Updating POTF2: Vehicles, Playsets, and More - Part II

On Monday, we looked at Part I, which was a view of some POTF2 vehicles, beasts, and playsets that manage to remain entrenched in our modern displays, since nothing better has come along in the 25 years or so since they were released. Here's Part II...

Previous articles in this series looking at POTF figures can be found here:
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ESB/ROTJ
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Hasbro knew that world-building was key to the success of the 90's resurrection of 3.75" Star Wars figures. They released a slew of supporting toys to go along with the regular action figures.
Here's Part I from Monday.

Part II begins...NOW!









1. Hoth Battle: This is actually a half decent little playset. It's definitely small/compact for what I'd prefer, and it's got some simple sculpting to the trench itself, but it's not bad for display, even today. The trench itself is what I like about the set. We also have never seen any kind of update to the shield generator (this one is comically small), but we have gotten better turrets and cannons over time. Ironically, as much as this set may have held its ground over time, it's possible the Kenner version might have some advantages. The trench is much roomier, and not as cluttered with all the big pieces. Chris used it in some shots here. The sharp angles and cuts make look a little to Fortress of Solitude-y for me, but I don't hate it. Anyway, I would love to see Hasbro give some love to Echo Base in the near future. Hallways would be simple to do in that current format, while a hangar and base environment with a shield generator and ion cannon could be cool. We've accumulated lots of Hoth stuff that needs a quality backdrop display, just like we did for the Cantina.

2. Death Star Escape: A little on the weak side, but this suffices as a mini-diorama for Luke/Leias's Swing to Freedom. There's a neat sliding door that I often use in diorama shots. The removable bridge also comes in handy on occasion. When it's all together, it's not bad, if your shelf has the height to display it fully. The chasm is a cheesy cardboard "floor" (although I admit I printed out something similar for Maul's Naboo generator pit). As "not terrible" as this may be, it's high time we render it moot with a TVC Death Star (that is 100% absolutely and utterly NOT round like an old cardboard nonsense toy.)

3. Detention Block Rescue: This has some strong points, but is more frustrating than anything else. The hallway portion is pretty good, and is also something I've occasionally used in photography. The aesthetic is ruined a bit by the giant nonsensical ball cannon turret. The prison cell is a bit smaller than I'd prefer, but it's not awful. The garbage shoot hatch is a nice touch. As with the item above, this should be primed for the retirement pile with a Not Round Death Star (NRDS).

4. Millennium Falcon CD-ROM Playset: One of the more oddball items from an oddball era. The falcon cockpit is actually a giant game controller. The seats, turrets, and console switches are actually buttons. You're supposed to strap this thing to your keyboard, and pushing these cockpit buttons hits a lever that would punch the appropriate key on the attached keyboard below. I never played the included CD-ROM (Google it, kids) but I assume if you pushed the pilot's chair, it made you go left, and if you pushed the throttle, you could go to hyperspace. Or some such nonsense like that. But you know what? This isn't too awful for a large Falcon cockpit environment. Obviously the BMF is an incredible showpiece, but the rooms are small. I've seen some people ask for a MF cockpit standalone playset, or the main "living" room. I'm personally not really a fan of this, but I can think of worse items. In the meantime, I'm actually pretty happy with this...thing...on my shelf.







5. TIE Fighter w/ Darth Vader: Another goofy item, part of the "Gunner Station" expression. This is basically a partial open cockpit of a TIE Fighter (or Vader's TIE, since I assume they were basically the same) with a handle and a thumb roller to make it lean left or right, and fire missiles. I had once had designs on getting a second and third, and putting TIE Pilots in them, to replicate the trench run. But then I came to my senses and just got the full ships.

6. Millennium Falcon w/ Han Solo [or Luke Skywalker]: Also part of "Gunner Station" offerings along with the TIE cockpit above, you could get two Falcon gunner station (one with Han and one with Luke) and attach them to recreate something similar to the "too easy" escape from the Death Star. The canons have 4 projectiles to shoot. Again, not the most awful thing in the world since the Falcon turrets on the actual MF toy weren't really useable. These things have never been redone, and likely never will.

7. EU Speeder Bike: This design is based on concept artwork drawn up by Joe Johnston. Unlike the other vehicles in this sub-set, this one apparently appeared in an actual comic book back in the day. Like the others, you could shoehorn it into the appropriate display, but it's probably harder in this case. There's no real place for something like this in an Endor display, whereas you could put the others as easter eggs in the backgrounds of a Hoth Hangar or a Cloud City landing platform, hiding in plain sight. This is harder to pull off, but if you're motivated, go for it.

8. Boba Fett w/ Firing Missile launcher: The deluxe line was half awful and half necessary. The same line that brought us the Wampa, Probe Droid, Rebel Radar Cannon, and Tauntauns, also brought us this crap. 3 different characters in what amounted to Hasbro-created mech suits. All three are ridiculous, but if you wanted to hide them in the back of different scenes, you might pull it off. Boba Fett's is probably the dumbest of the 3, with a mech flight suit to go over his armor and jetpack that already do that stuff. Whatever, man.

9. Han Solo w/ Smuggler's Flight Pack: Almost as bad as Fett, but at least you could argue that Han, or someone else, could use this thing to haul heavy items around a warehouse. It's basically the Star Wars version of a forklift. So Peter Griffin could probably use it.

10. Stormtrooper (Crowd Control): While also ridiculous, it's maybe a bit less, as you can see the Empire using all sorts of weird equipment (like the Cruisemissile Trooper) to keep law and order. you have to wonder if the result would have been different for Cassian's friends on Ferrix if the Stormtroopers had employed these bad boys on Rix Road.

11. Luke Skywalker w/ Desert Sport Skiff: More nonsense. The silliest thing about this figure is the Luke (with the wrong colored leg wraps, wink wink nudge nudge) that has a giant hole in his back. I assume there was more to this item that didn't make the cut. The sport skiff seems to be the Star Wars equivalent of the Segway. Like the previously mentioned deluxe vehicles, this one looks to be straight out of the creative minds of the Hasbro team back in the day. Also like those vehicles, you might be able to hide it somewhere in the background of a large streets of Mos Eisley display, or maybe parked behind the T-16 in the Lars garage. In the end, there is, and will undoubtedly never be, an update to this thing.

12. Cantina at Mos Eisley 3D Display Diorama:

This one is pure cardboard, similar to the Jabba's palace diorama. Previous sets by Kenner usually had plastic bases with cardboard backdrops, and contemporary sets by Hasbro were plastic. These two were an anomaly, and both served a great purpose for a very long time. Jabba's palace remained in diorama service until Hasbro delivered a hard left hook with TVC's Jabba's Palace Adventure Set in 2019, and then finished it off with the right uppercut to the chin with 2023's Boba Fett's [Jabba's] Throne Room. It is outlived by this cardboard set, which is currently serving admirably as my Cantina. However, it's in its death throes due the Haslab Cantina. Even looking at the picture, the POTF2 set seems long overdue for the sweet embrace of Death - especially since I have it on a shelf adjacent to my Jabba's Palace. Its time will come, but not today.

So that about covers everything in POTF2 that has survived the march of time. What say you?

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