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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Sept 10, 2019 12:07:06 GMT -5
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Sept 10, 2019 12:13:03 GMT -5
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Post by Darth Escargot on Sept 11, 2019 9:36:35 GMT -5
How'd you get ALL of these promo weapons? HLJ only shows a picture of the second one from the top, and that's what I got.
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Sept 11, 2019 9:56:45 GMT -5
Darth Escargot the Kuwaga weapons were included with most of the Kuwaga Rare White (as they were given to kids who built the Zoid at certain events) so depending on the people who sold them afterwards they did or didn't include them. The Fang Tiger blades are the same as the ZW kit release, just bagged as "promo" with some Coro issue. And the other weapons I had to buy in Japan (as I didn't get them from HLJ)
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Post by dchan on Sept 11, 2019 10:40:45 GMT -5
Wow thanks for all these photos. It's pretty neat seeing the different colors of caps especially. Is the MP Saber Tiger not 1/72 scale? It seems considerably bigger than the HMM or Tomy version. I like the black and red evil tag team too!
Out of context the clear ones definitely look like gummies haha.
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Post by Charlie on Sept 11, 2019 12:17:00 GMT -5
I think the limited weapon from the white Kuwaga looks is the best.
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Sept 11, 2019 17:32:03 GMT -5
dchan thanks! Yeah the HMM were always a bit smaller or larger depending on the model. I think mostly because of the "lack" of the motor and because they are poseable that the design has some mandatory changes. For instance I always found that the "Ligers and Tigers" always had thin necks because of that. Or Berserk has a smaller head. While the pilots are still the same size and HMM is 1/72. The MP are both bigger than that indeed (again the pilots are the same size) but because of the mechanics they designed them to be a bit bigger. So they seem out of scale (because they actually are) but are supposed to be 1/72. But I suppose it works as I always saw them as the ultimate version (sad they stopped). The ZW change to 1/35 is noticeable. The biggest (Rex and Grachio) are not so big compared to say Ultra or even a Genobreaker (for Rex mainly because of his crouching stance and the fact that he should have been bigger). The models have inconsistent scale between them and as opposed to the anime. The small wind-up ZW are about the same size sort of. The Liger and Fang are quite a bit smaller (as the Pegasus Liger pic showed and my earlier Mugen comparison) but Hunter is higher on his legs thus looks bigger than most if that makes sense. If you take away the ZW rider they fit the 1/72 better. But a ZW Liger is closer to a somewhat bigger Command Wolf than Liger Zero.
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Sept 11, 2019 17:34:40 GMT -5
If I find the time to do a compare between MP, HMM and OJR/NJR Saber and Fang I will try some pics someday.
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Post by Snowflake on Oct 6, 2019 17:00:48 GMT -5
It makes it interesting imagining these at 1/72 kits, they fit in pretty well that way. They'd fit in pretty well with the SS zoids, those tended to be straddled rather than sitting in a cockpit
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Oct 13, 2019 8:51:24 GMT -5
"All the...small things" uhm Zoids. So today I have some more pics and reviews, starting with the small light-up figs, the chess pieces and some other stuff. The chess piece series, which are rather nice, I had hoped they were heavier (but of course for what they cost, it's just painted plastic). Just hoping that there will be more, otherwise it would be a sad chess set This is a piece of Zoids cloth, about a meter or so, so I can probably think of something cool to do with that. The light-up series, nice SD versions of some Zoids. Then the eraser figs set, nice for what they are, weren't expensive. (Gave me a Monster in my Pocket kind of vibe). And lastly all the current small figs together (the Chess pieces, the bigger buildable figs, erasers, small diorama, small buildable and the keychains; sans keychain)
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Oct 13, 2019 8:58:47 GMT -5
Next is Raptoria, which I wanted to name CRaptor in blue, whoopdidoo, making it CRaptoria. But although it is definitely not my favorite, I have to say I am less displeased than I used to. I mean it's still not much to look at, since I wasn't too excited about Raptor in the first place. And since Dilofos and Raptoria are just the same with some other parts or color, it's not spectacular. But as a group they do look funny though, so I am less disappointed than I used to be. At least it looks a bit different because of the green eyes and the "Freedom" caps instead of red eyes and DM caps (and added awkward spike thingies).
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Oct 13, 2019 9:26:12 GMT -5
Moving on to Bazootle. I still don't really know what to say about this one. With the newer kits, it's really obvious that they designed these to be filled up with weapons and such (as they have a million pegs and holes) which is fine if you actually put weapons on them, but without those it kind of looks overkill... Older Zoids (the ones we all grew up with and still love) did have some weapons, but weren't relying on weapons alone (and didn't have a million pegs or holes). It is noticeable that some kits really benefit from weapons upgrades, as the underdressed not much armor look gets hidden a bit. But putting insanely huge weapons on a tiny Raptor for instance can seem a bit much. Also not really on board with the whole visor look. I know they changed the look of the kits to make the evolve movement, maybe because a lot of people were not totally okay with the ZW look. Not enough weapons, not enough armor, eyes instead of canopies etc. Things of which some I also "complained" about. But looking at my entire ZW collection, I was warming up to the look. The animals do look like animals, and for most kits the eyes kind of looked okay to complement that look. No they are not your old OER, OJR, NJR or which ever other line, but they do look good as a group (still too small in my opinion, especially Death Rex and next to 1/72 Zoids). But there really are great looking kits in this line, either build wise, or looks wise. So I was okay with this, as there are also HMM kits, I am not complete in my old collection, so plenty of hunting left and even HMM ZW kits coming up. So it's good to love Zoids and a good time to get stuff But that Zoids Wild Zero look... at times looks like just that, they needed more weapons, so slap on some weapons (and recolor the Zoid). They need visors instead of eyes (to look somewhat more like canopies. But I think that might be the problem. Sure it's great as transition, but sometimes it feels so forced... Raptoria is the first to show that. I like Cannon Bull, yes it has some Dibison elements (but yeah of course they want to show some nostalgic hints, which I thought is fine). The visor on him looks okay, but I have seen some pics where people customized the head part and took out the visor and painted the eyes red. And I have to say that was a better look. Thing is, if it were clear (red) parts which go in the head part, I'd probably find it to look better. But I would have been okay with the eyes too, as that is what the ZW line looks like. Now it feels forced and next to each other it looks like they don't belong together. Add to that that a lot of ZW kits will reappear as ZWZero kits, with added visor and parts/weapons and as example, the "Omega" Rex, personally doesn't benefit from said visor look. Knuckle Kong might (saw him in ZWZero anime). Well long story short, we will see when those come out, but all this does influence my opinion on these kits. I do like Bazootle (a bit more than after I built him, so I am starting to appreciate him for what he is), but I might like Gannontoise a bit more (and I have seen great custom versions of that one). Also saw custom Bazootle, without the visor look and in line (with ZW eyes) with previous kits, that did look way better than the visor. Anyhow here he is (and the story is way longer than the pics review, but I felt that I had to share that for the continuation of my reviews). Oh also I still don't care for the WB mode, so don't have pics for that, as it still looks like a suggestive thrusting mechanism, but now just with a different weapon. The color actually looks nice in hand though and some new dark orange caps to change the look. Here's some comparison pics with Gannon. Look at the difference in hole/peg placing and ratio. Lastly, on those caps by the way, I think I like the Death Metal versions better. I really liked the spikey look of those caps. And while the Machine Blast caps maybe make more sense for the newer kits (in line with the transition to more weaponized, more mature Zoids so to speak) I still found the DM caps nicer on some kits.
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Oct 13, 2019 9:44:28 GMT -5
Okay so here's Sniptera. I don't really know. I really like the wing motion (as the build is nice and new, creative and the wings and body really move in a natural way, which is way better than what other winged Zoids did) so that looks really good.. BUT and that's a big but, I don't like a some aspects of the Zoid. The head..meh.. The big wheels (which are neccessary to make that wing motion, look like...well really big wheels... He walks as he should in the other mode, which is also nicely designed. But I just don't know with this one. It's a mixed thing really. Also that previously mentioned visor look... The ZW kits gave me (although I admit, which you can read in some of my previous reviews, took me some time to get used to as opposed to oldschool canopies) the old Transformer vibe. Red or blue shiny eyes, red for Decepticons and blue for Autobots. (save for the odd Pachy who has yellow eyes and Hunter who has yellow eyes, instead of GREEN like both on the box and in the anime!... It gave the feeling that red is the evil side and blue, green, yellow is the good side. And then there's Sniptera, which is evil (right?) but has green eyes? I don't know. But it seemed like a style break. also the added Machine Blast (moving the head piece forward and opening the mouth fully to reveal his weapon looks really stupid (again no pics because of that). And like many ZW/ZWZero kits sometimes the color of the caps really don't go with the color of the Zoid. Anyhow, here he is. Here's what I mean with that big wheel look from the side, it's just weird (but given the fact that the wing motion is good because of that, so be it, but still. Oh and he's a big boy, as his wing span is the same as the length of Death Rex.
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Oct 13, 2019 10:03:38 GMT -5
By the way, some examples of customizing artists on twitter who make this Zoid look different. Don't know all these people by name, so I linked the original twitter link as well, as ALL credit goes to the people who did these amazing customs. pbs.twimg.com/media/EGl79HJUcAUkvwh.jpgBy the way, this does look cool, Rex with extra weapons, so some do actually benefit from extra weapons pbs.twimg.com/media/EGGYgOhU4AA-CW6.jpgpbs.twimg.com/media/EF8s5RLUEAIGv2y.jpgEven the smaller visor look looks better than the complete visor. (saw people do this a lot, so I am def. not the only one to think this. The other option is drilling the piece out and revealing the ZW style eye. (which you will see below this one, looks even better I think) And lastly, this is what I mean with the eyes vs visor look. Waaaay better with eyes in my opinion. pbs.twimg.com/media/EGMWuGkUUAA4Va2.jpgpbs.twimg.com/media/EGMWv_YUcAAaBhJ.jpgDon't get me wrong, I do prefer canopies, or pieces of clear plastic like many older Zoids, but for this line the eyes kind of worked. Which is really visible in the difference between normal Sniptera, the half visor look and the eyes only look.
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Post by ultimateultrasaurus on Oct 13, 2019 10:08:03 GMT -5
Now some group shots of the ZWZero set so far.
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