Dino 2012

[Algernon]

It seems like most of these sets include an exclusive minifigure... that's kind of an odd move on LEGO's part, but I don't mind. It just makes the smaller sets a better buy.

[Starkiller]

I wanted to ask if anyone can confirm for me if this theme is coming out in December 2011 or January 2012?

I've heard both from different sources. Can anyone help?

[-zenn]

After seeing all those sets it makes me want to watch JP again!

[Aanchir]

I wanted to ask if anyone can confirm for me if this theme is coming out in December 2011 or January 2012?

I've heard both from different sources. Can anyone help?

It's a 2012 theme. Its "official" release date is January. With that said, January sets always start showing up around a month in advance (sometimes more), except in rare cases where they're limited release and the people carrying those sets put forth an effort to withhold them until the official release date.

[Algernon]

I do remember somebody mentioning a "November 2011" release earlier in the thread. I have no idea how credible this is, but as Aanchir has said, the 2012 wave almost always starts showing up in stores about a month early.

[svede]

Forgive me if this has already been said/answered, but are the tranquilizer guns (without the dart) 1 or 2 pieces? As in, is that a removable clip on the gun that holds the dart or part of the gun mold?

Thanks!!

[Mirandir]

Forgive me if this has already been said/answered, but are the tranquilizer guns (without the dart) 1 or 2 pieces? As in, is that a removable clip on the gun that holds the dart or part of the gun mold?

Thanks!!

It looks a lot like a single piece to me.

[Sid Sidious]

The forest police station helicopter has 2 blades, the Ninjago helicopter has 3 blades, the large police helicopter has 8 blades, and the Dino Attack helicopter has 6 blades, while the pathetic little helicopter in the Dino base is the only one with four blades.(I haven't seen the various Super Hero helicopters, so I don't know how many blades they have.) Where have all the 4 bladed helis gone?

[Algernon]

The forest police station helicopter has 2 blades, the Ninjago helicopter has 3 blades, the large police helicopter has 8 blades, and the Dino Attack helicopter has 6 blades, while the pathetic little helicopter in the Dino base is the only one with four blades.(I haven't seen the various Super Hero helicopters, so I don't know how many blades they have.) Where have all the 4 bladed helis gone?

An interesting observation. Personally I like the six-bladed look of the Dino Attack chopper, that's one of the reasons why I like it so much.

[Sid Sidious]

An interesting observation. Personally I like the six-bladed look of the Dino Attack chopper, that's one of the reasons why I like it so much.

I think it looks cool from the tail up. The cockpit and wheels look crudely slapped together. Maybe it could be MOCd into a proper helicopter.

[has a differing opinion]

Interesting! One observation I can make according to this pic is that yes, the tranquilizer guns are in Titanium Metallic (Bricklink's Pearl Dark Gray in post-2010 sets). I remember someone asking about that at one point; now we have a definite answer. There are some nice new faces, although at least some-- for instance, the one with the shiny sunglasses in 5885 and the one with the orange goggles in 5888-- are also used in City.

Correction:The guy with the orange sunglasses is actually from Alien Conquest.

This theme didn't impress me at first, but I'm really warming up to it now. That rifle looks great, a chopped off scope off a sextant piece will make it a nice sniper rifle. I am also loving that new syringe piece.It'll have many uses, perhaps as nova 6 gas?

Edited October 22, 2011 by has a differing opinion

[Aanchir]

Correction:The guy with the orange sunglasses is actually from Alien Conquest.

This theme didn't impress me at first, but I'm really warming up to it now. That rifle looks great, a chopped off scope off a sextant piece will make it a nice sniper rifle. I am also loving that new syringe piece.It'll have many uses, perhaps as nova 6 gas?

I thought that was a different face than the one from Alien Conquest... the mouth of that face looks different between 7050 and 5888/4440. Although I'll admit it is really weird if there are two faces that are so very similar to one another.

The syringe piece isn't completely new, but it's new in Bright Yellowish Green. It had previously appeared in Minifigures Series 1 and Alien Conquest in Medium Stone Grey.

[has a differing opinion]

I thought that was a different face than the one from Alien Conquest... the mouth of that face looks different between 7050 and 5888/4440. Although I'll admit it is really weird if there are two faces that are so very similar to one another.

The syringe piece isn't completely new, but it's new in Bright Yellowish Green. It had previously appeared in Minifigures Series 1 and Alien Conquest in Medium Stone Grey.

I saw that too, but since it was smiling I assumed it was the same head.

[Hiawatha]

I think these sets are very interesting and they contain some great parts!

[Vindicare]

I think these sets, for me, are going to be Pharaohs Quest was this year. Wasn't really interested in the pictures, but once I saw them on shelves, I ate them up!

[ka.lego]

I think these sets, for me, are going to be Pharaohs Quest was this year. Wasn't really interested in the pictures, but once I saw them on shelves, I ate them up!

Here here. That's actually how I was with all the new themes this year—Ninjago, Pharaoh's Quest, Alien Conquest—and this seems to just be following suit. The vehicles aren't immediately grabbing, but I know based on track record, once I build these things I'm going to very impressed. Plus, I can't shake a brick at the dinosaurs, especially w the cool printing. This is gonna be fun.

I wanted to ask if anyone can confirm for me if this theme is coming out in December 2011 or January 2012?

I've heard both from different sources. Can anyone help?

The manager of my local LEGO Store yesterday said there wouldn't be anything new until January. I asked about Xmas, but he said the items they have now are the ones meant to run through the holiday and referenced the holiday catalog. But as pointed out by others here, my experience is also that things come out a little earlier. (For example the catalog he mentioned also says the Black Pearl wouldn't be on sale til Nov 1, but it has been available at the LEGO Store in question for at least two weeks now.) Who knows? I'm hoping some trickle out before the holidays.

[Anio]

I can't afford to buy these new Dino sets, but I must say that they really rocks !!!

I especially love the vehicles.

TLG did a great job.

[M'Kyuun]

I think it looks cool from the tail up. The cockpit and wheels look crudely slapped together. Maybe it could be MOCd into a proper helicopter.

Actually, it's a rather fair interpretation of the Sikorsky Skycrane.

[BaronSat]

Not a big fan of the actual models, but I do have to agree, some pretty nice minifigures!

Am I the only person getting a major Alpha Team: Mission Deep Sea vibe from these sets? So much yellow!

I agree totally. Are these sets finals or prototypes? Why using so much yellow parts when dinosaur subject would require brown, green, dark green and lime?

Is there any fan that need to stock more yellow parts? Most of the time yellow parts are useless! It's really disapointing.

Of course the new dinos beats are cool but it's a bit few to buy a set, in my opinion.

[Aanchir]

I agree totally. Are these sets finals or prototypes? Why using so much yellow parts when dinosaur subject would require brown, green, dark green and lime?

Is there any fan that need to stock more yellow parts? Most of the time yellow parts are useless! It's really disapointing.

Of course the new dinos beats are cool but it's a bit few to buy a set, in my opinion.

The images without watermarks reading "Preliminary" are of the finalized sets. Personally, I don't think it makes a difference if the colors are good for camoflage or anything like that. Do we even know if dinosaurs had color vision?

Anyway, the more important thing is that kids like vibrant color schemes. I'm an adult and I like vibrant color schemes. So I think this will be plenty successful even if it doesn't have a color scheme of "boring" earth-tones.

And why are yellow parts useless most of the time? If you enjoy building construction vehicles, they're possibly the most useful color possible. They're also useful for submarines, sports cars, and utility vehicles (e.g. forklifts). Any color can be useful depending on what you're building.

People criticized the color scheme of Power Miners, a theme where having vibrant color schemes was more practical than some of the dull alternative color schemes that many AFOLs proposed, so I can't really say I'm convinced that the AFOL bias against vibrant color schemes is all that substantiated.

[Algernon]

I don't think vibrant color schemes are inherently bad - the Space sets from the 90s had lots of black and neon colors and they're some of the best-loved LEGO sets around. But I do think that there's a difference between "vibrant" and "tasteful". Some colors just don't look that great together - I wasn't very happy with the colors of the recent Altantis wave at all. I'm not a big fan of yellow, since I've already got more yellow bricks than I'll ever need. However, it's the design of the vehicles that really makes or breaks a deal for me, so I'm still fond of these sets (and as many have said, the minifigs are fantastic).

[BaronSat]

The images without watermarks reading "Preliminary" are of the finalized sets. Personally, I don't think it makes a difference if the colors are good for camoflage or anything like that. Do we even know if dinosaurs had color vision?

Anyway, the more important thing is that kids like vibrant color schemes. I'm an adult and I like vibrant color schemes. So I think this will be plenty successful even if it doesn't have a color scheme of "boring" earth-tones.

And why are yellow parts useless most of the time? If you enjoy building construction vehicles, they're possibly the most useful color possible. They're also useful for submarines, sports cars, and utility vehicles (e.g. forklifts). Any color can be useful depending on what you're building.

People criticized the color scheme of Power Miners, a theme where having vibrant color schemes was more practical than some of the dull alternative color schemes that many AFOLs proposed, so I can't really say I'm convinced that the AFOL bias against vibrant color schemes is all that substantiated.

Did dinosaurs could see colors? I don't know, but we; the human; can really see the difference. I'm a mature adult too and I really enjoy shiny colors but come on yellow parts are so common, I'd prefer to find more of the new colors in the new sets. Earth tones are no boring but more realistic and offer more opportunities for building. And about shiny colors the lime one is really cool but too rare.

Constructions vehicles looks better in blue, sports cars in red (and BTW they are faster ) and submarines are cool in white and blue. Yes, yellow bricks can be usefull from time to time but in small quantities.

And last thing, kids loves dark colors when they can use them but most of the time they enjoy building in mixed colors. But those vehicles are almost entirely yellow and it hurts my old eyes

But as I wrote the dinos by themselves are cool as the figures and accessories. It's just that there's too much yellow, but you understood my opinion on this point.

[Suspsy]

Did people complain about there being too much blue in Alien Conquest or too much green in Power Miners?

Or too much black in Blacktron?

[Cutty]

Did people complain about there being too much blue in Alien Conquest or too much green in Power Miners?

Or too much black in Blacktron?

AC is out of the question, I like the blue, but then again, there hasn't been that much blue apart from dark blue in Agents in recent action themes. Power miners nearly got me a stroke from all that overboard lime green. And that Blacktron part of your post can only be meant rethorically. Seriously? Blacktron without black was Blacktron 2, with those god-aweful white torsi, and that wasn't that much of a wise design decision. Who wants a theme called "Blacktron" where the black is only used as "highlights" inbetween lots of white?

I'd like this new Dino theme more if TLC had given that inflationarily used yellow a stronger counterpart in some earthy tones. I think sand green or even sand red would have made the yellow stand out so much more while at the same time toning down it's apparent "glare effect". This line is proof that sometimes less is more.

edit: took some strong language out...

Edited October 26, 2011 by Cutty

[Rocketbilly]

Honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about concerning the colour scheme of the human vehicles. Sure, it's not a colour you often see vehicles in, but then again when do you see a giant dinosaur carrying truck anyway? or how often do you look up to see a T-Rex suspended beneath a giant yellow skycrane? these are fantasy vehicles in a fantasy setting. Who's to say that these vehicles don't belong to some sort of company who use the yellow and red as their livery? if not that, then the majority of vehicles give off a distinct heavy machinery vibe, like construction equipment. Yellow is a very common colour for such vehicles.

Anyway, my biggest "problem" with the aesthetics of these sets is the spikes present on all of the vehicles! from what I gather - capturing devices, tranquilizer guns etc. - the humans are attempting to peacefully capture the dinosaurs for study or something, so why are their vehicles covered in spikes? surely impaling a dinosaur isn't the most humane way of catching it! I can't see them being much help with clearing a path through the undergrowth, either.