TFW2005HisstankTokuNationToyark
The Toyark › Lego Toy News › Lego Cuusoo Macross VF1J Valkyrie Hikaru Video

Lego Cuusoo Macross VF1J Valkyrie Hikaru Video

under Lego Toy News

There are many creative endeavors going on for Lego Cuusoo. What is Lego Cussoo? The Cussoo site states the following:

  • 1.Have an Idea? Create a project, share your idea and see what other people think.
  • 2.Get 10,000 Supporters – With 10,000 supporters, your idea will be reviewed by LEGO for a chance to become an official LEGO product.
  • 3.Receive Royalty – If the project passes the review, it will be produced and you as the idea owner will receive 1% of the total net sales of the product.
Officially transforming brick sets sometimes leave a lot to be desired. Sometimes it takes a fan to improvise and make things right. However, something like a VF1 Valkyrie from Macross? That, is a challenge! A video by Cuusoo contributor maxvf1 caught our eye recently, and well…see for yourself:

Here’s his intent behind the model:

This is a model suggestion for VF-1 Valkyrie; the distinguished variable fighter from the TV animation “Space fortress Macross”.

The Valkyrie is a highly admired pioneer of Japanese transforming robot. The first animation was broadcasted on TV back in 1982. It made a huge impact on both Japanese kids and adult fans alike with exceptional transformation capabilities of changing between the FIGHTER, GERWALK and BATTROID modes. Here I wish to recreate that same emotional ”impact”, through a single model offering that is able to transform into all 3 modes.

Notice that maxvf1 made the build itself modular, however, the completed model is “kanzen henkei”/perfect transformation(able to tranform without removing parts!”. He even thought ahead and added in an optional/swappable heat shield, as well as a display stand! Even the Lego Cuuso Team took notice:

Hi,

Our team is impressed with the design and functionality of your Macross VF-1 Valkyrie model. You have also done an excellent job with the artwork presenting the idea. Our initial concern lies in how stable and playable the model is to a mass audience, however, that is a concern for later in the CUUSOO process when it starts to become clear that this will cross 10,000. For now, keep the ideas and the supporters coming! Best of luck in your journey to 10,000 supporters.

Discussion / Comments (Jump to this Thread on the Forum)

  5. Crazy Jetty's Avatar Crazy Jetty says

    Is this something someone made, or is this an actual lego kit that's getting released, somewhere?

  6. trebleshot's Avatar trebleshot says

    Cool design. I will him luck with Lego.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shin Densetsu View Post
    KREO; meet your superior!
    That's not really a fair comparison. Lego didn't design this - a fan did. There are thousands of Youtube vids that show fan-made Transformers with "perfect transformations" as well. I'm quite sure that he could have designed the exact same thing using Kre-O or MegaBloks bricks instead. Hell, he could have even mix-n-matched the parts (I know, I know - heresy/blasphemy, I am the Anti-Lego, etc.)

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Crazy Jetty View Post
    Is this something someone made, or is this an actual lego kit that's getting released, somewhere?
    Fan-made kit that could potentially become an official release. Cuusoo is a site that allows for fans to design kits and post them on the site. If the designer gets 10,000 followers on the site, Lego will review the kit and see if they are willing to make it an official release.

    Obviously, Lego would need to get the rights to Macross before this ever shows up at retail.

  7. juxtapose519's Avatar juxtapose519 says

    Lego should jump on this. It would hook the mecha fans AND the Transformers fans. This is a better Jetfire than Kre-O could ever muster.

  8. trebleshot's Avatar trebleshot says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by juxtapose519 View Post
    This is a better Jetfire than Kre-O could ever muster.
    Unless Hasbro hires this guy to design their Jetfire set, of course.

  9. Shin Densetsu's Avatar Shin Densetsu says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trebleshot View Post
    Cool design. I will him luck with Lego.



    That's not really a fair comparison. Lego didn't design this - a fan did. There are thousands of Youtube vids that show fan-made Transformers with "perfect transformations" as well. I'm quite sure that he could have designed the exact same thing using Kre-O or MegaBloks bricks instead. Hell, he could have even mix-n-matched the parts (I know, I know - heresy/blasphemy, I am the Anti-Lego, etc.)
    Yeah but even if he did mix n match he's still using a number of parts unique to Lego. I mean the fact that he made it a modular build is in-line with how Lego designers have been making recent sets, and the fact that it's perfect transformation without parts flying everywhere is an impressive bonus. There are bricks that Megabloks and Oxford Brick/KreO use that mirror Lego but they haven't copied all of the parts.

    I wish this guy luck. I know one of Lego's newer designers once made a Technic F-14 Tomcat with hydraulically actuated swing wings prior to joining Lego. These MOC'ers are damn talented.


    Quote:
    Obviously, Lego would need to get the rights to Macross before this ever shows up at retail.
    They could probably crush Harmony Gold like a sack of bricks. Lego actually makes profit and does something with their licenses.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trebleshot View Post
    Unless Hasbro hires this guy to design their Jetfire set, of course.
    Would be cool but I doubt they would.

  10. trebleshot's Avatar trebleshot says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shin Densetsu View Post
    Yeah but even if he did mix n match he's still using a number of parts unique to Lego. I mean the fact that he made it a modular build is in-line with how Lego designers have been making recent sets, and the fact that it's perfect transformation without parts flying everywhere is an impressive bonus. There are bricks that Megabloks and Oxford Brick/KreO use that mirror Lego but they haven't copied all of the parts.
    Don't get me wrong; what he did was really impressive and I think he's a great designer. I just don't think Lego should be getting any credit at this point for the design or build. Maybe a little credit for the unique parts that he used in the build, but that's it. And while I'm not sure about MegaBloks (I don't own any sets, just the minifigs), I do know that Kre-O has some unique parts as well, and will probably catch up with Lego eventually as well.

    I guess I'm just getting a little tired of the knee-jerk "Anything that looks like Lego, but isn't Lego sucks"-type reactions.

    Quote:
    I wish this guy luck. I know one of Lego's newer designers once made a Technic F-14 Tomcat with hydraulically actuated swing wings prior to joining Lego. These MOC'ers are damn talented.
    Agreed. And we have one of our own in Deefuzz.

    Quote:
    They could probably crush Harmony Gold like a sack of bricks. Lego actually makes profit and does something with their licenses.
    ROFLMAO!

    Quote:
    Would be cool but I doubt they would.
    I doubt it too. But it'd be nice to see once.

  12. Crazy Jetty's Avatar Crazy Jetty says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trebleshot View Post
    I guess I'm just getting a little tired of the knee-jerk "Anything that looks like Lego, but isn't Lego sucks"-type reactions.
    Well, speaking only from personal experience, I personally would never judge something I've never sampled from. So screw the "If it's not lego, it sucks!"
    However, my mom did buy me a couple Megablock sets when I was little, and the quality in them was godaweful. They wouldn't hold together if you glued them.
    Maybe the Megablock quality has changed since (I mean, that was 20+ years ago), but I wouldn't waist my money on them. And that may be the origin of the trope, Adults now who remember Megablocks being terrible.

  13. yourfacehere's Avatar yourfacehere says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Crazy Jetty View Post
    Well, speaking only from personal experience, I personally would never judge something I've never sampled from. So screw the "If it's not lego, it sucks!"
    However, my mom did buy me a couple Megablock sets when I was little, and the quality in them was godaweful. They wouldn't hold together if you glued them.
    Maybe the Megablock quality has changed since (I mean, that was 20+ years ago), but I wouldn't waist my money on them. And that may be the origin of the trope, Adults now who remember Megablocks being terrible.
    This is true, for megablocks at least. Their bricks came freakin' bent! Who does that? Megablocks apparently. They had some cool kits back when they came out, but they held together like an adobe hut made outta spit. Seriously, they're like the bastard child of the building block world. Started out life as a dimestore bargain bin ripoff of lego, and to my knowledge, still are. I've heard their mini figures are okay though.

  14. jestermon has no avatar! jestermon says

    Too bad they will more than likely not follow through with their rules.

    1- they will try to say he didn't get enough support
    2- we don't make war toys here
    3- umm umm it's too expensive for lego ha

    Would love one of these myself.

    It will cost $200 retail if Lego did it.

  15. Shin Densetsu's Avatar Shin Densetsu says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by trebleshot View Post
    Don't get me wrong; what he did was really impressive and I think he's a great designer. I just don't think Lego should be getting any credit at this point for the design or build. Maybe a little credit for the unique parts that he used in the build, but that's it. And while I'm not sure about MegaBloks (I don't own any sets, just the minifigs), I do know that Kre-O has some unique parts as well, and will probably catch up with Lego eventually as well.

    I guess I'm just getting a little tired of the knee-jerk "Anything that looks like Lego, but isn't Lego sucks"-type reactions.



    Agreed. And we have one of our own in Deefuzz.



    ROFLMAO!



    I doubt it too. But it'd be nice to see once.
    Wait I get what you were originally getting at now. What I was getting at was the skill level of this guy, and how for a robot build, it's far superior to what KreO currently has out. I mean sure he's a fan, but some of the KreO designers are brick building fans too.

    I mean to be honest I've seen way better MoC builds than actual Lego sets. Now I have bought KreO sets in the past and I dig them I just wish they could actually transform and were better.

  16. trebleshot's Avatar trebleshot says

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Crazy Jetty View Post
    Well, speaking only from personal experience, I personally would never judge something I've never sampled from. So screw the "If it's not lego, it sucks!"
    Completely agreed.

    Quote:
    However, my mom did buy me a couple Megablock sets when I was little, and the quality in them was godaweful. They wouldn't hold together if you glued them.
    Maybe the Megablock quality has changed since (I mean, that was 20+ years ago), but I wouldn't waist my money on them. And that may be the origin of the trope, Adults now who remember Megablocks being terrible.
    I don't know about the quality of their regular sets (like I said, I don't own any myself), but I do know about their minifigs and Bionicle-style builds. I can say from personal experience that those sets are just as good as Lego - better, when it comes to their minifigs.

    I also own several Kre-O sets and IMHO they are just as good as any Lego set. And Kreons kick all kinds of Lego minifig ass.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shin Densetsu View Post
    Wait I get what you were originally getting at now. What I was getting at was the skill level of this guy, and how for a robot build, it's far superior to what KreO currently has out. I mean sure he's a fan, but some of the KreO designers are brick building fans too.
    Oh, I agree as far as the superiority of the design and this guy's skill level is off-the-charts. But Lego has brick-building fans on their staff too, and I've never seen Lego attempt something like this, at least nothing official. I'm also kind of surprised Lego didn't try partnering with Hasbro a long time ago.

    Or maybe they did and Hasbro said "STFU & GTFO cuz we haz BTR, bitch. Iz gunna b HUGE!"

    Quote:
    I mean to be honest I've seen way better MoC builds than actual Lego sets. Now I have bought KreO sets in the past and I dig them I just wish they could actually transform and were better.
    I really like my sets too, but I'm ok with them not transforming since they weren't designed for that play pattern. Why sell a Transformers building block set that is fully transformable when there are already real Transformers being made? It was was the same logical fallacy that caused BTR to fail miserably.

    Rather than looking at them as Transformers that don't transform, look at them as building block sets with a Transformers theme just like the Harry Potter or Star Wars Lego sets. Especially since there are other non-TF themed Kre-O sets coming out in the future.

  17. Leave your reply on the Toyark Forums.

    Full Thread: Lego Cuusoo Macross Transforming VF1 Valkyrie

    Not a member yet? Join Toyark Now!

Join the Conversation! › Lego Cuusoo Macross VF1J Valkyrie Hikaru Video Discussion