Hasbro
Released August, 2002
Reviewed by Adam Pawlus
Photography by Michael Sullenger
Reviewed on September 17, 2002
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As the first really big vehicle in the Saga line, expectations were high for the Republic Gunship with its multitude of weapons, accessories, and areas for add-ons. Sure, it's big... but is it any fun? And how does it hold up to the classics?

The set includes one vehicle and a heck of a lot of ammunition.

The Vehicle

The Republic Gunship is the second biggest Prequel vehicle to date, and one of the biggest vehicles in the entire Star Wars toy saga.

It's big, it feels sturdy, and there's a lot of parts to play with and, of course, to lose. Despite the bombs-a-plenty, there are only four firing weapons-- a pair of chin guns and some gigantic cannons on the top-- that really do much of anything in the way of attacks... and since we don't have any Separatist Droids to fight aside from basic ground troops, that's probably OK for now.

Since it's big, one would hope there's room to do stuff... and there is. For starters, there's the cockpit. Many fans have found difficulty fitting figures into the appropriate cockpit, especially in Episode I, but there seems to be no problem here as a red Clone Trooper fits right in. (The yellow pilot, which I did not have access to at press time, supposedly is made of the same body construction and that's why you see it in the pics Mike took... cool, eh?) There's room for two, which is good because you'll need them to make the ship complete... more on that later.

The cargo/troop area is spacious and decked out so you can cram a lot in there. A drop platform is included to land your Clones quickly, and there's pegs for their feet so they'll stay standing up. (Nice to see Hasbro use these for once, isn't it?) As such, this should be a good piece for play or display... unless you jostle the heck out of the ship, your clones should stay put.

A nice bonus sculpted into the toy's top was a handle-- so you can carry the sucker around with no real problems. Kudos, Hasbro!

Weapons

While there are over a dozen total rockets, bombs, and so forth included in the box only four of them can fire, which is better than none. Under each wing, there's room for four bombs... there's no mechanism included to drop said bombs, which is very unfortunate, but at least there are bombs there in case you want them for something. It's a nice extra if nothing else.

The big firing cannons on top-- which are removable if you're not careful-- seem to be a big draw... but let me tell you, they suck. Due to the length of the barrel and the projectile, they just kind of slide out, dropping to the floor a short distance from where they exited the cannon. A smaller projectile probably would have helped solve the problem and get some air on these things, then again, Hasbro's projectile toys have gotten progressively weaker over the years, so maybe it's some safety thing.

The chin guns are a little better, as they do fly further. And far more awkwardly-- instead of a straight flight toward some plastic target, they pop out of the cannon and do backflips (or frontflips, or aerial cartwheels) until they hit the ground. Very odd. As such, it doesn't seem a successful implementation of a firing weapon. I've seen better ones on the new Castle Grayskull, Slave I, Starscream, and countless other toys... so Hasbro's capable of more here. I'm not saying it ruins the toy, but if you're going to include a mechanism, it might as well work, right?

There's a bubble turret on each wing. In the movie, I thought I saw a clone inside each one manning the weapon, but due to the fact that the toy has to be scaled down to be fairly priced, nothing can fit inside them. But I'm OK with that.

Lastly, there's a turret of sorts on the rear. I find this constantly popping off... I'm not sure if it's my fault or if it falls out. Either way, watch this piece... it's small and easy to lose and really doesn't do anything, so it's easy to forget it's supposed to be there.

Overall, the weapons weren't as exciting as one might hope for... but they were there, and they do something, so it's not a total bust.

Gimmicks & Extras

One of the neater things about the Saga line was the decision to include "extras" with figures or other toys to connect to vehicles at a later time. In the case of the Gunship, two toys are directly compatible with it: the upcoming Clone Trooper with Speeder Bike has a bay specially designed for it, and the yellow Clone Trooper Pilot comes with a gunpod that attatches to each side. So if you'd like a little more firepower on your gunship, you can buy it. (Considering the ship is about $40-$50 and two pilots will run you about $12 or so, I'm OK with this too.)

One of the neater gimmicks to be packaged with the toy, though, is its pair of opening cargo bay doors. They really don't block all that much, but they do hide the Bike's bay and obscure some of the troop area. With a push of a button, both slowly slide open... it's very cool, even though it may not sound like much.

Next, there's a pair of grappling hooks, and like you may have heard, the strings are too long. Ah well. Without some sort of winch or other recoiling mechanism, they aren't all that great in the first place. It's a neat idea and will add play value for the kids... but odds are your average adult collector wouldn't have used them, given the option.

Last, and not least, are a pair of "hidden" cargo bays under each wing. They look like battery compartments, but they aren't-- you can cram extra weapons, blast effects, or whatever in there so you're sure not to lose them. This is especially cool, but will many people realize they're there? (Sure, they're on the instructions, but still...)

What's Missing?

With a toy so full of gadgets, you might say "What's missing? Man alive, Pawlus, what can you possibly expect out of Hasbro for $40?" And you'd be right.

But still, there's always something that would have been nice... for starters, electronics. A simple firing sound would have been really cool, even though it would surely have raised the price by a few dollars.

As mentioned above, the inclusion of better firing weapons would have made a big difference. And the grappling hook thing... but still, overall, this is a solid piece for the money and you could do far, far worse.

Packaging

This is a fairly typical Saga-era box... no window, nice graphics, and it's pretty sturdy. I dig it, but it's nothing amazing.

Availability

It's relatively new as of this review, and I have yet to see it in stores yet. It sells for $40-$50.

Fin

As one of the few all-new vehicles released since Episode I's demise, it's a welcome and a large addition to any collection. It's big and, compared to other vehicles, fairly cheap. For roughly the price of two Jedi Starfighters, you can own one of these monsters. If you like the design, it's great and well worth it. If not, well, you can pass on it. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great and as a fan of all things Cloned, this is something I'd advise you buy.

Our sample was obtained from Entertainment Earth in September 2002.