R2-D2 (with sensorscope) (ESB 1980-2)

How do you make more variations of a figure when he doesn’t actually wear different outfits? Anyway you can of course! Kenner was provided with this opportunity when R2-D2 showed two more talents in The Empire Strikes Back. Not only did he show a little “radar” dish that could extend from his dome on Hoth, but he also had a periscope that he used on Dagobah. Kenner went ahead and built one of these features in, but call it the wrong accessory. The “Sensorscope” was what R2 used on Hoth to scan for Luke, but the feature on the figure more resembles the periscope he used on Dagobah. C’mon people! One little detail and you mix it up? Granted, Kenner could have been working with details not fully fleshed out before the movie actually premiered, so I’ll let it slide. Of course, the fastest way to make another R2 would have been to add the third freakin’ leg! Okay, rant over.

The ESB card read “ARTOO-DETOO (R2-D2)” and the ROTJ card read “Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) (with sensorscope).”

Why should you own this figure? Five reasons:

1. R2 with a little plastic piece that pops out? I am sooooo there!

2. While Han is sticking Luke in your slit-belly Tauntaun, you can have R2 sensing. Awesome!

3. Stick it to C-3PO: “You know over 6 million forms of communication? Well, can you do this? No? In your face!”

4. Use this R2 in your Dagobah playset. Submerge him in the foam “swamp” and stick the periscope up. Now that’s entertainment!

5. “Sensorscope “ sounds oddly sensual. Ooooooooh, yeah.

Backstory:

R2 has a lot of pop-out attachments, only three of which are shown in Empire, a couple more shown in ROT J (unless you count the scene where he gets electrocuted), but most shown in the prequels. You think they could have at least made the little claw arm he used on Yoda too. For the rest of R2’s backstory I will refer you to my previous posting of the first R2 figure.