Vehicle Reviews

I have a 5 year old and an eight year old who used Christmas money to buy this together three days ago. They have played with it nonstop since. It is easy for them to set up and play on their own and they have a blast. If someone is having trouble with this perhaps they should read the directions.

My son was given the Speedeez Rapid Fire Loop Playset for his 5th birthday. He has played with it non-stop since. He loves the fact that the cars are miniature, like his Micro Machines.

The launcher works well and the track is easy to put together. The cars shoot out of the launcher at high speed and sometimes make it round the loop, but regardless they do some cool stunts, spins and crashes in the process.

Lots of fun for a 5yr old boy, but I doubt whether it will last for a long time because it does not look particularly durable.

My son picked this out and loves it. I had some problems putting the launcher together (hint: take the red rubber thing OFF before putting it together!) because the instructions could be more helpful. But after I analyzed the thing, I figured it out (thank God for engineering classes).

My son plays with it a lot and while not all the cars will make it through the loop, some of them do. My son also seems to enjoy putting the whole thing together and taking it apart again. We've had it for a month and the launcher is still working.

I'd say if you or your kids are good at figuring out how to put things together, and if they are careful with it, you should consider buying it. But if you're going to get frustrated and throw it against the wall while putting it together, maybe you should consider something else.

We like it!

We bought this for our 3 year old. After spending close to an hour setting up, he couldn't even play with it! It does everything by itself. So, Cranky was taken off to play with.. very disappointed! But Dad enjoys watching the monotony of the train set (around, and around)

I assembled two Big Big loaders. Neither of them would complete one cycle of operation. The parts would not align properly, causing jams and not permiting the engine to reverse when it was supposed to at the top of the spiral tower. The crane would not pick up the
tray of little balls. The manufacturer did not return two e-mails.

This toy would only frustrate a small child, not to mention frustrating the adult who must assemble it.

Both Big Big loaders have been returned.

This "toy" is not a toy. It's completely automated and not interactive for my 3 yr old and my 8 yr old boys. They were bored after 2 minutes. The loader kept getting jammed on the ramp....and yes, even after..re-assembling it correctly..again, after changing the little aggrevating tires, making sure it was on a flat surface, etc., etc. My 3 year old tried to play with it, only to have the crane fall over again and again. He had more fun taking the engine and letting it ride on the kitchen floor. Don't waste your money on this, folks, unless you like collecting Thomas stuff and having it set around to just look at.

I had the earlier Desert Strike for Sega, and this one is not much better. The graphics are a bit improved, but you still have the cheesy little guys you rescue that look poorly animated. Another thing that bugs me is the actors that do the voices. They can't do a Russian accent-it sounds in some places like a Scottish accent, then in others a Mexican. There are some aspects of the game I like, but honestly I don't think it's worth what I paid for (...) I might check out Nuclear Strike to see if it's any better, I assume it is but won't fork over any more money until I know for sure.

This game is okay. The graphics aren't that hot. It is kind of an okay game. Its got a cool story to it. You are an airplane trying to destroy everything, and save locals. Its the graphics that made me not like the game. Also the fact that I had no idea how, or what to do.

This was my first game for my Playstation game console and I loved this game! You're flying in a Super Apache with Smart Armor.
Ex-soviet terrorists have enough nuclear power to turn the Earth
into glass, and YOU must stop the "Shadowman".
This game has five Campaigns:
Crimea : Save Nick
Black Sea: Stop three thermo nuclear subs, save Admad
Caspian : Stop Savak
Dracula : Stop three SCUDS
Kremlin :Stop Shadowman, Blow up two ICBMs
Code: if you want unlimited armor, fuel and ammo fill in this code
Midnigh--- you will need to find out the rest.

My son recieved this for Christmas. Most of the time the cars simply will not move now because of the poorly built cars. I remember as a child instead of these quickly degrading bits of metal twisted together there were actual metal bands which would make the cars move. The track does go together well, and stayed together for me. But when you first try the cars out they move much to quickly and fly off the track(until the braids wear out and they refuse to move-which takes only a few days). I have yet to find any race tracks these days which are made properly.

Doesn't anybody playtest toys anymore before they toss them onto the market? Or is it enough that they look great and have a sure-fire cartoon character tie-in?

I ask, because as great and seemingly durable as this little SpongeBob race set is, had anybody in the Mattel boardroom actually tried to play it they would have quickly realized what a Festival of Frustration it is.

When you open the box, you're bound to be delighted by the brightly colored cardboard punch-out set decorations and the really super SpongeBob and Patrick "boats" (slot cars), which feel nice and hefty and solid. Once you've figured out how to put the track together (was it too difficult to actually label the tracks with the same letters by which the instructions refer to them?), and hooked up the power pack and the controllers (kudos for being battery powered, rather than requiring a wall socket, though the option for both would have been nice -- four "D" batteries ain't cheap), the next thing you're going to do, logically, is place the cars on the track and give a controller a squeeze.

And then the NEXT thing you're going to do is get up off your knees and go get the car and put it back on the track. Another squeeze, another track departure, another retrieval. Repeat ad nauseum. Or at least until your kid decides it's more fun to throw the controller at the little cardboard set decorations -- something which you may find yourself in agreement with.

Put simply, these sturdy plastic boat cars are ponderously heavy and too fast for their own good, which means they are highly susceptible to inertia: squeeze lightly and they do not move, just buzz plaintively. Squeeze just ever-so-slightly too hard and they go from standstill to Mario Andretti to Evel Kneivel in under a second, forcing you to spend 80 to 90 percent of your time crawling over to them and putting them back on the track.

And if YOU think that sounds annoying, wait until you see your preteen's reaction.

I did not personally experience any problem with the track coming apart, as some reviewers have mentioned. But that may be because Patrick and Bob spent the lion's share of their time extratrackular.

Honestly...this is one of those toys that is a big waste of money. The cars fall off the track too easily, the cardboard scenes are a major pain and just fall off and don't stand up properly and the overall track isn't very durable. It was a huge disappointment.

My son likes to play with the cars without the track because it just doesn't work well enough with them on the track.

I should have returned this.

This game is fun to play don't get me wrong,but like another reviewer said,it's way too hard to play past a certain stage.After replaying one section for weeks and weeks,trying to beat it, you eventually get tired and shelve the game which is what happened to my copy. Also it's a real pain not being able to enjoy the fantastic control and speed of the ships because you're always worried about refueling.

good game play but preaty good grafics but way to hard i barely got past the 3rd level! and the fule really drags you down in how many levels you get past.

This toy is the cheesiest toy I've ever bought. First off, Cyborg does not bend. Secondly, the car fell apart after a weeks use. Do not buy this toy, it is a waste of money and time.

This thing is coooollll!!!!!It just flat-out rocks!!!It whoops bootie big time baby!!!!!!Woooooo!Yeaaahhh!!!!!!!

In theory, this is a great toy. It is very realistic, and you are supposed to be able to put the astronauts in the command module and the LEM for great imaginative play.

In reality, this toy falls apart the minute you remove it from the packaging. You can't put the astronauts anywhere because they splinter and you can't pull the components apart as shown because pieces break off at the lightest touch.

It is NOT worth the price and NOT worth the disappointment on a child's face.

Purchased this item, and as the other reviewers have mentioned, it fell apart in our hands. NOT for Kids!!!!!!!!!! I am attempting to find another like item, but I have my doubts!

Durability is -1 star.

If anyone finds a talking apollo unit that will stand up to 30 seconds of play, PLEASE let me know.

My five year old son received this as a gift for Christmas, and by that evening, little pieces were falling off with no prodding. A footing from the lunar module fell off the next morning, and when I tried looking it over to see if it could be fixed, two more came off in my hands! My son is so frustrated, as he knows he is being careful as he attempts to play with it while more pieces simply break off. The metallic look of the set is very misleading - think aluminum foil as opposed to a heavier metal. My son has received similar sets, and they have fared well even after months of use. I am ready to toss this out (and would if I could take it away without him being upset as he really likes the astronaut voice recording). I would never recommend this set, as it has frustrated my five year old and my husband and I alike. My husband thought it could only have cost $5.00 or so, and nearly fell off his chair when I told him it was almost $40.00!! Too bad, as the educational value of an imaginary play toy like this is why people do pay so much for such a small toy. Hopefully the maker will get smart and start producing a better quality set to match the example they are trying to promote for our children.

We bought this to enhance my son's "ramps around garage." My son, a 22-month-old, plays fairly gently with his toys. Last week, as he was playing with this, the yellow "gas" hose that attaches to the toy broke right off. It broke into two separate pieces, one about an inch, the other about 2 inches....definite choking hazards! My son was confused about what happened, so he brought the pieces to me. Luckily, he didn't stick them in his mouth. I contacted the company, and there are not any recalls or replacement parts for this item. I don't think I would recommend this toy, but if you do have it in your home, I would strongly recommend sitting right by your toddler whenever he or she is playing with it! I was only a few feet away, but he still could have tried to swallow the pieces!

This toy was mainly bought so we could have more vehicles for the big garage, but the last reviewer was right, this toy is pretty junky. I expected more from this toy especially because it is Fisher Price. They love the Little People videos, they watch them over and over again, all day long. The car wash part of this toy is pretty lame overall, but my 7 month old likes to chew on it so at least it gets some use.

we bought this toy for are 3 year old, well very disappointed. The car wash is junk the ramp is hard to move up and down. I can't see how they expect a 3 year old to move it when I have trouble moving it. Will be returning to the store. The only good thing about it is the tow truck and the extra car with hood that opens.

My son got this case for his 2nd birthday along with the Figure 8 trian set.He loves it and is so funny trying to carry it around the house.I think it is a great way to carry and store the trian set.I dont know what we would do w/o it.I dont know just how durable it will be because it is still new.I do know that we liked it so much that we recommended it for a gift to another 2 year old and he loves it as well.Basically it has been a big hit all around!!!

My son received this bag for Christmas 2001, it is very poor quality. It is not durable, the straps tore loose from the bag with in just a few months. If your child is anything like mine, Thomas goes everywhere he goes. This bag cannot handle the wear and tear. If your looking for something to carry your train set in you need to look further.

This carry bag, although functional, could definitely stand some improvements. My 2-year old adores his wooden trains and requires us to bring them along wherever we go. My biggest beef with the product is the lack of dividers or any type of organization. Inside, there are a few pockets suitable for holding a few engines/cars, but otherwise the bag is just a flimsy, rectangular piece of plastic. It's great for just throwing some wooden track into and getting on your way, but it would be better if there were separate compartments for curved & straight track and maybe an accessory or two. I gave it three stars across the board, but we have not had it for very long so I cannot vouch for the product's durability.
BOTTOM LINE: If you've got to have a Thomas bag for your trains & track that travel, this is about your only option. But I'd recommend you save your [money] and throw them in a small duffel.

We found this toy to break very easy. The doors, the ramp, the simulated engines, the tail - - all of it. In addition, the cars get stuck in the back of the plane when the ramp is open. Though categorized for ages 3 and above, I would not reccomend this toy to anyone who's child is under 5. It's enjoyment would be short lived as it was with my son.

This toy looks fun, and for the one minute it was in one piece, my son really enjoyed it. As many other reviewers commented, it falls apart almost instantly. My dear 3 year old son really wants to play with it, so he incessantly brings it to me to put it back together. The front doors fall off, the wings come off, and even the engines on the wings come off easily.

I have finally stored it away. I will bring it back out when my son is old enough to put it back together by himself. Maybe at that time we will feel like we got our money's worth, since he really does enjoy the concept of the toy.

Also, only the flatter Hotwheels and Matchbox cars fit into it. All the fire trucks and similar size vehichles, if you can get them into it will get stuck. This toy requires a lot of parental repair, and/or extraction, i.e., about every 20 seconds. Plenty of frustration for us!

I do have to say, that so far, none of the pieces have actually broken off, they just pop off easily, so it is technically reparable, so far....

bought this toy for my son last year for x-mas. over the course of the year his mom misplaced it and its all he talks about that he wants from santa. Yes the wings come off with vigorous play (glue them on like i did) and the doors are a small problem (tape them with scotch tape so wouldnt open) he took the cars out the back and he loves this toy. Worth every dime i spent on it last year.