LEGO® Set Review: 6815 Hovertron
See also Nathan R. Duffy’s review

6815

[6815 Set Photo] Hovertron (us)
Exploriens rumscooter (da)
Space System Banner Exploriens Banner
Space System / Exploriens

Ages 5-18 / 28 Pcs
1 page manual: 1 model, 9 steps. ©1996
Price Range: Price Range: $3.49 CAD / The Bay, Cloverdale Mall, Etobicoke.

Review Written: 27 August 1996 by Calum Tsang
Special Features / Compatibility
  • None
  • Extra Elements
  • None
  • Decals: Yes
    Scale: Minifigure scale
    Errors: No Errors

    Ratings: Set: Excellent Models: Very-Good Playability: Very-Good

    Conclusion
    I would recommend the set to Space fans and children, yet I’m not sure if I would have purchased it again. I suppose I would have, since it was free.

    Description

    The Hovertron is one of the new 1996 Space products from the Exploriens theme. The entire theme is white and black with transparent greenish-yellow pieces and hologram stickers. The idea is that the Exploriens are an explorer culture, as opposed to Spyrius citizens, who only serve to “kick ro-butt”. :)

    A relatively small set, 6815 is a small saucer that a little spaceman stands on. Think of a floor polisher that met Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor with a fan tail and hologram stickers. The spaceman controls this jet propelled vehicle with a jetski like handlebar. The lower saucer part, is a 8 dot diameter flat disc, with amusing little peripherals surrounding the main operation area in the center.

    Hovertron is similar to two Classic (and Neoclassic) space sets I remember from my childhood. One is a little riding hoverbike, and the other is from the Space Supply Station, ca 1986 or so.

    As mentioned before, the primary colour scheme is white and black, which I must say is quite attractive. The rest is decorated with the usual space transparent elements, sorta like visiting Las Vegas. Many of the pieces are decorated with small holographic stickers. To the right of the spaceman is a 2x2 flat tile which has a holograph with stars, perhaps a navigational aid. The fantail piece has a shattered polygon motif, which could be a solar collector or perhaps a shield generator.

    I must comment about the spaceman design—I’m pretty impressed. I like its greyscale colour scheme, dark grey arms with light grey hands, smatterings of black here and there, white torso, and a dark grey helmet which looks rather complicated—with a connection for a suitable air hose. Cool!

    Impression

    The last time I bought a space set was in 1988, as a child around age 11. I enjoy Town, Boats, Trains, and proudly own a Metroliner and Metrostation too. But with some free credit from the Bay, I decided to pick up the Hovertron, which I thought was a rather cute set from this odd new Space theme.

    Because I normally don’t buy Space, and my own Space concepts/ideas are either a) unbuildable or b) so firmly rooted in pre 1988 (Classic and NeoClassic Space I hear); I find it difficult to review the Hovertron.

    Definite points for interesting pieces and nice colour scheme. Some minuses in the layout—the Hovertron seems wider than needed, like a cheap pizza. But all in all, quite a fun little set.

    Ratings

    Set Rating:Excellent

    Some of the parts in this set seem very useful, even to a Town person. Like this round white table piece. I can think of a ton of uses for this. And those little clip on wings would make great overhanging awnings. The jet thrusters on the sides are a welcome return from the eighties.

    Model Rating:Very-Good

    It’s certainly adorable, from it’s size. But I find it to be too wide, and the model would look better if it were built upon a 6 stud by 6 stud disc.

    Playability Rating:Very-Good

    Space in general requires a lot of imagination, which kids are certainly full of. Since most, well, no kid has ever been into space physically, part of the joy of space exploration for children is to create situations and action.

    Many LEGO sets are fun because of moving parts, like wheels, suspensions, even electric motor and sound pieces. Space sets I think need to captivate the “user” with “feature elements” and this set does well in that regard. But the size really does beg for more involvement with more sets.

    It also seems that other models are somewhat limited with only 28 pieces. Alas, for a small set, it’s decent.

    Likes

  • Colour scheme
  • Special pieces
  • Spaceman
  • Overall cuteness

    Dislikes

  • Didn’t like wide layout of parts.
  • A chair for the spaceman would have made him more comfortable

    Elements

    Bear in mind the caveat that I am somewhat out of touch with Space.

    Special/New Elements

  • White 8x8 flat disc (found in Belville sets as a table)
  • White fantail (three segment wing with clip)
  • White odd tool/antenna piece with two handles
  • Explorien Mini-Figure
  • White octagonal half pieces (two form one octagon, six across) Quite a lot of special pieces!

    Decals

    Sort of attractive, cover single bricks.
    Reviewer Information
    Reviewer Name Age (at review) E-Mail WWW Favorite Theme
    Calum Tsang 19 tsangc@ecf.utoronto.ca http://www.io.org/~tsangc/lego.html Town, Train, Boats.

    This is absolutely a model based decision. I have no space layout, and therefore would not be buying it for integration into preexisting models. It sits on my desk, the spaceman guarding the jar of paper stars my girlfriend gave me, and the hovertron landed on some ca. 1987 diskettes containing framegrabber source code :)


    Copyright

    This review is Copyright 1996, by the author as named above. The author grants publication rights for all uses, public and private, with the following exceptions: all information in the document must be published in full; any for-profit use requires express written permission for publication or quotation of the author.
    This is a fan created web site. LEGO® is a registered trademark of The LEGO Group, which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.
    All views expressed in the reviews on this site are those of the review author, and do not necessarily represent the views of Joshua Delahunty or the University of California.
    Set names and photos are copyrighted materials owned by The LEGO Group, used according to its Fair-Use Policy. Set photo scans courtesy of Pause Magazine.
    Background imagery supplied by and Copyright © Todd Lehman. Used with permission.
    3-D Element bitmaps supplied by and Copyright © James Jessiman. Used with permission.
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