(GTP Toys) Space Walls 9pc Deluxe Set Review

In a nutshell,
Paint: 9/10
Articulation 0/10
Detailing 8/10
Scale 10/10
Fun Factor 8/10

In this review, we will take a look at the 9pc Deluxe set of Space Walls by GTP (Galactic Trading Post) Toys! It is quite obvious that these walls are meant to be for Star Wars figures; Hasbro Black Series figures to be precise. These walls serve as a diorama base off the the interior design of the Death Star from the original Star Wars trilogy, as most hardcore Star Wars fan would point out to you. I was hesitant to purchase these at first, due to the price, but after reading numerous reviews and seeing many beautiful toy photos taken using this diorama, I just had to give them a shot.

The Space Walls come in a box, which is also the box they deliver your diorama in. So for me, the box came in by mail a bit dirty and damaged, so keeping the box for storage/keepsake was out of the question. Slight bummer there. When you open the box you, you can see the 9 pieces arranged nicely inside, protected by foam pieces. The 9 pieces are (from left to right):

• LED (Light Emitting Display) panels x2
• MCS (Maintenance Control System) panels x3
• ORS (Oxygen Return System) panels x2
• OIS (Oxygen Intake System) panels x2

My ORS panel is upside-down; I apologize for that. Apart from the pieces, we get a set of instructions and a sheet of transparent panel fasteners. The instructions tells us how to "light up" the LED panels, while teasing us with upcoming products: the Death Star blast doors and control panel 2-packs (which includes door control decals).

Paint: 8/10
These diorama pieces are rather plain, so little paint is needed. The pieces are basically grey throughout, but at least there isn't any issues with the paint job I can pick out, so I give it a high rating. A bit too simple to really go wrong anywhere. Would be nice if we had small panels painted on the walls, like small buttons and switches of varying colors. That would have made the walls more interesting.


Articulation 0/10
N.A.

Detailing 8/10
When you look at each panel, they are nicely detailed. Nothing too fanciful, but close to the original Death Star Wars. Some may argue that the ORS and OIS panels are very similar, and feel that the designers were just being lazy. I like the designs, especially the LED one, but personally would not mind if a bit more details were added to differentiate the ORS and OIS panels more.

Scale 10/10
The scale is perfect. Really. For 6" Black Series figures at least, since it was what GTP Toys was aiming for. Other brands like S.H.Figuarts might scale well with the walls, depending on how much taller/shorter they are compared to the 6" Black Series.

Fun Factor 8/10
The fun factor is mainly for Star Wars toy collectors. If you want to use your Marvel Legends or DC Collectibles with these walls, I cannot promise you a world of fun. But if you love Star Wars, and want to recreate scenes on the Death Star (or create your own scenes), these walls will be fun to have. I especially like the LED panels, which you can put a light source behind to "illuminate" them! Really makes it feel like the interior of the Death Star. All you need is a black, reflective flooring and the set up is complete! With a total of 9 pieces, you can easily make various wall arrangements for different kind of scenarios.

One thing I would like to point out is the crosshatch design on the back of the panels (except for LED panels). It makes the panels feel more sturdy and less susceptible to indentation, while also preventing them from warping. At least I know that these walls will last for a long time.

Showering these space walls with praises, I do have 1 major gripe involving the balance of the pieces. You would need a really flat surface to stand them, and even then some pieces might topple. That frustrates me a little, but it is something that can easily be worked around. Also, I decided not to use the fasteners provided, as such stickers do not seem to be able to last long-term. Instead, I use binder clips, which I learnt from other reviews of these space walls, to secure the panels together and that works out just fine!

"Who turned out the lights?"

Would I recommend this set? Yes, but only if you are willing to spend on it. It cost me USD$95 for the walls and USD$25 for the shipping, totaling to an estimate of SGD$180 for me. Hefty sum for 9 pieces of wall. If I request for a commission for a diorama, the price would definitely reach close to this price, considering I would want accuracy and quality. So by topping up a bit, I can get plastic panels that are durable and accurate. Also, I barely have time to take photos, let alone make dioramas. And my diorama-making skills are at the beginners level, so I could not do such a beautiful diorama.

As a toy photographer and Star Wars (TFA) fan, I definitely think these walls are a worthy purchase. Interested in space walls but hoping for a cheaper option? GTP Toys have announced a 2-panel pack to be released in the near future, so you may want to get that. Definitely will be cheaper than a 9-panel pack, although I think shipping is the one that makes the price look so damn high!


Interested to buy the 9pc Deluxe Set? Click here! Limited stock, so don't wait too long!

(TakaraTOMY) Transformers Masterpiece MP-27 Ironhide Review

In a nutshell,
Paint: 10/10
Articulation 9/10
Detailing 10/10
Transformation 10/10
Scale 10/10
Fun Factor 10/10

In this review, we will take a look at TakaraTOMY's Transformers Masterpiece MP-27 Ironhide! I held back on buying any 3P Ironhide, waiting for TakaraTOMY to provide us with one. Same for Ratchet (who I already pre-ordered) and Jazz (keeping my fingers crossed). When I first saw the preview photos, there were a lot of complaints about Ironhide's side panels at his hips while in Robot Mode. I also felt a bit sad about that, as the cartoon version never had such things on him, making him slightly less accurate. This, however, was long forgotten once I took this figure out and fiddled with him!

Ironhide comes in the standard Masterpiece packaging, the box being slightly larger than that of Prowl/Wheeljack/Tracks. The format is also similar, with robot mode and car mode photos in front, and description and photos at the back. Being a weapon specialist, Ironhide comes with tons of accessories, mainly weapons. What is interesting is that they give Ironhide an alternate face, something we have not seen much since Bumblebee! This is definitely a good add-on! Like all Masterpiece figures, Ironhide comes with a collector card.

Paint: 10/10
The paint job on this figure is excellent. I really love the red they used for this figure, and there is no bleeding at all. Ironhide's face came out clean, and the Autobots insignia is nicely done on his chest. I really cannot find any fault with the paint work at all.

Articulation 9/10

• Head swivel
• Neck pivot
• Shoulder joints (ratchet joints)
• Bicep Swivels
• Single-jointed elbows
• Wrist joints
• fingers joints (the 4 fingers are molded together)
• Waist joint
• Hinge joints between the hips and legs
• *"skirt" flaps
• Upper thigh swivel
• knee swivel
• single-jointed knees
• Ankle joints/pivot

*these are more to facilitate better articulation

This figure is pretty articulated, which is good. I feared that the transformation process or accuracy of the figure would require sacrificing some articulation; I had nothing to worry about. This figure boasts a huge amount of articulation for a Transformers figure. It is interesting to have the "skirt" flaps (for lack of a better phrasing), as they allow you to raise Ironhide's legs even higher! The shoulder joints are using ratchet joints, which are good such that the joints will get worn out slower, but it hinders articulation a bit. Because of those joints, having Ironhide's arms rest horizontally downwards at his sides is a bit hard to achieve. That, however, is a minor gripe, and not a major issue.The vehicle mode has no articulation, unless you count the wheels that can roll around.

Detailing 10/10
The detailing on this figure is almost perfect. I really love the accuracy of Ironhide's face. In both modes, Ironhide looks almost identical to his G1 counterpart, albeit the side panels at his hips.


Transformation 10/10
Because this is a Transformers figure, I thought it would be nice to talk about the transformation too! And wow, the transformation is amazing! When I rate transformation, I look at how complex the transformation is, and how well the process is with the figure still looking accurate in both modes. What impresses me about this figure is how that red van, which is shorter than Prowl/Wheeljack/Tracks in vehicle mode, transform into the towering Ironhide that is taller than most of those mentioned Autobots. That really impressed me. The transformation process is ingenious, and not too difficult. There were no parts where I felt risky doing (for fear of breaking a part), nor steps that I found too difficult to comprehend. I really enjoy transforming this guy!

Scale 10/10
In terms of scale, this guy fits in with the Masterpiece series perfectly in both modes! I did not take photo of a scale comparison for vehicle mode as I was lazy to transform all the other Autobots into cars, so I only did a comparison shot in robot mode!

Fun Factor 10/10
This is where Ironhide shines the most! He has tons of accessories and interchangeable faces! How cool is that? Ironhide comes with a platform to hold his whole array of accessories, even the jet flames effect pieces and his alternate face! Ironhide comes with these accessories:

• a shouting face
  
• Utility sensor+monitor card for his chest
  
  
  
  
• missile launcher
  
• jet thruster + detachable jet flames
  
  
  
  
• liquid shooter (both barrels and nozzles)
  
• 'liquid shooter fingers' hands
  
• static laser gun
  
• laser pistols
  
  
  

  

  Storage in vehicle mode

  
  
  

So do I recommend this figure? Definitely! Especially if you are a Masterpiece series/G1 team collector! Ironhide is definitely a great addition to your team, and looks (to me) to be the MP-scale Ironhide to get! With that, thank you for reading and hope this review gives you a better insight of the figure!

(WAVE) Memorial Game Collection Taiko no Tatsujin & Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold Arcade Game Machine Plastic Model Review

In a nutshell,
Paint: 8/10
Articulation 0/10
Detailing 9/10
Scale 8/10
Fun Factor 8/10

In this post we will cover 2 arcade machine plastic models by WAVE Corporation: Taiko no Tatsujin (1st Generation) and Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold. They are part of the Memorial Game Collection series, and I got them due to their 1/12 scale. We'll start off with the packaging. Like most model kits, these are packed in cardboard boxes, with the top and sides having pictures and descriptions. Really love how vibrant and colorful the box arts are! Nothing much going on here, so let's look at the model kits themselves!

Inside each box comes with the plastic parts, a set of instructions, stickers, and paper accessories! The paper accessories are really nice, as they are a variety of "screens" for you to use when you display your arcade machines! Assembling them takes a bit of time, and while the instructions only show the stickers application when the model kit is complete, from experience, I personally advice you to apply stickers to each completed component when you have built them, before combining them all together. No glue is required, and paint is not really necessary, unless you really want proper colors on even the tiniest details.

Paint: 8/10
Feels weird to rate the paint of model kits, as they usually require you to paint them. However, if I talk about the looks of the model kits after applying the stickers, I would give them a high rating. Why? Because these kits, with the stickers, already look really detailed. This is even more so for the Persona 4 Ultimax model kit, where we have stickers even for the combo lists of several characters. The only parts that really need painting might be the legs/wheels at the bottom of the arcade machines, which I can live without doing (I have 0 skills in painting model kits).

Articulation 0/10
I really cannot give a rating for articulation. What articulation is there? I guess it would be nice it the joystick was articulated, instead of just sticking out. But that's about it. Articulation really is not a factor for these model kits.

Detailing 9/10
Like I mentioned earlier, the stickers really help give the model kits the detailing they need. All around the model kits are stickers, making sure we do not get plain arcade machines consisting of 2-3 colors only. While the model kits do come with parts of 3-4 colors, the stickers help to make them even more detailed.

Scale 8/10
The main reason why I bought these is because of the 1/12 scale. Most of my figures are 6" scale, so I would definitely want accessories that can go well with them. As this is a Japanese brand, I assume that these model kits are meant to suit the 6" figures of Japanese brands, such as figma and S.H.Figuarts. When I pose my figma Yu Narukami and S.H.Figuarts Captain America with the arcade machines, the scale works perfectly. The same cannot be said for Hasbro's Marvel Legends figures though, which many people use as the benchmark for 6" figures. They can still be used together; just that you may need to play a bit with the angles if you want to do toy photography.

Fun Factor 8/10
I guess it depends why you want these model kits. Some people want these model kits for display purposes, which I suspect what they are really meant for. For people like me, I use these model kits for toy photography, so fun factor matters to me. These model kits, being of good scale and looking detailed, are already really nice to have. What boosts the fun factor is the paper accessories, letting you choose what to display on the screens of your arcade machines. It could be the start screen, an in-game screen, or the top scores. This gives you a bit of variety, which is considered pretty good for a mere model kit!

So would I recommend them? Yes! Whether you want them for display collection or for use with your figures, these are really nice accessories to have! Paint is not necessary, and these model kits snap together without needing glue, making them easier and fun to put together! You can get them on amiami (while stocks last) here and here! With that, thank you for reading this review and hope it helps! :)