Box art is attractive for those that care about such things. Meeting many collectors of HO scale over the years you would be surprised how many will buy this set, never intending to open it.
But we had to :)
Assembly is as easy as it gets. My son had it up and running in about 20 minutes.
It functions as intended, so we cannot complain about the mechanics.
The Penguin VW bus is standard X Traction and the Batmobile is 4Gear. On the track there is NO contest. The Batmobile is quite enjoyable to race and holds the track very well.
The Penguin does not. Not only does it have less magnet, the body style lends itself to tipping over. It also does not like the loop very well.
The Batmobile on the other hand is very cool :) They really did a good job on the paint detail for my eyes.
Because of this mismatch, out of the box this set is not really a lot of fun for two people. If you bought this set for your younger racers or perhaps yourself, hoping for some fun with one of your friends or children, you will be disappointed. Unless of course you have other cars. But for the brand new beginner I do not see a favorable opinion.
Auto World should know better. Mismatching cars like this just doesn't make sense. Dealers should be cautious when someone new asks if this set is a good start in our hobby. I certainly would not advise it.
For the pure collector and hopeless fan of anything Batman? Of course, it is a great gift idea.
