So when are we getting the perfect mainline Starscream?

[Pascal]

Looking at my Starscreams, I feel HasTak has yet to produce the perfect mainline G1-ish Starscream (excluding the masterpiece version). The closest are Robotmasters and Henkei Starscream, but the Robotmaster has no knees, a weird nosecone/cockpit area and a molded non-working wheel on the front landing gear and the Henkei has non-working wheels and no front landing gear. Is there hope?

[Magnimus]

If we exclude the MP Starscream, I consider Classics Starscream to be perfect enough for me.

[Pascal]

I wish we could get a Starscream that looked as clean as Cybertron Thundercracker in jet mode. So far, all versions of Starscream fail (except MP).

[FreedomGundam]

I wish we could get a Starscream that looked as clean as Cybertron Thundercracker in jet mode.
Yeah, but then look at Cybertron Thundercracker's robot mode:
- flimsy shoulders that don't lock into place with the chest
- arm-cannon
- scrawny-skinny legs with tiny feet

Sure, it has a great jet mode, but the robot mode fails, I find...

[cannabisprime]

I personally think the Henkei/Classic Starscream is the perfect mainline SS. I find it to have even better lower body articulation than MP SS.

[Nocturn]

Well, 25th Anniversary has a DLX Starscream... we don't know which version, though.

[Incepticon]

I personally think the Henkei/Classic Starscream is the perfect mainline SS. I find it to have even better lower body articulation than MP SS.
Took the words right out of my mouth. I think MP Screamer looks great in alt mode, but the bot mode (of that mold in general) is pretty awful. Classics Screamer, however, is the perfect hybrid imo. All I wish is that it was Voyager class.

[Pascal]

But Classics SS looks like crap when viewed from under, it's mostly a flying empty torso... and the 2 front wheels look pretty retarded imo.

[jourdo]

But Classics SS looks like crap when viewed from under, it's mostly a flying empty torso... and the 2 front wheels look pretty retarded imo.

While I agree with that, I would still say that Classics SS is (currently) the closest thing we have to a "perfect" mainline SS. I think he looks great in both modes and is an infinitely better version than his G1 counterpart. I think it would be hard to bet something that looked "perfect" in both modes. For it to work there has to be some form of sacrifice. I personally would sacrifice the alt mode over the robot... and Classics SS kicks ass in robot mode.

[tusko]

I think Hasbro's best shot at it was the Classics version.

I too think the chest could have used more work in jet mode, its too much like the areal bots from 80's.

[Pascal]

Yeah, but then look at Cybertron Thundercracker's robot mode:
- flimsy shoulders that don't lock into place with the chest
- arm-cannon
- scrawny-skinny legs with tiny feet

Sure, it has a great jet mode, but the robot mode fails, I find...

You could always retool it so it's symmetrical (2 arms) and with a backpack that could rotate to have the wings pointing in the right direction...

[Incepticon]

While I agree with that, I would still say that Classics SS is (currently) the closest thing we have to a "perfect" mainline SS. I think he looks great in both modes and is an infinitely better version than his G1 counterpart. I think it would be hard to bet something that looked "perfect" in both modes. For it to work there has to be some form of sacrifice. I personally would sacrifice the alt mode over the robot... and Classics SS kicks ass in robot mode.
This.

Since G1 was clearly an "alt mode first / bot mode second" series where virtually none of the robot modes looked how they appeared on screen or in the comics, I'm glad that Classics went back and balanced it all out a lot better... albeit needing to revise the alt & bot modes in the process so as to actually pull it off. But generally speaking, I'd much rather have an as accurate as possible bot mode than the reverse, which is why I think MP SS is such an epic fail vs. his Classics version... or the way MP Prime had his alt mode slightly sacrificed for such an amazing bot mode.

I think we'll have some G1 figures that come close, but we'll never have an all encompassing perfect toy that matches a character's alt & bot mode dead-on to how it appeared in the show/comics since there were so many creative liberties taken with the art & animation. Funny enough, besides MP Prime who is still only 98% perfection due to the alt mode sacrifices, I think those Jizaz or whatever they're called customs are the next best thing in terms of accuracy. Powerglide & Wheelie are probably two of the best 1980's show-to-toy translations I've ever seen. If Hasbro or Takara could pull out those kinds of figures where G1 homage is concerned, I don't think anyone would be left wanting more.

[Whisky Tango Foxtrot]

Personally, I'd prefer it if they just focused on a jetbot that looked good in robot mode, was kibble-free in vehicle mode and generally matched the Starscream aesthetic. I'm glad that we finally got a decent representation of the G1 character in the Classics line, but really that design wasn't the be-all and end-all of scheming jetbot Transformers.

[Magnus]

Personally, I really like the MP Starscream, but I agree that it's not a perfect model either! If Hasbro or Takara were to come out with a better mold, I'd probably snatch it up!