We've got more reviews, and this one is Technic too! Today BZPower Reporter Xccj focuses on 42134 Monster Jam Megalodon. Is this set worth sinking your teeth into or should it get tossed out with the chum? Read on or look at Instagram and find out!

Presentation
From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set.

One of the downfalls of Technic is that every year seems to be just more of the same; cars, trucks, plane, construction equipment, and the occasional boat, but always some sort of vehicle. The variety seems pretty limited. (I mean, it's been ages since we've had a good Technic Monster / Rahi build!) But the Monster Jam Megalodon is a bit refreshing with the animal motif build into a monster truck. (I guess it's a real vehicle too; sorry I don't really follow the monster truck scene.) Anyway, this one has functionality (kind of, wheels count) and decorative display going for it, so it has me interested in actually dabbling in a little Technic this year.

It also helps that this set is affordable. $19.99 USD won't break the bank, and the 260 pieces look worthwhile. As a Technic set it has an alternate model, although the instructions aren't included in box. (You can find them online.) And the big feature is the Pull Back motor advertised in the corners. Inside the box, you get four bags of parts, some loose wheels and the motor, the instruction booklet, and a sticker sheet. (Sorry, while I did use some of the stickers, I didn't utilize all of them for this review.)

Components
What kinds of interesting pieces are included with the set? What are the minifigures like?

I think the parts will be a major appeal for this set. In particular is the high quantity of medium blue elements. You get panels, liftarms, and connectors in that color, and most of them are currently exclusive to this set. You also get a few other neat pieces like the new red friction 1L pins and the light grey frictionless 3L pins. Overall, it feels like a decent selection of parts that will make any Technic builder happy.

Building
Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it?

The build is straightforward and nothing too complex. There are a few fun Technic designs utilized; my favorite is how they angled the back tail on the monster truck. However, the design is mainly structural, as there are no fancy Technic functions built into the set, so don't get your hopes up there.

The first model is the Megalodon. It's quite a beefy model, and the medium blue stands out great to show off the shark design. They really went out of their way to make sure there aren't any major gaps in the color, which gives us lots of medium blue parts. The red teeth also stand out, with the new friction pin keeping the white barbs in place so they don't move around too much. The side fins are connected in a bit loosely, but they're also trapped so they don't flop around too much. The back even has some ribbed hose elements above the back wheels to look like shock absorbers, although they do not function as such at all. The only part of the design that I think is overly clunky is the front bumper, which just looks too bare compared to the rest of the model. I'm sure it serves an important functional purpose to keep the model from smashing apart when it hits something, but it still doesn't look great.

The alternate model is a racecar design with some of the shark elements built in. The most stand out bit is the ribs of teeth around the cockpit, which is a bit foreboding to the driver I'd think. The back spoiler and main chassis in medium blue look good, but I like the smoothness of the front flaps the best, which has some clever design tricks to make it work. The frictionless 3L pins also work nicely as exhaust ports near the back. Sadly, the baren front bumper returns again, although I think it stands out less in this model than the other.

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?

As mentioned earlier, there's no real Technic functions built into the design, so you can't press a lever and have the Megalodon open its mouth and chomp down on unsuspecting cars. The only motion is in the wheel axis. Granted, this is where the primary function is included in the form of a pullback motor. (After playing with some of the Stuntz Bikes from late last year, I really appreciate the new flywheel motor functions they made for the bikes, but here we return to the classics with the simple pullback feature.) The premise is the same as ever; you pull back, build up some torque, release, and let it roll. There's enough power in the motor that it can propel the vehicle pretty far forward. . . on a smooth surface anyway. (I was barely able to get ten feet on carpet.) The pullback motor is worked into both designs and they both rolls pretty well. As an adult, I admittedly am not super into this function, especially since the truck is too big to casually roll around my desk when I'm supposed to be working. (Which I will not say is what I'm doing with the Stuntz Bikes, nope, not at all.) But it's a feature I'm sure kids will enjoy.

Final Thoughts
Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it?

Pros
What's to like?

• Great pieces, lots of medium blue
• Affordable
• Cool shark design built into the vehicle
• Solid build, smooth designs

Cons
What's not to like?

• Ugly bumper
• Build is structural only, no functions beyond pull back motor
• Is still technically a Technic vehicle

There's a lot to like about this set. It has all the standards that you'd expect from a Technic set, but the shark designs make it stand out from some of the other bland cars. It doesn't cost a whole lot but still provides a significant build. And the pieces are a major drawl. This one is an easy recommendation.

Stay tuned to BZPower for more LEGO set reviews and the such.

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