Tamamono

Thanks for the news, Cara! I'm so glad the S1 figure parts are back in the BAM box; I was wondering why there were only the clown, magician, and forestman last time! I think I might just have to take a trip to my nearest LEGO Store now! BTW, there's no accessories, right?

It's probably considered the same piece, but this stuff if made in a factory, and even machines make mistakes. You should compare it to one of the original Pirates sharks and one of the World Racers sharks to see if they're all the same. Well, we always remember things differently than they really are, especially if we're sentimental about them, but I wouldn't be surprised if Cabin Cruiser does float better. It's not as long of a mold as in 4642, so the weight might be a little more balanced.

Yeah, this set (among many others released recently) are obviously directed towards kids first starting out with LEGO. According to Bricklink, no it's not. No, I'm much happier with the single piece hull than I would've been with a brick-built hull; I was mainly talking about these pieces and pieces similar to them. It floats pretty low in the water for me too; the water gets up to about half of the 'Annabell' sticker. Okay, thank you! I've fixed the color problems; I really need to check Bricklink's color chart before adding anything about color to my reviews! You're welcome!

Are you ready to sail the open seas looking for the tastiest fish? This youngster and his Dad are! Follow their fishing adventure as we build set 4642: Fishing Boat, but watch out for that shark! Review: 4642 Fishing Boat Name: Fishing Boat Number: 4642 Theme: City/Harbor Pieces: 64 Minifigures: 2 Price: 19.99 USD/13.99 GBP/14.95 EUR/24.99 AUD Brickset Peeron Bricklink LEGO.com Here's what Shop@Home has to say about it. The Box: The front of the box features the 'Annabell' cruising along while a fish leaps out of the water into the jaws of a hungry shark. The box itself has the generic 'CITY' logo on the top, and there's a notice on the top right that says, "Modular Build: Easy Start". There seem to be a lot of 'Easy Start' CITY sets these days. (Box pic from Brickset) The Instructions: As always, the instructions feature the same art as the box. Sometimes I wish that the box/instruction booklet art was varied a little. Here's an obligatory random instruction page, which shows the start of the boat's 'observation deck'. There are no 'piece call-outs' in this set, and you have to judge which pieces to add each step by studying the example pictures, but it's not a problem, since there aren't many bricks added per step. The build progresses quite slowly in this set, and it's almost like LEGO is trying to make this set seem bigger than it really is... One of the last pages in the instruction booklet features a beautiful CITY Harbor/Beach scene (Although I'm not sure if it's safe to have 'people' swimming around where boats go... ). Now if only LEGO would release some of these buildings in the near future! The Pieces: 4642: Fishing Boat includes only 64 pieces for 20 USD, which is a poor deal in my humble opinion. However, I don't think people are going to be buying this as a parts pack, as the main appeal of this set is the model itself. Although dominated by <insert that tiresome argument> pieces (rather large, unshapely pieces that are looked down upon in the AFOL community), 4642: Fishing Boat includes several 'interesting' pieces, such as the lime cap, life preserver, printed 2x2 slope, mast piece, and shark. While none of these pieces are exclusive to the set, they're all welcome additions to my collection (especially the beautiful shark, ). Here's the boat's hull with stickers applied. As the box says, the hull actually floats (Although the completed set probably doesn't float as well because of the extra weight). I've always liked the Town/CITY boat hulls better than the Pirates boat hulls (cue angry mob), so I was pleased to get one in such a small set! The back of the boat hull. Here you can clearly see the ship's name, 'Annabell', on a sticker beneath the Dark Stone Grey plate. One thing I like about this set is that the stickers stay in pretty good condition even after they've been submerged in water. The Minifigures: The minifigures in 4642: Fishing Boat are a little boy (whom I have dubbed 'Junior') and his father. Junior sports a delicious bass (the fish, not the instrument!) he caught and a spiffy lime-green cap while his father holds a cup of 'joe' to aid him in his attempt to wake up. Both of them wear yellow life jackets for safety, and they seem to be fairly happy about it. Although, I'm not quite sure how well those jackets will hold up against sharks. The back of the figures. Junior is (unfortunately) the only one with back-printing in this set. Here are the 'figs without their accessories. The torsos and faces of both Junior and his father are pretty generic, and they appear in many sets these days. LEGO could have at least added a new (or rare) torso print in this set. The Accessories: The accessory selection in this set isn't bad, but it's not spectacular either. As well as the accessories mentioned above, there's also a male hairpiece in Dark Orange, a color that I've always thought perfect for this style of hair. The Build: The build in this set is an easy one, obviously directed towards small children. Here it is after step five. So far we've added a few white pieces along the inner part of hull. The build after step ten. Now we've added a yellow life preserver, modified slope bricks, and red and green 'lights' on the side. The design is pretty nice so far, and only gets better. The build after step fifteen. The windscreen, fishing rod, and floor of 'observation deck' are added this time. The red plate looks a bit out of place at this time, but it fits in nicely later. Here's a close-up of the fishing rod, which was built in a sub-step. The set comes with a lot of excess string, which needs to be trimmed down before threading it through the rod itself. I personally like the fishing rods from the Collectible Minifigures better, but the original fishing rod really does the job well here. After step twenty, the 'Annabell' is finished! Now we've added a radar system above the 'observation deck', which looks great. LEGO really elongated the build a lot more than it usually does by only adding one or two bricks at a time, therefore making this set seem larger (piece-wise) than it is in reality. Anyway, on to some close-ups! Here's the 'observation deck' of the 'Annabell', complete with a printed 2x2 simulating sonar! It's rather cramped in there, but it's not like Junior's dad will be hosting a party on the 'observation deck'. This is where Junior sits, drinking his dad's 'joe' and manning the fishing rod. I like that they included red chairs instead of the ever-persistent yellow chairs, but the white 2x4 just doesn't look 'professional' there. Unfortunately, there is no interior to the 'Annabell'. LEGO could've at least included a table or a small kitchenette! Here's the finished model with minifigures added. Pay attention, Junior, you caught a fish! Final Verdict: 4642: Fishing Boat is a nice addition to any town's harbor, and it's not too expensive. Now let's go onto the scores, shall we? SCORES: Design: 7/10 The boat looks really nice from the exterior, but the interior definitely leaves something to be desired. The 'observation deck' could use a few more levers and whatnot, and the real interior of the boat could use a little bed, a cabinet, a rack of fishing knifes, etc. Parts: 8/10 Although a good number of the pieces in this set are <insert that tiresome argument>, there are also some great parts such as the shark, the hull piece, and several others mentioned before that make this set worthwhile. Figures: 7/10 You only get two minifigures in this set (not counting that fabulous shark), but frankly, that's all this set really needs. However, the minifigures you do get are a bit generic, especially the torsos. Playability: 9/10 Despite not having a 'real' 'play feature', 4642 has a lot of potential for imaginative play. Two minifigures, a shark, and a spiffy looking boat are more than enough to keep a child busy at play for a while, and to top it all off, the boat actually floats! Value for Money: 8/10 Piece-wise, this set isn't a great deal, but as I said earlier, 4642: Fishing Boat works much better as a model than as a parts pack. You also get some pretty interesting parts and a boat hull for your $20 USD, and that's always welcome too. Overall: 39/50 Despite some of the lower scores I gave this set, I think it's a great boat and and a must-have for fans of the CITY/Town Harbor subtheme! Parting Shot: Careless fishermen are a shark's best friends. Thanks for reading!

Review: 7306 Golden Staff Guardians Name: Golden Staff Guardians Number: 7306 Theme: Pharaoh's Quest Pieces: 70 Minifigures: 3 Price: $9.99 USD, 8.99 GBP, 9.99 EUR, 17.99 AUD Brickset Peeron Bricklink LEGO.com Here's what Shop@Home has to say about it. The Box: Here's the box. It features the daring Mac McCloud riding his dark red motorcycle while being attacked by two mummies with scimitars. Says Mac, "I don't always ride in the desert on my motorcycle, but when I do, I get chased by undead creatures." (box pic from Barnes & Noble) The Instructions: The front of the instruction booklet, which features the same art as the box. I really like the Pharaoh's Quest logo with the menacing looking mummy; it fits the theme well. An obligatory random instruction page, which shows the final steps of the 'Golden Staff' holder. The instructions for this set are very easy to read and follow; obviously geared towards little kids. The Pieces: This is the parts assortment. 70 pieces isn't bad for $10 USD. Here are some parts of interest. The dark red motorcycle shell, the scimitar, the scarab shield, and the 'Golden Staff' are all new pieces, and the headdress is in a new color (black). It's a pretty good selection of 'interesting' parts for a set of this size. The Minifigures: The minifigures included in 7306: Golden Staff Guardians include Mac McCloud and two mummies. The figures themselves have beautiful printing, especially the mummies with their leg-printing. All three of the minifigs have back-printing, which has apparently become a staple for LEGO this past year. The mummies' heads are double sided, with one side featuring a menacing grin by an undead face and the other side featuring only a single red eye visible behind light gray bandages. I'm a big fan of these heads because they allow some variety between mummies if you happen to amass a large quantity of them. Here are the figures without their accessories. The mummies look good even without the headdresses! The Accessories: In addition to those mentioned before, the accessories include a rifle, a bundle of dynamite, and an aviator helmet. Not a bad selection of accessories, but I think they could have easily added a revolver pistol. The Build: The first part of the build is the motorcycle, which snaps on to the frame like a charm. Here's the finished motorcycle. A very simple build, but the result is gorgeous! It even has clips for storing Mac's gear while he goes riding! (Although I'm not sure how safe clipping a rifle and dynamite on to a motorcycle is... ) The motorcycle's all built, and Mac's ready to go tomb raiding treasure hunting! The next part of the build is the 'Golden Staff' holder. Here it is after step four. We get some great dark gray slope pieces in this set that are used to create a 'rocky' effect for the staff holder. After step eight. I like the inclusion of the earth blue cheese slopes and round 1x1s. After step twelve. Now we're seeing the start of the 'play feature' with the black technic 2x2. I've noticed that a lot of sets that have 'play features' these days have a very out-of-sync with the rest of the color-scheme brick as the base of the 'feature'. Aaaaaand, we're done! Another very simple build, but it showcases the 'Golden Staff' well. The 'Play Feature': After blowing holes the size of golf balls through the guardians, Mac finally finds what he was looking for: the 'Golden Staff'! Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a flick-fire missile hits the staff and sends it flying into the tomb raider's treasure hunter's face. As noted before, the mechanism for the 'play feature' is basically just a flick-fire missile (a pretty dark tan flick-fire missile ) that pushes the 'Golden Staff' out of its earth blue jumper tile. Simple, yet effective. Final Verdict: 7306: Golden Staff Guardians is a great set. You get three great minifigures, a new dark red motorcycle, a nice looking "Golden Staff' temple, and plenty of fantastic accessories. Now let's take a look at the scores, shall we? SCORES: Design: 9/10 The 'Golden Staff' holder is really nice, and what can I say, I love that motorcycle! Parts: 10/10 As far as 'interesting' parts go, this is a fantastic set. The mummies' accessories and the dark red motorcycle shell definitely make this set worth your while. Figures: 10/10 Three figures in a $10 USD set is really great, and it helps that the figures themselves are fantastic. Playability: 9/10 While the 'play feature' is nothing to marvel at, the set makes up for it with a vehicle, a setting, and a good number of minifigs. Value for Money: 10/10 Although it has less pieces than 2258 and is $3 USD more, 7306: Golden Staff Guardians is definitely a great deal for what you get. Overall: 48/50 This set definitely scores in the 'Outstanding' category. It's a great way to amass lots of mummies or tan pieces for cheap. Thanks for reading!

Review: 2258 Ninja Ambush Name: Ninja Ambush Number: 2258 Theme: Ninjago Pieces: 71 Minifigures: 2 Price: 6.99 USD, 6.49 GBP, 6.95 EUR, 9.99 AUD Brickset Peeron Bricklink LEGO.com Here's what Shop@Home has to say about it. The Box: The front of the box features Kai "slicing" through the bamboo and onto the unsuspecting Bonezai. The Ninjago logo in the upper right is really nice; the wispy smoke around the Ninja's head really gives it an "oriental" feel. The back of the box shows Kai and Bonezai both trying to get the golden scythe, and in the bottom left it shows us "four golden weapons" that we can collect. Here are the contents of the box, you get two polybags, an instruction booklet, and a 6x8 brown plate; that's pretty good for a set this size. The Instructions: The front of the instruction booklet has the same art as on the front of the box. As with all Ninjago sets, the second to last page of the instruction booklet advertises the spinner game. The Pieces: Here is the parts assortment. (Other than minifigures) The Minifigs: You get two minifigures: Kai and Bonezai. I really like the torso and leg printing on Kai, it looks a lot better than the printing on the 1999 ninjas in my opinion. Bonezai looks really great too; I'm a big fan of the new skeleton feet, and his face printing is . The back of the 'figs. Note the "spine" on Bonezai's back. Here's the front of the minifigures with their accessories removed. I really like Bonezai's bone-axe, it's a really creative and imaginative weapon. And poor Kai has a terrible scar on his face! The Build: This is around half-way through the bamboo-catapult-thing. The build was easy, but it was fun to see the inner-workings of the play feature. Here are the extra pieces. Nothing really too special here, but I'm glad that they gave us an extra skeleton arm. The Finished Set: Here's the little stand for the golden scythe. It's not very impressive, but it gets the job done. Here's the completed "Ambush feature" with a wall of bamboo. I really like the looks of this, but the red piece kind of throws off the oriental-ness of this set though. Here are the scythe stand and the "Ambush feature" together. Here's a picture of the golden scythe. I really like having a stick in gold, and the golden tooth and modified lightsaber hilt are great too. Play Feature: Here's the final product. Bonezai has stolen the golden scythe! But what's this? You put Kai behind the bamboo wall and... He "leaps" down onto Bonezai! I literally captured this while Kai was in mid-air; no props or editing. SCORES: Design: 9/10 The "Ambush feature" is really ingenius; the scythe stand is rather boring, but it's really nice for a set this size Parts: 9/10 There are some very nice new pieces in this set, including the bone for Bonezai's axe, the golden pieces for the scythe, and some technic pieces that make the bamboo fly open. Figures: 10/10 It's really great to get two minifigures in a $7 USD set, and they're both really great in my opinion. Playability: 9/10 Like I said before, I really like the "Ambush feature". Sometimes Kai goes a bit too far, but it isn't much of a problem. Value for Money: 10/10 You get two new minifigures and a great play feature for $7 USD. This is probably among the best priced of the Ninjago sets. Overall: 94/100 This set definately scores in the "outstanding" category. Whether you're a Ninja fan, or trying to find a good set to start off with for Ninjago, this set is a great way to go. Kai and Bonezai were both very embarrassed to be seen with their cousins from 1999. Thanks for reading!

These are some great pictures, designholic! The lighting is absolutely perfect, and the material you shoot is hilarious. I think I might just have to start contributing to this thread with my own Town's photography!

Oh, that is just hilarious.

Congratulations to all the winners!

You make some good points, Henry, and like Jacob, I would rather not get killed at night for being a non-voter. Vote: Sammy Spalkowa (Sandy) I'm very sorry if you're Loyal, but as Aunt Cornelia said, there's not much to go on today.

I see, sorry for the confusion! This whole situation has me quite stressed out.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Henry is trying to get you lynched because you recognized the threat to the family before Dad did, not because you said that you wanted to stamp out the scum. He might be right in doing so, but his reasons are faulty. Are you a Lyncher...?

Wow, it's really starting to come together! Keep up the good work guys!

There sure are a lot of Skywalkers around here! This looks like it's going to be a great game, and I look forward to following along. Good luck, everybody!

It is possible that PP's Not Loyal. But by saying that, you're also saying that it's possible that she's not scum. Your accusation makes a bit more sense now that you've revealed that she edited her post changed her words (I can't believe I didn't spot that! ), but it still isn't based on good evidence (although it's not like any of the other accusations flying around are ). I can understand you wanting to jump on the first piece of suspicious activity you see, as we are a bit short on 'good' evidence at this point, but acknowledging the fact that there is a threat in the family in a mafia game house full of rich snotty people just doesn't make sense. Do you know something we don't about pudgy little Petra? Are you an Independant 'Lyncher' who's win condition is to get her lynched? Probably not. Chances are, you're probably both Loyal. In situations like these that I've read about or seen on television there is usually a certain amount of 'town' bickering at the beginning of the game...of life.

Wow! Thanks for the great pic, grogall! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the roof is in Dark Green! I can also see that the orange haired girl is also a mail carrier (the torso is the generic mail person torso), the little boy is holding a bone and a whip piece, and the dress is unprinted (unfortunately). Can't wait for the release!

I don't know, but all you did was claim that you had nothing to offer (which may very well be true) and then restated what we had already said. You're right; apart from now and when you spoke earlier I haven't seen you at all. Were you busy playing with your construction toys? I too would like to hear from Amy, as well as your mother and Dragana.

Good idea. The investigator doesn't have to reveal him/herself in order for us to discuss who to investigate; all that's needed is for the investigator to listen. Fuschia's list is a good place to start for investigations, as at least one of the people on there (including Amy) is probably Not Loyal. One will (probably) be voted out today, one will be either cleared or voted out tomorrow, leaving only three on the list. I still really don't know where to put my vote. Richelle hasn't made a very good defense for herself, but I can't bring myself to vote for her at the moment.

I understand. We are dealing with family here, so it will most likely be hard for all of us no matter who goes.

You say that you want to vote for the most silent one, yet Rupert has been just as silent as Richelle. Why not vote for him? My dear, I really can't picture you not being Loyal, but you're only stating what was said before. If the investigator reveals him/herself today, then the protector will be able to protect him/her, but keep in mind that the Not Loyals probably have a blocker up their sleeve who would then prevent the investigator from doing anything. You make a good point; killing someone who doesn't contribute much is considerably better than taking the chance of one of the most outspoken Loyals being killed at random, but I still don't understand why you voted for Richelle in particular.

Okay, here's my opinions on Fuschia's list: That's true, Irena and Dragana have been rather quiet today, and everything they've said has been about either pie or thrusting. Maybe the both of them are trying to distract us from their Not Loyal activities? I don't know... Richelle has been rather quiet, but I can't imagine my dear wife doing anything evil. He's only spoken once today, and that was about construction toys. I think he's a possibility. Do you really think she could be Not Loyal? She has been online around a lot lately, but she hasn't said anything since this morning. Could this be true? I'd like to hear what my Richelle has to say about this before I make any decisions... Yeah, Amy's been just as quiet as her brother... Maybe they're both Not Loyal?

I certainly hope not; I just finished my second piece...

It's true. However, we do need to vote someone off today, and Henry's right, the scum aren't about the wave flags saying "I'm evil!" above their heads and wait for us to kill them. I don't know why you're so adamant in thinking that Pudgy Petra is scum just because she said that there is a threat to the family. It reminds me so very much of a soap opera I watched recently about a bunch of tourists who become stuck at a resort with a few Mafia Goons, and the situation became very similar to the one we have here. A strange looking chef came up to a girl and said "hey let's be friends", and everybody freaked out thinking "Oh, no! He knows that there are bad guys on the island and wants to make friends! He must be a Mafia Goon! Kill him!" and then the host of the resort cut him to ribbons and guess what? The chef was loyal.

I'm very sorry that I annoyed you with my defense. I'm not saying that PP is loyal just because she said that she wants to stamp out the threat to the family, and I'm not defending her either, I'm simply saying that your accusation is poorly based. I fully understand that she might really be plotting to riddle us all full of holes tonight with her enormous Gatling Gun, but the same might be true about you. I don't expect the scum to give themselves away on Day 1, but I also don't think we should be randomly pointing fingers based off faulty evidence. We should really stop fighting about this and calmly choose the best course of action. If that means voting off Pudgy Petra, then that's what we have to do to protect our family. The real scum are probably sitting off somewhere on the sidelines, laughing their a$$es off while we bicker.