Niloc

Thank you WF for this beautiful and outstanding review! Even if such reviews have to be long (covering 16 "products"), yours are very well made, fun to look at and great to read. I like the categories group shots between the series (like the Western group). It's fun to see every group expanding more and more each time a new series is made. We're starting to get quite a lot of minifigures now!.. There are some I didn't even remember (a girl genie, a viking, a musketeer!?) Did I miss something? My favourites are now the paleontologist (It was also my dream job), the fencer, the samurai and the galaxy trooper. I may get one or two between these... The interview was very interesting, too. It's true that there seems to be an infinity of possibilities for minifigures!

This new generation is quite impressive! I don't know how they will look in "real life", but every Toa (or should I say Master) has something nice to it. Kopaka and Tahu are definitely the stars of the wave in my book! The shells find a nice balance between Hero Factory and Bionicle. As for the Skull Spider, it's a bit underwhelming for a villain-rahi-something. Well, Bionicle is reborn! Where will it lead this time?..

While a bit late to the party, it's never too late to say: CONGRATULATIONS! Your turtles have raced to the finish line and earned the respect of turtles all around the world. There is great variety in these turtles, it's something really nice to see!

Creative and fancy. Very impressive, and with such a time limit at that!.. I applaud your madness Couldn't help but notice: "AT-AT Limitedtm cannot be held responsible for random Rebel-steered steamspeeder attacks or local flora and fauna" - You lawyer scums!

??? - Unlockable Turtle Master To reveal the character's description, use the cheat code "7UR7L3" and highlight the surface bellow: ???: He appears mysteriously every full moon to teach chosen turtles the way of the “Greenery Samurai Kung-Fu”. How to unlock: beat Turtle Insanity P.s: don't miss August 10 "supermoon"! Door to the Turtle Gallery: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=545889 (maybe I'll tweak a team poster... maybe...)

While there's space far far away, there's also space a little closer to us... Orion Turtle Nobody ever heard of the small Leotorto country, except Leotorto’s inhabitants. Located – or rather stuck – on a lonely island in the middle of the sea, Leotorto’s leaders have tried since time forgot to leave their mark on the world. In the Space Race period, they did something that nobody had ever done: sending a turtle in orbit. Since then, their “Orion Turtle” (their national sport is to look at constellations) has graced the night sky, shining like a star in memory of Leotorto’s greatest achievement. To see Orion's head behind the helmet, head to the behind-the-scene: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=546507 ! P.s: I learned that Mischievous Blue Shell (my first competitor) was undoubtedly doomed from the very beginning (third-party ideas are forbidden). Since I wanted a four-members cell like the TMNT, Orion turtle is kindly replacing its blue partner! * Note: the white tube is purely for animal safety in space decoration and breaks the size limit. It can be removed if necessary, and so, must not really be considered as part of the turtle itself. (this looks like a disclaimer)

Sea, land, sky... Next destination: deep space! SRS: Schildkröte Research Station Wandering in the Sea of Stars, the SRS holds a crew of 15 Testudians whose task is to index the new wave of turtle species appearing across the galaxy. While the crew has access to a turtle pod to visit remote exoplanets, the station is also equipped with a deep infrared reflection telescope (D.I.R.T....), allowing it to detect life forms light-years away. When closed, the telescope acts as a deflector shell, protecting the installation from recurring cosmic storms. For a view of the opened telescope and the turtle pod, please consult the captain's log: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=546608 P.s: Last but not least, space. Decided to get closer to Reid's design this time.

Nice models! I took a long time to decide... 2: 2 5: 5 13: 4 16: 2 22: 3 33: 1 41: 2 46: 1

Is it a bird?... Is it a plane?... No! It's... Shy and Shellpuff Who ever said only men dreamt of flying? The curious turtle Shy always admired the sky – but how often we mocked him! He decided one day to show disbelievers his way, and out of shipwrecks he built himself a friend that would help him escape the infinite sea’s realm. He named him Shellpuff, the puffing airship turtle. And puffing once, the pals bounced right out of the ocean, and puffing twice, around the world they were in motion! Yet, full of emotion, they promised to come back with their pack filled with treasures and stuff. To have a better look at Shy the Searoad turtle, Shelpuff long-legs and Coco the bird, hop in: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=546264 ! P.s: The frog name's "Claude" (He's french but everyone calls him "Cloud" anyway) P.s.s: This is the tightest, but it does fit on an 8x8 plate, just for information! I measured everything with a lego-made T-square...

Sometimes humans are known to imitate nature, often through engineering. But what if nature imitated us?... Asian Turtle Commonly referred to as Asian turtle, the Fortress turtle (Chelonia castellum) is well known for the imitative temple structure growing on its shell, which is believed to indicate its age. Thriving corals and seaweeds make the temple a perfect habitat for migrating fish, as well as for some familiar duos. Its European counterpart is more likely to grow feudal castles on its back. For a shark view, rejected designs and more, follow the next sea current: http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=546232 ! P.s: shark view means from underneath. Bird's-eye view from top, shark view from bottom...Bird, shark, animal... And yes, I made that up.

The steampunk effect is a success! The overall look of your model is very pleasant to the eye, as it is smooth, has a lot of details that are not agressive (chaotic) but that rather fit together... That's it, everything seems to be in the right place, with the right detailing and the right color. As soon as I saw the model, I had a very good impression. I wonder, was it difficult to build it, you know, with all the tubes and clips, does it hold well together? Anyway, good job (and good luck with the contest)

When the competition is speeding up, the item box may give you a lucky... Mischievous Blue Shell Any self-respecting kart racer knows the power of the "spiny blue shell", but what they may not know is that the shell hides… a turtle! Race organizers only hire the strongest and most mischievous turtles to pilot the blue shells... to make sure they won't miss their target. Watch out first player, the Blue Shell has an eye on you… and… a pulse blaster! What!? More pictures here: http://www.brickshel...ry.cgi?f=545890 (and an incoming action scene... Edit: When public, the file is...) P.s: And more turtles coming in the next weeks!

I know it's nitpicking, but is the overhang rule really strict? Say, if a simple antenna makes an overhang of only 3 mm... is it already too much? Sure, I can drop the antenna if it's for the sake of the rule, but I can't promise the coolness won't drop with it!

Dang it, I only know how to build tortoises... Seeing that this is clearly a "Turtle" contest, this thing will be without me... What of the poor toirtoise, it needs some love too! Jokes apart, that's a very nice contest! Hopefully it will push creativity in many... unexpected ways...

I love this. A fairly "simple" but ingenious mechanism. While the video was playing, I wondered how long it would take to reach space (if "Lego was magic" ). I thought it would take about 500 years. Then I see that you actually said it would take seven thousand years. It's crazy... and I was way off tracks!

When it's not a busy day, I can sometimes be focused so much on building a model (I call it a "creative boost") that I don't see time flying by.... When I'm done I look at the clock and I'm like: "Woops, it's 1:00 AM and I didn't have dinner" Sometimes it's a bit scary! The key though is to build in small intervals, so that you don't get trapped in focus and you can get other things done in the meantime.

Hi everyone, Here is the first "editorial" of what could be a serie (depending on... well... how it sparks interest). The thing is that I'm always bothered with questions about how things work, why things work and what people like and don't like about things. Yeah, it's pretty general So I had this idea to start small posts discussing and/or debating about the many ways LEGO bricks can be seen (as a toy, yes, and much more) and why they are so interesting and loved (I guess people like LEGO here, or am I on the wrong site? ) Each monthly post would be about a specific yet kind of general question, presented with a bit of introduction (that some may find obvious) and reflection around it. Anyway, let's start this with a big question! What is the essence of LEGO, or what is the most important: bricks or sets? We know that LEGO started mostly as wooden toys, as shown by the famous LEGO duck (see here: http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/LEGO_Duck ). At that time, it was all about the final product, which we could play with in only one way. But LEGO has evolved, and is now known worldwide for its "interlocking bricks". There are billion of bricks around the world, and thousands of type of bricks and ways to use them. Yet, LEGO has kept its way of selling its bricks in the shape of a "toy", or "set" that is specific to a genre or theme. The funny thing is that the question comes back in a way in THE LEGO MOVIE: if it's more about the way we can play with the bricks, there's also a bit of "should we build the sets or build our own things?". The sets seem very important to LEGO, in particular to allow kids to play with a completed truck or spaceship full of functions, while if we handed them a bag of pieces, they may not be able to build such complicated models. But the sets are not only for kids: even adults like to buy completed sets. While some don't really play with them, they like to display sets on shelves and collect them. The sets are important for a reason or another and so, are sold on the shelves. Well, we know how it works. On the other hand, LEGO bricks are very popular for the infinite possibilities their bricks allow. Almost everyone likes to build their own creations, whether simple or intricate. But if bricks seem to be a very important part of LEGO's reputation, are they essentially what we can today call "LEGO"? If so, why don't the company sells more separated bricks? Pick-a-brick walls show a concept that could be developed more, and yet, the LEGO company restrains itself. In the end, the question is: do you think LEGO is more about the bricks alone and the way they are evolving now, or more about the sets (even if they're built with bricks), like how it all started and how it is sold in stores? Do you buy sets only for their parts or do you only collect sets? Do you think both are as important to the balance and if so, do you like to keep some completed sets and a brick collection to build MOCs? What does the term "LEGO" mean to you? (sorry, a lot of questions ... and a lot of "LEGO" ) End of edito. 1 - Niloc out PS: If you have any critics, feedbacks or suggestions about the way the edito is presented (length, introduction, structure, sub-questions), don't hesitate!

As a child, the monthly Bionicle comics strapped to the LEGO Magazines were what really made Bionicle. While it wasn't complicated at all (and full of "pew-pew" and "zoooom!crash!"), it was grounding the characters in a universe with clear objectives, cliffhangers and a continuous story. It made it so exciting to follow! If Bionicle was to truly return (never would I have imagined it), I couldn't see it without its comics. They're part of Bionicle.

Has anyone spotted Ultra Agents sets in Walmart? I believe they're out at ToysRus, but I've been to Walmart and they didn't have any summer set... I hope they won't be released only later this year... (in August or something)

Do the legs have joints? If so, could they move in reality? These legs are bugging me. IMO, they would look better with knee joints and a kind of bulky armor. They would fit with the general strong look of the body. Otherwise, the cockpit transition with the two windscreens makes for a nice effect and the bulky shape gives an I-can-break-through-the-ice look. I like the use of the handlebars on the back, which make me think of vertebras. And it's no Ice Planet without the trans-orange saw!

I just acquired Rocka Stealth Machine as my first Hero Factory set ever. I was never much of an action figure guy, but the HF mech line hit my mech love! I think it's a fabulous concept. I have to say I was very impressed with this little set, much more than with just looking at it in pictures. It's worth the money, has a nice variety of basic pieces, the minifigure is cute, plus the zamor sphere shooter and the claw are cool weapons... The mech has great posability and color scheme (trans-green ), elegant is indeed the word to describe it. I think that from every angle, it doesn't look "empty" and it just scream coolness. The jumping bug is icing on cake. (I always liked critters that jump when you press on it, anyway) Very pleased.

I have to agree that it looks cooler and much more imposing in the comic than how the model really is (The concept is very cool)! The side view of the whole thing still looks pretty good. It has a kind of animal feeling, like it's ready to jump like a mad dog through the caves and destroy and squish all the poor little bugs. The torso is making my head spin. It's crazy how complicated it looks, and yet, how it's only made of 2 or 3 types of bones! I like how the Hero Factory structure is seemingly trying to "standardize" itself so you can achieve a lot of different shapes with the same basic elements. However, I don't understand why the ship then comes back to the old technic structure... It's kind of contradictory...

From the first picture to now, my opinion on this new Sandcrawler has been very mixed up... I love the new model one day, and the other I don't like it. The sandcrawler is not a very complex vehicle to begin with, just a big brown box. Yet it's such a meaningful icon of the original trilogy and the Star Wars world overall IMO, on the same level as the X-wing or the Death Star. I like the minifigs, even if they're not very detailed and they don't make the model to me. There are just two details that are bugging me: luke's chin (it's just too much for the face) and the fact that the Jawas don't have capes. The canadian price is also a bit too much (and I would be surprised if it ever went down). I know it's a UCS and that it has a bit more than 3000 pieces, but for such a price, I think the model shouldn't have any flaw. I think it's near perfect, though there is still something missing... It could be the windows... or the Lars homestead (or capes for the Jawas ) Still, the design is definitely on a "near-perfect" level, and I agree that it's better than the first version. I may give up and buy it one day...

Thanks everyone!

I have just one word to describe a punching tank... Awesome. There's not much to say about the whole line right now, so I'll wait for clear pictures of each set, but the thing I can't wait for are functions! I want to see the small tank acting like a boxer (is it the case?), the rotating blades of the "tornado helicopter", the unfolding truck base... and I wonder if the small Tron-y vehicle has any main function (splitting, transformation, shooting?..) I missed the first mobile command center, which looked very nice, so the new one is very tempting. I love the trans-blue rims so much. I just don't know why, but they add a lot to the set. Also, the new small ball joints system taking the role of hinges like these http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItem.asp?P=44301 to fold the truck panels is very interesting... Any idea what that yellow crane thingie near the scientist does? I can't figure it out. And I didn't see anyone mention it, but I spot a cute brick-build microscope