Millennium Falcon Playset

One of the best toys going if you were old enough to remember the release of Star Wars in 1977, or its sequels in subsequent years, was the Millennium Falcon. Often considered to be one of the coolest spaceships ever designed, the Millennium Falcon is a smuggling cargo ship captained by Han Solo, with his first mate, Chewbacca, the Wookiee.

Hasbro, in one of toy history's most famous lines ever, created 3.5-inch action figures based on the Star Wars film. Not long after came the Millennium Falcon, a clunky toy that wasn't exactly scale-perfect. Its cockpit, designed to fit a few of the 3.5-inch figures inside, was too large for the rest of the body, and while it had space inside to play out your favorite scenes from the film, the space was cramped and not overly detailed. Still, many Star Wars fans loved that playset and still do.

But thay haven't seen anything yet.

Skip forward 30 years. Hasbro is still making 3.5-inch figures from the same movies, along with films that have been released since, as well as figures from novels, comic books, games and other sources of lore in the Star Wars universe.

And still one of the most popular space ships ever is the Millennium Falcon. Hasbro knows this, and recently released a new 2.5-foot-long Millennium Falcon playset that makes the old one feel like you're playing in a Sarlacc pit.

Packaged in a huge box with vividly colored images from the film featuring a large Falcon on the front and a large image of the opened-up toy on the back with a collage of feature photos, this thing is a very large toy. A window at the top of the front of the box reveals the 3.5-inch figures of Han Solo and Chewbacca.

It also includes a 10-page instruction booklet showing how to put the ship together and where to apply stickers. The set requires three AA batteries.

Not quite like dusting crops

Yes, as the box warns, there is "some assembly required," and that includes applying about 30 stickers. But once that's done, the manual begins explaining the many play features. Four pages alone deal with the exterior features, including 13 switches, some of which activate different sounds and features depending on how long you hold them down.

Starting with the top, there is a sliding switch that rotates the laser cannon on the top of the ship. When the cannon hits barriers to either side, spring-loaded missiles fire, while laser sounds play.

A switch on the neck of the cockpit produces various sound samples, such as "She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid," and "Chewie, get us out of here!" just to mention two, as well as engine sounds that include a breakdown and fail sound, as heard in the film.

A series of three buttons together on the hull activate various engine sounds, and those depend on the state of other switches. For example, if the engine is on, switch number 8 plays a flyby, but if the engine is not on, it plays a startup sequence. The engine lights up with cool blue light.

Other switches play boost and cruise sounds or battle sounds and dialogue, including "Great, kid, don't get cocky!"

The boarding ramp is activated and lowers automatically when you press switch number 9. You have to close it manually, but that's still cool. Lights illuminate the ramp entranceway.

Three more buttons fire missiles from the front of the Falcon. Lights light the front mandibles as well. A hatchway on the side opens (to appropriate sounds) to reveal a mini-fighter, which can accommodate one figure and has its own firing missile. (Perhaps this is one of the escape pods alluded to in the first film?)

Inside features are also many, including a light-up dijarek table with translucent pieces, so R2-D2 can let the Wookiee win. The surface antenna rotates a translucent swinging arm on which is tied a lightsaber practice probe, which dances around as you turn the dish. This can also be rotated via a knob on the ship's exterior.

Switches inside play dialogue from the chess game or Luke's lightsaber training session.

The cockpit lights up in yellow and can hold four figures, with sliding seats to make room. Floor panels lift to reveal smuggler's compartments, which accommodate figures. Doors open to reveal a storage area. There is a medical bay. A figure can sit in the laser cannon seat, which moves back and forth as the top turret moves. A bottom turret can move as well.

Sadly, I don't have enough room to elaborate on any of these features; I just barely have room to mention them all, and I'm sure there's more I'm unaware of.

But to be succinct, this may be the ultimate Millennium Falcon toy for decades to come. I can't imagine them doing much better, and if you think the price is a bit steep, trust me when I say all the money's in there ... with feature after feature that skimps not the least in play value.

Get this while it's hot.