Review: 71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car
Posted by CapnRex101,
The gelatinous Z-Blob is able to transform into multiple vehicles, now including 71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car. The shape of the vehicle is slightly unusual and thus looks awkward, although the details shared with Z-Blob's robotic form are effective.
However, this is an instance where I believe the secondary quadcopter mode, not displayed on the front of the box, is actually superior to the off-road car. On that basis, there is more to this set than it seems.
Summary
71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car, 94 pieces.
£8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 | 9.6p/10.6c/10.6c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
More affordable DREAMZzz sets are welcome, but Mateo's buggy is underwhelming
- Quadcopter mode looks great
- Clearly identifiable with Z-Blob
- Car lacks creativity and detail
- Nightmare Creature needed a trans-clear stand
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigure
Mateo appears in many DREAMZzz sets and this is the simplest design, without his separate belt piece or cape. Nevertheless, the minifigure looks great, thanks partly to the dual-moulded legs, representing red boots. The printed pockets and belt introduce additional detail, while the subtle pattern of blue spots on the torso looks great.
The reddish brown hair piece is also impressive, featuring a couple of green streaks to match Mateo's eye. I think the double-sided head could be improved though, by swapping one of the smiling expressions for a determined or frightened design.
The hourglass symbol of the Dream Chasers appears on Mateo's chest and he comes with an hourglass accessory too, decorated with the same symbol on top. In addition, a stud shooter is provided and shares the white and bright green colours of the off-roader.
A lone Nightmare Creature is also included, comprising just five pieces. I am glad the magenta and black colour scheme of other Nightmare Creatures is retained here and the leaves serve as effective wings, but I think there was potential to create something more substantial. Additionally, this flying creature lacks a display stand, but the hourglass fulfils that role in official images.
The Completed Model
Personally, I find the proportions of Mateo's off-road buggy a little strange. The narrow chassis looks odd with the wheels placed so far apart and the driver is very exposed in the middle. The appearance of Z-Blob having transformed into this car is generally effective though, again using bright green 2x2 curved cylinders similarly to 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot.
Four stickers are applied around the cockpit and a few small stickers are included as extras, which occurred in wave one. These stickers correspond with details on Z-Blob's robotic form and look nice, although I wish the model had featured a trans-bright green windscreen, as the cockpit appears incomplete without one.
However, the stickered controls are welcome and I am happy to see Z-Blob's tiniest form riding towards the back. Other than magazine gift polybags, this version of Z-Blob is only available in 71469 Nightmare Shark, so it is wonderful to have him in a more affordable set because this is Z-Blob's normal size in the animated series.
The eyes decorating this miniscule globe element are delightful, but the back of the buggy is decidedly lacking in detail. While the conical thrusters look reasonable, the 2x3 tile obviously needed some texture. Also, the wheel supports are static and there is no suspension, despite the apparent potential to include basic suspension using rubber Technic beams.
Fortunately, the vehicle's quadcopter design is more appealing than the buggy, in many ways. The proportions are much improved, in my opinion, while the 2x2 curved cylinders look better serving as supports for the rotors than for wheels. Furthermore, the wings on each side of the cockpit now seem more appropriate, on a flying vehicle.
I also find the lack of a windscreen more excusable on the quadcopter, although Mateo may regret not wearing goggles during flight. Additionally, the air around Mateo is doubtless rather gusty, given his proximity to the rotors! Then again, I would question whether riding on Z-Blob's shoulder was a good idea in 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot, but that turned out fine.
Two of the wheels from the car configuration become engines on the back of the quadcopter, hence only a few parts remain unused between the two models. This solves another problem from before, partly concealing the blank 2x3 tile and adding the necessary detail.
Overall
Smaller and more affordable DREAMZzz sets have been scarce to date, so I hope the £8.99, $9.99 or €9.99 71471 Mateo's Off-Road Car is a sign of things to come in that regard. On the other hand, the titular off-road car is disappointing, in my opinion, lacking proper functions and looking awkward too.
The alternative quadcopter design is much better and I love how both vehicles share features with Z-Blob's prior transformations. The presence of Z-Blob's tiny globe form is also appealing, while the unique Nightmare Creature is well-executed, but should have come with a basic trans-clear stand. As an introduction to DREAMZzz, this is a satisfactory set, but others are superior.
74 likes
16 comments on this article
I need to buy this
I really just want this for the accurate-size Z-Blob and to be able to make the quadcopter from the show. This is probably gonna be either an impulse buy or something I ask for on my birthday.
Just buy a Z blob at this point.
Z-Blob and Mei sets can probably have some interesting mash up combo-models due to sharing colors.
It just looks more like a buggy than a car....
@BaconKing said:
"It just looks more like a buggy than a car...."
Isn't a buggy technically just an Off-Road Car?
Also the empty model without anything added low-key looks like a Clone Command Station
That one sticker looks remotely like a BP logo, I assume Z-blob has "green" fuel tho.
Quite a disappointing set, IMO. It doesn't look like a set that they put much effort into.
A lot of these parts would be good for space MOCs.
Love those trans green tube pieces. Someone mail a few thousand of those to the world’s biggest Aquazone fan and see what they come up with.
I'll pick this up but probably just for parts to further mod thr z blob robot from last year. Hoping for more bunchu bunny types as well for Izzy, as she is my daughters favorite. The narwhal is cool, but completely missing bunchu bunny.
This is a polybag level set. Not sure why it's sold as a regular set.
In terms of a small Dreamzzz set, I much prefer the narwhal air-ship, I think. This just seems like a poor copy of the rather-excellent Z-blob mech.
It looks like a MOC, and not in a good way.
I have yet to watch the show…is it pronounced Zee-Blob, or Zed-Blob?
@Prairiebricker said:
"I have yet to watch the show…is it pronounced Zee-Blob, or Zed-Blob?"
In the show, it's Zee-blob. In my heart, it's Zed.