Viper II Gets The Virtual On Model Treatment

thanks for the great pics. i like there where more reviews like this one. awesome. keep them coming.

Fuji-kun

@HueyFreeman: The thing about people who play Virtual On for the first time is that they expect it to control a certain way, when the intent to play the game is quite different from any 3rd person game out there. The game's really about dash vectoring and catching your opponent with the right counter. It's not really free form 3rd person action. The game adheres to a strict set of rules which is what makes the game interesting but also assumingly first time playing; frustrating.

Kuren

@Donutta: You will want to actually consider the manufacturer and if it's an actual recast. If it's a recast, then it's totally fake and they more than probably use a cheaper plastic. If it's one of the earlier kits then it's probably made by Wave. The Wave Virtual On model kits were pretty terrible overall. They had cheap plastic and they fell apart easily, not to mention the lack of features and articulation. I can't blame you for hating it. The newer kits are being made by Kotobukiya and they make much higher quality kits. Plus, model kit standards compared to years ago, are much different than they are today.

Kuren

@Theoutlet: Viper 2 is from the first game; Operation Moongate.

Kuren

@Maikel De Bakker: Bomberman Live is nice, but it can't measure up to Saturn Bomberman. I really wish Sega/Hudson would release the game on Live already. Most people now have HD TVs which are better suited to the 10-player mode, and the single player campaign is sorely missed. Plus, Saturn Bomberman has really fantastic music.

@HueyFreeman: Damn, you really are a troll. "Horrible?" "A 20 year old game?" "Clunky as hell?"

Huge pics. Very nifty and stylish, would love to own a real one!

nerve11

@Odin: yes, truly. Contary to my post below, I actually have a made a pretty awesome master grade strike freedom once. To truly get those box art level of quality, you must spray and draw.

kitsuneconundrum

@Odin:
Really, I'm just saying that the 'faults' described above are common to the majority of model kits of this type. (Well, I guess it's not so common to see all of those problems in the same kit at the same time, but none of them are rare alone.)

It's like complaining that you bought a crystal glass salad bowl and it broke when you turned it upside down and used it as a stool to change the lightbulb. Most bowls happen to be pretty strong, so maybe other glass bowls have worked for you when changing lightbulbs in the past, and maybe other manufacturer's glass bowls wouldn't have broken. Hell, maybe you have a family tradition of using upturned bowls for stools and so do all your friends and this is the first time one has broken - none of that changes the fact that "making it strong enough to stand on" isn't one of the normal design parameters for a crystal glass bowl.

Model Kits are different from figurines, statuettes, action figures or whatever. If the plastic fades significantly or the options are hard to swap in on an action figure, it's a reasonable complaint; if you're painting a kit, though - which is the expectation, just look at the pictures on the outside of the box - then who cares what colour the plastic is underneath?

From a practical point of view, it's probably not worth it for the manufacturer to risk the potential lost sales from jacking the price up so they can use more expensive UV-fast dyes. Making plastic kit moulds for relatively niche interests (military/trains > Gundam > insert-video-game here) is already an investment risk.

Bichatse

@Trowble (XBL/PSN): actually, the dreamcast version of the game showcased dreamcasts in their ports.

@Bichatse:
Not all people actually feel comfortable painting them beyond a little detail work/panel lining. In addition just because "most" people "you know" just pose their models with one set of parts doesn't mean others don't like to swap parts and repose it occasionally.

Just because you've decided to make assumptions over what you think most people who buy these do with them doesn't mean you can wave away manufacturing faults. Even though quite a lot of people that buy this will repaint it that doesn't exactly excuse the fact that the plastic is poor and prone to fading.

Odin

@Señor Cagon:
Most modern mecha kits come with most of the parts premoulded in the appropriate colours. This isn't the case for all kits however and those that do still need small amounts of paint and work to make them look awesome.

Odin

does it come with the 10 player bomberman and adapter?

Maikel De Bakker

@HueyFreeman: Change it to the twin stick mode, it's all good from there.

Needs to go to colour scheme school. Prefer original white and blue.

I want this so so bad. My favorite virtuoid in the series. Sigh.

@Donutta:
To be honest, all that just makes me wonder whether you really know what the kind of people who usually buy $50 models expect from them.

I mean, just for starters the expected use involves painting them, which means any fading isn't the fault of the model kit manufacturer. Most modellers I've known will pick one set of optional parts and one pose and leave the kit on display like that, so joints becoming loose or options being hard to swap in are pretty irrelevant complaints.

No insult intended, but it sounds like what you wanted was a $50 action figure, not a model kit at all.

Bichatse

I played the Virtual On demo.
It was HORRIBLE.
I really was expecting better, but I guess that's my fault for expecting something from a 20 year old game.
Controls felt clunky as hell

HueyFreeman

These models honestly suck ass. I have the Fei-Yen model, and it's caused me nothing but grief.

-- They are not sturdy an get knocked over very easily. The only way around this is copious amounts of blu-tack, which is unsightly.

-- Joints become lose with minimal use. Indeed, the Saturn lid is the worst, resulting in the CD dropping out constantly.

-- They come with interchangeable parts, yet parts will often break when you attempt to remove them, even with minimal force. Now poor of Fei-Yen will forever have an open hand.

-- They fade ridiculously easily, even when not in direct sunlight.

They honestly have the quality of a $5 action figure, not a $50 model. I seriously would recommend that everyone avoid purchasing one.

@MasterNinja: I'm not 100% on that, but I think you're right.

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

Looks like one of those gundam kits. Which means I need skill right? :(sad monkey:(

kitsuneconundrum

Model kit means unassembled and unpainted right? I remember having this and a player 2 Temjim action figure by kaiyodo (or something) back in the day but this is just SUPERIOR.

@Trowble (XBL/PSN): Didn't all of them have a Sega Saturn on their back, or am I mistaken?

The frothing demand for this game's model kits increases.

I was late to this series and hence I believe it should be a dreamcast on its back.

It's the way I remember it damn it!

NOOOOOO.

I'VE GOT ENOUGH M.I.B's HANGING ON MY WALLS. I MUST RESIST.

I remember the Sega Saturn on his back. Oh how I miss the good ol' days...

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

Impressive dong cannon, mr.roboto.

Perfectnumpty

...Yeap. Bought.

[ZTF]214A, 2A, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 214B, 214D

@Kuren: Man, I would never get that down. Sounds like I would suck at the game if I ever tried to play competitively!
I'll just stick with Chromehounds aha

HueyFreeman

@Kobun:

How am I a troll?

HueyFreeman

Is IS the original colour scheme. You're probably thinking about Temjin.

Alcochetano

Sorry. Not of fan of robots in high heels.

NegativeGhostrider

VOOT has a steep learning curve. I don't expect everyone to get it right away. But it just shows off the attention span of some people right away lol

vitrium

This is pretty standard pricing for Kotobukiya. I'm all for it, but would prefer more SRW models.

Kotobukiya is usually pretty decent quality, maybe not for the price, but its doable. Remember that a model is only as nice as you make it.

Sight

@Kuren: Heh, it looks all the same to me.

Very nice.

I bought the original Viper II about 7 to 8 years ago. It was my pride and joy, sitting there on my shelf looking all dramatic and kick ass.

And then one day i took it off the shelf to dust it a bit and the friggin' foot snapped off.
Over the course of time many other things decided to snap off, like it's arm, it's sword and it's other foot.

I say, if they're gonna make these bloody things and sell it off as being 'posable figurines with bajillion articulation points' then bloody make the things durable.
But then again, this is a model kit and not a figurine so never mind.

Other than that, these things look LOOOOVELY! I want Specineff.

reminds me of exteel.