The Phantom Menace 3D theatrical release was enough of an event to kick Hasbro into action.  And boy, did they go into action.  The 2012 glut of TPM3D product nearly killed the 3.75” line.  It was a confusing time, when identical figures were released on kid-friendly hardbacks with Darth Maul artwork as well as in The Vintage Collection.  Then there were other figures that were part of the companion TPM3D figures.  They came with 3D glasses as part of the packaging, and the figures were of the reduced articulation variety.  There was so much product, MLB sponsored a TPM3Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in Chicago, where a mountain of this stuff was blown up.  [Wait, what?  That didn’t happen?  Those were disco records?  Ha!  You’re making that up.  No?  Oh, well then…] .  Nevermind that.  The point is, 2012 was terrible.  I mean for Star Wars collectors, not the movie, 2012.  The movie was terrible, though.

Where was I?  Yeah, so during this ridiculous time, there were several quality products.  The TVC figures were generally pretty excellent, it was just the double release and insane shipping quantities that did them in.  There was certainly no problem finding any of them.  But somehow, there were a few good men items that were hard to come by.  One of them was the Naboo Starfighter.  For me, this was almost mythical.  I never found one in a store, and I looked hard.  After much failure, I was finally able to score one from Entertainment Earth.  I wish I had bought a few, as this is a pretty awesome vehicle.

Hasbro pretty much scrapped the 1999 Episode I vehicle, which itself was outstanding.  It had high quality electronics and a sleek appearance that was pretty movie accurate.  The real problems were the cockpit, which was tough to squeeze in a figure, and the droid socket, which included a permanent (and strangely undersized) R2-D2 dome.

This appears to be an all new sculpt, although it is nearly identical in size to the previous version.  The electronics were dumped (sadly), but the overall ship is much better.  The cockpit/canopy has a dual design.  The entire cover opens in the traditional hinged way, giving full access to the cockpit as well as the astromech socket.  Any full sized astromech can fit in this space.  There’s even an extra bit of room under the third foot, in case you choose to insert an older figure that doesn’t have a retractable leg.

In addition, you can leave this piece snapped shut, and instead slide just the clear plastic canopy forward in a completely movie accurate way.  It still gives you enough room to put in a figure.  The seat fits a full sized figure, like the Naboo Pilot, as well as the pint-sized Little Ani. 

There are pop-out panels on the sides of the engines which provide access to 2 launching missiles, while a third spring-launched projectile is housed in the underbelly.  Small landing gears under each engine as well as the rear of the underside give the vehicle stability while on the ground.

It’s an outstanding vehicle from Hasbro, and it’s a shame that it was so hard to find when it was released.  Despite the missing electronics, it’s definitely a nice step up from the 1999 version, although that one is certainly not obsolete.  There’s probably not a whole lot Hasbro could do to improve upon this.  It might be nice if someday it was re-released during a (reasonably muted) celebration of TPM down the road,  perhaps for the 25th in 2024.  9/10.