Re: Macross Toy Reviews
 

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.

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The kill shot. Michael never misses... well, almost never.

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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.

Re: Macross Toy Reviews
 

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:

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Besides the armour, it comes with additional stand attachment pieces, missiles, and replacement missile pod covers.

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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.

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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.

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The details are nice, and the paint application is very well done. So far no major problems.

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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.

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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/...3/DSC00931.jpg

Re: Macross Toy Reviews
 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Re: Macross Toy Reviews
 

$118 is decent. I bought a non-armoured version for just under $300. Got to try your Tokyo-Hunter.

Re: Macross Toy Reviews
 

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.