Flip, Drift and Spin into Ninjago Dragons Rising

ramblingbrick Lego, ninjago, reviews , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Since the very beginning, Ninjago sets have involved some sort of play gimmick – be it character spinners wihin an arena, flyers or fist powered tornado spinners, and the latest wave, coinciding with the new story of Dragons Rising is no exception. With the least expensive boxed sets in the theme, and containing one each of Core ‘veteran’ ninja that feature regularly in the series, these sets have some new elements, new minifigures and interesting play potential. To say nothing of inconsistent fluorescence under UV light.

We have 3 such sets in this Dragon Power range: 71777 Kai’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Flip; 71778 Nya’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Drift; and 71779 Lloyd’s Dragon Power Spinjitzu Spin. Each set comes with a Ninja minifigure, a Droid like figure from the Imperium, Some Gates and a trap, holding a golden Dragon Elemental Orb. The orbs are perhaps the most interesting new elements included in these sets. We will come to these shortly.But first, here are the elements included in all of these sets:

Continue reading →

Exclusive Arin and Sora Figures now at BAM Stations. Bonus: Build the Ultimate Arin!

ramblingbrick Minifigure, ninjago , , , , , , , , ,

The news dropped yesterday that there were some new Ninjago related figures present in the Build a MiniStations at LEGO Stores Worldwide. (when is yesterday any more? I am currently in Scotland, this morning was in Dubai, and on Tuesday morning was in Melbourne).

This afternoon I touched down in Glasgow and made a B-Line to the Glasgow LEGO Store. While there I was able to check out the build a mini station – the new BAM elements were all present and accounted for: Lloyd Kai and Nya were there, in their ‘Core’ form, as seen in the first half year releases this year and last.

Continue reading →

Building Outside the Box: 80047 Mei’s Guardian Dragon [Hands On Review]

ramblingbrick dragon, Lego, Monkie Kid , , , , , , , , ,

Is this one of the best LEGO Dragon Sets Ever?

Fun Fact: This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first ever LEGO Dragon being released, as part of the Dragon Knights range in 1993. This year, we have seen lots of dragons appearing in Ninjago Core, as well as the forthcoming Dragons Rising series. However, Ninjago does not have the Monopoly on LEGO Dragons.

Dragons are frequent characters in The Journey to the West, the novel which inspires the Monkie Kid range. We recently looked at the 80049 Dragon of the East Palace – and Mei is descended from the Yu Long, the White Dragon horse, 3rd son of the Dragon of the West – brother of the Dragon of the East, featured in that set. As such, it is quite reasonable for Mei to have a Guardian Dragon, probably sent by her ancestors, to provide protection in times of trouble.

This set was sent to me by the LEGO Group for review purposes, and I’ll admit, there was something intriguing about its appearance from the outset, that I couldn’t initially put my finger on. But we will get to that later.

Continue reading →

40647 Lotus Flower (Hands-On Review and Vase MOC)

ramblingbrick Iconic , , , , , ,

Another of the upcoming June Releases, 40647 Lotus Flowers looks like it offers a simple but effective floral arrangement in a relatively inexpensive package.

With 220 Pieces and is priced at $AUD19.99/USD12.99/€12.99/£10.99/CAD16.99. It belongs to the company’s ‘Iconic’ theme, and will be a LEGO-branded retail exclusive.

Continue reading →

Dancing Jeep to Jeep: 76958 Dilophosaurus Ambush vs 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery

ramblingbrick Jurassic World, Lego, reviews, sustainability , , , , , , , , ,

Nobody will deny that Dinosaurs are the principal non-human characters in Jurassic Park. They make the place unique and provide the narrative with a sense of drama. The humans share in their part of the heroics, but the Dinosaurs steal the show. There is, however, something else that contributes to the Character of Jurassic Park: The vehicles. They give the humans a way to travel at speeds that might be able to escape a rampaging Raptor, a terrifying Tyrannosaurus or a stationary Stegasaurus… wait- scratch that last one.

After years of waiting, the iconic Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler – used as a utility vehicle around the park – has finally arrived in LEGO® form, in not just one, but two sets.

They are 76958 Dilophosaurus Ambush and 76960 Brachiosaurus Discovery. Priced at $USD19.99/AUD42.99 and $USD79.99/AUD139.99, respectively, they represent the entry-level and premium sets in the range. One comes with a single minifigure, while the other has 3; one has a small side build, while the other dedicates half its part count to a most delightful tree. But they both have a JEEP WRANGLER, and that is what I want to focus on today.

Continue reading →

Show Me the Bunny: 40643 Jade Rabbit and Half-Year LEGO® Leporine Review

ramblingbrick Lego , , , , , ,

This year is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac. As such, we have seen rabbits cropping up in all sorts of places during the year. We have seen small figures, large figures, small builds and large ones. More than I care to consider. So, when the LEGO Group sent over a copy of the 40643 Jade Rabbit for review, I thought we might take this moment to look at all those occasions that rabbits and hares have been incorporated in this year’s LEGO® sets, a leporine review, as it were.

Continue reading →

42158 NASA Mars Rover Perserverance Revealed

ramblingbrick Lego, Reveal, technic , , ,

June is just a week away, and we are still seeing new releases being announced. Today, its 42158 – Perserverance, the Mars Rover still wandering around up there on the surface of the red planet, gathering information about the planet, analysing soil and rock samples, while looking for signs that the planet might be able to support life.

When I was a kid, the Viking Probes hit the surface of Mars. Somewhat remarkably, it would turn out, given the technology available at the time. We got some black and white pictures, which were colourised for the cover of National Geographic. the first images ever, taken from the surface of an alien world.

And now NASA are back. At first, there was Curiosity, but now we have Perserverance – roaming the surface for a couple of years, going at its own pace. Today, the LEGO Group have unveiled a Technic set, full of functions, for release on the 1st of June. With 1132 pieces, it will have a retail price of £84.99 / €94.99 / $USD99.99 / 899.0 CNY /1999.9 TRY / 39990.0 HUF / 129.99 CAD/159.99 AUD.

Measuring 32cm long, 23 cm wide, and another 23 cm high, the set is full of functions, allowing kids to come to terms with some of the engineering principles in play with suspension, gear boxes, steering and more.

Continue reading →

71792Sora’s Transforming Mech Bike Racer: Hands On Review

ramblingbrick Lego, ninjago, reviews , , , , , , , ,

It is time to start the Ninjago reviews for 2023. Today I’d like to focus on set that only includes NEW Characters appearing in Ninjago Dragons Rising – I’ll address some of the Classic Ninja soon. Set 71792, Sora’s Mech Bike Racer, features Sora, Arin and Baby Riyu, as well as Rapton – A member of the Imperium whose role we are yet to fully understand.

The set will be released in June 2023, has 384 parts, and will cost $47.99USD/$79AUD/£42.99/€47.99.

Read on to see whether or not this is an engaging and enjoyable set. And whether it glows under UV light…

Continue reading →

10323: PAC-MAN Revealed. June 1 release

ramblingbrick Reveal , , , ,

And the June release announcements continue to roll out! Selecting a highly specific 43rd anniversary to celebrate, this years vintage Video Games Icons set is based on the seminal PAC-MAN. I remember the handheld game being shared around at school, way back in 1982, much to the chagrin of my year 8 maths teacher. By this time, I think it was already established at Arcades and Fish and Chip Shops around Victoria.

The final model measures 12.5 in. (32 cm) high, 10 in. (25 cm) wide and 7 in. (17 cm) deep, and has 2650 pieces. When it is released on June 1 (VIPs), it will cost $269.99 / €269.99 / £229.99/349.99 CAD/399.99 AUD/6299.9 TRY/114990.0 HUF/2299.0 CNY.

Continue reading →

60380 City Centre: Hands-on Review

ramblingbrick CITY, Lego, LEGO City, reviews , , , , , , , , , , ,

There are over 2000 plastic souls in the City of Bricks. Each of them has a story to tell, and some are yet to be written. Here are 14 such stories, playing out against a backdrop of colour, lights, pizza shops and a colour scheme to challenge Heartlake city for its sheer variety.

This year, we have seen some changes in LEGO® City. In the past, when we have built a city centre, we have had a variety of shop fronts, occasionally with a business upstairs, a public transport hub, and very little tying the shops together. In fact, an undisciplined builder could occupy the entire room, with individual components disconnected from each other.

Continue reading →