Series: Halo, 3

Craftsmanship: 8.5 / 10
- Lid flips up to install figures
- Great sculpt
- To-scale with the Tank
- Flaps work

Playability: 8.5 / 10
- A cool flying toy
- Lid and flaps can be snapped off under rough play
- Small figures and accessories can be lost

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Banshee (Halo)

by Joyride Studios

The coolest vehicle to come out of the Halo universe is the Banshee. This airborne unit is highly manoeuvrable, powerful and relatively tough. In Halo’s single-player campaign, the moment an unoccupied Banshee came into view I would abandon all subtly (and sanity) and run like hell to get behind the controls. That’s why it’s so

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satisfying to see Joyride Studios do the vehicle justice.

From tip to tail it’s about 7” long with a wingspan of 9.5” the Banshee is to-scale with the other Halo vehicles. It features an accurate sculpt and paint job right down to the hull and wing markings. Also accurate to the game source is the moveable tail flaps and lid that can be opened to install the

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small Halo figures. It doesn’t make that annoying screeching sound when it turns, but it’s a very accurate rendering of the source material.

It comes packed with two small Covenant figures: an Elite and a Grunt (the skunk-looking guy with the gas mask – oh, the irony!). The Grunt figure stands steadily as long as the surface is completely level. He is devoid of any articulation but holds the plasma gun pretty well. The Elite figure is articulated at the shoulders but he’s sculpted to lie in the Banshee. He can stand on flat surfaces as well, but it looks like he’s baying at the moon. The details and paint on both are in line with the other small Halo figures.

Of course, the size of the figures means they’re susceptible to being lost, as are their accessories. I can also envision the Grunt’s limbs being torn off since they are so spindly.

As a package, the Banshee is highly playable – but first the provisos. The lid can be snapped off under rough play, as can the articulated tail flaps. That’s about the only dangers present. Otherwise, if you’re not heaving your action figures into walls, the Banshee has a lot of play potential. The mini-Master Chief (which comes with the Warthog and Ghost Tank) fits squarely and securely in the Banshee. Joyride has done a great job making sure the Master Chief is compatible with all vehicles. This means you can more easily act-out action scenes. By itself, the Elite figure can also be flown around because with his arms above his head, he looks like he’s in-flight.

If you’re into display, the Banshee is a great display piece to rig from the ceiling or setup in a diorama because it stays close to the game source. But if you like playing with your figures, the Banshee also has much to offer, particularly if you have one of the other Halo vehicles. It’s another must-have figure for fans of the game.

- Omni
(April 21, 2004)