The Energon Pub

News Credits: 767 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:04 pm

The toy blog "higekumatoytoy" has updated to show us a mini gallery of the upcoming Transformers United Voyager Class Megatron, this also includes a side-by-side with Henkei Megatron.
We have mirrored three images, for the rest just click here.

News Credits: 20 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 3:36 pm

While it's nice that the new version isn't so busy, it also makes him look bland.

I'll stick with Henkei.

News Credits: 1452 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 4:39 pm

Smegexy

News Credits: 402 · Updated Oct 21, 2022

I much prefer the Henkei version, but would recommend this one to anyone who didn't already have the Henkei one.

News Credits: 17 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 4:57 pm

So basically this one looks better in alt mode, and the old one is better looking in robot mode. :roll:

Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:01 pm

Blurrz wrote:Smegexy

That's the most awkward combination of words I've ever heard... but you're right!

News Credits: 13 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 5:53 pm

he looks a lot better than i thought he would, will definatly have to see if i can get him

Sat Dec 25, 2010 7:40 pm

Almost looks like a nice KO. Way too bland for me, happy I stuck with my Henkei.

News Credits: 2 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 8:22 pm

Like everyone else said its nice, but at the same time he's is very bland, so ill stick with my Henkie version.

News Credits: 3 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:08 pm

I'm going to go ahead and be the odd man out: I much prefer it to the Henkei, glad I waited and got this one.

News Credits: 1 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:21 pm

MUCH better.

News Credits: 198 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:51 pm

I like both, and since I'm without a Decepticon leader, I'll be purchasing ASAP.

News Credits: 3 · Sat Dec 25, 2010 9:58 pm

The head is the best part of the toy. Swap his head with Henkei and you got Megatron. Not dissing it, but the UN version looks like a nice KO. Henkei Megs to me is the best Megatron they could color.

Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:24 am

Im gonna disagree with all of yall. This version is better and more G1 accurate. All that ugly orange crap on the Henkei version was to make the figure "US regulation friendly" since there is no actual hole in the barrel for US Customs to put one of their stupid little orange plugs. (THANK GOD) The other orange paint apps in robot mode are just meant to incorparate orange into the paint scheme as a whole rather than just in gun mode. Takara makes Henkei and United so maybe they feel since they were not asked to paint the tip orange, they could get away with issuing a version without a bunch of orange paint apps.

News Credits: 767 · Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:39 am

Rated X wrote:Im gonna disagree with all of yall. This version is better and more G1 accurate. All that ugly orange crap on the Henkei version was to make the figure "US regulation friendly" since there is no actual hole in the barrel for US Customs to put one of their stupid little orange plugs. (THANK GOD) The other orange paint apps in robot mode are just meant to incorparate orange into the paint scheme as a whole rather than just in gun mode. Takara makes Henkei and United so maybe they feel since they were not asked to paint the tip orange, they could get away with issuing a version without a bunch of orange paint apps.

What orange? the Henkei has no orange the original US Classics version had orange.
Besides Takara doesn't care for US customers, only for their target market which is Japanese.

News Credits: 241 · Sun Dec 26, 2010 10:13 am

Rated X wrote:Im gonna disagree with all of yall. This version is better and more G1 accurate. All that ugly orange crap on the Henkei version was to make the figure "US regulation friendly" since there is no actual hole in the barrel for US Customs to put one of their stupid little orange plugs. (THANK GOD) The other orange paint apps in robot mode are just meant to incorparate orange into the paint scheme as a whole rather than just in gun mode. Takara makes Henkei and United so maybe they feel since they were not asked to paint the tip orange, they could get away with issuing a version without a bunch of orange paint apps.

Quit talking nonsense. And maybe you should adjust your monitor: Henkei Megatron has RED, not ORANGE all over.
As said before, the orange tip is only one of the conditions a toy gun must have, if they're not banned outright by a certain US State. Other conditions include bright funny colors. Those conditions do not apply to products released in Japan.

Sun Dec 26, 2010 2:37 pm

I think my point was misunderstood completely. First of all this mold is supposed to be a modern day re-incarnation of G1 Megatron. Neither red nor Orange has any business being all over the body if this mold is truly made to pay homage to G1 Megatron. And by the looks of the head, legs, and signature arm cannon, that is what the mold designers were shooting for. Now as far as the takara's "bright idea" to use red (my monitor shows orange) Can someone elese please explain where else they got the idea from if it was not inspired by US child safety laws ??? Takara almost always goes with anime paint schemes, so there must be a reason behind the red/orange apps. In my opinion this was inspired by these stupid laws. I think Takara was a little nervous about making Megatron a realistic size gun again when they designed this mold. I think it first came out in 2006 right ??? Along with the MP version, Megatron had not been a gun in almost 20 years. He had been a tank, a plane, and a dinosaur in the 1990's. Takara knew the Masterpiece version would probally only get purchased by collectors due to the high price. But they knew when this classics universe mold came out, kids were gonna get this one. Plus US companies were gonna import the **** out of it, so they added the orange/red to help reduce import issues with US customs strictly as a courtesy. And it was easier for them to make one version than create a special repaint just for import. Especially when the hasbro version would eventually come out and looked even more like a kiddie toy with a purple body, green wings, and a big ugly orange tip on the scope. It looked like a super soaker.

That is my opinion. I challenge anyone to come up with a more logical reason why Takara chose to put red/orange apps on a G1 homage Megatron.

Back to my original point, the united version (also made by takara) simply looks better because the color scheme Screams "G1" in both modes.

News Credits: 241 · Sun Dec 26, 2010 2:50 pm

Rated X wrote:I challenge anyone to come up with a more logican reason why Takara chose to put red/orange apps on a G1 homage Megatron.

Quite simple: red was a staple color of G1 Megatron. It's located on the inside of his legs of the US version. The first Japanese version had blue, but was changed to red for the Good Bye Megatron set.

Just so you know, TakaraTomy only makes products with the Japanese market in mind, it doesn't care about making adjustments for export to the US.

Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:10 pm

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:Just so you know, TakaraTomy only makes products with the Japanese market in mind, it doesn't care about making adjustments for export to the US.

Yeah, that's pretty much true. Japan's safety laws regarding toy guns is more lax than in the US, so their choice of paint scheme was their own.

The why's and who's in regards to the Henkei version's paint scheme using a brighter red, and more of it than the United version, is something I'm not sure can be spoken for outside of what they were probably trying to appeal to more at the time.

I think the main reason for the difference between the Henkei and United version has more to do with a shift in attitude in Takara's approach to the Transformers. Note how they're being called Autobots and Decepticons now instead of Cybertrons and Destrons.

News Credits: 4 · Sun Dec 26, 2010 9:28 pm

also Shadowstream, he's called Optimus Prime now instead of Convoy. That's a bit weird.

I think, after careful consideration, that this new United version of Megatron is probably more G1-ish, but he's not different enough to the Henkei version for me to spend the same amount of money again to get him, no with all the other great stuff coming out soon.

News Credits: 767 · Mon Dec 27, 2010 4:04 am

Rated X wrote:I think my point was misunderstood completely. First of all this mold is supposed to be a modern day re-incarnation of G1 Megatron. Neither red nor Orange has any business being all over the body if this mold is truly made to pay homage to G1 Megatron. And by the looks of the head, legs, and signature arm cannon, that is what the mold designers were shooting for. Now as far as the takara's "bright idea" to use red (my monitor shows orange) Can someone elese please explain where else they got the idea from if it was not inspired by US child safety laws ??? Takara almost always goes with anime paint schemes, so there must be a reason behind the red/orange apps. In my opinion this was inspired by these stupid laws. I think Takara was a little nervous about making Megatron a realistic size gun again when they designed this mold. I think it first came out in 2006 right ??? Along with the MP version, Megatron had not been a gun in almost 20 years. He had been a tank, a plane, and a dinosaur in the 1990's. Takara knew the Masterpiece version would probally only get purchased by collectors due to the high price. But they knew when this classics universe mold came out, kids were gonna get this one. Plus US companies were gonna import the **** out of it, so they added the orange/red to help reduce import issues with US customs strictly as a courtesy. And it was easier for them to make one version than create a special repaint just for import. Especially when the hasbro version would eventually come out and looked even more like a kiddie toy with a purple body, green wings, and a big ugly orange tip on the scope. It looked like a super soaker.

That is my opinion. I challenge anyone to come up with a more logical reason why Takara chose to put red/orange apps on a G1 homage Megatron.

Back to my original point, the united version (also made by takara) simply looks better because the color scheme Screams "G1" in both modes.

First off, the US version ins Green and white, that was the original Hasbro version, it came out 2 years before the Henkei did. Classics Megatron has those colours due to being an American toy, made for the American market.

The henkei Megatron was released and made by Takara for the Japanese market, which does not have the same strict laws as the American market.

Also where does the red come from?
That's from the cartoon and the original toy.

Also Takara was never nervous to make him a Gun, they've been reissuing the original toy, which FYI turns into a realistic looking realistic sized gun, on a regular basis and they've been making new mold toys based on that design for years now, WST, Choro Q, etc...
Also, the Henkei has red on him, I have the toy and it's red not orange for you information:

Red

Orange

Fri Jan 14, 2011 11:04 pm

Well, I wound up with this guy by mistake. I hadn't planned on getting him, as I have the Henkei version.

It was a happy accident. Pictures don't do this guy justice. The metallic paint looks really nice; but even the unpainted gray parts look nicer than the gray plastic on the Henkei version. The red paint on United Megatron could be characterized as a metallic blood red; the red paint on Henkei Megatron does look a bit orangey by comparison.

Ideally, UN-09 would benefit from a few more strategically placed paint apps. He doesn't need more red; but some detail apps like the black lining on Henkei Meg's left arm would have been nice. But for the most part, I think the understatement serves the figure well relative to Henkei Megatron.

So, in all likelihood, I'll be parting with my Henkei Megatron.