So let's get the boring stuff out of the way. This set debuted in August, along with a B-Wing, the Mos Eisley Cantina, the AT-AT, and the Imperial Star Destroyer, all of which I plan on reviewing in the coming weeks. The Snowspeeder MSRP is $29.99 and comes with 279 pieces with three minifigures.
The Minifigures
So the first minifigure I'll be touching on is Luke Skywalker. If this isn't the first Star Wars set you've purchased, you probably have plenty of Luke minis lying around, especially in his flight suit. Of course, this being the latest release, this is the only one with this much detail. As you can see, the printing on the mini is actually incredibly detailed. This version of our hero comes with pockets and straps added to the legs, even adding wrinkles in the suit as if it was worn by a real person. I also really like the way the back of the flight vest is printed slightly askew. It just adds an extra bit of detail that makes the design all the more impressive. From what I can remember, this set is also the first to come with white hands/gloves on their flight suits.
Luke comes with a double sided head: one side with his flight visor down and a stern look on his face; the other with his visor up and a more playful smirk. I must say that while I appreciate the extra detail that goes into the newer figures, I could do without the extra lines on Luke's face. It just makes him look much older than the character should be. He's also wielding his classic blue light saber and flight helmet.
Next we have Dak Raltar. His flight suit is the same as Luke's so I won't be going into it's details again. Dak also comes with a double sided head: one side with a smile; the other with a look of shock, or maybe fear on his face. Both sides have his flight visor down. He comes with a flight helmet, with blue printing instead of Luke's red, and a standard pistol.
I really like the Snowtrooper. The printing on the front and back is well done, and the backpack being a separate piece from the minifigure is great, giving it a bit more depth. In standard enemy fashion, the Snowtrooper only comes with a single-sided head wearing a scowling expression. He is "evil" after all. From what I can tell, this version of the snowtrooper is the only version to come with the skirt depicted in The Empire Strikes Back. The Snowtrooper comes with a helmet and a battle rifle.
While this isn't a minifigure, I do see the Tripod Gun as more of an accessory for the Snowtrooper. It's a cool set piece that looks great. I do wish there was a swivel or some other joint built into the piece to help with playability. And maybe another snowtrooper tossed in to help man the thing, but maybe I'm asking too much of a $30 set. Although this is supposed to be a companion piece to the AT-AT, which does come with a few more enemy minifigures.
The Snowspeeder
This is actually the third version of the Snowspeeder that I've owned, the first being the Lego System 7130 Snowspeeder, the other being the 8089 Hoth Wampa Cave, so it's been pretty neat to see the evolution of this vehicle over the past 15 years. While I no longer have the original snowspeeder, I did have the most recent snowspeeder readily available, so scroll further down for pictures of that vehicle for comparison,
As for this version, I thought it was really well done and a great step up from the previous versions, which was a concern for me. I considered skipping this release, but am ultimately happy I didn't.
The overall feel of the build is very sturdy. It feels densely built, which is due to it's rather compact design. The use of the new blaster design (which actually fires and comes with five stud projectiles) as the rear cannon is a great addition to the set. The harpoon cable is also very solid, even incorporating a stud to allow it to attached to almost any set piece or vehicle, regardless of size. The underside of the ship also incorporates two spring-loaded missiles, so you no longer have to pretend the Snowspeeder is firing on the enemy snowtroopers.
The Verdict
I'm very pleased with this set. If you already have a version of the Snowspeeder, this might not be a must buy, but it's still worth the purchase. The printing and detail on the minifigures is absolutely fantastic, and the snowspeeder itself is really well done. I have absolutely no qualms about recommending this set for children or adult collectors.
So pick this up, the AT-AT, and go on recreating the Battle of Hoth. You won't regret it.
And if you were wondering what the differences between the modern snowspeeder and the 8089 version, here's a couple comparison shots. For the most part, the design is pretty much the same, which makes sense since it's based on a movie vehicle. The colors are different, the older set using more orange (although this is to differentiate Luke's snowspeeder from Zev Senesca's snowspeeder). The rear blaster is also different, only moving up and down instead of side to side on the modern version. The older snowspeeder is also lower to the ground due to the lack of wedge pieces propping it up.
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