I mainly collect Henkei and now United versions of the Classics 3.0 series. Has there been any word on a possible Japanese release of Thunderwing, Skullgrin, or the Windcharger figures? I probably will pick up the US versions just to be safe.

but does anyone think they will not get released at all in the United line? I've heard people speculate that say, since Thunderwing was never released in Japan in G1, most likely they won't release him in United. but that seems like a waste of a valid toy mold that Takara/Tomy worked with Hasbro to make.

and speaking of which, are there any, as of now....US-only figs that haven't been announced in United? the 3 I listed are all I can think of at the moment

 

Considering Hailstorm and others were never released in Japan before either...  

 

wait, the new Hailstorm (the gorilla looking missile launcher bot   ) was originally a G1 toy that they updated?

 

Wasn't Darkmount/Straxus not in G1 but he got a toy. Thunderwing and Straxus are considered as G1 but only in the comics.

 

yeah Darkmount/Straxus never had G1 toys, and they were released in both the US and Japan.
so the people who I have heard say "Thunderwing may not be released in United, since he wasn't released in G1 in Japan. At most they may release the remold/retool of him as Black Shadow since he was in Victory"

I don't buy that logic, I would think Takara/Tomy would want to make as much money as possible off an exisiting mold

 

If that is the case, I hope they re-release Iron-hide and Ratchet. I think that would be a watse of an existing mold. It would be good since so much people are still looking for them and e(vil) bay sells them at $70+. They seem to be really rare. Anyways Skywarp, good luck to you.

 

There will almost certainly be a United version of each Generations/RTS toy that represents a G1 character. The exception to this would be retools/redecos of a mold - a situation like Cliffjumper and Bumblebee in United is fairly uncommon for Takara. Nothing past #22 has been announced, but I'd wager we'll see thngs like Thunderwing there in due time.

 

Umm, Drift was never in the G1 cartoon or comics until IDW's All Hail Megatron series...and he was released in United, so why wouldn't the others? I thought the original Skullgrin was released in Japan but was renamed. If anything, I was wondering if a United repaint could be released at the end of the line with no Hasbro counterpart at first, like what happened with Red Alert and Henkei.

 

Yes, but it's not surprising Takara would include a Neo-G1 character like Drift. They helped pay for the toy to be designed after all, and they're liable to use any appropriate molds for the line.

Whether we will see something without a Generations counterpart is anyone's guess, honestly. There's already something of an example of this with Scrapheap in the E-Hobby 3-Packs, who has a different head from Junkpile.

 

*fingers crossed* for a long lineup in United. Henkei kept going for a few more releases after the US line had ended due to crappy Bayverse rearing its ugly heads (literally - I can't stand the move-verse face designs)

 

United isn't going by the same rules the Henkei line did. So I wouldn't go making that "G1 characters" judgment so quick. Especially when Drift and Straxus were part of the first wave of United figures.

Also, wasn't Hailstorm based on a character from the RotF game, making it a movie character?

 

skullgrin prob not but i would feel they would do thunderwing

 

Skullgrin could easily be in United as Dauros.

I also see no reason why Thunderwing couldn't be released. I'm pretty sure Straxus was unheard of in Japan until the United toy.

 

That's quite improbable: Haven't you realized that the United line is meant to addapt to the western TF lore? If he is released, he will likely keep the "Skullgrin" name.
I recently explained in another thread that being a Japanese exclusive toy line, it doesn't have Cybertrons and Destrons, but Autobots and Decepticons. Likewise, no Convoy, or Meister, but Optimus Prime and Jazz.

I don't know what will happen with Skullgrin:Takara doesn't usually take on repaints / remolds, but cybertronian Cliffjumper is a remold and he was featured in the first wave.

 

well that's what I'm unsure of. For main, prominent G1 characters for Henkei and now United, they seem to include all the major remolds/repaints. i.e. - Ironhide -> Ratchet, Prowl -> Bluestreak + Smokescreen, Sideswipe -> Sunstreaker + Red Alert, Inferno -> Grapple, Tracks -> Wheeljack. The only major characters I think Takara missed are the first wave Bumblebee -> Cliffjumper and the repaint of DX Optimus Prime into a white Ultra Magnus. In the Takara Henkei/United 'verse I guess their Cliffjumper is the small Legends 3-pack with Brawn and Beachcomber. One can only hope they can make a decent Trailbreaker eventually, and then remold him into Hoist.

Now with a character like Skullgrin, or some of the other rumored remolds of Hasbro's Reveal the Shield figures.....I'm not sure if they will make it to United