Well, first you should know that not all of the Japanese versions have been subtitled in English.
Only Super Link and Galaxy Force have been been subbed fully in English, while Car Robots has only had its first 8 episodes have been subbed, and Micron Densetsu hasn't been subbed at all (aside form maybe one episode or so).
With that said,
Lazerface wrote:I was wondering which version is better, or which I should watch first, if I end up watching both. I don't mind subtitles too much if the story is much better in the Japanese versions.
This is a touchy topic, since these four series tend to have VERY mixed views and opinions among the fandom. Some like 'em, some hate 'em. Even regarding the different language versions.
To call a version "better" is purely in the eyes of the beholder (except for Energon/Super Link, as the Japanese version has undeniably more sensical dialogue). To best get a feel for which version is better to you, you'd probably want to watch both versions of each, if possible. Most of us here have either watched all of the English versions, or have watched Super Link and/or Galaxy Force without watching Energon and/or Cybertron. But, each version of all of them has their own uniqueness to them that makes necessitates a proper viewing of all eight of them to make your own justifiably unbias opinion about them.
However, like I said, not all eight are readily available to watch, so you'd have to watch what you can find. All four English versions can be easily found and watched online. Super Link and Galaxy Force may be a little harder to find, but they're out there somewhere. Car Robots hasn't been finished being subbed, so that's an incomplete view. And Micron Densetsu is currently unwatchable in subbed form.
My advice, I guess you should go with watching the English versions
while keeping in mind that the Japanese version of each is not exactly the same as what's in the English version and may contain some better (or worse) stuff from the English versions.
Also note that CR/RiD was made first, and that Armada/MD, Energon/SL, and Cybertron/GF are trilogy in that order.
