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Old 11-01-2010, 12:56 PM   #11
racerguy76
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.as...ckerMacross083
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Old 11-01-2010, 01:37 PM   #12
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.
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Old 11-02-2010, 02:39 PM   #13
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.
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Old 11-02-2010, 08:52 PM   #14
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.
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Old 11-03-2010, 12:21 AM   #15
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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*
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Old 11-03-2010, 02:16 AM   #16
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

Quote:
Originally Posted by racerguy76 View Post
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.
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Old 12-05-2010, 04:51 AM   #17
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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.

1.jpg2.jpg
3.jpg

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.

4.jpg5.jpg6.jpg7.jpg

Gerwalk mode:

10.jpg11.jpg

Battroid mode:

12.jpg13.jpg14.jpg

Comparison pics with the 1/60 Yamato:

15.jpg16.jpg17.jpg

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.

8.jpg9a.jpg9.jpg

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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Old 12-05-2010, 05:00 AM   #18
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Re: 1/60 Macross Reviews

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.

A.jpgB.jpgC.jpg

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.

D.jpgE.jpg

Just because I've had some inquiries: The best places to look for deals on Macross toys are HLJ, Amiami, Angolz.
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Old 12-24-2010, 03:29 AM   #19
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Re: Macross Toy Reviews

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



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.

2.jpg3.jpg

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)

4.jpg

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.

5.jpg6.jpg7.jpg

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.

8.jpg9.jpg

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.

10.jpg

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. 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?

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.
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Old 12-24-2010, 03:43 AM   #20
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Re: Macross Toy Reviews

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)

A.jpgB.jpgC.jpg

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.

BB.jpg

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

CC.jpgCCC.jpg

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

D.jpgE.jpg

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.

F.jpg

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.
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