Hasbro Red Two X-Wing Fighter

Nerd alert. If this post doesn't elevate me to true geekdom, nothing will.

As I kid, I grew up with Star Wars. I saw the movies, read the books, bought the toys, even ate the breakfast cereal. It wasn't just a hobby. It went beyond obsession. It was a fact of life. There was food, air, Star Wars.

My childhood influenced my adulthood. I still worship at the altar of Lucas, even when I'm forced to admit that some of his more recent works haven't matched the quality of his seminal masterpiece. But I still watch the movies, read the books, and -when I can convince myself nobody is looking- buy the toys (I've given up on the breakfast cereal on my doctor's recommendation).

The toy every Star Wars fan wanted, of course, was the Millennium Falcon. I never got it, but my best friend did so it was almost as good. But what I lusted after almost as much was the X-Wing fighter. Now there was some sleek military hardware!

I'm all grown up now and can buy my own toys these days (again, when nobody is watching me). When I saw Hasbro's new Red Two X-Wing Fighter, it didn't take me long to pull out my wallet.

This toy puts the original to shame. Kenner's model was short and stubby, completely out of scale. This new model is leaner and longer. It also has much more detail, not only in the molding but in the painted details. The only thing the original Kenner toy were the electronics; the original had sound and a light-up "laser" on the nose. But Hasbro's model boasts an R2 Astromech droid and a well-articulated action figure of Wedge "Red Two" Antilles (not to mention two ladders, which excites the Star Wars toy community to no end for some reason). Even the box was well-designed, with the interior packaging laid out in an appealing mini diorama.


Yeah, in the end it's just a toy that which ultimately will end up sitting in a corner collecting dust. But it's well put together kit and even mumble-mumble years later, the kid in me still appreciates a good toy.