plasticfetish
02-20-2006, 04:53 AM
"What a drag." ...well, it's not as bad as all that.
I suppose, considering that most of us are already familiar with this figure from it's deluxe Saga incarnation, that I can try to keep this one brief. (I know... fat chance.) I'm actually pretty happy that they reworked this one a bit and put it on a single card. I never bought myself (bought one for the kid) the Saga version, and I'm glad that I waited. Now that there's no magnet in the head, it's nice to have this one. Not that the old droid factory version was so awful. It wasn't great (it was barely good really), but it was a fun-ish toy to play with and very kid friendly, which is why I gave it over to the kid (the small one) in my house.
How's the packaging? I like this new card and bubble design. At first I wasn't so sure -- I had my gripes about how the top corners would weather, thinking that they'd all show up battered and dented, but they haven't. The entire design is pretty smart, from the flat but rounded bubble shape, the character pic on the front, the background image that fits the bubble, to the classic black and silver logo and lettering. I'm not a huge stickler for the card backs, but I think the full layout with character info and photos, plus other figure images is great. The hologram figure adds something nice to the look (if you're not an "opener") and it's cool that they managed to cut down on the amount of tape used.
(If anything -- and this is just my own thing -- I'm happy that this new bubble shape is so much easier to photograph. Having the top flat like that seems like nothing, but it makes a big difference when it comes to lighting and glare. Thanks Hasbro!)
So, how does the figure look? You know, the original idea had its flaws and this one does too. The sculpt is decent, if not a bit squat. The paint is good, if not a bit "imaginative." Looking back at the film, C-3PO wasn't as yellow and his right arm isn't green, but this toy was never about accuracy, so I'm not about to get super picky now. Would I have been happier to see a silver C-3PO with more movie accurate paint? Yes I would, but there's so much to ignore and forgive when it comes to C-3PO in "Attack of the Clones" -- I mean, if you can get over the fact that C-3PO flew through the air hanging by his fingers, then the paint job on this figure is nothing.
How does the toy feel? Compared to the Saga version, it feels good -- even a bit better really. One of my favorite things about this figure is the fact that all of the bits can be snapped apart. Everything seems to fit together snugly (well, maybe the left shoulder is a bit loose on mine) and the plastic is nice and sturdy all around. Even the blaster, which fits and stays nicely in 3PO's hand, is made from a good hard plastic. That's really the silver lining for all of these rehashed figures in the Saga Collection line as far as I'm concerned. In almost every case so far, Hasbro has taken an old figure idea and "fixed" it just enough to where it crosses over from being a lame toy to being a good or even very good figure. (In this case, I'll just call it good.)
How about play value? As imperfect as this toy is and as dorky as the idea behind it is, (admit it, C-3PO wandering around with another droid head, in the middle of a huge battle is silly), it's really a fun toy to play with. The old Saga version was sort of a loser because the entire set was so flimsy, and the magnet (as much as I like magnets) didn't work very well. It's nice to have a simpler version with a few parts to switch around and snap together. Even the Battle Droid back piece is cool -- though it was never on 3PO's back, it's just fun to have it as an option.
One thing that I really wanted to see with this, is a matching Battle Droid body -- especially one that's much nicer than the lame unbendable Saga version. That probably would have made this more than just a simple basic figure though, and considering the price increase and wacky availability, I suppose we can't expect miracles anymore. (Just finding something new on the pegs right now seems to be enough of a miracle.)
Would I recommend that you buy it? It's a decent enough figure and it looks good carded. The new price point may make you think twice, but if you passed on the Saga version and find the concept amusing enough, then yes, I'd recommend it. If you're a hard-head about detail and movie accuracy, or if you're looking for that ultimate Episode II C-3PO figure, then no, skip this one... but don't hold you're breath, as it doesn't look like we're ever going to get a better (or any other) "Attack of the Clones" C-3PO figure. Not that I'd be upset if Hasbro decided to prove me wrong.
I suppose, considering that most of us are already familiar with this figure from it's deluxe Saga incarnation, that I can try to keep this one brief. (I know... fat chance.) I'm actually pretty happy that they reworked this one a bit and put it on a single card. I never bought myself (bought one for the kid) the Saga version, and I'm glad that I waited. Now that there's no magnet in the head, it's nice to have this one. Not that the old droid factory version was so awful. It wasn't great (it was barely good really), but it was a fun-ish toy to play with and very kid friendly, which is why I gave it over to the kid (the small one) in my house.
How's the packaging? I like this new card and bubble design. At first I wasn't so sure -- I had my gripes about how the top corners would weather, thinking that they'd all show up battered and dented, but they haven't. The entire design is pretty smart, from the flat but rounded bubble shape, the character pic on the front, the background image that fits the bubble, to the classic black and silver logo and lettering. I'm not a huge stickler for the card backs, but I think the full layout with character info and photos, plus other figure images is great. The hologram figure adds something nice to the look (if you're not an "opener") and it's cool that they managed to cut down on the amount of tape used.
(If anything -- and this is just my own thing -- I'm happy that this new bubble shape is so much easier to photograph. Having the top flat like that seems like nothing, but it makes a big difference when it comes to lighting and glare. Thanks Hasbro!)
So, how does the figure look? You know, the original idea had its flaws and this one does too. The sculpt is decent, if not a bit squat. The paint is good, if not a bit "imaginative." Looking back at the film, C-3PO wasn't as yellow and his right arm isn't green, but this toy was never about accuracy, so I'm not about to get super picky now. Would I have been happier to see a silver C-3PO with more movie accurate paint? Yes I would, but there's so much to ignore and forgive when it comes to C-3PO in "Attack of the Clones" -- I mean, if you can get over the fact that C-3PO flew through the air hanging by his fingers, then the paint job on this figure is nothing.
How does the toy feel? Compared to the Saga version, it feels good -- even a bit better really. One of my favorite things about this figure is the fact that all of the bits can be snapped apart. Everything seems to fit together snugly (well, maybe the left shoulder is a bit loose on mine) and the plastic is nice and sturdy all around. Even the blaster, which fits and stays nicely in 3PO's hand, is made from a good hard plastic. That's really the silver lining for all of these rehashed figures in the Saga Collection line as far as I'm concerned. In almost every case so far, Hasbro has taken an old figure idea and "fixed" it just enough to where it crosses over from being a lame toy to being a good or even very good figure. (In this case, I'll just call it good.)
How about play value? As imperfect as this toy is and as dorky as the idea behind it is, (admit it, C-3PO wandering around with another droid head, in the middle of a huge battle is silly), it's really a fun toy to play with. The old Saga version was sort of a loser because the entire set was so flimsy, and the magnet (as much as I like magnets) didn't work very well. It's nice to have a simpler version with a few parts to switch around and snap together. Even the Battle Droid back piece is cool -- though it was never on 3PO's back, it's just fun to have it as an option.
One thing that I really wanted to see with this, is a matching Battle Droid body -- especially one that's much nicer than the lame unbendable Saga version. That probably would have made this more than just a simple basic figure though, and considering the price increase and wacky availability, I suppose we can't expect miracles anymore. (Just finding something new on the pegs right now seems to be enough of a miracle.)
Would I recommend that you buy it? It's a decent enough figure and it looks good carded. The new price point may make you think twice, but if you passed on the Saga version and find the concept amusing enough, then yes, I'd recommend it. If you're a hard-head about detail and movie accuracy, or if you're looking for that ultimate Episode II C-3PO figure, then no, skip this one... but don't hold you're breath, as it doesn't look like we're ever going to get a better (or any other) "Attack of the Clones" C-3PO figure. Not that I'd be upset if Hasbro decided to prove me wrong.