Why is this such a bad thing?
I have been thinking. What with? My final brain cell…
After doing the write up on overhauling the Imperial TIE Fighter previously, I got to thinking about other pieces that need to be revisited…
The Republic Gunship needs a little retrofitting. The most current models have two closing doors and (of course) Gunner Pods. Hasbro has said that they’re working on the Gunner Pods, but even a snap on set of forward (closing) doors would be quite welcome.
The Weequay figure has been a workhorse for Hasbro since 1997, and the poor guy deserves retirement. An updated figure with better articulation would look very nice being gulped down by the Sarlacc Pit. (There are also plenty of other Weequay that we would like to see, too, so it wouldn’t hurt to get a few uses out of other modern parts.)
R2-D2 is probably the most mistreated Astromech, so he has two major, major upgrades needed. The first and most odious is the saber-launching R2-D2 from Jabba The Hutt‘s sail barge. This was produced during the waning days of the "Kenner Era", and it is a blight on their great legacy. When I first saw the figure, it was like seeing the Death Star. "Look at the size of that thing!" Now there could be something Freudian going on here, but that third leg is just way too big. It looks like R2-D2 with Elephantitis. OK, I’ll stop there, but seriously, can’t he just turn his head to reveal Luke Skywalker‘s lightsaber hilt. We can make the whooshing and rocketing through the air up in our heads. I mean, really… that’s obscene.
So the next R2-D2 is ALSO from Jabba The Hutt‘s sail barge. The infamous (and very requested) BaR2-D2 had a problem that is almost diametrically opposed to Elephantitis R2-D2 up there. You see poor BaR2-D2 has a drinks tray that is made from scrap plastic (as are a lot of accessories, as we’ve come to learn through Q&A). This makes his drinks tray droop, which isn’t how the whole bartending thing is supposed to work. BaR2-D2 needs a tray made of sturdier material (and maybe some removable glasses). He’s a nice little Astromech, but this seems to sap his dignity (and either he or the tray fall over given enough time). Poor little guy.
Amanaman suffers from the same "drooping accessory" problem. His staff just isn’t stiff, and it always falls limp. Hopefully he’ll get a sturdier staff in a future Battle Pack. (C’mon, what good is a trophy staff covered in skulls if it’s going to just hang there limp and lifeless?) I don’t think the upcoming Comic 2-Pack with an Amanin in it has a skull staff, but that would’ve been a great way to address this sensitive issue.
On the prequel side of things, one of the most obvious problems (next to Taun We being out of scale) is that ALL of the Attack of the Clones era Obi-Wan Kenobi figures are just fug. Ewan McGregor is a very handsome man, so I find this really perplexing. (Although this was during the "Real Scan" trial, so maybe… wait, no even the Clone Wars era Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s look jacked.) The Comic 2-Pack with the swap-out head was decent, though, so one point there.
I’m circling around to Tatooine again because the Jabba’s Throne Room and Mos Eisley Cantina pop-up dioramas have been out of circulation for a while now. Collectors would love (barring real playsets) to see these made with a higher grade of cardboard/paperboard, and even, dare we hope, bookend additions to give our goons more room to sprawl out. That’s what goons do.
Needs More Sprawl
Whiskey – Tango – Foxtrot
Finally we get to the end. Rather than writing up my tenth "needs upgrade", I’ll leave it to the comment audience. (Commander Cody? Ree-Yees? Princess Leia with Cankles?) Have your say.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
What a delightfully phallic blog post, lol. I was really hoping you’d manage to keep it up through the end. I have to agree with all of your above points, so I’ll chime in per your request on Commander Cody. Considering how quick Hasbro’s been to upgrade other prominent clones (Gree, Baccara) It’s really weird that they haven’t done Cody yet. What’re they waiting for?! They can always repaint him in all other different flavors and call him other characters if they need to back up the tooling costs. C’mon big H!
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:43 pm
I’ve complained for years that the Snowspeeder is way overdue for a major upgrade. It’s the only vehicle, to my knowledge, that has the distinction of being too LARGE. I want a smaller, leaner speeder now please!
And paying $50 for the Lars Homestead set and not even getting a retooled Owen and Beru (or AOTC Owen and Beru) was a bitter pill to swallow.
October 22nd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
How about some sort of definitive TATOOINE LUKE? I’m sure with all the parts already made for the various versions, something very decent could be hacked together. Basically the most realistic ANH Luke head sculpt, possibly the VOTC pilot version? And put that on a SA body and a few decent accessories, like a stormtrooper utility belt, a lightsabre, blaster, macrobinoculars, mini-skyhopper…the floppy hat isn’t necessary. I also think the Gammorean Guard might be ready for an upgrade but I’d be worried too much articulation might make it look blocky and not massive and solid but I’m sure they’d do their best to make it an improvement so what do I know!Vehicles: My vote will always be for a bigger, better, happier SANDCRAWLER but perhaps I’m in a minority, the kind that Hasbro can’t really bend over for. But imagine it a bit like the BMF…so it’s more like an open up playset with lots of chambers and room for droids and droid parts (which it could supply!), as well as potentially a remote control function?
October 22nd, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I would hands down buy a half dozen pilots if they came with foreward doors that snapped on. All they would need to do would be snap into the same place the old turrets did….
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:26 pm
I don’t really care about ROTS Cody. They remade Gree because the first was a rushed end-of-year repaint and they remade Bacara because they just had to put his clothes and head on a regular clone body. The first Cody is a good figure, and I’d much rather see a "realistic" styled Clone Wars Cody.The one remake I really want to see is Bariss Offee. The first one had an awful Unleashed-style pose and facial expression. I’d love to see one of the same quality as the 2005 Luminara Unduli.There are a few others I wouldn’t mind(Admiral Piett, Dr. Evazan, and definitely Episodes I and II Obi-Wan), but generally I don’t think we need that many remakes. Ice Cream Maker Guy might not be the most exciting character in the world, but I find even him to be more interesting than, say, a new super-duper-articulated Dengar or Captain Typho.
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 am
Good call on the upgrades, I think that the y-wing is due for a full bmf treatment, perhaps with removeable Clone Wars era armor…The two additions to the list I would make would be,
Speeder bike. Get rid of the footpedal landingear and kenner handgrips. Throw in a real cloth pancho on the back and a clear stand and I’ll buy a dozen.
Vulture Droid. We need a fully transforming, correctly scaled version of he backbone of the sepratist navy now! Give us two in a mid-size vehicle box, one ep1 one ep 3 paintscheme, or at least a buzz droid missle for good measure.
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 am
Speeder Bike!!! Right! I’m with darthikari on that one!And while we’re at it, why not a new Taun Taun? Maybe with a split-able belly perhaps…though how to make that look okay without looking like a trap door might be a bit tricky. But a better ability to stand and a bit bigger scale could be cool, and add some articulation too without compromising stability and I’d buy at least two or three even.
October 26th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I’ve got quite a few ideas so please bare with me.
Slave 1: Bigger scale is required this would allow for a two man cockpit and a much needed Cargohold, too help with the cost it could always be used again as Jango’s EpII version somewhere down the road.
Oola: Isn’t she supposed to be a dancing girl… so where is the articulation come on hasbro please?
Figrin D’ An & Co.: Super Articulation all round, especially on Tech M’ Or, who requires knee joints so that he can sit on a stool and use his Ommni Box on a proper stand as in the film.
Gammoreans: I agree with Sinkie on this point, but I would like to see a resculpt which allows both hands to hold weapons, this would allow for Gammorean Sentries w/ Vibro lances. I’d also like to see the Vibro Axe from the 1983 figure reintroduced at some point.
AT-ST: like the Slave 1 this Vehical requires a bigger scale of construction this would give us the possability of having a two man cockpit thus allowing for seating which allows for proper use of knee joint articulation add to this accurate chin guns and some niffty sounds from the film and I’m happy!
Stass Allie Deluxe Pack: Seeing as Hasbro have just released not only the said Jedi but also the Speed bike recently it wouldn’t be to difficult for Hasbro to marry the two together with a little paint-job on the bike to give us an accurate Stass Alllie and Speeder Bike as seen in EpIII instead of the Barc Speeder they gave us first time round, and maybe add Neyo and Co. to make a decent trio-pack, just a thought?
AT-AT: The Biggest should be BIGGER!!! and when I say that I mean it would allow for not just the two Drivers but also General Veers and Snowtrooper Officer standing at the back. As for the main body this should have an upper and lower deck with proper seating and speeder bike racks as seen in the DK Cross Sections book, all finished off with appropriate sounds and lights. Could I order mine now please?
Magnaguards: TOTAL RESCULPT!!!! Bigger scale is ugently reqired along with decent articulation, I would also like to see the different colour veriants made also Silver, White, Blue and Black with cloth capes.
Saelt Marae (Yak Face): Resculpt on the lines of the original 1987 figure as far as the head is concerned, this for my money was far more accurate then the present offering which has been around for quite sometime now, couldn’t Hasbro just obtain one of the originals and make a mould from its head and just mould a new body to save cash?
Sith Infiltrator: Why did Hasbro waste so much time and money on such a small offering? Instead they should have saved it all up and brought out a bigger version next year when we’re celebrating the first ten years of Phantom Menace. Give it a cockpit which allows for Darth Maul and six captives sorry I mean passengers, an access ramp at the back, and give the nose cone at the front room to store Maul’s Speeder and probe droids and a few sounds and lights in the engine and cockpit, then you have something worthy of the title Sith Infiltrator!
Sebulba’s Pod Racer: This would improve immensely for me if it had a few Sound bites of the engine added to it like the revving sound at the begining of the race and the throbbing sound when its close to little Annie (This could also be a feature of any future Pods Hasbro if your looking… please)
Jabba the Hutt: I would like to see a resculpt of Jabba where he has a Jelly/Jello belly as my State side buddies would say, you know that stuff they use in wrist supports for mouse mats… I could poke that stuff for hours and wait for it…brain wave incoming … it could activate dialoge from the films Ep1, Ep4 and Ep6, how cool would that be!!! and don’t forget his Dias what is a Hutt without his dias… stranded thats what!
Dwarf Spider Droid: simply proper articulated legs with film accurate feet! If the kids want wind-up give them wind-up but I along with others would like accurate legs and feet, please?
October 28th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
I agree with most of the above choices. Being a bit anal retentive I had to think about it and make a small list broken down by the source.
TPM-Naboo Royal Guard/Security (SA and various head sculpts), Naboo Security Officer (SA Captain Panaka w/ various different head), Gungans (more articulation and the different styles-Warrior outfit and Guard outfit like Tarpals)
ANH-Leia; Yavin Ceremony (correct scale and more articulated), Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru (definitely), Dr. Evazan (better sculpt, more articulation and correct gun), Lak Sivrak (more movie accurate), "Teak Sidbam" (Ponda Baba with fins-look him up on Wookiepedia), Imperial Techs (better sculpt, more articulation), Sandtroopers (hip articulation for dewback riding)
ESB- Luke; Hoth (more articulation [including ball jointed hips for Taun Taun] and interchangeable heads-normal and wampafied), Leia; Hoth (correct footwear) Snowspeeder Wedge, Dak, and Hobbie, (use Janson body[great battle pack idea. Echo Base Hangar Briefing- three redone pilots and Leia]), Admiral Piett (much needed)
ROTJ- Leia; Ewok gown (correct scale, better sculpt and more articulation), Gammorean Guards (A MUST. Like stated above, more articulation and extra weapons; vibro-lance and vintage style axe,. Make it a deluxe set [the two gate guards and even name them-Ortugg and Rogua], Weequay (another must.Name him too [Queequeg-look him up on Wookiepedia]), Imperial Royal Guard (SA), EV-9D9 (correct scale)
SOTE- Chewbacca as Snoova (correct scale, more articulation)
There is probably several more but these are the ones that come to mind and ones I really want redone
November 19th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Was watching Return of the Jedi with my son the other day and forgot about all the Rebels that need an overhaul.
Lando (both Skiff Guard and General. More articulation on both), Admiral Ackbar, General Madine, Mon Mothma, Nien Nunb, Orimaarko (all with more articulation). Also, how about a more articulated Rebel commando that is dressed like the original POTF version and possibly with various head sculpts