Subject:
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Space Port *Theme* Review
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.reviews
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Date:
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Tue, 29 Dec 1998 20:37:42 GMT
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Viewed:
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1921 times
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Hello!
This is a review of the Space Port Theme, with a brief
impression of each of the 9 sets of this new line. I will
not use the official review form, as I am reviewing so many
sets.......
6457 9/10
The smallest of the new line, and certainly the best! A must
have, 9/10 set. Contains about 15 pieces, plus 3 extras (2 of
the little "gem" pieces and a control stick). This is an
astronaut and MMU set. No stickers, one pre-printed, computer
terminal 2x2 tile. One gold 1x2 grill tile.
I like it. I purchased 2, and will certainly buy more. Ideal
for building a little astronaut army!
6458 8/10
A bigger set, containing one astronaut, with a better, mono-
coque MMU piece, and a large-ish satellite with one of the
big, golden ra-domes. This satellite is slightly reminiscent
of a dog! 4 legs, a tail, a head.......
The satellite wings, both trans-blue, have applied to them a
large, holographic sticker. The computer terminal is also
stickered, for the display. 2 1x2 tiles make up a keyboard
and display terminal. Also contains one large minifig wrench.
I might buy another of these, for the monocoque MMU
6463 7/10
Same sized set as 6458, this is a little buggy, with the now
ubiquitous ra-dome, and an astronaut with the same helmet
type as in 6457. One stickered element, the black stop sign
piece, which has a small hologram sticker. One pre-printed
tile, a 1x2 gauge. I probably won't buy any more of these, I
can get more astronauts from 6457 at half the cost.
6453 1/10
Such a low rating due to the radar dish. It does not stick!
It sis one of the big radar dishes in trans-yellow. It attaches
to the vehicle by means of a modified 2x3 flag with clips. The
modification is that it has a smooth top, but plate-style bottom,
into which fits the radar dish. It does not stay vertical, as the
clips do not fit tightly. It has a large cockpit, and appropriately
shaped plate with which to mount it. The details, you would be
pleased to learn, are not pre-printed, but are stickers. The
cockpit does not raise and lower, but must be completely removed
to access the inside. There is also another monitor terminal,
which must be stickered to show the display. 3 tiles, the
keyboard, and 2 gauge-type are pre-printed. I will definitely
*not* buy these. Even for parts-harvesting. Also comparitively
expensive for the size and contents of the sets.
6452 5/10
This is a little rocket set. Test rocket/weather sond type I
imagine. A cute little set. Utilises a catapult style launching
method, but I have never succeeded in launching it higher than
2 inches! has a 6x8 tan plate, a few slope bricks, one of those
90 degree intersecting plate combos. 2 stickers, for making
an altimeter and rocket description. A cute little set, not
bad price, though could be cheaper, as it doesn't contain much
different from your average, 5901 comprable-type set. The box
is a little bigger, hence perhaps the extra pound cost!! I
wouldn't buy more of these, don't see much point in it! If the
rocket would have launched higher, It would have had a higher
rating.
6459 5/10
FireMed3 would be better qualified to review the set than I!
This is the fire response unit. Has one of the horrible little
trikes, which takes score away.....The fire truck itself is 6
studs wide, but access to the cab is through the top!! Considering
the size of the cab, certainly some of those older-style doors
could have been used! You could keep the top-portal for ease of
access for the kiddies playing with it, but no excuse for no
doors. Knock another point off. The truck itself is OK. I have
limited experience of Town vehicles, so have no basis for
meaningful comparison. I am impressed with the hose, which comes
in and out the back of the vehicle. The bevelled trailer(Non-
articulated) utilises 4x6 bricks, with incorporated, 45 degree
slopes, and inverse for the bottom. Similar to those used in
Lego airplanes. I personally would have preferred a few 2x4
roof bricks, and a large plate to go over the top. Knock a
point off to make a model with fewer bricks. Town Jr. style
instructions and packaging (individual manuals and polybags
for sections of the model). Knock another point off. Price,
another point off. Not a repeat purchase for me, unless on
**extreme** discount!
And now for the bigger sets....
6455 5/10
This is the training centre. The centrifugal test thing is
brilliant, I love it. Looks good, works well, certainly could
do with a micro-motor to spin the poor minifig sick! (Ideal
usage for an extra 2x2 round plate, to represent his lunch
afterwards!!) The little rocket test thing...The trans-blue
cockpit, which has 4 holes for studs to attach...only 2 in
the front attach, and does not attach too well. Base utilises
2 great big 2x6 bricks, with slope attachments. Haven't a clue
what to call it. Otherwise this part is not bad. The building...
Town Jr. sh**e. 2 great big 45 degree slope bricks, which are
1x6x6 in size. Perhaps this is to make a structure more stable,
but I would have preferred a bunch of 1x2 slopes, 1x2, 1x4 bricks
to make this. Surprisingly, the middle support uses 6 2x4 bricks!
I would have thought for sure they would have used 2 2x4x3 bricks
like those that came with 5600 RC car! But no, they didn't!! But
then comes the platform that makes up the 1st floor. Rather than
a bunch of 2x6, 2x8, and 2x4 bricks, it is just 2!!! 1 4x6 and 1
4x10. Surely, an extra support pillar of 2x4's, and the use of 2x8's,
etc. would have been better???? Perhaps too complicated for their
target audience. The walls, as expected, are 1x2x6 bricks.
Town Jr. packaging (polybags and manuals), subtract 1 point. (1
bag for the car, one for the centrifuge, one for the test plane,
one for the building). Price, 1 point. Building, 1point. Problems
with the test plane, 1 point. Price, 1 point. Definetely a never-
repeat buy. I would have rated it lower if only for the centrifugal
test thingy.
6454 5/10
The first light and sound set. Surprisingly cheaper than the test
centre! 4 part, Town Jr. building style. Build lauch pad, 3
stages of the rocket seperately. The launch pad itself, is the
best part of the set. Using balance to operate a pad similar
in style to that of a Russian launcher. Upon lift off, the
support arms fly off. Balance is the trick used. Weight of the
rocket keeps them attached. Lift the rocket, the balance of the
arms send them flying off. Good idea. The base is 2 8x12 tan
plates. The rocket itself is rubbish. The solar panels would fly
off in any real-life rocket launch. The cargo compartment is where
the astronaut sits. Set also has one of the asteroids. It is
a silver crystal, like in the aquanauts, but painted green. The paint
is incomplete, indifferent. quite a few spots where the silver is
overdominating the green. -1 point. Minus another for the town jr.
style building instructions. - 2 points for the Light and sound
element. Could really do without this. -1 point for the design
of the rocket.
6456 5/10
The big set. For those who argue against the sexual discrimination
inherent with Lego, the Astronaut has a lipsticked-head! Now
for the set. Town Jr. Individual boxes and bags and instructions
for the different parts of the model. 3 staged rocket, 3 bags!
Launch pad, 1 bag! Crawler, 1 bag! (Bad news here, folks. Though
the crawler tracks are a good idea, they cannot be motorised with
the hubs that come with it. Free-spinning design. Have yet to
see how gears and hubs from Technic will interface). Another bag
for the little tractor that carries the meteor.
Now, the main part, the rocket-shuttle. 3 stages, not a bad idea.
The light and sound makes up stage one. Uses wings, a few other pieces,
and attaches to the other stages using pegs like used in the Technic
Transformator sets. An interesting idea. Like someone has already
remarked, similar to the Space:1999 Eagle ship you could buy in the
70's. (I had one, played more with the 2 end bits than the centre
one. Great little ship. Perfect fit for SW figs, too!) The cockpit
uses the same, trans-blue cockpit piece, which fits by way of four
stud-sized holes. Only 2 are used, and so is a poor fit. The cargo
bay is larger than LC shuttles, opens sideways, as in LC, with a
top flap as well. Has a small satellite, not as good as the small
one in set 6458, but that wouldn't fit, anyway! The 1st stage....
get rid of the Light and Sound unit, and you would have a not at
all bad model. The idea of a 3 stage rocket is a good one. It
could launch, seperate the middle stage, and land 1 and 3 as a
single unit. Certainly makes sense, considering that it would
have a much lighter gross landing weight......Opens up opportunities
for different variations of the same vehicle! Greater range, using
the 2nd stage for extra fuel, stages 1 and 3 only for smaller,
recon-type vehicles, etc. The 2nd stage left behind in orbit could
also be reused for Space Station-type components. Lots of potential.
The ops-tower. Utilises 1x2x6 bricks. Bad. The launch tower. Suffers
the same (and only) criticism I have of LC. Except it uses 1x1x6
bricks. The gantry is non-retractable. The support hose thingies
are a good addition. Price an issue, too!
Space Port Theme 5/10
A great idea, poorly implemented. A lot of potential, though,
and I am sure we shall see some fantastic MOC's utilising
components from this theme. Inevitably, comparisons will be
drawn between Space Port and Launch Command, and LC will win
hands down every time! Some of the smaller astronaut sets are
great, the training centre would have done better if not for
small things such as the building, the cockpit on the plane
and the price. The theme would have scored higher had it not
been for the Light and Sound elements. (One of the reasons I
haven't bothered with Insectoids). The theme has a great future,
if TLG make more construction out of it rather than play. It
definitely is LC Jr. Great future expansion possibilities in
light of the currently-under-way construction of Freedom, and
the plethora of exploration satellites about to be or already
launched satellites.
--
Because of the brief descriptions of individual sets, please
feel free to ask anythign more in depth about any of them!!
_____________________________________________________________
richard.dee@nospam.virgin.net remove nospam dot
Web Site: http://freespace.virgin.net/richard.dee/lego.html
AOL Instant Messenger: RJD88888 ICQ 13177071
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Space Port *Theme* Review
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| (...) <Snip bulk> (...) Ah ha! It wasn't just a random spatial anomaly that caused that problem with mine then. That does suck. (...) That is the only reason I got it. For the windshield. Good to have something new in dark blue. Thanks, Richard, for (...) (25 years ago, 30-Dec-98, to lugnet.reviews)
| | | Re: Space Port *Theme* Review
|
| (...) So where did you buy the 6459? The S@H catalog shows not available in stores. Of course, we know that's not really true but just wondering where you bought it. (25 years ago, 30-Dec-98, to lugnet.reviews)
|
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