Battle Damage Mark III Jet-Boat Pursuit

Review by chachipower

I am continually fascinated at how huge this whole Iron Man 2 franchise is. Iron Man 2 branded products include beverages, fast food restaurants, clothing, kid's toys, collectibles and the list goes on and on. Today, I'm going to focus on a small building set of the Mark III Jet Boat Pursuit. I've always enjoyed building sets because they give a feeling of accomplishment and pride for something you've put together yourself. This particular set is for ages 6+. I can almost imagine the feeling a young child receives after they finish completing this set. Now just because it's a child's toy, that doesn't mean us older humans can't have fun. The packaging is sturdy foiled cardboard with colorful eye catching rendered graphics.

Once we tear open the box, we find two bags. One is for the instructions and sticker sheet, and the other is full of Mega Bloks pieces. The box states that there are 74 pieces although the web site info states 60 pieces.

The smaller pieces are in their own little bag inside of the bigger bag. Once you open the little bag, you will want to be careful with these since there are no extras and they are necessary to complete the Jet Boat.

Before we get started showing the completed vehicle, I'd like to show you guys the man himself, Iron Man!

So what's wrong with my figure? Apparently he has just returned from a day full of explosions and massive action. He has Battle Damage. It's a really small figure, but the paint has been nicely done. Unfortunately his backside lacks any paint detail.

Don't be fooled by his size, this boy can get down, thanks to a generous amount of articulation.

Now lets get down to business. The instruction sheet is easy enough to follow with full color graphics. They even color code the buttons of the pieces so you know where they are supposed to be placed. Admittedly, I still found myself placing them wrong here and there. What you are left with is this Mark III Jet Boat.

There will obviously be set specific pieces to be able to get a good looking vehicle for this playset. I like that instead of molding the red pieces with a plain dark red, they used sparkle to liven it up.

The box touts it's ability to "transform" into a cool Race Pod. This is where yours truly ran into a snag. There are no instructions to show you how to transform it to this mode. You dont so much transform it as you do take it apart and start over. I had a box picture and an illustration in the instruction sheet to go on which weren't much help. I struggled for about 1 hour trying to get it into this mode. I can build real race cars in my back yard, but this Race Pod kept me busy! Then I realized maybe it doesnt have to be EXACTLY what the picture shows. That's the great thing about this set and building sets in general- their play value. You are not limited to what is on the box or instructions, you can invent your own vehicles! Here is my best shot at achieving Race Pod glory.

The set comes with a building marker buoy which is nice addition to the set. Iron Man leaves this in his wake so the backup forces know where cleanup needs to be done.

This was my first foray into Mega Bloks believe it or not, but I've come to appreciate the possibilities and educational value these toys provide. They feed the imagination of not only kids, but those of us who are kids at heart. I'd like to thank JoshB for providing this set for review.