microforever • microclassic • micro21 • micromillennium • microforce • microheritage • microresources • microarchive • micronews

2000 LED Powers Microman Series
Micro Rocket Base with Shining Edison (10/29/2000)


L-26 Rocket Base comes with exclusive Shining Edison.  Shining Edison is done in dark clear green color.  He also has green color LED bulb.  He is probably the only reason many fans will buy the Rocket Base.

Accessories

Shining Edison Energy Backpack

Micro Rocket Base includes a mini-comic book which also double as catalog.  The comic book interestingly ended with Arthur left on Earth with Shakunetsu, while Edison, Odin, Walt and Izam blasted off into space.

In vehicle mode, the mobile launch pad can hold a LED Microman figure nicely inside the drive seat.  The rear gunner seat however is just a bit too small but the LED Microman figure will sit inside with some adjustment.  Alternatively, the rear gunner seat can easily accommodate the old Magne figure.

The rocket itself can be remove and transform into a space ship.  Microman figure can be seat inside the rocket cockpit.  Interesting, the figure will fit inside with cockpit with the door either open or closed.  In a closed position, the Microman appeared as if he is the astronauts ready to be launch into space.

Below is a picture of Micro Rocket Base in base mode.  The base come with several ramps, and helicopter pad which since the base was original design for Transformers mini-car type figures.  The base also has several 2mm pegs for LED Microman figures to stand on. 

** Special thank to Rik Ruff for sending this toy to me at rocket speed**

L-26 Micro Rocket Base

Takara released L-26 Micro Rocket Base on October 29th, 2000 as part of the new Shining Tector series.   Micro Rocket Base vehicle/playset is a repaint of old Transformers toy Autobot Rocket Base named Countdown.   Transformer Countdown was released back in 1989 during Micromaster series as a play-set for the small Transformers figures which were the main theme of the line at the time.  These small Transformers were the same concept as the earlier Mini-Car.   Rocket Base was a mobile rocket launch pad that can transform into a base.   On the original toy, the vehicle was blue and the rocket was in white, Microman version the vehicle is now black with silver rocket.  The booster section of the rocket however is now in smoke clear plastic which look very nice.  Takara also included a very nice full-size sheet of gold color stickers to decorate the vehicle and playset.   The toy also came with a mini-size comic book which also double as a catalog.

Micro Rocket Base was simply a reissue of old Countdown toy with new sticker and color scheme.  Takara did not modified the toy to better suit Microman figure and one can't help but feel that the toy just did not fully belong as part of the line.   To be fair the old Countdown was not exactly a great toy to begin with but the toy became even more awkward interacting with Microman figures.   While some parts of the toy seem to accommodate Microman figure ok, others just seem to be out of scale most notably the rear gunner station on the vehicle.   On the package box and instruction Takara simply stands the figure on the seat which just look really silly.  LED Powers Microman figure actually will fit into this particular seat by adjusting the feet of the figure, however once the figure is seated it can become very difficult to remove.   It actually amazing that the toy even fit Microman figure at all since the Rocket Base was originally design for the small 2" tall Transformers figures.

The rocket can be remove from the base and transform into a spaceship.  The front section of the rocket open to reveal a cockpit which will seat a LED Powers figure.   The figure can be seat inside the rocket with the door open or close. The booster section can be split into two halves and the side panel open up and can be use as passenger section.  While the instruction show the figures standing inside the small slots, they can also be seated using the door panels.  The rocket reminds one of the vintage Microman toy Hoodman MicroNASA Space Shuttle.

Rocket Base also transform into a base for Microman.   When transform, the play set is actually quite large and can take up quite a bit of display space.  The base itself is not very exciting and actually look slightly out of scale with Microman figure.  The base came with several ramps and runways which were originally design for Transformers cars and helicopter.

While it is hard to fault Takara for trying to save money by using the old mold during the company financial trouble period, one can't help but feel that Takara could done more to make the toy more "Micro-friendly".   While the rocket does tie in nicely with the old Hoodman theme (if that was the intention), there are others old Transformers toys that would have work better with Microman figures.   In the end if you buy this toy expecting to get top notch Microman playset like last year Micro-Station then you will be very disappointed besides the nifty Microman stickers, this toy is essentially a reissue of Transformers Countdown.

Package

Micro Rocket Base came in a very big box.  The box shows Micro Rocket Base in various modes.