2004 Year in Review

Here's a little list I put together of what I consider the ranking of the 2004 figure offerings to be. I only did new figures, not repaints or repacks, and only the basic line. Depending on the time I have, I may add VOTC, Ultra and Unleashed later.

01. Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Training) ? What?s not to love about this figure? Hasbro really nailed it by including the interchangeable head and arms, and by thinking to include things such as the handprints in the base so that he can actually handstand.

02. Dengar (Executor Meeting) ? A fantastic and much-needed resculpt. He looks meaner, more scarred-up, and he even brought his backpack this time! Kudos for the articulation that allows for the two-handed rifle pose.

03. Yoda (Dagobah Training) ? One of the best Yoda renditions to date. The fact that he can break in half to fit into the backpack works much better than the oversized backpack ala POTF2 and helps to recreate key movie scenes perfectly.

04. Luke Skywalker (Jabba's Palace) ? Whether you?re a fan of soft goods or not, you?ve got to admit that the figure underneath the robe is great. My only gripe is that I wish both hands could grip instead of just the one.

05. Bossk (Executor Meeting) ? The POTF2 version was pretty good, and this one goes even farther. The likeness is spot-on, but it would have been nice if the rifle could hang from the shoulder like the last one.

06. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Dagobah Spirit) ? Undoubtedly the best OT Obi-Wan to date. Now all Hasbro has to do is repaint him to give us the definitive alive version. My only question: why the lightsaber?

07. Luke Skywalker (Hoth Attack) ? Another good resculpt. Points here for including the base that connects with the one that came with the Wampa.

08. General Madine (Imperial Shuttle Capture) ? The toupeed one come across looking great in this update from the vintage line. The elbow joints can look awkward at times, but being able to strike all kinds of poses with the wand, including the two-handed pose, is a plus.

09. Lobot (Cloud City Deception) ? He?s back, and looking better than ever. The cyborg implant is removable, which is completely unnecessary, but kinda cool nonetheless. Limited articulation doesn?t let him do much but just stand there, but then again, that?s just about all he did in the movie anyway.

10. Lando Calrissian (Death Star Attack) ? Lando?s legs got tired of doing the splits, so he?s decided to stand upright in this much-deserved resculpt. The fact that the holster on his chest is a separate piece is awesome, but like Madine, the elbow joints can look awkward when in certain positions.

11. Lando Calrissian (Jabba's Sail Barge) ? It?s Lando! Again! The skiff guard disguise sculpt is updated awesomely, with plenty of articulation for holding the force pike, which unfortunately is made from rather flimsy plastic.

12. Admiral Ozzel (Executor Assault) ? Pretty much what you?d want out of an Admiral Ozzel figure. His hand is open so that he can hold his neck while being Force choked, which is definitely a plus.

13. Captain Antilles (Tantive IV Invasion) ? Fan?s Choice Figure #5 turned out to be way easier to find than figures #3 and #4. Sure, his face looks like that kid from The Sixth Sense, but the head articulation?s perfect for exposing that neck for Vader to choke the life out of.

14. Rappertunie (Jabba's Palace) ? For a figure that is pretty much designed to just sit and play, and not much else, the sculpt here is really good. Plus, he brings us one step closer to completing Jabba?s band, and you know you want that.

15. Cloud Car Pilot (Bespin Encounter) ? For a guy who got almost zero screen time save for a far away shot of his head, this figure turned out all right. The colors may turn some people off, but the removable helmet and comlink that attaches to the belt are a plus.

16. R2-D2 (Jabba's Sail Barge) ? One of the best Artoos

 

LOL, Leto.

I've been working on my second annual edition of the countdown for the last few days. I'm actually not finished writing it yet.

 

Excellent work LQ! I appreciate the work compiling
that must have taken. I'll list a quick top five and
we'll see where we agree and where we differ.

1.) Luke Skywalker "Dagobah Training": I really
love the versatility of this figure. The inclusion of
two heads is something Hasbro could do a little more
often. Too many figures have face sculpts so neutral,
that they look like they work for the Swiss
government.

2.) Luke Skywalker "Hoth attack": Does anyone
sense a Skywalker bias here? A really nice figure made
great by including a cool (Or is it cold?) ice base.

3.) Bossk "Executor Meeting": The POTF 2
Bossk was great for it's time, and given the re-pack
revolution, I was curious why they didn't just slap
some new paint on the old sculpt and save a few
schillings. Well, I'm glad they didn't because they
managed to improve him in nearly every way. An example
of what Hasbro can do when it really wants to get it
right.

4.) Obi-Wan Kenobi "Dagobah Spirit": Is Dagobah
spirit anything like Christmas spirit? That would
certainly explain why old Ben's breath stinks of short
bread cookies and Egg-nogg. This is the way all future
Spirit/Hologram figures should look. And yes, they do
need a flesh and blood version of this sculpt. He's
anything but ho, ho-hum.

5.) Cloud Car Pilot "Bespin Encounter": This
guy gets less screen time than the Ice cream maker
fella, yet here he is in all his tangerine glory. I
really love this figure. Now, if only we had a new
Cloud car for him to fly....[/b]

Honorable mention goes to

6.) Dengar "Executor Meeting"
7.) Tanus Spijek/J'Quille "Jabba's Sail Barge"
8.) Lando Calrissian "Jabba's Sail Barge"
9.) R1-G4 "Tatooine Transaction"
10.) Rappertunie "Jabba's Palace"

 

Alrighty. Since the thread has been started, I'm going to go ahead and put in my personal countdown. I have a top ten for 2004 basic figures, top five for VOTC figures, and top three for Unleashed. There are no repacks. Everything in this list, for each category, is brand new stuff.

I thought I might also include the link to last year's countdown, for those who would like to recall what we all thought of last year's offerings. I was looking at it a couple of days ago, and I couldn't help but laugh.

The Best and Worst of 2003: An Action Figure Countdown

And on with the countdown!

*background music starts- Star Wars Main Theme*

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls... The Best of 2004- a Star Wars Toy Countdown.

Basic Figures - Saga/OTC

10. Lobot
From the planetary system of Bespin, we proudly present, Lobot. Known for his ongoing loyalty to Lando Calrissian, this cyborg features a very good likeness, a good color scheme, and proper articulation. Nice accessories, too!

9. Luke Skywalker - Dagobah
A young farm boy turned Rebel ( ), young Luke has come a long way from Tatooine to Dagobah. Training as a Jedi, Luke features a decent likeness, good coloring, articulation where he needs it, and a cool base. If he had better looking heads, he'd have ranked higher on the chart.

8. Luke Skywalker - Hoth
If it weren't for wampas, we may never have gotten a figure like this. Luke looks great! Awesome likeness, nice paint-job, and sweet articulation so that he can hang out with the wampa.

7. Luke Skywalker - Jabba's Palace
Coming to you live from Jabba's Palace outside of Mos Eisley Nevada.. er... Tatooine, Luke Skywalker. He's got an AWESOME likeness, GREAT paint job, and good articulation. Nice cape and accessories as well. Had he had ball-jointed shoulders, he'd have been so much more awesome.

Whoa whoa whoa... three Lukes in a row?

It is pretty agreeable that Luke has had a good year, as he has managed three spots on our chart. Way to go, farmboy!

6. Dengar
After losing out on the hunt of Han Solo to Boba Fett, good 'ol Dengar headed back to his homeworld of Izchtekban, where he met a lovely Ithorian, got married, settled down, and had children.

Well... no, not really. But he did make it to #6 on the basic figures Hot 100! Or... 10 I mean. This guy's got an incredible likeness of the big, beefy bounty hunger, and very nice deco and superb articulation. Nice bendy gun, too.

5. General Madine
Ah, the good General. It was about time that Hasbro revived the guy, and they did a good enough job in doing so that he's #5 this year. We like Crix Madine because of his good likeness, his good coloring, his good articulation, and his John Edwards hairdo.

4. Spirit Obi-Wan
A dead guy on the countdown. Marevelous. Hasbro finally nailed this spirit thing, as Spirit Obi-Wan Kenobi is spectacularly great. He has the best likeness of Obi-Wan of ANY Obi-Wan figure we've been offered. And as such, the countdown wouldn't have been the same with out him. Or... maybe it would have, just with a different figure in his spot.

3. Lando Calrissian - Jabba's Sail Barge
A phenomenal upgrade to an already good figure. So far, this is the Lando figure to beat. He's got a dead on likeness, and a very, very good outfit. Great colors and great detail. Perfect articulation where needed. Nice staff, too, Lando. Er... nevermind.

2. J'Quille
After quitting the TBA (Tatooine Basketball Association), J'Quille O'Neal headed into anonymity. He was a frequent visitor of Jabba's Palace, where he lost a good deal of his fortune on Jabba's dancers.

J'Quille's got it where it counts. He's incredible. Awesome work on the fur! Great paint job and highlighting. VERY nice articulation. This is the best alien figure since Ephant Mon, and as such, he should be treated in accordinance on our countdown.

 

It was remembering last year's thread, PhantomMenace, that inspired me to do this year's.

 

That was fun, right?

I'm glad to know I'm an inspirational influence to some people.

I was reading the old one on Monday and I cracked myself up with the things I was writing about each figure. About Aayla liking thick lightsabers and Padme' enjoying Anakin's mechanical arm and such.

I wish Mr. Neck was still around.

 

Great list.

I agree that Luke Skywalker (Dagobah Training) and Yoda (Dagobah Training) are the best figures of the year. The extra arms and head can lead to so many different poses. Right now I have my Luke, his right armed streched out, trying to use the force to lift his X-Wing out of the swamp, as Yoda looks on.

My favorite carded figure is the Cloud Car Pilot. The orange colors make him standout from the other carded figures I have.

 

okay, i'm going to join the fun. i think i can put a slightly different spin on these lists. here's my top ten, starting at 10:

10. R1-G4 If you drill holes in this guy's head, he would be a really neato salt shaker. i realize he has barely any articulation or play value, but to me he just looks cool. he's old school, and that's okay with me. other than a micro machines version, i don't think he's ever been made before. so he makes the list, if for no other reason than he provides good original trilogy background material.


9. Bespin Leia This isn't the "definitive" Leia by any means, but there are several things i like. it's at least human looking, which hasn't always been the case with Hasbro's vision of Leia. also, this is a figure that needed an update. if i can't get an entirely new character, i'd much rather see an updated figure than a repack.

8. Captain Antilles You'll quickly pick up that i'm enamored with obscure or semi-obscure characters from the OT. this guy is long overdue. put him in your VOTC Vader's hand for some force chokin' good times.

7. General Jan Dodonna Another long overdue character from the first and arguably greatest SW film ever. i'll never forget the photo of the General pointing his pointer stick at princess leia in The Star Wars Storybook. i thought he was going to stab her. weird huh? i was a kid.

6. J'Quille I love a new alien figure. probably the best since ephant mon. another one long overdue. i'm less enthusiastic about tanus spijek. it just looks funny. but j'quille looks great. i remember coloring his face in an old ROTJ coloring book way back in 1984.

5. Dutch Vander What an excellent action figure! This shows what Hasbro can do when they really try. the detail is great. the articulation is better than average. the likeness isn't the best, but the quality of this figure makes up for it. i would love to see a whole set of all the best-known pilots (luke, wedge, biggs, porkins, etc...) made just like this.

4. R-3PO Another example of fine sculpting. easily the best droid of it's type. this set the standard for droids, and unfortunately the VOTC C-3PO fell short.

3. Lobot This really surprised me. i've always kind of like the mysterious Lobot, and i didn't think the POTF2 version did him any justice. The detail is amazing. he'll look great next to VOTC Lando.

2. Cloud Car Pilot What can i say that hasn't been said? Great details, great packaging, great accessories on a figure sorely in need of an update. now Hasbro, bring on the cloud car!

1. Dagobah LukeYodaObi-WanR2D2 Okay, so i cheated. just let the wookie win. i didn't think it was fair to let these four take up so much space, and i was too lazy to make a bigger list. there's nothing new i can add about these, other than i really do think they're even better together than individually. four definitive renditions of four key characters in a pivotal scene from arguably the greatest SW film ever. (didn't i already say that?)



there you go. that's my list. subject to change at any time. there are many honorable mentions. there are also some i want to complain about:



AT-ST Han Solo. Why? Every 7-year old who saw ROTJ just assumed he put on the helmet, right? no way did he put on the whole suit. why would he? great effort wasted on a lame concept. they should've just put the goggles on and called it an AT-ST driver.

OTC Bib Fortuna. I never liked this figure the first time around. i can't stand the split-down-the-side hard rubber cloak.

Holographic Luke. OH BOY! AN ACTION FIGURE MADE ENTIRELY OF LIGHT! HE NEVER LOSES A FIGHT BECAUSE NOBODY CAN TOUCH HIM! but seriously, how does he hold a lightsaber? wait...he's made of light...the lightsaber is made of light...he truly is "one with the blade."

Rappertunie. one word: blasphemy.


great topic, LetoQuorme! i wonder how 2005

 

How will 2005 shape up? Well, I'll let you know in a year. But seriously, I think the sneak preview figs are gonna rock, as are some of the collection 2 figures. The action features are gonna bring down the collection 1 figures, but at least they don't appear to be as bad as the initial Saga run.

In other news, it probably goes without saying that most VOTC lists are going to be pretty similar, especially the top 5. However, you're getting mine anyway.

01. Stormtooper - What a figure! The sculpt is dead-on, and he follows in the SA Clonetrooper's footsteps in terms of articulation. He looks great posed in any position, ready to shoot at and miss his target.

02. Boba Fett - After the greatly sculpted but preposed 300th Fett and the articulated but so-so looking Saga Fett, this guy gives us the best of both worlds. The attention to detail is fantastic, and while some may argue that he looks just a bit bulky, I still say it's the best Fett we've ever gotten.

03. Chewbacca - Another greatly sculpted figure. He's to-scale and is loaded with articulation. The paint job is top notch, and it's always great when they include a bowcaster that has the shoulder strap on it.

04. Han Solo - Everyone's favorite smuggler turned Rebel hero is back, and he looks fantastic. I think most people were just happy to find out that this was in fact a new sculpt and not just a repackaged Cantina Han. My only complaint - a separately sculpted vest would have been stellar.

05. Darth Vader - The best Vader ever? It just might be. He looks great choking Captain Antilles, and points for including both a lit and unlit lightsaber.

06. Lando Calrissian - The POTJ version was awesome, and yet they still seemed to improve on it just a bit. The hands look just a bit funky on the one I have, but it may just be mine.

07. R2-D2 - With sensorscope! I like the sculpted wires on the feet, but I'm not such a huge fan of the metallic dome, and the chest cover and accessories can be a pain to keep on sometimes.

08. Princess Leia Organa - The face likeness is closer than some, but I think they could have done a bit better. I would have preferred if she came with her own blaster instead of the stormtrooper rifle, but maybe that's just me.

09. Luke Skywalker - Definite points for the loads of articulation this guy comes with. The cloth tunic looks rather bulky though, and the face sculpt could have been better.

10. Yoda - Once again, the bulkiness of the robe is bringing this guy down. Also, for such a small figure, was he really worth $10?

11. Obi-Wan Kenobi - The huge robe is definitely a disappointment with this guy. He seems to get lost in it as soon as you take him out of the package. One good thing I will say is that I like the way they sculpted the hands.

12. C-3PO - What seemed to be the hardest to find for most people, and last on the list. I don't like the face sculpt at all, and on many samples the eye paint is all over the place. And would it have killed to give him bendable knees?

 

another nice list, LQ. with only 12 to choose, i'm not going to take the time to make my own list because it wouldn't be that much different. the only major change i'd make is to put Han in the #2 spot. personally, i like the fact that the vest isn't separate. think about this: if the vest had been separate, would it look as bad as luke's shirt or obi-wan's robe? i think so. in fact, i think it's arguable whether han or stormie should get the #1 spot. VOTC Han Solo is the only action figure i've ever seen that accurately portrays the arrogant swagger of a macho space-pirate. ooh. that sounded kinda weird. anyway, i'll agree with the opinion that boba is a little too bulky. otherwise, he'd be competitive for my #2 spot on the list.

 

I'm anxious to see the Series 2 RotS's because
they're supposed to be geared more toward collectors.
(More articulation, no "action features"). And the
face sculpts look really good so far.

Now, on to the VOTC year in review.

I think there's more consensus on the VOTC for
sure, but I rank 'em a bit differently.

1.) Boba Fett: Cool. Cool. Cool.
2.) Han Solo: This guy would shoot first.
3.) Storm Trooper: One word; Articulation.
4.) Chewbacca: Unfurgetable.
5.) Princess Leia: Why a rifle and no pistol!?
6.) Darth Vader: Armor is'nt shiny enough.
7.) Lando: Cape is only thing holding him back.
8.) Luke Skywalker: This was painful for me!
9.) Obi-Wan Kenobi: That cloak is ridiculous.
10.) R2-D2: Can't get past the dome.
11.) C-3PO: Only because I can't find one!
12.) Yoda: OTC basic version much better, IMHO.

 

All of the VOTC was impressive, even the peg warmers.
Over all I thought it was a good year for collecting.
I was able to find everything I wanted and diden't have to pay scalpers prices. Can't wait for Ep.3!!!!