Toys : Hasbro Star Wars Transformers Darth Vader/Death Star

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Rating:

- Some hints on getting it together
I agree with all the other reviewers that it's very hard to get it to transform from Darth Vader into the Death Star. I would be stunned if any 6-year-old (my son's age) is able to assemble it having seen somebody else do it, to say nothing of trying to get it from the instructions.

Nevertheless, it's pretty cool once it's in Death Star mode. My son isn't too excited about the Darth Vader mode, but he has been playing with it some as the Death Star. I don't think it's going to keep his attention for too long, though. I'm still marveling at the feat of engineering creating this thing must have been (difficulty of assembly notwithstanding).

While the transformer itself seems very solid, the accessories are not so well constructed. The laser beam and light saber are both very easily bent, and the tie fighters are also pretty soft plastic. As for the arm pieces coming off, I'm not sure that isn't by design (same with the feet, which, at least to me, look like space ships).

For all of you still struggling to put it together, here are some written tips:

* Make sure that his legs are folded all the way up. The trigger for the gun (which is placed between his legs) needs to be activated by pushing his head forward once the Death Star is assembled.
* Make sure to pull the spring-loaded section on his back all the way out. It should click into place. I didn't do this at first and it's impossible to assemble if you don't.
* After the legs are folded up and the bottom cap has been swung into place, start at the back spring-loaded section and snap pieces into place, moving around to the front -- first one side and then the other. Leave the two top sections (the ones with the little doors to reveal Darth's head) for last.
* To get the last two sections in place, look for a little plastic hook on the bottom corners (nearest the back spring-loaded section). For each one, swivel the part so that that hook catches first, then rotate it into place.

Good luck!

Rating:

- I'd rather chew on tin foil than pick this up again.
I received this from my step-daughter because she knows how much I love Star Wars. The only thing preventing me from returning it is that she's 7 and will be very hurt if she no longer sees it displayed in the house.

Yes, it took at least an hour for me to transform it. The instructions were so bad that I found it easier to not use them. It seemed more like a puzzle than a toy that way, and that made the process slightly more bearable. Granted, there were still the problems with the pieces not fitting together too well- and random parts of the shell popping off when you try to fit them into place- but it was 'slightly' more bearable.

I refuse to transform it back. I have much better things to do with my time.

I would not buy this for anyone, ever.

Rating:

- HARD TO PUT TOGETHER
This might be a fun toy if it didn't drive everyone crazy. My son wanted to transform vader into the death star immediately. My husband tried, I tried. It is the day after Christmas now and the toy is laying in a heap. The manufacturer should give written instructions not lame illustrations. My advise is choose something else.

Rating:

- Wow, What a Pain!
My 10 year old son got this from his grandfather for Christmas. My son is very good at working through things, builds complicated Lego sets easily and creates many of his own all the time. He was very excited to get this toy and went right at it, but was frusrated very quickly. After about 1/2 hour of messing with it I jumped in to help, and the result wasn't much better. Bit by bit we started to make it transform, but it was a terrible process. We wrestled with the thing for over an hour before we were really close to finishing, and then it was another 15 or so minutes trying to get the last couple pieces fit in just right.

As someone else stated, the instructions are small and difficult to decipher. They are all just pictures, which wouldn't be a problem if they weren't so small and undetailed. The pieces to move are highlighted, but it doesn't give much guidance in that. The last piece we couldn't get to work in wouldn't fit because Darth's hand was twisted around the wrong way. We had it palm out instead of the other way around, not a huge difference but enough I guess, but there is no way to know that through the instructions. If something that minor is a problem, it should be in there.

The box says for ages 5+. Don't believe it. And don't attempt this unless you've got mountains of patience. Neat idea, and my son had fun with the noises and such, but wow, what a pain. Ours also came without a cape, though my son wasn't overly concerned about it.

Rating:

- Didn't they play-test this hunk of plastic?
I'm a big fan of all the smaller new Transformer figures. My 7-year-old is a fanatic and plays with them for hours. I thought the Darth Vader Transformer would be great for him, but this thing is extremely difficult to assemble into the Death Star form. I spent two hours out of the box and much irritation and mumbled swearing later managed to get it finished.

My know-it-all 12-year old told me I was too old to understand these toys and said he could do it with no problem. 45 minutes later he came into the living room and said, "This is stupid ~ how do they expect anyone to put this together?"

It got a LITTLE easier after I assembled it a few times, but even after I got the process down and tried to explain it to my sons (both of them), they were unable to complete it without my help. Plus, some of the pieces ~ in particular, the Death Star "shell" pieces attached to his arms ~ keep popping off at inopportune times.

In all, I wish I'd save the $50 and bought five smaller Transformers. Now I have a useless hunk of plastic sitting in the bottom of my son's closet.

In general, way too complicated and the tolerances for fitting together are too exact. Certainly not recommended for anyone under the age of 50.

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