Matchbox Elite Rescue Squid Marine Boat (Land and water play!)

The unboxing with the Rescue Squid Boat wasn’t too difficult, however there was a lot of clear rubber bands, plastic wrapping and tape to get through. Fortunately, the boat and it’s accessories were removed easily with a quick snip from my trusty scissors.

Once I had removed all the packaging I had one classic Matchbox type car, a scary looking squid, a water-friendly helicopter and a large Marine boat with many moving pieces.

I recently had the opportunity to play with the Matchbox Elite Marine Mayhem Playset and the Rescue Squid Marine Boat actually reminded me of this set a lot. The Marine boat is almost exactly the same main unit from the previous playset. The only difference between the two is the Marine Mayhem was a bit more expensive, and had more accessory pieces. I do like that the Rescue Squid Marine Boat is built for land and water play. The main unit rolls on flat surfaces and floats in water and the helicopter doubles as a squirt toy.

The crane moves 360 degrees and the claw attachment can be extended and retracted with the turn of a dial. There are several moving pieces on the boat including claw attachments and storage on the rear, a basket for holding your “catch” and a ramp on the front of the boat.

I really like that this toy is built for both dry and wet play. The boat is large and has many moving pieces which keeps the play time fun and imaginative.

I was actually hoping that this would be somewhat different than my previous play experience with the Marine Mayhem Set. I think the price difference wasn’t great enough to justify purchasing the Rescue Squid instead and there really wasn’t anything new or exciting to enjoy.

The Matchbox Elite Rescue Squid Marine Boat is recommended for players over the age of 4. There weren’t any small pieces that present an immediate choking hazard however the crane “claw” is on a rope and might present a problem if it was put in the child’s mouth.

While I enjoyed the Rescue Squid Marine Boat, I didn’t see a big enough difference in price or play experience to justify purchasing this instead of the Matchbox Marine Mayhem. I would probably purchase the Marine Mayhem if presented the choice again because it did come with a lot more accessory pieces without being that much more expensive.

(You may also like: 24 Essential Hot Wheels Tracks and Cars)