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REVIEW: Playmates Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles GIANT LEONARDO PLAYSET
A Party In A Half Shell...
Review and Photography by David Yeh
When it comes to action figures and the playsets they inhabit, one common problem is that the playset always looks like a mess. Second problem is that they take up so much space when not in use. And a third optional problem is, “I don’t have enough giant turtles in my house”. Playmates Toys has attempted to solve all of these issues in one go with their latest GIANT LEONARDO PLAYSET, part of their continuing “Mutations” line-up in the successful Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brand.
The Giant Leonardo Playset is exactly what it sounds like: it’s a giant Leonardo and it’s a playset. What’s fun is that you’ll have a great looking turtle to display when not in use, but when it’s play time, this set is a party in a half shell. Leonardo stands a towering 24 inches tall, and when transformed into the lair, it boasts 30 features and 8 separate rooms, including:
- Splinter’s Meditation Area
- Skate Park Half-Pipe
- Mikey’s Pad
- Street Level Lookout Tower
- Turtle’s Dojo
- Donnie’s Workshop
- Computer Lab
- Turtles’ Jail
Too bad Leonardo and Raphael, you’ll just have to slum it in one of the other rooms that don’t have a name associated with it!
The other features boasted on the box include:
- 6 Levels of Play
- Internal Skate Track
- Half-Pipe
- Ramp Escape
- Rails for Tricks & Stunts
- Skateboard included
- Dojo Surprise Launch Pad
- Extendable Street Level Look-out Tower
- Street Light Catapult
- Multiple Sneaky Sewer Trap Doors
- Trap Floor Leading to Jail
- Drop-in Manhole Door Leading to Mikey’s Pad
- 2 Dojo Weapon Racks
- 3 Climbing Ladders
- Figures Store Inside Playset
- Fold-Out Stairs
I suppose some of those can be seen as “features”. To me, they left off DECALS. There’s two sticker sheets included for you to add more color to the Turtle Lair. Getting the decals on straight can be difficult because of some of the angles and shapes, so I advise using tweezers to help maneuver it around. Some of the decals are actually too big in some cases, making it extremely difficult to line up properly. But decals are always fun for many and can kill a good half hour of your time. Another tip is to apply the decals before assembling Leonardo’s feet as some of them need you to really get in there and it’ll be easier for you without dealing with the opening and closing flaps.
Leonardo doesn’t require many steps to transform it into a Turtle Lair. You simply pull his head back and his shell will come back as you pull the front forward. The feet open up to reveal hidden rooms, one being the Turtles’ Jail and Donnie’s Workshop and the other being Mikey’s Room. Leo’s shell becomes the Half Pipe where Mikey can practice his skateboarding moves. A ramp folds out to allow him to roll out.
The front shell becomes the Computer Room, which is accessible via manhole, ladder, or stairs. The Dojo has areas to attach many extra weapons onto it and there's several hidden doors and triggers to assist the turtles in defeating the Foot Clan (how they found their sewer base is entirely up to you).
There’s six levels of play in this Lair and should provide a good amount of fun for Ninja Turtle fans, but of course, the more figures you have the more fun you'll have. And while it’s not the most realistic Turtle Lair, it’s all about play in the Mutations line (the less you think about Mikey skateboarding in Leo’s butt, the better).
The Giant Leonardo Playset retails for about $90-100 and should be easily found at most toy retailers such as Toys’R’Us, Target, or Wal-Mart.
A special thanks to Playmates for providing us a look at the new Leonardo Playset. You can find out more about Playmates Toys as well as their line up of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles offerings by following and liking them on social media.
FB: https://www.facebook.com/TMNTPlay
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaymatesToys
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tmntplay
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/TMNTToys
Website: http://www.playmatestoys.com/
Review and Photography by David Yeh
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