Author Topic: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper  (Read 6792 times)

Offline JesseVader08

  • Retired Staff Member
  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10862
    • View Profile
New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« on: October 29, 2005, 07:47 PM »
On behalf of our intrepid figure reviewer, Mr Jesse James, I'm going to start this thread. 

I just finished reading his review on the hottest item out there, the Evolutions Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper set.  Jesse, I have to say that has got to be one of the absolute best reviews you've ever written.  I'm now ashamed to say it, but I haven't opened my set yet - it recently arrived in the mail and is still sitting sealed at home.

Well, after reading your review, I can see just how well Hasbro has done with this set and I guarantee you I'll be opening it up tonight.  After reading about all the accessories to allow for different displayed figures, I'm already hoping to get my hands on another set.

Again, well done, Jesse.   8)

Offline Reid

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3255
    • View Profile
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2005, 07:49 PM »
Good review as always Jesse. I recently ordered this at Wal*Mart.com and cannot wait for it to come.  :) One question, can you put the E2 helmets on the Bly Grunt? And vica-versa?

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2005, 01:59 AM »
Yes...  Yes you can.  The yellows don't match up perfectly though.  The AOTC Clone has a certain brightness to his yellow while the E3 Clone has a more subdued almost mustard-like color.  However both are accurate, the yellers were just different in the movie.  The helmets fit both figures fine enough by my eyes though if you wanted to mix/match.

And thanks to Jesse for handling the post and thread for me on this.  :)  I was away from home without access to the site save for coming into the forums to beg the guys for help, hehe.

Anyway I'll give my usual post for a review here too, just lower than average.  :-\


So you wanted Clones?  Well Hasbro's going ape**** with the Clones this year and seemingly onward into the forseeable future as well.  The Clone Evolutions set represents probably the most collector-oriented Clone figure though since the #41 "apology" for the QD Attack Collection 1 figure. :)

The set shows the classic visual progression the white armor clad bringers of doom have from their Mandalorian roots, and the resulting boxed set is an item every collector needs a few of.  The troops inside aren't all the best for army building but the variation grey set is due soon and looks to change that little snafu completely as it's a completely army builder set it seems.

The Yellow set isn't anything to sneeze at though,a s the Yellow E2 ttrooper makes a superior Clone Pilot to all prior incarnations, and that's a great army builder.  Of course you need to keep one a Commander to tell your punk replacement Commander from the EE 4-packs to go get dirty or get off the battlefield! :)

The E3 Clone is a Bly grunt.  Short of the annoying helmet issue that figure is probably my 2nd favorite in the set just because Episode 3 was so military in nature.  Just getting a film-accurate Clone is a nice change of pace too, given that we've only gotten white troops so far, some EU troops, and the half-assed Gree repaint...  And of course Bly who is cool but you need his grunts in droves to mow down Aayla Secura out in the field.

The Sandtrooper may (or may not, as I like to believe) be a Clone, and for that I like that the set explicitly says "Clone To Stormtrooper", not simply Clone Evolutions.  Hasbro's way of being ambiguous too?  It's pretty cool though and the figure's only major flaw is his waist isn't articulated.  Beyond that, I'd take 100 (seriously) of the Sandtrooper with various pauldrons.  Even the first "**** smear" variant was fine by me.

Hasbro's got a winning set, so check out the review and keep your eyes peeled on "The Good...  The Bad...  & The Ugly Figure Reviews" column for me to pick off some more.  Hasbro gets the credit where it's owed and this time they did good by me.

Now we need more...  please?  Like, how about that Rebel Trooper Evolution set I REALLY need?  Padme, Obi-Wan, Luke, Han, and Leia wouldn't be shabby sets either though, ya know?

Hell, a Jedi Masters set with Qui Gon, Mace, and Yoda wouldn't be bad ideas to me either.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline CorranHorn

  • Jedi Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 2101
  • I can't think of anything witty to say...
    • View Profile
    • The Power Of The Customizer
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2005, 03:43 AM »
JJ,

Another great review, as Jesse2 said this is one of your best reviews as you went balls out on the detail you put into it. As you know from talkin about this set with me, I think you hit everything spot on and while it is a great set, there's just that something more that could have made it a perfect set. Maybe one day Hasbro will actually take the next step to reach perfection in these kinds of items.

Jason F.

- FFURG Admin
- Vintage Needs: Micro Collection Snowspeeder box and pilots, Micro Collection X-Wing pilot

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #4 on: November 4, 2005, 12:49 AM »
Thanks Jason, much appreciated...  The Evolutions sets were all kind of "just shy" of perfection as we'll see with the others.  A little disappointing but not near anything worth bashing them over for certain.  I really do hope the concept continues with new sets at some point because this is a far superior idea than VOTC is if you ask me.

I'd sooner pay $20 for a boxed set of Imperial Troopers (Storm, Snow, Scout) like this, than $10/figure for any of them, plus the trouble of tracking many down.  3 at a time is nice.

So hopefully Hasbro has their ears to the ground on this one because I think the fans have spoken with their wallets and their voices on Evolutions being Hot Hot Hot at retail and within online communities.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline Darth_Anton

  • Jedi Sentinel
  • *
  • Posts: 10672
  • Whatever
    • View Profile
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #5 on: December 8, 2005, 10:02 AM »
The Evolutions sets were all kind of "just shy" of perfection as we'll see with the others.  A little disappointing but not near anything worth bashing them over for certain. 


Isn't that weird? I completely agree. I wonder if the designers agree as well.
Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel - The Imperial Communique -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyEfCtMv1lWhxSH-B1Scr4g
"Snark is the idiot's version of wit."

Offline Darth Slothus

  • Jedi Knight
  • *
  • Posts: 3401
    • View Profile
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #6 on: December 8, 2005, 11:31 AM »
Yeah I wonder too. Awesome review Jesse ;D

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #7 on: December 8, 2005, 10:16 PM »
Wish I knew man. :)  Hard to say if they care or not.  I have gotten the impression over the years now that some do, some don't...  Some would say we should be happy with them as they are while others would say that "yeah, I wish we could have done this or that differently".  At least that's the impression I've gotten from them.

I think sets like this shouldn't skimp really though.  You're looking at $20 retail plus the fact that these are sculpts that really can be re-used many times diminishing their fixed costs tremendously over time...  Don't skimp and just re-use these things for years.

I'd be fine seeing the Evolutions Anakin(s) carded throughout the life of this line, seriously.  Same with VOTC figures...  Little tweaks here and there to them would even be appreciated by me.  I'd re-buy VOTC Han if they thew in a headset, and extra set of hands with painted gloves, know what I mean? :)  Or I'd re-buy VOTC Leia if she had a removable plastic hood up and down.

But yeah, I'd even dig seeing the Evolutions Clone sculpts re-used just so they could put more Clones out there...  Why not, ya know?  A good way to cut those costs they needed for start-up that are fixed while still making a snazzy profit and helping out collectors.  You got good relations, you got diminished cost, you got higher profit...  How much more logical can one get?  I'd buy the Sandtrooper in any number of colors.  Hell I'd take an EU one with the Yellow Pauldron with the Railgun from the Kyle Katarn figure.  Instant EU Dark Forces Stormtrooper man! :)

Paint that AOTC Clone up in every nicely battledamaged flavor, I'll buy them all...  If they could figure out how, you could even throw a Kama on him, a helmet with a range finder, and I'd buy some ARC's.

I'd buy these figures just as they were in the packs though.  I'd love getting more E2 Clone Pilots, more White grunts, and a variety of E3 Clone Commanders/Troopers too.  Seems like a winning situation to re-release this stuff!

Sorry for the long-winded pro-re-elease rant. :)
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline JangoTat

  • Jedi Apprentice
  • *
  • Posts: 1320
    • View Profile
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #8 on: August 6, 2007, 08:52 PM »
Quote
I'd re-buy VOTC Han if they thew in a headset

so did you buy him then :P

Anyways the main point of my bringing this topic back to view is this....has anyone else had the problem of fitting the sand troopers gun in his hands. Heck i cant even fit the regular issue imp gun. i find that this figures biggest flaw is the plastic in the hands...to hard making it hell trying to have him hold a gun.
School has been on strike all month. so much for the summer job I was hoping to get D:

Offline Jesse James

  • Staff Member
  • Grand Master
  • *
  • Posts: 35448
  • Slippery When Poopy
    • View Profile
    • JediDefender.com
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #9 on: August 7, 2007, 01:42 AM »
It takes some work but it's possible...  So I wasn't bothered by it myself.  Definitely a tight fit though.

And I sure bought Han, but really he's a lot more than a re-release.  He's practically all-new the way they did him, which I found really odd since he really only needed a new belt and head, but hey I'm not complaining either.  Good figure.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77

Offline clonebuyer111

  • Youngling
  • *
  • Posts: 78
    • View Profile
Re: New JD Review: Evolutions: Clone Trooper to Stormtrooper
« Reply #10 on: May 14, 2008, 04:56 PM »
this was a really good review, i bought a couple of the sets