The Smaller, Simpler Super Creator
Last month I was building a replica Notre Dame de Paris and a Hong Kong Cha Chaan Teng from Rolife. Just in time for the gift giving season, they have just launched the latest Rolife Mini Super Creator.
What’s Included and What’s Different?
The Mini Super Creator series is a smaller version of the Rolife Super Creator, such as the Hong Kong Bites Cafe that I reviewed. A bonsai if you like.
It is aimed to be child-friendly, featuring a smaller size and easier assembly.
The main series’ rich colours and theme designs remain, whilst smaller, the Mini Super Creator is still a feast for the eyes. They are sized perfectly for stacking.
Two key differences here is that there is no lights or electronics in the Mini Super Creator series, and each set comes included with a dust cover set. The normal sized Super Creator series offers the dust cover and roof sets as a value added extra.
Building Fun for Kids (and Adults)
The Mini Super Creator series contains about half the pieces of the non-Mini edition.
I got Arraiya involved last time, mainly in helping me pop out the various pieces. This time around, I let her get more involved progressively.
Personally I found folding and creating the miniature bags and boxes really fiddly, but the seven year old had no dramas banging them out. The boxes were child’s play for her, however the bottom of the bags were a little confusing and I jumped in with the finishing touches there. After the first couple, she had figured it out from watching me and was able to put them together herself without help.
There are a variety of types of elements – boxes, paper bags, crates with lids, lolly bags, magazines. Some are cardboard, others are stickers.
The lolly bags in the Country Blue Lounge miniature is a combination of sticker, and mini pieces of plastic lollies. The level of detail and care Rolife has put in to give a miniature lolly bag shape, depth and uniqueness!
By the time we were onto the third set, she was pretty much doing all the assembly herself with minimal help required. From making up boxes and bags, putting the bigger pieces together, the stickers, quite the big girl now.
The box housing the scenery is comprised of a solid back wall, two clear side walls, clear ceiling and door.
Various cardboard inserts are used to create the backdrop. Rather than a full guide rail as in the case of the Super Creator Series, Rolife has changed this to corner guides and just another set of discreet ones part way down the long side.
It makes it a lot simpler to put the backdrops in and keep them in place during assembly.
There are enough pieces in each set to make it fun, a little challenging, but not venture into the too hard and get frustrated territory. Depending on how fast or slow you want to work, it is an easy 40 to 60 minutes to finish each set.
There are plenty of details and elements, but not so much that it is overcrowded and too cramp. The designers have really put a lot of thought into each set.
Standout Miniature Details
I mentioned the lolly bags before. Regardless of how you approach the construction, each of the two bags you create will be utterly unique.
The vinyls in the Country Blue Lounge set are individual hard plastic disk, with a small see through center where the name label is. It is packaged with protective film on both sides, keeping your vinyl records in pristine condition as you would with the real deal.
Turning stickers into mini poster rolls was a little insane. That was really just a best efforts thing before it does into the paper bag,
The drawers in the Sunshine Sip Porch are functional, you can pull them open and put things in them.
The Floral Dining Room’s chest of drawers features working flipper doors. It flips open and then slides back and out of view.
A Small Suggestion for Improvement
I really like that except for the back wall, Rolife has made all the other walls see through.
The two side walls are covered by cardboard inserts that have both the outside and inside printed. I love that the details of the inside of the set is depicted on the cardboard inset.
However, I feel that Rolife could have made a cut out of the window panes and allow a peek in to see the real inside.
Final Verdict: Hands-On Fun for All Ages
There is a lot to love about the Rolife Mini Super Creator Set.
What tickles my fancy is that each set has something different, unique. I am not just referring to the scene itself. But we have different kinds of cabinetry – normal drawers and doors; flipper doors, sliding doors.
There are different table designs, chair designs. It never feels repetitive doing the same type of furnishings.
Inevitably there are always some elements which does repeat, which are the paper based ones – boxes, bags, crates, but they are not onerous and completes the scene.
Whilst Rolife suggests that the Mini Super Creator sets are for 14+, but looking at how Arraiya could really run with most of the building, I would say get your younger kids involved to build things with their hands. Give them the agency to do the interior designs and place each element in their positions. They’ll have a bundle of fun!
The Rolife Mini Super Creator DIY Miniature House sets are available for A$59.99 each, or the set of four Shop Series for $215.99. Don’t forget the Christmas season is rapidly approaching.
DRN would like to thank Rolife for providing the review units.
