Our own Adam Pawlus got an early sample of some new toys. Rather than put together a well-thought-out feature, here are some quick and dirty pictures from Adam's kitchen, and some early impressions. Next up: The Snowspeeder!
Hasbro has not been shy about redoing the original 1980s Snowspeeder, and now we have the fourth modern take on the ship. Luke Skywalker's Snowspeeder is more than you expect out of a $25 vehicle, particularly in that it has tons of bonus parts which Hasbro will surely use in future repaints or gift set exclusives. Want removable panels? Swappable guns? A place for Dack to hold on to the gun? They're all here.
Hasbro has been hinting at a new version for ages, and here it is-- and would you believe that, for what it is, it's arguably the best update Hasbro has done to a modern line vehicle?
The Really Short Review
Possibly Hasbro's finest take on an aggressive vehicle at this price point. Removable access panel, seating for two, two cable cannons, four front blasters. It's more toy than you deserve for the price.
Figure Compatibility
I immediately grabbed my 2010 Hoth Rebel Pilot Luke Skywalker and a Dack Ralter which just happened to be handy to test the ship out. Like the Cloud Car, the vehicle was designed to seat figures without bending their legs at right angles. Dack slides in the back without damaging his lower coat around his waist, and the figure and the cannon seem perfectly designed for one another. Dack's hands fit right on the controls, which is a kind of thing you don't get enough of these days.
Luke fits right in his pilot's seat. I wish there were more to tell you other than he fits and you can close the top over him. It's great that it works, as a toy should.
Deco
Clean and nicely painted, the ship looks exactly like a toy Snowspeeder should. All the exterior lettering and graphics are factory-applied paint, so it looks great right out of the box. Back in 1995, I remember reading articles about the then-upcoming Kenner line's revolutionary plans to do away with labels and just print the decoration right on the ship. That never happened... but with the Snowspeeder, we're a step closer.
There are still some labels to apply, all inside the seating area. Some will require a hobby knife or the world's tiniest fingers, so be careful when trying to get those in there. The one near Dack's control station is particularly tricky and unpleasant to get on there, but it's doable assuming you're patient and don't mind swearing profusely.
Mechanisms
The biggest surprise to me was a storage compartment beneath the gunner's seat. It lets you slide the cable right inside, so you don't need to worry about wrapping it around a large awkward plastic block like in the old days. If you look at the vehicle from the back, you'd hardly know that is there.
The Landing Gear is a single skid that flips out when you move it with your finger. It isn't a crazy spring-loaded kicking thing like on the 1980s toy, but it does get the job done nicely.
The second biggest surprise on the ship was a removable access panel on the side. You can remove part of the laser assembly and add/remove the panel as you see fit. This lets you make two configurations of the Snowspeeder right off the bat, and will undoubtedly allow Hasbro to release alternate deco versions easily without having to go back and change the original design. Everything you need is here, minus the deco changes the toymaker may see fit. But wait, there's more!
The weapons are quite robust, showing that the line of thinking Hasbro started with the 2009 Wal-Mart exclusive AT-ST were lessons they took to heart. The rear harpoon gun has firing and non-firing version. Also, the front lasers include firing and non-firing varieties, so you may switch between them. The front blasters are so similar looking that I found it surprising Hasbro included both. Frankly, the firing ones look good enough where a "more authentic" non-spring-loaded version seemed unnecessary, but for those who prefer them, they are indeed here for you.
Like the 2006 Zev version of the Snowspeeder, Hasbro elected to include "working" air brakes which, I suppose, look nice. They don't add much to the play value of the ship as far as I'm concerned, but it's another thing to futz with and that's generally better than not having it at all.
Verdict
Again, buy the damn thing. I know you bought the orange box one in 1996. And the Power of the Jedi one in early 2002. And Target's exclusive one in late 2006. But this one is way better. More parts and pieces, better figure compatibility for your newest toys, and configurable external hardware make it a winner. If you don't like it, I suppose you can wait for the inevitable repaint(s). Here's hoping for a crazy Kenner concept-inspired desert version!
--Adam Pawlus, June 28 2010
