I continue my survey of LEGO Super Mario Expansion Sets today, taking a look at one of the smaller sets, with a clever mechanism incorporated in the game play: Boomer Bill Barrage. This set has 132 pieces, and introduces a new character, as well as a challenging ‘swing platform’.
As with all of the LEGO Super Mario Expansion sets, you need a copy of the 71360 LEGO Super Mario Starter set (Adventures with Mario), in order to get the most play value out of it.
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Up until now, all of the sets related to the LEGO® Nintendo collaboration have related to the new LEGO® Super Mario theme, as a form of integrated game, aimed at ages 6 and up. But where has the love been for those who grew up with Nintendo, playing Super Mario?
Today, LEGO and Nintendo have unveiled the 71374 LEGO® Nintendo Entertainment System™. A model Retro TV and Nintendo Entertainment System Console, with a scrolling platform display. The TV is also designed to integrate with the LEGO Super Mario Brick, found in the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course.
This set, aimed at adult builders will be released August 1st 2020, through LEGO branded retail this year, with wider distribution in 2021. It has 2646 elements, and will cost AUS $349.99 – NZD $399.99 – US $229.99 – CA $299.99 –DE €229.99 –UK £209.99 – FR €229.99 – DK 1799DKK.
June has been and gone, and for the first time in several years, we have had no news of Bygglek. The collaboration between the LEGO Group and IKEA was first announced at the IKEA Democratic Design Days in 2018, we received more idea of what to expect, last year. Essentially billed as a storage system, allowing children to put a pause on play, while getting their bricks tidied up quickly – which is sure to help please their parents. The trick is then to make it as easy to ‘press go,’ and start playing again, faster than switching on the iPad, and getting it connected to the WiFi. (Read on for more)
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Please note: all prices referred to in this article are AUSTRALIAN dollars. Shipping is not taken into account.Prices quoted were accessed on July 4-5 2020, and were only accessed from sites that could supply the full number of elements in a given colour. Individual results might vary. Now read on…
In the last few days, since the announcement of the LEGO® Art Series, one of the most common issues raised in a number of LEGO discussion groups has been the price of each mosaic.
So: a quick recap: There are 4 ‘sets’ in the series, and each set has the option to build several different images: The 31197 Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe, and 31198 The Beatles make 4 versions, while Iron Man and Sith have 3 different images, and a super image – requiring 3 of the sets to build. They are built on 16×16 ‘plates on bricks’ (a new element) – and coloured in with either 1×1 round plates or tiles. The finished mosaics an elegant frame, and comes with a QR code, to give you a ‘soundtrack to listen to while you build. These sets are aimed squarely at adults, who are probably not regular LEGO shoppers.
At $AUD200 each, the price feels higher than I want to pay. Especially if I want to complete the ‘set’ and build all four of the Warhol Marilyn’s (or the Beatles; or 6 copies to build the set of Iron Man or Sith mosaics). The truth is, if you want to channel your recreational income towards LEGO, to build your own creations with, you may not wish to divert $200-$1200 to have on the walls.
So, while I will acknowledge that the LEGO Art Mosaics are expensive, there are two questions that I still find myself asking:
Without a doubt, the White House is one of the most iconic buildings in the United States. As the 244th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence is celebrated, I present my review of the latest incarnation of this building in LEGO Architecture form. I don’t fully understand why this set received world wide release in June, with the exception of of North America. I will merely accept the fact, and move on.
The set comes, as one might expect, in a solid black cardboard box, with the now familiar ‘Greebled’ 18+ pattern, this time in white, along a strip at the bottom of the box.
On opening the box, we see several 8×16 plates in Earth green, as well as 8 bags, labelled 1-5. As with all Architecture sets, the instructions give us a potted history of the White House – With the site selected by George Washington, and designed by James Hoban, the original building, was also referred to as the Executive Residence and the President’s Palace, before being renamed the White House in 1906, by President Roosevelt.
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This year has seen a collection of ever expanding opportunities for adults to get engaged with LEGO: Be it super cars, trains, fairground attractions, football grounds, Disney characters, there has been something for everyone. the styles and building techniques have all been quite different and challenging.
And today, LEGO Announces its latest releases for adults: LEGO Art. This series of mosaics, put together over a series of interlinking bases covers a variety of material – both traditional LEGO licences, as well as a new one.
These sets are priced at $199.99 AUD/NZD -US $119.99 –CA $149.99 –DE €119.99 –UK £114.99 – FR €119.99 – DK 1099DKK. There are four different ‘sets’ available, and each allows you to make one of several different images. Each set comes with an associated ‘Playlist/Soundtrack’ for you to listen to while you complete the build. Each mosaic measures 40cm (48 studs) square.
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