Box Back and Side (click to enlarge)
1981 Box with Backpack/Rebate Stickers & 1982 Box (click to enlarge)
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Box Back and Side (click to enlarge)
1981 Box with Backpack/Rebate Stickers & 1982 Box (click to enlarge)
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Catalog Description:
YODA'S HOME AND LUKE SKYWALKER'S TRAINING GROUND There's only one place in the universe with snakes swamps and YODA, THE JEDI MASTER, DAGOBAH! Kids can now relive all of LUKE SKYWALKER'S and YODA'S adventures with this dramatic playset. Inside the craggy tree is YODA'S tiny house. With the help of two action levers, LUKE SKYWALKER can levitate himself, two storage containers, and even R2-D2 as YODA teaches him the ways of the "THE FORCE." There's also a play "bog" where R2-D2 and other Action Figures might sink. In the tree cave, LUKE SKYWALKER confronts the dark side. Move the two action levers and relive LUKE SKYWALKER'S and DARTH VADER'S LIGHTSABER duel. Playset accomodates most Action Figures, sold separately. Assembly required. Ages 4 and up. Source: 1982 Kenner Toy Fair Catalog |
Description:
One of the many playsets Kenner developed for their Empire Strikes Back line, the Dagobah Action Playset recreated the boggy habitat of Yoda's home planet. It incorporated a number of action features, all of which are described above in the provided catalog write-up. The "levitating" feature was particularly nifty. It allowed kids to simulate Luke's levitation of R2-D2 and assorted cargo trunks through his manipulation of the Force. To this end, two different silver "trunks" were provided, as well as a cylindrical component, which allowed the R2-D2 figure to be lifted upwards atop one of the movable filaments located in the playset's base.
Kenner released several different versions of this toy's box over the years of 1981 and 1982. The earliest issue featured a black-and-white ESB logo printed on its white reverse; this was later changed to a flashier red logo. The quality of the line art used on this area of the package was also modified slightly between these two packaging incarnations. Then, in 1982, Kenner included a bonus "Jedi Training Back Pack" with the toy, an accessory that was borrowed from the Survival Kit mail-away. The earliest playsets to contain this bonus utilized the 1981 box, onto which were affixed two stickers advertising a rebate offer and the free backpack, respectively. But the entire frontal photo was soon changed to show the Luke figure wearing the backpack accessory, as well as the later "sensor scope" version of R2-D2. Additionally, a circular graphic was printed on the package's front mentioning the inclusion of the back pack.
Loose, the set is common, but it should be noted that the silver "levitation" parts are often missing and the foam "quicksand" has a tendency to deteriorate.
First Issued: 1981 (ESB packaging, simple line art, B/W logo on reverse)
Re-issues: 1981 (ESB packaging, detailed line art, red logo); 1982 (ESB packaging, simple line art, B/W logo, rebate/backpack stickers); 1982 (ESB packaging, detailed line art, red logo, rebate/backpack stickers); 1982 (ESB packaging, new box photo, printed rebate/backpack offers)
