Mack's Mechas

Welcome to Mack's Mechas; a blog focused on the reviews of mechanical managerie throughout the world of science fiction! Stay tuned for reviews, top lists and more from a variety of Gunpla, movies and Transformers! 

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Today's review: Transformers Studio Series Voyager ROTB Optimus Prime!

I had my eyes on this figure for a long time. But, given it was a Target exclusive release in the Buzzworthy Bumblebee line, I was not about to pay the ridiculous import uplift for him. So, when he hit shelves as a re-release in the standard lineup, I jumped at the chance to grab one.

This figure is a lukewarm experience for me. I love the robot mode, cannot fault it. The articulation is a bit iffy in the shoulders, but it can be worked with. The rest of the figure is really well jointed and very easy to get into some sick poses. Even the accessories have some really cool ways of attaching (well, the sword in any regards). The gun might be piss poor, but at least he has it. And it tabs on, rather than being a piece to fit into his hand and cover it as many other figures do.

The sword can he held normally, or pegged into the side of the arm, or you can use a smaller peg at the very end of the grip to tab it into his arm as if he's just deployed it movie style!

The axe came with Leader Class Optimus Primal, but at least he has it now.

The alt mode is where this figure loses me. The front of the cab looks great, but it is very clear that the legs and the kibble with them were very much an after thought. The rear of the truck in no way resembles one. I almost feel like if I could leave the blue shin pieces folded then it wouldn't look so bad.

I think, frankly, this figure and the Bumblebee Optimus are polar opposites of each other. One sacrifices a fully accurate robot mode for an excellent truck mode, the other sacrifices its truck form for an amazing figure.

I give Optimus 8/10 - If you can get past the alt mode appearance, then this is one to not pass up.

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Today's review: HGTO RX-77-2 Guncannon (Cucuruz Doan's Island version).

This is a kit I have had since its release last year, but only just got around to building. I'm glad I did, now, as this thing is immensely good and was well worth every penny I invested in it.

A retool of the Gundam: The Origin Guncannon Early Type, this kit now has some new parts to both help with its poseability and to give it a more screen accurate appearance reminiscent of the original Guncannon from 1979. This does mean that, like that original MS, it comes with very little in the way of accessories. But those it does come with are very well put together and a lot of fun to assemble.

The kit comes with the standard Guncannon long range beam rifle. A weapon just as powerful as the Gundam's own, but it has greater range at the cost of far less shots per E-Pac. The other accessories are two separate backpacks. One carries the typical shoulder cannons, using engineering similar the HGTO Guncannon early type and Guntank early type. The other carries the twin needle missile launchers which are actually really well detailed, with each needle missile sculpted individually in the tubes.

Articulation is excellent, but not without flaw. Like the previous Guncannon, the hip can easily come apart when trying to extend it for an ab crunch motion. But otherwise I've been able to get it into some decent poses and tried my best to fill out the photoset to show this.

I give this kit 9/10 - if you are willing to spare the extra cash, then between the bulk, articulation and accessories this is the better choice over the Revive kit of 2013.

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It's been a while since I've posted here consistently. The simplest reason?

I've been swallowed up by an addiction to No Man's Sky.

I've always loved sandbox games. But add to that space exploration, starship battles, extensive and mysterious lore plus some mechs on the side and evil robots and you've got my full attention!

I've been a very active member on the associated Reddit thread and have become a bounty hunter in the NMS Galactic community. These can be anything from finding a certain creature or ship for someone to taking down organised RP pirate attacks or reporting hackers.

If you see me about the Anomaly, come say hi! It's always great to meet new players! Who knows, I might have some spare parts or valuables to give, too :)

[macks-mechas]

Today's review: Marvel legends Deadpool!

CAPTAIN DEADPOOL! Nah, Just Deadpool...

Any who, where to begin with this guy. I had wanted a Marvel Legends Deadpool for the longest time and, since he was only available before in a 2 pack with incorrect guns, I waited for the inevitable re-release that would come. Now Deadpool finds himself as part of the Marvel Legends Legacy line so, like many people, I was not to miss out! Essentially, Legacy is going to be a collection of figures that will always be on shelves. Popular characters that should always be available to buy; Iron Man, Spider Man etc. All the top sellers and most popular basically.

Deadpool has excellent detail all over. Not one thing from his belt to his face is improperly painted. The only thing I've seen fans gripe over is that half the hands have the DP2 silver backing whilst the other half have the DP1 black backing. Makes no odds to me, really. The sculpted details are spot on, as well. His mask has a nice material finish and his chest has the damage to it we see on screen next to his right shoulder.

Articulation in this figure has allowed me to execute tonnes of onscreen images above. Double jointed neck, butterfly shoulders, excellent ab crunch, waist joint, double jointed knees and elbows... he has the lot you'd hope for. All making the playability of this figure as good as could be expected.

Accessories are abundant as well with Deadpool. He has both katanas, which store on his back, both Desert Eagle guns and his dagger to round out weapons. He also comes with 4 sets of hands (sword hands, gun hands, closed fists and expressive open hands) as well as his unicorn plush for... yeah, for that.

I give Deadpool 10/10 - complete bargain for the price and well worth it if you don't already have this nutjob!

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Today's review: Marvel Legends Deluxe No Way Home Green Goblin!

I may be a bit biased as the Green Goblin was always my favourite Spider-man villain, not to mention Willem Dafoe is my favourite incarnation of the character. But I think even with those aside this is a fantastic figure that is filled with detail, articulation and comes with all the accessories one could expect from the character and more!

Firstly I'll talk about the glider. Unlike the previous Marvel Legends Green Goblin (which I have since given away) this glider is much bigger and have way more articulate joints to it. Each wing features two pivot points, one of which is a ratchet joint, and the foot plates are fitted into their slots by pegs which both then peg into the bottom of the feet and have a foot latch as well. This allows the plates to rotate and rock side to side, allowing for some really nice poses when on the glider. It is, as can be seen, much bigger than the sky stick used by New Goblin in Spider-man 3.

The figure itself is absolutely covered in sculpted detail. The botched repairs to his armour have all been properly coloured and worn to show the haste of the patch job and the new weapons on his arms have been fully painted and don't hinder the figure's movements at all. The headsculpt is a striking likeness of Willem Dafoe, right down to the gap tooth.

Accessories are more than I expected for even a deluxe figure. The Goblin has his glider, a pumpkin bomb (the right size for once), the separating footplates, his goggles, an optional hood and an optional Green Goblin mask head (mine is very stiff and I have only managed to successfully get it on once, but given how hard it was to remove I opted not to try again).

The Green Goblin has some amazing articulation, although some joints are quite stiff. Much like my other Marvel Legends figures I found that the central torso ball joint was really tight and the same for at least one joint on each arm and leg. Although, as a plus, none of these are pin joints that will rust over time. I've been able to pull off most poses from the screenshots I had, even managing to stand the figure with Peter Parker wrapped around him punching his face. I would say that he would benefit from a foot rotation joint for the glider and butterfly joints in the shoulders, but otherwise the articulation is spot on.

I give Green Goblin 10/10 - I absolutely love this figure and it was definitely worth the Deluxe price point!

[macks-mechas]

Next review: Studio Series Deluxe class Nightbird!

This was a figure I was skeptical of when I saw its design, especially due to the lack of the wings and having only one of her signature swords. But after getting the figure in hand I have to say it is quickly becoming my favourite Terrorcon figure!

Firstly, unlike Mirage, the vehicle mode and robot mode were designed simultaneously with no compromises for the sake of the vehicle's appearance. She still looks like a very faithful rendition of the Nissan Skyline, even coming with the purple chrome wheels she sported on screen. It scales nicely alongside the other Terrorcons in vehicle mode and gives a nice transition between the deluxe, voyager and leader classes.

Transformation of this figure is simpler than it looks and very fun to do. I still have it on my desk to mess around with as I enjoy changing her from one form to the other. I would advise to watch the hinges on the door panels as they fold into the skirt, they do tend to catch sometimes. But otherwise the transformation is clean and easy to do.

Robot mode does sport kibble on her back, but they've tried to keep the figure as screen accurate as possible in the process. Nightbird's articulation here is excellent, with ankle pivots and a waist joint unlike others in the line. The backpack does tend to cause her to fall over in some poses, but just lean her slightly forward to compensate for this and she'll stay put.

Her only accessory, as mentioned, is a single sword. But she does have the clip for another on her hip and, if you'll notice, the wings on her back are mounted only by mushroom peg. It's as if Hasbro know that fans will make their own parts to suit and have made the addition of these easier for them on purpose!

I give Nightbird 8/10 - An excellent way to round out the main Terrorcons from Rise of the Beasts!

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Today's review: Studio Series deluxe class Mirage!

Like many people, I had been anticipating Mirage's Studio Series addition ever since watching Rise of the Beasts. But, like many, I had expected there to be some severe design cutbacks due to his on screen appearance being rather slender and more humanoid than his other Autobot counterparts.

However it turns out that the design choices for this figure were more to appease Porsche than to fit the figure's physique. Unlike other figures in the lineup, the main emphasis with Mirage's design was to homage the 1992 Carrera and then worry about robot mode after. As a result he has a lot of hanging kibble so as not to spoil sections of the car's design, which impacts the figure's stability and poseability as well.

The Carrera mode does look nice, but has a lot of easily visible seam lines due to the use of clear plastic for the majority of it. As such the silver paint was not applied fully across these parts to prevent scratching but at the cost of being a less solid looking alt mode.

Then we get on to transformation... Normally a transformer is fun to convert from one mode to the other, and I have found Mirage's transformation easier the more I do it. But it is not a fun figure to transform. There are many parts that have to be forced into place but due to their tight fitting and being constructed from clear plastic there is a risk of breakage down the line.

When in robot mode, Mirage does have some redeeming factors. The face sculpt is excellent and the placement of certain kibble is movie accurate. Articulation is very limited in the legs, but it can be worked with. This is helped especially by the ankle joints which are really flexible but really sturdy too. His accessories consist of just one of his twin blasters which fits nicely into either hand.

I give Mirage 3/10 - unless you really want a Carrera transformer or to complete your ROTB collection you're best to give him a miss.

[macks-mechas]

Today's review: Studio Series Gamer Edition Bumblebee!

This is the only figure from this line I actually wanted. It not only is a new take on the original (now very creaky and chipped) deluxe figure from 2010 but it is the only one of these new Studio Series takes that, so far, isn't a downgrade. Optimus has some good qualities but as many bad, whereas the original toy just needs an axe and its golden!

But onto Bumblebee. This toy has an amazing amount of sculpted detail across it and a decent amount of paint apps too. The vehicle mode holds steady and looks closer to the game vehicle than the original figure did, but the original was based on concept art after all. The vehicle mode can store all 3 weapons. The sword is really the only one out of place as when you had a weapon in game you could deploy it in vehicle hover mode so, for once, the exposed weapon on the hood is accurate!

Transformation is nifty, but do take care. I've already and broken and stressed 2 tabs because this thing REALLY wants to stay together as tight as possible. But when in robot mode you are left with a figure that is as close as I think we'll ever get to the mass shifting screen model.

Now, for this there needed to be a pay off somewhere. The old figure opted for a hefty, chunky, heavy backpack and inaccurate kibble on the arms. This one has opted for game accurate arms, backpack and legs in favour of a pot belly I shall dub 'oh lawd he comin!' Given the consensus online among fans I'm not the only one to think he looks like a Halloween car costume. That said he is really articulate and poses very well.

Plus he comes with a plethora of accessories! Unlike the... thing you got with the original this figure has his neutron blaster from the game, a plasma gun and his sword. The plasma gun is one I always remember favouring for its long distance shot and high power, but it was slow to reload if I recall. All three accessories are easily swapped out and can be used with any of the other Gamer Edition figures.

I used the last 5 photos to replicate some stills from the game's trailer and his concept pose.

I give Bumblebee 8/10 - If you'd prefer this figure as a different character then wait for the inevitable Cliffjumper to follow!

[macks-mechas]

Today's review: Studio Series Voyager Battletrap!

I will begin by saying that I love this character's design. Much like Scourge everything about him screams 'bad guy'. The huge grill, spikes everywhere and face sculpt all hearken to a character that is here to fuck shit up royally and that he does.

Firstly vehicle mode. I never thought pick up truck would make such an effective villain alt mode, but here it is. The colours look both fantastic as the Battletrap's colour scheme but also believable as an Earthbound vehicle. There are some downsides to this mode, though. The crane is unmovable and the arms are hanging out the back of the cab, sometimes causing a separation between the upper and lower halves of the doors.

Transformation is not so unique but very nifty, utilising a lot of unfolding segments and hiding of kibble to leave a clean robot mode. Again, like Scourge, he has a roof that is painted but cast entirely in clear plastic so do take care when transforming.

The robot mode is by far my favourite mode. Whilst many fans are not fond of the crane under arm parts I find they make great secondary melee weapons when unfolded. The wrecking ball attaches to the hand easily by wrapping round it much like Legacy Bulkhead's own. Articulation in this mode is very flexible and with few limitations. Compared to most Voyagers of the line with the amount of detail, paint and articulation I think they've provided us with one of the best Voyagers so far!

I give Battletrap 9.5/10 - Take care with the roof but otherwise he's a solid winner!

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Part 2 of ROTB Studio Series Scourge!

In robot mode Scourge is very menacing in appearance. Everything from his flaming chest, chrome mask, huge claw and cracked blade just scream 'bad guy'. The paint details carry over to this mode and really make his upper torso and arms stand out, but from the waist down he really lacks in the paint and detail department. That said, even in his final on screen design that was much the same anyways.

Scourge has little to no impedance on his articulation but I will say he could benefit from one or two more joints per arm. As you can see I've been able to match him up to quite a few of the on screen poses and replicate a few scenes too. He scales really well with other figures in the line and does a good job of standing freely without support.

He only has one accessory, that being his gun arm. In the final movie cut he has both a collapsed arm gun that he uses to fight the Autobots and Maximals but can also use his claw arm to release a pulsing disintegrator blast. The sword blade is permanently attached to his arm and has some real nice detail of its own, with cracks running down its length to really show its battle worn from the many fights he's taken on on behalf of Unicron.

I give Scourge 8/10 - He is an amazing addition to the Studio Series line but needs some careful handling when transforming.

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Today's review: Studio Series Leader class Scourge!

This is going to be a doozy, so I've split the photos across two parts. Not only is this one of the best characters I've seen in a Transformers film, but the figure in the Studio Series line really does him justice (despite working off of an earlier concept design for the character).

Vehicle mode is a huge Mad Max-esque truck mode with various kibble and bits hanging off of it. One of this figure's selling points is not only all of the additional sculpted details but also that they are all painted. Every chain and scuff has been given a coat of paint and decals applied for mud along his truck body. The weapon storage for the gun may seem odd, but it is actually canon to the movie truck mode:

Then comes the transformation. Well, this is where the figure has one almighty flaw that many have been the victim of. The entire cab of the truck / rear of the figure is made of clear orange plastic. This pulls off the tinted windows and evil look really well but there is a really tight hinge connecting the entire assembly to the figure's back that, in many cases, has cracked or even snapped off altogether. Due to this I haven't transformed mine more than twice. It is otherwise a very fun and simplistic transformation with a few unique twists to it.

Robot mode's review to come in part 2!

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Today’s review: Black Series Miggs Mayfeld (series 1)

Once again, a figure I picked up on sale. InDemandToys put him up for sale for £7.99, but given I had so many points saved from preordering Armada Optimus and Megatron I managed to save the money on postage and then some so he was only £7 overall.

I was really glad when Mayfeld returned for Mandalorian season 2. Of all the mercs in his group I always thought he was awesome. His costume design and unique backpack pistol remind me of the designs used for the old charge bounty hunters and, frankly, we don’t see enough of those designs like Dengar and Greedo in Star Wars anymore that make each character instantly recognisable.

The figure itself is really good. He is nicely poseable with plenty of articulation across his limbs and torso. The only limitation is the elbow joints. These actually look a bit odd when bent as they’re trying to replicate skin tight clothing.

Accessories are simple for this figure. he comes with 4 identical pistols and a backpack that holds a non removable 5th pistol. My only gripe with this backpack is that the arm cannot swivel much and if you move the harness too much it will fall out of its peg.

All in I give Mayfeld 8/10 - He’s the better rendition of the character in my opinion, your only other option is the same head on a Stormtrooper’s body.

[macks-mechas]

Today’s review: Black Series Deluxe Boba Fett (Book of Boba Fett recolour)

Now, when this figure came out I was skeptical. Mostly for the price range it was being released at. Both the prior deluxe Boba Fett and Cobb Vanth had a plethora of detail and the former has a good few accessories to match the price range. This figure, however, has very basic paint. I know it’s the new Boba Fett look and he’s repainted his armour, but for a deluxe figure I’d have expected more. More articulation, more accessories and more paint. Instead he is as basic as basic gets. For this reason I did not buy him until he was on sale for a greatly reduced price (£16 down from £35).

The figure itself does look great though. He has Boba’s side arm and his main blaster rifle too. The backpack, a remold of the previous, has both adjustable nozzles and a launching missile too. And, like any of the recent named mandalorian figures, he has a removable helmet and underneath is a scarred rendition of Temeura Morrison.

The articulation is a failing point for this figure though. His neck is extremely restricted by the cloth around it. Unlike other figures this is a fixed piece and unable to move independently. The arms, too, suffer joint loss compared to the other Boba Fett deluxe. Now he has lost the ability to bring his arms together through both a missing joint above the elbow and severely restricted butterfly joints. The legs and waist look like they should be the most restrictive, but by comparison I find them easier to pose than all of my other mandalorian figures to date.

While I find this figure impressive in hand, I can’t help but feel bad for people who paid the full whack for it and were practically cheated out of their money in the process. I mean it wouldn’t have been difficult to give us his bow staff and maybe a black melon or credits or something else to fill the gap. Even reuse the prior deluxe accessories and it would have been worthwhile.

I give Boba Fett 6/10 - he’s good but not worth the major price point.

[macks-mechas]

Today’s review: Star Wars Black Series Axe Woves!

This figure was actually a bargain find I had a few days ago. What with The Mandalorian season 3 giving Axe a leadership battle role and making him more of a new-age Pre Visla, I was stoked to find him on sale in GAME for only £12 vs his original £25 pricing. Online sales have been extortionate as he’s now more desirable and out of print.

Anyways, the figure himself is fantastic but not without flaw. I really like his articulation and the simplistic loadout of a backpack, helmet and pistol make him easy to display. But as he’s a re-use of an existing figure mold with some new parts there’s a lot of loose joints on him. The helmet, too, is very loose on the head. I’d say the biggest issue though is the backpack. It doesn’t secure right and always fall off when on display. I’ve since added a thickener to the joint but still it’s a little annoying.

That said I still love this figure. The paint apps are spot on and he’s a lot of fun to mess around with. Plus the head sculpt and its paint are perfect, very lifelike.

I give Axe Woves 7/10 - Some tighter joints and a better backpack would perfect this figure.

[macks-mechas]

Next review: HGAC Gundam Deathscythe!

Finally I have completed my HGAC Gundam collection! Once Epyon gets its time to shine I will have accumulated all the Gundams (not counting rebuilds).

The Deathscythe, by design, is the definition of unnecessary excess. It has massive bat-like shoulders, a coffin shaped shield and a beam scythe so huge it can reach whatever is standing next to it just by swiveling. But, forgoing this overindulgence of edgelord, this is still an awesome gunpla.

The articulation is much the same as the rest of the newer HGAC Gundams. Though it does have some points that are unique to this kit. In order to allow the arms to reach out to the sides properly the shoulder vernier engines can pivot inside and out of the way. The legs carry a similar mechanism to the MG Jesta in that the knees extend to allow the legs to bend 180 degrees without the knee pad hindering them.

The kit comes with two main accessories; the beam scythe with 2 blades and the shield with its own scissor beam blade. The shield has a point on its back which can be used to mount it to an action base, a nice display feature.

I give the Deathscythe 9/10 - another excellent Wing kit well worth the wait!

[macks-mechas]

Today’s review: HGAC Gundam Shenlong!

I won this kit in a contest held by Gunpla.co.uk and decided to use it as an experiment to build a kit using no stickers, opting instead for painted highlights to complete the kit’s appearance.

This kit was a fun build, as all the Wing kits have been so far. It uses the new waist design first seen in the Sandrock to give it extra ab crunch movement and, with a ball joint connected cockpit hatch, this articulation is boosted further to allow nothing to hinder its movement.

The dragon fang arm is designed so that it can extend and retract with no hindrance to the kit’s initial articulation. The forearm connects to the shoulder via a clip mechanism that allows the arm the same outwards movement as the left arm, meaning no articulation is lost to the gimmick.

Even then the dragon fang is further improved upon with the addition of the extension pieces we see in the anime:

The last accessory the kit comes with is the beam glaive. This signature weapon can be held by both included sets of hands, even though the other holding hands were originally designed for the Sandrock and disregarded in the instructions.

I give the Shenlong 10/10 - I can find no fault with this kit at all!

[macks-mechas]

Today’s review: HGUC Gundam Narrative C Packs!

This Gundam is not a design from Katoki’s art book I ever thought I’d see on screen. Mostly due to the fact it was never designed for combat. Originally a prototype of the Nu Gundam that was meant for testing equipment, the Narrative Gundam lay in mothballs until it was retrofitted for battle to capture the Gundam Phenex. Now we see the mobile suit in its final form, with psycho frame hastily installed across the body in an attempt to increase its reaction times.

As this is a prototype test machine, there are various places where armour is at a minimum or just non existent. Some of these areas have now been fleshed out with psycho frame which gives the mobile suit a more impressive silhouette. The colour and parts separation makes the build very fun, but I will admit some lesser than clear parts to the instructions made me second guess a few fittings and was a bit annoying.

The articulation of the kit is a real shining point for the NT Gundam. On top of the usual it also has flexing shoulder mounts that bring the arms forward across the torso and rotating forearms separate to the upper biceps, meaning the shield is not restricted to being fitted behind the arm.

Accessories are minimal as the main draw was the psycho frame. You have the shield, 2 beam sabers and a beam rifle cobbled together from old Jegan parts. The beam sabers, unlike the conventional pink blades, are fitted with two red ones that have no flex to them as they were molded together with the psycho frame sprue rather than coming separate.

I give the Narrative Gundam 8/10 - for the diehard fans its a must buy, but worthwhile still for those on the fence.