LEGO Hidden Side 2020

[Oky]

9 minutes ago, Feng-huang0296 said:

I translated some of the German set descriptions; apparently they’re framing the Subway as a portal into the ghost world. Which makes sense looking at the sets; the Subway is the living world side of the portal, and the massive tree is the ghost world side.

You’re right! The two sets have a similar shape too, so I bet you can combine them  back-to-back. You can even see some of the blue ghost world branches sticking out from behind the subway. That almost makes up for how lackluster that set looks. Almost. 

[Borex]

Loving the portal set. Very Strange Things vibe too. A while back ago i made my forestmen treehouse again and loved the black bricks used for the tree. Black is a great colour for trees. The two orange ghosts have different faceprints and i like that. 
The buggy does nothing for me sadly. The minifigs are nice though. 
The stunt plane set look good. Nice build with a few ugly shooters (easy to remove) and a bit sticker heavy. Jack can sit in the seat on the wing, so that makes El Fuego the undead a friend. The slime pieces are fun new details as well. We need them in green as well for Slimer. 
The subway station looks messy. I even didn’t realise that build in the middle is a subway opened up until i read a comment in this thread.  I hoped for a better subway station. I don’t understand why Parker is on a bike in the subway either. And the hole on the right doesn’t make sense to me as well. However i am curious how the train will look. 
The lighthouse looks nice. I have to see it with it’s flaps closed. I still have to choose if i want this one, or maybe search for that scooby doo one. Figs are great. 
The ghost fair best feature are the two clowns. Very good minifigs! The build? Not interested and i just don’t like the design. 
The first wave was imo a better designed wave. But i still like where this is going! I tried the app once, but didn’t like it. So hopefully they can wow us next wave with some great new builds. 

[Lego David]

41 minutes ago, Oky said:

Really? Which ones?

Matoro from Bionicle. In the Bionicle story, he sacrificed himself in order to save Mata Nui and his friends, and to this day, his sacrifice is considered one of the pivotal moments of the Bionicle story line.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Lego David

[Maple]

The Portal set is fantastic. LEGO has been doing really well with designing $20-30 sets to be decent builds and a nice selection of figures.
The plane is also very well done.
The light house is the Scooby Doo set redone. :) 

I'm curious to what the next wave / more expensive set will be.

[Lucarex]

1 hour ago, Feng-huang0296 said:

It looks to me like it’s 29 studs wide and 31 bricks high. Though if that’s too wide, 6 of those studs is just the little colour gizmo attachment, which looks easy to remove. There might be added width on the left side that I can’t see behind the meat of the build, though. 

Thanks! I thought that about removing the colour wheel app thingie and if your estimate is correct, I’ll have to as I’m a few mm off as it stands.

[Hive]

I'm extremely disappointed with the next wave overall. Only the portal set looks good as a whole, though I may get some lose figures from some of the other sets. The clowns look fun.

[kelceycoe]

Disappointing. I was hoping the Fair would be decent but am turned away. The lightjouse looks to be a solid build but practically the same one from Scooby Doo.

I'll likely buy the tree portal for my forest. Not convinced yet on Ghost Fair.

[Itaria No Shintaku]

I was very happy when seeing the pictures on the catalog and still I am now.

[Lego David]

1 hour ago, kelceycoe said:

The lightjouse looks to be a solid build but practically the same one from Scooby Doo.

Personally, I think this one is a lot better than the Scooby Doo one... so there's that.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Lego David

[Vindicare]

Overall, a little less than last wave. Those builds felt more complete. I love the new hat/hair combo for Jack. I guess maybe they went with such a different route with the subway is because they didn’t want it being too similar to last year’s train set? All the minifigs are once again the standouts, they’re fantastic. What a great assortment in that portal set!

With the subway & lighthouse, it’s a shame we didn’t get normal views too, as that kinda skews the set. The subway car looks similar to the train, where the front opens up like a mouth. Good wave though. Much like last wave, I’ll probably pick up half of them. 

[kelceycoe]

2 hours ago, Lego David said:

Personally, I think this one is a lot better than the Scooby Doo one... so there's that.

How whem me and a lot of other people have said its a mod of the Scooby Doo lighthouse.

[Exetrius]

Interesting new pieces and most of the sets look good and/or fun too. I can't help feeling a little underwhelmed too, though. My least favorite set is definitely the buggy, I guess I don't like the colours and the subject matter is generally not really appealing to me either. Love how Jack looks in that set, though! The rest of the sets are well-done. If I could change one thing to the wave, I would have the subway set and ghost fair switch price slots, so that the 'underground' and 'station' feel could have been a little more developed, while the fair would retain most of it's play features that are the focus of the set.

3 hours ago, kelceycoe said:

The lightjouse looks to be a solid build but practically the same one from Scooby Doo.

22 minutes ago, kelceycoe said:

How whem me and a lot of other people have said its a mod of the Scooby Doo lighthouse.

 Pics for reference:

Spoiler

  

Odd ones:

Define "practically the same". Indeed, they are both lighthouses, both on top on a rock, both haunted, and both inhabited by a bearded geezer. To argue that the two sets couldn't be more different within the boundaries of what they represent goes a bit far I think, but I invite you to take a closer look at their building techniques. The Scooby Doo lighthouse uses studs-up construction like every previous lighthouse, the same banded pattern, the same macaroni 2x2 bricks to round the edges, and a dish on top. Now look at the HS lighthouse. Unlike any previous lighthouse, it is built stud-on-the-side, which means that the curves are also achieved in a different way. Also: no banded pattern; the building is mostly white. Check out the top, where the light is. Completely different pieces used than earlier lighthouses! Moreover, did you notice this is the first lighthouse that is under an angle on its base? They are very different.

Maybe I'm overdoing it a bit here, but saying they are practically the same ticks me off (more than it should), and it just feels disrespectful towards the designers. 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Exetrius

[Lyichir]

46 minutes ago, Exetrius said:

Define "practically the same". Indeed, they are both lighthouses, both on top on a rock, both haunted, and both inhabited by a bearded geezer. To argue that the two sets couldn't be more different within the boundaries of what they represent goes a bit far I think, but I invite you to take a closer look at their building techniques. The Scooby Doo lighthouse uses studs-up construction like every previous lighthouse, the same banded pattern, the same macaroni 2x2 bricks to round the edges, and a dish on top. Now look at the HS lighthouse. Unlike any previous lighthouse, it is built stud-on-the-side, which means that the curves are also achieved in a different way. Also: no banded pattern; the building is mostly white. Check out the top, where the light is. Completely different pieces used than earlier lighthouses! Moreover, did you notice this is the first lighthouse that is under an angle on its base? They are very different.

Maybe I'm overdoing it a bit here, but saying they are practically the same ticks me off (more than it should), and it just feels disrespectful towards the designers. 

Thank you so much for this. It's so frustrating when people complain about two sets depicting similar subject matter in pretty much completely different ways being "practically the same". The build is such an important part of a Lego set, after all, so for people to dismiss one of the most unique lighthouse builds we've gotten in years based on the most superficial similarities is pretty reductive.

I'm liking these sets in general, even though as typical of a January wave the range of sets is less dramatic and substantial overall than a summer wave. The lighthouse is one of my favorites, and mirrors a concept I had been trying to come up with digitally, but much more effectively. The plane, too (I guess it's not that original of me to have thought that a stuntman like El Fuego might get a stunt plane to complement his stunt truck). The abandoned subway has some wonderful Night in the Woods vibes, even if small (and I love how it and the Portal set complement one another). The beach buggy and the ghost fair I'm less impressed by—the beach buggy has a sort of neat build for that price point but I'm not too keen on its color scheme, while the ghost fair feels like it would need to be bigger to truly impress. I'm hopeful that the subsequent summer wave will feature some larger sets that can compare a little better to the current wave's train, bus, and school sets.

[corasaur]

Definitely in for the portal. spooky scenery plus good ghosts.

I'm a sucker for lighthouses. I'll probably get it, then combine it with one or more other lighthouses and see what I can come up with from the pieces.

I'll probably get the subway, but mostly as a starting point for a modification. Need to think about what I'd do differently  without making the MOC a billion pieces.

Haunted fairground I'm not sure about. I do want the clowns.... I'd be more excited if I had fairground sets to combine it with, but I don't even have, like, the pirate coaster or other basic creator sets.

Doubt I'll get the buggy or biplane. Already got so many vehicles tucked away. Maybe the ghost figs will get me if i see a good sale.

[Fenghuang0296]

1 hour ago, corasaur said:

Definitely in for the portal. spooky scenery plus good ghosts.

I'm a sucker for lighthouses. I'll probably get it, then combine it with one or more other lighthouses and see what I can come up with from the pieces.

I'll probably get the subway, but mostly as a starting point for a modification. Need to think about what I'd do differently  without making the MOC a billion pieces.

Haunted fairground I'm not sure about. I do want the clowns.... I'd be more excited if I had fairground sets to combine it with, but I don't even have, like, the pirate coaster or other basic creator sets.

Doubt I'll get the buggy or biplane. Already got so many vehicles tucked away. Maybe the ghost figs will get me if i see a good sale.

If it’s only the minifigures you want, they’ll probably pop up on Bricks and Pieces. If not, BrickLink exists.

[Classic_Spaceman]

I am a bit disappointed by some of the changes made from the Wave 1 sets. 

Despite most of the sets being location-based, none have the level of normal-to-Gloomed transformation features (or Gloomed details) that sets like the High School, Shrimp Shack, or even the Juice Bar, have. For example, the Lighthouse (by far the standout of the wave) barely looks different in its haunted configuration. 

I was not really bothered by the lack of physical ghosts in Wave 1, as the transformations made up for it, but they feel noticeably absent from the Wave 2 sets. The Stunt Plane feels like it should be chasing some kind of demon-bat-ghost, so the Gloombie included seems rather lacklustre. Additionally, there seems to be an over-reliance on the "Gloom Power-Bursts" for detailing and diversity among Gloombies, as well as a lack of Gloomed side-builds (See Paranormal Intercept Bus and Shrimp Boat) that could have been included in the Dune Buggy and Stunt Plane (e.g. A haunted gas station). 

Finally, the aesthetic is far less cohesive than it was in Wave 1 - Some sets still have the run-down, Gulf-Coast feel (Lighthouse), but others look like generic City sets (Dune Buggy, Fair), and still others are difficult to place in the established town of Newbury (Subway, Dune Buggy, futuristic jetpack in the Stunt Plane). 
 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Classic_Spaceman

[Fenghuang0296]

1 hour ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

I was not really bothered by the lack of physical ghosts in Wave 1, as the transformations made up for it, but they feel noticeably absent from the Wave 2 sets. The Stunt Plane feels like it should be chasing some kind of demon-bat-ghost, so the Gloombie included seems rather lacklustre. A lack of Gloomed side-builds (See Paranormal Intercept Bus and Shrimp Boat) that could have been included in the Dune Buggy and Stunt Plane (e.g. A haunted gas station). 

Finally, the aesthetic is far less cohesive than it was in Wave 1 - Some sets still have the run-down, Gulf-Coast feel (Lighthouse), but others look like generic City sets (Dune Buggy, Fair), and still others are difficult to place in the established town of Newbury (Subway, Dune Buggy, futuristic jetpack in the Stunt Plane). 
 

The jetpack looks pretty steampunk to me (maybe someone who died testing a failed invention?) so I don’t mind it so much. But you’re right about the setting, I was looking at the desert background of the Dune Buggy and thinking “So there’s a desert right next to the Newbury swamp?” Because if Minecraft has taught me anything, it’s that that don’t fly with topographical science. And I suppose it could be a beach, but the art shows a palm tree. 

Though, admittedly, it doesn’t bother me too much. It’s all fairly within the theme, and the sets look fun. Even if the fair could use a few dark green leaves. Concerns about how well they fit the setting would be all kinds of redundant in my city layout, which has an entire accompanying narrative about it being a hodgepodge of interdimensional flotsam. (Hence Spider-Man, Frozone and Tracer working together on the same superhero team.) 

I’m just glad that they prioritised set design. And I guess too many swampy trees would get boring, 

[zoth33]

I think the sets look fun.  My youngest son will definitely enjoy them.  I actually like this lighthouse alot more with the different techniques and look to it.  The tree portal is great.  The fair looks good too.  I agree that lego does a great job with the $20 sets.  There are some great new molds in this wave too.  

[Lego David]

I think the biggest problem with this wave is the fact that LEGO seems to have invested more money in the minifigures rather than the actual builds of the sets...

[Fenghuang0296]

13 minutes ago, Lego David said:

I think the biggest problem with this wave is the fact that LEGO seems to have invested more money in the minifigures rather than the actual builds of the sets...

Are you kidding? If anything they’ve cut back the minifigs. Wave 1 had tons of extra civilians who had no purpose other than to run screaming from ghosts or else just exist and possibly fill out a city. This wave, not a single set has a minifigure that isn’t a main character or possessed. Which is kinda disappointing, I really enjoyed all the new prints we got.

[Lego David]

2 hours ago, Feng-huang0296 said:

Are you kidding? If anything they’ve cut back the minifigs. Wave 1 had tons of extra civilians who had no purpose other than to run screaming from ghosts or else just exist and possibly fill out a city. This wave, not a single set has a minifigure that isn’t a main character or possessed. Which is kinda disappointing, I really enjoyed all the new prints we got.

What I meant is that for this wave, they seemed to focus their attention more on the minfigures than on the builds of the sets. That's way the sets kinda came as a disappointment to a lot of people.

[Classic_Spaceman]

42 minutes ago, Lego David said:

What I meant is that for this wave, they seemed to focus their attention more on the minfigures than on the builds of the sets. That's way the sets kinda came as a disappointment to a lot of people.

How so? Aside from Jack’s and Parker’s new hairpieces (which are reasonable additions for the second wave of an Action Theme), the only other “attention” that the Minifigs get are the two Minifig-extension elements and the “Gloom Power Blasts” (the latter of which are repurposed in almost every set). Due to the lack of any new Gloombie hairpieces and the overuse of “Gloom Power Blasts”, the Wave 2 Gloombies feel like a downgrade from what we had in Wave 1. 
 

[Lucarex]

Nope, still can’t see how Portal and Subway connect to each other.

Think that’s just creative wishful thinking based on a tiny bit of azure foliage.

Guess the reverse box art (today?) will confirm either way. 

[Exetrius]

7 hours ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

Additionally, there seems to be an over-reliance on the "Gloom Power-Bursts" for detailing and diversity among Gloombies, as well as a lack of Gloomed side-builds (See Paranormal Intercept Bus and Shrimp Boat) that could have been included in the Dune Buggy and Stunt Plane (e.g. A haunted gas station).

Agreed, less substantial Gloomed sidebuilds overall. Maybe for the plane they could have gone for some hints of a run-down airfield, thereby tying it more to Newbury. Though, I think the buggy has some Gloomed thing under the hood, if you zoom in really closely you can see the Spring Yellowish Green under there.

However, I don't see your point about the detailing and diversity of the figures. There's a diver, lighthouse keeper, tunnel technician, pump serviceman/mechanic, stunt flyer (inventor?) and two clowns, and a number of them seems to have new printed leg designs, too.

4 hours ago, Feng-huang0296 said:

Are you kidding? If anything they’ve cut back the minifigs. Wave 1 had tons of extra civilians who had no purpose other than to run screaming from ghosts or else just exist and possibly fill out a city. This wave, not a single set has a minifigure that isn’t a main character or possessed. Which is kinda disappointing, I really enjoyed all the new prints we got.

To make a more fair comparison, I think we should only look at the sets up to 50 euros/dollars for wave 1. That makes 6 sets for both waves, including the Juice bar promo in wave 1. 
I count 7 possessed civilians in wave 1, of which the one in the Juice bar doesn't have unique prints (and uses a City torso), plus two non-possessed civilians. I count 7 possessed civilians in wave 2, all are unique, and no non-possessed civilians. So wave 1 is, relatively, a little bit better.

Moreover, the designs of possessed civilians can be turned into normal civilians if you swap the heads for normal ones, so I don't really see the problem here.

6 hours ago, Feng-huang0296 said:

And I suppose it could be a beach, but the art shows a palm tree. 

beach + palm tree = tropical beach. :P 

 

[Lego David]

1 hour ago, Classic_Spaceman said:

How so? Aside from Jack’s and Parker’s new hairpieces (which are reasonable additions for the second wave of an Action Theme), the only other “attention” that the Minifigs get are the two Minifig-extension elements and the “Gloom Power Blasts” (the latter of which are repurposed in almost every set). Due to the lack of any new Gloombie hairpieces and the overuse of “Gloom Power Blasts”, the Wave 2 Gloombies feel like a downgrade from what we had in Wave 1. 

The Fair, Buggy and Subway Station are pretty lack luster builds, and the main attraction with them is obviously the minifigures.