09.18.08

Yamato 1/48 Super VF-1J Releases

Posted in 1/48, Macross/Robotech TMS, VF-1, VT, VE Valkyrie, Yamato at 5:57 am by micronian

REVIEW (Updated): Yamato pulls out the stops

Packaging & Extras (5/5)
The boxes for these releases are even larger than the boxes for the original which shouldn’t be too surprising considering it comes with all of the goods the original did plus TV-style fastpacks.  The boxes still feel flimsy and over-sized and feature a flap that reveals a plastic window further revealing the goods inside.  The velcro from the first 1/48 releases was dropped after the Super Hikaru so the M&M boxes don’t have it.  Personally, I wish Yamato would stop attaching instructions and decals on the back of the inner tray box because it makes taking the inner tray out and putting it back in a little tougher and increases the odds of ripping the flimsy box.  With this box you get all three types of missiles (individual, box, reflex), all the micro missiles for the fastpacks, the fastpacks (not strike), pilot, gun & strap, TV-style fixed posed hands, and instructions/decals/insert.  A picture of the Hikaru TV pilot is provided below.

 

Charm & Collectability (4/5)
It’s been a while since these supers were released and they haven’t been reissued once… but that probably just means that Yamato is planning a reissue soonI know I’ve seen a fair amount of clamoring for the Max release already and certainly Miria is becoming scarce now too.  Hikaru has been issued and reissued individually which seemed to drive down the demand for his super offering although it too is pretty much sold out universally.   (9/08 – M&M have now been reissued once but it looks like we may never see a Super Hikaru remake as the 1/60 version 2 Super Hikaru is due out momentarily).  As the biggest and most complex rendition of the super valk so far it’s no wonder that fans want them for both their charm and collecitibility. One bonus to buying these parts is that the toys function perfectly fine on their own so you can feel free to attach their super armor to other 1/48 VF-1 toys as demonstrated above.  Below is a picture showing the slight difference in color from the DYRL strike/fast Parts sold individually and (on the right) the TV fast packs included with these offerings as well as the physical difference between a DYRL arm armor and a TV version.  A picture is also provided of the backpack reinforcement which is identical for all valks and helps prevent the backpack from falling backward under the weight of those magnificently detailed boosters (third picture provided).

 

Sculpt, Detail, & Paint (9/10)
I understand that the original Super/Strike Parts didn’t have the large squadron signifier already applied because those parts were meant to be applied to any of the valks that had been released.  What’s the excuse on these TV valks?  These valks come with fastpacks custom designed for the toy they’re with so there’s no real excuse for not detailing them a little better.  Other than that, this toy is fan-diddily-tastic in respect to sculpt, detail, and paint.  I must say, I especially like the hues used in the Max & Miria valks.  One bummer about the Max & Miria valks is that the clip that holds the backpack in place is white which makes it stand out way too much, it should have been cast in the same plastic as the body of the valks.  There’s also a little bit of over-spray present on the M&M valks but only in areas that are only exposed during transformation.  These valks all also look great without their fast packs.  If you have an Angelbirds release you may want to strip Max down and place the fast packs on that plane as pictured above the C&C section.  The TV fast packs do have all the features of the Fast Packs that are sold individually (with the exception that no strike cannon is offered here).

 

Design (9/10)
After some extensive handling of these valks I’m convinced I may be scoring it too high in this category.  There are a few items that were quite irritating to me.  First, the noseplugs are still a pain when transforming from battloid mode back to GERWALK or fighter.  I actually had to use tweezers to get the plugs back down out of the nose, It would have been much nicer if some sort of spring-loaded mechanism could have been used.  Second, the TV Fastpacks don’t grab the gun in fighter mode nearly as well as the fastpacks that are sold separately.  Third, the intakes don’t lock into the body of the valk well enough in fighter and GERWALK modes.  If you attempt to reposition the legs there’s a good chance you’re going to unhook the connection of the intakes.  This makes positioning the vehicle in GERWALK pretty frustrating as so many pieces are attached loosely so, as you try to get the intake back where it belongs, you get to watch all the missiles and missile booms fall off and go rolling away.  This is still the best designed toy yet but there’s room for improvement here.  (9/08 – While the new 1/60 VF-1 version 2 is a much more solid toy it’s also a slightly more basic toy in the way of features so I’m going to allow the 1/48 to maintain a half point advantage in this category).

Durability & Build (8/10)
Well, it’s good to see the wingflaps and nosecones are much better attached than they were on the original toy releases.  Unfortunately, not much else fits great on this toy and it seriously detracts from its enjoyment.  As mentioned in the design section, the reflex missiles are EXTREMELY loose at times, the missile booms have a tendency to plop off, and the gun doesn’t fit snugly in the arm armor.  In battroid mode none of these problems matter at all and the toy is an absolute joy but the transformation from battroid can quickly become irritating and play would be impossible with the reflex missiles attached.  This toy also suffers from the rubber seeping out of the hip joints as the original releases did (which can easily be fixed).  One other little bummer about this toy is that the pieces that see the most wear are painted metal and are bound to chip with a few a few transformations.  This isn’t really such a big deal since those pieces are hidden in just about all modes but if you’re looking to sell a toy you’ve transformed a few times this will definitely decrease its value.

Articulation (9/10)
Top notch with only a few minor exceptions and those exceptions are minor enough where I don’t think any perfectly transforming VF would be able to overcome them.  It can be occasionally hard to get the toy to stand up perfectly straight in a completely stiff manner but posing is fun and easy.

Total Score (44/50)
Hikaru, Max, & Miria received the Super VF-1J treatment.  The forearms on this valk are somewhat different from the forearms on the previous efforts apparently as part of Yamato’s efforts to make this a TV version of the valks.  Strangely enough, there’s no such thing in the original series as a Super Hikaru VF-1J because by the time the super armor was available Hikaru had already made the jump to Focker’s VF-1S.  DYRL? does have a Hikaru VF-1J in full GBP for a brief moment but no super there either (and, obviously, Hikaru is not piloting the “Hikaru” Vf-1J that is shown in DYRL?).  Obviously the TV armor can be removed and applied to any other valk.  All-in-all, this is a great toy… I just really wish it held together a lot better. 

NOTE: This review has been update twice – The first time I added a bunch of pictures.  The second time I cleaned up the pictures, merged a few together, and added more pictures.  I also updated the content where appropriate.

Original Post: June 28, 2006

FIrst Update: November 4, 2006

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