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Author Topic: force-fx construction kit review.  (Read 9718 times)

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Offline majorj0nny

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force-fx construction kit review.
« on: May 15, 2008, 10:32:42 AM »
since my fav online shop www.play.com are selling off force-fx lightsabers for up to 60% off rrp, Ive already bought the vader anh, yoda, and Luke (though the lukes gone back twice now, first time a dead LED, second - smashed up in the post).

anyway - at a price of about £34 compared to double , if not more than double that, I finally decided to get the construction kit version.

Id heard a lot of bad things about this - and it had put me off till now.

anyway - to start with I quite like the blade length on this, I know people say its short, its a few inches shorter than a real fx (bar the yoda) though I loved how easy and free it felt chucking about my yoda ... I have to say Im not a total fan of the standard force fx blade lengths, while I assume they are more accurate, I just find them difficult to not hit ceilings etc.

this kit blade is longer than the yoda - but not as massive as the proper, and feels comfortable to spin around. to me the blade feels nice and rigid.

due to the colour changing abilities (switchable between red, green and blue) MR did away with sequential LEDs for this model. again, Im not bothered with the up/down effects on the proper fx range, and as Ive seen with the Luke one I had they are subject to failure. I suppose the only thing you can say about the LEDs is a better light coverage, as this Kit (having a fired light source in the tip of the hilt) gives an effect of bright as the bottom, and quickly loosing its light as it goes up the blade.

again - this doesnt bother be particuarly. I thought it would more - but Im not fussed.

the kit works on a range of sections that slot one by one onto a metal core hilt (looks like a pipe), Im not going to explain all the different parts - very boring and I will probably get em wrong, but they state some impressive number to show how many combinations you can make. I wonder how accurate this is actually, since there are about 5 different tiny buttons you can attach (one at the time) to Im wondering if they did that to greatly over-exagerate the combination count.

anyway - Im quite impressed with this Kit, as Ive said I like the blade length, I like having the ability to change the blades colour, and sounds too. I think what metal parts this saber has, core included add to the weight of the thing and make it light... but acceptable. Its nice to be able to make you own design of saber too.

now for the bad ...

as I said, making your own saber is a nice feature - though I think already Ive set my heart on certain sections and wont alter, I can see the 'gimick' of this kit will soon wear off, and you are stuck with a saber that never changes, not cause you cant, but cause you no longer want to.

also what REALLY lets this kit down is plastic parts. some of which i think are terrible quality! MR I think could have easily givin this kit the finishing touch of having all metal (or atleast metal with rubber for the grip sections, parts - instead of the toy'ish palstic bits they give you.

its as if they started off with that idea, then the money men said "woooohhh - profit margins need to be better for us on this, cheapen it up!" the hilt tip sections are all convincing metal, and probably very similar to the real force fx saber tips, the battery crew cover bases too are all metal and look/feel cool! ... but that leave you with upper grip, button sections, and lower gips - all of which are plastic.

2 of the upper grips are black grip-style, and can be forgiven somewhat, even though they are definately placticy to the touch and grip. the lower grips , one looks like a vader/luke one like a tube and the other like a longer yoda grip - again feel cheap. the tube upper and lower grips both look like toilet rolls !

By biggest beef is with the button sections - the luke? / obiwan ?  style ones with slide buttons and side clasps look nasty! ... you can even turn the saber upsidedown and find the moulding interior of the clasp-thing... Ive pretty much promised not to use this 2, this has left me with the silver push button section - not brilliant.

the other think wrong with this kit is the way it slots together.. grooved up the length of the shaft of the hilt locate with tracks up the inside of the sections, some colour coding lets you know where these go. the problem with these slots is that they allow for too much twisting movement ont he sections - this only adds to the cheap segmential feel to the saber when you are swinging it around.  I think the idea here is that in tightening up the metal end cap battery cover - this squeezes all the sections together tight, but in reality due to the plastic parts, the different sections rotate very slightly when you twist them.

Ive already been appyling tape to pad out the core a little and try and reduce this movement.

for £34 you can forgive some of these problems, but for double that - or whatever rrp was/is - Id say this kit is definately not worth that ! ..

i was thinking I might have a go customising my own plastic sections to this - make them look/ feel less plastic if that possible.




Offline Jess Skywalker

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Re: force-fx construction kit review.
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2008, 01:45:06 AM »
When I first heard of this i thought YEAH finally we can customize MR sabers. But as you said the plastic parts the rattling and bad quality all make this saber feel like a cheap hasbro! :(
NOW I AM THE MASTER

Offline Silkvein

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Re: force-fx construction kit review.
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2008, 11:17:49 AM »
I am going to be selling "Joe Jedi" Mod kits pretty soon here.  They will range from complete hilt assemblies to a few more "build your own" kits that mimic the plastic parts sold w/ the original construction set.  The only major difference is that they will be chrome instead of plastic, and the parts do not slide or "clunk" around when you swing your saber.  I'm still going through a few tests and processes to get the look right.

If you're interested, shoot me a pm.  I'll have full hilt shells for around $15- $25 depending on how much they cost to make, and sectioned kits for around $50.  The kits would ideally have 9 interchangeable sections including the switches.  Same as the Joe Jedi, but w/out the emitters (I figure you can just use the metal ones included w/ your original fx set).

Peace,
Silkvein

 

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