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daoudbazaar

REVIEW: Portal of Atlantis 8078

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Set #8078

Theme: Atlantis

Year Released: since December 2010

Piece Count: a lot

Minifigs: 6+, 3 divers, the guardian of the gate , octopus and shark warriors and an old-fashioned skeleton

List Price: too much, 95 EUR

I had to go to Paris last wednesday to attend a meeting. I take advantage of noon time to pop into the only shop in France dedicated to Lego.

What a surprise ! The shop was full of freshly delivered new sets : cars, space police, atlantis, prince of persia, trains, etc.

5 hours laters, most of it has been sold !

I must admit that I bought this box for the minifigs, but I like the overall design much better than in set with the squid (8061)

The box

Though there is no light in this set, the picture on the cover highlights the color palette used for the set (black, gold, dark red) with rays of light coming from the gate. The treasure chest is hidden by the guardian.

8078-box-front.jpg

As the box is quite big, you can't miss it in a shop. The biggest set in the line.

8078-box-size.jpg

It has in fact the same size as that for the fire brigade. It measures 54.5 x 47.5 x 8.5 (in cm).

8078-box-size2.jpg

As usual, the back shows some of the functions : The gate can be open by turning the wheel (this tile, it works with gears). The mouth of the shark can close the lower stairs ... rather useless as you can swim around ! :tongue:

8078-box-back.jpg

Minifigs shoot on the top.

8078-box-top.jpg

Content

:thumbup: The box can be open properly by cutting two seals on the side. I like the fact that this kind of box can be easily flattened and stored without any damage.

Two booklets inside - could have been only one as they are rather slim : I don't mind paying about 90 EUR and getting only one booklet :tongue: - , a shameful sticker sheet, 9 numbered bags from 1 to ... 9.

8078-content.jpg

Instructions : cover

8078-booklet1.jpg

Random page

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Last pages with 2010 sets

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8077 "Exploration Headquarters"

8078-booklet2-promocloseup.jpg

8076 "Deep Sea Striker"

8078-booklet2-promocloseup8076.jpg

Inventory, and here, the same with a bigger size

8078-inventory.jpg

Sticker sheet : patterns for shark noses

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Building bag 1

Not so many thing to do : minifigs and sharks and a bit repetitive (you have to build twice the same shark)

8078-bag1-start.jpg

3 smaller bags in bag #1

8078-bag1-content.jpg

What you get. 5 extra parts.

8078-bag1-build.jpg

Side view of a shark. The design is a little bit different than usual. The head is build upside down.

8078-bag1-shark.jpg

The design is not bad BUT :cry_sad: Quality issues again ! I got trouble to put these smooth teeth in hollow studs.

8078-default.jpg

3 out of 8 were too thick to fit. And when you try, the material peel off (See pictures) ! That's a shame ...

8078-default2.jpg

I'm fed up to call the customer service and to hear the same tune : "That's so odd that you encounter so many problems, M XX !"

May be I'm a too good client ! :sceptic:

Minifigs

6 and the remains of an aquaraider :

8078-minifigs.jpg

The ancestor : Nostalgia, nostalgia ! :hmpf:

A real old fashioned skeleton with loose arms. Notice the helmet with aquaraider pattern !

8078-minifig1-skeleton.jpg

I don't remember that female could apply for that job last year. Times had changed. Girl power is on in minifig world :laugh:

8078-minifig1-femalehead.jpg

Deepwaterproof make up. Notice the fly on the chin and the harpoon in the hand. Hey deep sea creatures, Kiss or Kill ?

8078-minifig1-femalebarehead.jpg

Gatekeeper :

No words in my mouth (keyboard, in fact). It's better than what you can see. Just look and salivate :sing:

8078-minifig1-front.jpg8078-minifig1-side.jpg8078-minifig1-back.jpg

His legs and torso are printed, the latter on both sides. Look at his face ... too much thalassotherapy is not good for health

8078-minifig1-frontnude.jpg8078-minifig1-backnude.jpg

Greatest parts of the set (of the year - hey, you should make a poll on that) : Helmet and armor (pauldron ?)

8078-minifig1-helmet.jpg

Front / back

8078-minifig1-armorfront.jpg8078-minifig1-armorback.jpg

Oups ! It's dawn and I have to go to work. Let's open bag 2 later

______________________________________________________________________________

The building is divided into 8 parts, one bag for each.

It takes approximately 15 mn for each part.

You add no more than 5/6 pieces per step, and building instructions are very clear with no color problem between black and dark bley.

You also don't have to finished bag 9 to start playing. Each bag leads to something playable.

Hence, it's really a child's play.

Bag 2

The main entrance and the main staircase.

8078-bag2.jpg

Some technic parts (links and towball) to move the lower jaw

8078-bag2-content.jpg

Completed. No extra parts.

8078-bag2-build.jpg

Bag 3

The upper jaw and staircase.

8078-bag3-1.jpg

A boat bow brick and some rounded slopes

8078-bag3-2-content.jpg

Completed. You may notice use of SNOT for the jaws. 3 extra parts

8078-bag3-3-build0.jpg

Just lift the upper jaw to open the gate !

8078-bag3-3-build1.jpg8078-bag3-3-build2.jpg

Bag 4

Apartements : room and office. The gate is inhabited.

8078-bag4-1.jpg

Belville arches

8078-bag4-2-content.jpg

Don't know if it's a new map. Who knows ?

8078-bag4-2-content-newprintedtile.jpg

Completed. The lower part seems to be a bed. 1 extra part

8078-bag4-3-build0.jpg8078-bag4-3-build1.jpg

Bag 5

The upper floor, the gate and its mechanism to close this kind of diaphragm.

8078-bag5-1.jpg

Nices colors : transparent blue inverted slopes, transparent light blue tiles, pearl gold rounded slopes, etc...

8078-bag5-2-content.jpg

Here it is. 3 extra parts. Pinned with the main staircase.

8078-bag5-3-build0.jpg8078-bag5-3-build3.jpg

The gate closed and opened, revealing a gold treasure chest. Can somebody explain TLG that people moves in three dimensions in water ... :grin:

8078-bag5-3-build1.jpg8078-bag5-3-build2.jpg

Bag 6

The gate on the left hand side, groundfloor

8078-bag6-1.jpg

Parts

8078-bag6-2-content.jpg

Build. 3 extra parts.

8078-bag6-3-build0.jpg

Bag 7

The gate on the left hand side, first floor

8078-bag7-1.jpg

Parts

8078-bag7-2-content.jpg

Build. 2 extra parts.

8078-bag7-3-build0.jpg

Gates put toghether

8078-bag7-3-build2.jpg

I can't add more images in this post ...

Go there for the end

Edited by WhiteFang
Indexed and poll added

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Bag 8

The gate on the right hand side, ground floor. Only accessories differs from bag 6

8078-bag8-alternate-accessories.jpg

A table with bottles and a frog

8078-bag8-3-build-detail.jpg

and weapons

8078-bag8-3-build-detail2.jpg

Build. 1 extra part.

8078-bag8-3-build.jpg

Gates put toghether

8078-bag7-3-build2.jpg

Bag 9

The gate on the right hand side, upper floor. Like bag 7.

Build. 2 extra parts.

8078-bag9-3-build.jpg

Both pictures shows that some slopes shine as other don't. The 4 x 3 30° slope on the right looks badly molded with an irregular surface

8078-bag9-3-build-detail.jpg

May be there is a link with that ?

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Building completed

8078-completed-1.jpg

With minifigs added.

8078-completed-2.jpg

Other views

8078-completed-3.jpg8078-completed-8.jpg8078-completed-4.jpg8078-completed-5.jpg8078-completed-6.jpg8078-completed-7.jpg8078-completed-9.jpg

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I think it's a great set.

It's current price is too high but I think it will soon drop.

The color scheme (dark red, dark tan, black and pearl gold) is wonderful. I HATE these red and grey underwater vehicules

There are 6 minifig + one old-style skeleton. The gatekeeper is great and its speckle black-gold armor and helmet are particularly amazing.

The overall design is great, the diaphragm is a good find and the building is pleasant.

Edited by Siegfried

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Thanks for the review!

That gatekeeper fig is probably the most spectacular ever.

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You are starting to make a review for this. :laugh:

A suggestion for you. Make use of your first post to construct a smooth flow of this review. You could not want your readers to be reading your review in segments. :wink:

I will update the title for you once your review is complete.

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Random page

8078-bookletrandompage.jpg

Black Belville arches? Now there was a parts usage I didn't see coming! :laugh:

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Nice review (so far!)! I really love this set, and I'll get it be January 2011. :classic: I really like the dead Aquaraiders Diver! :grin:

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Wow, this set comes with some awesome new pieces and heads.

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OMG ! :oh3:

COOL sharks - heaps of good and bad minifigs - interesting gate openning arrangement.

Did anyone notice the promo shots in the instructions of the good guys underwater base(base ship), another big review.

Speaking of review, thanks 'daoudbazaar' for doing it.

I'm a conformist! everyone ! :sweet:

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I'm not one of those people who cares about the tiniest difference in colors, but what color are the frog-thing's armor? I don't like those sharks, the teeth are very ugly. :sick: Just because it's a new part doesn't mean you have to put it in every set. :hmpf:

Black Belville arches? Now there was a parts usage I didn't see coming! :laugh:

Now you can create castles* for very depressed princesses(Princessi? Princeese? :wacko: )!

(But there's still alot of giant trans-pink/blue parts to change :tongue: )

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Awesome review so far! I love those figs, and I do agree with you that the sharks are weird.

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....heaps of good and bad minifigs.....

How the hell could you say such a thing? Every fig is amazing, as is the review and the entire set! A good fix for the sharks would be the smaller teeth, instead of the buck-tooth ones we have now. :laugh:

Edited by CallMePie

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Entire set is a glorious conglomeration of win.

<3 that portal function and <3 that stair function.

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i'm not so much into atlantis, but now i think i have to get this set! looking forward to the rest of the review. :thumbup:

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I personally like the sharks. They don't necessarily look like real sharks, but they certainly have a "fishy" appearance. And I like how streamlined they are-- their animation in that Atlantis TV special really demonstrated that well. Of course, I probably would have preferred them in black to match the other giant sea creature guardians, but making them and the "shark-gate" black would probably be overkill, what with the amount of black on the rest of the castle.

The Atlantis "fishman" guardian is also nice. I love the Atlantis treasure key motif on his armor (and for that matter, on his torso printing). And the armor is very well-designed with other aquatic motifs like the rear "fins".

That box really is massive. Can you list the exact dimensions?

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SWEET MOTHER OF CHIPS! That portal guardian figure is amazing! :cry_happy: A load better than I thought it would be and the armor is spectacular! :sweet:

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So far a brilliant if overpriced set. Awesome minfigures and great design but I will not be getting this set.

BTW what is you setup for taking pictures?

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Thanks for finishing the review! It's turned out to be a really nice set, and definitely one of the best ones in the Atlantis theme.

The whole complex looks excellent: I love the stairs and especially the portal. I take it all parts of the diaphragm gate open when the key in front of the gate is turned, similar to the Gateway of the Squid? The mechanism looks very interesting!

The Gatekeeper is probably the highlight of the whole set though. That bronze weathered armor is pure love!

It's strange, but the whole 'office' and bedroom setup in the Portal is slightly sad, like the Gatekeeper has been cursed to spend the rest of eternity guarding the Portal... oh well, at least he can sleep on the job!

Even though Atlantis isn't really one of the themes I was planning to invest too heavily in, I'd still definitely like to get this set when it comes out...

That diaphragm mechanism is superb, as is the shark gate setup. Like the review states, it's slightly strange the gates and barriers are all catered to keeping out trespassers in two dimensions, while a third dimension is very accessible underwater! Still, we'll have to suspend our disbelief for that once again; something with forcefields perhaps...

Edited by Alldarker

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Yeah, I've been laughing about the whole gates underwater thing for a while! But ignoring that I love this set and thanks very much for the review. :wub: The office and bedroom are a huge surprise. :tongue:

(I did some cleaning up of this topic. Sorry Siegfried, sok117, prateek, Svelte and WhiteFang; your posts had to go! :tongue: )

I HATE these red and grey underwater vehicules

:laugh: I love those myself, but it's all a matter of different taste.

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Ok this set is amazing, and I have to have it! Many usefull pieces, nice colors, amazing minifigs... I only hope it will be not so expensive like Troll fortress...

8078-bag8-3-build-detail2.jpg

Is that a new mold? I don't have this hole in my 4 tridents I have already...

And New map is really interesting! I hope we will get more atlantis sets like this one!

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Gatekeeper armor is just screaming 'This is Sparta!' to me. :laugh:

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Must stop reading reviews of sets that will probably take a few months to get here...

Definitely no manta warrior, which is a shame. Interesting face for guardian. I hope I can find and afford this, or else all my plans will be ruined...

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