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Old 12-05-2010, 04:51 AM   #17
pud333
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.
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Last edited by pud333; 12-05-2010 at 06:30 AM.
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