MT Inferno, MMC Hauler, TT Graple are my choices.

 

I can't believe I'm saying this cuz I absolutely hate it when people say it but, in hand MP Inferno is awesome!

I didn't really like the look of him that much before but after getting him for Xmas, I really like him. I was surprised that even my son was saying how clean Inferno was and that all the MPs should look like that in bot mode. With that said, the alt mode suffers for it. Not the most detailed fire truck. They coulda added some details to the hoses on his legs, and some tail lights would help as well. All in all though, I really like his bot mode, something that I thought looked bad beforehand.

 

I'm enjoying this thread, I wish more threads here were like this and people just discussed in honesty their opinions of why they prefer one to the other. Most threads desolve into company A vs company B but this has been great to see conversation which is just objectively giving opinions on one with out just bashing the other brand.

Good show 3rd party forum, I wish it was like this more often

 

I feel like Backdraft is more in-line with the previously established aesthetics of the MP line than the more toon-accurate direction it's now going in.

The official Inferno is by no means BAD, it's just not the best fit IMO.

 

it's the completely clean bot mode I love to. I like looking at it and questioning if it could transform. The best masterpieces so far for me have been the ones which I can look at one mode and completely ask myself where the other modes parts are due to how tidy the design is.

I love MP-09 due to this, When I look at the bot mode and the canopy, leg pipes, wheels etc are all hidden it looks like a statue, same in car more, the legs aren't re purposed, they are completely gone. That's the times I appreciate these the most.

 

That was my thoughts too... I felt the MP was a little too cartoony aesthetic wise... definitely not a bad figure by any means though.

- Gregg

 

I still haven't bought takara's and precisely what continues to make me keep it a low priority is their chosen aesthetics for the thing.

If they had just given the arms and legs a little more anything. Toe bumper details, black knees like the grapple version has, the white cuffs for the forearms. Any of these minor additions to the design would have made him so so much more visually appealing and desirable. I like the head more than backdrafts, the ladder gimmick is neat and the proportions are more to my liking.

But god the thing still just looks like a stack of red cardboard boxes. And Backdraft certainly does not with all his wonderful details.

 

You could just partly resolve the "too plain" look of Takara MP Inferno by adding part of the Ocean sticker set (or wait for Reprolabels to see alternatives, but Ocean is better quality sticker itself)

Ocean Design stickers for MP-33 Inferno

Just apply the hip stickers, then the lower leg maybe (if you like it), skip the feet, but put on the lights stickers on the feet. You can also add all the stickers for the truck mode if you want.

 

Ooh that certainly helps a tonne.

 

I think it's more the appearance of the cartoon which makes people either love or hate the design. i.e lack of vents, grills, lights, all little intricate details around the fire engine. Then when it's a bot you just get lots of flat red with out molded details. That's what seems to divide people, not necessarily the lack of discernible design but the choice to make him appear flat

 

Mp33 would pop more with a deeper black instead of that washed out shade they used. I may try to paint the hips at least and see how it looks. I'm hoping someone will gin up some add on black parts to insert on the arms in the slots for the communicators.

 

some detail edits added

 

Something like that plus the dark kneecaps could be good

 

while I picked Takara's inferno and he is my preference I will agree he is super bland below the knee's. There is some molded detail on the arms that doesnt photograph well. Bumper/tail light toes and shin panels with some panel lining would have done a lot for this figure.

 

I'm suprized what the smallest details and colors added do. Very nice.

 

Better, but i feel the altmode needs it more.

 

I saw this over in the official thread and thought this might be a good place to add this. It looks like Ocean has released their MP-33 decal set.




Some of the details are nice, others not so much.

 

Lipstick on a pig?

I have opened so far for Christmas.

Speedbump
Terraegis
Eligos
Ascepius
Jupiter
Lupus
Inferno

Inferno is by far the biggest POS of '16. It looks even worse in hand because it's cheap plastic. The ladder gimmick is cool but the ladder is a joke in almode. One of the forearms closes like shit, never flush and the that abcrunch releases every time I pick him up. I think I might stomp on him with my motorcycle boots just to get some satisfaction out of this shitbag.

Anyway maybe I got a bad copy, it happens but all those varied 3rd Parties above gave me a better, heavier, tighter figure for the money.

 

Forearm thing isn't just yours. Got it on mine, and saw it in a review.

 

Mine had it as well. It required a small amount of paint removal to correct the tolerance.