Arigomi

I'm impressed with the amount of colors used in this theme. TLG usually adheres to a very narrow color palette to keep costs under control. I wish the lions had a proper mane instead of the Dragonball Z hair. The speedorz sets looks interesting. Each of them includes brick built obstacles. Maybe the game is designed around launching a speedorz through an obstacle course.

When you are building a small house, there aren't many options in terms of shape. It wasn't a big deal for me with 5766 Log Cabin. I'm not going to pass judgement until we can gets some pictures that show off any details or play features. The new robot sets sounds interesting. The word "power" in its name could mean it will use a winch brick to add some power functions. I really hope the eagle is at least a medium size set or larger. The saddle tractor sounds like a great idea. The farming sub-theme hasn't be active in a long time and would be a good source of inspiration for new Creator models. Sports cars and jets are nice but variety is always appreciated.

It's good to hear that they are committed to making Friends a staple theme.

While Santa isn't original, I feel like this version capture the spirit of the character the best. The pointy hats used previously always missed the mark. The DJ has a lot of personality and the printed record will be a nice for anyone that gets 10228 Haunted House. That set uses a sticker to create a record on a gramaphone. The Bavarian guy looks great with his lederhosen. Hopefully there will be a German barmaid in a dirndl holding a beer stein in a future series. I would've liked the cheerleader more if they didn't stick so closely to the original. The lack of a canvas skirt is fine but the printing on the torso could use an update. Most cheerleader uniforms are patterned like this: Another option would be to use long sleeves to represent the winter outfits used during cold weather.

I like how it splits open so that you can access the interior for both display and play purposes. The distressed look of the house really invites anyone to "renovate" this model to fit their own personal preferences.

It seems like the designers have been fixated on barbecue grills lately. So far, I've found them in 8403 City House, 5771 Hillside House, 5770 Lighthouse Island, 3315 Olivia's House, 7346 Seaside House, and 850449 Beach Set.

That was a fun review. I'm certainly interested since I missed out on these CMF series. These particular minifigures had really great printing details. I think it does a better job than 853195 Brick Calendar at a CMF reissue. The Brick Calendar was simply a harder sell. The CMF Beach Set offers more minifigs and accessories for the same price. The piece count isn't as good as the calendar but you aren't dealing with very many basic bricks in this set either.

I just wanted to share some news that many don't seem to know about because it was mentioned in the Monster Fighters thread. MBA Kits 7-9 subscriptions are now available. The piece counts are in the description.

It's more about the cheesy nostalgic novelty than actual fandom. The idea is quite reasonable. Playmobil introduced a new theme for 2012 based on similar concepts called Future Planet.

I think the most interesting builds are the chairs made using the car fenders.

The "Battle of Hoth" game looks difficult to customize. The attack ranges rely heavily on the board layout to balance them.

"Every day I brush my teeth with a toothbrush." Brush is the preferred verb when talking about a toothbrush. Be careful with using teeth and cleaning together. Teeth cleaning is a term that refers to a dentist removing the plaque buildup from your teeth.

I'm sure Kokoriko and Mini Taurus will be released soon since the you can find the gameplay demos here. Mini Taurus actually surprised me. It seems to be a superior version of Minotaurus even though it is a travel size. Kokoriko is definitely designed for children even though there is some strategy involved with the mechanics. I wouldn't have guessed that the weird faces on the pink tiles represent a worm.

The other buildings are a jewelry store (jewel), a bakery (croissant), a coffee shop (mug), and a lighthouse (at the dock). I'm not sure what the unmarked buildings are but some possibilities include a police station, fire station, or hospital. When the alternate rules direct you to place the jail next to the building with the overhang, it forms a bridge. Based on this, there is a strong possibility that this is the police station. The printed tiles in the game are great for anyone looking for decorative parts. The new orange brick separator is handy for removing tiles and disassembling technic elements. Overall, there are a lot of interesting parts. I'm disappointed that this set doesn't include both left-hand and right-hand copies of the blue plate used for the pizza parlor sign.

I like that there is room for two passengers. It gets lonely out in the cold reaches of space.

The column of 2x2 cylinder bricks is part of the real Hayabusa's sample capturing device. That is why it is featured prominently on the box. Hayabusa didn't actually land on and take off from Ittokawa because that would introduce a lot of complicated design variables. Instead, it "touches" the surface with this device to collect samples before moving away. Technic parts are used for the secondary support because they are a lot stronger than bricks. It has to support a lot of weight on a small area without falling apart every time you moved the model. From certain viewing angles, you won't see the secondary support.

Done. It's a little odd there was no picture of the "Gewinne! Win! Gagne!" kid screaming at me.

They are built different because each theme has a different set of goals the designers need to fulfill. The target age group for City sets plays a huge role in how they are designed. The buildings have open backs because kids want easy access to the interior for play. Kids should be able to instantly understand the play features in City sets without having an adult explain them. Parts like wall panels are used so that children don't get frustrated or bored during the building process. Creator buildings have different goals. It is a budget-friendly theme so the designers can't request new molds for these sets. The parts selection can't deviate too much from the standard color palette. Walls are brick built to allow more flexibility in the alternate builds.

Having Darth Maul or a clone trooper on the packaging didn't make any sense with the OT sets. Yoda is a far better choice since he plays a role in both PT and OT.

I suspect that Hasbro did that intentionally. The last thing Hasbro wants to do is cannibalize their sales of Transformer action figures with Kre-O.

I've never thought about using the 1x1 black taps as firearms. Great idea!

Due to the underground caverns, there is only enough room for one connection point at the base. Even if you used Technic friction pins, the modules could still swivel around the pin if you deviated from the default square configuration. Technic axles prevent the modules from twisting around the connection points, especially if you have them connected in a straight line. The modular buildings use enough connections points that alignment between the buildings isn't an issue.

Congratulations on your renewed interest! A lot has changed in 22 years so there is a lot of exciting things to learn and discover. I would recommend to take your time with rebuilding your collection. It is very tempting to go out and buy everything that catches your eye but the company has grown so much that you can become overwhelmed by all of the choices. Explore all of the forums and you might be surprised by what themes you like. If you don't rush, you will have a lot more fun with building your collection.

It looks better than I expected but it doesn't have the "must have" factor you'd expect from exclusive sets. There are simply too many sets for 2012 that interest me more. I can see getting all of the 1x1 tiles and 1x1 bricks to line up in a perfect grid will be finicky business. At the microscale level, these details stand out.

Clutch power isn't really a defining trait these days. What sets LEGO apart is the amount of precision used to account for tolerance stack up. When you put a bunch of bricks together the little bit that is out of specification on each piece multiplies into a larger total value. If the tolerance stack up is too large then you will have trouble with interlocking. The higher standard of precision that TLG uses costs more money to achieve. That is why LEGO sets are more expensive. The advantage to higher precision with tolerance stack up is the ability to create large models without running into interlocking problems. Modular buildings wouldn't be possible without this higher degree of precision. Clone brands have gotten steadily better over the years. They could match TLG's level of precision but are currently satisfied with a "good enough" approach in order to compete at lower price points.