Next up from Imaginext, we take a quick look at the Dino Fortress. I had dinosaurs, I had fortresses, but a “Dino Fortress” sounds like the best combo since chocolate and peanut butter.
Vehicles and playsets — are there any two more frustrating words to grown-up collectors? Well, maybe “design choice,” but that there’s an old wound. Vehicles and playsets, though? Two of the most sought after, and yet hardest to come by components of a modern toy line, without a doubt.
Not for Imaginext, though. These guys are all about ’em.
Strapped to an equally giant card, the Dino Fortress comes flush with features, lights, and motion, as well as a warrior figure and small dino.
I called in some reinforcements for this one. Luckily, my niece wasn’t busy and was able to come help me put the playset through its paces.
So this fortress is basically a Aztec/Mayan-looking structure apparently built into the side of a volcano. Like riding dinosaurs wasn’t hardcore enough, these guys then build their houses into the side of Earth’s best homemade WMD. The giant Triceratops stone head sculpture looks cool and all, but crank one of those Imaginext figure-dials to the side, and the head raises — with some lights, tribal drums, and growls — to reveal a cannon.
Then, using the volcano as ammunition, you can pop a volcanic orange boulder onto a ramp, that drops it into the cannon for ready firing.
It didn’t take my helper long to figure it out, and consequently, I was really grateful the boulders were made in translucent orange plastic — much easier to find.
Like most Imaginext sets, there are also plenty of doors, windows, steps, and perches to put your figures on, and while the set only comes with one, the Raptor’s driver was able to join up, followed by Joker, Harley, and Princess Sofia. For a mid-size set, this is another really quality set from a line that’s full of ’em and shows no signs of slowing down — or running out of ideas. As I mentioned in the last review, the styling of this Dino series is really clever, with the use of this “lost civilization” theme, and that really comes through on the fortress. It also resonates really well with the target audience.
Well, that or the cannon that shoots giant orange balls. Thanks again to Fisher Price’s Imaginext crew for sending this over for us to share!