6296 - Shipwreck Island

Rating:
Pros: A lot of good pieces; the destroyable section of the deck was a good idea
Cons: The crane is pointless; the set is essentially a bunch of black beams.
Contents: 216 pieces including 3 mini-figs, 1 skeleton, and 1 crocodile/alligator
Price: $27.99 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 01-Aug-1998
Reviewed by: G. M.

"Alright then, can ya guess what this one is?... Moo!"
"A kangaroo? Wait, uh, no...that's not it. A chinchilla? Yeah, a chinchilla!"
"Yep! Right again ol' boy! How do you do it?"
"It's a special gift that I 'ave," were the words of two insane merchants. Their ship had crashed two weeks ago on a small islet. Originally traders for the Royal Navy of Britain, they were among the most trusted of merchants in the seas. Now, they were sadly going insane. Too many hallucinations had come to them during the long days while they were stranded. Both of them started to think of becoming the world's most fearsome pirates and to steal all of the fish in the world!

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This is the newer of the two Shipwreck Islands. It is also the larger of the pair but I think I would have been more happy with the old 60 piece one instead of this 200 piece one. It is hardly an island, more like a bunch of 1xN bricks and a BURP (Big Ugly Rock Piece).

The west end of the island consists of a small white structure that resembles a deformed skull. It took me nearly a week before I finally realized what it was, and when I did realize it, I fell over laughing. It most resembles a jumble of white bricks. Inside the so-called skull is a strange grey 6x4 plate with studs only on the edges. The center is smooth. It is supposed to be a lookout deck and is quite good at being just that, but it is also supposed to be something else: a catapult. The catapult does work, but it is kind of dumb. It is supposed to stop people from stealing the treasure chest included with the set, but what would be the point of destroying your own base just to throw one guy into the water? I use it as a destroyable section of the deck when cannons fire at it. Behind the break away deck is a jail made of a BURP and two 4x1x2 vertical bar gates.
Next on the island are the remains of a ship. It is a bunch of black beams made to resemble the skeleton of a ship. A small hiding place with a blue cannon on top slides away to reveal a hiding spot for extra weapons or a map. To the right of this is a mast with ripped up red and white Jolly Roger sail. On top of the sail is a useless crane that can barely reach the ground and isn't even accessible. The last part is a small 6x3 hexagon piece with a periscope and keg of rum.
A raft for one Imperial Armada fig is also included. The raft is nothing special but it does have a lot of brown 1x2 and 1x3 plates.

Do not get this set unless you are an absolute Pirate fan. It is only good for pieces.