Customer Reviews

Star Trek: USS Enterprise NCC 1701-A Electronic Starship

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Like everyone else, I've always wanted the Enterprise-A rendered accurately, but with some fun features to play with. If you remember the electronic version that came out around 1979-1980 (Star Trek: The Motion Picture), it was well-done, but lacking the realism and detail of the ship depicted in the movie.

Art Asylum's replica is faithful to the movie Enterprise. The "aztec paneling" is molded, not painted on, but it still gives it a level of detail not normally seen on a toy or replica in this price range. The paintwork on the secondary hull is outstanding. Building one of the Enterprise model kits with the same paint scheme would be near impossible except for the expert modeller. To top it all off, the sound and light effects make this a fun toy that I just could not put down.

As much fun as it is, it truly looks outstanding on display. It is a fine replica and the price is truly amazing for what you get. I have to admit that even when displayed, I could not resist the tempatation to activate the light and sound effects over and over!

The only reason I gave the toy a "4" for durability is the display stand. It is very dramatic and goes well with the Enterprise. When I was assembling it, I was very concerned that the "neck" of the stand may snap off. I had seen this Enterprise replica on display at a recent Star Trek convention and indeed this was the case - it had broken off leaving the ball-joint stuck in the secondary hull. On the other hand, Art Asylum does give you an extra cover in case you would prefer a more accurate hull. The ball-joint does give you more options on how to display the ship at various angles.

This is one of those purchases that I could not wait to be delivered once I had ordered it. I was very happy when it arrived and very pleased with the work Art Asylum has done with such an "iconic" sci-fi vessel.

I have so many versions of so many Enterprises that I can't keep track of them all... Playmates models with lights and sounds, model kits... all of them pale compared to this.

Art Asylum has released the best Enterprise I have ever seen. The detail is amazing. There are lights in places I have never seen lights before (good places, too). Six different sounds. No visible buttons for the sounds -- you push down the bridge in order to activate them. Looks amazing in the dark. Has a nice display with the Starfleet delta insignia as a base. Mounts well at hundreds of different angles. I was able to adjust the angle so it looks great in my office whether you look at it from my chair, the door, or the window, inspiring jealous amazement from a fellow Trekkie/Trekker. Don't want a hole in the bottom for the base? The bottom piece is swappable -- it comes with a piece with no hole so the ship looks virtually seamless when it's not on the stand. What more could you possibly want? The Enterprise-A may be the best of the Enterprises, and ArtAsylum may be the first to truly do her justice.

Buy this toy. You will be the envy of your friends, or at least the ones who matter. Men will fear you. Women will want you. Or if you prefer, women will fear you and men will want you. It will get you promoted, help you lose weight, and grant you immortality.*

Highly recommended.

*Some restrictions apply. May not occur within the atmosphere of M-class planets.

I've wanted a toy of the original movie Enterprise for as long as I can remember. I love this ship, the original series movie ship designs are, in my humble opinion, by far the best Trek has to offer. Of course, I absolutely despise the Next Gen ship designs, but that's another matter entirely.

So, it's been rough trying to get my hands on such a toy. Most are either tiny, cheap, low detail gift shop item toys, or model kits. As far as I could see, there's been no inbetween.

Though any model kit I ever attempt to build disintigrates on contact with air, I even bought two kits of the movie Enterprise. One of the very original refit, and a light up kit of the Enterprise A. As stated, they both promptly returned to their base elements upon completion of the the kits, and I was left with nothing but a Trek themed frisbee and some sharp plastic parts to thrill and entertain my early childhood imagination. However, my desire for a toy of the Enterprise remained unsated.

To me, and those like me, that lack the skills of a model builder, or the desire to work at those skills, this toy is a godsend. For a toy, it is incredibly detailed, very pretty. To the model builders out there, you will complain, gripe, whine, and moan over the very visible seams and lack of detail crammed into a small package. Go get the Bandai or the Polar Lights model kits. Both are excellent in their own ways.

However, even for me this toy is not perfect. There remains a couple flaws. The base, as mentioned by others, is cheap, flimsy plastic that bends under the weight of the toy it was supposedly built to support.

The light and sounds action I could very much do without. I'm already contemplating opening this toy up, disconnecting the speaker, and somehow rigging it so that the button simply turns the light on with one click, and a second press would turn the lights off. Then it would be near perfect. I can do without a base, or make one myself. My major complaint is just that I want the lights to turn on, and stay on, until my childlike awe and glee is satisfied and I turn it back off.

Ater waiting over 2 decades for somebody to get around to re-producing the USS Enterprise as it appeared in the first 6 Trek movies, I had mixed emotions about this one. Because Playmates skipped this incarnation of the Enterprise, "1701-A" has not had the time of day from toy manufacturers since the legendary "South Bend" Enterprise of 1979-80. Now "Art Asylum" has its sights set on reproducing as many ships as possible, including the "original" cinematic Enterprise. Going for authenticity, the AA Enterprise doesn't allow you to mix and match parts like the nacelles or the nacelle mounts. Less understandable is the size - it's had to get out of my head that the SB Enterprise wasn't 1/3rd again bigger. The difference seems more conspicuous given the amount of surface detail - they're cramming a lot onto a relatively small surface. It's definitely a sturdier model than the SB version - the neck joining the saucer and primary hull never hints at breaking. The AA Enterprise comes with more sophisticated sound effects than the SB Enterprise - unsurprising given the amount of time that separates the two.

If there is one weak link - it's the stand. AA came up with a nifty ball-socket arrangement for their ship (the socket is located under the lower, or secondary hull.) For those uninterested in mounting their ship, the Enterprise comes with an alternative hull section not bearing the hated socket. The idea is cute because it allows owners to poses their ship. The stand itself is in two flimsy pieces meant to suggest those 3-D Chess games popularized on the show. Unfortunately, the socket and ball don't take easily to each other, and you're more likely to snap something on the stand than get the two to fit. AA generously offers to replace broken stands, but you'll still get the same flimsy design that went bad to begin with. It seems like an unnecessary gripe against a beauty that Trek fans have been drooling for for years, but one that makes it harder for their fans to display and share.

... like the Art Asylum produced NX-01, the 1701-A is in about 1/800 scale. This puts both toys at about 12" long and, side by side, allows you to see the size difference. The detail level, like that on the NX-01, is exceptional for a toy, making it near model quality.
This ship did not seem to suffer the loose nacelle problem experienced in the NX-01, but the base DOES seem flimsier in comparison considering the greater mass of the 1701-A. The paint job is odd, with some darker paint on the secondary hull that more resembles the paint job on the Bandai model from Japan. The good news is that there are no stickers to apply... just attach the nacelles and mount it on the base(or not, if you prefer), and she is good to go.
The ship is in DEMO mode in the box, which requires you to toggle a switch when you remove it from the box(switch is located in the battery compartment), this turns on the lights and the remaining sounds.
The next ship Art Asylum is supposedly doing is the 1701-E, but be aware, they are not likely to do it in scale with the first two ships. The BANDAI snap together model of the 1701-E is 1/1700 scale, but it looks great. So keep your fingers crossed and check out the Art Asylum site for updates.

They've done it! Art Asylum has actually surpassesd themselves! This is another benchmark setting offering from a company that should be around for a long time. To begin, the ship still looks small-although it is actually 16" long. The "Aztec" pattern is reproduced with a super fine nubby texture that refracts light differently than the underlying smooth hull. This arrangement allows for the most subtle contrast that I have ever seen. The pattern isn't visible from intermediate to far distances, and shows up only when one is in close or if the ship is obliquely angled in a light source-just as it would in actuality! The warp nacelles lock on securely, and there is very little light that bleeds through the hull when the electronic features are activated. The graphics are nicely done and the surface detailing is appropriately fine and crisp to match the ships small scale. Various areas of the ship are painted in light blue, gray, and metallic turquoise to recreate the mottled patterning of the studio model. Folks, this is without a doubt the best mass marketed version of the 1701-A ever released. It is an absolute steal for [money]. I can't fully express how impressed I am with this ship. Final word-BUY SEVERAL!!! P.S. the display stand is sturdier than the one for the NX-01 and doesn't allow the ship to 'droop' on its display bearing.

Art Asylum have outdone themselves. This is quite possibly the finest toy starship ever produced. The detail is breathtaking and the paint job is excellent. No decals to worry about since the graphics are painted right on. My only real complaint is that the nacelle connector is far too loose but a careful application of superglue fixes it. If you are a Star Trek fan it is a requirement that you own this.

I think Art Asuylum should make more enterprizes. I have been looking all over for them especilly NCC1701 D and E. I'm a big TNG fan and it would be nice to have a enterprize D to play with or put on a shelf! I found 1 but it was 200$! Art Asylum would make a fortune if they bring back Star Trek The Next Generation.

This is a great choice for those of you who like the finished product when building models more than the construction process itself. It looks great, and has light with sound. It would be better if the sounds were individually selectable, instead of cycling through them, but at least they sound good. Seems a little delicate if you are planning on using it as a child's toy, though.

Positives - attention to detail, accurate, full of sound and light effects, nice gimmicks, useful accesories, neat box

Cons - not big enough in size

I can barely call this a toy. I would say it is a toy collectable / working model. I wouldn't let kids play with it but adults would like the quality and design. I would recommend it highly to any Star Trek fan or a fan of sci - fi spacecraft to pick this up. It is the best of both worlds between pricey toy and cheaper collectable.