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Astromech droids repair the Naboo Royal Starship. The shield generator and hyperdrive are damaged while escaping the Trade Federation's blockade of Naboo. The droids fix the generator, but the hyperdrive is too badly damaged. The ship is forced to land on the remote world of Tatooine to find a replacement part.
Well, folks. We all have another reason to be very happy that Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is making a reappearance in theaters again. A multimedia event means that licensees, like Hasbro, will be focusing on cool items to release in their respective lines. For Hasbro, the “go to” item for 2012 will unequivocally be the Royal Starship Droids. This incredible Battle Packs set (part of their Discover The Force promotion) is unique in many ways. First, it brings together four of the droids that set out to repair the damaged shield generator and hyperdrive caused by the Trade Federation as the Naboo Royal Starship made its escape from Naboo, the first time ever in the Star Wars toy line. Secondly, all four droids utilize the R2-series Build A Droid sculpt (as first seen on R2-L3) which should make about 80% of the collecting public joyous and 20% indifferent. Thirdly, because all four droid utilize the popular Build A Droid sculpt, there is an unprecedented uniformity of them. They all appear together in the same sequence in Episode I, now they look like they’re finally cut from the same cloth... because, well, they are. While we have received most of the droids included in the Royal Starship Droids Battle Packs set at one point or another throughout the years, they’ve all come from different sculpts and never truly felt like a cohesive group. While they appeared similar, it wasn’t enough as far as we were concerned. As a bonus, for the very first time in our collecting tenure, we are treated to the R2-D2 Build A Droid. Let us tell you immediately that this figure alone is the reason to purchase this set. It’s an incredible iteration of the most popular astromech droid of all time.
Only R2-D2 survived this attack, but the efforts of the other droids will not be forgotten, especially since most of them are forever immortalized in the many Star Wars collections around the world in action figure form. It’s been a while since we have received a “box of astromechs”. The only other ones we received were 2006’s TSC Astromech Droid Pack Series I and Astromech Droid Pack Series II from Entertainment Earth. The new Star Wars [The Phantom Menace 3D] line offers a refreshed look at three-quarters of this quartet as well as a first time offering and the final versions are incredible. Let’s be honest. Can Hasbro ever go wrong with a box of astromechs? They haven’t released enough! And we sincerely hope they have prepared for all the collectors who will be seeking this set and have manufactured enough units. We’ll look at each droid one by one. All four droids utilize the R2-series Build A Droid that was first introduced on 2009’s TLC R2-L3 (Build A Droid) figure from wave 5 of The Legacy Collection. R2-N3 is the only astromech droid in this set offered to collectors for the very first time. (R2-L3 was originally called R2-N6 in early Hasbro slide presentations for The Legacy Collection, but we digress.) The droid looks very much like R2-A6 from 2006’s TSC Astromech Droid Pack Series II exclusive set as well as 2009’s LC R4-P44 (Build A Droid) figure. Or more simply put, R2-N3 looks like a green version of R2-D2. But it is fantastic to get it as an action figure finally. R2-B1 enters its third unique sculpts in the Hasbro toy line. First released as a basic figure in one of the final waves of the Episode I line in 2000 and then with a much better sculpt as 2007’s TAC R2-B1 (No. 51) figure, it now is released as a Build A Droid sculpt – its best version yet. While the 2007 figure has a much preferred sculpt, Hasbro screwed up the dome and it came out light gray instead of a metallic brushed nickel. R2-B1 now looks better than ever.
R2-D2 finally gets an amazing release as a Build A Droid too. This is going to make so many collectors happy. Obviously some will be annoyed by the holes at the bottom of the left and right sides on the body, but there is no denying that this version of R2-D2 looks pretty amazing (and most importantly is perfectly in scale with the rest of the astromechs in this set). For years R2-D2 has been plagued with a metallic silver dome (reflective like a mirror) and this started to change in 2008. (Other versions like 2009’s LC R2-D2 (BD29) and the R2-D2 figure included in 2009’s LC Resurgence Of The Jedi Battle Packs set also sport this new approach for the dome.) Just like R2-B1, R2-R9 also enters its third time in the Hasbro toy line. Interestingly, this droid was a pack-in figure to 1999’s EI Naboo Royal Starship vehicle and was simply called “Red R2 Unit”. Then Hasbro gave this droid its due credit in 2006’s TAC Episode I Commemorative Tin Collection and utilized the R2-D2 figure from 2005’s TSC Early Bird Figures mail-away exclusive. It was a great figure but not entirely accurate. All of these astromechs should have a black main “eye” or photoreceptor port and earlier versions either had colored ones or light ports. So while there will absolutely be critics of Hasbro using the Build A Droid sculpts, the four astromech droids in this set are the most screen accurate versions of the characters you can buy. We are jumping up and down over this sculpt. Build A Droid figures are just fun in general, but a whole Battle Packs set of them based on a specific scene makes us completely magnanimous towards Hasbro past transgressions. This is definitely a set to own. You’d be remiss to pass on it.
Collector Notes
Royal Starship Droids
Assortment Number: 38608/38606
UPC: 653569707769
Retail: $24.99 USD
Market Value: Click here to check the latest prices based on
listings.
R2-N3
Status: R2-N3 utilizes the R2-series astromech Build A Droid sculpt. It is built from 5 individual parts.
Articulation Count: 8 points
Articulation Details: swivel dome, 2 swivel legs, 2 swivel feet, 3 rolling wheels
Accessory Count: 1
Accessory Details: power harness
Date Stamp: 2008
R2-B1
Status: R2-B1 utilizes the R2-series astromech Build A Droid sculpt. It is built from 5 individual parts.
Articulation Count: 8 points
Articulation Details: swivel dome, 2 swivel legs, 2 swivel feet, 3 rolling wheels
Accessory Count: 1
Accessory Details: power harness
Date Stamp: 2008
R2-D2
Status: R2-D2 utilizes the R2-series astromech Build A Droid sculpt. It is built from 5 individual parts.
Articulation Count: 8 points
Articulation Details: swivel dome, 2 swivel legs, 2 swivel feet, 3 rolling wheels
Accessory Count: 1
Accessory Details: power harness
Date Stamp: 2008
R2-R9
Status: R2-R9 utilizes the R2-series astromech Build A Droid sculpt. It is built from 5 individual parts.
Articulation Count: 8 points
Articulation Details: swivel dome, 2 swivel legs, 2 swivel feet, 3 rolling wheels
Accessory Count: 1
Accessory Details: power harness
Date Stamp: 2008