The Episode I sets weren't really that bad, by and large, but as I've said before, kids in this day and age aren't that interested in action figures in general, and a pack full of accessories for five bucks isn't going to be breaking sales records outside of collectors. Not to mention the fact that the first Tatooine set was pretty crappy, and as usual, Hasbro shipped the first wave of crap so heavily that the second wave didn't even show up at normal retail outlets.
I ended up getting all four of the second wave online from rasscm around the time they were released. A guy whose name I can't remember was able to get three of them for me from an unusual store (Farm and something or other was the name), and the fourth, the Hyperdrive set for the NRS, came from my friend in Wisconsin who found it at this same retailer, but in a different state than the previous one. Apparently, Farm and whatever would have a Christmas toy section and this was put out when they did. AFAIK, TRU, Target, WM, and KB never got the second wave at all.
The Hyperdrive set is really cool, but it's more or less just a more interactive version of the hyperdrive that came with the NRS. It has five removable panels, and is of a heavier plastic than the one with the ship, and can be installed in the one with the ship as well. It came with all kinds of little tools (one of which is Lady Jaye's camera from the 1980's GI Joe: RAH line, strangely enough), and was a lot of fun.
The Rappel Line Attack set is my favorite though. It's probably the coolest thing that Hasbro did out of their own designs for the SW line. Very long rope with suction cup ends, a backpack that actually fits snugly on figures, and that works the way it is supposed to, a whole bunch of extra blasters (including a Battle Droid blaster, which I was very happy to get), and a pair of cuffs for Gunray (that although they don't fit, are still nice to have for other figures).
The Pod Race Refuel set is cool too, with all kinds of little tools for your Pit Droid crew, and the majority of the tools can all be stored in the backpack that comes with the set. The "gas tank" can actually hold/dispense water, and everything looks like it came from SW.
The dud in the assortment, like the first, is the Tatooine Disguise set. The good thing is that you get another soft goods Jedi Cloak, but the rest of the stuff that is included is kind of a repeat of the first Tatooine set, in theme but not sculpt, with a lot of guns, and two backpacks, and no droid. If there was one of the four sets I would say not to concern yourself with, it would be that one.
Overall, as Jesse said, it shows that Hasbro can come up with a cool concept, put out complete crap in the first wave and saturate the market to a point where the second wave, which is far superior, never shows up, and then say it is retail's fault for overordering/consumer's faults for not buying the first wave of crap, and cancels the concept entirely.