TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Box Art:

Dennis's review of: Darth Vader

Name: Darth Vader
Function: Dark lord of the Sith
First apearance: Starwars Episode IV: A New Hope

As a sinister Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader is on a mission to crush the Rebellion and bring young Luke Skywalker before the Emperor. Using his power of the dark side, Vader changes into his Advanced TIE Fighter mode and combs the galaxy for Skywalker, destroying all Rebel ships, pirate fleets and asteroids that get in his way.


Actually, I'm not sure about that first appearance thing because A New Hope came before Revenge of the Sith so I don’t know how to count it. But anyway, I was a bit skeptical of the SWTFs at first. But, when I found two of them on an auction site, I just couldn't resist it. Turns out they're quite decent.

Vehicle mode:

Darth Vader’s vehicle mode is that of a Tie advanced, his own personal prototype. It hides the mech mode kind of well if you don't count the chest underneath and the fact that a giant Vader head hangs upside down in the cockpit hatch. The two light sabers can be used as missiles that fire from two spring-loaded slots in a place behind the wings/solar panels.
This is a really nice mode, but the seat for the mini-figure is too small and it's a pain in the ass to get him in properly.

Mech mode:

To transform Vader, eject the light sabers and put them aside because there's a big chance that you'll accidentally press the buttons and loose them. Remove the "wings" and put them aside as well. Now pull the sides apart and slide the little buttons out to reveal the fists. Pull down on the blue areas and twist them to form proper knees and flip the feet out. Extend the arms to their full length and flip the ship’s hull plates so that they're out of the way. Open the hatch and flip the Vader head out (also reposition the tiny Darth Vader so that he sits in the hatch) and attach it to the "window". Reattach the solid wing to his arm to form a shield and the non-solid wing to his back and split the end up to form a cape.

This mode resembles the Dark Sith on every square centimeter. Every little detail is top notch. He's got a heavy load of articulation, too. His head can twist, his shoulders rotate and bend, and his elbows twist and bend, too. Same goes for the legs. Although his shield hinders the motion of the arm severely, it's your choice to keep it on or off. His colours are the same as in the vehicle mode but he gains a little more black and some red and silver detailing.

Transformation: 4. Not that advanced for a tie-advanced but pretty straightforward and functional.

Durability: 10. Vader is very sturdy.

Fun: 9. No, Luke, I am your father

Price: 8. I got him for 260 sek + shipping

Overall: 9. It's Darth Vader and a transformer, too. What more do you want?