G.I. JOE VEHICLE SHOWDOWN, Part 7 - BATTLE FORCE 2000

THE G.I.JOE VEHICLE SHOWDOWN

PART 7:  Battle Force 2000 / 1987

Welcome To The Future...

    How in the world is the year now 2026???  Back when Battle Force 2000 was first released, the year "2000" seemed so far away!  By that time we would have flying cars, right?  Life would be like an episode of the Jetsons!!  Anyways...    

    Apparently in 1987, they originally released the new G.I. Joe sub-team - Battle Force 2000.  I don't recall seeing them until 1988, where they were featured in the 1988 catalog.  I'm told their first year was 1987 though.  This was a new team of 6 G.I. Joe members that all drove or piloted experimental, high-tech, "futuristic" vehicles.  I still remember Battle Force 2000 popping up in the comic book for the first time and thinking "Who the heck are these guys?"

    Hasbro decided to toss us a curveball this time around.  Instead of selling the driver WITH the vehicle, they were sold separate (sometimes in 2-packs).  It was a bizarre marketing strategy which I think failed in the end.

    In addition to the unique vehicles, there was another "special feature".  Each vehicle, had a part that could split off from the main one.  These individual pieces could "combine" to form a base for the team - the mighty Future Fortress!  

    It all sounds so impressive, doesn't it?  Well let's take a gander at this strange new group connected to the G.I. Joe Team. 

10 - Awesome, Fantastic

9 - 7 - Various levels of Greatness

6 - 4 - Various levels of "Okay"

3 - Mediocre

2 - 1 - Levels of Crappiness 

This is part of the cardback from Maverick / Blocker that I cut out that shows the BF 2000 characters.  You can see I marked the ones I had back then.

1 - VECTOR JET  (pilot: Maverick)

    The first BF2000 2-pack I got was Maverick and Blocker, because I already had it in my mind that I wanted the Vector.  It's a smaller jet and easier to work into battles.  I will say the cockpit is a little small while the turret is kinda big.  I like it though and it is going to get an 8.

2 - DOMINATOR SNOW TANK  (driver: Avalanche)

    Never had it, but wasn't really interested either.  I don't know.  A big shell around a mini-tank?  Ehh... a 4.

3 - MARAUDER CYCLE/TANK  (driver: Dodger)

    A motorcycle tank?  It looks weird and interesting at the same time!  It's okay, never had it either.  It gets a 6.

4 - ELIMINATOR JEEP  (driver: Blocker)

    The figure 2-pack pretty much decides which vehicle you buy next... so for me it was Blocker's jeep.  It's a nice, solid vehicle with some cool weaponry.  I wish it could carry more than 2 figures though.  The removable gunner's station was mid, but the rest is cool!  Another 8.

5 - SKY SWEEPER TANK  (driver: Knockdown)

    It's okay.  Neat weapon systems.  Kinda flat-looking though.  I still have it, even though I don't remember how I got it...?  It's interesting.  I'll give it a 7.

6 - VINDICATOR HOVERCRAFT  (pilot: Blaster)

    Never had it, but I think it looks awesome!  Very unique, definitely futuristic looking.  Would have been nice to see this thing in action in the comics or cartoons.  Then we could see what it really could do.  It was not meant to be though.  The little vehicle is all about worthless though.  How about an 8?   

7 - FUTURE FORTRESS

    The combination of parts from all 6 main BF2000 vehicles!  What a massive disappointment this thing was!!!  For all the hassle you had to go through to collect all 6 vehicles AND drivers (SEPERATELY!!!)... and THIS is the pay-off???  They don't even connect.  You just place the pieces next to each other.  It's not even a complete "fortress", it's just two sides.  Just terrible.  This clunker gets a freakin' 1.  

8 - PULVERIZER TANK  (released 1989)

    This little tank showed up in 1989.  It's kinda cool with it's neat little "raising cannon" action.  It's decent.  Though it doesn't really do anything with the others since it's not part of the "Fortress".  If they were thinking ahead, they would have made a way for it to interact with the "Fortress".  But they didn't!  I'll give it a 7.

Another part of the Maverick / Blocker cardback... showing the vehicles and Fortress.

    Well, it looks like Hasbro's idea of a "high-tech / future-ish" team was a good one, it just had some flaws that needed to be worked out.  Is that the IDEA of BF 2000 though?  Developing new ideas and testing them to see if they work?  Then correcting the problems and moving forward...?  

    I think we should have cut to the chase and just sell the figures WITH the vehicles.  The "whole" of the vehicle should have combined to make the Fortress.  The Team's first appearance in the comic implied the vehicles themselves combined.  Hasbro had the Transformers line, I think they could have pulled it off.  I don't know though.  Maybe they looked into that idea and it didn't work either.  

    Looking back, I thought BF 2000 was "okay".  There were some good things here.  But what are your thoughts?  Were you a fan or no?  How would you rate these vehicles?

BF 2000 as featured in the 1988 catalog.