Naboo Fighter (Electronic) - EI - Vehicles

Threatened by the overwhelming power of the greedy Trade Federation, the leaders of Naboo depend on the agile Naboo fighter to defend their planet. Boasting spectacular speed and maneuverability, these ships have an interface for an R2 astromech droid – like R2-D2 – to monitor systems and assist in combat. Twin laser cannons and proton torpedo launcher highlight the Naboo fighter's impressive weapons systems.

Perhaps the “most elegant” starfighter in the entire Star Wars universe to date might have to go to the N-1 Starfighter, which is utilized by the Royal Naboo Security Forces. This beautifully stunning vehicle is yellow and chrome and has a sleek bird-like contour to its frame that can zoom quickly in space to fight off impending threats. We see them in action for the first time in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace during the Battle of Naboo. And their movements, attacks on the Trade Federation, and docked in the hangar on Naboo all showed us how gorgeous these vehicles are and how much we wanted this vehicle represented in the Hasbro Star Wars Episode I toy line. They delivered and produced the Naboo Fighter (Electronic) toy at the opening of the toy launch in May 1999. It’s a fun and attractive toy, but there are a few things we would have changed before its release. But we believe overall that collectors of the line will enjoy what Hasbro produced for us, even if it’s not perfect. 1999 was a transitional year for Kenner/Hasbro, and working in “electronic” features as often as they could be a big deal. So, Hasbro expended a portion of their “electronics” budget for the Naboo Fighter. We don’t know if that was the smartest decision here. Let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the indifferent when it comes to the Naboo Fighter (Electronic) vehicle.

The Naboo Fighter (Electronic) is incredibly long. When compared to other vehicles in this “scale” you’ll discover it dwarfs Anakin Skywalker’s Pod Racer and Sebulba’s Pod Racer in length, almost making it in a class by itself. Hasbro didn't replicate the yellow and chromium finishes ideally here, but they work. Vac-metallization, as they used for TC-14 Protocol Droid would have been splendid here, but it would likely chip easily with multiple uses of hard play. The metallic-like silvery gray color they used to decorate the vehicle barely works. It’s just not our first preference. But it’s not the end of the world either. The yellow finish, however, is gorgeous and looks like what we witnessed in the film. Hasbro excelled designing other areas of the vehicle. The cockpit design and its canopy are exquisitely detailed. The decals within the confines of the cockpit were previously applied at the factory level, and they provide a lot of detail that couldn’t be added otherwise. The way it slides open and closes replicates the same method as the vehicle in the film. And the droid socket features a reduced-sized version of R2-D2’s dome. Hasbro designed R2-D2's dome nicely, and it articulates, but we would have much rather seen a true droid socket where different astromech droids could be placed and changed out as needed. Because right now, R2-D2 in the droid socket means that this N-1 Starfighter is the one Anakin Skywalker utilized in the film, and no one else’s.

It's strange to us that a vehicle with such simple and few electronic play features gets an “Electronic” call-out on the packaging. Sure, the Naboo Fighter (Electronic) one button activates the laser cannons on the front of its hull and lights them up, and creates various sound effect from the Battle of Naboo. These are all well and good but are they necessary when they jack up the price of a $19.99 vehicle to $29.99. We believe most collectors would be more content paying less for the vehicle and making up their sound effects with their mouths instead of pressing a button. One thing we adore about the Naboo Fighter (Electronic) however, is the decal sheet. We’re thankful Hasbro added the interior cockpit decals at the factory level, but kids and collectors are responsible for adding the ones on the contour of the Naboo Fighter (Electronic)’s body. But these highly-detailed decals bring the vehicle to a whole new level of quality and awesomeness. The last play feature added to the Naboo Fighter (Electronic) vehicle is the proton torpedo. Hasbro cast the projectile in transparent blue plastic and it fires with the flick of a button. Kids and collectors both appreciate projectiles and always welcome them in Star Wars toy vehicles, and this is no exception. It works like a charm. The cockpit is roomy enough to fit the Episode I Ric Olié and Anakin Skywalker (Naboo Pilot) figures, but as we’ve mentioned earlier, we would have loved to see a functioning droid socket. There’s certainly enough room for one.