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Reviews / 4980-jg | |
| 4980 Tunnel Transport Reviewed by Joseph Gonzalez, 9/25/1999
Mood Music Telestia is a dang good pilot (and she knows it) but signing on with Manwaring Underground Developers didn’t entail anything like this. The Mammoth craft’s finer points never included high marks for maneuverability, and angling it through a narrow, high-ceiling cavern (with a rich load of tritonium crystals) is made even more impossible by the fact that usually solid stalactites are falling fast from the cavern roof and crashing all around. Needless to say, flying sideways just isn’t an option in a Mammoth. Now bits of man-size ‘tites lay in bits and pieces in the control seat next to Telestia as she grabs her Hecate pendant firmly, but her knuckles turn white as a rock monster suddenly rears up and stands menacingly in the direct path of the speeding Mammoth. Review The tunnel transport is one of the more conspicuous Rock Raider models, both for its size and resemblance to a Space 1999 Eagle (with wedge shape head, four feet and central cargo detachment). Consequently, those are the very reasons I picked it up. It’s my first Rock Raider model and while I’m not very excited with the mixture of too many colors and lots of specialized pieces, I’m not TOO displeased with the overall aspect of the model. The Tunnel Transport is a one-piece cargo transport ship with the aforementioned wedge-shaped cockpit and an aft thruster section that also houses a one-man detachable glider/sled type craft. The main craft is constructed featuring an open/arching center with a magnet set in the center/ceiling of the arch. This magnet allows one of two attachments (each with its own strategically set magnet) to be carried in the cargo cavity, though both cannot be carried at once. The first attachment is a buggy-like vehicle with dual, parallel-based chain saws that stick out in front (I assume for cutting up rocks as it advances) and a hinged dumping basin. The second attachment is a large 8x12 dumpster bin which fits tightly in the center of the ship. Accessories for the vehicle include two complete boulders and two crystals (a crystal fits inside the center of each snap-apart boulder). Two figures accompany the craft: one is a female in a blue space suit (with an Exploriens helmet) and an older mustache dude with grey suit and matching rebel hat. The figures get cool tools like two large circular saws, two communicators, one jackhammer and one pick. There are also two explosive unit assemblies that fill out the equipment (these are basically a couple of 1x1 cylinders with a 1x2 TNT tile placed on top). Cool/unique pieces include five odd-shaped 6x6 grey plates (four of which function as landing feet), the 6x8 cockpit and roll cage canopy, and a large preprinted bumper-like element (measuring 3x14) that sits at the rear of the vehicle. There are also four new 2x2 tiles with the drillbit/Rock Raiders logo, two 2x2 slope pieces with a control panel print that shows a cutaway view of a tunnel/cave (kind of cool), a new grey 1x2 control tile, a few 1x2 chrome grill tiles and two 1x14 corrugated flexible hoses. I found two minor flaws with the construction of the model. The first is that the center magnet of the arch keeps falling off. The other flaw (more aesthetic than anything else) is how tiny the rear thrusters are for the main craft (I would have expected something much larger for a ship this size). The set costs around $50, and while I kind of like the model I have to say that the overall value is closer to $35.00 (I’d suggest you look for it at a discount or buy it with a coupon). Copyright ©1999 Joseph Gonzalez |
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