R2-D2 Modern/Vintage Wave 3

[angellus]

Anyone have any idea if the R2-D2 that's scheduled to come out in the third wave of the modern/vintage line will be a re-sculpt of the R2-D2 w/ Launching Lightsaber from the Flashback series? The original wasn't bad but that enormous middle leg looked stupid. And suddenly I feel a little silly talking about a droid's enormous middle leg...

[Beast]

It's either that, or hopefully a 'Endor Bunker' version of R2-D2. Since that R2-D2 look actually appeared on a card. This would be a perfect time to do that version. Since for $10.00 they could make a lot of his little doors and such open and the tools. We'll find out when they reveal him. But I'm hoping for this version.

MTFBWY and HH!!

Jar Jar Binks

[B'Omarr Monkey]

I'm with you. I'd easily pay $10.00 for a deluxe R2 with opening doors and the various arms and stuff. It would be much better than the one we got with all the plug in components. I wouldn't even mind if it had a mechanism that opened them all at once by rotating his dome like the Ep. 1 R2, since it would probably be eally difficult to open and close the little doors by hand.

[angellus]

It's either that, or hopefully a 'Endor Bunker' version of R2-D2. Since that R2-D2 look actually appeared on a card.

You make a good point; I didn't even think of that. You're right, it would be better for them to produce an Endor Bunker version to match the picture on the vintage card. I guess I was just thinking back to the original figure with the pop-up lightsaber that appeared on the POTF card. Still, it would be nice if at some point they re-sculpted the figure with the launching lightsaber. I just looked at mine the other night and it just bugs me. I'm not sure if anyone else feels the same way. And it's not even just the "retractable" leg that for me is just way too big; the fact that you can't turn his dome also ruins the figure for me.

[B'Omarr Monkey]

I thought the pop out lightsaber R2 was a mess all around. Bad middle leg. The dome issue, and the fact that the lightsaber has to have the blade fixed to it to work. I recognize the "choking" issues with just having a launching handle, and the likelihood that most of them would end up being lost after the first launch, but it's a bad figure. I honestly don't even think that a new lightsaber launching R2 is necessary.

[jjreason]

I'm with you. I'd easily pay $10.00 for a deluxe R2 with opening doors and the various arms and stuff. It would be much better than the one we got with all the plug in components. I wouldn't even mind if it had a mechanism that opened them all at once by rotating his dome like the Ep. 1 R2, since it would probably be eally difficult to open and close the little doors by hand.

That's the R2 I want here as well. For $10.00 the mechanism better work pretty darned good, and they should include a nice loud sound chip of the screech he lets out when he gets shot at the bunker.

[JEDIpartner]

I'd say that would be great but do you understand the mechanics it would need to go into making that? The door hinges would be no more than little plastic bumps about the size of a goosebump at the end of each door. The little arms would be on levers about as thin as toothpicks. For as much griping about quality as all of you do on this site, do you really think it would be wise to tempt fate and have them make an $10 Artoo figure that would undoubtedly fall apart the minute you took him out of the package?

[Mr. JabbaJohnL]

It would be nice to have an R2-D2 with all the pop-out stuff from Endor, but it likely won't happen. The only way I could see this figure being done is if everything is permanently open. That way it wouldn't break (as easily) and would probably look nicer too. I mean, look at Droid Factory Flight R2-D2 - they tried to make it so he could be neutral and have the rockets, but it looked like absolute crap.

[B'Omarr Monkey]

I'd say that would be great but do you understand the mechanics it would need to go into making that? The door hinges would be no more than little plastic bumps about the size of a goosebump at the end of each door. The little arms would be on levers about as thin as toothpicks. For as much griping about quality as all of you do on this site, do you really think it would be wise to tempt fate and have them make an $10 Artoo figure that would undoubtedly fall apart the minute you took him out of the package?

This is why I suggested the dome rotation would serve as the mechanism that would open the doors when turned one way, and simultaneously push out the various arms and stuff, and when turne dthe other way retract the arms and close the doors. This is pretty much how the Ep. 1 R2 w/rockets worked and if memory serves me correctly, one of the features on the R2 with the plug in accesories worked. It wouldn't be terribly hard to do. The doors and accesories would be mounted on an internal barrel mounted to the dome, while the outer barrel would have open cut outs for the doors. You just would not have the option of only opening one tool arm at a time.

[jjreason]

Okay, JP, I'll sacrifice the sound chip to make things easier on the "engineering department". I would like to see the doors open and stuff pop out though. Here's one thought on how it could work: a swivelling panel, as opposed to an opening door with all the stuff coming out. More like the old "Battle Armor" He Man, you ticked the panel itself and it rotated inside the figure to show the battle damage. Little R2 could have a triangular insert piece running the height of his body, one side of which would never show. The "intact" face would be present when the head is facing one way. Spinning the dome would counterspin the insert piece, revealing "battle damage". Of course, he wouldn't come apart in little pieces like he does in the movie, but the look would be there.

I'm not sure if I'd rather have one that could re-enact the damage happening, or a full time damaged R2 with the sound chip. I'm leaning toward the latter as I type this (I was a HUGE fan of the Saga R2 with sound, he was my favorite R2 of all time).