6959 - Lunar Launch Site

Rating:
Pros: One blue dome piece; one black ramp and pit plate
Cons: This set is way too expensive and doesn't deliver in areas of number of pieces or principal model. Save your money or pick up a 6949-Robo-Guardian.
Contents: 274 pieces including 3 mini-figs
Price: $42.99 (Thankfully discontinued)
Reviewed: 3-Mar-1997
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

Life signs on the planet of Negaton IV are minimal. On this cold dark morning, the tiny planet seems even more desolate than usual. Where a small Spyrius observation station is usually bustling with activity, there is only silence. Perimeter scanners have fallen from their altitude posts laying still on the lunar floor with small crackling bursts of dying energy, sending partial transmission codes to nonexistent receivers. At the station itself, all is quiet. Lines of static and interference spray across unattended screens showing even more activity than the two lifeless forms of Spyrius techs that lay motionless. Control panels are ripped from their bases with torn and severed wires fraying out like drained arteries while in one corner of the control booth the partially dismembered droid still sputters its intruder alert warning to no one at all.

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I was only recently surprised by a space station that I thought was going to be a piece of crap and it turned out to be pretty cool. I thought the same would be the same for the Spyrius Lunar Launch Site and unfortunately it wasn't. If this is your very first space station, you will probably enjoy it, but in comparison to others, it is sadly lacking in any positive points.
The Lunar Launch Site is basically a small control base located right next to a camouflaged missile silo. The launching silo itself sits over the pit of the plate and is cleverly disguised being sandwiched between two two-level rocky constructions that are joined together to appear as a small mound of moon rocks. The two halves split apart and the main half tilts back to allow the rocket to be ready for launching. The control base is very simple. I even tried moving the dome and base from one corner of the plate to the opposite corner (closer to the silo) to improve the look of things, but it didn't help. The set also comes with a six-wheel ground transport and a small flying one-man ship.
There is a standard Spyrius complement of two astronauts and one droid, and there are no unique pieces here. The large blue dome piece does come with stickers rather than being preprinted which is always appreciated.
For the amount of money paid for the set, I almost hoped there would be enough pieces for some interesting alternate models, but the set is poor even in that department.
Save your time and save your bucks
I won't mince words this set sucks.