I am of the opinion that this is the finest figure Hasbro created during their entire run of 12" figures. This figure is proof that Hasbro was very capable of making quality 1:6 scale items, but for some reason or another a lot of them just didn't pan out. If every Hasbro 12" item was of the quality of this figure, I would imagine that they would still be producing items to this day.
The likeness of this figure is dead on, and the scale is also perfect. It looks like someone took an actor from the film and shrunk him down to about a foot high. It looks that nice. The pouches on the trooper's belt are made of cloth rather than making them clumsy plastic boxes. The armor fits nice and tight and is not oversized like the Stormtrooper armor. Even the bike has a cloth survival kit tied onto the back. Hasbro could easily have just sculpted this onto the bike itself, but they went the extra mile here.
I also like the fact that the stand the bike rests on has hinges. This allows the owner to tilt the bike either left or right simulating a turn or "bump" into another speeder bike. The handle bars are even quite detailed and articulated. The bike also features articulated rear panel flaps and an articulated gun mounted on the underside of the bike.
The only complaint I have about this figure is the body articulation and the foot pedals on the bike. The articulation is sub par which eliminates some cool poses. Had they used a better body, I think this would really be right up there with Sideshow's stuff. I also don't like the fact that the foot pedals don't accomodate the feet of the figure. All one has to do is wrap a clear rubberband around the pedal and the foot to eliminate this problem though.
This figure was released in 2000 as a Target exclusive. The figure was rereleased, though slightly modified later on in the Saga collection of 12" figures. This later release was very difficult to find.
