieces that you need to move aside in order before doing something else, or you risk snapping them off. A few times some panels fell off, but luckily they were meant to fall off if too much force is used. Other panels, like some small black panels under the shoulder, aren't meant to pop off, so be very careful! Because this toy is very tight, you also have to be careful about the hip joints. The legs were so tight they barely moved at first, so you have to carefully massage it lose by wiggling the leg a bit at a time. Eventually I took a screwdriver to it and losened the joints a bit before retightening. Unfortunately, this is the problem with Bandai's metal ball joints rubbing against metal sockets.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00804.jpg

[pud333]

Battroid mode: this is what you get when you get a football player with skinny legs. Battroid mode is great looking, albeit a bit top-heavy. The figure is very dynamic with excellent articulation. Good enough to rival Yamato's VF-17S! Definitely not as agile or sleek looking as the VF-25 Messiah valkyries, but then again, it's not really meant to be. In the show, these things are used by NUNS as essentially "good enough for now" fighters.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00839.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00812.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00807.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00843.jpg

While the stand is very typical of Bandai stands, the battroid attachment is terrible. But I guess it does the job.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00824.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00842.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00841.jpg

Features:

Awesome, sharp looking head sculpt. I love the split clear visor. Just an overall great design, probably one of the best head designs in Macross.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00818.jpg

Boob cannons: the chest cannons are articulated on ball joints (something that Yamato's VF-17 didn't have). It's completely unnecessary, but I guess its nice to be able to point your nipples in opposite directions. Reminds me of this girl I once dated for a brief period of time, lol!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00822.jpg

Diecast in the feet.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00796.jpg

Partsforming: Like the VF-17S, there is a tiny bit of partsforming. The hands are hidden in fighter mode with little plastic covers. They come off and the hands slide out. Just a minor thing, but it would have been nice for Bandai to include an extra pair just in case you lose one.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00795.jpg

Little Alto:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00784.jpg

Issues:

Beneath the wings, you see they are held in with pins. I have heard from others that their pins are very loose and they fall out all the time during transformation. Some even had them missing on the plane, only to find them sitting in the styrofoam tray! So be very careful when transforming, to not lose them, or else you are hooped. I wish Bandai would have given us extra pins just in case. Luckily mine are solid and they haven't fallen out yet. Why did Bandai do this? There is an armour pack coming out in December that has a pair of swappable wings with hardpoints underneath to stow the missles. I don't know why they decided to go with swappable wings, but it's stupid. They should just do what Yamato does and put the hardpoints under the wings and be done with it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00833.jpg

If you take a look under the shoulder and next to the one chest cannon, there is a very slender piece of white plastic. Be careful, because that feels like it can break when transforming or handling. Also, there is a thin black piece of plastic (you can't really see in that photo, but it's there), where it folds and slides underneath the white piece of plastic. Again, another potential break point. So once again, follow the manual and take your time!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00832.jpg

Another potential problem is the hip bar. (you can see it in the photo above) The hip bar is actually two metal pieces that fit together like male and female ends, and it then moves as one. (The hip bar on the 17 is one single piece). Well, the left hip on mine is loose. Basically if I pick up the valk, the left leg swings a bit. Not that big of a deal, since it doesn't interfere with the valk in any way. It's just odd. On another forum, there were five of us that have this same problem. And there is no way all five of us broke our valks. (It's not broken; it's just that the male and female ends don't quite fit together anymore or they are off track). So this means it is a design flaw. So look out for that. Chances are your valk will either have it or it won't. It doesn't seem to matter how careful you are.

[pud333]

Comparison:

This part is exciting, as this is the first time we could compare modern 1/60 scale valkyries between Bandai and Yamato.

Fighter mode: this is where the two valks are best compared. The fighter modes are similar in size - the 17D is slightly bigger. However, the 17S is MUCH heavier, and MUCH thicker.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00785.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00786.jpg

They may look similar, but when you handle the 17S, then handle the 171, you can really tell the difference. The 17S certainly has more junk in the trunk. This is an old photo and the angle is different, but you get the idea:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo4-37.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00779.jpg

The bottom of the fighter is where the 171 is superior. While both fighters are tight, the 17S has the metal knee joints revealed. On an all black fighter, this is an eyesore to me. But hey, I guess I don't look at the bottom very often, so whatever. The 171 is designed better in this aspect, so kudos to Bandai on that front. They found a way to hide the knee joints with this little plastic knee cap piece. Great idea!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00787.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00788.jpg

Gerwalk: The 171 is actually taller in gerwalk just due to the longer legs. The back wing area on my 17S sags a bit, which is annoying, but the 171 is solid thanks to a better engineered stabilizing joint on the underside of the valk.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00800.jpg

From the top, both look just as gappy though.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00802.jpg

Fighter mode: The 17S is just huge. It's a tank compared to the 171. It certainly is the older, bigger brother of the two. What a beast! The all-black look also makes it way more menacing than the 171. That said, the 171 looks very light on its feet.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00808.jpg

Articulation: Both toys have fantastic articulation. The same, in fact. Just brilliant!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00809.jpg

Gunpods: The 171 gunpod is smaller, but it also doesn't compress. The 17S gunpod, despite being compressed, is still way bigger, which is appropriate when you see the battroid modes. The 171 gunpod also doesn't come apart, as it is stowed underneath in fighter mode. The 17S stores the gunpods in the thick legs, just like on the show. I don't believe I have ever seen the 171 stow the guns in the legs on the show. And really, there's no way they could since the legs are so skinny.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00830.jpg

Final thoughts:

- The VF-171 is amazing. Just amazing. Is it as good as the renewal VF-25s? Unfortunately, the transformation is the only thing holding it back. I just feel it is too complicated and too finicky to really enjoy it since you need to get everything exactly right. I can already tell I won't be transforming this one much. For a brief second I had flashes of the YF-21 transformation nightmares. And you all know how much I LOVED that process. (Don't worry though, it's not THAT bad.) That said, it is one tight toy.

- Nowhere near as heavy or sturdy feeling as the VF-17

- Bandai over-engineered in certain areas where it was unnecessary to me (shoulders and hips), and under-engineered in others where they should have spent extra time (eg: non collapsible gun pod).

- The diecast hip joints are a bit loose on mine. This is sort of annoying in battroid mode since one leg sort of sways a bit on its own when moved.

- The Yamato VF-17S is still better as a toy, IMO. Best of both worlds - easy and fun transformation, sturdy and heavy - you really can tell where your money went. However, the 171 is really good, and I got mine from Amiami for about 10,290 yen. Compare that to 21,800 yen price tag of the 17S. Is the 17S worth double the price of the VF-171? No. Yamato clearly needs to re-evaluate how much they are charging for their valks, because Bandai really stepped up their game in the past year with great, yet not-so-crazily-priced Macross products.

- The VF-171 sold out in a flash, just like the previous Bandai valks. Trying to get close to retail for this thing is impossible now. I say if you can find a good deal on it somewhere, go for it. It's a great toy.

- Should you buy this over the 17S? Ultimately, it depends on what you are looking for in a toy and your budget. I want a toy that looks good but is fun to play with. The 17S wins that department with its smooth, easy transformation. The 171, however, is cheaper and probably appeals aesthetically more to the masses. It's up to you, but IMO, the 17S edges out the 171 overall. Yamato has the experience making these things, and it shows. It should, after all, since they've had many years of trial and error to get it right. Regardless, you can't lose with either valkyrie. I love both of these valks.

[Pascal]

Kickass review man, many thanks!

So how different is the transformation between the 17S and the 171?

[pud333]

Thanks! The main difference is the torso and the hips. The torso slides easily up and down and it's tougher to lock down. The 17 is pretty straightforward where as the 171 has more flaps and you have do things specifically in order or else you might break something. Also even though both use similar bars for the hips, the 171 doesnt have to move the hip bar much; it's mostly about rotating the hips. The 17 is definitely easier and you can fiddle with it more without fear of breakage.

The real challenge is transforming back to fighter. The 171 is really finicky as you need to get the arms just right.

[pud333]

It's been a couple months since my last Macross review, so let's get to it!

Here i have Michael's VF-25G Messiah from Macross Frontier, made by Bandai in their DX Chogokin line. Let's just get this out of the way: this is a beautiful valk. Bandai has another homerun.

The box:

Not much to say here, but your typical Bandai box.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01003.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01004.jpg

Packaging and accessories:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01001.jpg

The VF-25G comes with a stand, instruction booklet, the sniper rifle, extra replaceable hands, knife (which sheathes inside the shield), grappling hooks, a tiny Micheal figure, with his pseudo girlfriend, Klan Klang in her human-sized micronian form.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01030.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01005.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01007.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01006.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01022.jpg

Fighter mode:

The fighter mode looks pretty much exactly like every other messiah, except for the blue paint job, which makes this toy look really sharp. Also, you have the oversized sniper rifle that Bandai has miraculously managed to stow away beneath the fighter even with the landing gears down. This was achieved by moving the gun back further. Not 100% anime accurate, but whatever, it works, and you really won't notice it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01009.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01013.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01010.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01011.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01014.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01015.jpg

The gunpod attaches onto a different connector than the other VF-25 valks, but that's because the gunpod is completely different than the other ones.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01021.jpg

[pud333]

Gerwalk mode: the gun shows away easily underneath. You can put the gun in its hand, but it is so long, it is kind of awkward. Still looks badass though.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01027.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01028.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01029.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01025.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01023.jpg

Michael and Klan Klang. Like the other valks, it comes as a one person valk, but you can remove the plastic cockpit piece to reveal an extra seat, where you can put his girlfriend in.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01020.jpg

Battroid mode: As you can see, the gunpod is really, really long. Maybe Michael is compensating for something, haha. It is what sets Michael apart from the other pilots in the squadron. He's always portrayed as getting the kill shot in the anime.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01031.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01032.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01033.jpg

Here's where the valkyrie gets really awesome. Normally I have my valks in fighter mode, but with Michael's, I am going to keep him in battroid. The sniper rifle transforms when being used in battroid mode. As usual in anima, the gun looks needlessly complicated, but that's what makes it so cool.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01034.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01035.jpg

The headsculpt has a decidedly alien, cyclops look to it.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01036.jpg

[pud333]

The grappling hooks are used in the anime to quickly tether Michael to a solid surface, like an asteroid, so he can get the kill shot. They are individually articulated at the end. A really, really nice touch by Bandai. They really didn't need to have the grappling hooks, but it is awesome they did it anyway.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01037.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01041.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01040.jpg

The kill shot. Michael never misses... well, almost never.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01042.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC01044.jpg

Final thoughts: This is just an awesome toy. The sniper gun and grappling hooks really set this toy apart from the other VF-25s. The quality control on this toy is much better than previous Bandai releases. The paint is perfect, the joints are nice and tight, but not too tight; nothing is bent or broken or warped, no loose wings, etc.

My only real issue with the toy are the vents. They're not painted. This is really strange. You can see in fighter mode the white vents and it makes no sense why they wouldn't paint them, when on previous valks they did. Eh. A small quibble on an otherwise amazing looking toy. Oh, and also, the canopy is way more purple than Alto's or Ozma's valks. I wish Bandai would keep these things a little more consistant. Alto's canopy was a plain canopy and he had a purple gunpod, Ozma's was slightly purple with a black gunpod, and now Michael's is a bright purple canopy. Again, small things. Really, the sniper rifle and grappling hooks give this toy an added dimension of fun.

Buy it if you can find it. I paid about $170 for this. Unfortunately, this is already going for over $300 on ebay now. As with previous Bandai Macross valks,t he preorder window lasted mere minutes before selling out on every site.

One thing I did want to end on, is the beauty of these toys. I truly look at each valkyrie as a piece of transforming art. They've changed my view on what transforming robots can be like. Which is why it is so disappointing sometimes to see how much trouble Hasbro has creating transforming planes that look good (eg: Transformers). Meh. It is what it is, I guess.

[pud333]

I've had this for a couple months I think. I didn't realize I never posted the review until now. Huh. Anyway, what I have here is the VF-25S Armoured Parts from Bandai. Let's get to it.

Packaging:

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/photo-24.jpg

Besides the armour, it comes with additional stand attachment pieces, missiles, and replacement missile pod covers.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00887.jpg

Fighter mode:

This thing is a beast. The armour is very easy to put on, it clips on nicely and it seems pretty snug. You can't swing the valk around or anything, but you can swoosh it with no problems. (Yes, I do swoosh my valks. #noregrets). in the anime Macross Frontier, the armour is used to boost speed and weapons, and can be ejected from the valk at any point.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00916.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00917.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00918.jpg

The stand is very helpful here. While I generally don't like these stands - I prefer more dynamic stands like the flexstands or the Yamato launch stands - they are very helpful here simply due to how heavy this valkyrie is with all the armour on. Each of the individual boosters are articulated, so you can adjust them how you like, similar to how they function in the anime, giving the fighter the ability to make quick and sudden adjustments during dogfights.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00927.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00930.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00929.jpg

The details are nice, and the paint application is very well done. So far no major problems.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00928.jpg

The leg armour has an additional set of articulated landing gear bult into it, instead of just folding over top and leaving holes in the armour for the landing gear to come out of. It's very cool, and when closed up, provides a seamless look.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00914.jpg

The armour is so heavy, that they provided an additional plastic bar that is required if you want to keep the legs together in fighter mode. You only get one, so don't lose it!

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00931.jpg

[pud333]

Gerwalk mode:

Gerwalk mode is sort of difficult to pull off without the stand, but once you get it, the toy is tight enough not to fall over. You just have to find its center of balance.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00905.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00903.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00912.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00911.jpg

When you have the armour, you have to really make sure to transform the valkyrie properly. You can't really miss any steps, like setting the bar in gerwalk mode to support up the back half of the plane. You can get away without doing this normally, but the bar has to be wedged in there with the armour on or else the back half of the plane will fold down.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00906.jpg

Battroid mode:

I honestly tried to set it up in battroid mode without the stand, but it basically kept collapsing, since it is so back-heavy. A stand is a must for this mode.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00891.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00892.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00893.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00890.jpg

The little missile bays open up. As you can see, this is where the valk looks the most menacing. It's just awesome how armed to the teeth this thing is.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00935.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00936.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00902.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00933.jpg

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00898.jpg

There was some debate as to how the chest missile bays opens up (inside-out, or outside-in). Well, Bandai gives you spare covers so you can do both.

http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m616/pud333/DSC00889.jpg

Final thoughts: I really love this set. The armour is just great, and it fits on perfectly. The only trouble is with the vent covers, which pops off easily. A big plus is you can transform the valk with the armour on. However, it is very, very heavy, so it puts extra pressure on the joints. The version 1 armour from a few years back was so heavy it broke some joints, and while so far there have been no reports of broken joints, I don't risk it. I usually take off the armour before transforming. Already, some joints are loose because of how heavy the armour is. I figure it's better to not tempt fate.

Because the stand is a requirement, I wish Bandai had given us some clear attachments so the base can stay black, but the rest would be clear so it would better emulate the visual of flying.

Overall, it's a great set, and a must-have, as far as I'm concerned, since Ozma's valk is rarely seen in the anime without the armour. These sets are made-to-order, so if you hadn't ordered one through a proxy buyer (unfortunately us North Americans have to rely on such services - and pay for them), it might be tough to get at a fair price now. I paid 9500 yen from Tokyo-Hunter, which is about $118 CDN. Pricey, yes, but unfortunately that's the name of the game with proxy buying. These days, some places are asking as much as double the original price, which is nuts.

[dinga]

$118 is decent. I bought a non-armoured version for just under $300. Got to try your Tokyo-Hunter.

[pud333]

Tokyo-hunter has one left it seems for about $135. Still better than some places, but price definitely went up.

Nippon-Yasan is also good for these sorts of exclusives, but they tend to jack the price way up after release. If you ever get the chance to preorder, they are usually one of the best because in the beginning they are competitive, and they give you the option to pay later, which is always a bonus.