Review: 76995 Shadow's Escape
Posted by Freddy_Hodson,
76995 Shadow's Escape represents uncharted territory for the Sonic theme, due to its unusual choice of inspiration. While it isn't the first set to not include the head hog himself, it is the first to focus on an explicitly different location than Green Hill Zone.
A first glance will generate confusion above anything else, over the disparate parts of the set and whether there's any sense of cohesion at all. Read on to find out…
Characters
This is Shadow's first appearance in LEGO form, but I'll be astonished if it's his last. Unique moulded heads don't always look this good, and I put that down to the fact that the Sonic characters' proportions aren't a million miles away from that of a minifigure's.
The printing is perfect, and I approve of the use of red printing on white plastic, rather than the other way around. Some will bemoan the absence of side-leg printing, but that's neither here nor there as far as I'm concerned.
This is a great minifigure. Shadow comes with no accessories: no guns, mercifully, but also no fourth Chaos Emerald. Damn!
The top of the box also (somewhat sneakily) casts the Rhinobot as a second minifigure, and so we shall do the same here, against my better judgement. Compared to the source material, this figure is all over the place but is just about recognisable if you know what you're looking for. The shaping is a bit too angular, and a wheel would have been preferable for play.
I was particularly surprised that the gap for Cucky (that’s the name of the chicken, I'm not being insulting; LEGO.com's description of the character as “Clucky” is wrong) has no stud to hold them in - maybe kids will be fine, but my giant fingers struggled to place it without it falling over. I can forgive there being no explosion mechanism in such a small set, but a simple flap to go over the top wouldn't have gone amiss.
The Rhinobot is a peculiar choice, because it seems to have absolutely nothing in common with the main character whatsoever. For context, Shadow first appeared in 2001's Sonic Adventure 2 (on the Sega Dreamcast); Rhinobot's only significant appearance was in the Mega Drive's Sonic the Hedgehog 3, seven years earlier.
This will mean little to most people, but it's a bit like finding Watto on the bridge of a Star Destroyer, or Indy breaking into the superb 77013 Escape from the Lost Tomb to unearth a Crystal Skull. I can only conclude that such uncharacteristically poor attention to detail is a deliberate artistic choice. Regardless, there are dozens of robots that would not only have been more appropriate, but probably more desirable too.
The bike
Shadow's bike (the “Dark Rider”, apparently) first appeared in his bizarre solo game from 2005. Test-driving an absurd philosophy that what would take this hedgehog-based franchise to the next level was a Harley-Davidson-riding, machine gun-toting anti-hero, the game is much maligned for its laughable tone and curious dialogue. But it's a testament of the series' designs that parts of it aren't beyond redemption, and the sight of Shadow on his bike may provide a jolt of nostalgia for even the most sensible gamer.
I can't be as positive about the LEGO equivalent. Although I like the use of paint rollers for the handlebars, I can’t help thinking that Shadow just looks really silly sat atop it - something closer to a regular minifigure's motorcycle would have looked superior.
The main issue is with the printed tiles on the sides of the bike. Rather than providing one facing the opposite direction of the other, the prints are instead identical; the result being that the symbol is only facing the correct direction on one side.
The instructions insist the other tile is put upside-down, presumably to stop you noticing (note also how every image for the set shows the bike at the same angle). Frankly, it's one of the laziest, bordering on scandalous, cut corners I've ever seen in a LEGO set. I even checked the parts list at the back of the instructions to check there hadn't been a mistake. It's a hugely disappointing feature. Damn.
The rest
Moving on to… well, what is this, exactly? LEGO's chirpy tagline fails to shed any real light on what we're looking at, and the box art is certainly no help. Apparently, it's a “stasis chamber” with “falling barricade” - oh, one of those. Eggman's giant face is well done, and although it holds no information, the black printed panel of Shadow is probably the highlight of the set.
What strikes me more than anything else is how wobbly the structure is. It doesn't take much to make the barrier fall, and that risks stripping the poor thing of its only real play feature. The big idea here is to push down on the yellow-and-black platform (cleverly signified) to simultaneously spring Shadow's cell and throw down the barrier.
If I'm feeling snippy, making the two things happen with one switch feels mostly like a way of saving on having to put in two separate functions. There's no reason for these two things being next to each other; the box art suggests Sonic Adventure 2's Radical Highway as the setting, but what the chamber is doing there is unclear, and the inclusion of Rhinobot once again doesn't help matters. The instructions also claim that nudging the barrier open with the bike is another play feature. Outrageous!
Verdict
Every LEGO set is the product of many talented people in different departments trying their best, so it gives me no joy at all to say that beyond the splendid minifigure, 76995 Shadow's Escape is of a particularly low quality. Its non-existent attention to detail and muddled scenery results mainly in frustration. Its destiny was never to be a display piece, but I fear that its poor play value is much more of a missed opportunity.
How well this set sells will be a test of how impatient people are for a Shadow minifigure. I have absolutely no doubt that unless the Sonic theme ends very suddenly, he'll soon appear elsewhere. With that in mind, the paucity of what's in the box feels not so much like a complaint as a remarkable achievement: £18.99 / $19.99 / €20.99 is not a huge sum, yet the set still manages to feel seriously unsubstantial.
The Sonic or Mario debate has been raging for decades now, and I hope that this isn't a sign that the quality of their respective LEGO sets isn't about to follow the trajectory of the games. Sonic was always my preferred franchise, however the only thing it can claim for itself here is that unlike Mario, a starter set isn't required first and foremost. But if you can pick one of those up cheap, I wouldn't hesitate in giving any of the more play-based Mario sets the nod.
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35 comments on this article
"Shadow comes with no accessories: no guns, mercifully"
You win this one, LEGO, there shall be no memes today.
what a great set, with an awesomely detailed minifigure and a nicely designed bike, this set is a great value at $20USD!
This review wins Most Melodramatic of 2023, with honorable mention for Most Damns.
I dunno, I kind of like that bike. I'm aggressively indifferent towards Shadow, I'll just keep him stashed in a box somewhere until his value explodes, but I do want to build that bike.
I take back my previous comment that Brickset reviews of late lack serious criticisms of LEGO sets, because this one sure makes up for it. ':-)
Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews.
As far as this set goes: I do actually kinda like that bike and the mining's awesome.
@ToysFromTheAttic , damn in this context means "expressing anger or frustration" and is in general use in most English-speaking countries, so it's perfectly acceptable to use here.
Not to mention, this is a direct quote from the aforementioned Shadow the Hedgehog video game, "Where's that DAMN fourth Chaos Emerald?", which is heavily memed. So I think it's warranted as a tongue-in-cheek reference. And that game is only rated E10+, so it's not that big of a deal.
Regarding the review itself, I couldn't disagree more. This is the perfect $20 set to me. Can't wait to get it! But I respect your opinion, of course.
This is one case where they probably should have went for stickers instead of prints......or to piss off everyone: prints one side, stickers on the other....
Not familiar with the source material, but to me this looks like a great minifig, a pretty nice Rhinobot, an okay bike (with some stupid flaws), and.......something just there to ramp up the price. I feel without that something, this could have been a pretty darn good €10-12 set.
I appreciate getting a Shadow minifigure, but I agree the overall design is rather muddled. It’d make more sense to double down on the whole stasis chamber scene, like the one we see at the start of Sonic Heroes.
Suddenly having flashbacks to when I got a PS2 bundled with Shadow The Hedgehog for Christmas. It was a very different experience to the Mario 64 I was used to.
Mixed feelings about this set, I was largely looking forward to it personally, and I still fully intend to get it, however I do agree that Rhinobot is an odd choice for inclusion in this. I would much rather have seen an Egg Pawn which likely would have had a similar parts count but also would have posed a more impressive figure, and it would have been more fitting to the era.
The stasis capsule strikes me as the one he's stored in at the start of Sonic Heroes, and that's what I sort of inferred that it was. In regards to the bike, while it is definitely oversized and a minifig scaled 'hog likely would have made for a better display, if you check old pre-rendered cut-scenes from Shadow's stand-alone tile (as well as Sonic '06) while the bike he uses isn't as comically oversized as this is, it is oversized proportionally to his body still, so I feel like the sizing of this is acceptable. The duplicated prints are utterly unacceptable, for the white shield piece it just being plain would be more acceptable.
The minifig is supurb, honestly though I do think that they should have printed on the side of the legs, but it's not a total game changer like skipping the printing for the buckles on Sonic's feet, but I am VERY impressed that they got the jet nozzle on the front of Shadow's foot. The head is immaculate and it makes me hope that they get around to a Metal Sonic or a Silver the Hedgehog to see similarly well-don sculpts. I do definitely think that a green Chaos Emerald should have been included in this set and I would not have balked at the inclusion of one of their standard black pistols like what we see in many of the super hero sets. (Though that may also be a choice by SEGA as they seem to be wanting to distance Shadow from the use of fire arms now... however another nice inclusion could have been some of the super hero effect parts to represent different Chaos abilities, particularly Chaos Spear his go-to move.)
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews."
Seriously, "damn" is considered a swear word?
Damn, I didn't know that.
@AHYL88 said:
"I have to call out something regarding the duplicated printed pieces; the duplicated printed pieces of the Black Arms symbol/icon on the 2x2 round tile is fine. The one on the left of the bike in this review is how it's supposed to be oriented; the one on the right of the bike needs to be turned 180 degrees. It was placed incorrectly. "
I have not seen the instruction manual for this set, but official images do show both tiles with the same orientation as the photos in the review:
https://images.brickset.com/sets/AdditionalImages/76995-1/76995_alt7.jpg
@Ridgeheart said:
"I dunno, I kind of like that bike. I'm aggressively indifferent towards Shadow, I'll just keep him stashed in a box somewhere until his value explodes, but I do want to build that bike."
Or maybe a safe so he won't escape...
Nicely written review - good stuff. I appreciate the depth of knowledge about niche video games!
Agree on the set being a weird mix. Although most brick built bikes look absurd with minifigures sat on them - Star Wars speeder bikes for example. I think it adds to the charm as long as the model is good. Not sure about this one.
@AustinPowers said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews."
Seriously, "damn" is considered a swear word?
Damn, I didn't know that. "
Because in Germany they turned it into a really fun Schlager song. ;-)
But yes, it is considered a swear word, as least in some regions.
@Huw @TheBrickPal There are plenty of songs that were censored for U.S. radio for using that word. Again, personally, I don't mind, but in the end Brickset is a website about wholesome toys for everybody, including families and children, so I don't feel that it's an appropriate place to use a word like that, even if the source material uses it.
Or as The Simpsons put it: "Won't somebody please think of the children!"
Not on a moral crusade or anything here, just wanted to point it out.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"There are plenty of songs that were censored for U.S. radio for using that word. "
To be fair, you need to try real hard to write a song where not at least 20% of the lyrics would be censored on U.S. radio. A true artist would write it so that the bleeps are just part of the melody ;-)
@Freddy_Hodson
I think you are being a bit too hard on this set. It's still the most affordable Lego Sonic set to date, with an exclusive minifigure and appealing side builds that go well with Shadow. Rhinobot is a bit of a random choice, but I don't have a problem with him. The fact that they could fit all this into a liscenced set this small is a good thing. That's just my opinion, anyway.
I actually quite like the look of this set (the price point is a huge factor, since most of the other Sonic sets are hugely expensive) ... but I say this as someone who isn't a huge fan of Sonic the Hedgehog.
I think oversized motorcycles has become it's own genre, of Lego sets, and this one honestly doesn't look too bad. And the pieces are all printed, right? So that's something.
I am at Aldi! I am at Aldi!
I agree Sonic looks fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed that review!
I'm not au fait with Sonic but wow, it's obvious the reviewer is passionate and knowledgeable about the subject matter - good to see.
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"I take back my previous comment that Brickset reviews of late lack serious criticisms of LEGO sets, because this one sure makes up for it. ':-)
Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews.
As far as this set goes: I do actually kinda like that bike and the mining's awesome. "
Exactly, for once there is a bit of criticism here. I like the reviews, but I often wonder if the reviewer fears to write a bad review or if they juste have rose-tinted glasses
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews."
Seriously, "damn" is considered a swear word?
Damn, I didn't know that. "
Because in Germany they turned it into a really fun Schlager song. ;-)"
Indeed.
And even funnier that there's an English version of said song, performed by none other than our beloved "The Hoff" himself:
https://youtu.be/OiTlNylrfNQ?si=NIQEg4J2WktGC5Z1
Just remember, don't hassle the Hoff! After all, he brought down the Wall ;-)
@AustinPowers said:
"Just remember, don't hassle the Hoff! After all, he brought down the Wall ;-) "
I bet he was just looking for freedom...
@AustinPowers said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews."
Seriously, "damn" is considered a swear word?
Damn, I didn't know that. "
I find it really nostalgic considering damn as a swear word. Damn used to be the strongest expletive my Dad would ever use, but he would have been 103 now!
I just made the connection that Shadow will be making his movie debut in Sonic 3, and RhinoBot is from Sonic 3 (the game). Intentional? Who knows?
@AustinPowers said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews."
Seriously, "damn" is considered a swear word?
Damn, I didn't know that. "
Because in Germany they turned it into a really fun Schlager song. ;-)"
Indeed.
And even funnier that there's an English version of said song, performed by none other than our beloved "The Hoff" himself:
https://youtu.be/OiTlNylrfNQ?si=NIQEg4J2WktGC5Z1
Just remember, don't hassle the Hoff! After all, he brought down the Wall ;-) "
The Hoff 1 - Communism 0
@WizardOfOss said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"There are plenty of songs that were censored for U.S. radio for using that word. "
To be fair, you need to try real hard to write a song where not at least 20% of the lyrics would be censored on U.S. radio. A true artist would write it so that the bleeps are just part of the melody ;-)
"
I guess it all depends on your music preference. ;-)
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
"Also, while I don't mind personally, I don't feel Brickset is the right place to drop swear words in reviews."
No offense to the other reviewers, who all have their unique style, but I loved it. This felt very conversational and human…I like reading articles written this way.
I’m waiting for @AustinPowers review of some 2024 Technic now!
@ToysFromTheAttic said:
" @WizardOfOss said:
" @ToysFromTheAttic said:
"There are plenty of songs that were censored for U.S. radio for using that word. "
To be fair, you need to try real hard to write a song where not at least 20% of the lyrics would be censored on U.S. radio. A true artist would write it so that the bleeps are just part of the melody ;-)
"
I guess it all depends on your music preference. ;-) "
True, and that's very personal. And I also accepted that my personal music preference is superior to anyone else's ;-)
@WizardOfOss
So is mine! ;-)
@blogzilly
Oh, I can definitely appreciate it. In fact, it's the most informative, amusing, and well-researched Brickset review I've read in a long while -- perhaps more than necessary for such a small set, but I appreciate the effort that went into it. I was just pondering if the use of that particular word fit with the contents of this site and its audience. But if everybody feels it does, I'm perfectly fine with it.
Huw and I did have a discussion pre-publication about the use of the word "damn", and decided that it was fine to use on Brickset—and @TheBrickPal is correct in saying that its use was a joke based on the line from the game, which has since gained meme status. Apologies of course to anybody who found it offensive.
I also just want to point out that turning the problematic tile 180° wouldn't solve the problem, since the symbol is supposed to be reversed. But I did have to double-check!
This is a very weird case where a set going for prints over stickers is a bad thing. Having a printed tile with the ShTH logo / Black Arms emblem will certainly be very useful for making displays, but making a bike that relies on decorated elements that aren't mirrored properly is distracting. Honestly the pentagon panels bother me more; while having the logo not be mirrored is strange (but somewhat convenient for part accessibility), having aspects of the actual body of the vehicle be inconsistent is worse.
The only justification for the Rhinobot I can come up with was already stated before - that it hails from the "Sonic 3" game while Shadow will appear in the "Sonic 3" movie, which is a weird loose connection that if intentional seems like the result of a communication error.
Very happy to see Lego Sonic branch out from Green Hill, though the fact we only know of this and one other retail set left in the theme is troubling.
[And yes, in America "damn" is considered a curse word; a comparatively mild one to be sure but enough so that its usage in the English script of the Shadow the Hedgehog game (alongside other minor curses) was a deliberate choice to bump up the target age range from E to T (before the backpedal to E10+).]
The Sonic sets share the same problem that the Minecraft sets (and potentially Animal Crossing sets) do where they don't particularly represent anything meaningful from the games. In fairness these are geared more towards children than the Ideas set so I can understand making compromises in accuracy for the sake of playability. But at least in this particular wave, it seems like someone unfamiliar with the IP was just picking random objects and characters from a style guide to throw together.