Velika314

I've been wanting to get this set for a while, so I went to my nearest LEGO store (about a 35-minute drive) to get it. But was it worth it? Set Name: 10218 Pet Shop Theme: Exclusive Released: May 2011 Pieces: 2032 Price: $149.99 Place of Purchase: LEGO Store First the box: Box Front Box Back I like the little minifigure adventure pictures on the back of the box. Bagged Parts and Instruction Booklet It took two pictures... I'm so glad the bags are numbered. Instruction Booklet It's not bent! Thank you for the cardboard and bag LEGO! A random page. Parts list. Bag 1 The Parts A very nice selection of parts. Interesting Pieces The parts in these colors are still somewhat new to me. I love the 1x4 tile-plate combo! The Build The basement is getting started and steps have been added. The reverse-dome mechanism is installed. A close-up to see how it's done. Bonus points for creativity Lego! If you're like me and have to straighten out every piece then this^ is a pain. Hey look, a toilet! Some household objects are added and the first floor begins to take shape. At first glance it's a normal sofa... But it has a gaping hole in the middle! I think Lego is getting a little lazy/cheap. I also noticed some quality control issues. The camera exaggerates it a bit due to the lighting. A hat rack and stairs are added. The walls are getting taller. And Bag 1 is finished! The interior looks very nice. Bag 2 The Parts I always leave them sorted. I don't know if sorting is smart or wimpy, but I like the build to involve more building than searching. Interesting Pieces Some trans parts and a green door. I haven't seen that light orange flower in a set before. The Build Wow! These upper floors go really fast! More discoloring! The floor is finished. I love the flowers by the window, very nice detail. A balcony! I like this rail technique! This looks like someone just moved in! This also looks like an excuse for no furniture... The 3rd floor is empty. I will probably add some furniture since LEGO doesn't want to. Green Grocer got an outdoor dining area, Fire Brigade got a bell and water barrel, Grand Emporium got a skylight and sign, and Pet Shop got...nothing. I suppose the other sets didn't split in two, but still. Halfway! Looks good! Bag 3 The Parts Pets! Interesting Pieces There is that grey frog again. (Fire Brigade helmet holders) I think this part is all-new! The Pet Shop dog (left), police dog (middle), and classic dog (right) posing for a group picture. I got two different parrots in my copy of the set. The Build The dog and cat are placed in their areas. The steps are built and the walls are added to. Preparations are made for the "PETS" sign. From the front it looks like a normal fish tank... But when examined in detail it is revealed that the tank has no back! Ta-daa! The sign is finished. Bag 3 is finished! Bag 4 (Final Bag) The Parts Yay! Interesting Pieces Just some tan and dark grey bits. A gunmetal frying pan! The Build A fireplace and a shockingly familiar kitchen (Fire Brigade). Nooooooooooooooo! This apartment has a door to enter. I like the steps. A nice little dining area. I like the bed! The top floor is finished. The windows have nice detailing! Hey look! A mini skylight! I guess Pet Shop does get something on its roof(s)! Bag 4 is finished! Done! What a nice shop. Build Conclusion Extra Pieces An extra grass piece! I can always use more of those. The Completed Set Looks even better together! The minifigures join in. The set splits apart (if you haven't figured that out already). Features The window opens and closes. A stair technique. The entry to the basement from the inside... And the outside. Conclusion Playability: 5/5 Even though this is not a set intended for play the set itself is built to welcome moving and adjusting of the interior. This also makes it welcome for kids to play with. Design: 5/5 Some NPU and an overall realistic look. It combines the wacky piece usage in Fire Brigade with the plain look of Green Grocer. Build: 3/5 At times it got repetitive like the 30x shown above, but overall it was fun to create. Parts: 4/5 2 all new parts as far as I know! Unfortunately there was some discoloration which brings the score down. Price: 8/5 The set should actually be (if we are following price to piece ratio) $200. Overall: 5/5 A great set that fits the standards set by the modular building line. Although there were some noticeable problems with the set, it makes up for it in the long run. Comparison Shots Pet Shop with Green Grocer. Pet Shop with Grand Emporium Pet Shop with Fire Brigade Bonus Mr. Johnson noticed the aquarium problem too late. At least the fish won't go to waste... Brickshelf gallery

I decided to take advantage of the Black Friday sales out here in the USA and picked this set up along with 9441 Kai's Blade Cycle at a discount. These new sets appear to have a "convert" ability which grabbed my interest. The last time I saw that was back with Alpha Team! Set Name: 9442 Jay's Storm Fighter Theme: Ninjago Released: January 2012 Pieces: 242 Price: $24.99 Place of Purchase: Toys R Us First off, the box: Box Front Box Back The box appears to be the same format as all the other Ninjago 2012 boxes. I like the little electricity flare-ups on the box. Parts, Instruction Booklet, and DSS Bags full of parts, a dreaded sticker sheet, and a horribly bent instruction booklet. The key elements of a Lego set! The Parts A very nice selection of parts. New and Interesting Parts Bricks, giant golden blades, a shapely cockpit... The Instruction Booklet It's hard to differentiate between black and dark grey sometimes. Perhaps people were just skipping past the ads at the end, so Lego put them in the middle as well... The DSS I love the lightning for the wings of the storm fighter. The Minifigs Jay ZX has no armor or sheath, a major downside to the set. At least give him some sort of unique weapon to compensate! Nice back detailing. Helmet-less! The Build The stand that holds the staff. The base of the storm fighter is constructed. There were 10+ blue hinged plates to put on. A mechanism in the making... Not much to say here. Ready for the wings! The green and red translucent stud tiles sort of detract from the overall look of the set in my opinion. The stickers are added and the fighter looks much nicer. Finished! Conversion Before After The wings use a rubber band which pulls them back from their "locked" position. It works well in the air, but not so well when on the ground. The Conclusion Extra Pieces Extra gold stud tiles! Overall Playability: 5/5 The conversion bit works nicely and is a welcome addition to an already playable set. Design: 4/5 A little slow on the wing pop out when the fighter is on the ground. Build: 4/5 Fun, but tedious at times (blue hinges ) Parts: 5/5 Lots of nice new parts in nice new colors. Would have liked armor for Jay ZX though. Price: 5/5 The price-to-parts ratio is 7 pieces short of perfection. Great in my book. Overall: 5/5 The storm fighter looks good and works nicely. A good parts pack as well. The Finished Set Click here to check out my other Ninjago 2012 review of 9441 Kai's Blade Cycle

I'm definitely getting that Space Marine figure.

I've been working a while on a MOC that was set out in the country. I wanted practice using landscape techniques and thought this was the best way to go about it. This is the first real MOC that I've shared with the AFOL community. I don't normally do Town MOCs but I liked the idea of doing a river setting so I went for it. Enjoy! For more pictures click here.

Thanks for the feedback! I'll add more variety to it and post pics soon.

I decided to take advantage of the Black Friday sales out here in the USA and picked this set up along with 9442 Jay's Storm Fighter at a discount. These new sets appear to have a "convert" ability which grabbed my interest. The last time I saw that was back with Alpha Team! Set Name: 9441 Kai's Blade Cycle Theme: Ninjago Released: January 2012 Pieces: 188 Price: $16.99 Place of Purchase: Toys R Us Let's start with the box: Box Front Box Back The new box has a mysterious green ninja as a background. Who is it I wonder... Parts, Instruction Booklet, and DSS The Parts I spy some nice new pieces! Pieces of Interest Look at all those cool bits! A new ninja mask, golden bits, gold sheath, and a new tile stud piece! The Instruction Booklet Bent as usual... Also, I found this insert in the middle of the building directions: A 4 page insert in the middle of the instructions! Why? The DSS This was a pain to apply, but at least they don't overlap pieces. The Minifigs Very detailed minifigures. I love the new mask and snake head. Some back printing. A comparison with Kai ZX's old ninja mask (and the one used for most ninjas up until this point) and the new ninja mask. The shorter back allows for armor to be added to ninjas. The new double sword sheath looks nice and is attached to the shoulder pads. How the swords fit in. The Build A nice small stand for the snake staff. The staff actually has a transparent blue tile stud with a "hypnosis symbol" attached to it. The bike starts off with some technic bits for stability (and not for the "convert" function as I had thought before building it). The bike is beefed up with some blades and a wheel. More blades and wheels are added. The sides that supposedly pop out are added. Finished! Conversion Before After I found this feature nice, but overall kind of uninteresting. It barely pops out at all and it doesn't convert into anything more than a seemingly larger bike. Still, it's nice to have some sort of play feature for kids to use in a smaller set like this one. Conclusion Extra Pieces Overall Playability: 4/5 It's nice that LEGO decided to add a transforming option into a smaller set like this. It doesn't work very well though. Design: 5/5 The set is very stable and looks very "sharp" Build: 3/5 Interesting, but it didn't stick out like some other sets do. Parts: 6/5 Lots of nice new parts in nice new colors. Price: 4/5 The price-to-parts ratio is pretty good. Not spot on though and this is not a Licensed theme Overall: 4/5 I would get it for the parts and minifigures alone. A nice set to add to your parts collection. The Finished Set Click here to view my review of 9442 Jay's Storm Fighter.

I love the Town Hall, but I think the size of it makes it feel out of place. I know that some people were complaining about the size of Pet Shop compared to the other buildings, I can only imagine what they think of Town Hall... I understand LEGO's intentions to make this building the biggest of the modulars, but when there is no spaces in between the buildings this modular disrupts the flow of the street.

I was thinking about purchasing this set, but I wanted to see what other Eurobricks members thought of it first. Now I'm sold. Great review!

Thanks! I'm unsure as to what they're doing in relation to The Dark Knight Rises. I heard they might be doing sets. If so, I would hope for some nice new pieces and a TDKR Batwing!

For some reason I can't seem to find the video. Could you please post the link to it?

Great review! I'm convinced that every set in this line is worth getting. My wallet disagrees.

I actually found out about Eurobricks off of "The Brothers Brick". Also, when I googled for Lego reviews this site was almost always one of the first to pop up. I checked it out and was watching it for about 2 years. I finally decided to join and help contribute through reviews and comments. I'm so glad to be a part of this great community!

It seems like TLC is better off releasing a line for girls, even if it is "stereotypical". If people don't like a line for girls, the "normal" Lego sets are still out there. If people do want a line for girls, now there is one. On another note, I'm curious that no one has complained when a "stereotypical" boy line is released. There are many Lego themes that have mostly male minifigures holding guns/weapons to fight something. I never saw a huge upset over those sets, why these?

Ah, a creative solution!

Thanks! Yes, I'm disappointed there is no gold bits on the new ZX suits. I loved the gold details on the DX ones. I guess TLG was going for a different "feel" this time around.

Thanks for all the great comments everyone!

Thanks! I'm glad you think so.

I've already done a couple of reviews and members have told me to join this academy. I think I could use some tips on how to make my reviews better and more helpful to others. I would be honored to join.

Good, then I'm not the only one who doesn't like customization. I agree, Lego should provide the pieces themselves to complete their figure. TLG is smart, I'm sure they'll find someway of getting us the right cape.

That doesn't sound good. I haven't checked recently so I wouldn't know. It seems unlike TLG to tease buyers with a special version of a minifigure and hope that people spend extra money to get the normal version. It doesn't seem like too much effort for TLG to add a cloth cape to our hooded hero. I for one would pay a little extra to get a cloth cape in the set. It would still be cheaper then the alternative. I know it's silly, but I always feel when I modify Lego bits they are substandard to the real deal. I feel bad when I'm sanding down a piece, almost like I'm destroying it (even when the end result is good). Of course, I don't make too many custom pieces.

This is a possible weapon for Jay ZX to use as depicted on the back of the box: The "weapon" pieces are found on the sides of the plane, but I always thought they were meant to stay there to go with the "blade" feel. I'm not sure why Lego didn't include a nicer weapon.

Yes, that is always an option for people. But why pay extra for a cape that should have been included in the set anyways? Hopefully the prices on bricklink won't be too high.

It's not that I don't want them, it's just that I've seen so many times where they have been used in massive quantities. Perhaps LEGO should make a big hinged piece?

As far as the cape issue goes, I have mixed feelings about it. The smallest set in the LEGO Superheroes line includes an exclusive new "gliding cape" piece for Batman's cape. The smallest set also includes a dark blue "classic" Batman, while all the others have the black Batman. This would be great, but there is only one other set to get the dark blue cloth cape that would go with the dark blue suit. That other set happens to be the most expensive in the line. For many of us, spending $99 on a set just to get a dark blue cloth cape is silly. Many buyers who would like to collect every version of Batman in its entirety don't wish to pay that $99 to complete the classic Batman. I'm going to buy all the superheroes sets I can get my hands on, but I realize this issue and do hope that Lego includes that cape so that buyers don't have to buy an expensive set to get it. This is just my opinion on this issue.