Set Review: 8934 Squid Ammo
Saturday, August 11th, 2007 at 6:06pm by Andrew, BZPower News Manager [Source: Shine]
Today we bring you another set review, this time of one of 2007's earlier and often overlooked sets, the Squid Ammo. You may think that it would be silly to review the ammo pack, but BZPower's Blog Assistant Shine was up to the challenge, and has shed some insight you might not have otherwise seen. So read on to see our take on this set.
Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.
The box front displays said squid, presumably charging towards some unknown foe to your left, with the now-familiar view of Mahri Nui in the background. The left portion of the box features a single black stripe, on which the product information has been placed. The only real problem being that the "SQUID AMMO" sticks off the side of the stripe, and should be on two separate lines instead.
The back of the box is nothing special either; it depicts someone launching a squid, the box's seven squishy occupants, as well as a real-size squid. This "actual size" squid shouldn't be taken too seriously, as the squid is somewhat out of scale with itself.
Although it doesn't exactly fit under the "Presentation" category, I might as well address it here anyways. There's no simple way to unbox your purchase, there being no perforated tab, or easily peelable cardboard flap on the side of the box, as there normally is on the smaller sets. I'm not sure if all of them are like this but I certainly hope not, as my box was a little worse for the ware after I did finally manage to get it open.
Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?
There isn't really much to say here, other than mentioning the lack of anything to assemble. Though, for the sake of this review, I did try my best to find some sort hidden alternate model. From pyramids to the classic Lincoln Log construction, nothing seemed to pan out, however, after several minutes; I did manage to tie two together by their "tails". What this accomplishes for you is minimal, the only recognizable benefit being that it lets you ramble on for several lines about absolutely nothing.
Set Design
Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.
For the life of me I can't figure why LEGO decided to call these squid, for they look nothing like their namesake. Actual squid have eight arms and two tentacles; these however, sport three rather strange protrusions and a tail. Despite their questionable name, the detailing on them is splendid; you can make out their eyes, teeth, and a strange rib-like structure on their sides. Unfortunately, the detail being the same color as the rest of the squid causes them to be somewhat lost in the blubbery sea of blue.
Playability
The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with?
I'll be frank here, this is the most boring set LEGO has ever made, due to the fact that you really have to have a squid shooter to have any fun with these things at all. Believe me about this one, I tried everything to get these guys to be a bit of fun, heck, I even shelled out some major cash, and bought Mike some kick'n bling. After pimp'n the squid, I dragged his sorry blue self down to Ricky's house for a party. He just lay there limp the whole time, almost like he was made of rubber...
Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?
Pros
What's to like?
- Good replacements for any of your Barraki's squid you may have lost.
- They won't actually suck the life out of you. I promise.
Cons
What's not to like?
- Not any fun without a Squid Shooter.
- Not collectible.
If you've lost some of the squid that came with your Barakki, or if you just want to get your hands on more of the delightfully squishy little rascals, then this is definitely the set for you.
There you have it, short, sweet, and to the point. Hopefully this review made you look at the squid in some new ways. Be sure to thank Shine for reviewing this set, and as always, keep checking back for more 2007 set reviews here at BZPower.
« Return to News |