Hasbro Star Wars Galactic Heroes Figures

...and it wasn't long before HASBRO realised that these miniature Star Wars Junior figures were rapidly becoming the most sought after Star Wars toys of 2002. Their response was simple ... they purchased the rights to the Star Wars Junior franchise and renamed them "GALACTIC HEROES" !!!

== GALACTIC HEROES ==

Galactic Heroes were initially sold in packs of two figures. Wave 1 was based on the Star Wars Episode ...
...time of writing this review Hasbro have released 21 Waves of Galactic Heroes 2-Pack Figures as well as 30 Vehicles, Cinema Scenes and a number of special Galactic Heroes figures.

Standard Galactic Heroes 2-Packs are sold everywhere these days and can be found in toy shops, supermarkets and department stores ... they sell for around £3.99 and as each new "wave" is released they tend to sell out very quickly.

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INTRODUCTION

In 2002 Toy Company PLAYSKOOL took it's first steps into the Star Wars Galaxy and produced a set of Star Wars figures aimed specifically at younger children. These figures were called "THE STAR WARS JUNIOR COLLECTION". The first set that was ever produced was based on the movie THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and was called THE STOMPIN' WAMPA. This playset featured cute and dinky versions of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo as well an adorable Taun Taun and a chunky looking Wampa.

On the packaging PLAYSKOOL added the following decription ...

"While patroling the ice planet Hoth on a gentle tauntaun, Luke Skywalker is captured by a nasty wampa who is stompin' mad. But our hero Luke is soon joined by his friend Han Solo, and together they force the wampa to cool it !"

THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE ...

PLAYSKOOL also released 5 other sets in the Star Wars Junior Collection ... Arena Adventure, Duel With Darth Maul, Fast Through the Forest, Millennium Falcon Adventure and X-Wing Adventure. The "cuteness" of the miniature figures added to the coolness of the "chunky" creatures and spaceships proved extremely popular with both younger Star Wars and established collectors and these early sets very quickly sold out !

It was clear that PLAYSKOOL had succeeded in capturing the action and adventure of the Star Wars Saga and had made it more accessible to younger children ... and it wasn't long before HASBRO realised that these miniature Star Wars Junior figures were rapidly becoming the most sought after Star Wars toys of 2002. Their response was simple ... they purchased the rights to the Star Wars Junior franchise and renamed them "GALACTIC HEROES" !!!

GALACTIC HEROES

Galactic Heroes were initially sold in packs of two figures. Wave 1 was based on the Star Wars Episode 4 (A New Hope) and featured the following characters;

• Darth Vader & Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Luke Skywalker & R2-D2
• C-3PO & Chewbacca
• Princess Leia & Han Solo

These Galactic Heroes looked exactly like the Star Wars Junior figures that had been created by Playskool and they proved just as popular. Also because they were now being sold in two figure packs (rather than as playsets) they were also significantly cheaper and had a certain "collectability" factor about them. And, whilst younger fans still wanted them so that they could play with their favourite Star Wars characters, adult collectors were just as eager to buy Galactic Heroes too ... It wasn't long until the next "wave" of Galactic Heroes was announced and, shortly after that, the first Galactic Heroes Vehicles and Cinema Scenes were released.

THE GALACTIC HEROES RANGE

At the time of writing this review Hasbro have released 21 Waves of Galactic Heroes 2-Pack Figures as well as 30 Vehicles, Cinema Scenes and a number of special Galactic Heroes figures.

Standard Galactic Heroes 2-Packs are sold everywhere these days and can be found in toy shops, supermarkets and department stores ... they sell for around £3.99 and as each new "wave" is released they tend to sell out very quickly.

The Galactic Heroes Vehicles released to date include Darth Vader's Tie Fighter, Luke Skywalker's X-Wing Fighter and The Millennium Falcon. Each vehicle comes with either a single Galactic Heroes figure or a handful of figures/accessories. Vehicles range from £7.99 up to £49.99 and can be found in most specialist toy stores.

The Galactic Heroes Cinema Scenes Packs are particularly impressive as they recreate a famous scene from the Star Wars Saga and contain several new and exclusive Galactic Heroes figures ... the most sought after Cinema Scenes include DEATH STAR ESCAPE (featuring Luke and Han disguised as Stormtroopers) and VADER'S BOUNTY HUNTERS (featuring everyone's favourite Bounty Hunter Boba Fett). These usually sell for around £30 but again sell out quickly ... I have seen several Cinema Scenes selling for crazy money in Sci Fi Stores such as Forbidden Planet (so please shop around).

In the last twelve months Hasbro UK have also released single Galactic Heroes figures which were sold at various Supermarkets. Retaling at just £1.50 these were essentially pocket money collectables and introduced many new collectors to the Galactic Heroes range ...

GALACTIC HEROES ... GREAT FOR KIDS !

Kids love Galactic Heroes because they have the "cuteness factor" ... and when you see them close up you realise what a fantastic idea it was to produce chunky miniature versions of some of the most iconic movie characters of all time. However, as a parent I also think that Hasbro have got these Galactic Heroes figures spot on because unlike many other Star Wars Figures they are exremely safe for younger children to play with because they have no small accessories that can be lost or even worse ... swallowed.

GALACTIC HEROES ... GREAT FOR BIG KIDS !

The cuteness factor that kids find so appealing also makes Galactic Heroes popular with adult collectors and Star Wars fans. I know several friends of mine who have artistically arranged Galactic Heroes figures on top of their computer monitors at work and in my local post office there is even a Galactic Heroes Yoda blue-tacked to the clock. Personally I own several Galactic Heroes figures (which often find their way into my little boys toy box) and when I go on an interview I always put my Galactic Heroes R2-D2 in my pocket for luck !!!

FINAL THOUGHTS

When Playskool created Star Wars Junior figures they created something unique. Hasbro of course knew this and have gone on to deliver an entire collection of fantastic Galactic Heroes figures. They are ideal for younger fans in terms of durability and safety and make fantastic (yet affordable) gifts for fans and collectors.

For a full list and visual guide of all the Galactic Heroes figures that have been released to date please use the link provided below ...

http://www.rebelscum.com/ch-GH.asp

And, finally, if you have a favourite Star Wars charcacter then why not treat yourself to the Galactic Heroes version and stand it proudly on your desk or dashboard !!!
 

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