Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Mattel and Amazon.com have teamed up to offer this item in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging, a recyclable, easy-to-open alternative to traditional packaging. A Frustration-Free Package comes without excess packaging materials such as wire ties, hard plastic "clamshell" casings, and plastic bindings. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging during shipping. The Frustration-Free Packaging on this toy saves on 4-color printing and minimizes the use of PVC windows, blister packs, fasteners, and 4-color inserts. This item ships in its own box, without the need for an additional shipping box .
Little astronauts have all the gear they need to explore the reaches of outer space with the Mattel Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle Mission Set. Using parts that snap together easily, kids will love building 30 different space crafts and inventing new worlds to explore. While the set is recommended for explorers aged four and up, it has small parts that make it inappropriate for children who require constant monitoring. 
The Mega Rig lets you build 30 different space crafts. View larger. | 
Kids can use their imagination to create intergalactic space fights. View larger. |  | What We Think
Fun Factor: 
Durability: 
(what this means)
The Good: Durable building system encourages imaginative play
The Bad: Lots of small parts to keep track of
In a Nutshell: The Mega Rig Space Shuttle Mission Set provides hours of fun constructing space vehicles and thinking up places to explore | At a Glance
Ages: 4 and up
|  | | Getting Ready for Your First Mission
Since part of the fun is in thinking up ways to build a spacecraft from the many different parts, this Mega Rig set is ready to go without any difficult or time-consuming set-up. The set includes simple, illustrated instructions that will help you and your child build a large space shuttle with an exterior fuel tank and an all-terrain vehicle base that can be used as a launching site. The instructions include photos of other possible configurations and illustrations showing important details such as how to launch missiles, lock the shuttle's arm in place for space walks, and the many ways to combine Mega Rig wheels. The UFO included in this set features other-worldly lights and sound, and it is powered by three button-cell batteries (AG13/LR44). Test batteries are included, but you will want to purchase another set just in case. The Shuttle Mission Set is compatible with all Mega Rig building systems, making it easy to combine different sets and inspire kid's creativity. Galactic Exploration
Once a spaceship has been assembled, there are plenty of missions your child can accomplish. Between launching the satellite into orbit and coordinating an exploratory space walk, your child will be busy watching out for missiles shot from the UFO with its alien inside. The durable octagon shaped connectors hold pieces of each space craft together until they are pulled apart on purpose. Our favorite configurations included snapping the bright orange all-terrain wheels onto the shuttle or UFO for land adventures, combining the shuttle and the fuel cell into one gigantic space ship, and loading the launch pad with accessories to create a headquarters for operations on distant moons and planets. Other cool features include a space arm controlled by a lever, an oversized astro grabber for moving equipment or keeping the alien at bay, and plenty of fun compartments for the astronaut and alien to hide in. Your child will surely want to take this shuttle everywhere, but with so many small parts to keep track of, traveling with this set can require extra attention to detail. Long-Lasting Imaginative Play
The sturdy plastic shuttle and its accessories held up well throughout our vigorous test missions, and the Mega Rig building systems are known for their durability. The moving parts and hinged compartments that make this shuttle so much fun could potentially come apart with lots of rough play, but we found the system to be extremely durable. With the alien and the astronaut ready to be your friend or enemy, and the ability to make more than one vehicle at the same time, this building system is great for cooperative play or a single child with an active imagination. The ability to combine and recombine parts in so many ways offers a new experience every time your child picks up a piece of this shuttle system, so the fun never runs out. What's in the Box
33 parts that can be assembled into more than 30 different space vehicles.
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Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 Gave as a Gift to 4 and 6 year old brothers- they loved it! January 2, 2009
R. Beaton
This was a hit with two young boys. Durable enough and well received by parents too.
Wonderful toy January 2, 2009
Steve (Southeastern USA)
Bought this toy for my 6 year old son and it was the center piece toy this year! He loves it and continually makes different toys with the set. You can make 30 with just the included parts! Wonderful product and I liked the plain packaging.
Mega Shuttle December 30, 2008
Janice M. Breedlove (Waynesboro, GA)
My 5 year old nephew had a blast while my husband and brother in law looked on in envy! My nephew was going to town putting it together while my sister, though liking the lack of packaging, missed the colorful graphics which she uses to put things together instead of directions! The boy had it together before she did! Very, very good toy.
Fun and durable December 30, 2008
M. Willett (Jackson, MI USA)
This ship is similar to the other Mega Rig toys in that it allows some creativity in building different ships and using the tools in various places. The alien space ship is a bit loud but my 6-yr.-old son loves it. I love the "frustration-free" packaging, it makes Christmas opening so much easier! (As well as saving materials).
great for all ages December 29, 2008
Wayne A. Simmons
This toy was a gift for my nephew, 6 and he loves it! He played with it almost exclusively on Christmas day and still continues to play with it a week later. Definitely high quality parts, they have a satisfying snap to go together and come apart. As others have said, he makes stories about the alien: "When he's captured he goes in here but then he breaks out..." and is delighted to reconfigure this ship in a verity of ways. This product is on my wish list perhaps for the coming year for my son who is only 3. The smallest complaint I have is the UFO's noises are annoying and repetitive, but that's easily fixed by removing the batteries (I hope! I haven't checked this yet, as they haven't really been that annoying).
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![Matchbox Mega Rig Space Shuttle [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BXcMqvJoL._SL160_.jpg)
