Toybox of FAIL: Forest Spadecar

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Several readers have suggested that Zephyr Knight might just be using a cheap on-line translator to determine the English names for their toys. I have to admit that idea makes a good deal of sense. It's either an on-line translator or a first-year high school student who forgot to study.

I mean, how else are you going to explain a name like Forest Spade Car?

Anyone remember the classic Speed Racer cartoon? Remember the giant saw-blades that would pop out of the front of the Mach 5 to cut down an old-growth forest whenever those pesky trees would get in Speed's way? Man, I loved that show.

I have no love at all for Forest Spade Car, however. Stock number 1018, it follows Foreign Emissary down the heavily-wooden road of shame. Except that, according to the background art, the road of shame has no trees anywhere nearby. And is also apparently on the moon.

Forest Spade Car's driver also has a Frisbee for a hat. Just thought I'd point that out.

The back of the package has the usual "Transformation" shots. As usual, two of the models look almost identical. I think Zephyr Knight's design team was really hung over while designing the "Aggregation Series".

In the past, we've seen some bricks change color between the various product shots...but this is the first time the mini-figure has mutated as well. Check out the changes in the close-ups above - Driver A is clearly a different person from Driver B - even if they are wearing the same shirt.

There are a couple of interesting parts in this set. I know there are a ton of Bionicle and Bionicle-related bootlegs out there, but this is the first occurrence of them in the Toybox. The two "tank tread" weapons are clearly recasts from the LEGO part. The smaller trans-yellow bits are a non-LEGO item, shockingly. I included them here as they're a part I wish LEGO did make - a 2 stud wide hinged window would be very handy in a lot of creations.

Here's the version of the Mini-figure that comes with the set. As expected, the designs and colors don't match the package art (even with two different versions to try for!) Why the Forest Spade Car driver is in a skiing uniform is a puzzlement - but I still think the goofy hat invites even more serious questions.

I hereby name this mini-bootleg Forrest. His favorite saying? "Life is like a box of bootlegs. Full of crap."

The toy itself is a new design - the closest thing LEGO has released was the Ice Blade set from the Alpha Team line. (And it's not a close match at all.)

I wonder what the designers were thinking when they decided that the Forest Spade car needed a propeller in addition to the giant tank treads. Forrest wonders this as well.

Well. I guess that about covers it. Forest Spade Car. Proving once again that scraping the bottom of the barrel of Fail is only the beginning. If you pick up the barrel and look underneath, you'll find a new and even more horrifying level of scum and villainy.

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As always, many thanks to Joe from The Undiscovered Playthings for sending me this set to review.