The Energon Pub

Well I'm sure this has been brought up before when we first seen pics of ol Grapple, but im having a hard time deciding between the two? I know as far as for easy availability and price Hasbro has it there. As for United line, im sure of color, details of the figure and some extras, Takara has it there. Well, just looking for more insight on both of versions of this figure and get more input from collectors and fans as well. Your thoughts?

Aside from the head color and chrome hook, the differences are so minimal that the price easily wins out in my book. I once couldn't choose between Henkei Alert (€30 or $40) or Generations Red Alert. With the Toys 'R Us BOGO half off sale, the choice was made easy.

I admit it, I'm a cheapskate. But I'm Dutch, so it works out

Hasbro most definately. With the orange head, the United version is too orange. At least the hasbro black head breaks up the orange. The chrome hook doesn't justify the cost of importing.

LOST Cybertronian wrote:Hasbro most definately. With the orange head, the United version is too orange. At least the hasbro black head breaks up the orange. The chrome hook doesn't justify the cost of importing.

What he said!

Hasbro one will be cheaper, easier to get, and has a G1-accurate black head. For me, those things far outweigh the chrome details on the Takara version.

Oh c'mon this one has already been tossed around. BUT in case you missed it there is no question. United is the best IMHO version no doubt. Now I understand when it comes to price how some might be swayed into choosing. But you can't make an omlet without breaking your bank....'nuff said!

Just curious....if United Grapple just happen to be the same price as Hasbro, which one would you choose then??

Just curious....if United Grapple just happen to be the same price as Hasbro, which one would you choose then??

--B-- wrote:

LOST Cybertronian wrote:Hasbro most definately. With the orange head, the United version is too orange. At least the hasbro black head breaks up the orange. The chrome hook doesn't justify the cost of importing.

What he said!

Ditto!

Nemesis Destron wrote:Oh c'mon this one has already been tossed around. BUT in case you missed it there is no question. United is the best IMHO version no doubt. Now I understand when it comes to price how some might be swayed into choosing. But you can't make an omlet without breaking your bank....'nuff said!

Get. Out.

Nemesis Destron wrote:Oh c'mon this one has already been tossed around. BUT in case you missed it there is no question. United is the best IMHO version no doubt. Now I understand when it comes to price how some might be swayed into choosing. But you can't make an omlet without breaking your bank....'nuff said!

TakaraTomy isn't always superior you know? Both the yellow and black heads were featured in the cartoon, so there goes the show-accuracy argument.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:

Nemesis Destron wrote:Oh c'mon this one has already been tossed around. BUT in case you missed it there is no question. United is the best IMHO version no doubt. Now I understand when it comes to price how some might be swayed into choosing. But you can't make an omlet without breaking your bank....'nuff said!

TakaraTomy isn't always superior you know? Both the yellow and black heads were featured in the cartoon, so there goes the show-accuracy argument.

But didn't you know everything Japanese was automatically superior?

(Sorry, just had to spend an entire semester of Japanese with a bunch of white American kids who have no appreciation of anything that wasn't from their favorite little island nation.)

I guess for me without the yellow head he's just Inferno with a yellow body (as oppose to a repaint) without his cannon.

Dare to be different.

Nemesis Destron wrote:Just curious....if United Grapple just happen to be the same price as Hasbro, which one would you choose then??

I would still go with Hasbro. I like the black head better than the chrome hook.

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:TakaraTomy isn't always superior you know? Both the yellow and black heads were featured in the cartoon, so there goes the show-accuracy argument.

Does anyone remember though if Grapple made more appearances in the cartoon with a yellow head or black one? I think I'll aim to get whichever one that would be.

goshjosh95 wrote:

JelZe GoldRabbit wrote:TakaraTomy isn't always superior you know? Both the yellow and black heads were featured in the cartoon, so there goes the show-accuracy argument.

Does anyone remember though if Grapple made more appearances in the cartoon with a yellow head or black one? I think I'll aim to get whichever one that would be.

I think there were more with the yellow head... I seem to remember that the switch was a late season 2 switch.

At any rate, I think the black head looks nicer, but then again the chrome application on the United one looks nicer.

I'll get them both. Deciding on things is hard.

It's an easy choice for me: Takara Tomy's version.

I live in Tokyo so he's much cheaper for me!!

Hasbro's one is really good but I prefer the orange head on Grapple because he really feels like a different figure/character as opposed to Hasbro's which even with some good remolding will never really seem like more than an Inferno repaint to me.

However, If I lived in the States it would be Hasbro all the way despite that opinion.
There's no point in spending double the price on a figure you can get much cheaper at your local Toys R' Us and with so many coo Generations and Reveal the Shield figures to get, you should save the extra cash!

That was supposed to say COOL, not coo. Oops.

PS Just in case you were wondering, the Hasbro ones are double price over here too. $40 for deluxes, $50+ for Voyagers etc.

Nemesis Destron wrote:Just curious....if United Grapple just happen to be the same price as Hasbro, which one would you choose then??

Hasbro

G1-accurate head color is more important to me than a few chrome details.

I don't care what color his head was in the cartoons. The toys came first, and the cartoons were only made to promote the toys. And the cartoons were probably colored by cheap labor in Asia by people who had idea what they were coloring. I'm not going to pay extra $$ to import a figure from Japan just because someone used the wrong color ink in the cartoon.

Counterpunch wrote:I think there were more with the yellow head... I seem to remember that the switch was a late season 2 switch.

At any rate, I think the black head looks nicer, but then again the chrome application on the United one looks nicer.

I'll get them both. Deciding on things is hard.

Thanks, CP. That's helpful info, which makes me lean more toward United... but truthfully, I'll probably end up doing the same as you (picking up both), as long as the wife doesn't mind

GuyIncognito wrote:G1-accurate head color is more important to me than a few chrome details.

I don't care what color his head was in the cartoons. The toys came first, and the cartoons were only made to promote the toys. And the cartoons were probably colored by cheap labor in Asia by people who had idea what they were coloring. I'm not going to pay extra $$ to import a figure from Japan just because someone used the wrong color ink in the cartoon.

You make some good points, but I think people define "G1-accurate" differently (either toys or cartoon), depending on what they were exposed to most growing up (e.g., what colors are Rumble vs. Frenzy). For me, we didn't get a lot of toys, so my perception of G1 TFs is based more on show appearances. My wife would definitely appreciate it though if I adopted the same mentality of saving some $ instead of shelling out for TakTom paint apps / chrome too, but my collecting goal is to pick up whichever TFs look most like the cartoon (Hasbro or TakTom).

Where's the chrome bumper, Takara?

I already have the Hasbro version and I am still getting the United one. Primarily I am keeping my United MISB. But for those who open up their toys, from what I have seen, the colors for the United version looks vibrant.

I'll do what CP said (CP is the greatest btw), just end up getting both of them! Best of both worlds and heads right lol! Anyway, just got a feeling the Takara's version will have abit more detail than hasbro, but thats just me, but at any rate both are good figures, and now it depends on which versions should be show accurate?? Black or Yellow/orange