General LEGO discussion (inc. collectible minifigs)

[Warcry]

I generally have more nostalgia for the toys than the show, and have been kind of bummed that the Jetfire toys homage the latter. Even when they have the masked face, they still have the wings out Seeker style instead of folding away G1 toy style.

I'm not sure if I would agree with that. The most recent Jetfire is the only official figure that really seems to give much attention to the animation model. The few before that mostly seemed to be aiming for "Valkyrie knockoff", though they wound up missing the mark because Hasbro was afraid of rousing Bandai's legal wrath.

What amazes me is that no third-party companies have tried to make a toy-based Jetfire. It's not like they have any qualms about "borrowing" other companies' character designs...

Your Lego version is pretty damned cool, though!

[Tantrum]

Thanks, Warcry.

I got a Barnes & Noble gift card for my birthday last month, since it's one of the only stores I'll still go to. I wanted to get out of the house, so last night I took a walk there just before they closed, and scored a couple LEGO sets.

LEGO Creator 31112 Wild Lion - I've only built one of the alternates s far, an ostrich. There's also a boar in addition to the titular lion. It's one of the few Creator sets I've seen in a while where I like all 3 builds. The lion is accompanied by a tiny vulture. Since I was able to build the vulture and the ostrich, I assume some of his parts are used in the boar. The boar's tucks aren't used in the lion, so the lion also gets a bloody rib cage made of the tusks and some red bricks.

LEGO Classic 11013 Creative Transparent Bricks - About a third of the 500 pieces are transparent. Like most Classic sets, there's some simple builds shown on the box, with instructions for littler kids. They're little animals and a wizard, similar to other Classic sets, but with some transparent bricks. There's a solid green turtle with a clear blue shell, and a solid yellow lion with a (mostly) clear orange mane. Unfortunately, the bottom of the lion's mane is solid orange. I don't know if this was an aesthetic choice, or if they just don't make that brick shape transparent.

This is the first Classic set I've seen with parts in numbered and unnumbered bags. The numbered bags contain parts for the suggested builds. Bag 1 contains the parts for the lion and duck, bag 2 the turtle and robot, etc. The other pieces are in the unnumbered bags. This is probably to make building the things on the box easier for the little kids this kit is intended for. But, it kind of goes against the build-something-out-of-a-pile-of-bricks vibe other Classic sets have had, and more towards the these-parts-are-for-this-those-parts-are-for-that that single build sets have.

Also, there may be too many colors of LEGO now. 500 pieces divided over 20-something solid colors and another dozen clear colors mean you only get a few pieces of most colors. There's just over 20 regular blue pieces. Then, 2 light blue 2x1 tiles, 3 round tiles in a different shade of light blue, 4 bricks in a third shade of light blue, and 4 teal bricks. It's hard to build much when you run out of your chosen color almost immediately.

Usually, when I get a Classic set, I build the stuff on the box, then get inspired to build at least half a dozen other things with the remaining pieces, then put whatever's left in my LEGO bins. This time, I built a walrus, and am pretty much out of ideas.

[Skyquake87]

Aye, I kind of wish they made the Classics sets like those old '80s Basic ones - three, maybe four colours, plus wheels and other specialised elements, that built in a multitude of decent sized models. Then, whatever you can come up with. The rainbow you get in these brick boxes nowadays does feel a bit limiting.

I'm trying to steer clear of Lego nowadays, as I really don't have space for even the stuff I've got, but I couldn't resist:

76173 Marvel Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs. Carnage
I love Ghost Rider, so I was on it with this set. Which gives us the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider (fun fact: he's possessed by the spirit of his murderous uncle) in his Hell-Charger. The build itself is good fun and has some nice techniques. I'm not 100% sold on the end result. Like some of the old Speed Champions designs, it feels a bit pinched and narrow. The use of stud shooters for the raised engine block (I don't know cars) is fun, but doesn't do wonders for realism. But then this is for kids. I think Mr Hyde would have been a better inclusion as a villain, rather than Carnage. Overall, good set, just not as lively as the earlier GR one.

60287 CiTY Tractor
The red tractor came out in 2009 was the first set got me back into collecting Lego as a grown up, so this seems a fitting capstone (he says). The main build is excellent; surprisingly involved and unexpectedly so, given the general drive towards simplicity and lower part counts this year. The new Technic chevron tyres are used to great effect and the scoop works well. In addition to the farmer and a couple of bales of hay, the set also throws in a crate of farm produce, rabbit and a child minifigure, which honestly it didn't need (and would have shaved about £5 off the RRP). One of the better larger CiTY vehicles that's come out this year, if not the best. Recommended.