Remote Control R5-D4 - TLC - Exclusives

Did you know that Star Wars collectors only have one option for a 3.75” scaled screen Episode IV accurate R5-D4 figure? And the option we have can barely be considered an action figure. We’re talking about 2008’s TLC Remote Control R5-D4 figure which was originally released in Japan and we’ll get to are opening question in a moment. But Hasbro gave American collectors an opportunity to grab these very well made electronic collectibles via TARGET exclusives. If you own one, you basically own them all. None of them really perform anything unique save for the light-up eye ports on the R2 units, but interestingly they don’t get boring. A miniature scaled lightsaber hilt serves as the remote controller and two buttons allow the droid to roll forward or in circles. The sound effects are clear and actually quite loud. If there was a way to give these droids real “foot” wiring like the Hasbro figures do, these potentially could have been the consummate astromechs to own for your collection.

What’s sad is that there is no free points of articulation at all. Even the legs can’t swivel up and down. So if you’re playing with this toy as it’s intended, it will offers hours of entertainment, otherwise you’ll only have a statue for your various dioramas. By now you’re probably curious to know why this is the only authentic version of R5-D4 from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Hasbro throughout the years has consistently forgotten to include the three vertical “red” panels on the back of this droid. Every figure to date has its back all white without the red vertical panels. (Editor’s Note: Even 2011’s TVC R5-D4 (VC40) figure missed this detail too.) The irony is that this figure is still screen accurate. R5-D4 appears with this “error” in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones. So back in 1996, Hasbro actually created the Prequel Trilogy version of R5-D4 over a half a decade before the film was seen in theaters!

If you’re not into remote control figures, then these likely won’t be for you. There is one however that has yet to be produced as a Hasbro action. The much-requested R5-X2 is still to date only available in this Remote Control line. Unfortunately, these four figures didn’t sell very well at all. They were very expensive (even though they were cheaper than they were when StarWarsShop.com offered them as Japanese exclusives). Not long after they were released at TARGET they were quickly getting marked down to pennies on the dollar. It’s very unlikely that we’ll get the opportunity to purchase more Remote Control astromech droids in the future. The rereleases were considered failures and it took a long time for them to even disappear at clearance prices. But you know what you’ll have to do if you want a modern and 3.75” scaled Episode IV movie accurate version of R5-D4. Then again, you could probably just customize the Episode II versions quite easily.