Review: Sky Shark, set 70601

[randomreviewerbros]

Today I will be reviewing the second set in my series of Ninjago 2016 Reviews. It is set 70601 Sky Shark, it retails for $34.99 AUD (but bought for $29 at Big W) and I believe it will be $19.99 USD but not 100% sure on that. Also 19.99 Pounds in the UK. This set contains 221 pieces.

 

Presentation

 

As I had stated in my Cole's Dragon review the box art of the 2016 Ninjago Winter sets are as follows. The main protagonist (this time being Jay) is featured on the top right of the box and here is the box of this particular set:

 

 

Pieces

 

This set contains 221 pieces, many of which are very useful and are used in many creative ways in this set that I've never seen in a set of this size. Most notable pieces to me right out of the box were:

 

The anchor pieces used on the fins

The treasure chests used as dynamite holders

The barrels used as exhausts

The shark teeth stickers are a very nice touch in my opinion

 

So overall a great variety of pieces here.

 

Building Experience:

 

Personally I was actually looking forward to the build of this set more than any other and this was mainly because when I first saw the images of this set late last year I immediately saw the very creative uses of pieces and such. Once I opened the box and started building I was not disappointed by any means, it was exactly what I thought it would be, just a very enjoyable build, and even though it was a quick build it was still very appealing.

 

Minifigures/Accessories:

 

I really think the minifigures in this set will be very much sought after once everyone has seen the season that just ended a few weeks ago (btw if you haven't yet seen it and you are a Ninjago fan, you must watch it asap, it is an awesome season, very disappointed it ended so fast). Anyways the two minifigures are Lloyd in his Airjitzu Gear and Flintlocke as seen here: 

Both minifigures are fantastic and are going to be a very big draw to this set, it is currently the cheapest way to get both these characters and actually will be the cheapest as of this point because summer sets have already been announced and pictures seen already. So if you are wanting great minifigures this set is for you! 

 

Lloyd's weapon is the Golden Weapon Power Staff according to Lego Shop at Home's description and Flintlocke's Weapon is a standard Sky Pirate's Sword which isn't bad by any means. But this was a disappointment to me as in the show he always uses the Double Flintlocke Pistols but not to worry because if you bought this and the Cole's Dragon set you already get a spare pistol in each set, so then you can make him look like this:

Ah that's more like it!

 

I'm also going to include Lloyd's Jetpack as an accessory in this set because it's just a nice little addition to the set and I like the build, here it is:

 

The Djinn Blade in the set is 'Trapped Kai' and as always the blade is a great Ninjago collectible.

 

Final Build:

 

The final build to this set is absolutely fantastic, I love everything about this set, it is a fantastic addition to any Ninjago collection and is well worth the money (if you live in Australia, please buy this at either Kmart or Big W, they both have it for $29 and that is much better then the $34.99 everywhere else, or just price match it to their price). Anyways this set it awesome, great build, great minifigures, great pieces, and great price, here are the final images:

This is the main play feature in the next pic below which by the way is an absolutely excellent feature, if you aren't going to get this set then please look at the free instructions online to see how it is done:

Drops sticks of dynamite via chain link, very creative use of parts. And then of course opening cockpit:

 

Final Thoughts and Recommendations:

For my final thoughts and recommendations on this set, I give this set a definite 10/10, there is nothing I can say wrong about this, and out of the two sets priced at $34.99 AUD/$19.99 USD this set is probably just a bit better, although I do love the minifigures in The Ninja Bike Chase set as well. Here are the pros:

 

Great minifigures

Great pieces

Creative building techniques

Enjoyable build

Awesome final model

 

Here are the cons:

 

The only one I can think of here is that the other set priced at this range included one more minifigure than the Sky Shark so maybe this set could have included an extra pirate or something.

The jetpack looks great but actually uses an 'illegal' building technique where the binoculars are placed, but that is kinda pulling at strings to put one more con in, so it is nothing major.

 

So as you can see, I absolutely love this set, and it does actually play a big roll in this current Ninjago season so it is a must have for any Ninjago fan. I highly recommend this set, it is one of the better sets that were priced at around this range that Ninjago has ever released, my personal favourite would have to be the Mountain Shrine set from 2011 and that was at $34.99 AUD as well, but this set is easily number 2 to me! 

 

So go out there and get it when you see it, great set at a great price!

 

Look forward to my next review being The Ninja Bike Chase!

Edited February 18, 2016 by randomreviewerbros

[bohrokman]

Good review!

[Aanchir]

Good review! When this set was revealed, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Aquasharkshttp:// theme which I loved growing up. However, the design language of this set is a lot less cartoony, the bombing function makes it more impressive on a technical level, and 221 pieces for $20 USD is a much better value than its closest Aquasharks counterpart, 6155 Deep Sea Predator (which had just 103 pieces for $22 USD, and one fewer figure as well).

 

The pirate motifs that decorate all the sky pirate vehicles, such as flintlock pistols, barrels, cutlasses, bones, treasure chests, and anchors add a lot of humor while also helping to tie them together with a ramshackle aesthetic and a sort of steampunk color scheme. All things considered, though, the sky pirate vehicles might be more accurately described as dieselpunk, especially ones like this one that use jet engines instead of balloons or propellors. The shark tooth stickers on the underside of the cockpit really drive home the "shark" concept.

 

Lloyd's jetpack is neat, though it's kind of funny that the flames are bigger than the entirety of the jetpack! It's not a major motivation for me to get this set, though, unlike the Sky Shark itself, and it's kind of a shame that him having the jetpack in this set means that he doesn't have the new shoulder armor that came out this wave. Strangely, the Skybound version of Lloyd doesn't have it in either of his other appearances this year, either! This is, however, the only Skybound set that includes Lloyd with his full mask/headwrap.

 

The biggest disadvantage I see to this set is that it has no really exclusive minifigures, and even the "trapped Kai" element in the sword can also be obtained in The Green NRG Dragon this summer. But I think it still stands out as a great set on the merits of the vehicle itself. I haven't firmly decided whether to get this set myself. It might depend on what kinds of sales or deals I see, since it's not as high on my wish list as Jay's Elemental Dragon or Tiger Widow Island. Still, it does more for me than the similarly-priced Ninja Bike Chase.

 

Thanks so much for the review!

Edited February 18, 2016 by Aanchir

[randomreviewerbros]

Good review!

Thanks!

 

Good review! When this set was revealed, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Aquasharks theme which I loved growing up. However, the design language of this set is a lot less cartoony, the bombing function makes it more impressive on a technical level, and 221 pieces for $20 USD is a much better value than its closest Aquasharks counterpart, 6155 Deep Sea Predator (which had just 103 pieces for $22 USD, and one fewer figure as well).

 

The pirate motifs that decorate all the sky pirate vehicles, such as flintlock pistols, barrels, cutlasses, bones, treasure chests, and anchors add a lot of humor while also helping to tie them together with a ramshackle aesthetic and a sort of steampunk color scheme. All things considered, though, the sky pirate vehicles might be more accurately described as dieselpunk, especially ones like this one that use jet engines instead of balloons or propellors. The shark tooth stickers on the underside of the cockpit really drive home the "shark" concept.

 

Lloyd's jetpack is neat, though it's kind of funny that the flames are bigger than the entirety of the jetpack! It's not a major motivation for me to get this set, though, unlike the Sky Shark itself, and it's kind of a shame that him having the jetpack in this set means that he doesn't have the new shoulder armor that came out this wave. Strangely, the Skybound version of Lloyd doesn't have it in either of his other appearances this year, either! This is, however, the only Skybound set that includes Lloyd with his full mask/headwrap.

 

The biggest disadvantage I see to this set is that it has no really exclusive minifigures, and even the "trapped Kai" element in the sword can also be obtained in The Green NRG Dragon this summer. But I think it still stands out as a great set on the merits of the vehicle itself. I haven't firmly decided whether to get this set myself. It might depend on what kinds of sales or deals I see, since it's not as high on my wish list as Jay's Elemental Dragon or [url=http://brickset.com/sets/70604-1/Tiger-Widow-Island]Tiger Widow Island. Still, it does more for me than the similarly-priced Ninja Bike Chase.

 

Thanks so much for the review!

Aquasharks was a good theme, didn't it use a lot of big moulded pieces?

I really liked the Aquazone theme, the sets from that theme are fantastic 

 

I've already made my decision on which sets I'm getting in the summer wave, Lloyd's Green NRG Dragon is sadly not on that list because I already have every minifigure in it, I really really wish it maybe actually came with an NRG version of Lloyd or something then I would definitely get it.

 

I really look forward to reviewing Tiger Widow Island and Jay's Elemental Dragon, both are fantastic sets

 

Anyways thanks for the feedback, it is always much appreciated!

[Aanchir]

Aquasharks was a good theme, didn't it use a lot of big moulded pieces?

I really liked the Aquazone theme, the sets from that theme are fantastic

Yeah, Aquazone was one of my childhood favorite themes. But it did use a lot of large molded pieces, which is part of why some of the sets don't hold up quite so well in hindsight. At the time I loved all the big cockpit and window pieces, but it's been years since I've felt inspired to use any of them in MOCs.

 

Anyways thanks for the feedback, it is always much appreciated!

No problem! I'm glad I'm not the only one here who's really interested in Ninjago!

Edited February 19, 2016 by Aanchir

[randomreviewerbros]

 

Aquasharks was a good theme, didn't it use a lot of big moulded pieces?

I really liked the Aquazone theme, the sets from that theme are fantastic

Yeah, Aquazone was one of my childhood favorite themes. But it did use a lot of large molded pieces, which is part of why some of the sets don't hold up quite so well in hindsight. At the time I loved all the big cockpit and window pieces, but it's been years since I've felt inspired to use any of them in MOCs.

 

Anyways thanks for the feedback, it is always much appreciated!

No problem! I'm glad I'm not the only one here who's really interested in Ninjago!

 

haha me to!

[fishers64]

Very nice review! 

 

I haven't seen the show yet (I should be ashamed of myself, I know ), so maybe why this set doesn't appeal to me right off hand. 

 

But brown on orange...ugh. I understand that some people really like that color scheme - one of my high schools used it for its colors, but I always found it ugly. 

 

Did you design the ring around the set (the red/green technic things stacked around the set)? I like that concept, but why the duct tape?

[randomreviewerbros]

Very nice review! 

 

I haven't seen the show yet (I should be ashamed of myself, I know ), so maybe why this set doesn't appeal to me right off hand. 

 

But brown on orange...ugh. I understand that some people really like that color scheme - one of my high schools used it for its colors, but I always found it ugly. 

 

Did you design the ring around the set (the red/green technic things stacked around the set)? I like that concept, but why the duct tape?

Haha lol, the colour scheme was used at one of your high schools??? Geez that's an odd choice of colour.

 

Oh the ring around the review was the two arena's from the two Spinjitzu Starter sets from 2011-2012, I just duct tape it so that when I use the spinners they don't knock it off the table lol

[Aanchir]

But brown on orange...ugh. I understand that some people really like that color scheme - one of my high schools used it for its colors, but I always found it ugly.

Orange and brown is basically a monochromatic color scheme much like Visorak Boggarak's, since brown is effectively just a shade of orange. I think it suits these sets just fine by making them look sort of rusty but still visually striking. It does sound like a rather peculiar choice for a school's colors, though.

 

You should watch some LEGO Ninjago at some point! If you end up getting Netflix to watch The Journey to One, the two-part LEGO Ninjago TV pilot and the first three seasons are all available on Netflix as well. I imagine seasons four and five will be added sometime this year. It's a pretty affordable option compared to buying the DVDs.

 

The contents of this set are from Season 6, which isn't available yet on Netflix or DVD and hasn't even aired in the United States, so even if you had been following the show you'd be forgiven for not really being familiar with this set's context.

[fishers64]

It does sound like a rather peculiar choice for a school's colors, though.

The contents of this set are from Season 6, which isn't available yet on Netflix or DVD and hasn't even aired in the United States, so even if you had been following the show you'd be forgiven for not really being familiar with this set's context.

I've actually watched all of seasons 1-5. I even reviewed seasons 1-3 on this very website, so... Sorry. 

 

But I'm always behind the ball on new Ninjago seasons - they always seem to come out faster than I think they should. Since I don't watch TV at all, I have no reference point about when to start hunting for videos except for BZPower comments.

 

As for the school colors... I have no idea. It wasn't my decision. I guess all of the good color combos were taken.

[Aanchir]

 

It does sound like a rather peculiar choice for a school's colors, though.

The contents of this set are from Season 6, which isn't available yet on Netflix or DVD and hasn't even aired in the United States, so even if you had been following the show you'd be forgiven for not really being familiar with this set's context.

I've actually watched all of seasons 1-5. I even reviewed seasons 1-3 on this very website, so... Sorry. 

 

But I'm always behind the ball on new Ninjago seasons - they always seem to come out faster than I think they should. Since I don't watch TV at all, I have no reference point about when to start hunting for videos except for BZPower comments.

 

As for the school colors... I have no idea. It wasn't my decision. I guess all of the good color combos were taken.

 

Ah, alright, so you are caught up. I agree it can be frustrating to try and keep track of when new episodes air. Cartoon Network often doesn't promote the new episodes really far ahead of time.

 

Currently, season 6 hasn't aired in the United States, but it's aired in some other countries. I choose to wait until they air in the United States to watch them, even though that means navigating a minefield of spoilers on social media sometimes.

 

Rest assured that when I get word on when Season 6 will air here in the U.S. I'll be reporting it to BZPower news right away!

[randomreviewerbros]

 

 

It does sound like a rather peculiar choice for a school's colors, though.

The contents of this set are from Season 6, which isn't available yet on Netflix or DVD and hasn't even aired in the United States, so even if you had been following the show you'd be forgiven for not really being familiar with this set's context.

I've actually watched all of seasons 1-5. I even reviewed seasons 1-3 on this very website, so... Sorry. 

 

But I'm always behind the ball on new Ninjago seasons - they always seem to come out faster than I think they should. Since I don't watch TV at all, I have no reference point about when to start hunting for videos except for BZPower comments.

 

As for the school colors... I have no idea. It wasn't my decision. I guess all of the good color combos were taken.

 

Ah, alright, so you are caught up. I agree it can be frustrating to try and keep track of when new episodes air. Cartoon Network often doesn't promote the new episodes really far ahead of time.

 

Currently, season 6 hasn't aired in the United States, but it's aired in some other countries. I choose to wait until they air in the United States to watch them, even though that means navigating a minefield of spoilers on social media sometimes.

 

Rest assured that when I get word on when Season 6 will air here in the U.S. I'll be reporting it to BZPower news right away!

 

Aanchir, season 6 is currently on Youtube, all episodes on there right now, or are you just waiting till they are on CN?

 

I 100% agree they are much better to watch on TV if that is the case