Let’s get it out of the way from the start, LEGO’s basic brick/peg construction isn’t an engineering trademark. While Mega Bloks came about later and can be seen as an doppelganger, that doesn’t portend bad things. Mega Bloks may not have as many sets of proprietary creatives as LEGO does, it does have some cool and interesting licenses which are certainly appealing. The latest is based on the Skylanders video game franchise.
August (age 9) is a Skylanders fan. He loves building things, so you should have seen his face when he saw the Mega Bloks® Skylanders Giants™ Zeppelin Air Ship Assault. I do have a picture, but it doesn’t capture the sheer unadulterated surprise and joy he expressed. And it’s blurry so I deleted it.
Coming in several small bags, August cut them open, spread the pieces out on the table, and surveyed them. He spent a moment flipping through the instructions. Then he proceeded to assemble the kit.
12:42 (building commences)
“Hey dad, this has special pieces.”
12:59 I hear “I Wish LEGO had pieces like this.”
1:19 done (with a few extra pieces left over)
At 133 pieces, the Mega Bloks Skylanders Giants Zeppelin Air Ship Assault isn’t a particularly challenging set. August took his time assembling it and could easily have finished in half the time.
There is both good and bad here, because August expected EyeBrawl, one of the Skylander Giants, to be bigger than he is when compared to the troll. And he has a valid point. While the giants in the game are not necessarily giant sized, they are significantly larger than the other characters. here EyeBrawl is just a little bigger than the troll. Sheep are an important part of the game, and the set includes one, which August was tickled with.
For the price, $19.99, there’s some good value here with 133 pieces, especially if there are some extra pieces afterwards (it may have been an anomaly with the set we got).
Is this a product you would want to get for your kid? If you have a child who enjoys playing with Skylanders and is into construction style toys, the Mega Bloks Skylanders Giants Zeppelin Air Ship Assault is worth getting. August now wants to save up his money and purchase other sets in the collection. Your child may have a similar reaction. You have been warned.