Naboo Starfighter - SW [TPM 3D] - Vehicles

A Naboo N-1 starfighter patrols the space and skies above the planet. Ample firepower is built into the fighter's elegant design, including a torpedo launcher mounted beneath the ship's nose, two missile launchers concealed in the engines and twin blaster cannons mounted on top. These fighters see plenty of action when the Trade Federation forces launch a hostile invasion.

Finally! A retooled mid-size vehicle that seems anything but that. The Naboo Starfighter is literally a dream come true. Rumored to be an exclusive of some sort years ago (but many years after Episode I left theaters), the Naboo Starfighter gets an overhaul that will elate collectors of all ages. If you’re a fan of electronics, you may get instantly deflated with the 2012 flavor because Hasbro’s designers completely stripped them all out. But it’s all for good reason. The Naboo Starfighter hasn’t looked better than it does in 2012. There isn’t much to gauge against it save for the 1999 Episode I release, but the way the vehicle has been enhanced is truly deserving and we hope the vehicle eventually makes it out in much larger numbers so everyone will be able to experience its magnificence. No longer specifically “Anakin Skywalker’s” N-1 starfighter, the droid socket has been completely redone to not only allow you to pick an astromech droid of your own choice for it, but the whole section lifts up to reveal a “station” of sorts where R2-D2, R2-A6 or R2-C4 can perform their android duties as well. Not only does the entire “cockpit” lift up so you can house an astromech droid, the pilot’s canopy “slides” forward in a very classy manner which is perfect for a vehicle as sleek and “royal like” as a Naboo Starfighter. It’s simply stunning. The pilot’s seat is also completely resculpted. And let’s not forget about the interior of the cockpit has been modernized by today’s tooling standards and there is a plethora of new things to appreciate and enjoy now, like the sectioned cushions in the seat and the new details in the steering column. The dashboard alone should put most collectors into a state of euphoria.

The decals for 2012 are nearly identical to those made for the 1999 but they haven’t looked better than with this release. On top of an all-new canopy and droid socket, Hasbro has also made the wings detachable for this release. They stay on well for the most part but can be easily bumped off when futzing around with the vehicle like trying to display it or activate some of its features. But more importantly, Hasbro added a slide out cannon to each engine of each wing which fires a projectile when prompted by pressing the firing button. This adds a great deal of play value for kids while keeping the vehicle seamless with collectors. We should also note that the wing engines have a new shape and now look more authentic to the contour of them as seen in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. We are personally thrilled that Hasbro abandoned the original paint operations used for the exhaust collection on the back of the engines. The 1999 version had these “fumes” in a pattern that looked like “hot rod flames” and in 2012 Hasbro muted any noticeable shape and reduced the amount of the collection making a truly authentic “used” look of the vehicle. They did a great job here and we’ll be shocked if you’re not the slightest bit impressed with how well this vehicle’s revisit has made it turn out. It’s actually hard to call this vehicle a retool. it just feels completely redone to us instead. (It even sports a new 2011 date stamp on its bottom.) We believe the yellow plastic used to cast the Naboo Starfighter is nearly identical to the color of the plastic used years ago. We did however manage to notice that the silver sections look a little bit brighter in comparison, not that this should affect your decision on this vehicle either way.

The Naboo Starfighter is a generously sized vehicle for the Class II assortment. We’re not claiming that Hasbro is giving us a ton more plastic inside of the box, but when fully assembled it completely eclipses the “girth” of most of the other vehicles in the mid-size range. The Naboo Starfighter could easily be packaged with an all-new pilot and astromech droid and $39.99 would be a very fair price for the set, hands down. So at $29.99, it may be too high of an MSRP for this assortment, but the Naboo Starfighter is a beautifully elegant and seemingly larger vehicle that is worthy of that higher price point. If you recall, Hasbro treated us to Ric Olié (9 of 12) and a generic Naboo Pilot (10 of 12) (also scheduled for The Vintage Collection) in the very popular Walmart exclusive Discover The Force line. The great news is that they both fit like a glove even while wearing their soft-goods coats and helmets and look phenomenal inside of the cockpit. We paired Ric Olié with R2-A6 from 2006’s TSC Astromech Droid Pack Series II Entertainment Earth of course, but we also paired the Naboo Pilot with R2-C4 from 2006’s TSC Astromech Droid Pack Series I Entertainment Earth exclusives. Both combinations of pilots with astromechs look fantastic together and do wonders for the Naboo Starfighter despite this vehicle not needing much help from action figures to dress it up. Part of the second wave of Class II vehicles in the Star Wars [The Phantom Menace 3D] line look, the overindulgent January 30th street date product brought distribution to a screeching halt. Unfortunately the Naboo Starfighter and the Republic Fighter Tank are suffering as a result. But here is hoping the units that were produced get out there because this is a vehicle you don’t want to live without.