03.01.10

Yamato 1/60 2.0 VF-1D

Posted in 1/60, Macross/Robotech TMS, VF-1, VT, VE Valkyrie, Yamato at 6:02 am by micronian

Observations & Critique: Picking up idols is easy with giant hands

 

This is my first 1/60 2.0 that didn’t come with fast packs of some variety and I was surprised to find the box is a bit larger than I expected, even larger than the original 1/60 packaging (not the version 1 VT-1, VE-1 packaging though, those boxes were so big they were like a cruel joke on collectors everywhere). The good news is that this is a true collector’s package with the flip top that reveals the toy within. The pilot figures are a huge step up from the original VF-1D but the toy does come with a warning that Hikaru’s arms need to be tucked properly for the cockpit to close (that’s what I assume from the pic, I don’t read kanji). There are two sets of TV-style fixed-pose hands, a gun, all varieties of missiles, a connection so the cockpit can be removed and attached to a battroid arm, and attachments for the DYRL launch arm display stand (sold separately). Short of an included display stand or ground crew figures I think Yamato gives you pretty much everything you could need.

 

The VF-1D is that classic valk that collectors always pine for but manufacturers always shy away from since it’s not a hero valk and requires slightly different molding to be done properly. Yamato has given us the first mass-produced, perfect transformation, and accurate VF-1D toy. It’s tough to say how well this toy will sell, but Yamato did milk the mold once already with a “Virgin Road” Max & Miria wedding edition scheme.

 

Any discussion of a V2 1/60 should start with the acknowlegement that these toys are excellent depictions of the vehicles in the show and that all criticisms beyond that are nit-picking for diehard fanatics. These toys feature the tightest lines I’ve ever seen on transforming toys and amazing quantities of pre-painted detail (check out the little triangles near the cockpit). The detail work is fantastic from the pilot figures, the cockpits they sit in, to the thrusters in the feet. That all said, let’s do some nit-picking. First, the canopy isn’t really correct, the line art shows the canopy being much larger than a standard valk’s canopy but I don’t see how this toy could have had an accurate canopy and still featured an integral heatshield. On the plus side, the canopy is the tiniest amount larger than a standard V2 and the molding has been repositioned to resemble the line art. It looks to me like all the major differences between the line art of the VF-1D and standard VF-1s have been noted although usually not to the same extent as can be witnessed in the line art. In the end the minor concessions Yamato had to make to the severity of the differences unique to the VF-1D to retain all the great aspects of the V2 toy are completely minor and easily over-looked. The mere fact that those differences show up to any degree on this toy is worthy of lauding.

 

My one major gripe about the V2 has always been that Yamato decided to put the head in the wrong spot in battroid. While I love these toys and am not horribly bothered by their heads while I handle them I hate looking at my battroid pictures later. Perhaps the best aspect of the VF-1D is that the head is supposed to be elevated to the area where all V2 toys have their heads with the chest extended upward to cover the back of the fuselage. As a result, my one major pet peeve with this line of toys doesn’t exist in this example and I am thrilled. You get all the other V2 perks like the removeable front of the fighter (and now you have the fighter that utilizes that feature in the show) without a single notable design flaw. Of course, this toy is made to work with the super/strike packs that are available separately as well.  One note of interest for any potential repaints with different pilots, there’s no space for the back pilot’s feet.

 

Update 3/1/2010, I’m going through all my 1/60 V2 Yamato reviews to warn people about the durability issues.  When I first reviewed this toy I noted that I had no specific concerns related to this slightly altered mold of the existing VF-1 toys.  The one big question was, and remains, “how are the shoulders going to hold up?”  Fortunately, the 1D still has very few reports of broken shoulders.  Unfortunately, Yamato’s track record on this toy isn’t as excellent as it should be.  I compiled the following list for my Hikaru+GBP review and I’m including it now in all my V2 reviews in the efforts to keep anyone stopping by my site before making a purchase as informed as possible.  So, here’s what we know about Yamato’s V2 line’s shoulders so far:

1) Focker VF-1S with Super Parts (V2) – Worst shoulders ever, avoid
2) Focker VF-1S stand alone (V2) – bad shoulders
3) VF-1A Hikaru with Super Parts (V2) – bad shoulders
4) VF-1A Hikaru stand alone (V2) – bad shoulders
5) VF-1J Hikaru with Super Parts (V2) – Potentially bad shoulders (far less frequency than the first four releases.. allegedly Yamato urged the factories to be more careful at this point… hell of a fix.
6) VF-1J Hikaru stand alone (V2) – potentially bad shoulders
7) VF-1S Hikaru with Super Parts (V2) – potentially bad shoulders
8′) VF-1D Trainer (V2) – I haven’t heard of a single broken one… rumor is that this release has smaller shoulder pins but I can’t substantiate that
9) VF-1S Max (V2) – Rumored to be safe (if you have any insight, please leave a comment)
10) VF-1A Max TV (V2) – Rumored to be safe
11) VF-1A Max DYRL (V2) – Rumored to be safe
12) VF-1A Hayao TV (V2) – Rumored to be safe
13) VF-1A Hayao DYRL (V2) – Rumored to be safe
14) VF-1J Cannon Fodder (V2) – Rumored to be safe
15) VF-1A Cannon Fodder (V2) – Rumored to be safe
16) VT-1 SuperOstrich (V2.1) – potentially bad shoulders (!)
17) VF-1S LowVis (V2.1) – Rumored to be safe
18) VE-1 Elintseeker (V2.1) – Rumored to be safe (review pending)
19) VF-1D Virgin Road (V2.1?) – Rumored to be safe (Let me know if you own one if it’s a V2 or V2.1)
20) VF-1J Miria (V2.1?) – Rumored to be safe but has some delicate paint
21) VF-1J Max (V2.1?) – Rumored to be safe but has some delicate paint
22) VF-1S Focker Anniversary (V2) – Rumored to be safe (review pending)
23) VF-1S Hikaru Anniversary (V2) – Rumored to be safe
24) VF-1J Hikaru with GBP (V2) – Reissue of stand alone with potentially bad shoulders

 

Be prepared to re-live all your favorite moments from the first episodes of Macross. While no toy will probably be as flexible as the seemingly human battroid from the cartoon, you should be able to pull off the scenes you loved. When I first reviewed my 1J I was frustrated by the legs not clicking all the way forward and making GERWALK look very stiff, my 1D’s legs aren’t as stiff so I didn’t have that problem at all this time around.

 

Do you like the VF-1D? If you said Yes then you should probably already have one of these on order. It’s also good to see that there’s no premium for the 2 seaters, the MSRP is the same as one-seaters.  There are no critical flaws that make this toy suck. Yamato took the best VF-1 toy on the market (um, if it weren’t for the craptastic shoulders) and tweaked it for a D variant and the result is the best D variant available (to nearly no one’s surprise I’m sure).  If you are contemplating buying a V2 VF-1D this does appear to be one of the safer V2 toys (that goes for the Virgin Road variant as well).  Just the same, the speculation is now that Yamato will be revisiting the V2 line and creating a V2.5 line with increased details and goodies and, if they have any sense at all, improved shoulders.

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