There are a few sets we hadn't seen before, (Batman Drag Racer?) and not all the sets are yet released, but there's a Batmobile, and we know that's the one everyone wants to start with.
Batman Sets [Shop.Lego]
Mike (CountBlockula on Flickr) has taken some photos of the minifigs from the new Batman sets. We are green with envy; these are so new we suspect the plastic is still warm.
First impressions are very good. We've known for a while that the minifigs were great, but seeing actual digital photos of the real product is still exciting, especially as it means they are now available for sale, in some stores at least.
Here it is: our first look at the licensed Batman theme expected to be released from Lego later this year. There is a surprisingly large number of minifigs villains right out of the gate, although we don't see Robin anywhere (just Nightwing). The models, including the Batmobile and Batwing, look great.
Our friend Vic sent us this huge batch of pictures which we have reproduced after the jump. Most of the images appear to be from Toy News, Intl., although we couldn't find them on their site. It also appears that Action-Figure.com has a few blurry shots of the boxed sets.
See over a dozen pictures of all the new sets after the jump!
Continue reading "Batman!: First Look at New Licensed Lineup; Pictures Inside" »
We were reading a fun entry on Russell Beattie's weblog about how much he enjoyed sitting down to some good Lego building with his son when we noticed the price he paid for his Lego Creator Tub (5369) at Fry's: $15. We wondered if Fry's online outlet, Outpost.com also sold Lego, since the Creator Tub usually goes for at least $5 more. Sure enough, they have a decent selection at what seems like very reasonable prices, despite a few mistakes in their listings.
What other retailers have you discovered that offer great deals on Lego?
We've had a chance to put together a few Exo-Force sets—specifically sets 7703: Fire Vulture, 7708: Uplink [pictured], and 7711: Sentry—and our initial impressions are mixed, although learning toward the positive as they suit our own needs. We are in a rebuilding phase with our element collection with an eye towards mecha building. We've had a serious lack of pieces that can be easily pressed into service as articulated joints and had hoped to find the Exo-Force a good source
In that sense, we are fairly pleased at the element selection. While the smaller sets like Uplink and Sentry use a fairly rudiemntary Technic-based connection for the legs, the larger Fire Vulture uses a ratcheted series of blocks that allow for a great variety of poses—perhaps at the expense of versatility. That said, we should be able to find plenty of uses for two-brick joint that rotate on two axes, perhaps even in non-mecha models.
The Exo-Force sets come with heavy weaponry, including missiles and guns and even a flamethrower. (And to Lego's credit, there is not a single dragon-fire element on the Fire Vulture.) In fact, the sets might be the most overtly military designs Lego has ever produced. For the first time, we feel it possible that our dream theme—minifig-scale World War II machinery—might someday be a possibility.
The parts inventory is varied, with many elements we feel will be useful to any budding builder of a 'futuristic' style, although there continue to be some disturbingly large single-use pieces, like the giant turbine on the back of the Fire Vulture. (The turbine is also the first piece we can recall with a dual-color injection mold from Lego.) Fan-built mecha tend to appear much more solid than the Exo-Force models, despite Lego's use of broad multi-angle slopes to imply heft. The remix potential is limited, but as part of a collection of more traditional elements there is much potential in these sets.
You might notice that we didn't opt to use any of the dozens of stickers included with the Exo-Force line. While we find the sticker design to be very much in theme with the anime-influence, we intend to be tearing these down to parts soon. In that sense, we're happy to have the choice of clean or printed bricks, but we can't help but feel a tinge of sadness at Uplink's 2 x 1 plate that serves as a computer. The silk-screened computer plate, once a hallmark of the space themes, is seemingly past its prime.
The larger Exo-Force sets include a 2 x 4 brick with a watch battery-powered LED. (We're not sure yet if the battery is replaceable.) Rubber fiber optic cables can be run from one end of the brick to add a glowing effect, such as the Fire Vulture's flamethrower laser sight. The bricks are cute but seem to have limited use.
Lastly, the minifigs are likely to be controversial. We rather dig the spiky-haired hero minifigs with their two-to-a-head faces, but the robot enemies are extremely awkward-looking and not the least bit menacing. (Not to mention the dissonance of robots piloting other robots.)
Overall, we're happy to gather so many useful parts and to see Lego finally stepping up the weaponry, but we wish the mecha appeared a bit more like giant, hulking robots and less like chassis waiting to be armored. We are also pleasantly surprised to find a minimum of Bionicle elements. The few that do appear add just the right amount of character.
A shot from the National Toy Hall of Fame by BT Meacham's Flickr stream.
Exo-Force is one of Lego's newest product lines, the first to embrace the long-standing mecha theme from fan modelers in a commercial kit. (The one-off Titan XP notwithstanding.) Serving as a sort of bridge between the Bionicle and more-traditional sets, Exo-Force is heavy on anime-inspired robots piloted by spiky-haired minifigs. While the Exo-Force mecha seem a little on the flimsy side, we are certainly looking forward to getting our hands on the joint pieces for use in our own creations. Initial reports suggest that most of the bricks have decals, not silk-screened images, which is either good or bad depending on your desire to use clean blocks.
While it's unknown if Lego intends to continue the line, we applaud their decision to provide alternate building instructions online at the official Exo-Force website. While toys that allow you to build a new model by combining two or more smaller sets are an age-old marketing gimmick, we appreciate the fact that Lego is providing alternate builds for free online, rather than just showing a picture in the instructions. (Although some folks see the picture-only alternate designs as a challenge.)
We have a couple of Exo-Squad sets on order from Lego Shop-at-Home and expect to provide our impressions shortly.
While our Lego careers started in the late '70s, we had heard tales of mythical blocks from that murky time Before We Were Born. Mario Ferrari has answered our question with a few pictures from his personal collection as well as short descriptions of the old parts, which include brass-pinned wheels and early train rails.
What surprised us more than anything, however, were the 4.5V electronic motors [pictured]. We were under the impression that Lego first included battery-powered motors in the '80s with the Technic line, but apparently the idea goes back much further.
Motors before minifigs! Now if only Lego would bring back those great logo-blocks so we could finally create our micro-scale Exxon Valdez. We especially miss the 1 x 4 block silk-screened with headlights, of which we had only a single, precious copy.
Released in 1990, the Mega Core Magnetizer (set 6989) was the keystone kit in the first run of M:Tron, the series that marked the beginning of the end for the classic space line. Already dabbling with themed sets after the success of the Blacktron line, Lego began several themes in the Mega Core Magnetizer that continued throughout the '90s, like larger and more gimmicky pieces. To Lego's credit, many of those new pieces continues to be used in sets to this day—the new magnet pieces and large wheels are used in the Star Wars Star Destroyer model, for instance. But while the large wheels and windscreen allowed the Mega Core Magnetizer to appear to be more substantial than previous kits such as the Blacktron Battrax, they also heralded the large, single-use pieces that would haunt Lego sets for the next decade.
Nevertheless, the Mega Core Magnetizer offered a still-appealing design, with multiple mini-fig vehicles and a working magnet-clip crane. Plus, the florescent cone blocks that shipped with M:Tron sets graced the fronts of homebrew space ships and laser rifles for years to come.