Star Wars: Ice Planet Hoth

One of my favorite locations in what I consider the best star Wars film: The Empire Strikes Back, is the Ice Planet Hoth.

The setting was strikingly different than anything seen in the previous Star Wars film: A New Hope.

The most dramatic action sequence in the film is when the giant Imperial Walkers trudge across the Ice Planet of Hoth to attack the Rebel base.

Back in the mid-1990s the now defunct toy company Galoob created a line of MicroMachines Playsets based on the original Star Wars Trilogy.

Called the Star Wars Action Fleet the series featured single vehicles and spaceships, small triple sets, small sets of figures and small and large Playsets.

Of the large Playsets the Ice Planet Hoth Action Fleet Set is my favorite.

It’s is a huge Playset, with lots of extra goodies and playtime action.

What’s remarkable about the Playset is the ingenuity, creativeness and imagination that went into to create it.

The mechanics alone of figuring how to fit the entire Playset into a foldout Carrying Case is impressive.  Talk about some serious engineering!

The Carrying Case features a painted Ice Planet Hot scenario on both sides. When you open the Playset it splits into two equal halves that lay horizontally.

In the middle is a pop-up section featuring the interior and exterior of the Rebel Base itself.

All of the features on the Ice Base are expertly sculpted, feature nice color application with no rough edges.  The same goes for the pieces themselves-there are no flash or rough edges and the pieces move easily with no binding or looseness.

On the exterior of the Ice Base the is an opening Ice Fortress Door, a five section Power Generator, a pivoting Ion Cannon that fires spring-launched Missiles, pivoting Tripod Blasters, a disabled AT-AT with secret opening hatch, a removable Anti-infantry Battery with spring fired Missiles, a Wampa Cave that holds a captive and Rebel Ice Trenches and Bunker.

The interior of the Ice Base has a working rotating Refueling Boom, a Troop Transport, a pull-out Command Center with lots of controls and screens, a Control Center with screen, a Rebel Scout Lookout that raises and lowers, a Bacta Rejuvenation Tank, a fully-functional rotating Crane and Hoist, movable Weapons Containers and a Storage Compartment that holds the Playset’s Missiles and Figures.

Also included in the Playset is a Battle -Damaged Snowspeeder with working cockpit hatch, a Rebel Pilot, the medical Droid 12-1B, a Wampa Ice Creature, Princess Leia Organa, a Tauntaun and Luke Skywalker.

It an astounding Playset with so many extras it will keep kids and Star Wars collectors busy for hours.  

It is a remarkable feat of engineering and technical accomplishment made even more impressive with its attention to detail, high-quality sculpt work and paint application and wonderful playability.

The packaging is made of heavy cardboard and is embellished with Star Wars illustrations.  In the upper right-hand corner a clear plastic side and front wraparound section encases the Snowspeeder and figures.

It’s tough and well made.  I’ve had the Playset since 1995 and it has held up remarkably well.