Review: Ultimate FX LightSaber by Hasbro

Written on Oct 18, 2011 by RuthJS and filed under Brands, Featured, Hasbro, News

“An elegant weapon for a more civilized age,” is how Ben Kenobi describes a lightsaber in “A New Hope.”  The Ultimate FX Lightsaber, new from Hasbro, is hands down closer to that description than any other toy lightsaber we’ve played with.  And, agreed with us, our testers did.

Overview

Hasbro’s Ultimate FX Lightsaber is well-designed for its targeted users. The hilt and “blade” of the Ultimate FX are smaller than other models, crafted specifically for young padawan learners and Jedis age six and up. The blades are available in either Jedi blue or Sith red, so no matter which side of the force you prefer, there’s a weapon so suit. The three AA batteries are included, and the lightsaber is reasonably priced around $29.99.

The price also includes a “Force Tech Training” DVD. Much like a video game, this DVD has an animated Jedi demonstrating moves and battle strategies that viewers can copy and practice. This is a nice extra with the lightsaber.

Freed From Packaging and Ready for Play

Once it’s out of the box, the Ultimate FX Lightsaber provides the most authentic Jedi experience we’ve had to date. The lightsaber comes in “Try Me” mode, so you’ll need to flip the switch to “On” to experience the full list of exciting features.

As you turn it on, LED lights progressively illuminate, giving it the look of a real lightsaber growing out of the handle. Of course, the lights are accompanied by the classic sound of powering up a lightsaber (very cool).

The sound and light effects are just as convincing when you power down. Add to that the clashing, clanging, and flashing lights when the blade hits something, and the effect is remarkably close to that seen in the movies.

I will admit that initially I was more than a bit disappointed that the blade doesn’t retract into the hilt. However, this was more than made up for by the cool effects. Frankly, I didn’t miss the retraction feature that so many other lightsabers have. Furthermore, the rigid blade seemed to be more durable than many of the telescoping options.

With regard to durability, while we don’t try to break the toys we review at KTR, we treat toys as they would be by the appropriate audience. And, I have to say, this lightsaber was put through the paces . . . ALL of them . . . repeatedly.  The result? You can’t even tell, and I’m talking about some epic back yard battles with nary a scratch on the weapon. So, there’s reason to believe that, short of dropping it in a lake or molten lava, the Ultimate FX Lightsaber can stand up to play.

Here’s an example of one battle between a telescoping lightsaber and the Ultimate FX. The difference is clear, visibly and audibly.

Another feature worth noting is the loop on the hilt, presumably provided so that you can hang the lightsaber from your belt.

Because of the size of the weapon and the fact that it doesn’t collapse, we found the loop to be ineffective for transport. However, it was great for storage. I mean, such an “elegant weapon” can double as wall art when it’s not required for defense, right? I think so. And, there’s at least 2000 years of tradition to back me up on this.

As for the training DVD, the only downside is finding enough space to imitate the moves while holding the lightsaber and not crashing into houseplants, stepping on animals, or falling through tables. However, with adequate space, the DVD was a lot of fun to “work through” while training to save the world from evil. And, several of the moves came in very handy during backyard battles (see above).

Tester Response

Around here, testers are king (or queen or princess or spy or Jedi), and their comments shape our reviews. So, here are the stats for the Ultimate FX Lightsaber:

In a Nutshell

OK, so it’s not a real lightsaber, but until the technology exists which allows us to create a glowing sword made of energy and still safe for your average six-year-old, the Ultimate FX Lightsaber is a good stop-gap.

We give it:

5 out of 5 stars

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