Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Toybox of FAIL: Construction




First time here? Please take a moment and read the Toybox of FAIL Disclaimer. Thanks!
-=-


We're still working our way through the latest batch of Little White Dragon knock-offs. Yesterday it was Engineering...which was really more of a Construction themed set. Today we have Construction. Maybe it'll be an engineering themed set. But I doubt it. Logic is never a key feature of bootlegs.



It'll all be okay, provided that Construction isn't another crappy race car.




Damn it.




*sigh* Okay. What can I point out about this one? Well, for starters, it's from the early stages of the LWD run - meaning it has many of the same wacko text blurbs we saw on LWD's Racing Car.
Let's review, shall we?


Set your imagination free and try to build as many coloured models as you can with the pieces you find in the box. Follow the photos on the box or invent other 1000 coloured models of your own!

TEST YOUR SKILL

Many Models to Chosse From!

There's also a fun little blurb in the lower right corner:



Little White Dragon Product of Honor
Japanese Technique High Quality Goods

Remember, of course, that the box also claims these toys were made in China. LWD is an international effort.




The driver of our little Construction vehicle is this dapper fellow. No, he looks nothing like the figure shown on the box. He's made from the LWD-Standard "Best Lock" stolen molds. Again, it's a shame that LWD championed multi-ethnic minifgures where other brands barely touch on the concept. It makes them harder to hate. And it's nearly impossible to bring any ill-will against this guy. Why?



Because he loves waffles.

He loves waffles so much that he carries on around with him in his front pocket.

You have to respect that in a mini-figure.



The toy isn't bad, either. I still think the hub-caps are a nice touch that LEGO should steal in compensation for all the pain clone brands and knock-offs give them.




Oh, but wait! The curse of LWD's poor molds strikes again! The car falls apart at the slightest touch due to the bricks being warped and shallow-studded!

Well, it serves us right for even thinking few good thoughts about a bootleg.

We should be ashamed of ourselves.

I know I am.


----======-----
As always, many thanks to Joe from The Undiscovered Playthings for sending me this set to review.

Labels: , ,

8 Comments:

Anonymous Crazy Ray said...

I just saw TWO real works on the WV
1)timed
2)unkless(close)

June 3, 2009 1:59 PM  
Blogger Ben said...

another race car? i know these people dont have imagination,(they bootleg real sets/brands)but atleast choose a variety for youre tripe people, that could make it better (but not good, never good, not for a bootleg)

Chris, in your pile o'bootlegs, would you happen to have a brick brand wizard cart, if so beware.

June 3, 2009 4:42 PM  
Blogger Robin Hood said...

Okay Chris, I feel I must ask this, since this is the the third or forth time you have mentioned it. Do you think its better for minifigs to have different coloured skin tones? Rather than promote the idea that all people are the same (in this case yellow) as opposed to pointing out that people are different? Or what? Is there some less deep meaning for your words? I am curious, your comments intrigue me. Personally, I think making every fig yellow is a good thing.

June 3, 2009 10:22 PM  
Blogger Christopher Doyle said...

@Robin:

I thought I'd been pretty clear on that issue. As LEGO strives to make it's characters more human-looking than just a yellow head and classic smile, I feel they need to reflect more of the world's diversity in their design choices.

I have a hard time with the "let's promote the idea that everyone is the same" by keeping everyone the same color. I'd rather see a rainbow of hues playing together in the same pile of brick.

Eh. It's a complex issue, and I'm really not going to do my viewpoint justice here in a comment. I'll see about working up a decent position-post for the blog.

June 4, 2009 12:13 AM  
Anonymous The One Guy said...

In my oppinion, while haveing everyone yellow MIGHT be acceptable, LEGO has recentally started making figures of a tan complexion to be more realistic, so there should definately be diversity.

June 4, 2009 12:56 PM  
Blogger Robin Hood said...

@Chris

Well evidently you and I disagree. But rather than take this post far beyond the farthest reaches of off-topicness, I will merely thank you for the response and offer any further discussion for the email.

June 4, 2009 11:12 PM  
Blogger codeman38 said...

Wait, does that say "ALPHA TEST" on the packaging? At least in software engineering, that usually refers to something in a very preliminary, unstable state... I can only wonder what the manufacturers meant by it.

August 8, 2009 2:04 PM  
Anonymous Avacado! said...

There certainly are a lot of caucasoid Minifigures sprouting up in their recent sets, but I only recall ever seeing any negroid Minifigs in those NBA sets with the Mini-mized basketball players. Unless I'm forgetting seeing that one Star Wars character somewhere..

October 30, 2009 7:40 AM  

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

Create a Link

<< Home