Review

New Cardboard Pick-A-Brick Boxes: semi-exhaustive testing.

ramblingbrick Experiments, Lego, Pick A Brick, Review , , , , , , , ,

If you live within coo-ee of a LEGO Branded Store, you will probably be familiar with the standard pick-a-brick cup. Coming in 2 sizes, they provide LEGO builders with a fantastic opportunity to load up on a variety of elements in bulk, with out having to deal with online ordering and delivery times. However, as a stackable truncated cone, they can be difficult to fill to maximum efficiency. Especially if you are looking to stock up on basic bricks.

Sometime between now and the end of March 2024, the Plastic pick-a-brick (PAB) cups are being replaced by cardboard boxes. This is in line with the company’s goal to ditch single-use plastics in packaging by 2025. [the imprecise rollout date is dependent on when regions deplate their supply of plastic cups.)

The LEGO Group sent over a sample of the boxes to evaluate: and so I set out to answer the questions that many people have about these boxes.

And quite a few that they may not!

But before looking too closely at them, let’s remind ourself of the cups that will be replaced:

Continue reading →

71455 Grimkeeper the Cage Monster. Is this one of the most terrifying LEGO® sets of the modern era?

ramblingbrick DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , , ,

You look around and suddenly find yourself in a fantastical world, full of colour and wonder.

Suddenly it appears before you: a tall skeletal creature with glowing eyes and a mouth full of yellowish-green teeth. You take another look. There, where its belly should be, is a cage. In that cage, you see the sleeping body of your best friend. It is now up to you to save them, and you have no idea what is going on. Truly the stuff of nightmares.

Is this one of the most terrifying LEGO Sets ever?

We have looked at Hero-centric sets in the upcoming DREAMZzz theme so far. Today, I thought we would turn our attention to one of the servants of the Nightmare King: 71455 Grimkeeper the Cage Monster. This gangly creature with spindly claws gathers sleeping dreamers for the Nightmare King. Several versions of the character exist throughout the first wave of LEGO DREAMZzz sets, but this is the largest and most detailed. Let’s take a closer look.

Continue reading →

71453 Izzie and Bunchu Bunny: Skates like a butterfly, stings like a bee?

ramblingbrick DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , ,

Today we meet Mateo’s younger sister Izzie. In the Waking World of the characters in LEGO DREAMZzz, Bunchu Bunny is Izzie’s favourite anime character- she has a plush version, and Bunchu decorates her pyjamas. But when she is threatened by the Grimspawn in the Dream realm, Bunchu manifests and helps Izzie and her brother Mateo in their battle against the forces of the Nightmare King. We meet this character early in the series, and it makes sense that it is one of the entry-level sets in the new theme.

Continue reading →

Is 71460 Dr Oz’s Spacebus an iconic spaceship for a new generation?

ramblingbrick DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , , , , ,

When the LEGO® DREAMZzz theme was first revealed, the images for Dr Oz’s Spacebus were the ones that really grabbed my eye: Could this be the iconic LEGO® spaceship for a new generation of kids? And what about Dr Oz, whose torso print onscreen features a blue woollen jumper incorporating a Classic Space Logo. As a LEGO Space Fan of a certain age, I feel that this COULD be the one figure I really want, and the one LEGO Character I have ever felt a desire to Cosplay as…

How will this work out for me?

  1. What’s in the box?
  2. The Manual Shines
  3. Minifigures
  4. Little Guys *unofficial title*
    1. Good guys:
    2. Bad Guys
  5. The Build
  6. Choose Your Build:
  7. In conclusion:
    1. Compared with the Galaxy Explorer…
Continue reading →

71454 Mateo and Z-Blob Robot [Hands-On Review]

ramblingbrick DREAMZZz, Lego, Review , , , , , , , ,

LEGO DREAMZzz is shaping up to be one of the most significant theme launches in the recent history of the LEGO group – with an original IP, an appealing story, as well as the wide open scope for storytelling in the dream realm, the scope for creativity is endless. Lots of the appealing aspects of this new theme are seen in 71454Matteo and Z-Blob the Robot, which is where I will start my reviews. You can find it on YouTube and Netflix if you have not yet caught up with the animated series. It’s reasonably engaging, even for an adult who has allegedly outgrown such things.

Lets read on… This review features UV lighting and home-built dream realms using cardboard, glue and cotton wool.

Continue reading →

LEGO® 2K Drive Review: LEGO, Mario Kart And Microtransactions [Guest Reviewer]

ramblingbrick Lego, Review, video game , , , , , ,

We were fortunate to have the chance to receive an Awesome Edition download code for the new LEGO 2K Drive. Released a month or two ago, I passed it on to Harry, our in-house gamer, to look at. Here are his thoughts…

A fun kart racer that exemplifies some of the gaming industry’s worst habits.

So, let’s talk about the kids’ game about building wild and wacky vehicles to get around and accomplish a variety of esoteric tasks in an open world that came out in early-to-mid-May, 2023. No, not Tears of the Kingdom; the other one. I’ll admit, I don’t envy the team at 2K right now because that’s got to have been a bit of a blow already, even before the whole micropayment issue, but I’ll get to that in due time.

Continue reading →

Seal Battle Pack or Family Pack?60376 Arctic Explorer Snowmobile [Hands On Review]

ramblingbrick City, Lego, Review , , , , , , , ,

Earlier in the year, we all got terribly excited when we got our first look at the so called Otter Battle Pack: With 2 otters lurking in a stream, while a human maintains the national park on their quad bike, all at an exceptionally reasonable price.

In the second half of the year, the LEGO Group have brought another similarly priced set to the market in line with the Arctic research/Deep Sea subtheme, this time with seals.

And does this set have much to offer, and is it reasonable to call it a battle pack? Let’s take a look.

I am writing this review on a train, during the start of the European summer, so apologies if the photos are not all up to scratch. I know there will be more reviews to do when I get home, so I’d better get something done while I am travelling!

Continue reading →

Is Ninjago Dragons Rising Updating Designs From Classic Space?

ramblingbrick feature, Lego, Ninjago, Review, space, Vintage , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve just finished watching the first wave of episodes of Dragons Rising, and something struck my mind: Rapton, Lord Ras, and the Imperium Claw soldiers all fly the same type of small craft- a so called Chariot – which carries one rider and deploys a flotilla of drones to aid the hunters in their hunt for Dragons. That said, in the sets related to the series, the chariots are all a bit different to each other. At the same time they seem just a little bit familiar. And then there are the droids in the Dragon Power Spinzitzu sets…

And it got me thinking. Are these sets revisiting Classic Space, with a contemporary aesthetic?

Continue reading →

Flip, Drift and Spin into Ninjago Dragons Rising

ramblingbrick Lego, Ninjago, Review , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 →

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

ramblingbrick Lego, Monkie Kid, Review , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 →