What do I mean by outdated? I mean figures of characters that have had more recent updates, like SS86 Prime effectively replacing ER Prime. But hey, maybe you prefer the Earthrise mold for personal reasons. There are plenty of newer figures in recent years that I've ignored because I prefer the older ones in my collection. Which ones, you ask? I'll get the ball rolling.


- Universe Prowl/Bluestreak/Smokescreen. The ER mold just doesn't do it for me. The legs are gappy beyond belief and the weapons just peg hideously on the car chassis, compared to the Universe's concealed weapon storage. Gotta love those hinged shoulder missiles.

- RTS Wreck-Gar/Junkheap. I know the SS86 one is more accurate and larger in both modes, but there's more than just accuracy in a fun toy. RTS Wreck-Gar has one of the most ingenious transformations for a Deluxe figure, preserving the relative positions of the wheels on an asymmetric robot mode. The axe doubling as the tailpipe is inspired weapon storage, and having a Junkion rider scales better than the SS86 version.

- Generations Wheeljack. It really comes down to accessories. This figure has the missile launcher and two wrenches, all of which conceal in the alt mode. The Earthrise mold only has the launcher which pegs ungracefully on the car roof, leaving Wheeljack with no handheld weapon unless you remove it from his shoulder.

- Henkei Hot Shot. Besides having more 'heroic' proportions, the accessories are far better. Twin chromed spring-loaded missile launchers. Painted silver rims too. And he comes with Jolt! Legacy dropped the ball there.

- United Jazz. Some fans prefer screen accuracy, others like the door kibble for improving the profile. What really sells this figure for me are the integrated speakers and concealed transforming gun. Easily one of the best figures in my collection.

- Generations Brainstorm. Scale be damned! This figure's alt mode looks far more accurate than the TR one with twin tailfins. The detachable nose guns give more posing options and can be used as shoulder cannons. It even has faux tech specs on the chest.


Notable mentions include Netflix over SS86 Bumblebee, Legends over SS86 Arcee, Velocitron over Legacy Laser Optimus Prime, Generations over Legacy Skullgrin (what a brick!), and especially the Deluxe Seekers. I don't necessarily prefer them, but Hasbro has to do a lot better than basic upscales to make me invest in six new Voyagers. So what are your picks for 'outdated' CHUG figures you prefer?

 

C.H.U.G. Jazz. Kept him and passed on the SS86 version.

However I may pick it one day if I see for a good price.

Generations Kup
Thrilling 30's Arcee.

Thrilling 30's Jetfire. Don't get me wrong the Siege one was a thing of beauty.
Titans Return Blitzwing.

 

I prefer the Classics Bee mold over both the Netflix figure and the SS86 figure. Not the best at posing, but it looks great and transforms better than both of those figures. Shame it doesn't really fit in with a modern mainline collection though :')

 

Okay...

'Reveal the Shield' Tracks
This one's not too unusual, considering Kingdom Tracks is a bit of a hot mess.

Generations Warpath
The H-tank rule-of-cool wins out easily over cartoon looks and a skidplate accessory.

T30 Jetfire
Okay, this guy's kinda flimsy & hollow, especially next to the Siege toy, but I love how effectively it merges cartoon and G1 toy style elements, and how it doesn't completely tower over everyone else.

T30 Waspinator, T30 Rhinox
The Kingdom toys do a bit too much reinventing the wheel when they had perfectly serviceable designs already, which could've been tweaked/improved instead of making new ones with their own set of arguably worse flaws.

Classics '06 Bumblebee
This is the guy, and the toy, with more personality and style in one of its oversized shoes than SS86, Netflix, and three different core class figures combined.

 

I tend not to like Studio Series on the whole (I get its niche, but generally not a fan of how its transformations come out for the sake of media-accuracy; sorry, Evan; definitely in the minority here), so anything with an SS86 release would probably be in this category for me. (I do like Core Class Ratchet though.) I've stopped picking up SS86 releases, so it's hard to say specifically, but I struck out with it multiple times when I first started collecting and haven't been swayed back now that I have a better sense of my personal sensibilities with these here transforming robot toys.

TR Kup is one of my favorite molds. Not a favorite overall, but PotP is still my favorite CHUG Grimlock. My favorite traditional Optimi are currently Legends Super Ginrai and Reactivate (awaiting Legacy G1 toy version though). Kingdom Core Class Bee is my preferred CHUG Bee.

I know this is a CHUG thread, but since the Evergreen and Evergreen-adjacent designs are all basically G1-esque, you know what Grimlocks I do love? Cyberverse Ultra Class and Spark Amor. If those had to be my sole all-purpose Grimlocks, I could live.

TR/Legends Blaster over Kingdom Legacy, though I like both molds.

Pretty sure there are several Beast Wars remakes I'd enjoy over their Kingdom counterparts too, but haven't gotten any.

Although I haven't gotten either, in a rarity for Siege over Legacy, I definitely prefer the look of its Hound, so that'd probably be the one I tracked down.

Haven't bothered to swap out after getting the Dramatic Capture set, but I vastly prefer the look of Combiner Wars/Legends Megatron to the Earhtrise mold too. I think Earthrise Megs is generally...a pretty bad Transformer all around. Just a clunky, clompy G1 Megs with half a tank shell incongruously strapped to his back. The alt mode and alt mode integration on Combiner Wars make a much more compelling case for G1 Megs as a tank. A lot of the Cyberverse and even Authentics molds do too. As poseability tends not to be a major factor for me (nice to have, but not over a clean alt mode and fun transformation, or even a fun gimmick, sometimes), ER winning on that doesn't enter in.

EDIT--Also no inclination to get the new Straxus, having the United version. Not a fan of the Kingdom Galvatron mold and find the United/Generations version to be a pretty fun reimagining.

 

While I don't have any of the old CHUG molds as the primary characters any longer as they've all been replaced by updated versions (95% of my collection is WFC: SIEGE-current with stuff like the combiners from UW/CW and Headmasters from Legends/TR that makes sense), I have gone back the last few years and grabbed some of the older molds I really enjoyed as other characters.

Over the last few years or so I've obtained:

• Takara United Stepper - RTS Jazz mold
• Botcon 2010 G2 Turbomaster Scorch - Generations Hound mold
• Botcon 2013 G2 Deluxe Electrons - Generations Kup mold
• TFSS/TFCC Treadshot - Generations Warpath mold
• Takara United Lugnut - Generations Lugnut mold
• GDO Powerdive - RTS Highbrow mold
• Botcon 2012 Junkions - RTS Junkion mold (I have an assload of this mold so I'm not sure if it counts even for my own list here  )

I still need to track down a Botcon 2010 G2 Deluxe Rapido that doesn't cost a small fortune. I want it for my G2 collection but I'm not willing to pay the market price for it so I'll happily go without for now. But that old CHUG Datsun mold is really one of the last ones I want to track down at this point.

 

Mirage (classic)

Hound ( combiner wars)

Hoist (Generation)

Grapple (hurt of decepticons)

Blitzwing (titan return)

Astrotrain (titan return)

Arcee ( Generation)

 

Basically all of them.

 

I really like Kingdom Warpath, but I just got United Warpath and he rules! The very Halo Scorpion-esque tank mode is awesome (Transformers X Halo Collaborative series when??). I still have the Kingdom mold as Treds, and it's great being able to compare both figures in-hand without having to keep multiples of the same character. Similarly I still keep Henkei Mirage as my Mirage, and I have the Siege/Kingdom mold as Crasher.

 

Earthrise Optimus Prime. He fits my needs more than 86 does.

 

I still use henkei hound, generations sunstreaker and sideswipe and red alert, the tr minibots mostly, the tr insecticons, the 06 classics bee mould from takara in shiny gold for gildbug, potp elita 1, generations tracks, t30 chromia, windblade and hoist, rts junkions (love their dirtbike alts much more than the ss86 ones), darkmount instead of straxus, rotf bludgeon, the deluxe wfc optimus instead of gamer edition amd cw magnus. And er prime is going nowhere, forget ss86 prime.

 

-Henkei Megatron will always be my main Megatron unless by some miracle a better official gun mode figure is released.

-Henkei Mirage hasn’t been replaced, since Leadfoot is representing that new mold and I’m not a fan of the fake chest.

-I’ve currently swapped in the new Earth Hound, but I have Henkei Hound on standby in case the upcoming Ironfist is made from the Earth mold instead of the Cybertronian version.

-Generations 2010 Blurr and Kup are on my main ‘86 Autobot shelf as Earth modes. I have their Studio Series figures on my Cybertron shelf.

-United Tracks because lololol

-Thrilling 30 Springer on my ‘86 shelf, Wreck n Rule Springer on my Wreckers shelf

-Thrilling 30 Rattrap is a little too big, but Kingdom Rattrap is way too small and I hate the feet.

-United EX Rhinox because that mold is so much better than the Kingdom mold.

-Prime Wars Legends Insecticons. Since the Legacy Insecticons are sharing so many molds I decided to keep the main trio as the little guys. Just wish there was a consistent set of purple and yellow for them.

And a pre-emptive one: I feel absolutely no need to replace my UW Devastator with the ‘86 version.

-NOT a CHUG figure but I don’t have a Prime collection anymore so he kinda just hangs with everybody: First Edition Bulkhead. One of the most perfect TFs ever made. Even if the aesthetics clash a bit why would I ever need another Bulkhead?

 

Saying that is unclear. Are you talking about RTS Jazz, Generations Jazz, POTP Jazz or some other Jazz?

I thought about mentioning this. Kingdom Tracks is an absolutely dreadful design (currently the worst figure in my collection), but I'm not terribly enamoured with RTS Tracks either. It's just so stumpy for what should be a tall and suave narcissist. If nothing else, we need another do-over from Hasbro to give Tracks the definitive figure he deserves.

Wow, didn't see that one coming. Gen Hoist was one of my worst purchases. Besides not liking the IDW design, it's way too small for the character and the accessory is a joke. It's this weedy crane-gun that does nothing to fill out the alt mode. I was so happy to see Hoist revisited in Earthrise.

Hey, another Henkei Megatron lover! I still have mine because it's the last Voyager-scale gun Megatron we ever got. I refuse to buy any tank updates because that's not G1 Megatron to me. I was worried I may be stuck with my yellowing, flaking Henkei Megs forever, but I'm glad that New Age Romulus is being released to finally take its place as the modern gun Megatron I truly need.

And yes, I share your attitude with Devastator. UW Devy remains a thoroughly fantastic set, and Hasbro would need to produce nothing short of a miracle for SS86 to make me consider replacing it.

 

I agree with most of the takes mentioned here so far. Newer is not always better, accuracy aside. The older figures were chunkier, used better plastic, had more features, and were a far better value for money.

Standouts for me are Classics Bumblebee, Starscream, Jetfire, and Optimus Prime. It’s weird but I have almost as much nostalgia for my own excitement at getting these as I do for the G1s. If that makes sense.

 

I maintain classics Optimus is still the best chug Optimus.
RTS Jazz >> as well.

 

QFT
Also every previous version of Kup and Blurr is superior to the 86 version.

 

Classics Bumblebee and Hound remain my favorite versions of those characters. Maybe I will change my mind if I ever get that new earth mode Hound.

And I am sticking with my Legends Beachcomber…if only so I don’t have to worry about those plastic melting tires.

 

The only outdated chug figures I still haven't replaced are the generations deluxe scourge. While I like the new studio series 86 version better I still have some of the deluxe ones as sweeps because I like the transformation and I just think they are neat.

 

I don’t have a full G1 cast collection, so these aren’t necessarily about representation of the characters, just as toys (i.e., this IDW styled toy is better than the Legacy cartoon styled one not because it’s IDW styled, but because it’s just a more fun toy).

Generations Skullgrin: Not a hot take as far as I know, but the Legacy Skullgrin looks like shit. This mold with the pickaxe and all the c-clips destroys it on aesthetics alone, and even though I don’t own the Legacy one, it looks like a far less fun and engaging toy.

LG Blurr: Intuitive transformation, great paint, no egregious arm kibble, and a face that isn’t horrifying all put this over SS86. Plus I really enjoy the mini play-set thing it has going on with the Targetmaster, Headmaster, and the battle sled/shield.

LG Kup: See almost all the reasons for LG Blurr for why this shits on SS86.

LG Skids: I know this is going for a IDW look while Legacy is going for a G1 look, but god, I have the Diaclone repaints of Legacy and that mold is a hollow, cheap feeling mess with a boring alt mode. The integrated weapons alone make the old one more fun to me. Plus, for the LG version specially, those yellow eyes and pink energon lines all over him are just beautiful.

Combiner Wars Shockwave: Obviously I’m only comparing this to the Legacy core Shockwave, not any leaders or voyagers. But this is a great toy. Legacy felt uninspired and the stupid radar dish was a waste of plastic and paint. CW is tight, super poseable, turns into a cool gun/spaceship fusion, and has some sweet clear plastic.

United Frenzy and Rumble: I know this might be a bit of a stretch, because both the TR and SS86 legends class cassettes are going for very different things compared to these two, but for something in this small size I vastly prefer the detailing and play features such as the integrated pile drivers and spring loaded buttons. Their colors are spot on, plus I just prefer the characters having useful alt modes like a tank instead of a little cassette.

Siege seekers: This argument has been done to death, but yes, the poseability and detailing of the Siege mold really outshines whatever the Earthrise mold has going on (I really only think that it has G1 accuracy to its name - otherwise it’s just a worse figure). Plus, we’ve gotten a lot more fun characters out of the mold, like Red Wing, Nacelle, and even Senator Shockwave.

LG Nightbird: Shitting on the Siege Chromia mold has also been done to death, so to keep it simple, the shiny silver paint and absolute arsenal of weapons make this Arcee repaint the better toy, no question.