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In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Kevin Johnston wrote:
> FYI.
>
> <http://www.hasbro.com/pl/page.searchresults/dn/default.cfm?age=&brand=717&category=>
I snagged the Cobra Moccasin this morning at TRU.
http://www.hasbro.com/pl/page.viewproduct/product_id.13277/dn/default.cfm
My impressions? Surprisingly cool. I expected a half-hearted swipe at the
construction toy market, but Hasbro has produced an item (and, presumably, a
product line) with good quality and an apparent commitment to the undertaking.
First things first. At $7.99 for 27 parts, The piece:price ratio isn't great.
It comes with a 1:18 scale Moray figure, of course, so that no doubt contributes
to the cost, but I don't care about the figure at all.
The pieces are built to standard LEGO proportions, with a plate being 1/3 the
height of a brick, and the plastic quality is good. Also, the molding seems
very well controlled, likely owing to Hasbro's long experience with plastic
toys. Unlike Playmates LOTR line, which used Tandem bricks (and must have
formed some affiliation to do so), Hasbro has gone to the trouble of creating
their own molds specifically for the Built to Rule (BTR) line. Each stud has
the BTR logo, and the pieces show part- and mold-numbers as well. I'm not
certain, but the plastic feels like ABS, rather than Styrene, though I admit
that I can't tell for sure.
One downside is that the kit includes only three conventional elements: a 1x4
brick, a 2x4 brick, and a 2x4 plate. Of course, Hasbro's intent isn't to flood
the market with more basic elements, but older fans of brick-based toys might
notice their absence.
Nearly all of the non-basic elements have molded surface detail, including
contoured hand-grips on the steering column, and control panels with buttons &
screens in relief. Very nifty. There are some bar-based gripping points that
fit LEGO minifig hands, but other bar elements are slightly too thick.
Also of note are the boat-hull brick, similar but not identical to LEGO 6x6
boat bricks, as well as a firing missile launcher. The colors are rich,
including dark blue, silver-gray, and brick red. Some of the elements are
pre-printed with GI Joe-esque numbers and the Cobra insignia. Also, the
instruction booklet is well-made and features a speedboat model and a
snowmobile. The design of the box complements the standard GI Joe line and also
includes a filecard-style dossier on the Moray pilot.
Overall, I'm more impressed with the product than I thought I would be.
Hasbro has obviously devoted considerable resources to the product line, which
spans the GI Joe, Transformers, and Tonka themes, and I confess a certain
appreciation of cleverly-designed non-basic elements. I'll render a few of them
in LDraw and post the results when I have the chance. Anyone not especially
fond of clone brands or GI Joe/Transformers/Tonka won't be interested in these
sets, especially with the aforementioned piece:price ratio. Still, it's an
interesting venture that will likely be around for at least a year or so. Given
the recent ruling in Canada re: LEGO stud-&-tube patents, we might also see
expansion into conventional brick constructions. It would be particularly great
if Hasbro put out a bulk bucket or universal building set, but that's just my
speculation.
Scale of 1-10
Overall: 7.6
Colors: 9
Design: 6
Packaging: 9
Parts: 5
Value: 5
Compatibility: 10
Playability: 9
Dave!
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