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Collectibles => Past Hasbro 3.75" Lines => Revenge of the Sith => Topic started by: Jeff on October 14, 2004, 04:57 PM

Title: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Jeff on October 14, 2004, 04:57 PM
For those of you who like using the DPCI trick at Target:

Post-OTC/2005 Vehicle Assortment ($19.99 each)
Assortment #: 85196
DPCI#: 087-06-1246
* Use this number to help you score the Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicle!

Now we can all keep tabs on when Target gets in Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicles!
Title: Re: Target DPCI for Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Darby on October 14, 2004, 11:18 PM
Around here the Sneak Peek stuff for AOTC didn't show until the rest of it did or didn't show at all.  It will be interesting to see what happens this time.
Title: Re: Target DPCI for Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Famine on October 18, 2004, 09:34 PM
(http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/artofrev/2004/08/img/ep3_art_170.jpg)


This is the ARC thing thats the preveiw vehichle, no?

Kevin
Title: Re: Target DPCI for Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on October 19, 2004, 03:16 PM
Rumor has it that the Preview Vehicle is Anakin's New Jedi/TIE Starfighter looking thing...

The yellow looking one that's popped up in a few places, such as the Insider...

Jeff
Title: Re: Target DPCI for Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Darth Broem on October 21, 2004, 05:12 PM
(http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/bts/artofrev/2004/08/img/ep3_art_170.jpg)


This is the ARC thing thats the preveiw vehichle, no?

Kevin

Wow!  That vehicle looks nice! 
Title: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on December 3, 2004, 11:29 AM
(http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/images/news/85268_jpg.jpg)

Very nice...

I like this ship, and I like that you don't get stuck with a crappy pack-in figure.

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: DualSaberMaster on December 3, 2004, 12:46 PM
Sweeeeeeet, love the weathering job. Hasbro seems to get the prequel vehicles down pretty good ala, Republic Gunship.  Definately picking up one, maybe two. :)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Darth Broem on December 3, 2004, 04:15 PM
I am assuming R2 is permanently placed in there?  Yes, that does look nice.  I may have to break down and get it sometime. 
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Brian on December 6, 2004, 08:46 AM
I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I really like this vehicle.  It just looks...for lack of a better word...cool to me.  Nice to see Hasbro "confirm" the preview wave of figures (and vehicle) as well.  This looks like a good one, hopefully we'll get 2 or 3 different versions of this starfighter in the line as well.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: speedermike on December 7, 2004, 01:10 PM
I think that we will see more of these.  I believe that only Anikin's has the yellow paint job.  The others, including Kenobi's, have the traditional Rebiblic red.  It is a cool ship, and I like it a whole bunch.  But I wonder if it has any landing gear, or if it just sits on the ground like that.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on December 7, 2004, 02:28 PM
But I wonder if it has any landing gear, or if it just sits on the ground like that.

From Hasbro's Site:

Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter come with these great action features:
Firing missiles
Spring-open wings
Opening canopy
Retractable landing gear

:)

How good is the landing gear?  That remains to be seen I guess...

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Mister Skeezler on December 8, 2004, 02:50 PM
Maybe that's how it looks [/i]with[/i] the landing gear. Plus, Hasbro's idea of landing gear is a little lever that folds out and props the ship up about 1 centimeter.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: speedermike on December 9, 2004, 01:50 PM
Um...Y'know, it just occured to me that when this ship hits retail, there will be no pilot for it.  Anikin won't be due until  a few eeks later.  Only Hasbro could do somthing that careless.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on December 9, 2004, 03:25 PM
I was thinking the same thing too.  How ridiculous.........

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jedirhino on December 20, 2004, 06:50 AM
In the meantime you could always use the CW Anakin... ;D
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: evenflow on December 22, 2004, 09:51 PM
Unless it comes with a figure, I will pass on it if i see it.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jesse James on December 23, 2004, 06:23 AM
The more I look at it, the more that R2 looks odd and the ship itself looks WAY too small.

I dunno dimensions on this yet so I'm holding off judgment, but if something THIS small is made underscaled, I'm gonna totally be disappointed in it.

I mean, this thing looks like it's to be a tiny ship for the most part...  Smaller than the E2 Jedi Fighter even.  Just seems odd looking.  I'll be very curious to get a better idea on it when it's released.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jedirhino on December 28, 2004, 09:45 AM
Just hopefully we can get some figures that would actually look like they can fit and function in these vehicles...
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on December 28, 2004, 10:59 AM
Just hopefully we can get some figures that would actually look like they can fit and function in these vehicles...

I agree.  And I think the Starfighter should come with a pilot Anakin...

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jedirhino on December 29, 2004, 08:24 AM
Something with jointed legs and is able to sit in the seat without looking like a commerical for Medicare...I've fallen and I can't get up...reminds me of especially Zam's speeder from E2
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on December 30, 2004, 11:28 AM
You're right.  Hasbro flung turds in our faces with the Zam/Anakin speeders seeing that we never got figures for them.  They should have each come with a figure that could sit in them properly.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jesse James on December 31, 2004, 05:03 AM
That Zam speeder is still an attrocious POS in and of itself.

#1 anything that size should be done to-scale, no excuses.
#2 if Hasbro took the time to actually research their own product, they'd have realized that the paint on the rubbery part of the ship would react with the materials used to construct the "damage" feature, and would forever remain tacky.

The Zam speeder is a lint/cat hair magnet.   ::)  Brilliant guys, just brilliant.

Anakin's speeder suffered from the same scale issues, though at least the engine cowls (why'd the damn thing have a damage feature in the first place, when it never even crashes?  Stupid...) weren't tacky for all eternity.  Still a sucky vehicle.  Got 'em for $3 each as I recall and still regret it.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on January 3, 2005, 02:15 PM
I paid full price.  Eeek

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Deanpaul on January 3, 2005, 03:38 PM

I agree.  And I think the Starfighter should come with a pilot Anakin...


It's probably only a matter of time before we get one that does, as a later "exclusive" release at whatever retail whore Hasbro taps as their new bitch to replace KB.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on January 3, 2005, 04:49 PM

I agree.  And I think the Starfighter should come with a pilot Anakin...


It's probably only a matter of time before we get one that does, as a later "exclusive" release at whatever retail whore Hasbro taps as their new bitch to replace KB.

Don't give them any ideas!  They'll do it!  ;)

 :P

Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Deanpaul on January 3, 2005, 05:24 PM
It's probably already done and sitting in Singapore. The idea to package Obi-Wan with the Jedi Starfighter and make it a KB exclusive may have been an honest after thought, but this preview vehicle stinks of a repackage job in the wings.

If we're lucky, they'll make the Anakin pack-in figure out of super soft can't-stand-on-his-own plastic and give him a screaming face - just kidding.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on January 3, 2005, 06:02 PM
I'm sure we'll be seeing repaints of this vehicle too.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: DoctorPadawan on January 3, 2005, 06:53 PM
I think I remember reading somewhere on one of those fifty million "master lists" of ROTS stuff that there was a planned "Obi-Wan's Jedi Starfighter" as well.  So, it looks as if Hasbro has gone ahead with the repaint idea and aren't even going to wait a year the way they did with the Clone Wars Jedi Starfighter.  Saturate the market with two at once I say!  ::)

If you notice throughout the course of the modern line, Hasbro's pulled this type of thing (the ship well before the pilot or vice versa) several times.  First, they released the AT-ST in October of 1995 and waited until 1997 to release the driver.  Then they released Obi-Wan's fighter in March of 2002 and waited until July or so to release the actual pilot figure, and then repacked it again as a "KB Exclusive."  Now it looks as if Anakin's Starfighter will suffer the same fate.

Then again, they could make vehicles that no figure can fit inside of in the first place, so we're luc...oh, wait.

(the thing that still tickles me is how Hasbro swore up and down that you could fit the figures in the AOTC speeders with "a little bit of work."  It reminds me of that episode of "The Simpsons" where Adam West forces figures into a Batmobile, completely destroying the car and the figures in the process)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Morgbug on January 4, 2005, 12:34 AM
(http://www.hasbro.com/starwars/images/news/85268_jpg.jpg)



Nice looking ship, but that cockpit is awfully short at the front end of the seat.  Even with articulated knees, that's going to be tight.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Nicklab on January 4, 2005, 02:48 AM
Hopefully they learned a lesson from Clone Wars regarding fitting figures in vehicles.  Hasbro wanted to work on some of Saesee Tiin's backstory and make him a pilot.  The bad thing was he didn't fit in the Jedi Starfighter.  Grrrrr!  If Anakin and Obi-Wan don't fit well in these things I'm going to be very disappointed.
Title: HAve you seen these pictures?
Post by: Jedirhino on January 13, 2005, 06:49 AM
Check out Rebelscum.com for preview photos!
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Vator on January 13, 2005, 07:20 AM
I like, I like. It actually is pretty big, which is good. And detailed too.

Welcome to 2000 Hasbro! It's a standard you've been missing...
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on January 13, 2005, 03:50 PM
Yeah, the starfighter looks good. These things have to be hitting here a lot sooner than the originally planned March.

I don't know how excited I am to know there's a repaint of it coming within a couple months, but hey.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jesse James on January 13, 2005, 05:57 PM
I'm sticking to my guns on scale, but those pictures sure make that thing look big so maybe it is to-scale afterall...

Removable astromech seems intentional, but not "complete" so you could just stick R2 in there or something...  That's odd, unless it's underscaled I don't quite understand why they went that route with things rather than a full socket like the Saga/OTC X-Wing had.

It does look nice so far though.  Better than I was anticipating actually.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on January 13, 2005, 07:13 PM
I don't understand the lame design notion they've developed in the PT that gives all these style-over-function things like droid sockets that don't fit actual droids. As a side effect, it is making lame toy features. Why would we want to remove a halved droid unit?
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jesse James on January 13, 2005, 07:31 PM
I dunno either...  Better than it being permanent, but if the ship's designed right it should hold a full droid, so the toy should hold one just fine too...

I still don't see a bottom to the ship though, where a droid would even go.  I mean it's gotta be there, I guess, but where is it?
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on January 13, 2005, 11:00 PM
I think that's the problem -- the original ship design doesn't have enough room for a full droid to physically fit (just like the original Jedi Starfighter), and now the toy is movie-accurate. So we get that severed below the shoulders R2 thinger.

Not that is really bothers me, but it just brings up all the issues I have with the look of the movies. Doug Chiang was the next worst thing to happen to the movies, right after McCallum and sloppy storytelling. The look the universe had at the end of AOTC is where it should have started, and Erik Tiemens and Ryan Church should have been there from the start.  >:( But I'm way off topic now...

I dunno either...  Better than it being permanent, but if the ship's designed right it should hold a full droid, so the toy should hold one just fine too...

I still don't see a bottom to the ship though, where a droid would even go.  I mean it's gotta be there, I guess, but where is it?
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Scott on January 13, 2005, 11:13 PM
But why did they continue that flaw?  They explained it away using EU BS for Obi's lame ass "R4" (also lame ass) but why do it again for R2?  There's no reason they couldn't have elongated the back end of the ship for a proper Astromech slot.

PLUS...having the astromech droid in the front of a fighting ship like that seems pretty dumb logistically
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jesse James on January 18, 2005, 01:11 AM
I'm perplexed on that whole droid socket thing too, unless there's actually room below there that we can't see.  It's possible...  Otehrwise it's just gonna be rubbish in the film and as a toy.

Either way, it sounds like this stuff's due to hit here in the next couple of weeks folks, as per our report...  It's already there possibly, so maybe some leaks will come of these like the regular line's figures seem to always trickle out too.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CloneF13Y35 on January 27, 2005, 03:48 PM
at least with the way the naboo starfighter was shown in ep1, the droid was pulled up and locked in the socket. I don't have the toy of it so I don't remember if the r2 was removable or not.  But it looked l ike it fit the entire droid vs obi's jedi starfighter in ep2 with just the head of the droid hard wired into the ship.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on January 27, 2005, 07:09 PM
Yeah, the naboo ships at least made sense.

Quote
But it looked l ike it fit the entire droid vs obi's jedi starfighter in ep2 with just the head of the droid hard wired into the ship.


And I think that's how they explained it in EU-BS lore, too... R4 was a droid dome only, and got a body later. It's just lame that such a halfassed idea has now become OK in the functionality of the SW universe that they did it again for the new fighters.

Is there a Target DPCI# for the new ship floating around somewhere? It seems really odd that this isn't out there yet with the Sneak figs spewing out en masse right now.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on January 27, 2005, 07:14 PM
Is there a Target DPCI# for the new ship floating around somewhere? It seems really odd that this isn't out there yet with the Sneak figs spewing out en masse right now.


Yeah, it's the first post of this thread!   :P


For those of you who like using the DPCI trick at Target:

Post-OTC/2005 Vehicle Assortment ($19.99 each)
Assortment #: 85196
DPCI#: 087-06-1246
* Use this number to help you score the Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicle!

Enjoy!

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on January 27, 2005, 07:42 PM
Yeah, it's the first post of this thread!   :P

That's 2 pages back! Way too much research for me to attempt.  :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Brian on January 28, 2005, 08:28 AM
I was wondering about the Preview ship as well.  Are we supposed to get this starting next Tuesday (the "official" sneak preview date)?  I'm wondering if there is a delay, since it seems like there would have been someone that snagged one early by now.  From all I have seen, it sounds as if the only sightings/purchases have been overseas.  Other than a couple of the Animated figures and maybe some more preview wookiees, this is about the only Star Wars purchase yet to make until the ROTS line arrives in April.  Has the price been mentioned at all for this ship?  I'm guessing in the $20ish range, although $15 would be nicer.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on January 28, 2005, 09:50 AM
Has the price been mentioned at all for this ship?  I'm guessing in the $20ish range, although $15 would be nicer.


Once again, it's in the first post of this thread!  I better copy the whole thing down again for you lazy people!   :P


For those of you who like using the DPCI trick at Target:

Post-OTC/2005 Vehicle Assortment ($19.99 each)
Assortment #: 85196
DPCI#: 087-06-1246
* Use this number to help you score the Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicle!

Now we can all keep tabs on when Target gets in Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicles!



$19.99 according to the Target computer... not suyre about Wal-Mart, but I'd guess in the $8-20 range for them too.

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Brian on January 28, 2005, 09:57 AM
Oops, sorry, thanks Jeff ;).
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Pete_Fett on February 6, 2005, 01:32 PM
For those of you who like using the DPCI trick at Target:

Post-OTC/2005 Vehicle Assortment ($19.99 each)
Assortment #: 85196
DPCI#: 087-06-1246
* Use this number to help you score the Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicle!

Now we can all keep tabs on when Target gets in Episode 3 Sneak Preview vehicles!

Around here in NJ there are a couple of Targets that have the DPCI/UPC price scanners that will allow you to type the number in, in lieu of having a UPC barcode to scan.

I've been using the DPCI that Jeff posted above for a couple of days now and still haven't come up with any success. Since Target doesn't have shelf space for this item, my only hope is to enter the code and get someone to bring me a couple from the back - this worked with the Slave I.

Anyway - has anyone had any success finding this ship yet in the US? (doesn't matter which store Target, WalMart, TRU, KMart, etc...)

Thanks.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on February 6, 2005, 02:32 PM
I was thinking that the "official" release date for Anakin's ship is on Tuesday... I'll be sure to do a little looking next week to see if I can find it.  No worries though, I'm sure it will show up at most places and be pretty easy to find soon.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: starwax137 on February 6, 2005, 03:36 PM
Meijer ad in the paper today had it advertised as on sale! I believe it was like $16.99.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: DoctorPadawan on February 6, 2005, 04:08 PM
I noticed at Target this morning that they had finally marked shelf space for the fighter.  The tag said 19.99 and was "Ep3 Mid Vehicle Asst." or something along those lines.  K-Mart also had a space set aside for it, marked "Star Wars Ep3 Sneak Vehicle" but they were charging $24.99 for it.

Wal-Mart, naturally, has no space put aside for it and their SW section is, as always, a complete disaster area.  Two weeks after the aisle reset is complete and it already looks like a tornado hit the section.

Oh well, I'm hoping it will show up this week sometime as I really do like the looks of the ship.

(completely unrelated, does anybody buy "Teen Titans" stuff?  It seems to never move from where it is yet more and more stuff gets ordered and I never see anyone buying it.  Am I missing something here?)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: starwax137 on February 6, 2005, 04:30 PM
I'm more looking forward to the repaint than this one. :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: starwax137 on February 6, 2005, 04:32 PM
I don't like Teen Titans in the least bit and neither does anyone I know. A lot of people probably don't even have any idea at all what it is. I've been getting kinda hung up over that one myself actually.

 8)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Pete_Fett on February 6, 2005, 06:28 PM
(completely unrelated, does anybody buy "Teen Titans" stuff?  It seems to never move from where it is yet more and more stuff gets ordered and I never see anyone buying it.  Am I missing something here?)

Ok - I thought this was just me. I liked Batman, Batman Beyond, Superman, Justice League and I like Justice Leage Unlimited. I gave Teen Titans a chance, at first I though, perhaps it's me and I'm finally getting too old to even like super-hero based cartoons and then I asked my son, who likes Justic League and its predecessors. So I said to him "Is Teen Titans good? Is there something I'm not getting" and his response was "Nope, it just stinks".

So - now that WalMart has done the aisle reset, Star Wars shares the same 4ft section with Teen Titans. That stuff is ALWAYS over-flowing into the space that is meant for Star Wars and I kinda find it annoying because instead of calling attention to the fact that they never have SW stuff in, they just sorta fill in the gaps with the Teen Titan stuff to make the shelves look completely stocked. It never moves, it never goes anywhere and I've NEVER seen a kid in the aisle go for any of the figures. I just wonder if the over-abundance of this stuff is just Bandai pulling the wool over the eyes of the WalMart buyer with the simple pitch - "Kids Love Spiderman! Teen Titans is like a group of Spidermen with all different kinds of powers, kids will LOVE this line!"
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Mikey D on February 7, 2005, 11:34 AM
Regarding Teen Titans - comic book = great, cartoon and toy line = the suck.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Morgbug on February 7, 2005, 11:56 AM
I just wonder if the over-abundance of this stuff is just Bandai pulling the wool over the eyes of the WalMart buyer with the simple pitch - "Kids Love Spiderman! Teen Titans is like a group of Spidermen with all different kinds of powers, kids will LOVE this line!"

Bingo.  Some sales wonk convinced either THE COMPUTER at Walmart, or some dork with no clue about toys that these would sell.  Sadly, the other retailers bought the same bull**** >:(  This stuff is everywhere and it's a bloody absurd situation.  Locally, you can barely find anything that is remotely interesting - Marvel Legends - sells remarkably well, good luck finding it (except for the hideous case that Walmart is now getting - a mix of both Punishers, Cable and brown Wolvernine :'(); LOTR - save Gollum, Frodo and Aragorn, everything else sells; Star Wars - uh, what's that?  But I can probably find every damn Teen Titans piece ever made, in spades >:(
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Ben on February 8, 2005, 02:54 AM
And if you complained to anyone working in retail, they'd tell you that you just don't know **** about retail and that Teen Titans is selling like gangbusters. ::)

That's why most of them get paid peanuts.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Brian on February 8, 2005, 08:34 AM
Well, its Feb 8, anyone having any luck finding the Starfighter today?  I haven't been out yet, but thought about checking later today.  However, I see that Amazon has now pushed their release date back to February 15.  Also, the other vehicles that were up for preorder now have had their "release date" changed from Feb 8 to "item not in stock".  Looks like it will indeed by Apr. 2 for the rest of those, curious about Anakin's starfighter though, hopefully it will still be released this month sometime.  I still don't think I've read about any findings in the US yet.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on February 8, 2005, 02:06 PM
Starting to get some reports that the Preview Jedi Fighter showed up today at Meijer's on the East Coast.  Apparently it was in the Sunday Ad for $16.99 and they are showing up today.

Shouldn't be much longer and they will be everywhere I would guess...

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Brian on February 9, 2005, 11:58 AM
According to a poster on the GH forums, someone has found the Preview fighter at a Target in California.  Sounds like they were $19.99 and there was about 5 on the shelf.  Hopefully they start spreading across the country now and everyone can find them soon :).
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Brian on February 10, 2005, 12:10 PM
Looks like the Anakin Starfighter preview vehicle is now in stock (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00065ARIE/qid=1107271954/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/102-6665133-6256139?v=glance&s=toys) over at Amazon.com.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on February 10, 2005, 12:17 PM
I've been hearing (or rather reading) an interesting tidbit on this Starfighter.

It seems that the "R2 unit" on the starfighter is a junky 1-peice half-droid, but it is removable and the reports are saying that you can fit a regular R2 Droid in open space. 

Sort of like a Droid Socket if you want to fill it or a half-droid to fill it if you can't spare an R2.  I'm anxious to hear/see pictures from someone who has it to see if this pans out to be true...   :-\
 
Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Scott on February 10, 2005, 12:37 PM
Still scratching my head over the whole Droid Socket deal on this Fighter to begin with
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jeff on February 10, 2005, 12:49 PM
I agree, if they wanted one in there why did they stray from the "behind the cockpit" co-pilot look of the OT?  Would have made much more sense in the back for both the Ep2 and Ep3 versions.  :-\

Now we'll see some lame EU story to explain that Incom moved the R2 unit on the X-Wing from the "front of ship" design to the back because the little droids took so much damage up front, not to mention throwing off the balance of the ship... blah blah blah. 

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: CHEWIE on February 10, 2005, 01:03 PM
On the back of the ship was definitely cooler.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Scott on February 10, 2005, 01:10 PM
Truth be told, the droid sockets on all three prequel ships are lame

Naboo Fighter: Telescoping R2 head
Jedi Starfighter I: Head only (How stupid is that!)
Jedi Starfighter II: Not sure how this will work yet

Jeff is spot on, some Lame ass EU excuse will get doled out for why this is (Anakin found R2 giving Padme a foot rub and as punishment he hard wired half of his body in to the front of his starfighter since he's easier to blow up from the front)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Pete_Fett on February 10, 2005, 02:49 PM
Not trying to defend the design here, but the ARC-170 which I would consider more of a predecessor to the X-Wing than the Jedi Starfighter has the slot for the astromech unit behind the front cockpit (where the pilot and co-pilot sit) of the vehicle and "behind" the astromech is the rear-gunner cockpit. So already at this point in the SW universe, ship designers have seen the need/importance of putting the navigation droid in a safer spot.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: darkksith on February 10, 2005, 06:36 PM
nataku, i picked up the preview star fighter today and i grabbed a couple R2 figs i had access to (potf2 holo leia and episode 1) and tried to fit them in the socket. they will only go in about a 1/3 of the way. maybe some of the other R2 versions will fit better. it looks sorta okay but much better with the half R2 that comes with it. btw, the head on the R2 rotates. i gotta say this is one awsome hunk of plastic of a vehicle. very hefty and solid. it looks great with the side wingy-flap-things  :-\ up. it's like a combo of darth maul's infiltrator and a tie fighter. i highly reccomend this.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on February 10, 2005, 08:58 PM
nataku, i picked up the preview star fighter today and i grabbed a couple R2 figs i had access to (potf2 holo leia and episode 1) and tried to fit them in the socket. they will only go in about a 1/3 of the way. maybe some of the other R2 versions will fit better.

I picked one up this afternoon and found the same thing - just plugging a regular astromech in won't work, and it's not a matter of fiddling with it, either. The ship was plainly designed to use the plugs, and the removable feature is obviously more intended to make it easier doing ship repaints than as a play feature.

To get one to fit, you have to start with at least removing its feet, and even then, it's going to sit too high. For it to be done right, the plug is going to have to be removed, the silver base component seperated by dremmelling, and then affixing the two brackets produced by that work to a sawed-off droid. The droid plug has no detail on it other than the head, so just doing a headswap isn't really an option. It's a total customization job.

EDIT: OK, a little more info -- from the instructions:
Quote
Removable droid panel. Insert R2 figure (not included). Most R2 figures will fit in droid socket.

I was able to get the astromech from the TRU Hoth 4-pack to fit in it, and it seems to fit snuggly, except that its way, way too high. I've got to see if I have a spare R2-D2 I can sacrifice the feet off of and see if it improves things.

The fighter itself does look to be quality, though. Feels really solid, but I haven't tinkered too much yet beyond pondering the droid socket.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on February 10, 2005, 09:47 PM
Just a few other observations on the ship:

When the wings are in the open mode (TIE-style) there are two small connector holes on the panels underneath that are probably meant to attach the "buzz droids" from the Droid Tri-Fighter. Sweet.

The grey plastic as a metallic gunmetal paint spray on it that looks really nice. It fixes the problem that the AT-RT seems to have of the plastic looking "cheap".

The wing release button is a well-design mechanism. When the wingers are down, they seem to stay put, instead of popping up if touched wrong like the AOTC fighter.

Pretty good, and I'm looking forward to the cooler paint scheme from Obi's version, and curious to see what is different about Plo Koon's that is apparently coming later.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: Jesse James on February 11, 2005, 12:28 AM
EU's kind of shown that astro's are placed all over on ships...  Roaming about freely on ships like Amidalas, or even having fixed sockets "outboard" on big ships like that as well.

To me, none of these ship's designs imply that they're building into anything else really...  The Jedi Fighter, when you look at it, really doesn't look like anything (A-Wing's been said in the past, but beyond it being red I don't see this similarity), and the new Jedi Fighter's really not like anything else besides it maybe having SOME similarity to the old Jedi Fighter...  "improvement" for the war there is practical so I can link those two, but I can't link the Jedi Fighters to anything in the modern era really. 

The ARC-170's design is just out there...  Beyond its basic shape of an elongated hull with 2 wings that can split for maneuverability/stability, I can't say this is a ship that I look at and think "X-Wing" at all.  XW and this don't even look like they'd be in the same role/category given that the ARC's are bigger/bulkier, have a rear gunner...  I'd say it's maybe closer in relationship to the Y-Wing, but it doesn't resemble that fighter at all either, but if you run iwth the Y-Wings 2-seater variant it seems more along those lines.

EU's placement of astro's is weird then...  The Jedi Fighter's one is weird, and I think it was mostly a cop-out to have a dedicated astromech.  Almost like they designed the fighter but later realized they didn't design it to support an astromech and Lucas wanted it to be able to...  Simple answer then is to make it a dedicated on-board system with a dome...  for no reason.  ::)

I'm pretty sure EU has Astro's popping up on ships in different places though, some toward the front, some to the back...  I don't mind the placement really on the new Jedi Fighter...  If it doesn't support a removable (full) droid then it's sort of a bummer.  It leads me to believe Hasbro butchered the scale somewhat perhaps.   :-\ 

I don't mind the astromech being up front but I do think it bites if they don't make it so a full astromech fits in the socket.  That implies an underscaled ship to me, which sucks.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Vehicle
Post by: SilverZ on February 11, 2005, 01:33 AM
I don't mind the astromech being up front but I do think it bites if they don't make it so a full astromech fits in the socket.  That implies an underscaled ship to me, which sucks.

I don't think its a scale issue if you mean the toy. It’s just about as big as the (oversized) vintage/POTF2 snowspeeder, and def bigger than the AOTC Starfighter.

The problem is with the shoddy ship design logic coming from the PT, in my opinion. Most of the ships they've crammed droids into don't physically fit them. They’re there because they’re trying too hard to emulate better designs and bridge designs that don’t have much purpose to be bridged. If you look at this the ROTS starfighter’s front profile with the wings popped vertical, you can see how close it resembles Vader's TIE. It's clever I suppose, but if they were shooting for design evolution it’s pointless.

So here, just as the Naboo Fighter has a visual dodge that drops the "shoulders" of the droid, or the Jedi Starfighter's hull not having physical room for the droid body, this one just abandons the droid’s feet to make the design work. All so they can cram the stupid R2 in there, whether story needs one there or not.

So I blame the whole R2 thing on crappy PT design from the movies, not much else. And that leads me to my little bitch session that is a larger reason we see these little problems like the R2 socket in ships that can’t accommodate them:

The design sense in the PT sucks. If I showed any ship design from the OT to a layman, they’d easily determine that one side had grey colorless ships, and the other side had sporty, colorful designs. When you looks at the ones that don’t fit that sense, they belong to a character. “Oh, that’s Han Solo’s ship,” etc.

Try doing that with the PT.

The designs coming from the PT films are more aesthetic than functional, from how I see it. (And sometimes a ****** aesthetic). They’re more whimsical, and some are neat, but a lot of them are so whacked out it probably flusters the average moviegoer, who just wants to track characters and action. Bad guys equal grey ships. Good guys equal red ships. Not here.

There was this moment in TPM when I saw Maul’s Sith Interceptor that I thought they understood a good philosophy in an easy visual message – bad guys fly the grey ships with TIE wings. Then that went away. Enter: Bad guys have vulture droid robot transformers looking things. No, they have wingless brown pod things. No, they have Tron looking solar sailer things. Rockets. Donuts. Whatever the **** they feel like.

For the first movie you had Doug Chiang drawing whatever retarded round looking anime wannabe jaggof design he pleased, with no evolution planned, and then hit this point in AOTC where Church/Tiemens take over and try to recover the fumble, with Lucas in the middle, approving anything he finds visually interesting.

So the whole thing is disconnected. Then the evolution comes screeching to a halt in the OT.

What a trainwreck!
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Jeff on February 11, 2005, 10:07 AM
Thanks for the info darksith and Jared!  Interesting to note that at least Hasbro made a small effort to restore the droid socket technology of the 80s.   ;)

Let us know how the "droid chop" goes Jared, I have a spare '95 R2 I could use to dress up my Jedi Starfighter (when I find the dang thing that is  >:().

Jeff
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: darkksith on February 11, 2005, 04:19 PM
ok guys, check out this link of pictures of someones starfighter opened. it has R2's body below the dome painted with the normal blue/white R2 deco. my R2 is totally white below the dome. the box i have also shows the deco below the dome. what gives?

http://www.rebelscum.com/article.asp?i=88898

Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: CHEWIE on February 11, 2005, 04:42 PM
Hmmm... you might have gotten a lemon.  Meaning yours didn't get the proper factory paint... probably not considered a variation, just a bad job by Hasbro on that one.  Kinda sucks...   :-\

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Pete_Fett on February 11, 2005, 05:08 PM
ok guys, check out this link of pictures of someones starfighter opened. it has R2's body below the dome painted with the normal blue/white R2 deco. my R2 is totally white below the dome. the box i have also shows the deco below the dome. what gives?

http://www.rebelscum.com/article.asp?i=88898

Could the colored details be stickers you have to apply and not paint-ops?
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: SilverZ on February 11, 2005, 06:06 PM
ok guys, check out this link of pictures of someones starfighter opened. it has R2's body below the dome painted with the normal blue/white R2 deco. my R2 is totally white below the dome. the box i have also shows the deco below the dome. what gives?

http://www.rebelscum.com/article.asp?i=88898



There's def two droid stickers on the decal sheet bundled with the instructions; did yours not come with it?
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: darkksith on February 11, 2005, 10:47 PM
whew!!, thanks tydirium. in my hast of tearing the ship out of the box, i totally overlooked the fact there was a sticker sheet. duuhhh!!  ::)  mystery solved.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Ben on February 16, 2005, 12:49 AM
This ship landed at Target today. (Ha! Pun.)

I didn't pick it up, but I'm sure I will sometime.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: CHEWIE on February 16, 2005, 11:18 AM
Haven't been on the hunt for it yet... which in itself is a shock.  I'll look for it soon.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: speedermike on February 16, 2005, 12:55 PM
Yeah, I haven't looked either...even if I did flind it, who's gonna fly it?
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: JesseVader08 on February 16, 2005, 01:00 PM
Well, we know wookies have the ability to fly starships...   ;D
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: CHEWIE on February 16, 2005, 02:49 PM
Got it today... noticed the same thing on R2D2 - thank God there's a sticker.  Whew!

I opened it while in my car  :D and man it's awesome!  Definitely better than the EP2 Jedi starfighter.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: jjks on February 17, 2005, 01:47 PM
The Starfighter was all over the place yesterday at Targets in Oregon.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: starwax137 on February 17, 2005, 05:14 PM
I've seen it. Wasn't really looking for it yet though. I'll get it before too long.

 8)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: CloneF13Y35 on February 18, 2005, 11:52 PM
Found and got one at my local target ;D
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Brian on February 22, 2005, 08:30 AM
I picked one of these up last Friday, there were three on the shelves at our local Target.  I think it is a pretty nifty ship, although I haven't had time to open it get it all put together (stickers, etc.) quite yet.  The packaging is actually kind of eye catching to me.  Feels nice to basically be caught up now until April 2, unless I happen upon those colored CW clones...riiiight. :)
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: CloneF13Y35 on February 23, 2005, 12:49 PM
It's a very well built toy, sturdy and has a good solid feel to it. My son and I had fun putting all the blast effect stickers on it after putting the regular ones on. I was able to get my anakin secret ceremony in there by cutting the sides of his plastic tunic. I also have put various R2s in the socket, they go only about half way in but still looks OK. New R4 won't fit due to the cable things on his feet. Don't want to take a chance of messing them up.
The spring loaded wing launch does require a measure of pressure on the release to get them to open but I'd rather have that than wings that flip open on their own. I wasn't expecting to find this but's I'm glad I did.
And there's just something about having a box with Star Wars Revenge of the Sith on it alreday, makes my giddy with excitment  ;D
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Pete_Fett on February 23, 2005, 02:51 PM
The spring loaded wing launch does require a measure of pressure on the release to get them to open but I'd rather have that than wings that flip open on their own.

I agree - with the AOTC Jedi Starfighter, I never got one where the wings felt like they had securely locked in place, it was like if I breathed on it wrong the wings would pop off! My switch on Anakin's new fighter takes a considerable amount of pressure to get the wings to pop open.

Definitely a nice sturdy toy with a lot of play value, IMHO.
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: CHEWIE on February 23, 2005, 06:01 PM
Yeah, this vehicle rocks.  I would give Hasbro an A+ on this one.

 :P
Title: Re: Ep3 Sneak Preview Anakin's Starfighter
Post by: Ben on March 2, 2005, 02:49 AM
I picked this vehicle up this weekend.

It's really neat. I got my Secret Ceremony Anakin in there without any surgery, but I'm waiting patiently for a Pilot Anakin. I kind of wish it would have been packed with the vehicle, but then it would have been a really crappy figure.

I don't like that the R2 socket is almost in the middle of the ship. The ship would have looked tighter without it, but that's LFL's design flaw, at least IMO.