ROKR Marble Spaceport Marble Run Building & Review

Editor's Note: This is a review post about the ROKR Marble Spaceport (LGC01), originally posted by @buildingwiththeboys. We have compiled and summarized the contents mentioned in the video to objectively and impartially review this product for everyone.

The ROKR Marble Spaceport promises epic entertainment, interactive fun, and futuristic visuals from assembly to actual use and display. Designed in dark gray and silver colors, it’s built to look like a spaceport. It’s also a breeze to put together thanks to its perfectly-fitting parts and detailed instructions. Once it’s up and running, you’re guaranteed to have an exhilarating experience watching the balls zip through the twists and turns.

Details

• 472 pieces
• About 5.5 hours of assembly time
• Difficulty level: ★★★★
• Assembled size: H:12.3"(31.2cm) x W:9.8"(25cm) x D:9"(23cm)
• Free international shipping for orders over $65
• 30-day risk-free return policy
• Comes with plenty of spare parts in case of breakage
• Assembly tools included
• Free parts replacement service
• Requires 1 type-c power cable
• Comes with a detailed instruction manual and labeled parts for smoother assembly

Features

• Complex Mechanical Structures - The ROKR Marble Spaceport comes with 6 diversion mechanisms and 5 tracks.
• See-Through Materials- Some of the parts use transparent PC and PS materials that allow you to observe the movements of the balls.
• Two Drive Modes- Switch it up between the manual mode and electric mode to get different but fun experiences.
• High-Efficiency Output- The ROKR Marble Spaceport is equipped with a large-torque motor with a 70 rpm speed that guarantees high efficiency.
• Vertical Lifting Stairs - It has an elevator-like lifting mechanism that takes the ball to the top.
• Dual Layer High-Speed Track- Parallel tracks make it possible for two balls to be used together.
• Transparent Acceleration Spiral- A transparent spiral path allows you to watch as the balls go down quickly to the path at the bottom.
• Linkable- The Marble Spaceport can be linked to the Marble Night City using a connector that can be purchased separately.

Assembly Tips

• When you remove the acrylic elements from the board, you can snip them out with the tool that looks like a nail cutter if you don’t have a sprue cutter. You can get as close to the piece as possible and file down the remaining overhang with the lighter sandpaper.
• Liberally wax the gears and all the moving parts so that they’ll run smoothly once assembled.

Assembling the ROKR Marble Spaceport Marble Run

In this ROKR Marble Spaceport review, I’ll be giving tips on how to assemble it while giving my thoughts about it as well. I’ll try to explain the tricky parts so hopefully it will help you with your assembly.

Unboxing

The ROKR products' packaging are always so nice. It looks and feels high-quality. Upon opening this loaded box, you’ll see the instructions and boards with the parts that you’ll need to pop out. There’s also a collection of clear parts, electric parts, balls, screws and washers, the metal and decorative elements, and all the tools you’ll need to assemble the ROKR Marble Spaceport.

I like how the instructions come with an inventory or part list that includes the parts’ illustrations, name, item number, quantity, and even which bag you’ll find it. The bags are labeled, making it easy to find the parts you’ll need.

As you go through the assembly, you’ll find that the instructions come with a 1:1 illustration of the metal rods and dowels. This means that you can easily compare the dowels and rods to the illustration to check which one is of the same length, letting you know which part is required for that particular instruction.

There’s also an amazing tool, Tool 2, which shows you exactly how far down the rods are going to go. You drop the spacer into the one that you need it to go into and just push the rod through. Then, the space will be exactly the distance that you need it to be.

Tool 1 is the same wherein you can put a washer in the spot in the center and push it down onto the dowels. These two are cleverly made by ROKR to make the assembly easier.

Beginning the Assembly

For stages one to three, attach the nice silver piece that goes all the way along the outside of the base panel. At the corners there will be what looks like screws with footers underneath. The first of the acrylic elements will also be attached. Then, put together the gears and attach it to the part you made on stage two.

Stage four involves making the manual handle. It might look complicated because there are a lot of gears going on with it but it’s pretty simple since you just need to stack the gears.

During stage five, you’ll be building the main tower with six carriages inside. That’s the tower that will carry the balls to the top. Next, attach the manual handle. At this point, you’ll want to test the tower mechanism if it moves smoothly and the balls travel to the top.

Building to Completion

For stages six to nine, install the wheel with the ball-bearing. This genius mechanism makes the wheel return to its place thanks to the ball’s weight. You’ll also be adding other units with ball-bearings to counter the weight, allowing them to return to their position.

For stage ten, you’ll be building the plastic section wherein the ball can spiral down all the way to the bottom. This is perhaps my least favorite thing about this kit since getting the plastic part on and making it stay in place is very tricky. Once you put it on, you need to push it in, clip it in there, and secure it. It kept popping out so I had to do it several times.

After adding the final touches, you can start building the parts that will give it an electric mode. Once you’ve built the electric motor and installed it at its designated place, you now have a completed ROKR Marble Spaceport with two modes!

Final Words

To end this ROKR Marble Spaceport review, I’d like to point out the two things that make it unique compared to other marble runs. First, you can link it with another one of ROKR’s marble runs, the Night City, so that the balls will run through them together. There’s an accessory kit that you can buy to make this happen.

The other thing that makes this unique is that you have two options: manual mode or electric mode. So, if you want, you can use a type-c power cable and just have it run perpetually. I really like that you can just turn it on and let it go. In fact, I’m planning to put this in my office where it can just run and run.

It’s so much fun, from building to actually watching the balls move. I felt really excited during the assembly, seeing how complicated the paths and mazes are and trying to figure out how everything will work.

You can’t really see what’s happening during building. While I was putting it together, I kept thinking how is that ever going to work. Then, once you’ve completed it, all of a sudden, everything just makes sense. The balls move and there’s so much action wherever you look with different tracks and routes opening up. It’s an absolute joy to watch.

The electrics are very impressive because there wasn't any big motor noise which I was initially worried about. It’s just the clacking of the balls as they move which I can listen to for hours. It’s just so smooth. When it comes to the visuals, the contrast of the gray to the wood makes it really special. It looks gorgeous and I’m so happy with it.

If I had to nitpick, I’d say my only complaint is the size. This marble run is definitely not small but this isn’t an issue if you have enough space. Still, I’m already planning to get the Night City so I can connect them together. That’s a given.

I want to say a massive thank you to ROKR for sending me this and giving me the chance to make a ROKR Marble Spaceport review. I definitely recommend buying it since it’s been such an enjoyable experience. It’s the first marble run that I’ve built and I can say that it definitely won’t be the last.