Review and Photography by David Yeh
The Technodrome in the 80's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon was the iconic home base of Shredder, Krang, and the evil Foot Clan. It was a massive tank ball with an eyeball on top and it became a must-have toy for children everywhere. With this summer's release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, the Technodrome once again makes an appearance on toy shelves. I still have yet to SEE the new film so I can't offer any real criticisms of how the toy is compared to the movie version, but let's take a look at it as a toy.
Priced at about $35-40 depending on the retailer, the Technodrome playset is pretty close to the original Technodrome size, maybe slightly larger, and once again it's a giant ball with some wheels on the bottom, but with no cartoon-designed eyeball on top.
Removing the Technodrome from its packaging, kids and adults will need to follow the instructions to snap the panels together to build one half of the playset. The other half is an open play area. There are no decals to put on, so no need to fuss with any of that.
Kraang's Interdimensional Fortress opens to over 2 feet wide, has a trap door, secret trap slide, and aim & fire weapons. Only one side of the Technodrome opens, which is a shame as it would be great to have a completely closed ball of a fortress like the original. The side that opens also has a hidden entrance.
The center area of the Technodrome is where Kraang can stand and drive his base into battle, but it also serves as a trap door that leads into a jail. The base has some painted parts and wires, enough to keep it colorful. The exterior looks pretty neat actually with the dark gray and silver highlights.
As a forty dollar playset, it doesn't quite have enough fun for me, as visually it does look cool (like a Star Wars Death Star) but I also have no emotional attachment to it, nor have I seen the film. For kids, it might be pretty cool for them to have as a display for their action figures but not sure how much attention it would really take from them.
The plastic is really light and actually a bit flimsy, so do use a hard surface to display and play, as some of it doesn't quite snap together well unless it's a sturdy surface.
The Technodrome playset is available in stores now, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is in theaters now.
Review and Photography by David Yeh
Technodrome Courtesy of Playmates Toys
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