The ARC-170 (Aggressive ReConnaissance) fighter blasts into battle. A specially trained clone trooper serves as a pilot for this attack vessel........

The ARC-170 (Aggressive ReConnaissance) fighter blasts into battle. A specially trained clone trooper serves as a pilot for this attack vessel that can carry a crew of clone troopers and has an on-board astromech droid to handle in-flight operations. The well-armed fighter lives up to its name as an aggressive vehicle against the Separatist forces during the Clone Wars.

Today I will be reviewing the Target Exclusive, ARC-170 fighter from Hasbro's Star Wars 30th Anniversary Collection.

The box has a great illustration of the ARC-170 in battle and shows a Clone Trooper pilot in the top corner. The Clone Trooper in the corner is a little misleading because the ship does not come with an action figure. If you have read any of my other Star Wars reviews you will know my gripe about packaging. Hasbro goes back and forth from window box to enclosed box with illustrations. Geez, will you make up your mind Hasbro!

Upon opening box you will see that some minor assembly is required. Attach both wings, attach cannons to the wing tips, finally the rear gun and your done! Once the ship is together it is really large and impressive. The ship is quite heavy and feels like its comprised of quality plastics.

The next few photo's give you a walk around the ship showing you the WWII inspired Tiger Shark paint scheme. This paint scheme is the Target store only exclusive. Note that the red tips of the outboard wing guns actually fire.

Wings open! Kinda has that X-wing feel to it, doesn't it?

A close up of the retro Sharks face. I really like the look of this paint scheme, it really adds a realistic feel to the vehicle.

Cockpit open! The Clone pilot is not included. The ship has room for three Clone troopers and one astromech droid.

The next two photo's show the rear gunner's cockpit and the Astromech socket. Again, both figures are not included.

The final photo shows the pistol handle that is hidden on the underside of the ship. The pistol handle serves two purposes. First it's a sturdy holding point for when flying the ARC-170 around the room, and second the button on the grip releases the bomb hatch located forward on the pistol grip.

Anakin Skywalker Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 Scale, say that 5 times fast. Here is my review of Padme’s baby’s Daddy, Anakin Skywalker.

Consistent with their previous releases, Sideshow Collectibles makes yet another HIGH QUALITY figure. The body of the figure is solid and well articulated, featuring 15 points of articulation with ample rotation and degree of movement. The body is well proportioned without looking bulky.

The costume detail is extraordinary with no expense spared to get all the details in. The tabbard looks like leather, and materials used in the tunic and pants looks just like the film.

The head sculpt is excellent but not quite as life like as the Darth Maul or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Of course being rash and impulsive leads to lost limbs in the Star Wars Universe and Sideshow Collectibles has got you covered, with not only a removable limb but the cyborg replacement as well. Detail is fantastic however the hand is in a fixed pose but will rotate.

The figure is loaded with accessories; 2 Lightsaber hilts (one ignited, one turned off), gloved arm, cyborg arm, comlink, rebreather, holopad. Pouches open to store all the items, yet another nice touch.

And last but not least, every Jedi gets a cool long flowing robe. Anakin is of course no exception, with vents built in to give you that flowing look and of course the hood features a small thin wire to get the look “just right.”

As always another one well worth picking up, if Padme’s baby’s daddy isn’t your thing be sure to take a look at the line as they continue to make different characters. If there not doing one you like, odds are they will. They are well worth the price of admission.

Next up in my series of Sideshow Collectibles 1:6 scale Star Wars figures is Obi-Wan Kenobi. Video Review included.

Sideshow continues to impress me with another high quality, super pose able figure. The body is identical to the Darth Maul except it’s a wee bit taller. The body has 16 points of articulation and has a nice solid feel to it.

The head sculpt is fantastic and a dead on likeness of Ewan MacGregor. It even has the little strands of grey mixed in the beard and hair.

All of that is fantastic, but where these figures really shine is the accessories and the outfits. No detail is spared and the materials used in the tunic, pants and robes are identical looking to that used in the making of the film. He comes equipped with 2 Lightsabers (one ignited and one not), 2 sets of hands, electrobionoculars and a stand.

It’s a no-brainer if you’re a Star Wars fan and like this scale. If you’re not a fan of the scale these are a good line to try out.

For a complete review and to hear me babble watch the video.

I still don't know what the deal is with these Star Wars Transformers, but this one is actually growing on me.

I still don’t know what the deal is with these Star Wars Transformers, but this one is actually growing on me.

This was given to my son for his 4th birthday. He could care less about the robot mode, but he LOVES the Starfighter mode.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi Jedi Starfighter transforms from a Jedi Starfighter to a robotic Obi Wan Kenobi.

Really.

In Starfighter mode, the ship is actually really cool. The cockpit opens and you can place a mini Obi-Wan in the seat.

Transfoming into robot mode is fairly easy. Once there, it is reasonably poseable, more than you would expect from this design. There are two lightsaber stored in the wings that can be placed in either hand.

The sculpt and paint are really nice, but the way the wings just hang off the back looks odd. I wish they could have done something more interesting with them.

While these toys may look odd in your collection, they are fun to fiddle with. I did have a couple of quality control issues on mind though:

The miniature Obi-Wan Kenobi figure looks like he has hydrocephalus. The paint on this figure is poor.

The small tabs that hold the wings to the fighter body get bent out of shape easily, and if not placed properly can bend and keep the wing from attaching.

It’s an interesting toy. Good for a kid, not so good for a collector.

At last, we resorted to bribery. I told him, if you sleep in your own bed, I'll get you a toy. When asked what he wanted, he said a 'œStar Wars Ship'.

Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter was released in 2005 as a sneak preview to the Revenge of the Sith line.

At the time, we were having trouble with my almost 4-year old son with going to bed. He would not sleep in his own bed for anything. At last, we resorted to bribery. I told him, if you sleep in your own bed, I’ll get you a toy. When asked what he wanted, he said a “Star Wars Ship”.

So off to Toys R Us I went on my lunch hour and this was the only vehicle they had. I picked it up, and began to rummage through the pegs to find a suitable pilot. Anakin was nowhere to be found. All there was were figures that couldn’t even fit in the cockpit – droids and aliens. The only figure I found that would fit in the cockpit – LOBOT.

Do I win lame parent of the year, or what?

That evening, when I came home from work, he ran to the door and asked what I had got for him. Of course, he went mental when he saw Anakin’s Starfighter. Before I had a chance to take my shoes off, he made me assemble the toy and put on stickers. “Thank you daddy!” he said, tore it out of my hands, and began flying around the room with it. He even liked Lobot, although he got lost pretty quickly.

After he went to bed (in his own bed, incidentally), I brought the ship downstairs and took some shots of it.

It has been a long time since I handled a Star Wars vehicle, and I have to say, I was pretty impressed. The ship features an opening cockpit, wings that pop open, retractable landing gear and missiles that really shoot. There is a space in one of the wings for an R2 unit – a plastic dummy piece is included. Supposedly you can fit a full-sized R2 in here, but I couldn’t get mine to go in.

The wings are activated by a lever between the engine nozzles. The wings spring open with a good amount of force, and click back into place. The missiles are activated by buttons on the back of the wings. These missiles are spring loaded and are not the common friction-type. The front landing gear folds into the body, but the rear just rests on a part of the ship.

Also included with the set was a sticker sheet. Certain stickers have assigned places, but there are also optional battle damage stickers to place wherever you want.

Anakin’s Jedi Starfighter is a really fun little ship, but I wish Hasbro would have included an Anakin figure with it. I really felt kind of lame bringing home Lobot for my son, but he didn’t care, he was just happy to get Star Wars toys.

While I admire the concept of the Exploding body General Grievous, the execution just kind of stinks.

While I admire the concept of the Exploding body General Grievous, the execution just kind of stinks.

It's your standard size 3¾ figure, and he comes with a cape, blaster and rifle. The stand is not included, but I needed it to stand the figure up. Due to the odd shaped feet, It just wont stand on its own. Even with the stand, the weight of the figure will pull it over after a period of time. The ankles just aren't strong enough.

The sculpt on this toy is pretty good, and the cape is really nice.

To activate the "Exploding Action", first you must remove the head. It is a ball joint, so it just pops off. Then, remove the cape and replace the head. There is a small button on the back of the figure that activates the toy, making it fall apart. Once apart, the toy is separated into the head, 2 chest parts, an inner chest piece, 2 arms, and a lower torso.

Unfortunately, once you remove the clear band from the packaging, General Grievous won't stay together. I kept my clear rubber band, and I re-wrap the figure afterwards. Most kids aren't going to do this, and more than likely General Grievous' parts are going to end up in the debris at the bottom of the toy box.

The fanboy in me also can't help but notice that General Grievous didn't explode in the movie; he just kind of fizzled out and died. Hasbro seems to do this a lot lately. You never saw the classic Kenner figures with accessories not seen in the movie. You never saw a Bib Fortuna with a Lightsaber. Maybe we were just spoiled?

Fortunately, most adult collectors won't even take this out of the package, and they will never have to actually play with this substandard toy.

At first General Grievous looks cool. It's a dynamic pose, and the character itself is just cool. But when you open it up and realize that there is no articulation whatsoever... it is just so dissapointing.

You have to wonder what market Hasbro is targeting with their unleashed series. Not enough articulation to be an action figure, not detailed enough to be a collectable statue. Maybe it's just supposed to be a cheap toy for your desk?

At first General Grievous looks cool. It's a dynamic pose, and the character itself is just cool. But when you open it up and realize that there is no articulation whatsoever... it is just so dissapointing. Maybe fans of the line know this, and know what to expect.

Basically, what this is, is a fixed pose rubber statue. The paint detailing is messy, and all the cool detail shown on the back of the package is non existant. All the cool battle scarring and weathering is gone.

You get 2 lightsabers that plug into hilts molded into 2 of the 4 hands. The feet have metal pegs in them to secure them into the hard plastic base. The base is sturdy, and the figure adheres to it well.

You'd have to be pretty die-hard to pick this up. Not a real good buy for TOY fans, but Star Wars fans may dig it.

This Clone trooper figure is probably the best "trooper" figure made in this scale, but you have to wonder why Hasbro doesn't make all of their figures with this level of articulation.

They call this Clone Trooper "Super Articulated", but it's only slightly more articulated than the Royal Guard, or any number of figures form the Revenge of the Sith line. With 14 points of articulation, it's better than most, but still no microman. He doesn't have ball jointed hips, for instance.

The Clone trooper comes with a a gun and an antenna array on his back. No stand is included. Paint detail is minimal, and is just the black parts and some battle wear.

This Clone trooper figure is probably the best "trooper" figure made in this scale, but you have to wonder why Hasbro doesn't make all of their figures with this level of articulation.

R2-D2, the little droid that could.

R2-D2, the little droid that could.

This is the first of what i'm sure will be many interpretations of the little astromech droid from Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith. He comes with a base, a bit of space junk, a giant claw arm, and 2 boosters..

The claw arm inserts into a peg into the head of R2. by pushing down on the third leg, the claw arm moves back and forth. Now, I don't remember seeing this arm in the movie, but I wonder if it is supposed to represent the small laser that came out of his head in the beginning. curious how R2 never used this feature anywhere else in the movies.

The two small jets attach via pegs to the sides of R2's legs. These are cool but once again, never used again in the series (although there was a scene cut from Episode 1 with them).

The base is kind of like a seesaw, an elevated platform with a joint in the middle. I'm not sure what the purpose of this, because Hasbro neglects to mention it on the packaging. My guess is that it's to launch R2, simulating the rocket action.

Oh, and then there is this debris. It's included so there is something to be grabbed with the claw arm. Curiously, there is a C3P0 head molded into the junk.

The Emperor's Royal Guard is one of the most elite guards in the galaxy, and he is also one of the coolest figures released as part of the Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith line.

The Emperor's Royal Guard is one of the most elite guards in the galaxy, and he is also one of the coolest figures released as part of the Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith line.

He comes with 12 points of articulation, cloth cape, pistol and rifle. The pistol can fit into the holster on the figure's right hip. Articulation is great, and you can achieve a variety of poses. The included base provides support via a peg that inserts into the foot.

The paint and detail are just awesome on this. The suit under the cape is fully detailed, and molded after suits shown in the Star Wars: Crimson Empire comic book series. Another case of the Expanded Universe having an effect on the official Star Wars universe.

There is also a red version of the Royal Guard that is very hard to find. Hopefully it will receive wider distribution in the future.