A short time ago, at a CES stall far, far away… we found the drones we’ve been looking for.
They don’t just fly and shoot video. They shoot each other.
And they’re not just nondescript quadcopters. They’re miniature, hand-painted versions of three fabled aircraft from the greatest sci-fi series of all time.
Yep, Star Wars Battle Drones are coming, and they are brilliant.
Equipped with laser-tag technology, the idea is you face off your favourite aircraft against your mates’ in a mid-air dogfight to the death.
Score enough direct hits on enemy craft and they’ll deactivate and fall right out of the sky.
Up to 12 Battle Drones can fly against each other at the same time. And with a top speed of 56km/h, they really do FLY.
While all this aerial mayhem ensues, combat stats (hit accuracy, etc) are recorded and sent to an accompanying smartphone app.
EFTM had an up close look at each model on offer – a 74-Z Speeder Bike, T-65 X-Wing Starfighter and TIE Advanced X1 – and they are beautifully constructed, with incredible detail that would please even the most ardent fan (yours truly included).
Manufacturer, Propel, hasn’t skimped on the packaging either. They come in a numbered, collectible wax-sealed display box.
Seriously, does it get any better than this?
Apparently so. International general manager for Propel, Carl England, said there were plans to introduce a first-person-view via virtual reality.
“And the Millenium Falcon will be coming later this year, too”
Right then. Take my money. All $199 USD of it.
And may the force be with us all.
