No mystery here! In the words of wonderful & wise Shaggy, the PLAYMOBILE SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine is, like, totally groovy! Keep reading for an inside peek (literally) and find out why it’s a must for any Scooby fan, old or young!
Huge thanks to PLAYMOBILE for sending me the SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine and accessories to check out! You’ll also find some affiliate links below (I get a commission if you buy through them). All opinions, as always, are my own.
Let’s make something clear right away. I am a HUGE Scooby-Doo fan. HUGE! It was my #1 favorite show as a kid, so when Jake was little I made sure it would be his favorite, too. I bought him the complete Scooby-Doo Where Are You? series on DVD before his first birthday.
He loved it so much that, before long, our collection grew to include every single series, movie and special, from A Pup Named Scooby-Doo to the live-action films to the feature-length animated specials and movies. Scoob definitely dominated “screen time” for many years of Jake’s childhood. Even at 14, he gets into Scooby moods and digs out all his favorites for a marathon.
So yeah, I was pretty excited when PLAYMOBILE asked me if I wanted to check out the new SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine. Usually, after I review their play sets, I set them aside for my niece and nephew. Sorry kids, I love you more than all the stars in the sky, but Auntie Nikki is keeping this one all to herself. 😀 Ready to take a closer look?
PLAYMOBILE Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Review
Take the Mystery Machine that you loved as a child, give it just a few modern upgrades, and you’ll have the PLAYMOBILE SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine. On the outside, it’s the familiar 1960s hippy van that we grew up with. Inside, though, you’ll find things that modern mystery solves need, like tiny toy versions of a GPS device and a digital camera (complete with cord).
Let’s take inventory and see what else is included, shall we? Here’s a complete list of what you’ll find in the box (taken from the PLAYMOBILE product page)
Figures: One Fred Jones, one Daphne Blake, one Velma Dinkley Accessories: 1 vehicle “Mystery Machine”, 1 monitor block, 3 “ghost cards”, 1 card index box with insert, 1 box, 1 GPS device, 1 flashlight, 1 magnifying glass, 1 camera with cord, 1 map, 2 drinking cups, 1 hot dog, 1 piece of pizza, 1 donut, 2 tetra-packs
So, basically everything we need to play the role of “those meddling kids” and unmask some bad guys! You’ll notice, though, that Scooby and Shaggy don’t come with it. You have to buy them separately, but they come with additional accessories as well as a ghost figure ( unmask the “ghosts” and you’ll find a human hiding beneath the costumes). PLAYMOBILE sent them to me, along with an additional mystery Series 1 Ghost Pack (I got the Knight).
PLAYMOBILE puts a ton of attention to detail into every last piece. The van has cup holders, the monitor lights up and displays the little ghost cards.
Scoob’s mouth even opens wide for that signature “scared out of my mind” look!
All of the figures are traditional PLAYMOBILE style, which means they’ll work with other play sets. So, you can have the gang solve mysteries for the royal family at the Crystal Palace or stop by the Ice Cream Truck for a sweet treat (Shag and Scoob will definitely thank you for that!). With hundreds (I didn’t count, but “hundreds” seems about right) of play sets available, you can build an entire world for the gang to explore.
Where to buy the PLAYMOBILE SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine
As of now, the PLAYMOBILE SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine is a Walmart Exclusive. I’m not sure if that’s a forever thing or a “just for now” thing. On the PLAYMOBILE website product page, it says, “Available in May.” So, if you want it asap (like for a Valentine’s Day or Easter gift), grab it from Walmart.
Heads up, though, there’s quite a bit of assembly required. Nothing too hard, but it did take me about 25 minutes to get everything together. So, if you’re gifting it to a child, you may want to open the box and put it all together first. The box opens in a way that you don’t have to tear it apart to get inside, so you can easily put everything back in it before you wrap it up. I also recommend grabbing a little container to keep all the tiny pieces together.
Long story short, the PLAYMOBILE SCOOBY-DOO! Mystery Machine will thrill Scooby-Doo fans from ages 5 to 55 (and beyond)!
Grab it from Walmart now, or check it out on the PLAYMOBILE website for more info.
