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Old 09-11-2010, 11:00 PM   #1
pud333
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Macross Toy Reviews

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.
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Old 09-12-2010, 12:44 AM   #2
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

Awesome. The price is the only thing keeping me from these beautiful figures.
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Old 09-12-2010, 02:05 AM   #3
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by racerguy76 View Post
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
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Old 10-06-2010, 11:36 PM   #4
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.

1.JPG

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.

9.JPG10.JPG

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.
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Old 10-06-2010, 11:58 PM   #5
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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

1.JPG

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.

2.jpg3.JPG

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 ). 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.

7.JPG8.JPG9.JPG

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.
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Old 10-16-2010, 11:26 PM   #6
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.

1.jpg

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.
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Old 10-24-2010, 08:45 PM   #7
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.
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Old 10-31-2010, 08:30 PM   #8
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.

1.jpg

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.

2.jpg

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.
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Old 10-31-2010, 11:49 PM   #9
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

These are all so beautiful. That's a great set you have there.
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Old 11-01-2010, 12:14 PM   #10
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.
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