If you ask someone my age to name an iconic toy, you'll get several answers. Some will mention Transformers. Others will mention G.I. Joe. There will be some He-Man scattered in the mix. But many of the answers will revolve around the famous Star Wars toys. In particular, the Millennium Falcon Vehicle/Playset toy will be mentioned quite a bit.
I always wanted a Millennium Falcon as a kid. I was lucky enough to own a X-Wing and a TIE Fighter, but never the toy replica of Han Solo's ship. When other kids told me they had one, I was more than a bit envious, and perhaps it's more than a bit silly, but that desire to own one of those ships stayed with me as an adult.
When Star Wars remerged as a dominant toy line over 10 years ago, I finally had my chance. I used that resurgence to sate that toy lust leftover from childhood. Many of my purchases have been childhood dreams come true. I love my Imperial Shuttle, B-Wing, Y-Wing, and even my Royal Naboo Cruiser. I'm sure my enthusiasm for them is as much as I would have had as a little kid. I even got the Millennium Falcon toy, but it didn't evoke quite the same glee.
I don't know what it was about the Millennium Falcon I got in 1998 or so. It just didn't have the same oomph as those I'd longed for in the late 70s/early 80s. One of the problems was it seemed small, inaccurate, and generally unimpressive. I imagine as a child it would have seemed much larger. Without years of more accurate sculpts to compare to it wouldn't have seemed as crude, but as a big kid it just came across as somewhat disappointing.
Disappointment aside, the Millennium Falcon deserves its status as iconic toy. While I wasn't as impressed as I should have been, I was still happy to finally have one. It's kind of neat that this toy has such longevity, and it was in production off and on from the late 70s to early 00s. It makes me sad to know that the mold for this legendary bit of entertainment has broken and cannot be repaired. No one else will know the joy of opening a brand new Millennium Falcon toy of that type.
I suppose that isn't too big of a problem. There are probably millions (no exaggeration) of the things out there, and more than a few are unopened in hands of collectors.
Anyway, that brings me to my actual topic. When the Millennium Falcon mold broke, Hasbro decided to design a new toy based on the ship. Like a 6 million dollar project, they had the technology. They sought to rebuild the toy better than before. Such a project is bait for a toy obsessed geek as myself, and today I found myself spending $170+ to sample their results.
I'm going to start with what I don't like about the new Millennium Falcon. The cockpit cover on mine doesn't lock down well, and tends to sit out of alignment without a lot of fiddling. The front landing gear/handle from the original toy (a stroke of genius, btw), allowing the whole thing to be easily carried has no analogue on the new toy leading to the practical necessity for the new toy to remain stationary. Also, the landing gear don't stay in their pegs very well, and tend to pop out if bumped hard enough when picking the whole thing up. I also dislike they include a sticker sheet instead of pre-applying the stickers.
I'm done with the bad. As you can see, my complaints are minor. Everything else about this toy is awesome not only from a old geezerly collector's standpoint, but also from a play standpoint.
The new Millennium Falcon is absolutely HUGE. If the ship weren't divided into rooms, the old Millennium Falcon could fit inside. The new cockpit is spacious. There are now two different "smuggling compartments." There are two main play area rooms instead of one, and even a "closet" of sorts to store figures in.
In terms of features, the thing is bristling with firing missiles. There are three to represent the concussion missiles and two of the barrels of the top cannon fire projectiles. There's also the drop down laser cannon from ESB with it's own missile. The ship even has a Mini-Fighter/Escape pod with it's own missile. The whole thing is littered with sound effect buttons and features. The concussion missiles make a firing sound as does the top laser cannon. The escape pod door makes a noise when opened and the craft makes departing and docking sounds. Then there are engine sounds and the obligatory memorable lines from the movie.
Perhaps this shows how easily I'm impressed, but what I like best is the motorized landing ramp and it's sound effect. At the push of a button, the landing ramp lowers, casting light on the area outside. Sadly, it must be manually closed, but it's still cool. There are also the lights of the engine (instead of a three segmented sticker) and the forward headlights on the mandibles.
This Millennium Falcon has the oomph missing from the previous one. I'm seriously impressed. It's no exaggeration and not a hasty call at all to say this one is the new crown jewel of the entire Star Wars toy line. I doubt it will ever see production again after this Christmas, but what a way to send the legacy of one of the most iconic toys of all time out in style.
RPG applications? Other than playing with the thing, I don't know. Now, if you'll excuse me...
::hauls out a Han figure and a Leia figure::
Gabriel: as Leia : "Oooooh Han, the Falcon is so BIG!"
Gabriel: as Han : "Let me show you just how big it is in the new storage room."
Ootini!
