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I hardly own any of the 2010 sets, but I'll vote for my top 5 at the moment. I should be able to collect lots of these over the next few months, then I'll have a better idea of what I really like. For now, my top 5 is a follows (not in any particular order): -Cargo Train -Family House -Pig Farm & Tractor -TRU Truck -Passenger Train I'm sad to say so, but personally the most disappointing set this year for me is the Public Transport. I guess I set my hopes much too high. Some of the vehicles are nice, but as a whole the set looks like a mess.

Nicely done Ferrari! While I like to see Alonso finally pick up a victory, I was hoping that Massa would get to stay out front the whole race. In any case, great driving by both of them - hopefully they can remain this competitive throughout the rest of the season. Good for Vettel being able to keep up for the duration of the race. Those top three really left everyone else in the dust! Overall, a pretty clean and enjoyable race.

Finally got around to picking up this set today as it was on sale for 25% off. As expected, this set is extremely short on play functions. For something this size, I really feel that they could have packed in more than just a collapsing roof. I've picked up some of the Wild Wet sets from 1996 and am very impressed with them - the explosion functions in a couple of them is very satisfying and well integrated. With the Western Train Chase, there is a decent amount of room in a couple of the cars that is just going to waste. I think it would have been neat if an exploding feature had been packed into one or more of the cars (either with a shock absorber or some other method). Otherwise, the minifigures and smooth spinning wheels make the set fairly fun to play around with. I'm happy that I bought the set, though I'm glad I did so when it was on sale. Thanks again for the review, Def.

Went to my local mall today (Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket) to take advantage of the 25% off TS sets. Picked up the Western Train Chase and Army Men on Patrol. Lots of stock on all of the sets. Also went into the TRU to check up on things. They now have a wide variety of the games for sale which were located on a large shelf near the Lego. They may have had all of the 2009 releases, but I specifically remember them having the following: -Robo Champ (approx.$13) -Monster 4 ($20) -Lava Dragon ($20) -Race 3000 ($27) -Pirate Code ($27) -Magikus ($13) -Minotaurs ($?) -Ramses Pyramid ($40) -Creationary ($45) They also had Harry Potter Hogwarts for $40. On the Town front, they had the train Level Crossing set for $27. Hopefully they get the rest of the train stuff in eventually as I'd love to get them on sale. They also finally have the Pig Farm & Tractor. They also had all of the canister Hero Factory sets, as well as the Furno Bike and Drop Ship. They may had some others, but they did not jump out at me. I didn't check prices. Finally, for Technic, they had the Container Truck for $90 Hopefully more new sets will pop up over the next few weeks. Happy hunting!

Nice! I've been holding off getting the Western Train Chase as I was hoping for a sale somewhere. 25% makes the price a bit more reasonable. I picked up some other TS sets at Zellers a few weeks ago when they were on sale and they had a great selection. Hopefully the selection will be good this time around again. And it's rumoured to be around the first week of August before other new sets start appearing right? For example the new Star Wars stuff (Slave 1 etc).

These all look great, thanks for sharing the pictures! I consider myself to be very fortunate to have collected all the figs from series 1 (plus multiples of a few that I wanted). I honestly hope series 2 is a bit easier to come by as I'm sure most kids (who these are intended for after all) might not have known about their existence at all, or if they were lucky managed to get a couple. These are very appealing looking, so best of luck to everyone getting the minifigures that they want!

Interesting. It's one thing to have a theme rumoured, but then to have a prototype minifigure all of a sudden makes things that much more exciting. For me, the POtC movies became less appealing with each installment, however I believe they will be perfectly suited for Lego treatment. If theses sets are anything like the Indiana Jones or Prince of Persia ones, then we should be in for a good time. I'm sure we will get our share of Pirate ships, but what I'm most excited about is the prospect of getting more land based sets. With four films to draw from, there is a lot of potential here - it will be interesting to see what they do with this license. As for the Jack Sparrow minifigure, he is basically what I expected (well, maybe a bit more detailed than I imagined). While I'd love for that hat to be removable, I can't help but feel that the hat and hair may be a single piece. Only time will tell.

Very topic. There are certainly a lot of interesting points that cover a lot of different angles. I don't really have a lot new to bring to the table, but these are my thoughts anyways. When I was younger, minifigures were much less important to me. Sure I had my favorite figs picked out in my collection, but at that time it was all about the sets themselves. I'd swoosh anything swooshable, drive anything with wheels, put bases into action - it didn't really matter if there were figs present or not, I just had a blast playing with the models anyways. It was always a bonus to have cool minifigures to populate everything, but my focus wasn't on them. It was as if all the vehicles and structures had lives and personalities of their own. As years passed and I grew older, the minifigures also became more detailed and visually appealing. Lots of the figs got individual names and even stories behind their characters. As this happened, minifigures started to become a more important factor in a set. Though I still don't let minifigures dictate what sets I do or don't buy most of the time, their charm is undeniable and it is harder and harder to resist them. Kids (and people in general) are much more drawn towards something or someone they can relate to. Though minifigures have always played a key role in the popularity of Lego, these modern hyper-detailed figs are just so much more appealing to many. One has so many customization options for their fig that they are bound to find something that they like. This is basically still my attitude as well. While I can sometimes be sucked into buying a set almost exclusively for the figs, the majority of the time I get something because I like the main model. If I've got a handful of minifigures to throw in a spaceship - great, there are now some guys at the controls and I can go on with whatever I am doing. This was really the biggest draw for me with some recent licensed themes. For example, I did not start collecting the Indiana Jones stuff until one day mid way through 2009 when all of a sudden I though to myself "Hey, I'm going to regret it down the line if I don't pick up a couple Indiana Jones sets". I wanted to have minifigure versions of some of those unforgettable characters from the films. Of course when I actually started collecting the theme I fell in love with the models themselves too, but those minifigures were pure gold!

Hurrah, lots of high quality photos! The ship looks really nice. As I said before, it's nice to get another UCS prequel set. The ship looks reasonably detailed, and there are a number of interesting pieces and building techniques. Price not included, my biggest complaint is perhaps that the droid head is about 25% too large. However, it's awesome to get a printed dome piece like that, so I can forgive. Overall, I'm very happy with the set. It will be nice to get a UCS set once again that does not take up 8 cubic feet of space in my room!

This looks absolutely lovely! It's really nice to see that while this has the same feel as the Winter Toy Shop, it is not trying to be a clone with a new coat of paint. The bakery is pretty cute and looks to have a nice selection of cooked goods inside. The ice rink and carriage are perfect additions to any winter scene. I'm very pleased with how this looks.

Nice to finally see a picture of this thing! While I'm not upset about the scale or anything (considering sets like the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower, I would not have expected the Tower Bridge to be anywhere near minifig scale), I do feel that the set is slightly under detailed, or maybe the colours seem off. I'm sure we'll all be able to appreciate the set better once we set larger and more detailed pics, but at the moment I can't help but feel that the Tower Bridge might have benefited from a higher piece count. The vehicles are a nice inclusion and don't appear to eat up much of the piece count, the double decker bus definitely helps to set the scene. I am extremely pleased that this is being offered as a set and do like the looks of it quite a lot. I do have some initial criticisms after looking at this first small picture, but hopefully improved pics will do the set better justice.

Thanks for this review Inky. Oh and lovely photos I admit that I know nothing about this ship or basically any of the characters (I don't watch the show). I therefore found this a particularly interesting and thorough review. The ship is an interesting design. I've seen plenty of similar ships in the background of the prequel films, so it's neat to come across a character who uses one to call his own. As you pointed out, the biggest draw with this set is the figs. Again, I don't know any of these guys, but I admit they look pretty cool. It would have been cool if the ship had a more complex play function thrown in (I honestly don't know what) as a cargo area and deadly headlights is kind of disappointing. In your video, the headlights look pretty effective, but you mention that they are pretty useless - I'm guessing that most of the time they just fall out instead of shooting out? Anyways, thanks again for the review! (Has anyone told you recently how nice your photography is? )

That JSF looks pretty slick. Nice to see another UCS set for the prequel trilogy. I like this ship and personally think it's overdue for a remake - this UCS set is the perfect way to do so. I'll have to wait to see more pictures before passing final judgement, but it seems like the ship is pretty well designed considering the piece count. My take on the droid head is that it is one of these but printed. I like the look of the cube dudes. I'll wait and see if some instructions pop up at any point and perhaps build my own. Lets not jump the gun too much on prices, it's still a while before the set is released. Also, not wanting to get deep into a price discussion here, but I'd say creator sets have generous price to part ratios, not UCS stuff (Falcon, Dropship and AT-OT, etc etc)

Thanks for this review, paanjang16. This is the only set from the Aquanauts line that I do not have. Though vehicles that role along the ocean floor seem like a bizarre concept, I've always found the sets oddly appealing. I've played around with this set in the past and liked it a lot. Now that I finally have my Neptune Discovery Lab, I wish I had the Crystal Crawler set more than ever to complete the collection. The set looks to have a lot of play value with the flexible arms, the propellers that can be adjusted, and the fact that this is a wheeled vehicle and can be driven around. Swooshability and driveability all in one vehicle - good stuff!

Looks great, very nicely done Anio. Votre création est très bonne, Anio. The SNOT work that you've done at the rear, combined with all of the greebles is a vast improvement over the official versions. The authentic wing function is a nice touch as well. Everything looks really good, in fact the ship looks like it just came off the production line. It's not as beaten up looking as the one from the movie, but other than that it is pretty spot on. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, nice review Dunjohn, you've made this set/game seem uber appealing! When I first saw this set/game, I thought it had a handful of nice accessories, but other than that it was not particularly interesting. After reading your review, many more of the parts seem very attractive. The extra micro figures are a huge bonus, and the new corner parts have been a long time coming. Indeed. Harry Potter Hogwarts seems much more along the lines of the Ravensbuger board game Master Labyrinth in which you have tiles with paths on them which you must move around in order to navigate through the maze and collect items on your list. Not only does Harry Potter Hogwarts look like a decent parts pack, but the game itself sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks again for the review.

Thanks for this review. This is a nice little promo. I really like the variety of stuff included in the set - the log for Woody to sit on, the campire + accessories, and the snake. As mentioned before, this looks to be a nice little companion set to Woody's Round-up or the Train chase. The cup, frying pan, and sausage would also be great to add to kitchens in one's creations.

Thanks a bundle for this review! I'm sure if I owned the original AT-AT released in 2003 I might not be so kind towards this new set. However, not being the owner of any of the AT-ATs released thus far, I quite like this new one and definitely plan on picking it up. I like the minifigures included in the set. They are nicely details and look pretty great in my opinion. I know there have been a lot of people questioning the inclusion of C3PO, and though he doesn't necessarily fit in with this set by itself, he does help work towards completing the collection of characters who were on Hoth. The new AT-AT looks similar to the original, but maybe around 15% smaller (which would also correspond to the pieces count differences). It looks a bit skinny, and I miss the printed parts (especially at the leg joints), but otherwise I am satisfied with the design. The model is still instantly recognizable, and of course a must have in any Star Wars collection. Congrats on the acquisition of the set, and the wonderful review, jammiedodger. I am know fully aware of what the set has to offer and can't wait to get my own copy!

Lovely! I saw your pics earlier on brickself and thought the hotel/saloon looked fantastic. Glad you've posted your creation here. Loads of details and some very nice architecture. The massive amount of SNOT that you've used makes the structure look very authentic. Those log pieces and panels that run vertically are nice, but having things run horizontally looks so much better. The interior looks great as well, seems as though you've included pretty much everything. Now to build this beauty in person...

I don't limit myself to the amount of themes or sets that I collect. If I come across something that appeals to me, I'll pick it up. I got my first Lego set 20 years ago, and every year I manage to acquire sets from a wide variety of themes. I don't necessarily go out of my way to grab a set from every theme just to see if it interests me or not, but often enough there is at least one set per line that jumps out at me as a must have and thus I end up with a wide variety of sets. I also don't usually go out and buy sets from a new theme right away. I like to sit back for a couple of months and see what the general consensus is, and wait for sales. While I wait to start collecting sets from new themes, I pay visits to Bricklink to track down stuff from the past that I still want. To sum up, it seems as though the amount of themes that I collect is almost always growing. While I jump on board new themes, I am always going out of my way to hunt down older stuff too.

Playability is still a major selling point for me. I like to get good hands-on time with my sets and play around with their features and re-enact various sequences. Adventurers is still one of my favorite themes, and this because of the elaborate traps, functions, and overwhelming play potential. I of course still like to collect the occasional modular house or Taj Mahal, or bulk up my town with some new buildings or vehicles, but I can never resist the urge to grab a set that is simply fun to mess around with. Certainly some action themes appeal to me less than others, but they all manage to allow ones imagination to run wild and provide a good time.

Beautiful review, Rufus! Those pics are delicious too. Well now, it's about time TLC has put out another open back, system scale house! This set is long overdue, but at least in my opinion it is very well executed. This set honestly exceeds any expectations I had for a minifig house, I was certain we'd get something on a little 8x16 plate. Sure the house is only around those dimensions, but because it is build on a 16x32 baseplate with all the extras it is elevated to something great. The exterior details are icing on an already tasty cake. The tree fort is very cute and a very welcome unexpected addition. I personally don't mind the colour scheme, it is quite subtle and it doesn't bother me that it should blend in with the rest of my town. The interior is nicely decorated, again with more details then I'd have anticipated. The lack of washroom is not a big loss in my books, so overall I'm very happy with everything. I look forward to picking up this set when it becomes available. I hope TLC continues to release more civilian based sets. Thanks again for the lovely review!

This honestly does look great. I've been putting off collecting sets from the Kingdoms line because I'm not as satisfied with the designs as I'd like to be. I'm waiting for a sale before I pick up any of the sets, and after seeing your MOD it really makes me want to pick up multiples of the tower and perhaps of a couple of the other sets too. Your beefed up version fixes most of the flaws of the original set and gives the Dragon Knights a much more worthy hide-out. Thanks for sharing!

Wow, this set brings back memories! I remember having this in my classroom in public school. At least I believe it was the whole Dacta kit... it may just have been 6594 Gas Transit, though I seem to recall the whole tub full of parts for the other models. Anyways... The set contains lots of nice models that seem like they would be perfect for populating a town. As you said, it's a great vehicle pack. It's nice to see that TLC is continuing to make sets like these - 2010 seems to be a very strong year for the Dacta line. Thanks for the review.

I believe I remember reading in one of the other threads that you had recently picked up a copy of Gold City Junction. It's nice to finally pick up a set that you've been looking at and reading about for so many years and it meet/surpass your expectations. I have a number of friends who collected western sets (Fort Legoredo, Sheriff's Lockup), and I was always very envious of them. Regarding the pieces in the set, I too was very pleased with the selection. I am of course a big fan of nice studded looking models, so this set is right up my alley. I'm used to quite a lot of accessories being provided in sets from my collection of Adventurers sets, but I was blown away by the amount of goodies present here. There seems to be 8 of the rifles, around 6 pistols, loads of $100 bills, and many other odds and ends! Looking at pictures of the set, I thought the general store was slightly larger and rectangular shaped, but I think the smaller square shape works well in contrast to the bank. Also, as I said before, I did not notice the amount of details inside the store before building it myself. I am completely satisfied with the contents of the set. I am also very impressed with the minifigures. I have a sheriff fig floating around my collection (I don't remember how I acquired him), he is currently residing in my farm display. Other than him, I've never seen these other figs in person before. They are all wonderfully detailed and are a highlight for me in the theme. Hope you enjoy your Fort Legoredo and Sheriff's Lock-up! I intend to pick up either Sheriff's Lock-up + Bandit's Secret Hide-out, or Fort Legoredo very soon. I intend to get the majority of the western sets (including the Indian ones) by the end of the summer.