A version for The Clone Wars dropped in 2008, offering several different parts, including a tonfa handle. It gave kids the ability to bounce between both sides of the Force and fashion more than 1,000 combinations. This kit, boasting electronic lights and sounds, came loaded with more than 20 interchangeable parts and pieces for imaginative Jedi to customize their creations. But the 2005 release of the Ultimate Lightsaber Build Your Own Lightsaber was particularly noteworthy. Goodies ranged from an electronic Count Dooku slicer to a plush version. Throughout the Episode II and Episode III eras, from 2002 through 2005, a slew of sabers lit up the toy market. Its strobe lights flashed on contact, and cinematic sounds blared during battle. Hasbro’s toy version came in the form of an electronic toy measuring five-feet-long from the tip of one blade to the other. With the arrival of Episode I in theaters in 1999, fans got a glimpse at arguably the coolest lightsaber up to that point: Darth Maul’s double blade. This set the tone for lightsaber releases that would continue to this day. Hasbro took the toy saber to new techie heights with an extendable blade, a light-up feature, and authentic movie sounds. In early 1996, a pair of electronic lightsabers soon followed, available in Darth Vader red and Luke Skywalker green, respectively. It wasn’t until 1995 that Hasbro, the toy giant that purchased Kenner, reignited the line. Kenner put the kibosh on Star Wars toy production in the late 1980s. Some consider the years 1986 through 1994 to be dark times for the toy Rebellion. Photo courtesy of The Strong, Rochester, New York, USA, . Still, a lightsaber remains a lightsaber, and to quote a certain squatty Jedi master, “Size matters not.” It looked as if it might be better served chopping veggies in Aunt Beru’s kitchen. Fully extended, the blade would up being substantially smaller in scale to the ones we know and love. The most-tricked out saber to date, it had a clip for budding Jedi to attach to their belts, an automatic extendable blade, and a glowing feature. To coincide with the Droids Saturday morning cartoon, Kenner released a Droids Lightsaber in 1985. The Force Lightsaber continued through the Return of the Jedi years, although the yellow blade got the boot for neon green. Swing it like a Kenobi, and it would make whistling noises that came surprisingly close to a saber hum. Each saber featured little holes on the end of the blade. The result proved to be The Force Lightsaber, a more-than-3-foot-long plastic tube, available in either yellow or red. When The Empire Strikes Back blasted the box office in 1980, Kenner brass decided to reimagine the toy saber. Each lightsaber came with a patch kit for repairs. Thanks to forward-thinking toy honchos, all wasn’t lost. Sounds like playtime bliss, right? Well, overly excited wannabe Skywalkers often dueled so hard their blades would spring a leak, deflating the fun. The toy lightsaber commercial featured kids slinging their blades and swatting at silver balloons, the latter a stand-in for Jedi training remotes. Although no yellow lightsaber can be found in A New Hope, the color stayed in step with the one brandished by the Luke action figure. Designers basically took a flashlight and connected it to an inflatable yellow vinyl blade. As one of the first Star Wars toys on the market, it lit up toy aisles, literally. In 1978, Kenner execs knew Padawans would go ga-ga over a toy version of the Star Wars lightsaber.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |