The Best of 2008

[Piranha]

Once a year, I decided to do this poll, about 14 days or two weeks before the new year of TLC Lego products comes in

Like last year there are two categories, Best New Theme and Best Overall Theme

Those were chosen because they are in my opinion the best way to cover everything.

Voting for a theme should be base on which theme had the best models, figs and so on

I've seen a lot happen this year with TLC, including the introduction if the Indiana Jones Theme

Along with the Clone Wars TV series and sets

I thought about adding Pirates and Power Miners, but I view them as a 2009 theme, even though they are featured on the TLC website

It has been an excellent year for Lego

Happy Voting

P

[VBBN]

Agents was by a far the best new theme of 2008.

However town beat it out in terms of best overall theme.

[hewkii9]

Best new theme was Agents IMO, and I voted Castle for best theme otherwise. Orcs, a witch, maiden, jester, and the Battle Wheel were all awesome.

On a mildly related note, I haven't seen many posts from you, Piranha. Where've you been?

[Erdbeereis]

I voted for Agents in both. Just a great new theme with many new pieces and minifig part that have tons of uses, such as the laptops, new sharks, Trace ponytail, Mutt hair (although that came in Indy first), golden hair and many others. I though the set designs were excellent as well, especially the command center, albeit a few too many stickers.

Some others that were very close runners-up were:

Indiana Jones just missed out by the tiniest amount. I absolutely love the theme and look forward to next year's sets. I also enjoyed Castle and Star Wars, but the Clone Wars minifigs aren't my favorite.

[GC8Monkey]

I had to vote Agents as the best new theme. Some excellent sets with great designs a very good value for the dollar IMHO.

However I have to say that the City theme continues to be the best theme of them all. I think there is something for everyone in the City line-up. I am biased though. I my recycle truck.

Star Wars was close to being the best theme in my mind with the release of the Death Star which I think is one of the best builds I have ever done.

[Kakihara Smile]

I must be like the only person who liked the speed racer legos ;) I loved the silly car designs, even if they were far from the silly car designs of the movie. Agents gets best set overall though. They really had a phenomenal line. With robot arms, their stuffed full command base, and all the creative vehicles (really liked the jet).... Plus there was a shark with a gatling gun on it's head. How cool is that!

[hollisbrick]

Best new theme was Agents IMO, and I voted Castle for best theme otherwise. Orcs, a witch, maiden, jester, and the Battle Wheel were all awesome.

On a mildly related note, I haven't seen many posts from you, Piranha. Where've you been?

This is exactly what I was gonna post

Where have you been???

[Svelte]

Indiana Jones for best new theme and best theme overall.

We got all-new figs from movies new and old and well-designed sets reminiscent of the heyday of the Adventurers line, but improving upon it in terms of highly detailed vehicles (7622 Race for the Stolen Treasure and the plane in Peril in Peru 7628).

The sets were also playable rather than just designed to look good, such as the clever succession of traps in 7623 Temple Escape - probably one of the most successful licensed sets ever produced in terms of matching up the movie experience with the real-world play one.

Sure, the line wasn't perfect, but even the sets I didn't think were A grade still had lots to offer in terms of parts - for example 7627 Temple of the Crystal Skull, with its hoard of dark tan bricks, slopes and tiles. Other notable parts were the prevalence of dark green, especially plant parts, the new container box, the ants, the metallic gold chest, and the crystal skulls. Not to mention the trademark fedora and whip!

All in all, definitely the most satisfying and MOC-able of this year's lines.

That said... The Clone Wars sets were uniformly excellent, with even the Twilight being well-designed if unfortunately way, way oversized compared to the rest of the line. The new Clones are good but I never really liked the 'toon style of the new faces for animated series characters. The Death Star was also an incredible experience and worth every expensive penny, but as a downside didn't really offer anything new in terms of figs. Overall I think Star Wars was good but let down by a lack-lustre January launch, with the crappy Dropship, the 'why do we have a set for a videogame that won't be released for 9 months?' Rogue Shadow and the similarly unmoving AT-AP.

Agents was good too, but in the end it was largely another vehicle vs vehicle theme and the colour scheme did wear thin in the end. The figs were excellent though - indeed, I think 08 in general was probably one of the best years ever for minifigs - it was hard to keep track of all the new hairpieces, heads, torsos, and accessories.

If I had the option I would probably have picked 'Shop at Home Exclusives' though as that gave us the best of everything - the incredible Green Grocer, the Taj, the Death Star, Castle Advent Calendar - really all my favourite sets this year were ones squarely aimed at AFOLs, ie me, which is as it should be!

Edited December 18, 2008 by svelte_corps

[darkrebellion]

Well I vote the SW theme like the best cause maybe if I don´t think is the best year of the line (I think 2007 was pretty much a superb year but this one as a downfall , but still great ) is a year of new vehicles (Something many year failed on ) and the designs are superbs. Maybe the greatest downside of the line this year is the price cause all the line is very, VERY overpriced. The alike of the sets with each others is another con in my opinion but after all is just my opinion .

I vote for IJ as the best new theme cause well.. I just hope since year that the TLC launch an IJ theme and they launched a very good one. I think this year was perfect in set terms but the next one doesn´t looks that promising too me or at least for the beginning of the year .

[Corvus]

The best new theme by far was Agents for me. The new parts set it way ahead of the others.

The best theme overall was a close tie between Agents and Star Wars. Star Wars won out for me because TLC finally went into the sets we've been asking for for years, like the Gunship, V-19, and the clones and their kamas. And last but definitely not least... The Death Star.

[The Cobra]

My votes:

Best new theme: Indy. SR was good, but come and gone, andI don't think I like Agents taht much yet.

Best overall: City. Post was back (what about a post office?), Police looks cool with blue stickers and Coast Guard has a terrific color scheme.

[Visorak-kal]

Best new theme: I would say Agents, though Indiana Jones was close. I just didn't see much in the way of, "Oh, that's great" in Indiana Jones, I mean it was a great line but there wasn't anything that made me jump up and say, "Now THAT's neat." Agents, I thought, had really good potential, even though I"m not into that stuff. Most of the sets were styled nicely, and the Volcano Base managed to look menacing and crack you up at the same time. Plus, I"m sure the influx of silver pieces will not go unwanted in MOCs. I just think some original uses it had made it more innovative than Indiana Jones.

Best theme overall:

I was tempted to say BIONICLE (since that is usually my favorite) but I figured I had to sort of look at it the same way I looked at the best new theme, at how it ranks up this year without favoritism. And in that respect, I'd have to say Castle. This year's Castle line was one of the best in years. It sets had variety, style, plenty of minifigs (though dwarves were a little scarce) and were overall well-designed. Sets like the Troll Battle Wheel had a little original flair, while others like the Tower Raid were vast improvements over previous Castle lines (take the Troll siege tower versus the KKII siege towers and the improvement is clear). The whole line, I thought, was well done and a great addition to an already excellent Castle line that started last year.

While I was glad to see the return of functions and large technic sets in BIONICLE, Castle really just blew away many other lines in terms of how great it was. Between my brothers and I, we have nearly every Castle set between last year and this, something that we rarely do, but just every Castle sets was appealing and had its own value. There wasn't a set that you could say you wanted to skip purchasing because another set was the same, only better.

So, best new theme for me is Agents, best theme overall is Castle. City was close as well, though. I have never been a City fan until this new line, the sets just look so real and they seem to be including everything needed to create an entire city. (Although you'd need to buy tons of sets.)

VK

[djo]

Indy really nice for newcomer theme.

SW this year is cool with death star and CW lineup.

[Athos]

Indy was the best new theme, though Agents was very close. On further reflection, however, I possibly should have went with agents, because it was a larger non-licensed theme. But I'll stand by Indy. Some great parts and good figures in that line. Speed-racer was a terrible line.

As for the best, I'll have to go with Castle, since it drained the most from my wallet this year. I don't think I picked up anything else, but Castle, Indy and one agents set (the volcano).

Steve

[SupremeCommmanderGrievous]

I think the best new theme was definitely Indiana Jones, a well-executed line from a great license, and the new minifigures are awesome!

As for best overall them, It was a hard choice, but I had to go with castle, I think castle 2008 was one of the best years LEGO has had for a theme in a while. Orcs (Not Troll Warriors), Dwarves, Trolls (Giant Trolls) And all of the wonderfully orcish siege engines.

[Pate-keetongu]

Best new theme is Indy, because great minifigs, old-timer cars and they are from great movies.

Best theme is Castle, I just love dwarves and troll are interesting too. There is also some great sets, Dwarves mine, Tower raid and Troll warship.

[Omega 8]

I voted Indy for best new theme, all the sets have great playability and the pieces are useful/versatile for MOCing.

Overall goes to City, so many great new sets, the modular buildings continue to WOW us.

[Brainbox]

I voted Agents for both. Although Indy was obviously great just because it's Indy, and that Indy fig is simply wonderful, Agents made me want to rush out and buy all of the sets, so it takes the biscuit here. All the sets were great, with such a great level of fun ingrained in the designs. All the figs are fantastic, both the Agents and Team Inferno. Plus dark blue is always a great colour.

It's been a great year for Lego though. If 2009 is at least as good (and it certainly looks like it will be), then we're in for a good time.

[KimT]

Not that hard.

Best new theme: Indiana Jones - what else?

Best Overall theme: A little harder, but still the vote goes to Star Wars

[5150 Lego]

What about Coast Guard? Or are you including that in city?

If Coast Guard isn't included as a new theme, i'd have tosay Agent was the best new theme of 08,and City being the best over all simply because of Coast Guard!

[alex12]

Best new theme is with no doubt Indiana Jones

Best theme is castle the Dwarf Mine was my fav set of the year.

[Piranha]

I voted for Lego Indiana Jones, because well, it was a dream/speculation come true

In Best overall I voted for SW because its SW

Actually I love the wide diversity of CW sets and of course the DS

In response to where I have been, the answer is very simple, I am very busy nowadays

However I will comment once in while

[Algernon]

Agents was the best NEW theme. It was well realized and really nicely executed... just didn't appeal to me that much.

Best overall theme was probably still... Agents. Although I liked Mars Mission more because I'm a Spacer, I still can't deny that MM's color scheme and alien figs are terrible, whereas Agents has an awesome color scheme and great bad guy figs. :P

Star Wars = overrated TRASH. I hate license themes. LEGO doesn't have to steal Lucas's ideas to be good.

[drdavewatford]

SW gets my 2008 vote for the magnificent Death Star alone, although there were also some other great SW sets. A very strong year for SW. Less impressed so far this year, however, although there's still time ! I agree with the positive comments about Castle, however, and adored my Castle advent calendar !

Indiana Jones was my favourite new theme as I love the movies, although Agents was perhaps more innovative. Agents seemed to me to be more about playing than building, however.

Let's hope 2009 is as good.

Dr. D.

[eti]

Quite a lot of themes missing from that poll. My vote would have been for Exclusives because those are the really awesome sets.

Now I voted for Castle because of the advent calendar and the Market Village (even though that might be a 2009 set officially - I ordered it in 2008, anyway).

I don't have any Indiana Jones, Speed Racer or Agent sets but I voted for Speed Racer because I have those minifigs. And those cars look cool - MUCH better than the 'Racers' cars. I have no clue about the film, by the way.