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Old 09-16-2013, 09:51 PM   #51
Sureshot22
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Re: Generations Metroplex Picture Review

The asia con one is the way to go. It has the best coloured parts of the hasbro and takara ones.
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Old 09-19-2013, 09:08 PM   #52
Shepp
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Shepp's Generations Metroplex Review

(at the moment I'm placing my haul's thread comment, I'll update it later with pics)

M E T R O P L E X

Excellent figure. My only design complaints are that the shoulder helipad can't really be used in city mode, the left forearm doesn't have any gimmick (could have mirrored the right forearm), the chest ramp won't reach the ground in city mode, and the legs don't have that extra joint to get a G1 city mode. I thought that the heightened torso would look off, but in person that isn't the case. Metroplex just needs that second red gun in vehicle mode.

Noticed a factory botch when I opened him up. Nothing major, just a couple of gray/silver paint blobs that were dropped on the right leg runway and then hastily scratched off by a Hasbro factory worker with a utility knife.

Luckily one was covered by a sticker, and the other isn't that bad. It just looks like there's a scuff, evidence of a botched takeoff or landing, possibly a crash or explosion.

I'm more disappointed that I messed up sticker 38 by cutting it to fit where the instructions say instead of placing it where it's supposed to go (swapped with sticker 37).

Oddly enough, there was some oil or other slippery film on spot 96, which had to be wiped off for the sticker to stick.

I really hope I placed stickers 73 and 82 in the correct spots, opposite 72 and 71 in the inside of the legs (and swapped legs at that), they wouldn't fit where the instructions stated.

I didn't want to apply the bridge stickers with Optimus and the others (since they're much larger than the scale they're supposed to be), but for sake of completion of the stickers, I just had to. In my mind they're screens instead of windows, so the outside world can see those at the bridge.

I'm glad I got the Hasbro version, the chrome just sticks out being unbalanced on the TakaraTomy release.

I was REALLY trying to get the stickers right, since my G1 Metroplex (sold to Gnosis a long while ago) as a kid got a completely random and bad sticker job from my 4 year old self.

Looking forward to a Reprolabel upgrade set (and a TakaraTomy sticker set too) to fill in some of the little spots here and there that could really use some labels.

I originally wanted to panel line and ink wash Metroplex before applying stickers, but really the details are so pronounced (you can't tell in pictures) that the figure doesn't need it.

I will mod the knee and hip joints with washers to increase stability and posability, and in the future will crack open Metroplex's chest and replace the neutered Canadian electronics with a cheap MP3 player loaded with WFC and FOC music as well as Metroplex quotes, plus some quotes of FOC Prime intracting with Metroplex (and the TFTM1986 soundtrack). When I do this, I'll do what I can to make some kind of tutorial.

Also, I found out that Scamper can be stored within Metroplex's right arm along with the missile without rattling around, though you have to peg his small red gun into the big red gun as it won't fit on his back. Good to know.

Looking forward to acquiring another gun and missile for Metroplex. As for scale, I'm considering Armada Mini-Con Jetstorm as a good starting point as the size of an actual Concord jet. Which would make Optimus Prime about the size of a poppy seed. Titan scale indeed.


Sticker Issues
===========

The sticker sheet and sticker placement sheet that comes with Generations Metroplex has a few errors.

- Sticker placement sheet number 77 labeled as 31, and 31 labeled as 77.

- Sticker 38 is too long for the location indicated, and sticker 37 is too short. Sticker 37 and sticker 38 should be swapped.

- Sticker placement sheet 71 is confusing in the wrong location. Should be left (right in city mode) leg inside outer edge by the ramp.

- Sticker placement sheet 72 is confusing in the wrong location. Should be right (left in city mode) leg inside outer edge by the ramp.

- Stickers 73 and 82 should be swapped. Sticker 82 location incorrect and should instead mirror 73's location.

Discoveries
=========

While popping open my Gen Metroplex figure, I've come to discover a few things.

1 - The back of the head has some moulding for a pin, but isn't used. It looks like this was the original rotation point for the flap that pops up in the back.

2 - The inside of Metroplex's chest is moulded to accommodate 3 buttons connected to the front cockpit: left only, right only, and center (all three at once), which is why the cockpit can be leaned to each side without triggering the lights and sounds.

2A - I'll be using these three button spaces for when I mod in an MP3 player soon. Actually just the side two (On/off and play/pause, and the other for next) since I want to retain the original electronics feature.

3 - There is PLENTY of space to fit an MP3 player and small speaker inside of the center chest, even to the point where the original electronics can sit unmodded.

4 - It's easier to put the stickers on when you take the helmet off (or just take the figure apart).

5 - The Canadian Tri-Lingual electronics are the same as the European release according to the circuit board, which means there is intended to be a European release. Mine says XYL68C EU VERSION, and on the secondary board XYL56A (which I assume is the same for the US release).

6 - The wires connected to the circuit board are prone to breaking at the solder points (probably the cause of some units not functioning). The battery wires are and wires between the secondary and primary board are especially prone to this.

7 - The plastic is SUPER thin at some points, I can notice some tiny holes in some of these thin parts when I hold it up to the light.

8 - You can easily remove the red "sunglasses" in a non-destructive way if you first remove the helmet.

9 - The most non-intrusive place to carve out a hole in order to have access to a USB wire appears to be inside of the ramp area near the back, which can then be tucked back into the center chest when not in use.

10 - According to the main circuit board, it is installed upside down, the screw should go in the hole indicated.

11 - With the amount of flux overspray on main the circuit board, it WILL fail in a few years due to corrosion, whether MISB or not (sorry collectors).

12 - Quote:
Originally Posted by The Ark
Not related to the electronics, but does anyone know what the switch on the back of his neck does?

- When the light and sound is on, move it back and forth to see his pupils moving.

Last edited by Shepp; 09-22-2013 at 12:19 PM.
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Old 09-19-2013, 09:09 PM   #53
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Re: Shepp's Generations Metroplex Review

(this post is intentionally left almost empty to accommodate additional picture space)
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Old 09-21-2013, 10:46 PM   #54
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Re: Generations Metroplex Picture Review

Not sure if this is the best place to put this but here goes:

I stickered up my Metroplex last night and today I was asked if it was the Japanese version of some Optimus Prime. I let the Optimus remark slide because they didn't know any better but said it wasn't Japanese as that was outside of my budget. Apparently all the Cybertronian characters were mistaken for Japanese characters.
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