Ishi Tib
New Recruit
<CENTER>DELUXE WAVE 3
DETAILED PICTURES AND REVIEW</CENTER>
<CENTER> By Ishi Tib</CENTER>
Available now at a good number of retailers throughout the country, Deluxe figures wave 3 have made their appearance.
The wave offers two different sets and four new sculpts. From Attack of the Clones Yoda and Super Battle Droid, puts on our shelves the diminutive Jedi Master on a duel against a Super Battle Droid, a scene which was not part the film. The second set, on the other hand is scene specific rendering of C-3PO and Battle Droid, taken right off the droid factory sequence.
Without any further delay let's take a close-up look at what Deluxe Wave 3 is giving us ...
<CENTER>YODA
WITH FORCE POWERS!</CENTER>
This is one I'm truly not too happy with. Despite the fact the figures are in fact new sculpts of Yoda and the Super Battle Droid, the idea of this set as a whole is disappointing.
For starters we cannot relate to any sequence in the film with Yoda fighting Super Battle Droids, nor the platform and crane which comes with them. I'm not against offerings with creative ideas but in my own opinion this is a set directed more to kids than to collectors and based on my point of view as a collector, that is where my judgment leads.
<CENTER>PLATFORM/BASE</CENTER>
The display/play platform recreates a hanger interior with a rocky-like border and a couple of white hoses molded onto the plastic. There is also a two piece crane (column and arm) which attaches to the back of the base. Although intended to fall apart, I found myself wishing they had come up with a better system to hold the crane's arm in place; the peg sticking out from the top of column to mount the arm onto is too small and makes it difficult to balance and support the weight of the arm; the arm falls down rather easily.
There is a springboard on the floor for the Super Battle Droid to be placed on; using a magnetic lever located at the right end of the platform Yoda can be pushed forward towards the springboard activating a mechanism which pops it open, throwing the Super Battle Droid off the base, a "force-push action" experience. The arm of the crane will topple by pulling Yoda back with the lever or making him turn to either side.
<CENTER>YODA</CENTER>
If we were to compare this Yoda to its previous release from April 23, the Deluxe version is far inferior. Overall he is a smaller figure; his cloak is molded onto the body thus making his legs, trunk and robes one solid piece. The figure also lacks the texture and details (very noticeable on the face), the single carded version offers and the articulating points have been sized down to three, and limiting it just to his neck and shoulders. The articulated waist the previous version offered wasn't given to the Deluxe figure.
Yoda comes with three embedded magnets. There is one nicely disguised in his left hand and strong enough to hold the metal lightsaber hilt securely. The other two magnets are located under his feet and attract well the metal piece of the moving lever located beneath the surface of the platform. When the lever is moved, Yoda moves around with it, sort of giving the figure the ability to walk on his own.
<CENTER>SUPER BATTLE DROID</CENTER>
The new Super Battle Droid version lacks the ability to explode and does not offer any arm attachments however, it does offer as good of a sculpting as April's version. Small carbon scoring spots can be seen here and there, adding to a more realistic effect of the figure. The left arm has been redesigned sporting a double barrel gauntlet where a red blast effect can be attached. Usually, I leave blast effects out as I believe the majority of them detract from a figure's overall appearance but in this case, I placed mine on the droid since it actually adds color to an otherwise too plain figure.
Stability is a different story. You will need a stand for this Super Battle Droid to keep him from falling. The legs are made out of a very flimsy plastic thus not supporting the weight of the figure properly and making it fall. Also, due to the soft nature of the plastic, many of these droids are being found with slanted, curved out of shape legs, a disappointing fact which adds on to its inability to remain standing. Again, a stand will correct this.
The figure presents articulation at shoulders and hips. No other articulating points were given.
<CENTER>FIGURE INFORMATION</CENTER>
NAME OF FIGURE: Yoda with Force Powers
DIGITS: PN 6096930800
FIGURE NUMBER: Deluxe Wave 3
ACCESSORIES: Super Battle Droid figure, Blast Effect, Lightsaber, Crane and Platform with Springboard
<CENTER>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</CENTER>
DETAILED PICTURES AND REVIEW</CENTER>
<CENTER> By Ishi Tib</CENTER>
Available now at a good number of retailers throughout the country, Deluxe figures wave 3 have made their appearance.
The wave offers two different sets and four new sculpts. From Attack of the Clones Yoda and Super Battle Droid, puts on our shelves the diminutive Jedi Master on a duel against a Super Battle Droid, a scene which was not part the film. The second set, on the other hand is scene specific rendering of C-3PO and Battle Droid, taken right off the droid factory sequence.
Without any further delay let's take a close-up look at what Deluxe Wave 3 is giving us ...
<CENTER>YODA
WITH FORCE POWERS!</CENTER>
This is one I'm truly not too happy with. Despite the fact the figures are in fact new sculpts of Yoda and the Super Battle Droid, the idea of this set as a whole is disappointing.
For starters we cannot relate to any sequence in the film with Yoda fighting Super Battle Droids, nor the platform and crane which comes with them. I'm not against offerings with creative ideas but in my own opinion this is a set directed more to kids than to collectors and based on my point of view as a collector, that is where my judgment leads.
<CENTER>PLATFORM/BASE</CENTER>
The display/play platform recreates a hanger interior with a rocky-like border and a couple of white hoses molded onto the plastic. There is also a two piece crane (column and arm) which attaches to the back of the base. Although intended to fall apart, I found myself wishing they had come up with a better system to hold the crane's arm in place; the peg sticking out from the top of column to mount the arm onto is too small and makes it difficult to balance and support the weight of the arm; the arm falls down rather easily.
There is a springboard on the floor for the Super Battle Droid to be placed on; using a magnetic lever located at the right end of the platform Yoda can be pushed forward towards the springboard activating a mechanism which pops it open, throwing the Super Battle Droid off the base, a "force-push action" experience. The arm of the crane will topple by pulling Yoda back with the lever or making him turn to either side.
<CENTER>YODA</CENTER>
If we were to compare this Yoda to its previous release from April 23, the Deluxe version is far inferior. Overall he is a smaller figure; his cloak is molded onto the body thus making his legs, trunk and robes one solid piece. The figure also lacks the texture and details (very noticeable on the face), the single carded version offers and the articulating points have been sized down to three, and limiting it just to his neck and shoulders. The articulated waist the previous version offered wasn't given to the Deluxe figure.
Yoda comes with three embedded magnets. There is one nicely disguised in his left hand and strong enough to hold the metal lightsaber hilt securely. The other two magnets are located under his feet and attract well the metal piece of the moving lever located beneath the surface of the platform. When the lever is moved, Yoda moves around with it, sort of giving the figure the ability to walk on his own.
<CENTER>SUPER BATTLE DROID</CENTER>
The new Super Battle Droid version lacks the ability to explode and does not offer any arm attachments however, it does offer as good of a sculpting as April's version. Small carbon scoring spots can be seen here and there, adding to a more realistic effect of the figure. The left arm has been redesigned sporting a double barrel gauntlet where a red blast effect can be attached. Usually, I leave blast effects out as I believe the majority of them detract from a figure's overall appearance but in this case, I placed mine on the droid since it actually adds color to an otherwise too plain figure.
Stability is a different story. You will need a stand for this Super Battle Droid to keep him from falling. The legs are made out of a very flimsy plastic thus not supporting the weight of the figure properly and making it fall. Also, due to the soft nature of the plastic, many of these droids are being found with slanted, curved out of shape legs, a disappointing fact which adds on to its inability to remain standing. Again, a stand will correct this.
The figure presents articulation at shoulders and hips. No other articulating points were given.
<CENTER>FIGURE INFORMATION</CENTER>
NAME OF FIGURE: Yoda with Force Powers
DIGITS: PN 6096930800
FIGURE NUMBER: Deluxe Wave 3
ACCESSORIES: Super Battle Droid figure, Blast Effect, Lightsaber, Crane and Platform with Springboard
<CENTER>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</CENTER>
