Micro Machines Battle for Jakku and Space Pursuit Deluxe Packs

New Star Wars Micro Machines have been a little thin on the ground lately, but now we've finally seen two new deluxe packs hitting stores here in New Zealand - "Battle for Jakku" and "Space Pursuit". The two packs are in plentiful supply at most Warehouse stores for $22.99 each.

Both of these sets are heavy on repacks, but fortunately a number of these (including the FO Special Force TIE Fighter, FO Transport, and T-70 X-Wing) work well as army-builders. The big attraction of these new sets is the handful of new vehicles, however - the battle-damaged Star Destroyer (the Inflictor) in the "Battle for Jakku" pack, and the Resistance Troop Transport and Quadjumper in the "Space Pursuit" pack. The minifigures (Kylo Ren and FN-2187 in the former pack, and Han Solo and the First Order Stormtrooper in the latter) are all debuts too.

These two sets are part of the new 'Gold Series' line, with one vehicle in each set being painted in a metallic gold finish. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% happy with this particular gimmick. Call me old-fashioned, but my preference is for a polychromatic screen-accurate version of each vehicle. The gold Falcon is tolerable, as we've already had multiple chances at picking this one up. The Resistance Troop Transport is a different story, however. This is the first time we've seen a Micro Machines incarnation of this ship, and sadly, it comes in a gaudy gold. Those of us wanting the polychromatic version will have to wait for Wave 4 of the blind bags (the release of which are highly sporadic here) or the upcoming Resistance Base 3-Pack (which, thanks to my buddy Daniel, is currently winging its way here from the US).

May 2016 KZone Magazine with Lego 30278 Poe's X-Wing Mini Building Set

As well as containing some brief Force Awakens coverage and a 12-page Star Wars Rebels comic, the May 2016 issue of KZone magazine also comes with a Lego 30278 Poe's X-Wing model. The magazine is priced at $6.90, and has been spotted at most magazine retailers throughout New Zealand.

I've always had a weak spot for the Lego Star Wars mini sets, and Poe's X-Wing is an excellent addition to the range. The silhouette is spot-on, and the black and orange colour scheme makes for a striking build. The final product has the wings oriented differently than in the film (with the lower wing facing backwards, instead of forwards), but this is easily swapped if you're after a more screen-accurate appearance.

Lego sets - especially Star Wars Lego sets - don't come cheap, so this is a great little freebie to get your hands on!

Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer Playset

Along with the First Order Stormtrooper set, Whitcoulls recently also reduced their Micro Machines First Order Star Destroyer playset from $89.99 to a very reasonable $40.00. This is another set I'd had my eye on for some time, but had been put off by the price. I'm happy to finally have one in my collection now, though!

This set comes with twice as many vehicles as the smaller character playsets, and includes Finn, Kylo Ren, Poe Dameron's X-Wing, and a First Order Special Forces TIE Fighter. The set opens up to reveal a miniaturised version of the Star Destroyer's hangar, including a flight wand, rotating cannons, and a spring-loaded missile launcher. Perhaps coolest of all, however, is the central rack that can store up to three TIE Fighters ready for flight.

As with the Stormtrooper set - if you've been tempted by one of these in the past, now is the time to scoop one up!

Micro Machines First Order Stormtrooper Playset

It's now almost eight months since merchandise for The Force Awakens first hit stores, and we're now starting to see some great discounts on remaining stock. There were a couple of Micro Machines playsets that caught my eye back in September, but their high price kept them off my hunt list. One of these was the First Order Stormtrooper Playset. Originally retailing for up to $49.99, Whitcoulls recently put these on clearance for only $15.00.

The set opens up to reveal a miniaturised version of the Jakku village that features in the opening scenes of The Force Awakens. Also included are a Poe Dameron micro figure and an exclusive 'dirty' First Order troop transport. It's a fantastic set - but it's a little hard to justify the original price tag of almost $50.00. Compared to the similar Micro Machines Star Wars playsets of the late '90s, this one is definitely found wanting. Whereas older sets would come with a handful of action features, this one only comes with one: a spinning 'flight wand'. The inclusion of only a single figure (compared to the usual five or six of older sets) is also a little disappointing.

That being said, it's excellent value for the clearance price of $15.00. If you've been tempted by one of these in past, I strongly recommend dropping by your nearest Whitcoulls and nabbing one while they last!

Star Wars Rogue One Hasbro Product Packaging Unveiled

Earlier this month, StarWars.com gave us our first look at the packaging for the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story product line. Like earlier ranges, the packaging focuses on a single iconic character - in this case, the mysterious new black-armoured trooper seen in the recently released teaser trailer.

This design is another entry in Hasbro's long line of distinctive Star Wars product lines. It's great to see some old-school vehicles like the AT-AT featuring so prominently, and I particularly love the stark monochromatic colour scheme. Now we just have to wait until 30th September 2016 to see what goodies will be wrapped in this packaging!

What are your thoughts on the new Rogue One packaging design? Be sure to share them with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

The Force Awakens Blu-Ray Steelbook

Last week, The Force Awakens had it's home theatre release here in New Zealand. Four different options were available in stores: Digital HD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and a Blu-Ray steelbook version exclusive to JB Hi-Fi. My parents kindly bought me a pre-order of the steelbook for Easter, and by last Wednesday I finally had my very own copy of the movie to take home!

The case is absolutely gorgeous. It features an image of Kylo Ren on the front cover, and Captain Phasma on the rear - both of which are embellished with reflective highlights courtesy of the steel case. The lining is also adorned with that infamous image of the Falcon from the first teaser trailer.

JB Hi-Fi went all out to celebrate the home video release of The Force Awakens. 

The steelbook version of The Force Awakens comes both a Digital HD version of the film, as well as two Blu-Ray discs. The first disc contains the feature film, while the second holds a swathe of special features. Among these is a fantastic hour-long behind-the-scenes documentary, as well as seven short featurettes focussing on different aspects of the film-making process (you can see a full list of these here). Also included are a handful of deleted scenes. They're short, but provide a fascinating insight into a few extra plot points that might have been.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Teaser Trailer Released

As if the home video release of The Force Awakens hadn't made this week exciting enough for Star Wars fans, we've now also been surprised with the teaser trailer for the first Star Wars stand-alone film Rogue One. Check it out below!

While I'd been mildly excited for this film up until now, the teaser trailer has thrown me into full-blown anticipation mode. None of us really knew what to expect from these "Star Wars Story" films - but if this trailer is indication of what's in store, it seems we've got nothing to worry about. While The Force Awakens paid subtle homage to the original trilogy, Rogue One has utterly immersed itself in the world of those films. Everything is jarringly familiar: the costumes, the vehicles, the sets - even that familiar klaxon that blares throughout the second half of the trailer. If you're a dyed-in-the-wool devotee of the first three films, then this may very well be the new Star Wars movie you've been looking for.

What are your thoughts on the teaser trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? Be sure to let us know via Facebook or Twitter, or by sending an email to relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

More Kinder Surprise Star Wars Character / Vehicle Toys

Back in February, I wrote about the new Kinder Surprise character / vehicle toys that were beginning to turn up in stores. Last weekend I received another three-pack from my partner's mum and her partner for Easter. This time around, I scored Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia.

These characters come astride three iconic ships from A New Hope - the TIE Advanced, an X-Wing Fighter, and the Tantive IV. There's only nine characters in this set, so I'm pretty stoked that I've managed to get six unique characters from six eggs!

Star Wars Easter Goodies

With all of the excitement surrounding The Force Awakens, it was inevitable that we'd see a range of Star Wars-themed Easter treats in stores this year. Over the weekend, I was lucky enough to be given a bunch of these goodies by my nearest and dearest.

Park Avenue (the company responsible for my Star Wars Christmas stocking and last year's Star Wars Easter goodies) put out two great tins - one featuring Kylo Ren (from my partner) and the other featuring Darth Vader and Stormtroopers (from my parents). Both tins feature fantastic embossed designs and contain a number of hollow milk chocolate Easter eggs. Also included in the Park Avenue range was a First Order Stormtrooper egg and bags of "exploding" Death Star-shaped chocolate popping candy balls (both of which came from my girlfriend's mum and her partner along with a three-pack of the new Star Wars Kinder Surprise eggs).

Did you receive any Star Wars-themed Easter goodies? If you did, be sure to share them with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Vintage Collection 3 3/4" VC53 Bom Vimdin and VC56 Kithaba

With it's gorgeous detailing and superb articulation, Hasbro's Vintage Collection represented the pinnacle of 3 3/4" Star Wars action figures. Every now and then a few more of these figures will trickle out of store rooms and on to shelves. This is exactly what happened a few weeks ago when I spotted this VC53 Bom Vimdin and VC56 Kithaba reduced down to $5.00 at the Wellington Farmers and Moore Wilson's stores respectively.

Ordinarily, characters like Bom Vimdin and Kithaba would fall slightly outside of my collecting focus (which tends to aim for main characters and military figures). Nevertheless, it was difficult to turn these down at such a great price. As with most of the figures in the Vintage Collection line, both Bom and Kithaba have a generous fifteen points of articulation and phenomenal paint jobs. Bom comes with a blaster pistol, blaster rifle, working holster, and even a cup of blue milk! Kithaba is instead packed with a blaster pistol, staff, working holster, and a removable ammo satchel around his neck.

While I've come to terms with Hasbro's return to 5POA, it's figures like this that give me a painful reminder of just how good we had it in previous years. Either way, Bom Vimdin and Kithaba will both make great companions to my 3 3/4" Jabba set!

Star Wars Is Everywhere - New World Thorndon Supermarket Baking

It looks like the staff at the New World Thorndon supermarket have been bitten by the Force Awakens bug. Over recent weeks, a number of incredible Star Wars-themed creations have been turning up in their bakery!

Have you seen any Star Wars-inspired baking around your town? If you have, be sure to share it with us via Twitter or Facebook, or by emailing relicsoftheforce@gmail.com!

Darth Vader Claw Machine Plush Toy

A few weeks ago, the claw-machine at the Newtown Countdown supermarket was restocked with a line of Star Wars plush toys. I sunk a few dollars into the machine, but the claw got the better of me. That all changed last weekend, however, when my partner gave it another crack and won this fantastic little Darth Vader.

The same toys have been popping up in other Countdown claw-machines, but I'm yet to see these retail in any other New Zealand stores. That added rarity just makes these cuddly little guys even cooler collectibles though!

The Force Awakens Coming to Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD in April

Yesterday, StarWars.com announced that The Force Awakens will be released on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital HD this April. You can watch the in-home trailer (containing some spoilers) below.

The film will be available on Digital HD from April 1st, with the Blu-Ray and DVD versions hitting shelves on April 5th in the USA and April 13th here in New Zealand. The 2-disc Blu-Ray will come with a raft of special features, including:

• Secrets of The Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey – For the first time, discover the complete story behind the making of The Force Awakens, revealed through in-depth footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers in this feature documentary.
• The Story Awakens: The Table Read – Cast members familiar and new reflect on the memorable day they all first came together to read the movie’s script.
• Building BB-8 – See how the filmmakers brought the newest droid to the screen, creating an instant fan favorite in the Star Wars universe.
• Crafting Creatures – Watch movie magic as the filmmakers bring a cast of new creatures to life.
• Blueprint of a Battle: The Snow Fight – Go deeper into the epic, climactic lightsaber battle between Rey and Kylo Ren.
• John Williams: The Seventh Symphony – The legendary composer shares personal insights of his work on Star Wars and The Force Awakens.
• ILM: The Visual Magic of The Force – An insider’s look into the remarkable digital artistry of the movie’s visual effects.
• Force For Change – Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. See how the Star Wars: Force for Change initiative has united Star Wars fans all over the globe to help others.
• Deleted Scenes

Mighty Ape currently has the Blu-Ray and DVD listed for $39.99 and $32.99 respectively. JB Hi-Fi will be selling the Blu-Ray and DVD for the slightly cheaper prices of $34.00 and $28.00, while also stocking an exclusive steelbook version of the Blu-Ray for $44.00.

[Update: The prices in the original version of this post were mistakenly taken from the Australian (not New Zealand) JB Hi-Fi website. These have now been amended. Apologies to anyone for the confusion!]