Customer Reviews

Fisher-Price Planet Heroes Turbo Shuttle

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My two and a half year old son was really wanting a "ROCKET SHIP" toy. And after searching and searching I was giving up. Most rocket ship toys were geared toward and more appropriate for much older children. Then I came across this one in a retail store and knew it was the perfect one for him.
He absolutely loves it. What you don't see in the store or online is that there is a "base" to the rocket that includes a handle that allows the child to hold it from the underside and "fly" it around the room. There is also a trigger on that handle that turns on the "flames" and sound effects.

PROS:
VERY Durable - my son is rough and is already beating this up with no issues. I have to remind him not to pull on the "flame" mechinisim but other than that it's very strong
Works well. So many toys like this don't do what they say but this one does.

CONS:
If he looses the shooting arrow from one of the smaller pods he will be upset. I wish it was somehow attached with a short cord or something. For toddlers, keeping track of small pcs can be difficult, but this is the only pc that is likely to get lost on the ship.

I also bought him the Rings, Digger, and Ace characters to go with his ship and they have all been well loved too. I'm adding the others characters to his Christmas list as well.

My son received the turbo shuttle and about half of the "heroes" for his fourth birthday. Not only has he played with them every waking moment since receiving them, he has learned lots of interesting facts about the planets and the solar system and can't wait to collect the rest of the set. He creates imaginative play schemes by himself with these toys and brings them with him on play-dates to share with his friends. They have become an absolute favorite toy, and he's learning lots about the planets too. We're hoping Fisher Price will put out another video soon!

I got this for my 4 year old son for Christmas and he loves to play with it. He was playing with it before we even got it out of the box.

As far as the Pros and Cons...
Pros - Very little assembly, basically pop the 3 legs on and you're set.
- Large and durable, molded plastic throughout, and the "flame" gadget on the end has fabric flaps that don't break off.
- The line of toys have educational facts about the planets and solar system, but there are very little of that kind of info on this shuttle toy itself.

Cons - You'll be singing the Planet Heroes theme song even if you don't want to, because this toy plays it every other time you push the top orange button.
- The flame effect motor is loud, when that thing spins I can hear it from 3 rooms away.
- Get ready to indulge requests for every other Planet Heroes toy/figure, which are fairly bulky toys and not readily available everywhere.

I've read the other reviews about kids (3 year olds in particular) almost getting poked in the eye when the flame-effect plastic rod extends from the back of the shuttle. Whereas I don't doubt the other reviewers I question the likelihood of this happening repeatedly and truly inducing injury. For one, the toy is both heavy and large therefore I can't picture a child (especially at 3) hefting it at face level for long, obstructing their view. For two, there are very bright colored LED's that shine outward illuminating the spinning fabric as part of the effect, further discouraging anyone from placing their eye in the line of fire so-to-speak. Again, I don't doubt their near miss experiences happened. I just feel that given the factors mentioned, plus maybe some time spent with your child and the toy explaining and demonstrating the features, risk of serious injury can be nearly eliminated.

Edit - I took measurements and noticed more. The "stick" that protrudes, at full extension (meaning the trigger is being pulled as hard as possible, because the harder you pull the farther it sticks out) reaches out about 1 and 3/4 of an inch. BEYOND that, the fabric "flame" actually encompasses the tip, as you can see from the pics provided by Amazon. The fabric adds about another 5/8 of an inch to the length. So if you place your hand near the end of the toy the first thing you feel is fabric.

I purchased this rocket ship and everyone of the figures for my sons fourth birthday and it still (two monthes later) is his very favorite toy set. The rocket ship is very cool and the flame effect awesome. The toys are tough- (they would have to be - he's a rough and tumble sort of boy) - and he plays and plays with them and takes atleast one figure every time we leave the house. I have bought a lot of toys that he loved for a few days and grew bored with - these are the exception and I highly recommend this set for imaginative little boys everywhere! Yeah Fisher Price!

I kind of stumbled across the Fisher Price Line of Planet Heroes accidentally. Over the holidays I was looking for christmas gifts for my 3yo and found this rocket ship through Amazon's "Todays Deals". I had never heard of Planet Heroes but my son loves rockets, so I gave it a shot. Then we received a few of the planet heroes action figures from santa. He loves them; and this rocket ship was by far the favorite christmas gift. 6 months later, it is still one of his favorite toys.


The rocket ship is really durable and easy to manipulate for young children. It has a handle on the bottom with a "trigger" that works the sounds and the "flames" that come out of the back. There are a couple of buttons/levers that also activate the rocket sounds.

There are 2 pods that detach from the main ship. One has a pincher like tool on the front that works to grab things. The other pod has an arrow that you can "launch" by pressing a button on the steering column. I do agree with a previous reviewer that the arrow tends to get lost. Other than that, this is a great toy for young kids!

I noticed some reviewers mentioned the possible safety hazard of the plastic "flame" that pokes out the back of the rocket when the trigger is pulled. We haven't had any issue with it. it is made of pretty flimsy plastic, overlayed with fabric. My son thinks it's funny to poke himself with it, and hasn't been hurt. Although I don't doubt that if a child were running with the toy and fell on it, an accident could occur. I wouldn't call it a safety issue, but it's worth mentioning.

We also purchased Mars Digger and Earth Ace to go along with this toy. The figures are chunky and sturdy and easy to stand and manipulate the limbs and fit well into the rocket. I won't say they are impossible to break, but my son is really hard on toys and these have now lasted us 6 months with lots of use and no casualties. They do not really have any tiny pieces to lose or break off.

I like that this toy line is educational - each figure teaches about his/her home planet and comes with a trading card that has great facts about the solar system. One of my favorite details is that each figure has a number on his/her chest that represents it's position from the son. My son just thinks they are cool and tough and take all the abuse he can muster and keep coming back for more.

Figures are just slightly smaller than Fisher Price's line of "Rescue Heroes". We have a few of those figures as well, but unfortunately the Rescue Hero characters do not fit into the rocket ship (their feet are too big). Not a big deal, but as we play with them all together, it would have been great if they could all pile into the rocket for a ride. :)

I would absolutely recommend these figures for a toddler or young child.

Also, if you check out the planet heroes website, they have games, information about planets and the solar system, and even a couple of free dvds that you can sign up for to receive through the mail.

And he has abused it and still plays with it nearly 6 months later! Still works. Had to change the batteries once for the 1st time just the other week and you can actually turn the sound OFF! Worth it!

When we received the DVD in the mail, along with the poster, my son was immediately hooked. He carried the poster around with him and daily pointed out characters that he wanted, and also requested to watch the movie at least once a day. He had a Planet Heroes Christmas- almost every toy was one of the figurines, and he absolutely LOVED them! The shuttle is really cool, the way the "flames" leap out the back, and it sounds like a real rocket blasting off. Also, the pods are neat because he can detach them and race them around the room, as well as attach them to the backs of some of the bigger action figures. He acts out the movie with his characters, and we CANNOT WAIT for a new movie!! Fortunately his birthday is in a month and he can complete his collection.

Kids love all the planet heroe toys...durable can survive all 3 boys out at the farm. Great series to spark their imagination. Vehicles, action fiqures and accessories are sturdy and inventive. Large collection.

My child loves this toy and he's put it through rigorous manuevers and its still holding up. Thanks!

This is a great toy. My son had asked for a spaceship for Christmas and knew of the Planet Heroes line from a particularly well-placed DVD episode on the Geo Trax DVD they have that came with that toy. But I was aable to purchase this same toy from another location, TRU, for only $19.95. Action figures are $8.95 compared to $12.95 here. Good toys, but you might want to look elsewhere to purchase. In fact, I've found most of their toy prices considerably higher than at the stores. Significantly higher in fact. But this is a really good -- but very big! -- toy. Loads of fun!

Do keep in mind that not all action figures fit in all of the seats. We don't have all of the figures, but I do know that Venus/Dazzle doesn't fit in the wing pods -- only the cockpit. But all the bells & whistles worked on ours, contrary to some other reviews. You just have to press the right button.

The Fisher-Price web site has some great games and "movies" to watch to keep the kids interested in the toys and to help them learn more about the planets as well.