R2-D2 (The Astromech) - GOA - Basic

A loyal droid and skilled starship mechanic, R2-D2 witnesses some of the galaxy's greatest battles as he serves alongside legendary pilots and Rebels.

Remember when Hasbro was great about getting more figures into the line that utilized the Build A Droid sculpts whether they were more basic figures or simply pack-in figures or part of a multipack? Then they just stopped. And the next thing that collectors noticed was Disney’s Droid Factory and STAR TOURS lines taking over the format for their collections. Reusing the popular Build A Droid platform ended by the end of 2012 and we have gone many years without seeing these great action figures. Disney Parks have certainly picked up the slack as they created their own 2012 and 2015 and now 2017 Disney Park Collections based on the Droid Factory sculpt. But they lack the screen-accuracy of the 2012 line because they omitted foot wires for ease of assembly. But it has become one of their popular theme park attractions. And collectors wondered if Hasbro would ever bring back the format. Thankfully, this has changed with the release of the Star Wars [The Last Jedi] R2-D2 Force Link figure. We have an elevated version of the Build A Droid R2-D2 figure (back to that 2008-2012 approach), and the figure has foot wirings Originally released with Force Link technology, R2-D2 is now re-released without its speaking ability and packaged for the Galaxy Of Adventures line. Now Hasbro has to keep the momentum running.

This sculpt dates back pretty far into the Hasbro line. The first time we ever saw an R2-series astromech droid that utilized this sculpt was 2009’s TLC R2-L3 Build A Droid figure. You couldn’t even buy this figure “whole.” You had to buy at least four other basic figures to complete it. Hasbro used this same sculpt a few other times (mostly in the Legacy Collection lineup) and in other line looks that followed. It appeared that collectors could not get enough of them. After years of none, it is a huge surprise and enjoyment to see this sculpt get utilized in the latest Star Wars toy line. R2-D2 is not perfect as he is missing some key paint operations here and there, but for the most part, the figure meets our expectations. Its sculpt is as accurate, and the scale is about perfect. The paint job that made it to the figure is nicely applied and is clean. But like we had mentioned a moment ago, important details like the silver paint on the joints of the legs are missing and should not be white. Some also feel it is the closest modern definitive update to 1978’s STAR WARS Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) figure. Not all of the paint details are perfect, but mistakes aside, we hope this introduces new Star Wars fans to the cool play feature of building droids. And of course, we hope that an initial release like R2-D2 keeps Hasbro releasing other droids in the future.

It is a tad perplexing why R2-D2 comes with rocket booster accessories. A focus on Attack Of The Clones, while the rest of the Prequel Trilogy gets ignored by Hasbro, is an odd move. But maybe the booster rockets are only for extra play value. Regardless, we’ll take R2-D2 as is because he shines in so many ways and is quickly becoming a favorite amongst collectors. Hasbro has put the Prequel Trilogy into hibernation, so don’t expect to see other characters join R2-D2 for a long time. In collector-approved fashion, Hasbro has tooled “clip on” rocket boosters. This approach means that R2-D2 comes without any unnecessary holes and collectors are thankful for that. We always appreciate stuff like this. Hasbro has also added two removable flame attachments, and longtime collectors know what they’re for here. The nicest surprise for us, however, is that Hasbro also retooled the body of this figure. There are no attachment holes in the lower body of this sculpt, so Hasbro has proven to us that they cared and tried to make the greatest screen accurate version of R2-D2 possible. Collectors never understood why Hasbro ever added them in the first place. Like all Galaxy Of Adventures figures, R2-D2 comes with a miniature comic that is nicely illustrated and focuses on the best parts of the Original Trilogy.