Walmart Exclusive "Kid Connection" Construction Play Set Review:
This year, Walmart is expanding their "Kid Connection" 3.75" scale construction series in a BIG way! A few weeks ago, a "Mega-Crane" play set was released featuring a HUGE vehicle with an extending crane on its back. Now they have released an actual, honest-to-God "play set" featuring a crane tower, a "mountain" with a bridge connecting the two and a large dump truck (in addition to figures and accessories)!
This set, incredibly, retails for only $19.97. You get a lot of plastic for your money in this box.
The crane tower and mountain can be separated by removing the bridge (shaped posts on each piece lock into the bridge at each end) so they can be played with/displayed separately if desired. The shaped posts look to be the same size/shape as posts on other Chap Mei playsets (all of my other sets are in the garage so I cannot verify at the moment) so mixing and matching pieces may be possible.
The crane tower is quite tall (4 support feet extend out from the already sturdy base to ensure it will not topple over) features a (sadly undetailed) cockpit that accepts any 3.75" scale figure- a canopy cover would be a nice addition (it almost looks like the sculpt was meant to have one) but is not a deal breaker. The crane rotates atop the tower 360 degrees and the crane arm as a nice arc of up/down motion. The crane arm ends in a functional winch with a hook at the end of the line. There are 2 alternate attachments (wrecking ball and claw) that fit on the hook for a variety of construction scenarios. The attachments fit snugly and do not come off without being deliberately removed so little ones do not have to worry about them coming off during play.
The mountain has a few interesting play features: there is a cup-shaped area at the top that contains a rotating disk so that when the 3 included boulders are put in the cup and a lever is pulled down repeatedly, the boulders will rumble around and eventually out of the cup when sufficient speed is reached simulating the rocks being "blasted" out of the mountain. The rear of the cup also features a lowering ramp to roll the boulders down. There is a dark metallic colored light and sounds module in the front of the mountain that has a flashing red light and several different (very loud) construction/demolition sounds that play at the touch of a button. The lower middle of the mountain has a tunnel running through it with a safety bar featuring a warning graphic of an explosion on it that can be closed across the front of the mountain to prevent anyone from going through it.
The bridge that connects the two play set elements is very well detailed with interesting textures and well as a railing with safety lights sculpted on them.
The dump truck is a bit odd as it is very skinny left-to-right to fit into the narrow box but is still quite large front-to-back and top-to-bottom. The single seater truck is still quite well designed with 4 free rolling wheels, a working bucket and accepts a 3.75" figure in the (sadly undetailed) interior.
The 2 construction worker figures are identical. They are brand new sculpts with 9 points of articulation: swivel neck, ball hinge shoulders, hinge elbows, swivel hips and hinged knees. The sculpts are huge and hulking, actually standing over 4" and built like you would expect a construction worker to be.
The set comes with a brand new accessory tree containing somewhat oversized (some of the hand tools look to be more in line with 6" scale figures) almost futuristic looking construction tools and equipment that can be quite useful to diorama builders.
I highly recommend this set to anyone who loves diorama elements or has kids that love construction toys.
