[ENTRY] 6269 Islander Palace

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

CALLING ALL LEGO MANIACS! Set your time machines for 1994!

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We are delighted to introduce to you one of the most exciting sets from the new LEGO SYSTEM Indigo Islanders range. The Indigo Chief's Palace (set 6269) is located next to a hidden river and is filled with brilliant features.

You'll find a narrow bridge to the Indigo Chief's throne room and a hidden treasure cave underneath. A mysterious statue guards the palace entrance from pirates who want to steal the treasure. Pirates who climb the ladder are in for a surprise: you can trigger a secret trap door and send them tumbling out of the mouth of the statue and into the river below, where the hungry crocodile waits. The Chief and two Islanders are included, as well as a canoe, chest of gold and pirate on a raft. Below are some pictures of the many thrilling adventures that await you in this new set.

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Or, if you're in North America:

Hey LEGO Maniacs! Check out the all new Islanders collection, with hidden coves, trick bridges, secret trap doors, and mysterious catamarans. It's enough to make your bricks spin! Only a LEGO Maniac like you can discover the Islanders' secrets. Check out the 6269 Islander Palace below, where the King, Queen, and palace guard protect their treasure from the thieving pirate!

You can order the 6269 Islander Palace as well as all the other new Islanders sets from Shop at Home!

We hope you enjoy this new set, and until next time, happy building!

[LegoJakob]

Now that's a proper set that could have been produced by Lego at the time.

I had to scroll up again to confirm I'm reading a contest entry and not a cancelled set I didn't know about.

[Rogue Redcoat]

Now this looks great, it certainly has the 1994 look. I do have some suggestions, first, the light grey bricks under the tree and bush don't look that great, second I think there should be one more pirate (unless it's an explorer that maybe a companion like a dog, or monkey). Anyway Happy building :)

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

4 hours ago, LegoJakob said:

Now that's a proper set that could have been produced by Lego at the time.

I had to scroll up again to confirm I'm reading a contest entry and not a cancelled set I didn't know about.

Thank you! That is exactly what I was going for. 

[Marooned Marin]

6 hours ago, BrynnOfCastlegate said:

The Indigo Chief's Palace (set 6269)

I could not resist it... I ran this via Google just to be sure

Well done, truly impressive presentation skills and fantastic classic build!

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

53 minutes ago, Marooned Marin said:

I could not resist it... I ran this via Google just to be sure

Well done, truly impressive presentation skills and fantastic classic build!

Thank you! There are still a few available set numbers.  

I probably spent as much time editing images as designing the set. 

[Elephant Knight]

Now this is what I was hoping to see more of! MOCs that fit the style so well, people question whether or not it existed!

I have one of those baseplate extra, and contemplated doing something with it, but I doubt I could have done half a good a job as this. Excellent work, my favorite entry so far!

EKnight

[CollinsAnimationStudio]

 This is wonderful! It would’ve fit the theme so well.

I wish this was a set available for retail, I would for sure pick it up 

 

[MstrOfPppts]

This could easily be included on the back of the box of Enchanted Island as a B model - back then when TLG still used to do that! Really like this entry, the buildings at the back look well designed in constructed like an official set from the 90s. I'm not sold on the 2x4 and 2x3 gray bricks under the bush and the palm tree though. The front line needs some working.

But overall I do miss some of the modern touch. Make it more like what TLG would release today if revisiting a theme with an original set and not a remake. I did have some Pirates and islanders sets as a kid though the newer colors, parts and techniques beat the nostalgia by me ...

[Horation]

Nice 1994 set, but truly brilliant presentation!

Theme

The play features are useful, with the treasure, animals, good variety of figures (this being an islander set, it's normal that there are more islanders than pirates) and of course, the excellent trap. I will however question the fact that the bridge doesn't go over water, even if real sets had that same problem. The presentation of the set in the form of a catalog entry is clever and well-done, it really reads like an era-accurate ad, so much so that this would confuse most of the forum if they were shown the pic out of context.

Build

The era-limited foliage is used thematically and adds to the mysterious allure of the palace. The colours are fitting and none of the details look anachronistic. The first rocky outpost in particular (with the trap), looks nice and none too blocky, though I must ask @BrynnOfCastlegate, are you going to remake those ears on the statue? They could use being a little pointier (instead of these strange curves on the side). I like the details, but I just wish there was something under the bridge, too. Finally I like the second outpost, but I just wish they both used the same shade of grey (light and dark grey don't mix together well like this). Overall, a really good result with few flaws.

 

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

12 hours ago, CollinsAnimationStudio said:

 This is wonderful! It would’ve fit the theme so well.

I wish this was a set available for retail, I would for sure pick it up 

 

Thank you! I'm glad you like it.

2 hours ago, Horation said:

The era-limited foliage is used thematically and adds to the mysterious allure of the palace. The colours are fitting and none of the details look anachronistic. The first rocky outpost in particular (with the trap), looks nice and none too blocky, though I must ask @BrynnOfCastlegate, are you going to remake those ears on the statue? They could use being a little pointier (instead of these strange curves on the side). I like the details, but I just wish there was something under the bridge, too. Finally I like the second outpost, but I just wish they both used the same shade of grey (light and dark grey don't mix together well like this). Overall, a really good result with few flaws.

Hey, I like the curved ears! 

I did have some concepts where the bridge was going over the water, but they did not work out with the baseplate. That's probably why the official sets did the same thing. The large rock element was only available in dark grey in 1994, so that is the reason for the different shades. Thank you for your feedback!

 

[iragm]

On 7/19/2023 at 6:41 PM, Marooned Marin said:

I could not resist it... I ran this via Google just to be sure

Same here.  Absolutely phenomenal work, this could easily pass for an official set.  There's been several other "classic-style" entries in this contest, but this is the first that could pass (completely) for an official set.

On 7/19/2023 at 7:38 PM, BrynnOfCastlegate said:

I probably spent as much time editing images as designing the set. 

And it shows.  Is that your own photoshop work for the background?  I checked against the official sets and it looks similar in style, but somewhat different.

The inclusion of the god-awful font in the US version is fantastic.  It's crazy that so many great sets came out of the time period when descriptions and catalogue designs actually looked like that.

 

There is nothing I would change about this, it's not possible to do better while keeping to the design language of the 90s pirates.  I think I slightly prefer some of the modern ship designs that have been entered in this contest, but this is easily the best non-modern entry.  Truly remarkable work!

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

On 7/21/2023 at 3:38 PM, iragm said:

Is that your own photoshop work for the background?  I checked against the official sets and it looks similar in style, but somewhat different.

I'm so glad you like it! The background is a combination of several of the official backgrounds with a lot of editing to blend it together.

On 7/21/2023 at 3:38 PM, iragm said:

The inclusion of the god-awful font in the US version is fantastic. 

You're welcome. 

[Mazin]

Damn it! You made me angry man, cause right now i realy want to go back to 90s and buy this set... hell, i want Lego to release this great 90s set again! ;) And i want that catalog too! I always loved Lego catalogs, guess i might have spent more time actually reading them and dreaming about sets i didnt have, than playing with Legos i owned ;)

So... great work! I'm so shocked what You've managed to achieve in here that i honestly don't even want to look at what could be done here to improve things. I just love it. Guess it's sort of a magic trick then, without all that work on the background, if it looked different i might be more picky, but the way it is now, i just want to jump into a world were this toy exists and play with it ;)

And i wouldn't say it needs anything, sure it's simple, but that how those classic sets used to be, it's got everything and i'm not such a purist to complain about the way that palm tree or that bush is connected to the ground. Maybe it could be better rather than just sit on on those grey elements, but... it actually makes it looks more classic again.

I wonder if the throne is removable tho? It looks like something that could and should be carried out on some occasion, so that the Main Guy would get some sun while still seating on his tribal chair. And perhaps id could work as litter/palanquin too, to be carried around? 

But the again, it's only me forcing myself to look for possible additions to give it more play value. 

Modern Lego enthusiast could point out that the classic simplicity of this set leaves plenty of undeveloped space in Your set. There's a lot of the green area, and the that room under chief's throne seems completely vacant. I know that it hosts the treasure chest, but when the chest is taken out of there it serves completely no purpose. 

So if the throne would be moved from it's location to the outside, as most kids would probably do from time to time, and whenever that chest would be removed from the treasure room, we would end up with two vacant apartments ;)

Makes me wonder what could be put in those areas instead. Surely one of the Islanders could stand in that tower on the watch, or take a tam-tam there with him to make sure that his pitapating will be heard better from the higher ground  ;) 

Purist would probably ask to add more weapons, like bows, so maybe the treasure room could host some weapon racks and serve as an armory. 

But i'm tired of all these what-ifs ;)

Even the front of the box is so lovely i don't mind that clearly jungle-themed Islanders Palace is located in a desert like volcanin envirenment, this paradox actually makes it even more overhelming visually, rather than if it would have some accurate landscape behind. And that's how the background looked with all classic Islander sets, so we can't pick on that ;)

And those pics from the catalog... i mean... i must admit i was confused if this wasn't a post about some old Islanders set, that ended in this part of the forum by mistake. And to say more, this might be the best Islanders set ever, especially that i never realy liked them that much, i'd totaly prefer to own this one, rather than the huge iconic Enchanted Island. This one is just MORE LEGO, more classic, more charming. 

So i do hope we'll see more stuff like this from You soon! 

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

On 8/11/2023 at 3:56 PM, Mazin said:

And those pics from the catalog... i mean... i must admit i was confused if this wasn't a post about some old Islanders set, that ended in this part of the forum by mistake. 

I'm glad you like it! I like how the catalogue picture turned out too.

I made a GIF illustrating the trapdoor feature. You can download it using the all-new Netscape Navigator 1.0! It is a huge 4 megabytes though, so it may take a while on your dial-up. 

[Mazin]

8 hours ago, BrynnOfCastlegate said:

I'm glad you like it! I like how the catalogue picture turned out too.

I made a GIF illustrating the trapdoor feature. You can download it using the all-new Netscape Navigator 1.0! It is a huge 4 megabytes though, so it may take a while on your dial-up. 

I'll do that! right after i'll finish downloading a trailer to that new exciting Command & Conquer game, thank You ;) 

[Lyichir]

This is really great—it perfectly nails the kinds of parts and techniques you'd see in classic sets, but it also does new things with the theming and aesthetics instead of merely remixing aspects of existing sets. I love the elongated islander face used for the trapdoor exit.

[Rogue Redcoat]

The gif looks great :)

[durazno33]

I agree with many of the other comments here about how well it fits into the theme. I do think the blue bandana on the pirate does a good job of highlighting him against the green backdrop.

Here are a couple pointers:

• You have a palm tree and a bush that are on top of square grey bricks. Grey to me infers rock and the square blocks look a bit unnatural. How about you put the vegetation on the baseplate instead of the grey rocks and build out the rocks a bit more with a few slopes instead.
• The trap has two diagonal grey wall pieces. One has some printing on it. I would suggest swapping those two walls so the wall with the printing on it is facing the camera so that it can be more easily seen.

 

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

On 8/15/2023 at 6:32 PM, Lyichir said:

I love the elongated islander face used for the trapdoor exit.

I'm glad you like it! That's one of my favourite parts, too.

[Rui Miguel]

Love your project @BrynnOfCastlegate The way you build it by restricting yourself to only using LEGO parts from that time period is . The building process you did must have been super nostalgic and I bet a fun challenge; almost like going/traveling back in time. 

I like the play features and I can see how cool it would fit right next to set 6292 Enchanted Island increasing the play area. 

Your presentation encaptured fantastically the classic aesthetic of the LEGO System: lighting and composition. The model is simple and it's also what makes it so nostalgic and perfect, "less is more".  

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:06 AM, Rui Miguel said:

Love your project @BrynnOfCastlegate The way you build it by restricting yourself to only using LEGO parts from that time period is . The building process you did must have been super nostalgic and I bet a fun challenge; almost like going/traveling back in time. 

Thank you! I love building in classic styles. I pulled an original catalogue from 1995 out of my archives to scan for the last image. 

[The Brick Stop]

I really Like this one! The simplicity fits well with the topic and time frame of the set.

Also you knocked it out of the part whit the magazine pages, such a great touch!

The new statue design is really nice as well, and the fact that it's also the main play feature is really awesome!

Great Work!

[BrynnOfCastlegate]

On 8/23/2023 at 3:41 PM, The Brick Stop said:

I really Like this one! The simplicity fits well with the topic and time frame of the set.

Also you knocked it out of the part whit the magazine pages, such a great touch!

The new statue design is really nice as well, and the fact that it's also the main play feature is really awesome!

Great Work!

Thank you! I like how the trapdoor turned out also. I tried to make it very much in the style of other sets from the period.

[Dr3w]

Just wow, looking at this model makes me so happy... nothing beats the classic style, well done!
It kinda feels like an Islander version of 6071: Forestmen's Crossing. 

One thing I'd add: an extra islander as there's plenty of space there and the king needs to show more force.