Review

LEGO® Technic 42238 Ducati Desmo450 MX Factory (motorcycle) – Review

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LEGO Technic model of a Ducati Desmo450 MX motorcycle, showcasing detailed construction and design.

“I didn’t know Ducati made offroad motorbikes, it’s kinda cute!” said my son, an avid rider, when I showed him the latest Technic Motorcycle 42238 Ducati Desmo450 MX Factory (457 pieces, AU$89.99/£44.99/US$49.99/€49.99). His response is not entirely surprising given that Ducati is most well known for their powerful (and loud) roadbikes. This particular model is a version of Ducati’s first motocross bike (not quite the same as ‘offroad’).

A detailed model of a Ducati motocross bike in red and black, featuring number '222' on its body and a sturdy stand.

This set was provided by LEGO as part of the latest wave of Technic sets and it stands out as only having two wheels. LEGO fairly consistently has some motorcycle in the repertoire but bikes aren’t nearly as common as cars.

Let’s go through this relatively small set quickly and have a look what it offers for Technic lovers of bikes

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21370 LEGO IDEAS: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Building review

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E.T. the Extra Terrestrial has not been seen in LEGO Form since 2016’s LEGO Dinmensions’ minifigure/Funpack. This Ideas submission has been long awaited since it was revealed to be approved in October 2025. Just how well does this set bring us a wrinkly potato of an alien, with a caring expression, and glowing check? The LEGO Group sent a copy of 21370 over for review, ahead of its August 1 release. The set has 1226 pieces and will be priced at $AUD229.99/ $USD139.99 / 129.99€ / £119.99. While this set was sent over by the LEGO Group, all opinions are my own.

There are no minifigures included: any you see in this review are purely coincidental…

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LEGO Creator 31386 Wild Animals Majestic Lion (Africa)

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Cue the Lion King : “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba / Sithi uhhmm ingonyama”, because there is indeed a lion! The mid-sized episode of ‘Contintents : Creator 3-in-1 animals‘ brings us a Lion. A Majestic Lion, apparently, and four of them at that!

I really liked the continent themed sets in this wave of Creator 3-in-1 animals, but this feels like a bit of a cop-out. Let’s do three African animals, like a lion. ‘Oh the secondary build can then be… another lion!’. But wait, ‘as a third build we could include 2 lions!’. Truth be told, it’s on the box, you get lions, and if you buy a set of three you can make a whole family. But does this set actually provide the same value as other 3-in-1 builds, or are the four lions too similar to keep us entertained?

LEGO gifted us this ‘Creator 31386 Wild Animals Majestic Lion‘ of 839 pieces retailing for AU$109.99,£59.99, $69.99, €64.99 to find out what’s lion about, so why don’t you join us and read on as we explore what this set has to offer.

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LEGO®ICONS 11374 Arcade Pinball Game [Part 1: The review]

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LEGO Icons 11274 Arcade Pinball Game model, showcased in various colours with a space theme, featuring details like flippers and targets, set against a grey background.

Pinball machines can be fun. Full of challenges and, in my hands, just a little bit too unpredictable. The new LEGO ICONS 11374 Arcade Pinball Game sets out to bring us a playable pinball game, full of challenges and loaded with a heartwarming story: can you reunite the new pale blue LEGO Space Explorer with their baby?

Is this a brilliant exercise in construction, or is it an expensive alternative to a tabletop toy? The LEGO Group sent a copy over for early review. Somewhere along the way, something didn’t work the way it should – so I sat down to troubleshoot it. I may have been distracted while putting this review together, by wondering how to incorporate Smart Play. I will look at this in a future post.

Pick up a coffee and come on a journey. Let’s look at the set and put it together.

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LEGO® Creator 3in1 31387 Iconic Pirate Ship

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LEGO Creator 3in1 31387 Iconic Pirate Ship model displayed, featuring detailed ship design, sails, and pirate minifigures.

Pirates have been a core theme for LEGO® play since their debut in 1989. Like the other classic playthemes such as Space and Castle, Pirate themed sets have been dominated by licensed properties such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Once Piece in recent years . Despite this increased commercialization on the store shelf, classic themes remain core zones in the LEGOLAND THEME PARKS- and core memories for many people of a certain age.

This is where Creator 3in1 steps in, bringing multi-build models that serve to fill the gaps that are no longer truly represented by in-house themes, not only covering the hero build of the theme, but often include alternate builds that also fit ‘in world.’

LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set featuring an iconic pirate ship, box design showcasing ship with pirate figures and squid, recommended for ages 9 and above, contains 1074 pieces.
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Pirate Ship set, featuring a pirate ship, a treasure island, and two smaller pirate boats with minifigures, an octopus, and various accessories.

Creator 31387 Iconic Pirate Ship fits into the Creator lineup just where the 2020s 31109 Pirate ship sat, until it retired at the end of last year. The new version has fewer pieces, but boasts an additional minifigure (bringing a total of 5). It also seems to involve fewer red elements in its makeup. It retails for $AUD149.99 £89.99 $USD109.99 €99.99, a decidedly more palatable price bracket than the previous model (AUD189.99/ £114.99/ USD119.99). The set includes a pair of skiffs and a hideout as its alternative builds. Has this been a marvellous exercise in cost reduction or have they left something out? Is it as iconic as its title claims?

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LEGO Botanicals: 11512 Cosmos Flowers – an emotional roller coaster (hands on review)

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A colourful display of plastic Cosmos flowers in a clear blue vase, with text highlighting their inspiring, challenging, and potentially frustrating nature.

The Cosmos Flowers riff on LEGO Botanicals Daisy bouquet released earlier this year. With a few flowers and some lavender like blooms, you could almost suspect it of trying to be a copy of this earlier set. I suspect we will learn that this is not the case.

The set is aimed at builders aged 9 and up, has 177 pieces and will be priced at $AUD24.99 / 14.99€ / $USD14.99 /£12.99. The LEGO Group sent this set over for an early review.Let’s take a closer look.

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LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight [Hands-on Review]

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LEGO Batman figure in a dynamic pose against a night city backdrop with a large moon, promoting a hands-on review of 'LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight'.

It’s been a while since we have had a game to review here on the Rambling Brick. Thanks to the LEGO Group for organising a digital copy of TT Games’ LEGO® Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to review. I passed it onto our in-house games reviewer, Harry. Read on for more…

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11505 Woodland Mushrooms: Could this be the most satisfying Botanical Set yet?

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A display of the LEGO 11505 Woodland Mushrooms set featuring colourful mushrooms, plants, and a natural earthy base, showcasing the botanical theme.

The Botanicals range continues to diversify in 2026 and 11505 Woodland Mushrooms is one of their most original display pieces yet. In the past we have seen bouquets, large and small potted plants, hanging arrangements, dried flower arrangements and bonsai trees. This set is a little different: imagine digging up an improbably diverse patch of soil from the woods. On it grows a collection of mushrooms, on a mossy bed, along with some Autumn Crocus, moss and bracken. This is the first botanical set to explore a biome rather than something manicured for domestic display.

The LEGO Group sent a copy over for early review ahead of its release on the 1st June, 2026. The set has 806 pieces and has a RRP at $AUD129.99/ £69.99 / $USD79.99 / €79.99. 

Could this be the most satisfying Botanical set to date? Let’s take a closer look…

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Happiness is… 21368 LEGO Ideas PEANUTS: Snoopy’s Doghouse [Early review]

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A LEGO Ideas 21368 Peanuts Snoopy's doghouse set featuring Snoopy and Woodstock.

Snoopy and the Peanuts gang have been around for over 75 years now. I probably first met his special brand of homespun philosophy, and flights of imagination through the comic strips in the newspapers in the mid 70s. Towards the end of the decade, we started to pick up the books (paperback, novel format) containing collected strips anytime we went on holiday.

There have been many Snoopy submissions to LEGO Ideas, but Snoopy – Campfire by @bossofdos64 reach the full 10000 supporters. He has submitted multiple Snoopy MOCs based on many of the characters Snoopy has adopted over the years: the Novelist, sleeping on the doghouse, hockey player, Joe Cool and surfer. Fortunately, two additional versions: Asleep on the doghouse and the Novelist were able to be included in the final model.

The LEGO Group sent 21368 LEGO Ideas PEANUTS: Snoopy’s Doghouse over for early review, but all opinions are my own. I also had the chance to join a conversation with the design team, and fan designed

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71052 Collectible Minifigures Series 29: Early Review

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A display of LEGO minifigures from Collectable Minifigures Series 29, featuring various characters in vibrant outfits, including a chef, witch, and pirate, arranged in a line on black bases.

It’s been a couple of years since we have had a set of collectable minifigures to review here on the blog. In CMF series 29, we have have a set of 12 different minifigures. The LEGO Group sent a couple of sets over for early review. This is not themed like series 26 (Space) or 28 (costumes), or any of the licensed themes we have seen over the years. Instead, it’s a mix of classic and crazy characters, some based on existing themes, and some that are just plain crazy.
The series will be on sale on May 1 (most of the world) and June 1 (Australia/New Zealand). They will be priced at $AUD5.99 / $USD4.99 / £3.49 / 3.99€.

Read on for a closer look.

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