Subject:
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Re: Anyone see the Pyrates sets at retail yet?
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands
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Date:
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Mon, 6 Jun 2005 18:56:53 GMT
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Viewed:
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2808 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Dave Schuler wrote:
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In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Ken Dowd wrote:
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In lugnet.off-topic.clone-brands, Dave Schuler wrote:
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I’ve done a brief but fairly thorough scan of the northern Pittsburgh, PA
area to no avail. It was my impression that the smaller sets were to debut
some time in May, and I just don’t feel like waiting, darn it.
Dave!
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Hey Dave!,
Here in Charlotte, NC I saw 2 of the 3 small Pyrate sets at TRU today.
These are the ones that come packaged in the pirate skulls. The eyepatch is
a soft vinyl that lifts up to reveal one of the included minifigs. Didn’t
buy any so I can’t say much more than that.
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This is good news. I’ll check my local TRU at lunch, but alas I’m not
greatly optimistic; they only got the Marvel sets about three weeks ago.
Still, there are other retail venues near me, so I’ll look around.
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Okay, I’m back. They had one copy of set 3632, Mutiny Isle, for $8.99. This
leads me to believe that other sets have already been snapped up, and when I
visited this same store on Wednesday of last week, they didn’t even have any
Pyrates sets on the shelves. Perhaps this apparently brisk pace of sales bodes
well for the line.
Here’s my quick review:
Set 3632 Mutiny Isle
Pieces: 25
Figures: 3
Price: $8.99
Colors: Good, but YMMV
Worth it? Not at this price, but read on.
First things first: Sculpted (or should I say Skulpted hardi-har-har) case or
not, this set isn’t worth the nine-dollar price tag. Neither are the Marvel
head-case sets, cool though they are, but I digress. The back of the Skull case
separates from the front and can be used as a baseplate, just like the Marvel
sets.
Second things second: Either you like the sculpted figures or you don’t.
They’re very well done, but some may find that they’ve lost the minifig “charm.”
The level of detail is quite impressive, with paint and sculpted detail on front
and back, and I like the non-primary colors. The red coats are blood-red; the
green bones are mildew-green, etc. And the figures have eleven points of
articulation (vs. seven for LEGO and the recent MB figs). Even the vaunted (but
hideous) ArtAsylum figs have only 13 points. The shoulders, hips, and head are
mounted on ball-joints, while the elbows and knees are conventional hinge
joints, and the wrists are the standard swivel mounts. However, all these
additional joints come at the cost of the hole in the rear of the legs, so the
figs can’t sit on normal LEGO or MB chairs/seats.
Third things third: Juniorized, but not quite how I’d expected. Actually, I’m
not even sure that “juniorized” is the right word. For the most part, the
pre-fab elements wouldn’t break down into LEGO-style components anyway, so
nothing is lost by making the log-scaffold as a single piece, for example. But
the generic building possibilities are sorely limited because the set contains
zero conventional brick elements (aside from a 2x2 turntable/cannon-mount)
Fourth things (oh, heck, I’ve lost count): Weapons: A cannon launches a
cannonball with appreciable force, though it doesn’t really look like a
cannonball because of the shaft that engages the spring, but oh well. There are
a minifig-scale musket and pistol with silver detail and elaborate sculpting.
There’s also a cutlass with a translucent blue blade and a wicked handguard.
Although the firearms are (to my untrained eye) reasonably realistic-looking,
the sword is totally fantastical, though I think the other sets may include
mundane cutlasses as well. I can’t test this here at work, but it appears that
the weapons will fit in a LEGO hand.
Other accessories: Two torch cressets with flame (a la Dragons), the
aforementioned log-scaffolds, and a tree trunk with a separate foliage canopy.
But the coolest piece in the entire set is a cluster of six tiny coins on a 1x1
round plate. This is a really clever design, IMO, and I like that the coins can
attach to a stud (though the minifig can’t hold the coins, alas). Also included
is a one-piece shark made of a softer-than-brick plastic. I can take the shark
or leave it, honestly, but I guess it fits the setting, and it harkens back to
the old Creature Seeker sets for what that’s worth.
To sum up: For all of its coolness, this set just isn’t worth nine dollars—more
like $5.99 or $6.99. The minifigs have a great deal of playability, and I’m
really impressed with the level of detail that they’ve crammed into these
things. I’m eager to see the large sets, which may carry a better piece:price
ratio, and I’m likewise eager to see how/if this new level of minifig
articulation affects other MB lines.
Dave!
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