[Review] 30081 Skeleton Chopper

[TJJohn12]

Set Name: Skeleton Chopper

Set Number: 30081

Parts: 41

Figs: 1

MSRP: $3.49 USD

Product Link: TRU

This small set caught my eye on the shelf at Toys R Us. I found out later it is being used as a giveaway with a minimum purchase (I think $20) of Ninjago products. I paid MSRP less 10%.

This is my first Ninjago purchase. The decision was chiefly based on some of the tantalizing new parts in a relatively cheap little package. Look at that weird little bracket. That has some definite uses swimming around in my mind.

The design is pretty straight forward.

It's good to see the continued use of purple as well as the old style rotor base, still useful after all these years.

The four long bones are relatively cool. I'm sure I'll find a use for them en masse, in spite of their specialization.

Overall Conclusions:

Design - 4/5: If you set out to build a backpack mounted helicopter for a skeleton warrior, this is the design you'd get, give or take, 9 times out of 10. That having been said, I'm not sure how much sense a helicopter with bones for rotors makes. Oh well.

Minifig - 2/5: I'm not sold on the need for a redesign of the skeleton torso. The booted feet don't make much aesthetic sense. I understand their need to clip into the spinjitsu base, but they look awkward on a skeleton. Now, as an architectural element...

Price - 5/5: Anything less than $.10 a piece these days gets my vote.

Playability - 5/5: What's not to love about the swoosh-ability of a tiny helicopter?

Parts - 4/5: Everything here is useful, from the purple fins to the awkward feet, and everything in between.

TOTAL: 20/25... Not bad at all.

[Peppermint_M]

Thanks for this review. I love these little polybagged sets, always a decent price for some very useful parts (Purple ) I hope I can get hole of some soon.

[WhiteFang]

Nice simple review. I agreed with Peppy that the polybags are definitely worth the value for the price that you paid for.

[Algernon]

I had to stare at this set for a good 30 seconds before I realized that it was for real.

Good review though. XD

[Aanchir]

The new skeletons also give me mixed feelings. I love the new arms (a perfect replacement for the annoyingly-disproportionate battle droid arms on Fantasy-Era Castle skeletons), and the legs as well (not necessary per se, but certainly useful and well-designed as a mere "alternative" to the basic legs). It should be noted that the new skeleton parts have not totally replaced older skeleton parts-- the PotC sets use both the Fantasy-Era skeleton parts and the Ninjago skeleton parts, sometimes in combination with one another (though still no sightings of what I consider the ideal combination: Ninjago arms and possibly legs with a Fantasy-Era torso).

The part of the new skeleton design I most dislike is the waist/hip area of the new torso. The upper torso may be awfully stylized, but so was the more rounded ribcage of the older skeletons. And the new one has the advantage (probably one of the reasons it was designed, actually) that armor and other neck accessories aren't as loose on it. Overall, though, the hips bother me because they are too rounded compared to both the rest of the skeleton (which is mostly angular in design, with only a few cylinders breaking up the straight lines of the design) and the classic minifigure it's based on. I much prefer the simpler design of the older skeleton's hip area, even if it looks less realistic (or perhaps because it does).

Thankfully, the new skeleton still fulfills what I consider the most important task of a LEGO skeleton design: it largely fits inside the "skin" of a regular minifigure.

Anyway, this set looks like a great way to get a hold of some of the new Ninjago parts used in skeleton vehicles. Great review!

[Mrlegoninja]

Nice review. This little promo is a great way to get the new bones.

[Raven Brickroft]

*sigh* If only I was in the US, I'd get about 10 of these. I love the new bone piece.

Pretty simple set and build. Thanks for the review!

[Javert]

I've just won this set in a Competition from the Sun, not really sure what to think of the set if I'm honest, but I'm happy to have won a competition for the first time ever! :D

[DraikNova]

This set is indeed a good value for such a small set.

[just2good]

Great review, 'TJJohn12'!

This is a decent little polybag with a lot of nice pieces. The figure is great too.

[Ash]

I've just won this set in a Competition from the Sun, not really sure what to think of the set if I'm honest, but I'm happy to have won a competition for the first time ever! :D

Me too :D

Not sure how long it will take to get here but it'll be a nice suprise for my kid.

Thanks for the review.