For Jedi Masters Both Young and Old
Written: May 14 '05 (Updated May 25 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cool blue glow. Lightsaber sounds from the movies.
Cons: The heaviest of all of our lightsaber toys.
The Bottom Line: Fun lightsaber toy! If you want a toy for whacking things, this is a good one.
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| mizgnomer's Full Review: Hasbro Star Wars Episode II: Obi-Wan Kenobi Electr... |
My husband is a great father, and one of the things he and my 3½ year old son love to do is rough-house together. One of their favorite ways to play is to have little sword duels together with their lightsaber toys - which means we must have more than one lightsaber. Currently the two lightsabers that get the most play-time are two Obi-Wan Kenobi lightsabers, one from the upcoming Revenge of the Sith and the other from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Both lightsabers are similar-but-different, with their own pros and cons.
Product Description:
The Episode II: Attack of the Clones Obi-Wan Kenobi Electronic Lightsaber is a (mostly) retractable toy lightsaber. Since this is Obi-Wan's lightsaber, the color of the beam/blade is a translucent blue that glows (thanks to a light bulb down in the handle) when powered on. Constructed of plastic, the beam or blade piece telescopes out and collapses down. It also makes cool lightsaber sounds (more on that below).
We've managed to collect quite a few lightsabers in the house down through the years (what can I say - I married a big kid). From my experience, the handles on the Hasbro lightsabers that light up and make sounds are longer than average (presumably to house the light and sound mechanisms), and this one is no exception. The handle alone measures just over 12½ inches long. Additionally, the blue lightsaber-beam does not collapse completely into the handle (again presumably due to the light and sound mechanisms stored in there), so the bottom-most piece of the telescoping blade is permanently out, adding an additional 9 inches to the length of the toy when closed. When fully expanded the blade/beam measures 26 inches, so the full length of the lightsaber is a full 3 feet long when expanded!
This particular lightsaber also makes those cool lightsaber sounds that I've loved ever since I was little. The sounds include a "power-up" sound when turned on as well as a "power-down" sound when turned off. When turned on it emits a constant lightsaber-"hum". This sword has 2 distinct "clash" sounds (made whenever it hits something). One is a plain electricity-crackling clash, the other is a clash along with the cool deeper hum made whenever the blade is swooshed through the air. Our newer Sith blade doesn't make that deeper hum, as the hubby and I both miss it.
The handle is mostly silver with a few black accents and a round red button that turns the lights and sounds off and on. The button does not control the blade/beam in any way (in other words, the beam can be expanded or contracted without using the button, unlike some of our older lightsabers). The likeness is very close to the handle carried by Obi-Wan in Episode I and II (apparently they changed the look of his handle for Episode III).
The manufacturer recommends this toy for children ages 4 and up. It requires 2 "C" batteries (not included).
Our Thoughts & Experiences:
I am endlessly amused by the duels my young son has with his father. This blade and the newer Sith blade are roughly the same length (the Sith one is 1 inch longer) and both light up and make sounds (the Sith one also vibrates), hence the lightsabers are fairly evenly matched. The Clones/Episode II blade is heavier than the Sith/Episode III blade because its batteries are heavier (the Sith one takes 3 "AA" batteries as opposed to this one's 2 "C" batteries), so my son typically attacks with the Sith one while my husband defends with the Clones one.
My son usually attacks my husband full-force (with a few ground rules such as no hitting at the face), and for such a little guy he's pretty strong, so these lightsabers have taken quite a beating and are still like new. The business end of the lightsaber is a fairly lightweight plastic and there are no sharp points or anything, however I'd imagine you could damage a foe in a fight with this lightsaber if you tried hard enough. There is a warning label on the toy that reads: "Caution! Do not poke or jab with Lightsaber. Sections are made to stick together in the extended position and will not easily collapse if jabbed into an object, individual, or animal."
Expanding the blade/beam is rather easy (just a flick of the wrist for the hubby and I -- my preschooler son is a bit more dramatic about it). Collapsing the blade is another matter. My husband's preferred method is to stab the blade straight downward onto the floor, whacking with enough force to close the various sections. We've tried to discourage my son from using his hands to push the telescoping pieces down into each other, since it is easy to get fingers pinched that way.
I typically don't enter into these father/son battles, but I do personally prefer the Episode II/Clones blade to the Episode III/Sith blade. The Sith one looks a bit prettier, but I don't like the vibrations - they're noisy and bothersome to me. This blade also has the 2 different "clash" sounds, including the one with the cool deep hum that a lightsaber makes while whooshing through the air without hitting anything, so I prefer the sounds made by the Episode II/Clones blade.
Quickie Summary:
Pros:
+) Lights up with a cool blue glow (not quite the same as what you see in the movies, but decent enough)
+) Makes 5 different lightsaber sounds just like what you hear in the movies
+) 2 different "clash" sounds (including the deeper swooshing hum)
+) Automatic shut off after a few minutes
+) Sturdy toy stands up well to rough play
Cons:
-) Is the heaviest of all of our lightsabers
-) When closing the blade/beam it is possible to get fingers pinched in the telescoping sections
-) You need at least 2 lightsabers for a cool duel
-) Blade/beam portion doesn't collapse all the way (due to light and sound mechanisms stored in the handle)
Final Thoughts:
My husband and I are both Star Wars fans (my son is a bit too young and hasn't seen the movies yet) and we find it rather cool to have "real" lightsabers that sound like those we've grown up seeing. My son is one of those "boy's boys" - with no toy guns he will use a french fry or a home-made Lego-gun to shoot, and has made swords from K'Nex and Tinkertoys, so any qualms I had against buying him a "weapon" didn't last long, since he makes his own weapons anyway (I don't know where he gets these ideas, honest!) These lightsaber toys have gotten a lot of use at our house, and get my boy actively engaged with his father, so I don't have any complaints. Overall, this one is my personal favorite lightsaber toy (not counting the Master Replicas Collectible, which isn't really a toy).
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): ?? 19.99 ??
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Epinions.com ID:
mizgnomer
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Location: Tennessee
Reviews written: 306
Trusted by: 202 members
About Me:
Don't meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you're crunchy and taste good with ketchup
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