Review: 6602 Scorpion Buggy

[ZO6]

INDEXED

In anticipation of the World Racers theme, I've decided to review some sets from a similar Race subtheme that was released back in 2000. First up is one of the smaller sets, the Scorpion Buggy.

Info

Set # - 6602

Name - Scorpion Buggy

Theme/Subtheme - Town/Race

Year - 2000

Piece Count - 77

Minifigures - 1

Price - MSRP $10 US

Links

Brickset, Peeron, Bricklink, Brickshelf

Instructions

The front of the instruction manual shows off the buggy in action in a large dirt filled stadium. The logo for the theme is present as well:

The back of the manual has the last couple of steps for an alternate model. It's nothing spectacular, but I still do appreciate that TLC took the time to include instructions for a secondary model:

Here is a random page from the instructions. There are no piece call-outs, but on the plus side, colour differentiation is fine:

Pieces

Here are all the parts of the set laid out. There are a wide variety of colours, and despite the low piece count, one could create many other vehicles with what's included:

There are no stickers in this set. Instead we get five printed parts - four of the 1x6 Octan tiles, and one 2x4 slopped brick with the very cool scorpion design on it:

Minifigure

The set includes one minifgure. He features a printed scorpion of the front of his torso, but nothing on his back. You are provided with two types of head gear - a red bandanna, and a helmet with red visor best known in a trans-orange colour from the Ice Planet 2002 theme.

The Build

We start the set by building the buggy first. The red chassis is the heart of the vehicle:

A steering wheel is added (pretty handy I must say), as is that fancy scorpion slope, and some other odds and ends that we will be taking advantage of in a moment:

Lights and flames get attached to the headlight bricks that were added in the previous step. Suspension is the key feature here and will be demonstrated later on:

With a roll bar and some wheels added, the buggy is now complete. Despite it's overall small size, the bright colour scheme and big wheels give it a strong presence:

The driver fits comfortably in place, and you just know it would be way too easy to get injured while driving this buggy! It's ready to roll:

The second part of the build consists of building a ramp/jump. The middle portion of this is built first. The black technic 1x2 bricks with holes will allow it to pivot:

The ramp/jump is now complete. The flames on the cones help add to the 'dare devil' feel of the set. Also note the dirt/wear marks on the Octan tiles, another nice touch:

Play Features

The buggy features a working suspension. The elastic pulls in on the 1x5 yellow liftarm which makes the buggy sit in it's raised position. The buggy can be pressed down and the elastic band will make it spring back up when it's released:

There is a pin with a red round 1x1 brick attached to it. This slides through a technic 1x2 brick with a hole at the base of the ramp and keeps it in position. The buggy can then go flying off the ramp:

If the pin is removed from the base of the ramp, this allows the center portion to pivot freely. The buggy can then drive over in a see-saw effect:

Complete Set

Here is the buggy and the ramp together. They complement each other nicely and allow for plenty of fun:

Final Thoughts

Pricing and Value: At $10 US, the set is quite cheap. The main model is worth the price of admission, and the provided parts allow for even more creativity.

Design/Build: The buggy looks great. The colour scheme is nice and bright and catches the eye. Touches like the flames out the back and the large wheels add to the wild nature of the set. The ramp is simple but effective. The most is made of the provided parts. The build is very fast and rewarding - lots of fun!

Pieces: Most of the parts are pretty basic, but they still offer great potential for creating other mocs if you desire. These pieces come in lots of colours, and some of them even feature fantastic printing on them. No stickers! Only one minifigure is included, but he serves his purpose as the driver. The printing on his torso is fairly basic, but it still works to show off which 'faction' he belongs to at a glance.

Playability: The set features two play features - the working suspension and the tilting ramp. Many small sets of this size lack functions, so this is a nice bonus. The buggy is loads of fun to race around on it's own, but combined with the ramp, plenty more excitement can be had.

Verdict: Fun! Fun! Fun! This set works best in it's stock form - as a buggy and ramp to fly off of. You could put 6602 Scorpion Buggy up on display, but why would you want to when it's so much fun to race around!? Overall this set serves as a great introduction to the Race theme.

As always, comments and questions are more than welcome. Cheers!

[lightningtiger]

Thanks for the review 'ZO6' - but doesn't this belong in 'Other Themes' forum since it's racers ?

Interesting suspension system - though it is a little basic but hey they were still in their crap townjr period - may we never see them again !

I'm a conformist! everyone !

[ZO6]

This was before the time of the 'Racers' theme as we know it. This line is much more similar to the World Racers theme that will be hitting soon. However, this is listed under 'Town' in most databases, so that's why I've posted it in these forums (I had considered posting the review in the Action theme forums).

[The Eye]

An excellent review ZO6. I loved this set as a child. I bought it after my dad brought home that yellow tiger dragster set for me which I loved- so much that I lost it, so I unfortunately may have to buy it again. On the other hand, maybe it would be best to wait for the new World Racers sets to come out- they really interest me! What about you, what are your thoughts on the WR sets coming out and the Race sets of 2000?