REVIEW: Toynami’s Robotech Masterpiece Beta Fighter Vol. 1 - Blue

Is it worth the 25 year wait?

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Robotech, the Americanized conglomeration of three unrelated Japanese anime series, appeared on TV in 1985. I don’t need to go into the massive popularity and countless products spawned from these humble beginning. But, even with the sea of Veritech/Valkyrie toys that have appeared over these last 24 years, there was one pretty glaring omission: the Beta (or Tread in Japan). Notwithstanding the incredibly rare Mospeada Tread from Gakken, a holy grail for Macross/Mospeada/Robotech collectors, we were just out of luck. [Note: just recently there has been an inferior Tread release in Japan.] Now, Toynami and Robotech have changed all of that with their release of the Masterpiece Beta Fighter!

The first generation of Robotech, the Macross series, featured variations on the same Veritech, the VF-1 modeled off of the real-life F-14 Tomcat. In the third generation, created from the Japanese series Mospeada, the heroes instead piloted two different types of transformable mecha: the Alpha and Beta fighters. While the Alpha was small and maneuverable, the hulking Beta was a powerhouse of armament and thrusters. Not only did the two Veritechs work in tandem, but they could also combine!

Toynami’s Robotech Masterpiece lineup has been providing fans with high quality transformable mecha for several years. Starting with the VF-1 series of the first generation, Toynami released multiple versions in high-end “book”-styled packages. Next came accessory packs for the VFs, and then a separate line of Alpha fighters. The Betas continue in this tradition, the first of which is the Masterpiece Beta Fighter Vol. 1 – Blue!

When my Beta arrived, purchased directly from Robotech.com, it came in an enormous box. The first thing I found inside was an external white box, unadorned except for a black and white image of Rand and the name of the mecha on the side. Inside of this was the actual Beta package. Like the Alphas and VF Veritechs before, the Beta comes in a large box designed to look like an oversized book. In this case it’s absolutely enormous, fully 13 ½ inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 6 ½ inches deep! The outside is a marbled blue “cover,” with a lined “pages” section inside. The front of the book has a prominent Robotech New Generation logo with the mecha’s full technical name on the bottom (VFB-9H) and a silhouette image of its pilot Rand. The external “side” of the box has a full color action image of Rand, and is branded “Vol. 1.” The back of the box has only the New Generation logo and a block of copyright/safety text.

The front panel of the book is held closed by hidden magnets. Opening it reveals a fifth panel on the left complete with photographs of the mecha in its different modes and a numbered certificate of authenticity at the bottom. To the right is a large window revealing the Beta fighter in battloid mode. Just barely visible behind it are the accessories. This entire section slides out of the book vertically, and can be packed back together for in-package display. The book styling of the Masterpiece Collection has always been pretty cool, but the sheer size of this one borders on the absurd.

Slide out the massive tray to remove the plastic bubble. It’s double-layered, with the mecha on top and accessories below. Some of the pieces are very small, so be careful not to lose them. There’s a comprehensive sticker sheet with a variety of logos and even different mission designations. If you purchased your Beta from Robotech.com like I did, there’s also an included character card of Rand!

This Beta fighter truly lives up to its character in the animation. It’s huge, it’s heavy, and it’s basically a flying brick. Of course, for the fans, none of these are remotely bad! The Beta is packaged in battloid (or robot) mode. You’ll notice right away that it’s much more sturdy than its smaller brother the Alpha. The mecha stands 9 ½ inches tall, towering over the Alpha. Due to its unique appearance the Beta is nearly as wide as it is tall. Basically humanoid, the Beta has a wide, flat chest, tinysensor head, long arms with huge forearms, small lower torso and upper legs, and large lower legs. All of these combine to form an image of strength and weight.

Construction of the Beta is impressive. It features quite a bit of die-cast metal as well as plastic, and weighs fully two pounds! Best of all, it feels sturdy too. For a bulky guy, the Beta has a lot of cool sculpted details as well. There are vents, hatches, and lines galore. Color is relatively simple, but even that matches the animation perfectly. This first Beta is predominantly white and dark blue, with details in black, yellow, and red. All of the colored sections are cleanly done.

For a big, bulky ‘bot, the Beta has very good articulation. There are joints at the neck, shoulders, biceps, elbows, wrists, fingers (move together), waist, hips, knees, and “toes.” A lot of these are ratcheting joints which work wonders in holding the heavy mecha in different poses.

For armaments, the Beta has mostly integral weapons. On either side of the chest are the tips of (non-removable) long range missiles. These can be depressed in order to open the flip-down hatches next to them, revealing twin banks of (non-removable) short range missiles! At the ends of the massive armored forearms are triple barreled weapons as well. Finally, the medium range missile pod sits above and behind the Beta’s head.