Transformers







GI Joe

Oh Man, its a coin flip. Both are Pinacles of the 80s and have continued. though one toy line has thrived more than the other in later years, in the 80s, they both ruled.

In the end, I have to go with GIJoe. For one thing, the articulation on many of the g1 toys were junk and the size discrepencies of many of the figures didnt match up well. while the gijoe toys had the freakin USS FLagg, Terrordome, Defiant, and an Army of cheap yet awesome figures and characters. the Joes had a plethora of vehicles to choose from, and one could turn their back yard into an entire warzone.

you're right, it's a coin flip; however, remember swapping joes and cobras' limbs is much more simpler than create a new bot or con starting from nothing; the real problem with transformers is just redecos/repaints; if hasbro makes remolds, they change something at least. maybe that's the reason of some 3rd party companies success: those guys dare going forward to salvage classics icons but they do something new, like all these new combiners... we really needed them!

I'm going with GI Joe. I know there are more TF fans out there, but it's always been about GI Joe for me.

From an objective perspective, this is very tough choice for me. But as an 80's kid, I have to go with my one true love and that is Transformers.

Joes had their issues with scale too, especially when it comes to the Flagg and the Defiant. And regarding articulation, you also have to consider the Joes only had one form: a soldier. Every single TFs had at least two: robot mode and alternate mode. The Joes' POA was based on Hasbro's 12" figures (around since the mid-60's), only scaled down. TFs were based on designs only a few years old at the time (20+ years of engineering later and modern TFs rival Joes in articulation and posing. Plus TFs still transform ).

Redecos, remolds and reusing parts have been a staple of both Transformers and G.I.Joe since their respective debuts, so I consider that a moot point.

And 3rd party companies don't really factor in here, since this poll is supposed to be about the toy lines as they existed in the 80's. So even the excellent Renegades/30th Anniversary Joes and TF Classics/Generations technically don't count.

The biggest win though is for Hasbro for putting out 2 great toy products.

Agreed and they continue to put them out today.

Like many voters, I'm having trouble voting against one or the other because they both contributed a lot to my childhood. I'm voting though. Its an easy decision for me to go with GI Joe: they've always been my favorite toyline, I love the scale & articulation, and the accesories are tops.

Transformers are amazing. However, the lack of articulation was noticable as a kid before I knew what articulation was. I'm a collector of both lines today, more so GI Joe, and thats because I love them both. For this thread, though: YO Joe!

Gott go with Joe all the way...though a LOT of drugs obviously went into the Cobra La wave. Budo, Raptor, Voltar and (for pete's sake!) Crystal Ball are just shame in plastic form.
GI Jie: Battle Force 2000 member Blocker was voted Worst Club Wingman Ever just before his dishonorable discharge for Douchebaggery.

On the Transformers side we have...well....a lot of great cartoon characters that looked dick like their toys. Ratchet and Ironhide HAD NO HEADS!!!!!


Drugs and coroprate greed took all by allowance as a child (and today).

tough choice, But I love me some Joes!
plus they were way more affordable.

Love both brands, but GI Joe all the way.

Hardest match up of the whole contest. I'm pretty sure Transformers will win, but I had to go with my first and greatest toy love: Yo Joe.

I voted Cobra. I never got into TF

I love both, a lot. As a kid though in the early 90's, Transformers where, for me anyways, hard to come by. Sure I had a shit ton of Beast Wars figures which where my favorite but I don't think Beast Wars is included in this lol. I never had any "original" Gi Joes, but from what I remember, the figures articulation and what not didn't change all to much [correct me if I am wrong].

After that blurb, I am going with Gi Joe. I had way to much fun as a kid playing "army" in the back yard and the sandbox.

For fun, here are some of my most memorable figures.

LAW & ORDER (v4), YOJOE.COM | YoJoe.com: Dedicated to the G.I.Joe of the 80's, 90's and beyond!
DUSTY (v4), YOJOE.COM | YoJoe.com: Dedicated to the G.I.Joe of the 80's, 90's and beyond!
DUKE (v8), YOJOE.COM | YoJoe.com: Dedicated to the G.I.Joe of the 80's, 90's and beyond!

This one was my all time favorite, such a bad ass!
SIDE TRACK (v1), YOJOE.COM | YoJoe.com: Dedicated to the G.I.Joe of the 80's, 90's and beyond!


I bet I got these guys still somewhere... incomplete for the most part... I should go find them!!

transformers obviously gets my vote.

Yo Joe!

Transformers all the way!

This should've been the finale

Agreed with Dagger! Two juggernauts of the 80's that still thrive today(although GI Joe has been in a funk the past couple years). Not many toylines that can say that.

But, both of these lines are really close to my heart. I had good number of each of these brands when I was a kid. They were easily my two favorite toys(He-Man coming either tied-for-second, or third).

But...I always leaned slightly more to the Transformers side my entire life. And that's ultimately what made my decision here.