Last updated on November 9th, 2020 at 11:55 pm
At some point in their childhood, just about every kid wants to be part of the Star Wars universe! Either they see themselves piloting an X-Wing or being one with the Force—with a bevvy of movies, cartoons and video games to its name, Star Wars has something everyone can learn from its expansive world!
And it’s not slowing down—the start of this September brought us Force Friday II, a global event celebrating the upcoming release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with new toys, collectables, books and more to mark the occasion!
Let me tell you all about it!
Just as Star Wars fans don’t half-step their love for their fandom, the franchise pulled out all the stops for the Force Friday II weekend to give true fans plenty to look forward to for the months ahead.
After the release of a new augmented reality feature exclusively on the Star Wars app was released to commemorate the worldwide launch of new products inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the weekend kicked off with a special “Find the Force” treasure hunt where fans used the Star Wars app to scan graphics in 20,000 retail locations across 30 countries and interact with a myriad of characters from the Star Wars universe! They even held a contest where one lucky fan won a trip to LA to catch the Star Wars: The Last Jedi premiere this December!
However, a groundbreaking weekend alone does not a blockbuster film lead-up make—fortunately, Star Wars had several other ways to whet fans’ appetites in the months ahead!
Force Friday II—Star Wars Merch That’ll Make You Smirk!
Personally, I don’t think I got into Star Wars ’til my late teens or 20s. Sure, I’d seen Star Wars: Ewoks on Saturday morning cartoons in the ’80s, but as the oldest of three kids and neither parent into sci-fi, I had to discover it on my own.
I don’t think my sons and their cousins will have the same problem, though—especially with some of the brand-new Star Wars merchandise we tried out to celebrate Force Friday II!
The Force Link Starter Set including Force Link—A Toy for the Young Jedi in Your Life!
Let’s start with what I’d give my four-year-old son—the Star Wars Force Link Starter Set including Force Link! While not the best toy to keep around a 19-month-old (small pieces, ahoy!), the Force Link sets give kids a great introduction to the Star Wars universe with wearable technology that interacts with any of more than 30 Force Link toys available! By wearing the Force Link around their wrist and playing with the toys, kids can unlock phrases and sounds from the Star Wars films as their toys interact with their environments and other characters!
It’s the future of play, people!
Retailing at $39.99 CAD, it’s a great way to get kids up to speed as the Star Wars storyline continues in December!
The LEGO Star Wars First Order Heavy Assault Walker—Heavy on Both Assault and Features!
For my eight-year-old nephew, though, I figured he’d like something a little more… advanced, so to his pleasure (and my brother’s chagrin) I got him the 1,376-piece LEGO Star Wars First Order Heavy Assault Walker, retailing at $169.99 CAD!
This thing is a beast—with five mini-figures and four weapons in the box, the sheer size of this playset (13″ H x 13″ L x 4″ W) can provide countless hours of fun for your young Padawan! And that’s not even including the numerous features they’ve packed into this thing—like an opening cockpit to put your mini-figures in so they can pilot. A spring-loaded shooter to deal with the Resistance fighters! A rapid-fire stud shooter that you aim with the turn of a crank! Ammo stores on the sides so you don’t run out! This is no set for a LEGO tourist—it takes hours to build, but the payoff’s worth it! (Love you, bro! ?)
Propel Star Wars Elite Laser Battle Drones’ 74-Z Speeder Bike—A High-Speed Quadcopter that Fits in the Palm of Your Hand!
Now although I supply the children in my life with awesome toys now and then, I’d fail as a fan if I didn’t get something for myself! (You’ll find that as you grow older and have kids, no one celebrates your birthday like they used to, so you’ve gotta treat yourself sometimes!) And for those who don’t know me, let me tell you—I always love something limited edition!
A premium item released on Force Friday II, the Propel 74-Z Speeder Bike Star Wars Elite Laser Battle Drone is hand-finished, individually-numbered, and comes in a collector display box that lights up and plays music from the Star Wars films!
But you don’t have to be a collector to appreciate this battle drone because it comes equipped with Intelligent Awareness Technology that lets 12 people battle aerially simultaneously.
Encoded Lasers—The Future of Gaming
Check it out—the drones communicate in real time through encoded lasers that update players’ statuses and enable complex interactivity. Because the lasers are much faster and more accurate than traditional infrared technology, it makes for a more immersive and dynamic game than ever before!
And the quadcopters are no joke! Modelled after Star Wars‘ Starfighters down to the finest detail, they fly like them, too! They’ve got three speed settings so your speedbike can grow more advance as your style does. You can do sidewinder barrel rolls at the push of a button! LED directional lights. Working battle cannons! And altitude stabilisation, auto-takeoff and auto-landing features to help keep your Speedbike safe.
And best of all? Even as an indoor/outdoor quadcopter capable of surpassing 35 MPH, since it’s palm-sized, it doesn’t need FCC registration!
So if you ever see me in the park testing out what a $249.99 CAD quadcopter can do, please don’t interrupt. I’ll likely be enjoying myself. Thoroughly.
September 1st was a Great Day — Keep Having Great Days Until December 15th!
So if you missed Force Friday II, don’t fret—the Star Wars team made sure there’re plenty of ways to become one with the Force before Star Wars: The Last Jedi comes out on December 15th! What I showed you is just a sampling of the new offerings the Star Wars universe has for you this fall, and who knows—maybe some of it will find its way under the tree of a few young Jedi this Christmas!
So thanks for reading, everyone! Until the next, and may the Force be with you,
–case p.
Disclaimer: Disney Consumer and Interactive Media compensated for this Star Wars post, but as always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own!
2 replies on “Star Wars | Force Friday II”
Is it wrong that I’ve never watched a complete ‘Star Wars’ episode? Ever? :-/ LOL! In my defense, Jabba the Hut terrified me as a child, making it my first and last attempt at watching.
Happy for all the SW fans though! Yeah! 😛
Sarah’s in the same boat, actually. Star Wars isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which I get, but there’s a lot of awesome in it! I promise!
I hope you eventually make your way through it all 🙂