Ninjago 2013

[Kai NRG]

The (2013) sets are now avalible at the US Shop at Home.

[PenPlays]

Going to the Lego Store today! I'll see what I can pick up!

EDIT: I picked up Golden Dragon and Garmatron (Thickest box I've seen for a set this cheap!)

I will have my final verdict up later today.

All the new sets were available and were flying off shelves rapidly. Almost every purchase I saw completed practically included a Ninjago set.

EDIT 2:

The Golden Dragon has not a single yellow piece! IT'S ALL PEARL GOLD (excluding support pieces which still are not the color yellow)!! It's larger than the Ice Dragon significantly, but only a tad larger than the Fire Dragon. The Golden Dragon uses the same "wing flapping" technique as the Ice Dragon. The Stone catapult is filler, and has no need to have further details. The minifigures are icing on top of the cake!

Garmatron doesn't transform, is misproportionate, lacks side guns, and has a top completely unworthy of a Lloyd/Overlord confrontation. I love it! If I never saw the show, this set would practically be flawless! Sadly, it barely even matches the show, besides the fact that the cannon slides out of the mouth (just barely). The color scheme is fantastic, and Kozu is just plain BEAST! Zane's Crawler is nice, but it is filler as well. It would have been awesome if it were in the show, so don't get me wrong. Zane's sword is very misleading on the box, and glows blue. There is a very slight tint at the bottom of the blade, other than that, the blue goes unnoticed. However, the foggy trans-clear that is very much visible still looks like ice. It makes me wish that they figured out his "ice color" before Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze started. The instruction are very different, as one booklet is a small rectangular booklet, where as the second booklet (which is the instructions for Garmatron only) are the medium square shape. The box is the same shape as last year's $20-$30 boxes, except it has the thickness of a Modular Building box! Just thought I'd share those last two tidbits.

My mini review rank (10 being the greatest)

The Golden Dragon 7/10-Its a dragon. We've seen this before, but the color and style do differ from the others. The minifigs are the star here.

Garmatron (compared to show) 5/10-Sad representation of a truly magnificent Doomsday Device. The size is sad, but fits the price point. Minifigs are big here.

Garmatron (As a set/ignoring the show) 9/10-Almost flawless. It needs just a couple more additives, and a better Ninja vehicle but this is definitely the first set to get.

I now have every Stone Army Minifigure variation, and I must say, they look nice side by side. I'll share some pics of these if there is enough demand.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Penkid11

[Devorath]

Well, that's a nice list, but about three fourths of those I can't see ever being made. They're just not the sort of thing LEGO's target age would be interested in unless they had watched the show.

But Lego's target age wouldn't want the BTTF set unless an adult who watched the movie bought it for them. Some Danish news video thing talked about it and said it would appeal to AFOLs (obivous reason), and C/TFOLs because of the cool car. What Megablocks that story is. My point is, so what. Even if you haven't watched the show, the Grundel will still be ferocious looking.

Edited December 28, 2012 by Devorath

[Tobias_Jay]

Thank for the mini-review Penkid. I was contemplating whether or not to get the Garmatron or Golden Dragon plus the Fire mech with the money I have reserved for when they come to Australia. Speaking of which I hope they come out soon, Scribblenauts for the Wii U is tempting me for that money. I hear they are already appearing in Queensland and Adelaide.

[Kai NRG]

But Lego's target age wouldn't want the BTTF set unless an adult who watched the movie bought it for them. Some Danish news video thing talked about it and said it would appeal to AFOLs (obivous reason), and C/TFOLs because of the cool car. What Megablocks that story is. My point is, so what. Even if you haven't watched the show, the Grundel will still be ferocious looking.

Not so much the grundel I suppose, (though he doesn't strike me as really going along that well with previous Ninjago releases), but more some of the other things that were suggested. And maybe I'll clarify what I said a bit; it's more like they wouldn't fit in with the target age and the fact that it's an action theme (I'm thinking specifically of Ed & Edna's Jalope, but there are others that fall into the same catagory IMHO.

[DraikNova]

Remember how LEGO loves to make cars with strange features for action themes?

[Kai NRG]

Remember how LEGO loves to make cars with strange features for action themes?

Yeah, but not ones that look like they've been made in a junkyard...

[Aanchir]

But Lego's target age wouldn't want the BTTF set unless an adult who watched the movie bought it for them. Some Danish news video thing talked about it and said it would appeal to AFOLs (obivous reason), and C/TFOLs because of the cool car. What Megablocks that story is. My point is, so what. Even if you haven't watched the show, the Grundel will still be ferocious looking.

The difference is that Cuusoo is more or less aimed at creating products with niche appeal. That's not the case with play themes. I think we can assume the Grundel will not appear in a set since it does not remotely resemble anything based on a set or sketch model, unlike the Skeleton Army vehicles which have tons of recognizable LEGO elements decorating them.

Yeah, but not ones that look like they've been made in a junkyard...

Another point against Ed & Edna's jalopy is just that while it fits the show's aesthetic, it is not at all consistent with any established Ninjago aesthetics. The sets follow much stricter visual direction than the show does. Look at how almost every "good guy" structure in 2011 Ninjago had a mostly consistent color scheme of red, black, and tan; or how all the 2012 structures had consistent color schemes of black, dark stone grey, and dark tan; or how the Skeleton Army, Serpentine, and Stone Army vehicles all have consistent aesthetics. All things considered, unless there are summer 2013 sets that establish an entirely new aesthetic that the wave follows consistently, then any summer 2013 sets will more likely than not follow the same visual direction as the already revealed 2013 sets.

[Perry the Platypus]

Finally! Garmatron was shipped to the LEGO Store today! I was assigned to take it home and build it for display. It is an amazing set! The green knob on the back can be pressed to shoot the cannon. All three minifigures are very detailed, especially Kozu. The treads work very well. Sorry, no photos. I need a better camera. However, you are welcome to ask me any questions about the set.

[Tobias_Jay]

How big is the Garmatron's prison cell. Can it fit more than one minifigure?

[PenPlays]

Remember how LEGO loves to make cars with strange features for action themes?

Knifes aren't strange!

Yeah, but not ones that look like they've been made in a junkyard...

The Jalopy is a work of art, thank you very much.

How big is the Garmatron's prison cell. Can it fit more than one minifigure?

It has no walls to the back of it. It can hold up to two ZX Ninja, with shoulder pads, overlapping face forwards, or back to back while facing the sides.

[Kai NRG]

...The Jalopy is a work of art, thank you very much...

Yeah, but the color coordination is not at all like previous releases. It's like the colors of something you would expect to see in a junkyard.

[Garmadon]

Finally! Garmatron was shipped to the LEGO Store today! I was assigned to take it home and build it for display. It is an amazing set! The green knob on the back can be pressed to shoot the cannon. All three minifigures are very detailed, especially Kozu. The treads work very well. Sorry, no photos. I need a better camera. However, you are welcome to ask me any questions about the set.

Yeah, I thought that that thing shot the cannon.

One question, is there any trapdoor in the control room (if you can call it that) so that you fall into the prison?

I don't really expect one, from the pic of the top from Lego.com, it would be nice, though.

[Perry the Platypus]

Yeah, I thought that that thing shot the cannon.

One question, is there any trapdoor in the control room (if you can call it that) so that you fall into the prison?

I don't really expect one, from the pic of the top from Lego.com, it would be nice, though.

No, though that would be an awesome feature!

How big is the Garmatron's prison cell. Can it fit more than one minifigure?

Yes, the cell can fit two minifigures. There is no back wall, though; just the inside mechanics of the Garmatron model.

[Garmadon]

No, though that would be an awesome feature!

Yes, the cell can fit two minifigures. There is no back wall, though; just the inside mechanics of the Garmatron model.

If the prison cell is right under the control room (you know what I mean) then it shoud not be very hard to put incorporate into it.

Anyhow, The first thing I would do if I got it would be to make the cannon look like it does in the movie, a.k.a., a lot longer.

The problem would be that I can't think of a way to do that and still make it shoot.

[Shakar]

I never posted here, funny.

Anyway, this wave has some cool sets. I'm definitely getting Kai's Fire Mech, great value, nice mech and great minifigs. Garmatron is really tempting me too..

I love the Stone Army. They look so Japanese. General Kozu's head is awesome, it looks like a Kabuki actor's painted face.

[Perry the Platypus]

I never posted here, funny.

Anyway, this wave has some cool sets. I'm definitely getting Kai's Fire Mech, great value, nice mech and great minifigs. Garmatron is really tempting me too..

I love the Stone Army. They look so Japanese. General Kozu's head is awesome, it looks like a Kabuki actor's painted face.

Kai's Fire Mech is pretty cool. Garmatron is the best set of the wave, IMO. General Kozu is worth the price of $40 USD alone!

If the prison cell is right under the control room (you know what I mean) then it shoud not be very hard to put incorporate into it.

Anyhow, The first thing I would do if I got it would be to make the cannon look like it does in the movie, a.k.a., a lot longer.

The problem would be that I can't think of a way to do that and still make it shoot.

Yeah, probably. It would take some serious modding to make the a figure fall into the jail, though, as it is not exactly directly under the controls.

As for the cannon, I am lost on how to do that.

Edited December 29, 2012 by Perry the Platypus

[Lance]

Ooo, bling bling me bruv's.

I did a full search of my local stores and a little beyond. Nothing, zilch, nada... Very unimpressed considering all the LEGO section in one supermarket was virtually clear after a Christmas rush!

So, I'm making a list, I'm checking it twice and in the new year, Peppermint is going to town!

The Lego Store in Cardiff should have them in. They usually get the new sets in around Christmas.

[horizon]

Garmatron is indeed awesome. Kai's mech is great set for little money. Cole hid earth driller has same as garmatron: smaller then show but for its money a great set. It looks cool when build and the drill functions good.

Cole his sword hilt is different then the one for Zane and Kai.

[PenPlays]

No, though that would be an awesome feature (the trap door)!

Yes, the cell can fit two minifigures. There is no back wall, though; just the inside mechanics of the Garmatron model.

Even then, there are barely any mechanics. The only chore would be make a working way into the cell from the controls. There is barely enough room for a trap door as well.

[DraikNova]

I managed to find the Garmatron three euros cheaper in a store in Vienna than at my local store, so I got it. Seems like a great set.

[refriedbeans]

Well the new sets are up on the Ninjago site, but that's about it...

[DraikNova]

The set descriptions on the Ninjago site don´t `fit` with the canon. For example, it states that the Stone Army is from the underworld.

[Aanchir]

The set descriptions on the Ninjago site don´t `fit` with the canon. For example, it states that the Stone Army is from the underworld.

Well, we don't entirely know that they aren't, since they were created long before any of the events we've seen in the story except through flashbacks... but yeah, I imagine it's a matter of the people writing the description deciding to add a bit of flourish to the fact that the Stone Army came from underground, forgetting that there was a place properly called the Underworld in an earlier story year.

[Sirtank]

I saw all the new sets on the shelf at Meijer today. I was tempted by the golden dragon set, but I'm still thinking about skipping it and just getting the temple of light. I couldn't make up my mind. Anyway, it was nice seeing them somewhere that didn't have Toys R us' crazy price markups.