6596 - Wave Master

Rating:
Pros: Both models are very nice looking and sturdy; great selection of pieces; goes well with the Sail N' Fly Marina
Cons: Engines are yellow; back end of the boat is somewhat bulky; decals cover two bricks each
Contents: 127 pieces including 1 mini-fig
Price: Discontinued
Reviewed: 17-Jun-1998
Reviewed by: G. M.

Chris White had dropped from second to fifth place. Muttering angry things to himself, he pushed his speed boat, the Angry Manta, as fast as the motor had let him. He punched the steering wheel in anger as another boater passed him by. This had been a lousy day for him and he thought it couldn't get any worse.
He had already gotten a speeding ticket because he was late for the race and had to drive his jeep ten miles over the speed limit to get there in time. Then he discovered he had forgotten to fuel his boat, which cost him an additional five minutes. By the time he was ready, the referee at the new Club de Lego was just signaling the racers to go.
Now, what he thought wouldn't happen did. Another boat sped past him, leaving him in seventh place out of twelve. At least he was far enough to see the home stretch, and he knew it would all be over soon, and he could go home and be angry.
The sky flared red momentarily. Flaming debris fell all around his boat. Chris decided to slow his boat to a stop and run like heck to his jeep, only looking back over his shoulder once, and that was enough to make him go pale. The boat in first place had exploded into a ball of fire. Chris was now glad he was having bad luck.

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I decided to buy this set mainly because it had a good looking jeep included but when I got it home and built it I was equally pleased with the boat. Even though the boat looks flimsy it is actually quite strong and has some nifty pieces. Still, the jeep is the better of the two vehicles.
Unlike most Lego town vehicles, the jeep is almost completely enclosed, giving it a more realistic look. It accomplishes this look by actually having a back windshield and not just a 4x2 gate that Lego puts on so many vehicles. The jeep also has two doors and a space in back that can hold the driver's hat when he has his helmet on. In the back of the jeep is a connection where a trailer can go. The trailer is well constructed including tail lights or reflectors.

The speed boat has the same colors as the jeep, mostly black and red. The thing I don't get about the color scheme is that the engines are yellow. They are the only two yellow bricks in the set besides the mini-figs head and hands. Another thing I don't like about the boat is its decals. I usually don't mind decals but these cover more than one brick each. I tore them off long ago but every now and then I am haunted by their remains. (Often, when I am digging through a bucket of Lego, I find a tattered decal full of carpet fuzz with the faint red number "315" printed on it).
The cockpit of the boat is very spacious and easily stores a helmet and life vest. The driver controls the craft with a 1x2 computer tile and steering wheel. The motors, which I dislike, can fold up halfway into the back of the boat, letting the driver not worry about lacerating a tire when he is transporting the boat.

The set comes with one mini-fig dressed in a blue jacket with the Octan logo and the word "OIL". He also sports a red cap. The alternate models on the box show a patrol boat and a dragster. (It seems to me that all Lego sets with wheels show dragsters as alternate models on the box.) I have come up with some good models myself, including a police boat, a hovercraft, and a large boat that can deploy a smaller boat from on top (kind of similar to a new Res-Q set).

The models overall are very good but the set is not necessarily a must-have unless you like Race. This is a good set to buy, if you can find it that is. It has been around a couple of years and is discontinued.