Hello, As far a the various Reissues of Megatron and Starscream go, i'd like your opionions on which are the most accurate and best quality. Encore Megatron versus Takara #16 Encore Starscream versus Takara #22 thanks AM
If you are opening the figures, I say get the book reissues just because they have more goodies (Megatron has energy mace, mouse pad, extra con stickers while Screamer has Megatron gun hand, and more accurate cartoon colours). If you are keeping them MISB, I say Encore because they cost less and the boxes look much more like the originals. I know a lot of people had some issues with Prime in the Encore line, but I think Megs and SS turned out well.
The earlier Takara reissues are higher quality and more accurate to the originals than the Encore series. Encore Starscream for example has his Decepticon logos painted onto his wings, but #16 has no paint and gives you the stickers to use.
It boils down to on how much are you willing to spend? If you are looking for quality -- get the TFC reissue book style. I have those and quality is top notch plus you get more accessories but be ready to shell out some serious cash. I know Megatron TFC has been reissued but still pricey compared to Encore. TFC Starscream sports anime accurate color -- lighter shades of blue plus it has a megatron gun that can attach like the MP Starscream and a DVD too. TFC Starscream is pretty rare these days so again some serious cash. If you go for practicallity then go for Encore. They are cheaper than the TFC reissue plus you get some G1 style box which looks great for display. Quality wise its not great but not that bad either so it works well for display. Hope this helps! Goodluck!
I have not noticed any difference in quality between the tfc or encore release. They seem the same to me with the exception of the anime colors on the tfc release. I say get both.
my encore SS and megs are still sealed so i cant comment on the difference between them and the various earlier versions, i do know that the hasbro reissues are generally inferior to takara, the hasbro seeker versions are significantly looser than the takara collection SS for eg.
What i don't like about the TFC Book Style Starscream, is that the Decepticon stickers on the wings come pre-applied and they are on backwards IIRC. Does anybody know what "series" the Megatron 16 and Starscream 22 are from? I would really like to have a "checklist" for that series. Thanks AM
The D-16 Megatron reissue is from an unnamed reissue series from 2001-2003 or so. There are many valuable figures in it, such as the S-16 Black Megatron and Reissue Trailbreaker. The D-22 Starscream suffers from parts-fitting issues and is not a recommended figure when the Encore reissue is practically identical, $15 less, and is of higher quality.
In addition, Encore Starscream's accuracy is also hindered a little by the recoloured cockpit. However, this does look much better. Certainly better and more accurate than the anime-coloured SS. I don't have Encore Megs, I have the TFC Megs from long ago. I haven't really seen much of Encore Megs so I can't comment.
Might want to check the Feedback forum for more thoughts on the Encores. Cant compare them myself but from what I hear the TFC's are generally better overall, particularly in the QC department.
The TFC Starscream comes has an animated color scheme and comes w/ more goodies, like a mini Megatron gun for SS to hold and a DVD. The Encore SS is cool for the price and looks just as good as the TFC version, but with a darker color scheme. As for quality... Both of them have the Decipticon symbol painted on their wings and both of them are well made. IMO between the two, the TFC version is the one to choose... But expect to shell out more cash. If you have the means... Buy both!
Scroll down to near the bottom of this page: http://tfarchive.com/toys/checklists/hasbro_takara_reissues.php#ehobby