The Collective: Reviews Of Diamond Select Enterprise D Toys

Fans have been waiting for about a year for the Star Trek The Next Generation USS Enterprise NCC 1701 D (regular and "All Good Things" versions) toy ships from Diamond Select Toys. They are finally arriving in toy stores, and TrekMovie has a full review with pics and video.

 

 

REVIEW: USS Enterprise D Toys
To invert the famous quote from This is Spinal Tap, I could give the both the Star Trek The Next Generation Enterprises a one word review: huge. These ships are huge toy ships at more than 17" with very excellent detailing.


17" of Galaxy Class Goodness

In the case of the "All Good Things" Enterprise D, you get all the design changes, both subtle and not-so subtle from the regular version. The third nacelle is there, as are the the saucer phasers and nacelle fins. Both the regular and AGT Ds are arguably the most detailed toy ships ever released for Star Trek.


"All Good Things" Enterprise D has all the details

Both ships have sound and light effects, with the regular Enterprise D toy including the voice of Captain Jean Luc Picard and the AGT version with Admiral William T. Riker. One of the cool features for both is that the saucer does separate and reattaches via an incredibly powerful magnet. When taking the saucer off the engineering section, either Picard or Riker’s voice (depending on the ship) orders a separation and the appropriate sound effects are played. The saucer lights remain on after separation as it has its own power source.

Here is a video showing the sound effects and saucer separation for the AGT version:

Each ship also has two display stands included, so that the hull and engineering sections could be displayed together or separated.


AGT Enterprise D separated (both versions come with two stands)

The packaging allows for a nice look at the ship and has the typical unified designs.

The regular ship is available from the usual Star Trek online stores, including Entertainment Earth and Toys R Us. The AGT D limited to Hasting stores and the Action Figure Express online retailer. Both retail for around $50.

However, both are also available now from Amazon.

More Images of the Enterprise D Toys


Close-up on detail on nacelle

 
Top views of both Enterprises


Rear view of AGT Enterprise

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Very nice.

I don’t like the fact that the regular D doesn’t have the neck detail worked out. And I agree with some of the other folks that I don’t care much for the shape of the necks the slope is just not right.

The windows don’t light up? Bummer….

Oh my good. Excelente details.

i hate that ship

I’d give this more consideration if it wasn’t for the stupid stand configuration. My pilot version of the NCC-1701 had that kind of stand and it broke, so now its useless. I much prefer the the ball stand design of my NX-01, NCC-1701-E, and NCC-1701 (movie). I do love the Enterprise-D though…

Always hated the TNG Enterprise in all its configurations, from day one. Way too many windows, many apparently on the ceiling. Ugh! Just an ugly ship, IMHO.

Hey, when Worf says “engage the cloak,” nothing happened.

I want my money back!!!!

(heh heh)

or was it Riker?

#6, 7: I guess this is definitely a case of to each his own. While no Enterprise has rivaled the beauty of the refit Enterprise I did like the D.

I remember I was pretty upset that they destroyed her in “ST: Generations,” feeling it was gratutitous, although I have to admit the crash scene was pretty well-handled (reminiscent of the Jupiter II crash in the premiere episode on “Lost in Space”).

I would have liked to have seen the D last a little longer on the big screen, but then the production crew didn’t ask me, did they? ;-)

I wish the Playmates New E had half this detail….

@7:

The slope of the windows on the upper half of the saucer was matched rather closely to the interior sets.

The -D is a BIG ship.

there is no way in hell that a ship like this carrying civilian passengers can be the flagship of star-fleet

@ 5. LOLOLOLOLOLOL !!!! Me too ! The D is soo ugly compared to the original or the new original (2009) or even the E. Its the ugliest Enterprise ship ever !

I still remember the premiere of TNG, when we first saw the Enterprise-D. “Ugh. It looks like a flying office building.” Worst starship design ever.

However, the All Good Things version manages to make it cool. That one, I’m ordering. :)

That All Good Things D is bad ass. I will be buying.

I love the look of the enterprise D…

Should be like this one….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7vIx35-2IA

I think the D is like a flying sculpture. I think it’s beautiful. Both of these should be arriving at my door on Tuesday! I can’t wait. I have heard people are having trouble with sound chips on some of them so I hope mine turn out okay.

What it didnt really cloak? not buying it. lol just kidding

When I first saw the D, I was kind of in shock at the dramatic change compared to the original Enterprise. But after a while it did grow on me, and I came to enjoy it. I still like the D more than the E. The A is nice too. I always didn’t care much for the original, though I respect it’s design. If I had been around in he 1960’s, I’d probably feel a bit differently about it. I still like it though. The B, based on the Excelcior was never a favorite, nor was the Embassador Class C (probably the least liked), though I respect the progression of the Canon design. A lot of hard work by many people went into all of these designs, and they should all be proud! I’ll have to pick up the D ASAP!!

Has there ever been an Enterprise C like this? That’s one I’d really like.

I never quite warmed to the D, though it eventually became so familiar that I accepted it. It makes me smile to see it because it reminds me of characters I like. But damn. Put a bag on it :)

@22 The HMV Store in London has a display advertising the Blu Rays of the TOS movies. It’s obviously been knocked up quickly in photoshop with someone with little TREK knowledge or no eye for detail, because the Enterprise on the standee is clearly the Enterprise-C. He he.

I have been wanting the AGT Enterprise-D since 1994. Finally.

Now I would like to see the USS Pasteur from “All Good Things…”

Original E=Muscle car. Enterprise D=20 passenger Limo.

I got both of these about 2 weeks ago from Action Figure Express, for $79.99, with a free set of Trek minimates. Best deal on the net right now. The toys are great, even if the push button sticks a bit.

#6 Captain Jack Bauer:

My stand on the Cage Enterprise broke as well. These new stands are a similar design, but much more robust. They won’t break!

@ 16: The AGT Enterprise-D was bad-ass for the few brief minutes of screentime she had, but when you look closer she doesn’t make one bit of sense. How, for example, are shuttle pilots supposed to take off and land in the main shuttlebay with that honkin’ third nacelle in the way?

#6 – The ship does have a ball stand; the rotating ball is hidden inside a larger plastic cylinder that attaches to the bottom of the ship, making it easier to remove the stand. I also have the 1701-A with the ball stand and the 1701-D version actually seems a little sturdier.

I picked up the AGT version over the weekend and the thing is absolutely massive and really beautifully detailed; well worth what I paid for it ($50 at my local comics shop).

About the only complaint I have is that its a little wobbly when placed on the stand. For a ship that big, a heavier stand with maybe two contact points would have been a better route to take. Still, it should be stable enough for long term displaying.

I think these are great. I too was one that didn’t care much for the “D” when i first saw her, but the design did grow on me in time. I find the “E” so much more attractive, sleek and interesting.

Growing up in the 70’s, I loved the original, and had many models of her, as well as kit bashes that I did to make ships like the Destroyer/scout and tug from the original technical manual. I would love for a company to come out with either a toy or a larger model of those ships, especially the Federation class dreadnought, which has always been a favorite of mine. Luckily I have the polar lights dreadnought conversion, so I have a 1/1000 scale of her, but man i really wish I could get one thats scale to the Ent-A (1/537?)

Could you post a picture of this next to the playmates-D. I’d actually like to get a size comparison.

The D is one fugly ship. All aesthetics were jetisoned with that top heavy beast! But at least those that like it finally got their DST version. Now DST can move on to the Klingon ship! (I hope)

#32

The DST version is only slightly bigger, but way more detailed. I was surprised that the sizes really weren’t all that different….probably less than half an inch!

I agree with Model Guy. Bummer that they don’t have lit up windows.

But an interesting take on how the impulse engines were done.

I like the diamond select ships much more than the playmates ships, but the stands are of terrible quality mainly the ball joint area where the ship can pivot on the stand, the plastic always crack and the ship is no longer able to balance. Many that I purchased were cracked right out of the box! Its mainly the TOS ships. The 1701 E and NX models had a different type of ball joint connection which are very sturdy and can take abuse, they were great, but I see this 1701 D model had gone back to the same round cap style connection of the TOS models which all broke. Even the ones which were not broken out of the box, a few turns and pivots of the ship and you can see the plastic has been stressed as the color gets lighter and you can tell its about to crack. Otherwise I love the diamond select models the best when compared to others in the price range. They have the best detail, they are not really toys unlike playmates where you can see the screws of the toy on the under side. For the price you pay, they are decent models.

I have to totally agree with #33, Star Trackie… I hated that Enterprise D from the first time I saw it, inside and out. Ugly, ungainly, awkward and completely inelegant—totally the opposite of the original Enterprise–and whereas the original ship had a graceful symmetry and balance to it, the D always looked top heavy and weird.

#33 – Yeah, I’d love to see DST/Art Asylum tackle the D7 from TOS or even the K’Tinga from TMP as those are my favorite Klingon designs. I also wouldn’t mind seeing an electronic version of the USS Reliant.

As to the design of the 1701-D, I was never much of a fan of it myself. The modifications made to it for AGT gave it a more badass look and to my eyes the extra nacelle actually balanced the proportions somewhat. Its my preferred version of that design and the one I decided to buy.

the connecting dorsal is way inaccurate!

too convex, it is supposed to be much more flattened:

http://www.utopiaplanitia.info/entdmain.html

do modern modelers ever feel the need to use reference material?

or are they all just wingin’ it?

I didn’t like the E-D much until I read the TNG Technical Manual. For some reason, that made me really appreciate the ship. Now, I think it’s a great ship. Agreed, it’s no 1701 refit, but it’s pretty cool.

28, 30. Thanks for the info. I’ll definitely give this more consideration now that I know that about the stand.

10. Um, I like the Enterprise-D (probably by second favourite after the Enterprise-E), don’t know how you got the opposite from my post.

Great, anything TNG on this site degenerates into hate.

Emergency saucer unsnap at warp speed is not recommended, sir…

#42- LOL. If it was Voy I would understand perfectly, now TNG…

LOL – well, when TNG was out TOS was uncool too. I guess time marches on. But I still love my TNG. I remember riding my bike and carrying my Galoob Diecast D in one hand pretending to zoom it around. I like the new design for the Enterprise AND the E. I’m not sure there’s any Enterprise I don’t care for, and each one is very much a product of it’s time.

I think I am one of the few who appreciated the Enterprise D BECAUSE there were families on board. The idea humanity and Starfleet had progressed to the point where it wasn’t a select few, but anyone, who could go out among the stars appealed to me. I think it made less sense when GR left the active production and you saw the E return to Earth a few times. Originally, the D was supposed to be an explorer on a 20 year mission; you need to allow people to have families when your entire career might be on that one ship. Once you get a new war every couple of seasons though, civilians need to be out of harm’s way…

I received my AGT D last Friday and I´m totally happy with her. And man, IT`S LARGE!
The details are excellent for something that is considered a toy.
This is the best version available at this price range and it´s worth every penny.

Now I have to get the regular D next month.

My only wish is that DST toys make a complete line of Enterprises. (They announced the Enterprise-B for December). A Enterprise-C with this level of detail would be a wet dream for me.
And DST could make two variants of her, Includind a battle damaged as seen in Yesterday´s Enterprise.

And I´m awaiting for the HD version of the Original with great antecipation too.

Mark my words: you can bet DST will push out a Generations variant with battle damage printed on the hull, and a new sound chip that includes the line “Deanna, take the helm!” :-D

The standard Galaxy class starship Enterprise-D is lovely. Great ship, and quite possibly my favourite.

The “All Good Things…” Enterprise-D is awful. Just terrible. It looks very stupid.

People – it’s a TOY. I’m laughing at the 40-somethings in here crying that they mis-shaped the neck of the ship. You know how many times different CG agencies messed up the look of this ship? My God man I’m a doctor not a Sculptor!