It's that time again! Hasbro sent some answers to a pair of our burning questions. This time, we're focusing on upcoming The Vintage Collection packaging and a new gun gimmick showing up on the newest "mini-rigs" from The Clone Wars. And we can point you to two other equally thrilling questions, but there's a catch. Read on!
At first glance, one may make the assumption that the upcoming ToysRus Trench Run X-Wing Fighter is another iteration of the 1997 Power FX mold or a repaint like the Dagobah version. But Hasbro went to great lengths to give Luke's signature starfighter some fresh insides by tooling a new fuselage and adding great detail and features in the cockpit. This may be your definitive 3 3/4 X-Wing yet.
Pretend to be excited! Hasbro will likely be unveiling the B-Wing Fighter, a just-released Kmart exclusive in The Vintage Collection at Comic-Con this week. I expect lots of applause from people in the audience who weren't paying attention to store shelves-- but not you, good reader, as you are an astute person with their ear to the tracks for this kind of thing, and good for you. I appreciate that. How is this fourth release of a 1980s mold? Pretty good, actually-- it's basically a redeco of the 2008 Dagger Squad version.
As far as toy vehicles go, the B-Wing (courtesy of its packaging and how it ships) provides one of the best user experiences around for Star Wars spacecraft. Kudos to Hasbro's packaging department for a well-engineered series of inserts, but more on that later.
And wouldn't you love to know what the 1984 ship cost and if the 2011 one is a bargain adjusted for inflation? Click through for images and impressions, after the break.
Your pal and mine MeisterShake tweeted me a picture of Castas' Speeder Bike so we could translate the Aurebesh on the vehicle. What does it say? "Dog Faced Bounty Hunter." The more you know! Thanks for sharing your picture, MeisterShake!
Hasbro has increasingly referred to their vehicle-with-figure assortment as "Mini-Rigs," and for a while it seemed baffling why. These vehicles were mostly bikes and guns, not exactly tiny versions of big-screen vehicles or off-camera hardware. Well, we got a couple of samples-- Y-Wing Scout Bomber and a Republic Scout Speeder-- and we will kindly eat our words now. Each vehicle includes an exclusive Clone Trooper figure and includes play features generally unseen in Hasbro's vehicles of this size. They're small, fun, and are arguably more than worth your cash if the word "mini-rig" gets you excited.
UPDATE: Added some notes on weapons storage and compatibility with other large vehicles.
Click through for images and impressions, after the break.
After being revealed in the new issue of Previews (shipping to homes, offices, and comic shops now) Rebelscum found a packaged image of the new Y-Wing Scout Bomber, a new mini-rig type of vehicle seemingly very much inspired by the 1980s toys of Kenner.
News! While Hasbro has yet to reveal images of this to the press or their retail partners, the Jedi Temple Archives have found the AV-7 Mobile Cannon Vehicle and have in- and out-of-the-box images! Wow! Go check it out.
While there's no picture or exact description of what it is just yet, our sponsor Entertainment Earth has listed a Mandalorian Gunship as a part of the Starfighter vehicle assortment. More as we have it, but you can go look at the listing now if you'd like. If ever there was a time to stock up on generic Mando troopers, this might be it.
One of the dangers for holding back product announcements for one or two times a year is that leaks are pretty likely-- especially when a "leak" is a full release of the product in another country! MouseDroid.com reports that Toys R Us Australia already has the Y-Wing Fighter for AUS$69.99. Hasbro has still yet to confirm this item for a US release, but odds are the USA will be seeing it in July or August.
Over at Sandtroopers.com is a Y-Wing Fighter gallery of an as-of-yet unannounced vehicle which is, clearly, an upcoming Toys R Us exclusive. Painted up similarly to the red-striped 1970s die-cast metal vehicle, this retooled vehicle has a redesigned interior plus the first-ever modern era astromech socket. Check it out!
Update: A round, silver embossed Toys R Us exclusive sticker can be seen in one of the auction images.
A new Y-Wing Fighter has been confirmed by eBay, or at least, a convincing packaging mock-up has surfaced in Australia. Following the Kmart exclusive B-Wing Fighter, it seems this is a tweaked version of the 1983 toy yet again, with some important upgrades.
If you collected vehicles from the 1978-1985 era of Star Wars toys, you no doubt recall some gorgeous photography on the boxes. Not being one to miss a good opportunity, Hasbro (by way of the great Sandtroopers.com) seems to be giving Kmart an exclusive Vintage B-Wing! Read on for more.
The upcoming Republic Attack Shuttle is this year's BIG ship featuring plenty of features in vehicle and battle mode. Check out this Hasbro Toy Fair showroom video demonstrating its many capabilities. The pricepoint is $79.99, includes a pack-in Clone, and is slated for release this fall. Enjoy!
You'll now have to add the Walmart exclusive TIE Bomber to your hunt list. Mickey Gunslinger found two while searching for the newly out ROTJ wave at at a store in Chula Vista, CA. The pricepoint is $38.97. Happy Hunting!
The Toys R Us exclusive Rise of Boba Fett Ultimate Battle Pack is now online at TRU.com for $109.99 and FREE Shipping! The set includes the new and improved Slave 1, Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter, and 5 action figures. Click here to order yours!