MP-57 has big gaps all over it due to the engineering budget and schedule. I'm sure they would've refined it if they could, but they did what they could with the time they had available. That's fine, it is what it is, but there's no point making up reasons to justify it.

 

Its not making up things. There is meassurable difference. In that regard i find the FT10 the worse solution.

 

Ignore FT-10. It's a 6 year old release from a tiny third party company and irrelevant to the design of MP-57. The gaps exist entirely due to Takara's engineering choices.

 

But you know that doesnt happen in consumer point of view. Quality is hard/impossible to meassure in a vacuum. All the comparison videos wouldnt exist otherwise.

Either way, the engineering tradeoffs yield plusses in other aspects of the jetmode which in context of toon accuracy, count as higher priority imo.

But if you choose to downplay or disregard those, its your choice.

 

It’s like watching a cave man try to use an espresso machine. ROFL  

…and he comments that the aroma is wonderful, the taste has definite qualities to it

… but it’s just not for him. The Folgers Instant coffee is more to his liking.

 

Might be his schtick! To ham fist every toy to the level of Da EF limits and see it breaks down after abuse. 

 

I know what I’m getting into by watching him ham fist stuff and he delivers on that for sure.

I have to say watching him turn the head was cringe worthy but I did learn it can turn some more. I could not bring myself to turn the head that far sideways on mine. Don’t think I’ll try it still either. Hah

 

I watch that guy's videos just to see what dumb nitpick he will bring up. I will agree with his comment on the plastic. It does feel a bit cheap, but maybe that's just because he's so big. Overall, still the best looking skyfire if you're going for the toon look, which I am

 

Except for the arms and the red of the backpack, the rest is all paint.

It's matte paint, but still a step up from bare plastic.

 

So, I'd like to touch on the following as well (pic) - and pls don't get me wrong, this is not a diss to any of these figures - It's just a reactionary observation upon seeing numerous fan statements how the legends versions supposedly smack the F out of the MP version or something along the lines of "If only the legends were upscaled....".



They all have their own merits and compromises of course.
But I cringe a bit when I see ppl saying the Newage version is like a heroic, downsized FT10 Phoenix.
I'm sorry, but I don't see it. If anything, I'd say the MS version is closer to Phoenix (literally copying the headsculpt).
Proportionally, the Newage version has:
- the most narrow and elongated torso
- the widest hipjoint placement
- the shortest legs
- the hipskirt section also seems more messy than either MP57 and MS.

The only thing on MP57 which slightly gives the illusion of derp proportion is because of the big red hip panels.
Sure, MP57 has no waist swivel, but I feel this picture illustrates the point TT is trying to make with NOT breaking up the jet nose cone.

So while the legends versions are nice in their own right, I can't say I would prefer them if upscaled.

 

  Matte matte matte! I keep on forgetting that term! Thanks for reminding me 

Okay, no chemist, though I would prefer the gloss but if matte is more sturdier, then TT did choose the best option given all the punishment the pack is gonna encounter. As for being cheap looking and feeling? Subjectively they are at par imho. Phx's shoulder had a darkened white look right out of the box (1st run) when I first got him looooooooooong ago from RK. Won't sell him btw 

Skyfire's entire plastic white is all spot on white. So each version had had their own uniqueness. Great times indeed!

 

I was on the fence about this guy, but decided to spring for him when my tax refund went through.

So far I have only transformed him once to robot mode. He's a big fella!

QC seems to be good on mine, no issues to speak of. His transformation isn't complex, but it's a little difficult due to it being "fiddly". I got the backpack to compress fully after a series of micro-adjustments. I wasn't even applying a undue amount of force. I must've just hit the sweet spot and it snapped into place. This mold does take some finessing. It looks great though!

 

It’s funny, it does sound like he does like it but can’t get past his love for fans toys.

Even funnier when he says it has great articulation and says ft phoenix had the worst articulation.

Don’t get me wrong I like BSF for the entertainment value. I watch to see him stress test figures and to laugh at the mental gymnastics required to jump to the conclusion at the end.

 

Minute issues aside, this one is a homerun. I sneak in MP-47, another Homerun  if not for the cookie crumble formula TT gave him  

 

Sometimes I look at the skyfire options and wish one had aspects of all of them combined.

Other times I see Takara's without anything that I would change or replace, something I don't feel with any other version, making the decision easy

 

The plastic on this release is all good, I don't understand the criticism.

MP 57 is by far the more accurate, both modes, has more articulation, more gimmicks, more paint (besides the X release). What else ?
BTW Skyfire (neither the seekers) never had a waist swivel in the anime.

ps transformation is damn cool

ps' as for legends figures, they hardly have to deal with issues related to weight etc. It's all different on the drawing board ...

 

The head on a stick knocks it down a few points for me. Attaching it to an ugly armature that floats above the hood is one of those bad design decisions that they seem to get locked into all too often.