dunamis

Beach House Reviewed by Dunamis Set 4996 522 Pieces $29.95 from Target Build time 90 minutes Yet another interesting Creator theme house. This one comes fresh of the 2008 line of sets and promises 3 different models. Packing 522 pieces (albeit a lot of 1x1 plates) for only $29.95 it was hard to pass this one by as I was foraging for the new 2008 Star Wars sets at the local Target. Plus, I was itching to do another review since I had finally fully recovered from my marathon UCS Falcon review which took the better part a month to complete. The Box: The box is pretty standard Creator type box which shows off the three models (beach house, Caf� and �towering� apartment building.) The back of the box shows some of the features of the three models. Interesting features of the three models prominently displayed on the back include: - Food counter complete with coffee (espresso) maker and food warmer (with chicken leg!) - Home office complete with laptop (and the ubiquitous coffee cup.) - Flip up roof granting access inside of beach house. Note the satellite TV dish and even rain gutters along the roofline! Opening the box is a matter of breaking two seals. We�re back to the reusable cereal box type tab system that we saw so often in 2007 sets. Note the parts inventory is on the side of the box as well. This is a nice feature. Once inside the box, we are greeted by eight sealed bags plus two yellow 16x2 plates and a green 32x16 baseplate. Thank goodness there is no DSS (dreaded sticker sheet) but alas there are no minifigs. In addition, there are the three manuals (one for each model) and they were stuffed into my box with the care of kid trying to put 10 gallons (or liters if you prefer) of candy in a 5 gallon bucket. But hey, we�re not collecting manuals here so who cares if the manuals are all bent and warped? The Manuals: The three manuals are 74, 72 and 48 pages in length. They are laid out well and are pretty standard with all the usual trimmings: - Piece call outs for each step - Parts inventory at the end of the primary model build - Page numbers Color separation in these manuals were fine for me. Plus, we get the usual verbose LEGO instructions on not dumping all your pieces outside in the grass and not to dump all your pieces into a single pile. Thanks for the tip, TLG! Parts list The Pieces: Pretty standard stuff here and as I mentioned, lots of 1x1 plates and tiles (at least 100.) However, we do get quite a few windows and a couple of doors. A majority of the color is black and yellow. I did see a few pieces that I was not familiar with so I�m going to show them below. Keep in mind I�m not a parts jockey so bear with me if I think a part is brand new for 2008 and it was actually released with the classic space line. 2x2 Window (fixed) and 4x3 window that opens: The follow photo shows the window glass (same as in Corner Caf�), door glass and new black parts. Turns out these black parts are used as wheels. I showed the window glass because it still contains the molding circle just like they did before. It is hard to see from the photo, but it is there. The door glass I think might be new: I don�t recall seeing these 2x2 round plates with clips before and I thought I would show the mail only because it is printed and not a sticker: I know these are common, but didn�t they have four studs on top? These only have two: How about this sloped 4x3 window that opens: Overall a nice assortment of parts with nothing <insert that tiresome argument>. The Build: The build was fun and was fairly straightforward. Once you figure out which of the three models to build, it goes pretty quick. Here are a few shots: See how the inside is made: Look at the detail with the flowers and even the outside water faucet! Outdoor seating area: Upstairs being built: Upstairs with opening roof (notice the satellite TV dish): Check out the patio on the upstairs complete with outdoor light and rain gutters! Here�s my favorite, the BBQ grill. At least we know where those new parts go: Finally, check out the tree. No juniorization here! Here is what is left over: So far, I have only built the primary model. The others look interesting, especially the caf�. The Design: The design was well done. Very rich in detail. I love how there are no <insert that tiresome argument> parts. The house is accessible by taking off the top floor (like Caf� Corner and Market Street). There is an internal staircase as well. There is no interior to speak of in the beach house, but there is in the other two models. The only real negative is that it is kind of small when you get it done. It would be nice if it was about 50% bigger. Here are a few views of the beach house with a few minifigs thrown in: Check out the close-up of the caf� which I think looks great: Also, here is a photo of the interior of the apartment building where you can see the office and computer: Overall Thoughts: It is a really nice set. A tad on the small side but it has some great detail and lots of features. Quick enough to build all three models and would fit real nice into an existing town plan. Is minifig scale, but does not come with any. Lots of window parts and black slopes. Is a nice diversion from the onslaught of Clone Wars ships that we can�t remember seeing from the movies. Final Rating: 84% Build 9/10 (Pretty quick and fun.) Functionality 9/10 (It is a Creator set so you have multiple varied builds. Diverse enough to keep the kids entertained.) Design 10/10 (Excellent and well thought out. Outstanding detail for such a small model.) Parts 6/10 (Fair, nothing earth-shattering but lots of slopes and windows.) Price 8/10 (Price ratio is good but you get a lot of little parts. Would be better with minifigs.)

Wow, I think these all look great. I'll be picking them up for sure. Thanks for the pics!

I agree. The original gunship is my favorite LEGO Star Wars set. I have TWO on display in my office right now. This one looks similar but at first glance it doesn't look like they made many improvements. Now, I am the first to say that the original did not have many improvement areas so it is kind of a wash. Here are my thoughts: - While the lift up missile launcher thingy was probably the weakest part of the original design, I can't say the dual flick missiles are any better. Especially if they are not retractable (I can't tell from the preliminary picture.) - The doors on the re-design appear to be the exact same mechanism except they are a few studs taller. It appears the rear crew compartment is slightly taller/larger perhaps to contain a speeder. If it includes a speeder, this would be a significant improvement. - The two front and single rear laser cannons are much longer on the redesign which (to me) means they are much more likely to get snapped off even in mild play. The shorter ones were much more manageable. - It does appear that the side "bubble" laser cannons do flip out and possibly have a bubble. Obviously, we can't tell from this photo but that makes sense. If they are a self-contained bubble and you can fit a minifig in it, that would be a huge improvement. - The two wing bubble cannons appear to be identical to the original. Obviously, this is easily addressed for the purist out there by simply adding the additional 1/2 bubble on the opposite side of the wing. - The side bubble lasers are forward of the rear crew compartment and has a 6-8 stud space separating the two. This is more accurate than the original. It will be interesting to see if there is anything inside the ship in this area. - The cockpit and front section (aside from the sticker) look almost identical to the original. Presumably, the front splits open to reveal a small crew section like the original. I didn't much care for the magnetic toolchest of the original, but it was true to LEGO form. - The engine area (just aft of the cockpit) and side storage compartments look similar to the original. Can't tell much until we actually build the thing. - I would have liked to see a different color scheme this time around. Still looks like a sticker nightmare. Let's just hope these stickers are not susceptible to the cracking and peeling of the original. - I'm not going to comment on the minifigs. It's all preliminary so why get worked up about it now. It will likely change a dozen times before we can actually buy it so don't worry. I'll be happy with whoever they ultimately put in the set. Thanks for the photo, looking forward to seeing more.

Those are really amazing! LEGO continues to get better designs.

Wow, that is really nice.

Wow, these look great! The AT-TE looks very similar to the first one except with better legs and they fixed the front canopy. Looking good!

Lately (due to lack of time) I usually only build something when I am reviewing it. After which, it sits on a shelf and collects dust...

Thanks for the information! It is good to get some confirmation on this from the first time we heard about it. I'm excited to see photos of this line up of sets. I am actually glad LEGO is expanding its offering by using vehicles from the EU and not just rehashing yet another Naboo Starfighter or X-Wing. Interesting to note there is no 7677? Wonder if that will come later or if it got cancelled?

It looked like a real set with a box and everything. It was a MOC, trust me. I'll see if I can dig it up. *Edit* Here ya go. This what you are talking about? Awesome design. Here is a link to his brickshelf folder. legospod Brickshelf folder I wish LEGO would make this a real set but it is all fake (and a really good one).

Very nice and thorough review! Love the minifigs and the strange ship design. Just waiting for the new sets to be available out here in California...

I agree! The movie had so much going for it until the second half and it all went to crap... Nice work on the minfigs.

Wow! This is incredible! Excellent work and brings back some memories from my childhood (late 70's early 80's). Love the site and I will visit frequently.

That's really cool. I like how it is new and different. Very creative.

Nice review, thanks for taking time and sharing your find with us. Looks like a nice model and I'm glad they finally fixed the stupid missiles from falling out. LEGO Star Wars 08 is going to be another expensive year!

FYI, I read on another site that you CAN use the free shipping coupon if you call the order in instead of doing it online. Apparently it has worked for a few people.

Wow, looking forward to seeing those Star Wars sets. Thanks for the info.

This is the most blatant case of false advertising since the movie called "The Neverending Story"...

Yes, I am. Thank you for your concern. Fortunately, my home and family are not in any immediate danger. There are something like 10-12 fires all around us though. The is a lot of smoke in the air and ash is falling everywhere. It was actually much worse about 2 years ago when a fire came within 1/2 mile of us. We had to be evacuated. We live next to a golf course and they were landing fire helicopters and taking water out of the lake to put on the fire on the hills above us. Scary stuff. I know I'm not the only member out here and there are fires all the way down to San Diego (which has been hit the worst). Let's all hope and pray that the winds die down and the firefighters can get this put out quickly. My thanks go out to all the firefighters! They are doing an amazing job of keeping the fires under control (as best they can). There is a station near my home and my wife and daughters took them some cookies the other day. Anyway, thanks for the concern and I hope our other Southern California members are safe.

Ah, yes I see what you are saying now.

I'm 938. That's an interesting theory. I'd like to know if there is any correlation. I suspect the certificates were inserted randomly instead of sequentially, but who knows...

Yeah, I'm belt AND suspenders kind of guy so I wanted to have a couple of extra just in case... :-P

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Wow, what a great idea! Love the details. I'll be picking one up for sure.

Sorry for the delay, work keeps taking all my building/free time. We

Yes, that has already happened a couple of times. However, I did kind of rearrange my desk in anticipation of where to put the Falcon. I didn't leave enough room to store and build it on my desk, so it has been a logistical challenge. OK, I