GameStop Gaming Greats Zaalbar the Wookiee

[Dave]

Yakface has posted the latest GameStop Gaming Great figure - Zaalbar the Wookiee. 

I'm passing on this one. 

I never played the game so I don't have any attachment to this character and I really don't find the kitbash that interesting.

[Nicklab]

I have mixed feelings about this figure.  KOTOR is the best Star Wars video game I ever played - and I stopped buying game consoles with the PS2.  And I liked Zaalbar.  Chewbacca has always been one of my favorite characters, and that’s extended to a lot of the Wookiees. 


But there are several KOTOR characters that have more impact on the overall quest of the game.  In the Ebon Hawk crew there’s Bastila and Carth Onassi for starters.  And as villains go, Darth Malak is a great one.  Any of those three would have been strong candidates to represent KOTOR. 

This is where my cynicism kicks in.  Did Hasbro really think we wouldn’t realize that the reason why they chose to make Zaalbar is because they could reuse a Chewbacca sculpt?  It seems like a blatantly lazy way to develop new products. 

[GrandMoffNick]

But isn't this whole line just kit bashing at this point? I'd love a Malak too, but not holding my breath. I also like this fig. So call me the sucker Hasbro wants.

[Diddly]

I'm probably a sucker too, I want one! Loved KOTOR, but since we only have Revan in the 6 inch line, I'll simply toss this on a ROTS Kashyyk shelf.

Come to think of it, KOTOR was pretty underrepresented in the 3.75 inch line, correct? I can only remember them giving us Revan, Malak, and Bastilla.

[Nicklab]

But isn't this whole line just kit bashing at this point? I'd love a Malak too, but not holding my breath. I also like this fig. So call me the sucker Hasbro wants.

They did make Darth Nihilus from KOTOR 2.  So it doesn't seem like a huge stretch for Hasbro to make Malak, too.  And having played both KOTOR and KOTOR 2, I felt like there was a big buildup to Darth Nihilus, but he didn't seem like anywhere near the threat that Malak was.

[McMetal]

I just preordered him. I’ve never ever seen KOTOR but I play Zaalbar all the time in Galaxy of Heroes, so I can dig it. They gotta make Mission Vao now though!

[Nicklab]

My card just got charged for Zaalbar.  This should be shipping soon.

[McMetal]

Yep, I got a shipping notice for him earlier today. Yay, new stuff! 

[Nicklab]

Zaalbar looks pretty good!  The head sculpt actually looks different from the numerous Chewbacca releases.