Would You Buy A Gungan Bongo Sub Vehicle?

[Tycho]

I'm going to start a new thread series.

This will discuss ONLY the vehicle in the title of the thread (in this case a Gungan Submarine from TPM).

I will cover several unmade vehicles for the action figures per week, choosing them from a rotating schedule through the movies and the Expanded Universe (I guess - we'll see how that goes).

I'll order it TPM, AOTC, ROTS, ANH, ESB, ROTJ, EU, and then keep going back through the order in that manner.

So here I'm only asking you if you'd buy a Gungan Bongo Submarine from The Phantom Menace.

I envision this vehicle for the $20 price range. You connect the squid tail and a rollbar makes it spin. The directional vein on the front launches like a harpoon missile to defend the craft (but looks movie-accurate in its holding position) and the 3 bubbles open up (inaccurately seating) for 3 passengers Obi-Wan, JarJar, and Qui-Gon.

Do you want it made? How about for a $30 price range and slightly more accurate and larger?

What other features would you want on it?

Why would you NOT want it?

How do you think it would sell if produced?

[plasticfetish]

I have mixed feelings about this one. I've always thought this vehicle was a good idea, but at this point I'm not so sure. I think Hasbro blew it by not doing this and a Gungan playset when the movie came out. (Oh well.)

I'll answer the questions in reverse order.

How do I think it would sell? Not well to be honest. Unless Hasbro could tie it to the Clone Wars cartoon, or if they waited to release it as part of a tenth anniversary set, I don't see this as having mass appeal.

Why would I not want it? I don't have very much space for vehicles, but the biggest turn-off would be if it was too expensive.

What features would I want on it? The simpler the better with this one I think. One of my favorite PT vehicles is the Geonosian Fighter... something along those lines would be nice. I wouldn't want any weapons or missiles, but I doubt that Hasbro could make a toy without putting a gun on it.

I like the spinning tail idea, and I know that I said "simpler" was better, but it would be genuinely cool if the thing could light up from the inside.

Do I want it made? How about for a $30 price range, and slightly more accurate and larger? Again, price would be the deciding factor. If it was $30+ it would need to be very cool, and very well done, but I'm not all that concerned with "larger" or having it be spot-on movie accurate. It just needs to be well made and fun.

As far as Episode I vehicles go, this would probably be the one that I want most. I have the Royal Starship packed away somewhere, so the Tribubble bongo would be a nice partner to that on a shelf... someday.

[vger]

I'd love to see a Bongo! I'd prefer it to be a little larger and more accurate so Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Jar Jar would all fit in the same compartment. I'd be willing to pay up to $40 for it, though a $30 price point would be great. If it were in the $20 range and each figure fit in its own bubble, I'd probably still buy it but I might wait for clearance.

I would want an opening canopy hatch and a spinning tail (non-electronic). I guess some firing missiles would be needed to make it more actiony. I do not want any electronics, they just jack up the cost.

I don't think it would sell particularly well unless it were featured in TCW and/or it were an exclusive (Target or TRU, not Walmart since not all Walmarts seem to get the exclusives).

[Darth Jax]

i wouldn't buy one. the whole gungan merge of animal life/technology just seemed beyond bizarre to me on the screen. not much from episode 1 holds my interest in the toy department (aside from my desire for titanium styled battle droids).

if it does get made it needs to be made for actual aquatic play, meaning the hull should be sealed well enough to allow floatation in a bathtub.

[Blue2th]

Indeed I would buy one!
It must fit all 3 figures Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Jar Jar easily.
Spinning rear propeller and opening hatch is all I really want (no firing missles pleeze)
I do agree with DJ it should be able to float (rubba-dub in the tub)

[bigbarada]

No, I would not buy one. I just have little to no interest in Prequel vehicles or characters (aside from Wookiees).

I think it might sell alright, if Hasbro waits a few years to release it. All of those kids who were just old enough to watch Ep1 in theaters (4 or 5 years old) will be graduating high school in a few years, so that might be a good time for a resurgence of Ep1 merchandise.

However, personally, I'm just not interested.

[mtriv73]

Too late. I wouldn't buy it. I would have eagerly scooped it up when TPM came out but it would have to be in $65 class to be even close to screen accurate and I don't have room or need for anything like that.

[Devo]

I like the TPM toys, they hold a great nostalgia. Not sure I'd have a need for a Bongo though. An underwater, non-battle vehicle just isn't very diorama friendly.

[DarkJedi5]

Do I want it made? Yes. I bought that Opee Sea Killer and there's absolutely nothing to display it with (I guess I have "swimming" Jar Jar but that's not much of a diorama). A Bongo and Opee display would be very cool indeed.

How do I think it would sell? At the $20 price point? I think it would do okay. I don't think that it would be what I was looking for, I just can't imagine it fitting well in the starfighter assortment and having room for all three figures. But I think some kids and a few collectors wouldn't be interested in it if it didn't look all that great.

Why would I not want it? For me to buy the Bongo it would have to look great. I'm okay with figures in separate pods but they shouldn't be cramped. If it turned out that they made the thing with three pods and they were right on top of each other it would probably throw off the aesthetics for me.

What features would I want on it? Um, spinning tail would be neat and probably necessary that it turn somehow but that would be it. That's maybe the biggest problem with the Bongo, it doesn't do anything. You could pack other features into it. Tycho's front firing anchor missile was a good one. Also you could have hidden torpedo tubes somewhere in the front, maybe disguised as headlights for more missile firing action. Also, I don't recall the cut scene well enough but I think you could even figure out a way to squeeze some sort of tow cable feature in there if you need to add more action features or play value.

How about for a $30 price range, and slightly more accurate and larger? I think this would almost have to be in the $30 range. (Does that even exist anymore?) If you want the three seats in the main pod I think the price goes up a good deal more. I think there's hope for this vehicle in the new deluxe vehicle assortment (with the CW Y-Wing) and at that price point it could have the right size and play features we would all love. The only problem there would be the price tag.

[Droid]

I would not buy it anymore. I would have at one time. They waited too long.

However, I would never have bought it if it didn't have an accurate cockpit for seating all three passengers.