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    Discuss This Story ReviewWednesday, December 29th, 2010 at 6:22am by Jason, BZPower Reporter

    Pharaoh�s Quest is one of the new LEGO themes coming out in 2011, but many of the sets were available this December, and I managed to get a hold of one to review for you. In this set, Jake Raines and Helena Tova are after the Golden Scarab Shield, but they have to first face the Mummy Snake Charmer and the cobra statue that is very much alive. Will they succeed, and is this a set worth owning? I hope to answer those questions in this review!

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

    [Front of Box]

    When you see this box in stores, the first thing that jumps out at you is undoubtedly the cobra. Sure, Jake and Helena are putting up a fight, and the snake charmer is egging it on, but the cobra demands you full attention. Behind him, you have an excellent Egyptian background, and above him is the new Pharaoh�s Quest logo. To the side you can see some details about the set, like the age recommendation and piece count. I don�t quite fit within the age recommendation anymore, but luckily my inner kid does. And the 213 piece count isn�t bad for this set. It may be a bit skim for a $29.99 USD set, but I�ll get to that later.

    [back of box]

    The back of the box features another scene of Jake and Helena verses the cobra statue. Jake managed to grab the shield, but he�s apparently unaware of what is about to strike him from behind. In addition to this scene, there is an image showing how the cobra can attach to the temple. There is also a chart showing the six treasures Jake and the others have to find. The Scarab shield is the fourth, so they must be pretty far along at this point.

    If you're wondering where all the legal disclaimers are, fear not, they still made it on the box. Rather, they're located on the sides, which also sport images of the minifigures and the Scarab shield in its "actual size." (This time, it's actually very accurate.)

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

    [contents]

    When you rip opened the box, you reveal four bags full of new parts, the cobra�s hood piece, a sticker sheet, and the instruction booklet. And you know that you just can�t wait to start building!

    building truck 1 building truck 2 building truck 3

    The first thing to construct is the new truck. It�s a simple, yet very sturdy and satisfying build, reminiscent of some of the old Adventurer�s vehicles from the past. It�s certainly not the main selling point, but it offers Jake and Helena a quick method of transportation.

    building temple 1 building temple 2 building temple 3

    The next thing you construct is the temple for the Golden Scarab Shield. Again, it�s a very straightforward construction, but the slopes really give it a smooth look. Sadly, all the decals are from stickers, and aren�t printed on the bricks. I normally don�t use my stickers, but the temple seemed lacking without them.

    building cobra 1 building cobra 2 building cobra 3
    building cobra 4 building cobra 5 building cobra 6

    Then you have the cobra. If you were expecting a lot of complexity here, you�ll be disappointed. The cobra is made out of different body sections connected via ball and socket joints. With the exception of the head, none of it is complex at all. The coolest part of the cobra is the hood, which is attached to the head and the first body piece. It�s large, but it uses the space well, and certainly gives the cobra its flair.

    Set Design
    Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here.

    [all pieces]

    This set comes with 213 pieces. I think it�s a decent amount for the price, although I don�t usually buy too many expensive sets. There�s a lot of tan and dark tan pieces, as well as dark blue, dark red, burnt orange, and, of course, pearly gold. Nothing is super exciting, but there�s more than enough to make it worthwhile.

    [cool pieces]

    These are a couple of pieces that stand out in the collection. I originally thought the Cobra Hood Piece was going to be a cloth piece, like the minifigure capes. But instead it�s more of a laminated plastic, and it�s a great piece that makes the Cobra look super scary. The new Snake Charmer headdress and dark tan Cobra head also have cool designs printed on them. Other pieces, like the dark red vehicle seats, black brick with socket, burnt orange 2x1 tile, and gold arch brick, are all new recolored pieces, and this set comes with enough of them to make parts collector happy.

    The only brand new mold I�m aware of is the Golden Scarab Shield, which can be attached to a pin (like on the temple) or held by a minifigure. The shield piece appears in other Pharaoh�s Quest sets, but this is the only one where it�s pearly gold.

    [minifigures]

    I must admit, the main thing that attracted me to this set was the minifigures. We�ve got three this time; the Mummy Snake Charmer, adventurer extraordinaire Jake Raines, and his former-rival-turned-ally Helena Tova (or as her online Bio says, Helena Skvalling). Jake appears to be the main protagonist of this theme. And he looks ready for trouble, judging by the ammunition he has strapped on. Helena also features a similar outfit, minus the ammunition, and with a necklace instead. As a minifig collector, I can see potential in using her torso for many other female figs. She also had burnt orange hair (another new color for that piece) and a smiling face with a few dimples. The snake charmer mummy looks to be like most of the other generic mummies, except with snakes in his hands (and the new headdress).

    [minifigs second faces]

    Both the mummy and Helena have two sided heads, to give them different expressions. If he feels like it, the mummy can turn into a Cyclops (as if being a snake charming mummy wasn�t enough). Helena can express her concern of the matter with a new shocked face. Jake, on the other hand, doesn�t have another expression. You see, nothing shocks Jake Raines.

    [compare minifigs]

    Of course, when I first heard of the Pharaoh�s Quest theme, I thought back to the good old Johnny Thunder Egyptian theme. So I must pull out my Johnny Thunder figs for comparison. The two females are quite similar (although I think Helena�s expression is nicer). Jake, however, just doesn�t seem to compare to Johnny. Is it because he has an ammunition strap instead of a scarf? Is it that he has a chin-beard instead of a mustache? Nope, it�s clearly his lack of a fedora. Sorry Jake, but while you may be one tough adventurer, you�re not The Adventurer.

    But enough of the past; let�s move onto the present. After all, Jake and Helena still have to get past the Cobra.

    [Whole Set]

    Jake and Helena drive up to the temple, expecting the Scarab Shield to be a quick grab. But what�s that? The snake statue is actually alive? Their job just got a lot harder.

    [truck front] [truck back]

    As I mentioned earlier, the truck has a decent yet simplistic design, much like the vehicles in the old Adventurers sets. And it has nice big wheels that allow it to roll across the desert with ease. Strangely, the steering wheel is on the right side as opposed to the left; I guess this means Jake isn�t planning on driving this in the United States. And at first I though Jake was being mean by forcing Helena to sit in the back rather that the seat next to him. But this isn�t him being rude; between Helena�s hair and shoulder bag, she just can�t fit into the seat. It�s the curse of female accessories, I guess.

    [cobra front] [cobra back]
    [cobra curve up] [cobra curve to side]

    The Cobra is an effective design, and I think it works well for being a snake. It has plenty of mobility thanks to 8 ball and socket joints. But it has the falling of most snake models; it�s hard to pose. Sure, you can get this guy to rear up, but you need to work out his pose so that his center of gravity keeps him balanced. Otherwise, he�s going to topple over. But if you work with him, you can get some interesting poses.

    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?

    This set doesn�t come with many special features. The truck moves like any LEGO vehicle, but that�s to be expected. The cobra can open his jaw a bit, but nothing too exciting. And, sadly, the temple doesn�t even feature any hidden chambers or ejection platforms. (Which is a shame; I would�ve liked to have a way to send that mummy snake charmer flying.)

    [Attached to Temple] [Pose on Temple]

    The best function I can come up with is connecting the cobra to the temple. The connection is simple, and not very strong, but serves its purpose. And after that, you can wrap the cobra around the temple and put it in a few more poses, while temple helps support it. It�s not much, but it�s something.

    The best part of this set is obviously the role playing. You�ve got plenty of characters on both ends. Jake and Helena have their truck, stocked with guns, dynamite, and a shovel. Meanwhile, the mummy has snakes, both large and small, and that cobra can easily thwart Jake and Helena�s attempts to get the scarab shield.

    [Cobra vs Truck]
    The cobra is not intimidated by a truck. Not at all.

    [Cobra vs Helena]
    "Oh, hello. Is this your temple?"

    [Cobra vs Jake]
    "The power of the Golden Scarab Shield will protect me."

    [Cobra breats truck]
    "Oh great, there goes our ride."

    [Cobra beats Jake]
    Even in the grip of the cobra�s jaws, Jake has a determined look on his face.

    [Cobra vs Evo]
    A Hero Factory representative arrives to battle the cobra.

    [Cobra vs Pohatu]
    As Evo goes down, it�s up to Pohatu to save the day.

    [Temple beats Cobra]
    With the temple pinning the cobra down, Jake and Helena make their getaway with the treasure.
    The snake charmer comforts his pet in its time of need.

    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 selection of pieces; includes lots of new recolored elements
    • Minifigures are awesome, especially Helena
    • Truck very reminiscent of older Adventurers theme
    • Cobra looks very menacing
    • Great set for role playing

    Cons
    What's not to like?

    • Cobra is difficult to pose
    • Temple has no special features
    • Jake Raines is no Johnny Thunder

    When all is said and done, I think this is a fun set in terms of pieces and designs. The cobra isn�t the best creature design ever, but it�s more than good enough to be a great opponent for Jake and Helena. The price of $29.99 USD is a little steep, so if you are looking for this set, I�d suggest waiting to get it on sale. (I got mine with a 15% off coupon.) In the end, it�s a worthy set, and if all Pharaoh�s Quest sets are this good, then it�ll be a great theme.

    Now get the Cursed Cobra Statue... before it gets you!

    [cobra attacking camera]

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