Latest news with #MissingLink
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Missing Link Optimus Prime Toy Review: Right In The Feels
This toy is so much better than the original you remember. What if a classic toy were to be remade with modern articulation and detailing? That's where the new Missing Link toys for Transformers come in, and they are amazing. The first of these was the classic Optimus Prime, with the iconic trailer, quickly followed by an anime-accurate version (minus the trailer). The version here is the initial 'C-01' release with the trailer, and an awful lot else. To back up a bit, most kids during the mid-80s would have likely had this version of Optimus Prime at one point. However, the original release had almost no real articulation to speak of. It just stood rigid and couldn't be posed at all. Furthermore, the hands were separate parts that had to be attached. Don't get me wrong, it was still a great toy, but this Missing Link version is really quite something else. The articulation is really quite impressive for a re-imagined classic toy like this. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Firstly, the articulation is way more involved now. You have more movement in its knees, hips, and feet, so you can actually pose the toy properly now. The arms are also more involved, as you can swivel them at the shoulder and elbow. The hands are now folded into the gap behind the radiator grate and can also be opened and closed. The other big addition is that this release also includes a very shiny Matrix of Leadership. This, too, can be removed and held in the new articulated hands. In the original toy, you can spaces for the small Diaclone figures, but these figures were removed when they came Westward as Transformers. The nice thing here is that the whole Matrix housing can also be removed to leave those old Diaclone seats as well. So, that's just the main toy; what about the trailer? This is basically identical to the original. You get the little buggy, but it's silver now, and the maintenance pod. The latter can also be removed and features hair-trigger, spring-loaded missiles. The trailer can also be used in its three configurations: open, closed (but with the maintenance pod popping out), and the rather fun vertical maintenance bay setup (shown below). It's pretty versatile, and you also have stabilisers underneath that can be pulled out and retracted as needed. The full maintenance bay setup with the trailer is still fun to do. The main use of the trailer, though, was storing the other smaller Transformers toys, which this Missing Link toy line is pumping out multiple variants already. Over the years, I've owned a lot of Optimus Primes. From multiple Masterpiece iterations to even the new Diaclone version, but this is probably one of my favorites. Even compared to the walking-talking Robosen version. The fact it takes the classic toy and just updates it without changing anything drastic, just to make it a better toy, is something I cannot enthuse about enough. All of this excellence is also pretty affordable, considering the amount of stuff you get, coming in at a decent $119.99. Considering that the original 1984 toy can go for multiple times this amount, and doesn't have any of the new articulation or gimmicks, makes this an absolute bargain. So, if your parents threw all your old toys away and you've fancied replacing your classic Optimus Prime, get this one. It's better than the toy you remember and is nowhere near as expensive compared to the original that's on the collector's market. The Missing Link Optimus Prime is available from the Hasbro Pulse online store for $119.99. Missing Link Optimus Prime Missing Link Optimus Prime Gallery Manufacturer: Takara Tomy, Hasbro Release Date: February 2024 (Japan) Price: $119.99 Disclosure: Hasbro sent me this toy for the purposes of this review. Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
The Verge
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Verge
Square Enix cancels Kingdom Hearts mobile game
Square Enix has announced that it is cancelling the mobile spinoff Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link. In a statement on the game's website, Square Enix apologized to fans who were anticipating the game. The announcement also mentioned that Square was still hard at work on Kingdom Hearts IV perhaps to allay fears that this cancellation might indicate problems for other games in the sprawling Disney video game series. Kingdom Hearts: Missing-Link was announced in 2022 alongside Kingdom Hearts IV. It was billed as a mobile action game that made use of GPS technology to give players the ability to 'travel the world without stepping outside,' according to one trailer. However, apparently that goal was a bit too lofty as Square Enix wrote, 'We determined that it would be difficult for us to offer a service that players would find satisfactory over a long period of time, leading us to the decision to cancel development.' Square Enix's statement provided insight as to the reason for a game's cancellation – something most game studios do not often offer. And while making any game is a miracle, making a successful live-service game is like asking for lightning to strike the head of a pin in a forest. After all, how many live-service games (some of them even made by Square Enix itself) were released only to die shortly thereafter while the concurrent player counts for Fortnite, Roblox, and Call of Duty remain largely unmoved. So it's a rare and refreshing bit of honesty, especially in an industry as opaque as game development, that Square Enix was willing to name the reason for cancelling Missing-Link and I hope more studios follow suit in the future. But it's not all bad news for Square Enix. As reported by Gematsu, Square has also started a new partnership with the Tokyo Broadcasting System Television. Known as TBS, it's a Japanese TV and media company which produced Takeshi's Castle – an internationally popular physical competition show known in the US as Most Extreme Elimination Challenge or MXC. TBS started its own games division in 2023 and with Square Enix, the two companies will work on a new gaming property.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Drivers using dangerous junction after road closure
Residents living in a Cotswold village say they are being forced to use a dangerous road junction where there are "deaths and accidents regularly". It follows the closure of a minor road from Brimpsfield to the A417 as part of the Missing Link scheme to build a dual carriageway between Gloucester and Cirencester. The closure means locals are using the busy Birdlip junction on the A417 for the most direct route to Cirencester, which involves crossing both lanes of traffic. National Highways said it "understands the concerns of the residents" and that work was being phased "very carefully to minimise the impact on local communities and motorists". Martin Smith, who has lived in Brimpsfield for nearly 50 years, said there are "deaths and accidents regularly" on the junction. He explained drivers end up waiting at the junction for a gap to appear. "If a lorry is coming it's probably doing 30 or so miles an hour, but motor cars they can sometimes be going 60 or 70," he said. "Very recently I was at that junction, taking two of my family to Kemble and a car came over the top and I thought, I've got plenty of time. But then I thought, No, I haven't and the car hit me up the backside while waiting to join the main road, so it is a notorious junction," Mr Smith added. He said "on the positive side", rat running through the village "is probably going to come to an end, when the missing link is done". Another resident, Patrick Daley, said it was "a terrible junction". "Since we've lived here two women have been killed. It is dangerous and people who are coming up the hill are very pleased to be on the flat again, so put their foot down. "You have to be very conscious to get out safely, so I take my time". The road was initially supposed to close for six weeks from March, but now looks set to remain shut into the summer. Steve Foxley, National Highways' project director for the Missing Link scheme, said they were doing "everything we can" to minimise disruption and keep residents informed. He added: "We understand the concerns of the residents at this location, and we will be opening the local access road by early June, or earlier if possible." "For safety reasons, drivers are unable to access the A417 due to the contraflow in place but access remains from the Elkstone/Highwayman Inn junction" he said. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Bike park reopening after A417 closures What's happening with roadworks on the A417? National Highways
Tatler Asia
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
The accidental animator: how an aspiring chef found her voice in animation
From art school to Hollywood In 2009, Ong moved to San Francisco to study at the Academy of Art University. There, she sharpened her drawing skills at workshops thrice a week and worked towards her dream of becoming a visual development artist who decided the look of specific scenes in a film. Fast forward to today, she's worked on critically acclaimed animated films like Kubo and the Two Strings , Missing Link and Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning Pinocchio . Each project was a learning experience, pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling. Read more: Reel vision: how The Projector's Karen Tan turned a forgotten cinema into Singapore's coolest cultural hub Above Guillermo del Toro, Alexander Bulkley, Gary Ungar and Mark Gustafson after receiving the Best Animated Feature award for 'Pinocchio' at the 95th Annual Academy Awards in 2023 (Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Image) On Pinocchio , for instance, Ong discovered the beauty of collaborative creativity. 'Guillermo del Toro trusted his team and allowed us to channel our creativity,' she explains. Unlike other productions where artists might feel like 'a cog in a wheel', the experience was liberating. She landed the job after a producer friend contacted her. Ong had just been fired from her previous assignment when the call came. 'I was like, 'Oh. I really like The Shape of Water . So I said yeah, definitely, please, please, please.'' After completing the film, however, she shares that she started seeing a therapist due to burnout. 'But it's good, it's good,' she quickly adds. 'I think film as a medium is a way to sort of process how far we've come with certain narratives and where we want to go from here, right?' Their work isn't just about creating beautiful images—it's about translating complex narratives into visual language. 'There's a lot of science in animation and art,' Ong explains. She speaks about how understanding molecular diffusion influences how fog is depicted, or how fractal compositions can create depth in animation. Read more: Visual artist Kumari Nahappan is behind some of Singapore's most recognisable public sculptures Spotlighting important narratives through animation Looking ahead, Ong is developing a project called Root , focusing on illustrating the direct impacts of climate change and biodiversity on human life. Her goal is to use animation to make these complex scientific concepts accessible. 'Animation can bring ideas to people who are landlocked and let them see beauty they might not otherwise have access to,' she says. This stems from her deep belief in animation's transformative potential; that It's not just entertainment, but a medium for education, empathy and exploration. Read more: No jump scares, no problem: this horror filmmaker can terrify you without the shocks Quick take To get to know Ong beyond her professional achievements, she answers a round of rapid-fire questions: The film that sparked your animation dreams? Desiree Ong (DO): Coraline . It was one of the first cartoon animation with a female lead character and it was so whimsical because it was stop motion. I was so curious to know how it was made and how I could work in this industry. Your current favourite animated show? DO: Scavengers Reign. The scenes and narratives are so beautiful, and the illustrations are so visceral. Who's a director you want to work with? DO: I want to say James Cameron, but I was at a concept artist talk at the LightBox Expo and all of his concept artists were men. So I'm not sure he'll hire me. That being said, I'm putting this out there. Read more: Meet Tanaka Daisuke, the Japanese designer infusing anime culture into romantic garments If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be? DO: [Marine biologist] Dr Sylvia Earle. She comes from such an amazing generation, where she helped push forth science for ocean-related matters so much. It would be amazing to sit in front of her at dinner and ask her questions. What's one advice you would give to anyone who wants to break into the animation industry? DO: Focus on expressing your story and build that into a film. That's going to be your calling card. There are a lot of free and affordable software and platforms like Blender and Procreate. You also have your phone, which has a powerful camera, so you can make any film you want right now. You can exercise your creativity. It's more of a question of what's stopping you? Why don't you try it and give it a shot? It's going to be really fun. Credits This article was created with the assistance of AI tools
BBC News
02-04-2025
- BBC News
Iconic Cotswold's 'look' maintained in road-building scheme
A scheme which will see 5.5 km (3.4 miles) of new dual carriageway built between Gloucester and Cirencester is also employing a team of traditional Highways, which is responsible for the A417 Missing Link project, say it will help the scheme blend into the landscape, help protect sites of special scientific interest and reinstate old walls that have fallen into Government-owned company says the traditional look of dry stone walls is part of the iconic nature of the work is a painstaking process - a team of 12 stonemasons has been on site since early 2024, building a metre of wall a day. They expect to be finished in the middle of 2026. The majority of the wall will follow alongside the new A417, with other sections along parts of the B4070 and Barrow Wake car team working on it were taught how to construct Cotswold stone walls by experts at the Dry Stone Walling is hoped an apprentice will be taken on in the summer so the skills can be passed on to the next generation. Bernard McEnroe, managing director of Master Stone Masons UK, said: "We're delighted to be involved in this incredible project, helping to preserve the timeless beauty and heritage of the Cotswolds."Dry stone walling is an age-old craft that not only defines the landscape but also embodies the skill, dedication, and craftsmanship passed down through generations."Preserving heritage is at the heart of what we do, and we are proud to play our part in keeping the Cotswolds' iconic landscape intact for future generations." Natasha James, senior ecologist on the project, added: "It's great to see the walls come to life, knowing that they will become a valuable habitat feature for many species as well as looking incredible."It is just great for the landscape and ecology of the scheme."It is also hoped the Missing Link work will create new hedgerows, scrubland and director Steve Foxley said: "Our work on this vital scheme goes beyond simply building a new road, but also helping to preserve and enhance the landscape."We're delighted to be able to support such worthwhile projects which will help to support and reconnect the A417 with local heritage and the landscape while also helping to keep traditional skills alive."
