Optimus Prime with Perfect Effect's The Another War (TAW-01) God Sword

The funny part about this particular upgrade for the Classic/Henkei Optimus Prime is that there is very little in terms of reference to "The Another War" or to "Perfect Effect", on the internet.

Google it, and most likely you'll end up with stores or blogs are are previewing the TAW-01, but nothing about where or why it was used or about who made it - though from the looks of it, Perfect Effect has been around for quite some time and has a lot of killer upgrades that - like the TAW-01 - are seemingly outside of the Transformers continuity.

Perhaps this is how Perfect Effect wants it.

Unlike Fansproject which maintains a website and works to upgrade or add on to existing Hasbro Transformers to bring them closer to their cartoon/movie/comic book versions, Perfect Effect seems to dabble in "what ifs" and other universes, touching only ever so slightly in the main continuity and taking things to the extreme.

Or they're just avoiding the inevitable copyright lawsuit.

And the TAW-01 is a perfect example of this.

Green Lanterns

In June of 2011, Green Lantern will hit the big-screen. So I thought I'd take the opportunity to showcase my Green Lantern collection. I actually have more Hal Jordans that what's displayed here, but most of them are already in storage. Most of these are from the Green Lantern Blackest Night Series (Ivan Reis art). Others are from the Green Lantern Series (Ethan Van Sciver art) released a few years back; and the remainder are from the DC Universe Classics line and there's one from the Justice Society of America line (Alex Ross art) released in 2010.

Jungle Viper: Welcome to the Jungle

While trawling through a G.I. Joe forum, I came across this image which totally reminded me of my Jungle Viper Review. I just had to share it. It totally adds to the Cobra Jungle Viper mythos don't you think?

G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra: Jungle Viper

Presenting the Cobra Jungle Viper! Released late this 2010 as part of Wave 2 of the G.I. Joe POC series, the Jungle Viper retails in the Philippine Black Market - as it has yet to be released in the malls - depending upon who you ask - between PhP 650 to PhP 1,200. 

The collector card on the back reads: "Jungle-Vipers are Cobra troopers with special training as silent marksmen. Their opti-camo ghillie suits have digitized camouflage blades, which makes them disappear from any detection devices. They also use multi-visual image systems that give them wide visual displays of surrounding territory." 

So he's not the  bird-man that he initially appears to look like. Those "wings" are all part of his special ghillie suit (To the uninitiated, a ghillie suit is a parka like netting worn by snipers that covers them from head to toe. Snipers attach local foliage to the suit to blend in with their surroundings. The result is the ability to move into position and stay hidden when required). When I first saw the model, I thought that he was an updated version of Raptor - the Cobra genius accountant who could... well... talk to birds so he dressed up as a bird. 

Apparently he's not. He's a jungle sniper.

Which is where it starts to go downhill

Avatar: AT-99 Scorpion Gunship

I'm a bad-bad-boy

The most common criticism that I've encountered regarding the Scorpion Gunship was that a lot of people didn't see it in the movie. It's also not in the crappy video game that was released following the movie. The reason for this is that more often than not, the Scorpion Gunship is overshadowed by the more familiar troop-carrying Aerospatiale SA-2 Samson. But watch the film again and you will be able to make the distinction between the Scorpions (Look to the left) and the Samsons (it's the big fat one that looks like a Huey on steroids) - although the Samson has yet to be released as a toy.

Fansproject: Gears of War 2 pack

Last December 5, we touched on the Fansproject upgrades for the Alternator Optimus Prime. Which led me to think that I should spotlight some of the other upgrades that Fanproject has come up with - Illegally of course. While no official statement has been released, Hasbro is after the Fansproject company for copyright violations. But can you blame a company that just wants to upgrade the mediocre crap that Hasbro has been throwing out? Personally I think that Hasbro should praise Fansproject, buy them, upgrade their production capabilities and absorb their ideas and creativity)

Anyway, not my problem.

I'm here to talk about the Gears of War Pack number 2 (Not to be confused with Fenix and his video game of the same title.) or TFC-005 - retails today for around PhP 1,750 to PhP 2,500 depending upon whom you ask.

Transformers Energon: Omega Supreme

, 

"Unyielding resolve has no conqueror" 

Presenting Omega Supreme from the Transformers Energon series. A friend noticed him standing at the back from a previous entry and asked who he was, so here he is. That's his motto above which is easy to say when you're so big.

This baby stands nearly a foot and a half tall (16 inches) and weighs in at 4.5 lbs making him easily one of the largest transformers I've ever owned. Like the G1 Omega Supreme, the Energon Omega Supreme has the signature visored head - although this one has two horns instead of one. This Omega Supreme also loses the tri-claw left hand in favor of a two claw hand;  and trades in the right hand cannon in favor of something that looks like it came out of a Macross movie.

Of course the biggest difference between the G1 Omega Supreme and the Energon Omega Supreme is the color. Half of this Omega is bright yellow, and the other half is Blue - which is a big clue that screams at you that this Omega splits in half.

Like the original G1 Omega, it's fully articulated and has a few hidden electronics and surprises to boot.

So lets see what it's made of. As previously mentioned, it obviously splits into two components:

Metro Toys Warehouse Sale

Check out the Metro Toys Warehouse Sale from Nov. 15 to Dec. 30, 2010 and get as much as 70% off on toys. The Metro Toys Warehouse Sale is located at 8416/SA-1 Sandoval Ave. Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City.

Alternators: Optimus Prime & Rodimus

Presenting Transformers: Alternators Optimus Prime and Rodimus. These are Alternators (Hasbro, Made in the USofA), not Binaltechs (Takara , made in the land of the rising sun). There is no official story line for the Alternators, but there is one for Binaltech which is released in small comics included with the toy. Personally I believe that the line was created in order to promote the car-lines of Subaru, Ford, Mazda and Chrysler.

If I'm right, there were at least three lines that entered the market in 2003, a plastic line (Alternators), a die-cast line (Which was more expensive, Binaltechs) and a knock-off line which was incredibly cheap and very hard to distinguish from the plastic line. These two are from the plastic line and nowadays retail for around PhP 2,000 to PhP 2,500 MIB; twice that if they're the die-cast version and maybe PhP1,000 less if they're loose.

A Peek at the Dungeon

The wife wasn't home

For those who haven't seen it yet at my old Multiply site, here's a peek into what I have in my dungeon. The sad part is.... this is probably only a third of what I actually own. Due to space limitations, the remaining two-thirds are in storage. Highlights here include:

• All my Optimus Primes. There is only one person whom I personally know who has more Primes than I do - although we debate this as he counts ref-magnets and other Knick-Knacks and I count the Optimus Primals. I'm particularly proud of the Primes that can combine with other Transformers or which evolve with their paraphernalia. 
•  The heroes - only the heroes - of my Marvel Legends collection - I'm not a real fan of the smaller Marvel Universe series because I remember what Marvel Legends cost a few years ago, and it just makes me sad if that's all I can buy today for the same price. 
• Cortana - if you can find her in the picture 

ToyBox Now Open!

ToyBox Waltermart in San Fernando, Pampanga is now open. It's located at the second floor of Robinsons Department Store.

VF 1S Strike Valkyrie

This is my "Macross: Do You Remember Love?" 1/100 Variable VF-1S Strike Valkyrie Fighter produced by Harmony Gold and Toynami. This is from the Japanese version of the cartoon, not from the American "Robotech" version, although without the box, and unless you're familiar with the sticker differences between the two, there really isn't any way of telling.

I purchased this from Maxicollector in Fort Bonifacio for PhP 1495.

Manufactured by Stonewell/Bellcom a VF-1S Strike Valkyrie is a variant of the VF-1A reserved for Squadron Commanders that differs from the standard VF-1A only through the number of ROV-20 lasers mounted on the sensor pod (head): 4 versus the VF-1A's 1 and in their powerplant - the VF-1A has a Shinnakasu Heavy Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2001 Thermonuclear reaction turbine engine versus the VF-1S's D variant of the engine (We'll talk about the Strike part later).

Spring Cleaning with Pond's Clear Solutions

It is an unfortunate reality that eventually you wake up and realize that you're out of display space for new toys. So even if it's sad, you have to choose which toys get taken down, cleaned, sealed in plastic sandwich bags and put into storage till the day comes when you win the lotto and have a museum to display them all.

Another sad reality is that, unless you're rich enough to have a sealed display case, that dust will come to your toys, and that dust will stick and thicken as time goes by. Take this sample here of a DC Isis figurine whose white uniform is practically covered in filth:

Toys R Us Opens New Branches

Toys R Us has opened four more branches--Greenbelt 5, Glorietta 4, Shangri-La Plaza, and Power Plant Mall. Now you have more reasons to shop for toys.

G.I. Joe Steel Marauder versus the Avatar AMP Suit

The Dungeon received a request last week to compare the Avatar AMP Suit against the G.I. Joe Steel Marauder, so here it is.

First the bad news, the Avatar AMP Suit in my possession is a variant of the one more commonly found in the market or on E-bay. This particular variant does not bear the shoulder-slung GAU-90 30 mm machine gun. Instead it bears an optional slashing blade - as seen in the film.


So if you see this particular packaging and want the AMP suit with its machine gun, don't buy this.The package describes the AMP suit as a"Refinement of a military exeskeleton first used on Earth in the early 20th century and aapted during wars spanning the decades. Sealed models for toxic environments were developed and, with the colonozation of the Moon and Mars, pressurized versions with full life-support systems were employed in great numbers. Highly nimble, AMP suits are in constant operation on Pandora"

G.I. Joe Pursuit of Cobra: Steel Marauder

The G.I. Joe Steel Marauder Mobile Mech Suit has yet to be released here in the Philippines through retail outlets. You'll have to find one in Greenhills or in ebay - where I got this particular model (Check out Jedimarc76 as he still may not have moved the Cobra Deviant Mech yet if you're interested). The Marauder comes with Sergeant Joseph "Kickstart" Rivera, a plethora of stickers to attach and six missiles that can be launched from the Marauder's left arm - however it looks better without the missiles, so I removed them. To see the missles, check out my video review.

The box describes the Marauder as a "Suit that boosts strength and speed to tremendous levels! This highly advance battle armor gives the G.I. Joe Team powerful support and firepower in the battle against Cobra!"  Note that  Kickstart sits in a cockpit and operates joysticks and therefore lends none of his strength to the performance of the Marauder. This is therefore not a suit. It's clearly Mechanized Armor, a Mech.

Toys R Us Big Toy Sale

Enjoy up to 70% off on selected items in Toys R Us Big Toy Sale at Alabang Town Center Activity Area from Nov. 12-17, 2010. You also get a free FastLane die-cast car for a minimum single-receipt purchase of P2,000 using your BPI Card

Halo: Reach Warthog

From the game Halo: Reach, and technically all other Halo games before that, the fighting workhorse of the UNSC, the M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle, AKA the Warthog.

Contact the Dungeon

The Denizens of the Dungeon:

Denis Achilles L. del Callar: 
Male
Terran
41 Standard Years Old.
Known Aliases: Guardian, "Ka Achilles"
Founder of the Dungeon.

Founded Dark Lord Dungeon (His initials) with the simple objective of sharing with the Dungeon's visitors the same joy he gets from toy collecting - and because he needed a venue where he could sharpen his writing skills.

He still dreams of one day travelling to the stars to lead the Light Brigade against the Clan invasion astride Aura Deva, his Cerberus Assault Class Battlemech.

Till then he serves as a freelance magazine publisher in the real world.

Hi, Lanz Frago here. I mainly collect Revoltechs, Nendroids, Figmas and Gundams. Picky about paint jobs and articulation points on toys. I'm also into comic books, video games, Batman, cartoons and digital art.

Do join her in her Happy Hospital.

.

Do you have press releases about toys, games, and other related topics?

Do you want to invite me to events?

Do you have a proposal for a business arrangement?

Let's talk. You can email me at guardiandc@gmail.com or at lafrago.lf@gmail.com

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook or on Twitter:

4th ToyKingdom Warehouse Sale

Toykingdom actually has a website www.toykingdom.ph   but it's horribly out of date. Had I not passed through EDSA yesterday, I would not have seen a sign announcing a Warehouse sale with as much as 70% off of regular prices on November 5 to 7, 2010, at the 5th Floor of SM Megamall, Megatrade Halls 1 & 2.

Quite frankly, TK's warehouse sales tend to be very hit and miss. Sometimes you run into a treasure trove, sometimes you're bored out of your mind, but why take the chance? Go check it out. The first day, November 5 is unfortunately only for TK card members - and I think SM advantage card members (I'd tell you which, but their site doesn't even bother to announce it).  So just to be safe, hop on over on the weekend.

Binil: Custom Toy Exhibit

An old high-school friend of mine: Jan Calleja is part of a custom toy exhibit that opens on the 5th of November in 7274 Malugay st. San Antonio Village, Makati City. "Binil" is an exhibition of the latest custom Vinyl toys, prints and paintings of artists: Alex Mrtinez, Rotobox Vinyl Anatomica, JP Cuison, Jan Calleja, Gilbert Ibanez, Ira Tan, Nemo, MG Litan, Nico Deacosta, Miko Livelo, Jomike Tejido, Whoop and Wesndestroy.

Poster design by JP CUISON

UNSC Special Warfare Command Group Three

Presenting elements of the UNSC Special Warfare Command Group Three (AKA Noble Team):  (L-R) Warrant Officer Emile-A239 (Noble Four), Lieutenant SPARTAN-B312 (Noble Six), and the big-boy Chief warrant Officer Jorge-052 (Noble Five). Spoiler: By the end of the video game, Halo:Reach, all three are dead - including, well... you since you'll be playing Noble Six.

Hot Wheels Trick Tracks Robo Tour

Hot Wheels pushes stunts to the extreme with Trick Tracks Robo Tour. It features Die-Cast Collectors of the Philippines museum, Dino Race and other activities. You also get a chance to Win P5,000 in the grand finals. Here are the race schedules:

Nov. 5-7: Activity Area of Robinsons Galleria
Nov. 26-28 Activity Area of Robinsons Metro East

Halo Reach: Noble Six (Lieutenant SPARTAN-B312)

Purchased Oct, 2010
PhP 999.75 at Toys R'Us



I didn't really enjoy the video game because of the ending - though you get a hint of it at the start (I really don't understand why video game developers think that players want to die in the end). Anyway, here's the avatar of one of John 117's brothers who you can play - and customize (hell you can even make the brother a sister in the video game) in the Halo prequel: Halo Reach. He's the first in a series released by McFarlane (mcfarlane.com/halo) for the video game. Series 1 includes custom Spartans and some of the other Spartans that you can see - but not play - in the video game (Emile and Jorge).

Sigma Six Rolling Operations Command Center

Purchased complete on EBAY for PhP 4,000 in 2008

The centerpiece of my G.I. Joe collection: The Sigma Six Rolling Operations Command Center (ROCC). The ROCC made its first appearance in the Sigma Six cartoon where it served as the mobile headquarters for the small, elite G.I. Joe team. If you follow the series, you'll note that there is some discrepancy with the size of the actual vehicle. In the cartoons, the ROCC sometimes grows or shrinks to fit the demands of the animators. At one point it even housed the RHINO (Rapid Heli-Integrated Neutralizing Offense) which clearly this cannot.