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With no response from the Klendathu outpost for months, the patrolling Galaxy
Squad has decided to determine the cause for so long a silence from the
important border-lying outpost. A full regiment has been assigned to inspect
the site but an impatient Major M. Mason has taken the initiative to fly ahead
of the others and get to the outpost first. What he finds shocks him to the
core as he discovers the outpost completely abandoned. Buildings show damage
from immense tears in the walls and some sort of acidic damage that has eaten
through metal. To top this all off, odd two-meter purple cylinders litter the
entire compound haphazardly. There’s little the impetuous Major can do until
more sophisticated instruments arrive, but undaunted, he enters a storage
warehouse where he hears an odd humming accompanied by strange green glowing
lights . . .
| | Galaxy Squad is the new Space theme released in the tail end of 2012. Where the last Space theme was Space Police III (2009-2010) versus criminal bad guys, the Galaxy Squad appears a bit more militaristic with the force going up against insect-looking bad guys. When the sets first appeared, the good guys appeared to be humans teamed with alien-looking humanoids but when names were released for the figures it was revealed that the ‘side-kicks’ are actually robots (kinda takes the magic away from Earth collaborating with alien species but there are still some cool looking figures on both sides of this conflict). I’ll probably only try a couple of these sets, the most appealing being this (70702 Warp Stinger) and the 70704 Vermin Vaporizer.
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| | The two good guys in the 70702 set have red uniforms (and the different color uniforms per set is kind of a neat idea) with the robot having kind of a fish-head (think Admiral Ackbar with less buggy-eyes) and sporting a neck-bracket jet-pack (though the jet pack could also go on the human if you give him the neck-bracket instead). The good guys are provided with an open seat sled type flyer. Construction is pretty good and the design is good with a minimal number of parts.
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| | The star of the show for this set is the large almost mosquito-looking creature (the large models in this and the 70703 Squad Star Slicer make GREAT monsters but for some reason there’s a ‘need’ to make them appear to be crafts with places for insectoid pilots). The big flying bug model is comprised of a large head (with pointy-nose stinger) that leads into a curling tail with four small wings that mount at the back of the head. A detachable trans-purple cocoon fits nicely into the back of the creature’s head and can be used to hold the good guys captive. The tail ends in a squeeze/pinching ball launcher that doesn’t do too much for me; however, if you look closely at the box/instruction picture of this set, the tail is actually shooting some sort of crystallizing encasement to capture the good guys (a cool concept!).
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| | Construction of the Stinger is very solid with the tail being permanently formed in the curling position. I would have preferred to have the tail be able to uncurl (constructed with clicking hinge pieces) but that would perhaps have led to a less stable structure. Two technic-rod appendages (legs?) are added to the model but I’ve found that the model stands just fine without the legs (and I think it looks just a little bit better without the legs). The diagonally hanging nose piece assembly is particularly well-done. The (unnecessary) cockpit isn’t entirely enclosed but again I think the craft works better as a large monster instead of a ship with a pilot. Colors for the main model are an odd mix of scarlet, lime green and dark tan that I never would have chosen, but the color combination kinda works for me.
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| | As mentioned, the set comes with two astronauts and a point-nose, green flyhead guy (I didn’t like this guy at first but he’s growing on me). Two double-barrel laser guns mount on the sled flyer for good-guy accessories, plus the robot sidekick is shown in the instructions using trans-blue flair flashes as weapons (another good/unique concept). The flyhead guy is in an odd mauve-green with red highlights. He sports neck-mounted wings, rubbery insertable antennae (these will be easily lost) and is armed with a ray pistol that cleverly uses a black scorpion for the body of the gun. A sticker sheet is included.
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| | The set contains an amazing amount of brackets for lateral building possibility. One thing that amazed me was the way 2x4x2 bricks with side studs are completely built from smaller parts. Price per part is pretty dang good for the set and the terrific main Stinger model is a good reason to pick this one up!
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!!! 4x2ReVu Stats !!!
Rating: Six out of eight studs.
Thumbs up for: A great monster design with a good mix of parts and figures for
playability.
Wallet-Wise: 310 pieces for $29.99.
Date: 1/7/2013
More photos here.
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Stuck in a cell with my ‘chucks just out of reach and wondering just what it’ll
take to get out of here (‘cause I’m sure the guys don’t even know I’m here).
‘Stuck’ that is until that Foot bozo made his first mistake calling for
takeout!
Popeye has spinach, Mr. Furious has rage and if I can just talk him
into sharing a slice with the ‘poor prisoner’, Footie is gonna be in for a nasty
surprise of the amazing power of pizza on this here turtle!
| | I love Lego for the models and building more than the figures but the release of the ninja turtles series is one case where the cool little representation of some very unique characters is one instance where the figures were a definite incentive for me to buy. Luckily the 79100 set let’s me have my cake and eat it too with some cool figures PLUS a pretty nifty sci-fi related construction.
The 79100 Kraang Lab Escape is a 90 piece assembly of parts that amounts to a laserbeam laboratory holding cell and a small spidery walking transport.
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| | Starting off with the holding cell, the construction is chiefly a transparent half cylinder with trans-green posts representing laser beams to keep the prisoner in place. The base of the cell has a control panel, switch and holding clips for accessories. The base of the cell is hinged with the back half of the base hanging out the back so you can tap it with your finger making the cylinder pop off for easy escape (not sure how the prisoner is supposed to make that cylinder pop off unless he’s a Jedi with telekinetic powers but it’s a simple-yet-effective construction).
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| | The more interesting construction in this set is the spider-legged transport with a very small piloting area enclosed by a bubble (come on, what’s a cool sci-fi contraption without a bubble canopy??). Unfortunately this piloting area won’t fit anything other than Kraang (who is a body-less tentacled-brain monster) but that might just add to the attraction. The transport features two flick missiles and has the added feature of the bubble base detaching from the spider legs as a separate unit. There are a couple of wee rockets mounted on the back of the base so the bubble could make a quick escape.
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| | Figures include Kraang (a rubbery tentacled piece that fits over a pink head-sized element), Foot ninja figure (good body print) and Michaelangelo (again, pretty good body print with the nice accessory of a turtle shell that fits snug on his back like a backpack). Accessories include Mike’s nunchucks, a chain mace and a pizza (you gotta love these pizza elements!).
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| | Construction on all of the models is solid and makes very good use of the pieces included. A very early stage of the bubble-base reminded me of a mini Star Trek space craft. Some weak points to the set include the way the nunchucks (nunchaku for you purists) came together, I didn’t like the way small bits of tubes were used for the handles and the chain seemed overly long. This is a minor complaint but I think a one-piece part for the nunchucks (like the chain mace) would have worked a little better.
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| | Overall I’m impressed with this particular set. For not too many bucks, it would make the perfect standalone set to take on a long car ride (but there aren’t too many parts for coming up with your own designs if this is the only set you’ve got).
Buyers will want to be VERY wary of the price they pay. At lego.com you can pick it up for about 13 dollars, but there’s a bully giraffe (toy store) on the playground that will make you pay $18!
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Rating: Six studs. Great start to the series.
Thumbs up for: Fun assemblies and fun figures.
Wallet-Wise: 90 pieces for $12.99. Smart shoppers should check prices
carefully before tossing it in the shopping basket!
Date: 12/28/2012
More photos here.
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Reports of odd occurrences anywhere near the Miskatonic University aren’t
anything new, that stuff happens all the time. Even stories of phantom trains
blasting their whistles near dorms, sending students into the cold evening air
in their night shifts, aren’t uncommon. But the stories are turning into
something more ominous. First a farmer’s field was completely torn apart by
what could only have been done by an unseen enormous plow, now an entire block
of Pickman Street has been utterly demolished with two evenly spaced rutts
running directly through buildings and tearing up the street tarmac. But it
all culminates tonight with the alarm that an actual green, glowing train has
been spotted at the edge of Hangman’s Hill. With that the MF team (gee, maybe
they ought to pick a more family-friendly acronym) jumps into action and it’s an
opportunity to try out the professor’s new ecto-plasma-vaccu-mizer plane. Barb
and Elvis Aaron are the only ones available but they’ll be plenty to take on the
latest uprising of paranormal activity in the not-usually quiet town of Arkham!
The 9647 Ghost Train is comprised of a locomotive, three ‘train’ cars and an
open cockpit monoplane.
The plane is a well done, larger than previous
bi-plane models (such as the 6615 Eagle Stunt Flyer or the more recent 7307
Flying Mummy Attack plane) but it still fits in well with those models and the
larger size is easily rationalized as will be explained. The cockpit is open
and fits one minifigure. The craft’s basic colors are dark red and dark grey
(reminiscent of the Pharaoh’s Quest vehicles). Each wing features two flick
missiles (yawn) but the most prominent aspect of the plane and reason for it’s
larger-than-usual size is the apparatus behind the cockpit: A large wooden
barrel is mounted just before the tail fin with rubber hoses that lead to each
wing. The tubes on the end of each wing then feed into what looks like a small
compressor/drum ending in a gold horn/orifice. It looks like the horns could
either spew stuff (like the 7786 Scarecrow plane) or suck stuff up to go into
the barrel (kind of like a ghost-busters device). The concept is executed
fairly well. One final feature of the plane that falls just a bit flat is a
chain that snaps onto the fuselage of the plane to allow one of the figs to hang
there while the plane is in flight (probably could have been carried out better
but I’m not sure how). Details throughout the plane are well thought-out such as
using pistols for exhaust pipes on the engine (press these all the way in when
assembling or they’ll come loose).
The train locomotive model is also fairly well done, decked out in main colors
of black with white (bone) highlights. What probably ought to be handrails on
each side of the engine are twisted thorny bone-barb rails that lend a good air
of menace to the model. A ghostly, evil, grinning face adorns the front of the
train with a ghostly plume of green smoke/flame coming out of the smoke stack
(this is a cool trans-green element that has just a sliver of glowing plastic
running through the core of the element). The blue ‘ghost crystal’ sits atop
the engineer booth. Other nice details on the train include a stationary bell
just in front of the engineer cab and a hinged furnace door within the cab
(opening to show a bit of the furnace flame). It should be noted that the
locomotive does not use a standard train baseplate but the forward and rear
wheel bogey assemblies do mount on pins so the engine could probably be pushed
along standard rails without problems.
Right up to the completion of the
locomotive there is no obvious waste of additional (throwaway 1x1) parts to
enhance the part count for the whole set, each bit and small assembly or
addition of 1x1 parts adds to the flavor of the model.
Unfortunately after finishing the locomotive the economical use of small parts
is thrown right out the window and the quality of the remaining models for the
set basically goes down hill. Two lame open-air single-passenger cars are
reminiscent of funhouse mini-cars (with wings that go up and down as the cars
are pulled forward--whee!). A third train car depicts a rolling prison cell
complete with cell doors made of bone elements but there isn’t really any
inspiration here. Where the locomotive sported standard train wheels, the three
last cars feature rubber wheels.
Each of the last three cars are overly decorated with small parts to raise the
part count for what was already starting out as a great set. In my opinion,
instead of three extra cars we could have been provided with a nice, creepy
‘soul’ (coal) car, or at the very least the prison cell car could have been
built up to fit in with the locomotive ‘twisted’ handrail motif. (If we were
going for a more mature/grindhouse model, I’d suggest that the cell doors look
more like a ribcage.) As it ends up, the three cars are a waste of piece-count
with not many usable parts (plates, slopes) that would have really helped toward
making a beefed up alternate locomotive model (which I may still attempt).
Figures in the set do add to buyability. The two fighter figures (Elvis and
Pebbles Flintstone) have great face, torso and leg prints (such as Pebbles’ scar
on the cheek, corset and garlic cloves hanging on her belt) plus the addition of
three of the new ghost figures has gotta set a record for the most ghosts in a
set. Modifications to the ghosts over previous versions include gloomy faces, legs
and the peaked ‘hoods’. Accessories in the set include pistols, spears and a
crossbow (don’t mess with the scarface chick!).
While there are a minimum of usable basic plates and bricks in this set, it
ought to be noted that there are twenty (count ‘em 20!) 2x2 quarter circles
(rounded corners) taking the place of five 4x4x1 circle/cylinder elements.
Also, I have to say that the set came with a nice piece of cardboard to keep the
instructions from rolling up in the box (thank you, Lego!).
Final note: As I was building the plane and locomotive models I found myself
getting very excited to buy more Monster Fighter models, and I think I’d still
like to pick up at least a couple more but the price on this set is gonna be a
deal-killer for frugal shoppers. I lucked out and found it at $65 which is
probably a good deal for a set with over 700 pieces, but choose wisely before
you decide to pick it up yourself (I’m seeing more and more stores drop their
prices) and be mindful that in this reviewer’s opinion, the combination of
models is lacking in consistent quality.
!!!4x2ReVu Stats!!!
Rating: Five out of eight studs.
Thumbs up for: The theme itself (who doesn’t love monsters?) and an
interesting idea for a haunted locomotive (that could probably still be improved
upon). Also the figures are pretty cool.
Thumbs down for: Dropping the
ball after giving us two decent models. Either drop the piece count and give us
a cheaper set, or keep the quality consistent and QUIT FILLING SETS WITH
THROWAWAY 1x1 parts!
Wallet-Wise: About $80 for 741 parts. Shop wisely and
get it at a cheaper price!
Date: 10/12/2012
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Frodo woke to a cool, clammy darkness. No, not quite darkness, there was an
eerie green glow about the low-ceiling chamber in which he awoke. He glanced
about himself to see the prostrate figures of Sam, Pippin and Merry now oddly
adorned in white and covered in circlets and rings, surrounded by ancient swords
and treasures.
“Are we dead?” he briefly thought, but the thought was quickly
chased from his mind as he felt an impending danger, wending it’s way into the
room on the airy, phantom tones of a chilling death-like song. . .
The Lego group’s release of the Lord of the Rings sets has been a very mixed bag
of results. For minifigure collectors it’s a dream come true (with slight
heartburn for critics of the lower quality out-sourced materials). For
construction fans, many diehard builders have already built their own versions
of some of these iconic structures. Lego takes an interesting (and for me at
least, unforeseen) turn on the releases of these basically Castle-themed sets.
My first build in the collection is the 9472 Attack on Weathertop set. The
price was originally daunting until I was able to make a deal with a
fellow-collector that ultimately made it possible for me to pick up the set
(that I honestly wouldn’t have picked up at its original price).
9472 is an innovative spin on the Castle set. It’s a two-level tower-like
construction with a spiral staircase winding upward from a small camp clearing
(with firepit). The stairs wind upward to an open battlement with decaying
arches and bits of ruins (very well depicted). On the first-level back side of
the structure (opposite the camp clearing) there is an arched doorway that leads
to a small interior armory. A trap door in the floor of the second level can
drop unprepared victims into the lower chamber and the entire structure is
hinged to allow better access to the lower interior. An additional partial
wall/corner assembly (separate from the main tower) is included to add to the
feel of ruins and while this smacks of simply adding to the piece count, the
bricks and plate will add to alternate building possibilities.
Figures included in the set are two ring wraiths, a warrior figure (Aragorn) and
two hobbits (Frodo and Merry--though it could just as well be Frodo and Sam) and
two horses. The wraiths are very well executed but nothing particularly new
(basically dark jedi knight figures). In all fairness it should be noted that
the menacing Harry Potter Dementor figs have already stolen the wraiths’
‘creepy’ thunder. Aragorn and the hobbit figures are good sculpts and body
paints. Accessories include a spear, swords, torches, food bits (chicken legs,
carrot, apple) and a small, gold-plated ring (this is actually pretty cool).
Minor accessories of flowerless plants/weeds should be noted, they are simple
but add a great touch to the feel of the main model.
Where fans (myself among them) have complained about price-per-part issues, Lego
is now giving us more parts, and oh how cuts the two-edged sword! We’re getting
more parts alright, but many of them are small 1x1 bricks and slopes (be careful
how you word your wishes)! This is indicative of not just the Lord of the Rings
sets. Fans need to carefully check out other themes (I’ve seen it in Star Wars
and even Town sets) before going by only the listed part count to determine if a
purchase is worthwhile. I’m a long-time construction toy fan and Lego is among
my favorite brands but the mentality that ‘fans will buy whatever you produce’
is not always true (particularly in difficult financial times). Time will tell.
Okay, now that I’ve got that out of my system, let’s take a serious look at this
construction. A perusal of the Lord of the Rings sets shows a very interesting
design mindset: minimal (if any) castle walls and panels! While the
price-per-part monster probably has a bit to do with this mentality (you’re
gonna use anywhere from four to eight or nine parts to make up for that single
castle wall) it does make for a more ‘artsy’ looking castle construction that I
found very appealing. Hopefully this is something that will only play part in
this particular theme and we won’t lose the ‘classic’ feel of a larger Lego
castle with those customary panels and wall bits. Adding to the ‘artsy’ feel of
the castle is use of microfigures within the walls or arches to give the feel of
statuettes or relief detail (another great touch).
A second item to note on the building style is how the exterior walls are angled
such that we aren’t treated to a square design per se, but we’re getting an
almost octagonal design. Don’t get too excited just yet, this unique
structuring was actually being done by Tyco Superblocks sets over 25 years ago
(anybody remember the very cool
Black
Knight’s Castle set?) though it’s admittedly improved upon by Lego.
Last note on the design of the structure is in answer to a possible question of
‘why is there an interior to Weathertop?’. I think the Lego group is actually
implementing a bit of the barrow burial mounds that were originally part of the
‘Fellowship’ book but not a part of the movies. I pictured the barrow vaults as
being a lot larger but the basic idea is here.
Final judgment? This is a very good principle model using a good assortment of
grey, dark grey, dark green and tan elements that many fans will miss out on
because of the high sticker price. While I don’t approve of figure-pirating,
construction fans can benefit by picking up the set minus figures at a much more
reasonable price from ebay or elsewhere and populate the set with their own
existing figures.
!!!4x2ReVu Stats!!!
Rating: Five out of eight studs. (It isn’t fair but the high price easily
knocked off two stars.)
Thumbs up for: A very cool, innovative structure.
Thumbs down on: Totally overpriced! The demand for (and resale of)
collectible figures (along with price-per-part cramming and lofty license
price-jacking) is sadly not a good thing for our favored brand of construction
toys.
Wallet-Wise: $60.00 suggested U.S. retail for 430 pieces.
Date:
7/27/2012
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In a crucial chrono-axis-point, inadequate safeguards and the nefarious efforts
of ‘he who must not be named’ proved far too effective and the ‘boy who lived’
did not in fact live.
In this alternate timescape the powerful Voldemort
ironically became the word on everyone’s lips as he gained an unholy and
omnipresent grip on the wizarding world. Refuges like Hogwarts Castle were
prime targets for his fury (and deeply embedded fear of reprisal). These
once-havens were quickly emptied by powerful life and energy-consuming spells.
But the power mad wizard overreached himself and soon dissent within his own
ranks of death-eater lieutenants brought the once-powerful regime to an abrupt
and destructive end. Now there are only the smallest groups of ‘good’ and
‘evil’ scattered here and there, seeking to gather and strengthen each other. .
. and the fortress of Hogwarts (devoid now of even spirits) remains a silent,
sullen shell of what was once good.
This is the Lego Group’s fourth version of the Hogwarts Castle/estate, the
various released versions are as follows (by year):
2001 - 4709, 689 pieces
2004 - 4757, 928 pieces
2007 - 5378, 943 pieces
2010 - 4842, 1290 pieces
I can’t give a completely unbiased comparative opinion because I’ve never
actually built the previous versions but the 4842 does seem to give the
best/full version of a fortress construction (with the 5378 being a close
runner-up). At any rate, it’s obvious that this one has the most pieces.
To be honest, I’m a Castle fan at heart and I picked up this set with an eye to
modifying this into a standard fortress-type model. With this particular set
we’re going to get various castle pieces/portions with each section linked to
another through peg-and-hole connections (keeping in mind that Hogwarts is
really more of a campus than a single castle anyway).
Facing the castle from the inside looking out and going left to right, the first
construction is comprised of three levels with the first level featuring what
looks like a large closet or doorway to a passage (though it actually leads
nowhere). The second level features a bookshelf with sliding transparent doors
(nicely designed). Handcuff elements are secured to each sliding door with the
suggestion that inserting keys into the base of the doors and twisting the keys
will pop off the cuffs/binders. The idea is novel but the cuff elements are
just too wobbly and will undoubtedly come loose in play (or whenever moving the
entire construction) and could very easily be lost. The third level of this
section is an open battlement with a large powerful telescope that is actually
done quite well.
The second castle section is a four level tower with the bottom floor featuring
a small waiting room/lounge with two revolving chairs. The rear wall is adorned
with a Slytherin tile/plaque and two snake elements adorn each side wall (nice
touch). The second level features a suit of armor standing on a revolving base
(though nothing in particular is featured on the other side of the base). The
third floor is another lounge with, again, two chairs, but this room features a
fireplace. The fireplace is very well done with a sliding mechanism that makes
a 2x2 tile (with what appears to be some sort of fire demon) come out of the
fireplace. A Griffindor banner hangs above the hearth. The fourth level
features an enclosed owlery, complete with perches, three owls, and poop bits on
the perches (again, nice, subtle touches).
The third and largest castle section is the dining hall. It’s very well
executed with two long dining tables and benches, two chairs and a lectern at
the back/head of the room and a door near the back of the room for exiting. The
tables are filled with all kinds of elements for food (including a large turkey)
and goblets (great accessory assortment). Two banners hang over the room
(Griffindor and Slytherin) and a simple but effective chandelier hangs from the
main rafter. The design of the hall is very well done, particularly with
multiple windows at the rear wall, sturdy columns made up of 1x2 bricks (rather
than a one-piece pillar element) and the use of transparent 1x1 bricks set high
in the side walls to denote stain-glass.
The fourth and final castle section is a three-level construction with the first
floor featuring an entrance door, a trophy-type shelf, a chest and a winding
staircase. The second level features some simple but great shelves (with
non-sliding drawers) for various vials and potion jars. The drawers do contain
items (bone bits in one, a letter in another) but the drawers can’t actually be
accessed unless the shelves are removed from the construction and partially
disassembled, still the idea is interesting (weren’t there sliding drawers in
early Lego sets?). The room also features a low table with a crystal ball and a
large (almost throne-like) chair. The third level is a partially open
battlement with a large one-piece roof element (similar to the one that encases
the owlery) that houses a stand for the ‘sorting’ hat and a large silver sword.
None of the multi-level sections provide any access to the various upper levels
except for the fourth section winding staircase and these particular assemblies
have never impressed me with the way they fold up and aren’t very stable. I’d
much more prefer a single-piece, smaller, spiral staircase. (I’m sure the
collapsing staircase is essential to the ‘wow’ factor, but the instability of
the assembly detracts from the desired result.)
Figures in the set include Harry, Hermione (class uniform prints), Professors
Dumbledore, Snape, McGonnagal and Flitwick, Argus Filch, Voldemort and two
dementors (with McGonnagal getting the best dress print/slope in my opinion, she
makes a great sorceress fig). The dementors are also pretty cool (half-figures
really) with the upper torsos and arms of a skeleton (in dark grey) and tattered
cloaks. The bottom half of these ‘phantoms’ is comprised of a single stand
(instead of legs) that gives them a ‘floating’ appearance. It’s a neat gimmick
that could also work elsewhere for floating spectres. Lastly, there are a bunch
of animal elements included in the set: two snakes, a spider, a grey rat, a
frog, bat and a kitty (with a painted face).
There are a lot of minifig accessories including books, a magnifying glass, two
different swords, a shield, the sorting hat and a crystal ball (plus the
aforementioned food elements). Stickers are included for the castle walls,
various banners and a couple of book covers. There are also a number of
pre-painted tiles making up a newspaper, map, scroll, crest and a letter of
correspondence. It’s also worth noting that the set comes with THREE
instruction books.
Standing back and looking at the construction as a whole, there are some great
and innovative ideas for castle builders such as ledges for the windows and
recessed facades that add for a great look to the design. There is a great
assortment of parts including basic building bricks, plates and hinges (and the
aforementioned peg and hole connectors for modular building options). With the
set probably right on the verge of going out of circulation, this is a good time
to pick it up and it’s definitely worth the price-per-part ratio.
!!!4x2ReVu Stats!!!
Rating: Seven out of eight studs.
Thumbs up for: Terrific designs implemented that will give great ideas to
castle enthusiasts who might normally have passed-up this set because they’re
not into the Harry Potter genre.
Wallet-Wise: $130.00 suggested U.S.
retail for 1,290 pieces, if you can find it on clearance, GRAB IT!
Date:
5/16/2012
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