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Before I get started, I just noticed that the MegaBloks website has been updated
to include several new products in the
ProBuilder line, not
to mention the Nano stuff that Jeff discussed
here. Jeff also
mentioned the 9962 jet, but I’ll add a little more detail.
First things first--the cockpit contains two pre-formed POOPS rather than
bricks. Shame on you, MegaBloks. This set could have rated a 100% except for
these juniorized elements.
Now onto the good news. This is easily MegaBloks’ coolest jet to date. I
picked it up for $9.84 at Wal*Mart where I saw it for the very first time
yesterday. The box is the same size as the earlier
9709,
but the graphics are cooler, and there’s an emblem indicating that ProBuilder is
an “award-winning brand.”
The set contains 210 pieces, most of them pre-existing elements with a few
notable exceptions. First among these are the wing elements. The
Warthog
featured some of these, including a left- and right- 4x6 plate without corner
and a left- and right- 4x10 plate without corner. The 9962 includes these in
black and dark gray, as well as a new 6x6 plate without corner also in black and
dark gray. Another great new piece is a 45-degree 1x2 slope brick with studs on
the slope. This is hard to describe, but it’s one and two-thirds bricks tall,
and the studded-slope surface is the same size as a 1x2 plate. The 9962
includes four in dark gray, and already I can think of numerous uses for them.
Yet another new piece is a modified 2x2 round brick that fits onto the standard
MegaBloks axle pin better than existing 2x2 rounds (which has always been a pet
peeve for me), and the set includes two of these in dark gray. The other new
element is a landing strut (three in dark gray) that accommodates a smaller
wheel than previous struts. This is likewise hard to describe, but it’s a
welcome addition.
Overall the set is excellent (aside from the POOP cockpit.) It has excellent
whooshability and just looks cool. The colors are good, being almost entirely
black and dark gray. I notice that the bricks have a slightly different “feel”
compared with other MegaBloks, and I wonder if the plastic formula has been
changed. They seem to fit together better, but that might just be my impression
rather than reality.
The niftiest part of this jet is that it has two opening missile doors. These
make use of a new hinge that first made its appearance in the Power Rangers
Dolphin Zord, and it’s great to see it here. This is a really clever design
element and considerably enhances the jet’s playability.
The set also comes with a decal sheet, but I don’t really use decals and can’t
comment on them.
In summary:
Overall Design: 9 (would have been a 10 except for the cockpit)
Colors: 8 (YMMV--the black/dark gray looks cool to me, though!)
Playability: 10
Piece:price value: 10 (about $0.05 per piece)
Alternate models: None listed
One last note--MegaBloks has lately adopted the use of “temporary bricks” that
are put in place to stablize a model until it’s built, at which time they’re
removed. In this case, the set came with a number of blue 2x2 bricks and some
extra 2x4 plates in black. Also, when the set was complete I still had a few
2x2 black tiles, 1x2 black tiles, and a 1x4 black plate left over.
Very cool set.
Dave!
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