star wars micro machines death star playset 1997

It also doesn’t make much sense why they included a Vader who was clearly ready for combat with his lightsaber ignited, when all he can really do is sit in his meditation chamber. The one downside is that the version of Vader that comes with this set is ready for combat and is wielding his lightsaber, which makes fitting him inside the chamber a little tricky. A little peg or something to keep figures in place would have been neat, but it wasn’t to be.Īlthough we never saw the Dark Lord of the Sith chillin’ in a meditation chamber on the Death Star like he did aboard his Star Destroyer, this incarnation of the planet-slaying space station comes equipped with one, perfect for pondering dark side things, taking a nap or to just have a private little cry-wank over Padmé. The downside is that as soon as you move it, whoever is positioned inside it falls over. Anyway, here’s some of the features of the set.Īs you can see, the Death Star has a working elevator. Neon was in every toy aisle back then, so I have to accept that it managed to spread to a galaxy far, far away as well. Neon orange on the crane, and cables moulded onto the base don’t look very Empire-y, but seeing as this toy came out in the ’90s, I’ll give this a pass. Some of the colour choices on this set are a little weird. Despite this, it’s a helluva fun little playset. The Death Star doesn’t unfold quite as neatly or as easily as the Rebel Base, with some of the platforms needing to be secured in place. The Rebel Base also had turrets, but they weren’t to the detriment of the overall look of the playset. I’m not overly struck on the cannon sticking out of the center of the Death Star’s dish. The Death Star unsurpisingly resembles the Death Star when the playset is closed. His helmet is also supposed to be removable, but that’s stuck in place as well. It feels like the paint has kind of glued his legs and arms in place.

I finally managed to get the Stormtrooper to move his arms, but I had no luck with Vader. I’m not sure if it’s because this set has remained sealed for over twenty years until I got my hands on it, but the limbs on these figures were stiff.

The set comes with six mini figures, Darth Vader, Emperor’s Royal Guard, Emperor Palpatine, Death Star Gunner, Imperial Pilot and a Stormtrooper. I’ve said it before on this site, but I miss the days where toys packaging came adorned with handpainted artwork. Like the Rebel Base, the box features a kickass piece of art from legendary concept artist Ralph McQuarrie.

A little while back I covered the Star Wars Action Fleet Rebel Base Playset, and it’s about time I did the same for the Empire’s base.

Star wars micro machines death star playset 1997