Toy Review: Tydirium Shuttle from Star Wars: Micro Galaxy Squadron by Jazwares

 

   My review of the Star Wars: Micro Galaxy Squadron Slave I/ Boba Fett's Starship seems to be quite popular so I've got another one line dup for you: The Tydirium shuttle. Tydirium is the Lambda-class T-4A shuttle (usually just referred to as an Imperial Shuttle) that Han Solo's team of Rebels used to land on Endor in order to knock out the shield generator for the second Death Star. It's a very cool looking ship and definitely a fan favorite. Jazwares released a previous version of an Imperial Shuttle in 2023 that is Palpatine's (the Emperor cruises around in one of these bad boys, too) and comes with some Imperial Forces as well as a throne in the back for Sheev to sit in. This one is specifically the stolen Rebel version, though, and comes with part of the Rebel Strike force. I've never owned any Kenner or Hasbro versions of this vehicle though I do still have a few Micro Machines versions of it along with the Action Fleet Imperial Shuttle from the Series Alpha line. This one is much larger and more accurate, though. Ready to check out the Tydirium Shuttle? Then join me after the break...

 

The Facts:

Dimensions: 7 7/8ths inches long, 7 inches tall, 5 3/8ths inches wide

Articulation: Hinged cockpit window, hinged ramp w/ automatic close button, 2 hinged landing struts, hinged wings (move in tandem), 2 swivel wing mounted blasters, and hinged rear blaster. 

Accessories: Han Solo, Chewbacca, 2 Rebel Troopers, and removable cabin panel.

Non-Scalper Price: $35 dollars

The Positives:

* The Tydirium Shuttle is a pretty decent sized ship. It's certainly not the largest in the line, but it's definitely on the larger side. When Kenner's Power of the Force 2 figures were out I was always hoping that the Imperial Shuttle would get a remake, but it didn't until 2002 and by that point I wasn't collecting a lot of vehicles. This is an excellent model of Tydirium (named after a type of ore in the Star Wars galaxy) and it looks incredible on display in the landed position.

* The wings and main stabilizer are incredible. Not only are they suitably large but they have some impressive texturing and some really nice paintwork. When you run your hands across them you can really tell that their are sculpted and raised panels and details, most of which have a nice wash and various applications to look like wear and tear, perhaps even mild blaster damage. In terms of just the appearance, this might be one of my favorite ships Jazwares has produced to date.

* Here's a shot of the starboard side of Tydirium with the wings folded down down some. Both sides of the wings are impressively detailed so, no matter how you're displaying the ship, you've got an impressive model. 

* Here's a look at the stern of the ship complete with it's main drive/ engines and a rear blaster. More on that in a minute. 

* The cockpit is excellent with very sharp, angular lines. It's suitably large with a huge window in the cockpit for everyone to look out of. 

* And here's a look at the bottom of the shift. Lots of nice techy details here, even though they're a bit soft and unpainted. Still, it's impressive looking and features two hinged landing struts and the boarding ramp. When down, the boarding ramp acts as the third support, keeping Tydirium from tumbling forward.

* I love the blasters on the wings of this class of ship. There are forward facing blasters mounted where the wings attach to the main body and another set of double blasters that are hinged on the wing, allowing them to be pivoted depending on the position of the wings or where the target is located. The wing mounted blasters do rotate forward and backward.

* The little double blaster turret on the back of the ship also moves. It doesn't move much, I will admit that, but it moves enough and looks really cool. I'm not sure I ever really noticed there were blasters back here. The Galoob Action Fleet Imperial Shuttle didn't have this turret, though it appears the vintage Kenner toy did. 

* This set comes with four microfigures which are around an inch tall (Chewie is a bit taller). Han Solo comes wearing the cool camouflaged trench coat he sports on Endor. There's even a little bit of splotchy light green camo, though nothing darker. The paintwork is pretty nice considering how small these guys are. Chewbacca is also an impressive miniature version of a Wookie with a noticeable and cleanly painted bandolier. 

* Two Rebel Troopers are also included, one with lighter skin and black gloves, the other with darker skin and white gloves. Interesting! They really look pretty impressive. It's too bad that Jazwares didn't include four or size, though. I mean, these guys probably cost a penny, and how else are you going to fill the two rows of seats in the pack? I'd love more army builders with each ship.

*All four microfigures have articulated hips and shoulders. Both arms and legs are on the same peg, so they swivel in unison. I didn't have any trouble with the articulation on this set a everything moved smoothly. This line is absolutely vehicle centric so having the figures be able to sit in a variety of cockpits is a must. I tried to have them spell YMCA, but I'm not sure it took. 

* I love the cockpit as it's huge! There are six seats, a sculpted door on the back, and even a spot for an R2 unit (so throw R2-D2 in their if you're reenacting the scene from Return of the Jedi where Tydirium is piloted down to Endor by the main crew). This is really cool and there's room for everyone! 

* The panel above the cabin pops off, revealing the inside of the shuttle with lots of seats and bits of engines and such. It's fairly accurate to what you'll find in various schematics for Lambda-class shuttles, though there are fewer seats and doors in different places. I think I've mentioned this before, but I have this weird fascination with the idea of traveling long distances or living on a spaceship, so I honestly find myself staring inside of these ships and thinking about where would be refreshers (Star Wars bathrooms), bunks, entrances and exits, etc. Lambda-class shuttles do have refreshers, by the way.

* There are six seats seats in the back (technically there should be twelve, but that would be a tight fit). The Imperial Shuttle that came with Emperor Palpatine has a throne for him in the back where there's a hatch now (which should lead to a weapons storage locker). The refresher should be close to the stern on the starboard side (back right for all you non starfarers) but I can pretend you access it through the hatch closest to the rear. There's a cool hatch on both sides in a little hall near the cockpit. This might be just storage but it looks like you could go out it and work on the engines. Pretend there are walls there and it's a small corridor on the port side.

* Here's a better look at the little door that leads to the cockpit and the two doors. I believe the floor (in universe) is meant to lower here and allows access from the ramp. That's not a real function here, so you have to pretend. Lots of cool little panels and details on the wall panels, though.

* The wings are very cool on the shuttle. They open in tandem and make an interesting ratcheting sound when they open and close. This whole thing looks and feels very sturdy, so that's a plus. The size definitely seems larger when you lower the wings, making the ship need a much larger footprint. 

The Negative:

* The ramp is really strange. You manually open it, but it barely opens. Like, not enough for a figure to climb aboard. It's also weird because there's a button you press to close raise the ramp. It's neat, but I'd almost rather the button open the ramp. That would seem cooler to me. Still, it barely opens and really only serves as a third leg for the landing gear.

* See the back row of seats? They're on the starboard side of the ship and they're very hard to access. Very difficult. Unless you have long thing fingers like a Muun, you ain't getting anyone in there. If the top stabilizer could pop off, then it'd be easier, but that's just not the case.

   

   I know I had some complaints, but ultimately I feel like they're very minor compared to the quality of this ship, especially the exterior, and at this price. The MSRP is $35 bucks, and you can find it for even less shopping around. That feels like a heck of a deal to me considering the quality of the sculpt and paint and the fairly elaborate interior. Whether you just find a neat way to display this like a model or display it like a Star Wars: Incredible Cross Sections styled diorama, there's a lot to like. I'm really becoming a big fan of this series and it absolutely is scratching a nostalgic itch I have for Galoob's classic Micro Machines and Action Fleet lines and the odd fascination I have with living or travelling in a space ship. This is a pretty Epic take on the Tydirium Shuttle and I'm not sure any toy company has done it better when considering the exterior and interior. 



Looking for more Imperial Lambda-class shuttles? I haven't reviewed any other versions of the Tydirium itself but a tiny Lambda-class shuttle does pop up in the background of the Micro Machines Royal Guard mini head set.

For more Chewbacca reviews check out the following: The Smuggler's Bounty Funko POP! Chewbacca #63 [Flocked], the Black Series Phase II Chewbacca,  Phase III Chewbacca, Phase III Chewbacca & C-3PO, and the Solo Chewbacca, the Hasbro Micro Machines R2-D2 playset with a micro Chewbacca, the Galoob Micro Machines Chewbacca as Snoova from the Bounty Hunters set, the Hero Mashers Chewbacca, and the Micro Force Chewbacca and Santa Chewbacca from the Advent Calendar.

Looking for more Rebels? I've also reviewed the Black Series Rebel Trooper and the Rebel Soldier (Hoth).

I've reviewed so many Han Solo toys that he has his own review archive. Check out The Kessel Run for all of my Han Solo reviews.

For more Star Wars: Micro Galaxy Squadron reviews check out the following:
Boba Fett's Starship (Ep 5)
Outland TIE Fighter
Razor Crest