Box Side (click to enlarge)
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Box Side (click to enlarge)
First and Second-Issue ROTJ Boxes (click to enlarge)
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Catalog Description:
(5) Remote-controlled Scout Walker saunters along in search of enemy rebels. Manually-operated cannons turn and click, head swivels. Removable gun incl. Cockpit for 1 figure (sold sat right). 10 in. high. $14.99 after Kenner rebate...see p.545.
Source: 1983 Sears Wish Book |
Description:
The Scout Walker (or, as it's sometimes called, the AT-ST) was seen for about half a second in The Empire Strikes Back, but that didn't stop Kenner from making a toy of it. And it was a cool toy, too. As a kid, I loved using the button located at the back of the "head" to make the thing's legs move up and down sporadically. One could also set the legs to remain motionless so that the toy could stand.
Fortunately for Kenner (who had invested a ton of money in developing the toy), the Scout Walker played a prominent role in Return of the Jedi. In the film, several of the vehicles were seen patrolling the forests of Endor. One even managed to kill an Ewok! So, in 1983, the toy was re-released in a ROTJ package. While the first ROTJ version simply updated the ESB box with the logo of the new film, the second (and much more common) release featured an entirely re-worked package, which included a new Endor-themed photo.
It's currently not too hard to find the item in the loose state. Boxed, however, it is not the easiest toy to locate. In particular, the original ESB release is an uncommon find in unused condition, and the first-release ROTJ version is downright rare. In 1995, Hasbro used the molds of the old Kenner toy to create a new Scout Walker toy. It's deco scheme is much more complicated and realistic-looking than that of its vintage counterpart.
First Issued: 1982 (ESB packaging)
Re-issues: 1983 (ROTJ packaging, with Hoth photo); 1983 (ROTJ packaging, with Endor photo)
