Force Link 2.0 had such promise.  It was arguably one of the best “pack-in” gimmicks Hasbro had introduced in the 3.75” line, outdone only by the glorious Build-A-Droid era.  The concept was introduced for toys that debuted on Force Friday in September of 2018 for The Last Jedi toys.  Generally well-received, or, at worst, ignored by fans, Force Link was something that could be built upon going forward.

Chris reviewed the first Force Link starter set which was packed with an exclusive Kylo Ren figure.  For the record, the wrist activator was later included in the BB-8 2-in-1 Mega Playset, as well as getting a third release in the Toys R Us (sad face) exclusive set with Praetorian Guard and Stormtrooper Executioner.

Chris had a very positive review of the technology back in September.  The negatives were:

• the device was a bit inconsistent to use when trying to get all the phrases from a particular figure
• the strap was too tiny for anyone other than a small child (or Manute Bol)
• tapping the device in lieu of a button was annoying
• no on/off switch would deplete batteries unnecessarily
• concerns about sustainability and upgradeability

But the positives were significantly more valuable:

• good sound quality
• sound generated by the device, not the toy
• ships generated constant engine noises (awesome!)
• seemed to compel one to want more toys to increase the value of the device itself

In his closing remark, Chris wrote:

I really want to see this concept evolve and continue from Hasbro especially because it’s a practical way to add sound effects to vehicles. I hope Hasbro continues to refine the implementation.

I agreed with this completely.  And in addition, I personally got more comfortable with how to properly coax all the phrases out of each figure, after a bit of a rough start. 

So about 7 months later, Hasbro has upgraded to Force Link 2.0 for the Solo toys.  How did it go?  Tell ‘em Peter:

Thanks, Peter.

Almost all the goodwill that was established with the inaugural version of the tech has been thrown out the window, doused with gasoline, and set on fire.  Right off the bat, I knew we were in trouble when the device failed to work out of the package.  It was required that the consumer update the activator by following these steps:

1.  Go to your nearest DMV and update your driver’s license photo.
2.  Become a citizen of at least 3 different countries that do not contain the letter “a” in their spelling.
3.  Watch every episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
4.  Discuss, citing specific examples, how the Industrial Revolution changed the face of the modern novel forever.

After completing those steps you had to go through this rodeo in order to update the device for use.  Well, after that, you were ready to rock.  Or were you?  The only figure that worked was (fortunately) the Han Solo figure that was included in the starter set.  Any other attempt at getting the activator to work resulted in the Force Link equivalent to the Blue Screen of Death:

Firmware Update Required.  Firmware Update Required.  Firmware Update Required.

A not-so-well advertised disclaimer could be found on Hasbro’s app page that stated full capabilities were not available, but would be so at some point on or before May 1, 2018. 

Sigh.

A few days before their self-imposed deadline, the app update 1.5 was finally available.  A much less painful procedure provided most toys with proper sounds, although as of this writing, Chris is still unable to get anything out of his Wampa.  It really sticks in my craw that you can’t hear “Wampa!  Wampa!  Wampa!”

It’s hard to give a positive review after all that.  Now that my device is up to date, it’s not quite as traumatizing.  The positives still stand from 1.0, but unfortunately the negatives were not really addressed in any way.  The device is physically unchanged (other than cosmetically); without buttons and still having a tiny wristband.  The good news is that the device works with 1.0 toys, however, it doesn’t seem that the new figures are loaded with any more lines of dialogue,  The main improvement, we presume, is that the Bluetooth capability allows for constant updating via the app.  This means it should last a while before a new device is necessary, which is good, considering the shelf life of 1.0 was 7 months.

One other feature that has some potential is a toy checklist included in the app.  Unfortunately I haven’t really figured out how this is meant to work yet, so I can’t report properly on feasibility or usefulness, but maybe we’ll circle back with some information at a later date.  There is some promise with this functionality.

Overall, the “firmware update required” debacle pretty much crushes this as soon as the box is opened.  Hopefully Hasbro can provide enough new app content to convince consumers that this is a worthwhile purchase.  It’s a shame, because it works well if you have the patience to update.  But I can’t get over the initial experience.  I’m giving this a 1, with the caveat that it should get better over time.