FFVII Fenrir vs Hardy Daytona



Originally posted at slangards.multiply.com on Oct 28, '08



I'm not a big fan of the game , but when I saw Fenrir at 2Rats, I just wanted it right away. Sadly, the asking price was out of my budget (like 5k if I remember correctly) and Toy Kingdom wanted even more for it (6.5k at the time). Luckily, I only had to wait about 3-4 months when the last of the shops stock all went on sale. Got one mint-in-box for 2.5k at one of the toy cons (not mint-in-box since some 2Rats/Comic Alley branches open boxes to display toys).

The box is pretty collector friendly. There aren't any twist ties and everything goes back in pretty easily if you wanted to display it in the packaging. However, it'd be sad to leave Fenrir and Cloud in the box as these are toys that you have to feel in your hand.



Once you have the bike out of the box, the first thing you'll notice is the weight. Fenrir is a heavyweight. The construction is nice and solid, and the material feels durable. There are actual working, rubber wheels front and back, as well as a nice front assembly that give the suggestion of a working steering mechanism. Notice that I said "suggestion", because the steering doesn't actually work. I compared it to my 12" Ghost Rider's Flame Cycle, and Fenrir wins hands down; Ghosty's ride is sort of a hollow shell with paint apps doing most of the work, while Fenrir is a nice scale model with sculpted parts.




Even if there weren't a Fenrir, you'd still want to get the Advent Children Cloud. Like most of the Play Arts FF figures, he's got a nice balance between sculpt and articulation. While you won't be entering him in any Marvel Legends gymnastics competitions, the re-design of the character is represented well with this figure. His hair is one thing that is remarkable; it's made of a flexible translucent plastic that is very nice. His costume is also great; well sculpted to hide most of the joins, and the apron/overall thing he wears is a separate piece that you can move behind him when he is riding Fenrir.



He also comes with the Buster Sword and and extra hand. The sword is nice, but you're unlikely to ever use the extra hand since it's a b*tch to remove and you'll want him with the sword anyway. You'll want to keep the sword in his hand as much as possible because it's hard to get it out and tends to damage the fingers' paint.




If your familiar with the Play Arts line, then you already know the pros and cons of their figure construction. Joints that become loose relatively quickly, pegs that tend to break off, and plastic that gets dirty fast. The Cloud figure shares all that. Mine already has loose ankle and elbow joints, and collects dust like nobody's business. I would have liked it if they had included a breakaway sword that could be hidden in Fenrir like the movie, but that's probably asking too much.



When the Game Version of Cloud came out with Hardy Daytona, I went through the same thing. This time though I had enough extra cash to buy it at the regular price. Again, the box is the same as the first box set, with a plastic mold to keep everything in place and a window to view the figure. The set includes the bike, the figure, a few extra hands (again you'll probably never use them since you'll display him with the sword or on the bike) a damaged version of the Buster Sword and some pegs that go into his back where you can hang it.


The pegs are a nice touch, though I don't know why they needed to make it a separate piece from the figure. I tends to fall out and get lost if your not careful. The costume is no where near as detailed as the first one, and his hair is solid yellow unlike the nice plastic of the AC version. I don't really care much for the figure. What drew me to the FFVII AC line was the relatively realistic sculpts. The Game Versions have that annoyingly cutesy anime look. Many people will disagree, but to coin a phrase, big cutesy eyes detract from the "bad-assery".

The knee joints on this Cloud are a little weird. Unlike the AC Cloud, the game version Cloud can bend his knees back to about a 65-75 degrees from vertical. The actual joint is hidden well by the sculpted folds in his pants, and allows him to almost sit on his haunches. It's a nice touch, but not necessary since 45 degrees is enough to set him on the bike.



On the other hand. Daytona Hardy is a great toy. Again, there is a great amount of detail in the sculpt of the bike, with individual components showing. There is a rudimentary steering system, but it only turns the front wheel about 5 degrees. Barely noticeable. It stands a bit higher than Fenrir, but it's much much more steam punk industrial. It would go great with any figure actually. If I had to choose, I'd have picked this bike over Fenrir, for the more intricate detailing and general look.


Overall, I'd say the Fenrir box set is the must have between the two due to the superior figure giving you more value. However, if you're a fan of the game, a steam punk fanatic, or just like really cool toys, I'd say pick up Daytona Hardy as well.

Final Fantasy VII Cloud Strife w/ Fenrir vs Hardy Daytona (Playarts)

Rating:★★★★
Category:Other
I'm not a big fan of the game , but when I saw Fenrir at 2Rats, I just wanted it right away. Sadly, the asking price was out of my budget (like 5k if I remember correctly) and Toy Kingdom wanted even more for it (6.5k at the time). Luckily, I only had to wait about 3-4 months when the last of the shops stock all went on sale. Got one MIB for 2.5k at one of the toy cons (not MISB since some 2Rats/Comic Alley branches open boxes to display toys).

The box is pretty collector friendly. There aren't any twisties and everything goes back in pretty easily if you wanted to display it in the packaging. However, it'd be sad to leave Fenrir and Cloud in the box as these are toys that you have to feel in your hand.



Once you have the bike out of the box, the first thing you'll notice is the weight. Fenrir is a heavyweight. The construction is nice and solid, and the material feels durable. There are actual working, rubber wheels front and back, as well as a nice front assembly that give the suggestion of a working steering mechanism. Notice that I said "suggestion", because the steering doesn't actually work. I compared it to my 12" Ghost Rider's Flame Cycle, and Fenrir wins handsdown; Ghosty's ride is sort of a hollow shell with paint apps doing most of the work, while Fenrir is a nice scale model with sculpted parts.



Even if there weren't a Fenrir, you'd still want to get the Advent Children Cloud. Like most of the Play Arts FF figures, he's got a nice balance between sculpt and articulation. While you won't be entering him in any Marvel Legends gymnastics competitions, the re-design of the character is represented well with this figure. His hair is one thing that is remarkable; it's made of a flexible translucent plastic that is very nice. His costume is also great; well sculpted to hide most of the joins, and the apron/overall thing he wears is a separate piece that you can move behind him when he is riding Fenrir.



He also comes with the Buster Sword and and extra hand. The sword is nice, but you're unlikely to ever use the extra hand since it's a b*tch to remove and you'll want him with the sword anyway. You'll want to keep the sword in his hand as much as possible because it's hard to get it out and tends to damage the fingers' paint.



If your familiar with the Play Arts line, then you already know the pros and cons of their figure construction. Joints that become loose relatively quickly, pegs that tend to break off, and plastic that gets dirty fast. The Cloud figure shares all that. Mine already has loose ankle and elbow joints, and collects dust like nobody's business. I would have liked it if they had included a breakaway sword that could be hidden in Fenrir like the movie, but that's probably asking too much.



When the Game Version of Cloud came out with Hardy Daytona, I went through the same thing. This time though I had enough extra cash to buy it at the regular price. Again, the box is the same as the first boxset, with a plastic mold to keep everything in place and a window to view the figure. The set includes the bike, the figure, a few extra hands (again you'll probably never use them since you'll display him with the sword or on the bike) a damaged version of the Buster Sword and some pegs that go into his back where you can hang it.



The pegs are a nice touch, though I don't know why they needed to make it a seperate piece from the figure. I tends to fall out and get lost if your not careful. The costume is no where near as detailed as the first one, and his hair is solid yellow unlike the nice plastic of the AC version. I don't really care much for the figure. What drew me to the FFVII AC line was the relatively realistic sculpts. The Game Versions have that annoyingly cutesy anime look. Many people will disagree, but to coin a phrase, big cutesy eyes detract from the "badassery".

The knee joints on this Cloud are a little weird. Unlike the AC Cloud, the GV Cloud can bend his knees back to about a 65-75 degrees from vertical. The actual joint is hidden well by the sculpted folds in his pants, and allows him to almost sit on his haunches. It's a nice touch, but not necessary since 45 degrees is enough to set him on the bike.



On the other hand. Daytona Hardy is a great toy. Again, there is a great amount of detail in the sculpt of the bike, with individual components showing. There is a rudimentary steering system, but it only turns the front wheel about 5 degrees. Barely noticeable. It stands a bit higher than Fenrir, but it's much much more steam punk industrial. It would go great with any figure actually. If I had to choose, I'd have picked this bike over Fenrir, for the more intricate detailing and general look.



Overall, I'd say the Fenrir boxset is the must have between the two due to the superior figure giving you more value. However, if you're a fan of the game, a steam punk fanatic, or just like really cool toys, I'd say pick up Daytona Hardy as well.


Final Fantasy VII Cloud Strife w/ Fenrir vs Hardy Daytona (Playarts)

Rating:★★★★
Category:Other
I'm not a big fan of the game , but when I saw Fenrir at 2Rats, I just wanted it right away. Sadly, the asking price was out of my budget (like 5k if I remember correctly) and Toy Kingdom wanted even more for it (6.5k at the time). Luckily, I only had to wait about 3-4 months when the last of the shops stock all went on sale. Got one MIB for 2.5k at one of the toy cons (not MISB since some 2Rats/Comic Alley branches open boxes to display toys).

The box is pretty collector friendly. There aren't any twisties and everything goes back in pretty easily if you wanted to display it in the packaging. However, it'd be sad to leave Fenrir and Cloud in the box as these are toys that you have to feel in your hand.



Once you have the bike out of the box, the first thing you'll notice is the weight. Fenrir is a heavyweight. The construction is nice and solid, and the material feels durable. There are actual working, rubber wheels front and back, as well as a nice front assembly that give the suggestion of a working steering mechanism. Notice that I said "suggestion", because the steering doesn't actually work. I compared it to my 12" Ghost Rider's Flame Cycle, and Fenrir wins handsdown; Ghosty's ride is sort of a hollow shell with paint apps doing most of the work, while Fenrir is a nice scale model with sculpted parts.



Even if there weren't a Fenrir, you'd still want to get the Advent Children Cloud. Like most of the Play Arts FF figures, he's got a nice balance between sculpt and articulation. While you won't be entering him in any Marvel Legends gymnastics competitions, the re-design of the character is represented well with this figure. His hair is one thing that is remarkable; it's made of a flexible translucent plastic that is very nice. His costume is also great; well sculpted to hide most of the joins, and the apron/overall thing he wears is a separate piece that you can move behind him when he is riding Fenrir.



He also comes with the Buster Sword and and extra hand. The sword is nice, but you're unlikely to ever use the extra hand since it's a b*tch to remove and you'll want him with the sword anyway. You'll want to keep the sword in his hand as much as possible because it's hard to get it out and tends to damage the fingers' paint.



If your familiar with the Play Arts line, then you already know the pros and cons of their figure construction. Joints that become loose relatively quickly, pegs that tend to break off, and plastic that gets dirty fast. The Cloud figure shares all that. Mine already has loose ankle and elbow joints, and collects dust like nobody's business. I would have liked it if they had included a breakaway sword that could be hidden in Fenrir like the movie, but that's probably asking too much.



When the Game Version of Cloud came out with Hardy Daytona, I went through the same thing. This time though I had enough extra cash to buy it at the regular price. Again, the box is the same as the first boxset, with a plastic mold to keep everything in place and a window to view the figure. The set includes the bike, the figure, a few extra hands (again you'll probably never use them since you'll display him with the sword or on the bike) a damaged version of the Buster Sword and some pegs that go into his back where you can hang it.



The pegs are a nice touch, though I don't know why they needed to make it a seperate piece from the figure. I tends to fall out and get lost if your not careful. The costume is no where near as detailed as the first one, and his hair is solid yellow unlike the nice plastic of the AC version. I don't really care much for the figure. What drew me to the FFVII AC line was the relatively realistic sculpts. The Game Versions have that annoyingly cutesy anime look. Many people will disagree, but to coin a phrase, big cutesy eyes detract from the "badassery".

The knee joints on this Cloud are a little weird. Unlike the AC Cloud, the GV Cloud can bend his knees back to about a 65-75 degrees from vertical. The actual joint is hidden well by the sculpted folds in his pants, and allows him to almost sit on his haunches. It's a nice touch, but not necessary since 45 degrees is enough to set him on the bike.



On the other hand. Daytona Hardy is a great toy. Again, there is a great amount of detail in the sculpt of the bike, with individual components showing. There is a rudimentary steering system, but it only turns the front wheel about 5 degrees. Barely noticeable. It stands a bit higher than Fenrir, but it's much much more steam punk industrial. It would go great with any figure actually. If I had to choose, I'd have picked this bike over Fenrir, for the more intricate detailing and general look.



Overall, I'd say the Fenrir boxset is the must have between the two due to the superior figure giving you more value. However, if you're a fan of the game, a steam punk fanatic, or just like really cool toys, I'd say pick up Daytona Hardy as well.


KOMIKON 2008: 4th Filipino Komiks Convention

Start:     Nov 22, '08 10:00a
End:     Nov 22, '08 8:00p
Location:     UP Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City
http://komikon.blogspot.com/



Entrance Fee: Php 50

The 4th Filipino Komiks Convention aims to bring together comic book artists/groups and publishers in a venue where they could present their talents, works and services to the public. It will showcase the creations of Filipino artists from various genres and themes and give tribute to the creators and their creations.

Contests:

Komikon 2008: Comic Creation Contest - Theme is: Mga Kahindikhindik na Tagpo

KOMIKON 2008: Make the Page Contest - Participants must turn the given script into a 2 page comic

Komikon 2008: Character Making Contest -Make your original Horror character

Komikon 2008: On-the-Spot Drawing Contest - Register in the morning and bring your own materials

Highlights:

30th Anniversary of SKP - Meetthe people from Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas, have your caricature drawn ang get a limited edition SKP Roster Book

Culture Crash Reunion -

Launching of Gilbert Monsanto's Bayan Knights

Gerry Alanguilan - Special Guest


CLICKY MAP!!!
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KOMIKON 2008: 4th Filipino Komiks Convention

Start:     Nov 22, '08 10:00a
End:     Nov 22, '08 8:00p
Location:     UP Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City
http://komikon.blogspot.com/



Entrance Fee: Php 50

The 4th Filipino Komiks Convention aims to bring together comic book artists/groups and publishers in a venue where they could present their talents, works and services to the public. It will showcase the creations of Filipino artists from various genres and themes and give tribute to the creators and their creations.

Contests:

Komikon 2008: Comic Creation Contest - Theme is: Mga Kahindikhindik na Tagpo

KOMIKON 2008: Make the Page Contest - Participants must turn the given script into a 2 page comic

Komikon 2008: Character Making Contest -Make your original Horror character

Komikon 2008: On-the-Spot Drawing Contest - Register in the morning and bring your own materials

Highlights:

30th Anniversary of SKP - Meetthe people from Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas, have your caricature drawn ang get a limited edition SKP Roster Book

Culture Crash Reunion -

Launching of Gilbert Monsanto's Bayan Knights

Gerry Alanguilan - Special Guest


CLICKY MAP!!!
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Hasbro Grand Toyfair

Start:     Nov 21, '08
End:     Nov 23, '08
Location:     SM Moa Atrium (in front of French Baker)
There will be a set of product introductions on Nov. 22 and another batch on Nov. 23.

There's a 10% discount on Nov 22, and you get gift with purchase, plus a chance at the Toy Vault (3K vault, 5K vault and 10k vault).

More news TBA.



CLICKY MAP!!!
Photobucket

Hasbro Grand Toyfair

Start:     Nov 21, '08
End:     Nov 23, '08
Location:     SM Moa Atrium (in front of French Baker)
There will be a set of product introductions on Nov. 22 and another batch on Nov. 23.

There's a 10% discount on Nov 22, and you get gift with purchase, plus a chance at the Toy Vault (3K vault, 5K vault and 10k vault).

More news TBA.



CLICKY MAP!!!
Photobucket

Glorietta Midnight Toys and Collectibles Madness

Start:     Nov 14, '08 12:00p
End:     Nov 16, '08 12:00a
Location:     Glorietta 3 Activity Tent
Gonna get me some toys, yeah!

Glorietta Midnight Toys and Collectibles Madness

Start:     Nov 14, '08 12:00p
End:     Nov 16, '08 12:00a
Location:     Glorietta 3 Activity Tent
Gonna get me some toys, yeah!

Ultra Magnus (Transformer Classic) & Fans Project City Commander Upgrade

Rating:★★★★★
Category:Other
I realize everyone and his mother has already reviewed this upgrade, but it deserves all the praise it gets.














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First off, let me say that if you haven't bought a Classics Universe Prime/Magnus/Nemesis, buy one now. Drop what you are doing, go to Greenhills, visit Rich Toys, Wasabi Toys, or Great Toys and buy one.

This is, quite simply, the the best mold/design for Prime (barring the Masterpiece since lets face, how many of us have 5-10k to drop on a single toy?) and it's what really got me started on collecting transformers again. Both the robot and the truck modes look like they scream "Kick-ass-super-leader-bot!" and the articulation can only be matched by the aforementioned Masterpiece or maybe the Revoltech TF line.

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To give you an idea how poseable he is, heres a list (note that some of the joints are combinations that result from his transform design so don't fall under normal classifications): neck turns left right, arms go foward and out, elbows up and down, waist goes right and left, hip joints go back and forth and out, knees go back and forth, and there's even an "ankle joint" if you want to stick him in a flying pose. It's not the Marvel Legends range, but you can stick him in demn near any pose that a Transformer really needs to be in.

I won't discuss the transformation process itself. Suffice it to say, it's one of the most satisfying that I've come across and results in very little kibble in either mode (unless you count his doors in robot form, but I call them sheilds and leave it at that). In addition to the great design and engineering, they integrated his weapons into the form. His smokestacks becomes a nice looking double-barrelled rifle, and his the top of his cab (the "wind vane") becomes an odd-looking cannon.

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Next to your other Transformers Classics, Prime/Ultra Magnus looks very impressive. He towers over the normal Deluxe class figures by something like two heads. Bumblebee or the newer Autobots in the latest waves look great next to their leader, though the Decepticon Seekers look a tad small in comparison. Then, I'm not as much a stickler for scale as some.

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Now the best part, the Fans Project upgrade. Let's face it; Ultra Magnus is just a plain old re-paint of the Prime mold, as is the Nemesis. Fans Project went and gave him a trailer that converted to armor, just like his G1 counterpart. If you had the original G1 figure (raises hand), you're gonna want this kit.

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If you do want one, run to Greenhills again to Great Toys (they're running out so move it) and fork over a cool 3.9k. It's an exclusive, collectors market add-on so you'd expect it to be expensive.They come in a blind box, but when you buy it at Great Toys, you can open it to inspect it before you leave the store. So far, I haven't heard any complaints from other collectors, though mine had some minor paint splotches. They were all in places where you couldn't see them anyway, so no worries. It's made of pretty sturdy plastic, but you need to be careful since some pieces are a tight fight and might snap if you use too much force.

The trailer mode is very nicely designed, considering it's a third-party add on. It looks like it was made as a piece with the cab, and has virtually no kibble. All the armor parts are used in the trailer and fit tightly, so you won't have any little pieces lying around to lose. It'll fit on any of the three figures that use this mold, but really, the paint scheme dictates you stick it on Magnus and not Prime or Nemesis (though you can probably reserve the black Shadow Commander set for Nemesis by the time you read this). Unlike the G1 toy, you can't actually fit anything inside the trailer as it's full of robo parts hidden from view, but can't have everything at this scale.

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Again, I won't describe the transform, you can look that up online, but it is complex and will take some time. There's no "auto-morph" features so get yourself a glass of water if you're one of those guys who makes the "cha-chee-chi-cho-chu" noises while transforming him (raises hand). I prefer to learn transforms on my own without the instructions, but for those of you who don't want to take the chance with your 4 grand, there are a nice set of instructions in comic book form. A great touch from the producers. Suffice to say, the transform on this toy is totally satisfying, but not overly complicated; the best place for a Transformer to be.

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When he's all put together, he stands about three or four heads taller than the Classics Prime and looks very reminiscent of the G1 design. The posts on his shoulders, the red, white, and blue colors, the great big boots and the antennae on his head. It's all there and it's all beautiful. There is a loss in articulation, mainly because the armor is bulky, but you'll be able to put him in some heroic poses. No high kicks though (I always figured Mags as a brawler anyway).

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He also looks great against the other transformers from his line, towering over the Seekers and Bumblebee, and matching the new Universe 2.0 figures nicely. Again, I'm not too particular about size in relation to other toys, so the disparity between him and some of the Decepticons isn't something that bothers me. As long as he's bigger than the other Autobots, we're kewl.

The biggest gripe I have about the kit is the size of the "gun". There are some different ways you can put it on his arm, but the sheer size of it means that there is no way he can hold the thing up. It's like a huge block that masses about half his body and extends out ridiculously far. Maybe it was just a extra part they wanted a use for, but I'm much more satisfied using his own weaponry.

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What ever accessories you give him, he will look like the bad@$$ mofo he should look like, able to kick Decepticon butt all night and still harangue the new recuits in the morning. If you have the extra scratch, I suggest you run out the door, flag down a taxi, and get to Great Toys as quick as you can.

Here's hoping that Fans Project makes a new trailer for the Classics version of Optimus Prime, with a functioning Combat Deck and a Roller!

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