I agree with Grunt, Short-Fuse, Falcon and Steeler. Their 25th versions just don't look like their characters. I've had to modify each one for them to be right.

I'll add the Iron Grenadier to the list. I like the figure, but the fact that it is a repaint of Battle Armor CC just doesn't work for me. The feet are too skinny, the hands can't hold the weapons properly and the torso look nothing like the original.

However, I think that most 25th figures are superior to their ARAH counterparts. The stand-outs for me are: Snow Serpent, Eels, Torpedo, Airborne and Beach Head.

OB

_________________

Torch. I don't like the Dreadnoks in general, but I absolutely love the RAH version of the character. The weird hands and the immovable torch and silly "holster" just make a figure that doesn't compare.

Also, I must be the only one who likes Falcon. For me, it's the better figure in the twopack. My Nemesis' wings don't fit so he just becomes a waste of plastic for me now. The idea of Nemesis is an infinitely cooler figure, but the execution is lacking.

_________________

Really for me its easier to list the ones I like better (very few).

Beachead, every version before had perportion problems in one way or another.

Quick Kick, Just an awesome sculpt.

IG Destro-Probably my fav 25th figure.

Storm Shadow-Just because I can justify that chest hump.

Lady Jaye-actually looks like her cartoon version.

Cutter, Shipwreck (butthe 5-pack one will fix my gripes), Barbeque, Ace, and Cobra Diver. Thats it.

I love ARAH, but the 25th figures are just in another leauge, and almost always look better than the old school figures.

_________________

Single pack Zartan, Major Bludd, Serpentor, Serpentor, Serpentor, Buzzer, Deep Six, Cutter, Ace, 82 Hawk, Short Fuze... That's all I can think of right now...

_________________

Steeler, both 25th versions suck ass. The parts on the tan one are closer to 1982's recipe but it's still a half a million miles off. The Armadillo version was just wrong, wrong, wrong.

The new SHARC pilot Deep Six is just as useless as the original so the 4 extra points of articulation and scant new details on the sculpt are inconsequential.

New Slipstream is bad. BAD. After 23 years, Conquest pilot Slipstream STILL can't take his damn helmet off. And the bulky Snow Job torso with the lanky Ace legs is a horrid combination. Ruin that figure and the green TRU SRO Ace.

Exactly how I feel, however, there may be a couple of exceptions. So I will approach this question backwards and list 25th version I like BETTER than vintage versions. (There aren't many.)

Snake Eyes v1 just looks way better than the original.
Snake Eyes v3 nice details that were flat on the original come alive on the 25th version. The removable daggers are awesome and the night vision goggles are icing on the cake!
Beach-Head better colors, better vest. (puny arms though)
Comic pack Firefly, but mostly for his awesome gear.

That's about it.

_________________

Indeed! Hasbro seems to pick the worst parts sometimes. Steeler could have easily used Wild Bill's torso for a more accurate look.
I really would have liked a new head for Slipstream too.
It also would have been easy for them to have Tripwire use the smooth padded chest armor.
I wonder if the AVAC was going to get his parachute but it was cancelled. That would account for the longer neck.

I agree.

Ultimately I'd like to see the ARAH figs with the cool 25th updated accessories (ex-BeachHeads backpack),mod them with swivel wrists and give us some characters with removable helmets (Ex-Airtight) and some better head sculpts that look more like the comic or cartoon (Ex- Grunt) and it would be the ultimate figure in my book.

_________________

I have to say that I like the 25th better than the ARAH series, because they are technically superior in most cases. Sculpts are better, and articulation is usually better. So I don't think there are any 25th figs I like less than ARAH. Falcon, Shippy and Roadblock are probably the closest, as they're the most frustrating for me but I still like them more.
That being said, there are alot of gripes about the 25th and most of those are from the ultra-frustrating "near miss" catagory. Fists for hands, diaper crotch, duke elbows, (the swivel didn't bother me so much), Roadblock hands, bow-legs, crap weapon sculpts, wrong or no weapons (Hellooo Televiper), bad paint (Hellooo Falcon) and hard customizing.
For me Joe isn't gonna be perfect unitl they go for total Microman articulation, maintain the sculpt quality, every shealth/holster works, and use MJ weapons.

I'm a huge Serpentor fan (umm, yeah, I'm apart of that cult… heh).

I still don't think Hasbro delivered on the promise of a definitive Serpentor. The orginal single pack was some strange Devils Due version. Its like they had the basic design left over from the bastard mold era and forced it upon what should have been a cool update on Serpenor. The uniform and headmold is all wrong.

The DVD entertainment pack is slightly better, but not by much. Meh.