The second of the new Summer Sonic sets is focused on Tails and his boat, the Sea Fox II. Like some of the past Sonic the Hedgehog sets, inspiration for this set is very, very loosely taken from the wider Sonic universe. Now the Sea Fox II doesn’t actually appear in any Sonic game, TV show or comic per se. It does, however, share its name with a similar seafaring vehicle, which was a nuclear sub piloted by Tails in the Game Gear game, Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble. It may not have any ties to past Sonic games, but it does feature a great little Easter Egg. Here’s a look at the upcoming LEGO® Sonic the Hedgehog set, Tails’ Boat Adventure.
Product Details
Set Name: Tails’ Boat Adventure | Set Number: 76997 | Pieces: 393 | Theme: Sonic the Hedgehog
Number of Bags: Bags x 4 (paper) | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Tails, Sonic & “Jawz’ Badnik RRP: £49.99/$54.99/54.99€/89.99AUD/69.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online and LEGO Retailer from August 1st
The set comprises of two buildable sections, the Sea Fox II boat and a piece of land. As mentioned in the intro, it’s not based on a specific Sonic moment instead it’s merely inspired by the world of Sonic. Tails is a wiz when it comes to vehicles. He famous pilots a red by-plane known as the Tornado. So the suggestion would be he’s turned his hand to building a seafaring vessel.
The boat’s design is yacht-like, so it has an interior section and what appears to be a very small rooftop dance floor. It’s this section of the set which hides a very deep-cut SEGA Easter Egg. Nestled behind the boat’s control panel is a printed tile showing a screen from the game of Dr Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine. This was a Sonic-themed variant of the ‘drop & match’ game Puyo Puyo.
The boat isn’t to a small party yacht, it’s also a launcher for Tails’ on Speed Sphere. Similar to the Super Sonic set, this features a recoloured version of the Speed Sphere pod. The pair of transparent orange shells connect together with the Tails minifigure inside. In can then sit in the front section of the boat. Once the bow of the boat is opened up, you can use the paddles on the side of it to deploy the Speed Sphere. It works just as well as the launcher does.
Sonic is enjoying a little downtime by para-sailing behind the boat. He can be connected to the rear of the boat by a pair of long cables. These are then connected to a couple of bars and a basic sail.
Along with the boat, you also build a simple piece of scenery. It’s instantly recognizable as being from the Sonic universe, with a duel-coloured stack of bricks creating a ring-topped arch and a tree. This has been slightly redesigned compared to past Sonic sets. The leaf sections are crafted similarly but they are connected slightly differently which makes them look and sit much better. This section also houses a chilli dog station and a sun lounger.
The set features two minifigures and a buildable Badnik. Apart from the addition of a life jacket and some water skies, this version of Sonic has appeared in two past sets. Tails does offer something new, with a ‘new-for-2024 head’. This just offers a different facial expression but will be one for completists.
The buildable Badnik is listed as ‘Jawz’ but the creature mech is actually inspired by the similar named Badnik from the first Sonic game, Jaws. This water-based Badnik is a fish with a power set of teeth and a propeller in place of a tail. In LEGO form it’s been slightly redesigned to include a box on its box in which a Tocky turtle is found. The Friends creature element has appeared in one other Sonic set. Although I’m not a fan of the Friends animal figures, they work nicely for the Sonic animals.
On the surface, Tails’ Boat Adventure may not seem as desirable a set as some of the others in the range, but it does offer a unique play function. For gamers of a certain age, the printed Mean Bean Machine tile is a draw as well as being a genuinely fun nod to the wider SEGA games catalogue. The LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog Tails’ Boat Adventures set will be available from August 1st.
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These sets were provided to BricksFanz.com by the LEGO Group for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or SEGA. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
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