Ultimate Bounty - SW [S - P2] - Multipacks (Exclusive)

Bounty hunters enjoy a thriving business in the galaxy. Under the restrictive rule of the Empire, citizens are often named "enemies of the state" and rewards are posted for their capture. Many bounty hunters are criminals themselves and act in dangerous and violent ways with the sanction of Imperial law. They hunt the innocent and guilty alike, caring only for their reward and not at all concerned with justice. Only a few work with the legitimate intention of capturing actual fugitives. As a whole, the profession is distinguished by outstanding slime.

The Star Wars “Saga” line was all about housing the, well, Star Wars saga under one banner. Although the new Star Wars film Attack Of The Clones was front and center, Hasbro felt strongly that the other films should be fairly represented in the toy line. It was quite an undertaking. How do you keep the line fresh and new, while keeping major characters and vehicles alongside of the figures, as well as introduce never before released items as well. They seemed to have succeeded. But in keeping with that mixed hybrid theme, they also produced store exclusives which celebrated multiple films at once. One such example was the Toys R Us exclusive Ultimate Bounty set. Although primarily based on characters from Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the set also brought forth a character from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and her vehicle from the Expanded Universe (a first time offering). Completely made up of repaints, save for the Swoop Bike, collectors found the set to be fun and needed and something they would want to secure for their collections. Set at a reasonable $19.99, the new vehicle made this worth the purchase. What’s more, the bike was designed to accommodate the previously released Aurra Sing action figure. In all honesty. There really wasn’t much to complain about here. Even the repacks were nice to see again even if they needed updating at this point. Granted, we feel at this stage in the game, most of us are just hoping for all-new sculpts now.

Aurra Sing is a repaint of 2001’s POTJ Aura Sing (Bounty Hunter) figure. She has received a distinctly dirtier paint job this time around. But the sculpt and accessories are identical to the 2001 release. Hasbro actually tooled her Swoop Bike (from Star Wars: Republic: Outlander – the 1999 comic series) and we have to say that we’re completely impressed with it. It has been tooled with the Aurra Sing figure in mind and she looks wonderful piloting it. It may appear clunky when compared to the bike we see in the comics, but it is our opinion for all intents and purposes that Hasbro manufactured a fair vehicle for her. The skull that sits atop her handlebars is stunning. And the bike in general has received a stunning paint job from head to toe. When in park, the vehicle maintains its balance beautifully. But then you can place the bike in “take off” mode and the landing gear folds under an dup into the Swoop Bike’s body and becomes the exhaust pipes for it. It’s pretty cool and works quite well. Also, the Swoop Bike immediately attains a more streamlined and thinner appearance when not in the landed position. It’s hard to say if Aurra Sing looks better than the 2001 release. The paint operations are certainly different than before, but both figures look pretty good. Perhaps this time Aurra Sing looks a little bit more earthen than the previous release. But it was fair to release her again for new fans of The Phantom Menace, or bounty hunters in general.

The other three figures in this set are Boba Fett, Bossk and IG-88. Admittedly these are old versions of these characters too. Hasbro made some enhancements, but they also left off important details too on some of them. We’ll go through them all. Boba Fett is a repaint of 2000’s POTJ Boba Fett (300th Figure) figure. The paint operations are noticeably different this time and he still comes with all of the same accessories, save for the projectile. You only get the rocket this time to place into his jetpack. The figure looks fantastic of course, but he also has limited articulation. This is definitely a figure that looks best on display. Bossk is a repaint of 1997’s POTF2 [FF/TKC] Bossk figure. Despite the fact that this figure still looks great, it is now outdated and needs a complete refresh at this point. Sadly, Hasbro neglected to put on the signature patches/insignias we see on his shoulders in the film. The yellow suit really looks off without these enhancement. It’s a shame Hasbro forgot about them here. He still comes with the same accessories. IG-88 is a repaint of 2001’s POTJ IG-88 (Bounty Hunter) figure. This droid is still too short and has uneven legs and a poor posture. It is frustrating to stand it up in your collection or on a shelf. It’s time to revisit this character from the ground up. IG-88 still comes with a removable bandolier and blaster rifle. Each figure comes with a clear display stand as well. This set is a whole lot of fun and will be a great introduction to new Star Wars fans. And the new vehicle is a plus for longtime collectors.