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.
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.
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.
