def

I've updated the original review, and the other two builds have been added.

This was one of my first Lego set. My older brother had some 70's Lego, with those double sized "mini"figures, and I had a little Duplo myself, but this was the first set that felt totally mine. I can't say how many times I built it, and tried to make something better than the main model and failed (perhaps I can blame some of my creative low self-esteem on Lego?). Though it's not the first castle, it's the first castle as we know it, in the grey bricks. Having bought some of the current generation of castle, including its seeming update, the 2007 King's Castle Seige, how does it feel through the eyes of an adult? Set#: 6080 Name: King's Castle Theme: Castle Year: 1984 Pieces: 674 Minifigs: 12 (!) Price: ??? Peeron Brickset Bricklink The box I don't have the box, but here's Peeron's copy of it. Those are some fun looking variations they include! The booklet These are 25 years old, so forgive their condition. I actually found this guide pretty difficult They add about 6-7 pieces at a time, and usually all the same color and from the same view, so it was a bit difficult to spot every added piece. 90% of it was fine, just a few details were missed at first. The Pieces A healthy pile of grey, with some black. There are three varieties of mini-figure, archers, soldiers, and knights. While the prints aren't quite as complex as some that are in production today, they aren't blocky or simple. In particular, the lion design is quite beautiful, and captures the feeling of the old British flags. Unfortunately, I'm missing two figures. I have no idea where they could be. Anyway, in total, there should be four of each, and the knights should all have different color plumes (Is that the word?). That's a hearty haul for a single set, if the variety isn't what it is today. The bricks definitely have lost their luster. The pieces are all different shades at this point, some light, some dark, some faded... I don't know what the true color should be. Here we see a modern piece (left) and an original piece (right). The new pieces are definitely glossier, and perhaps better. 20 years from now, I'll be able to say the final word on this topic, but for the time being, I like the quality of the current bricks better, and am crossing my fingers that they keep looking good. The Build These photos are roughly 10 steps at a time. The first part here is nearly a mirror build, except for the sword holder on the left, and the prison on the right. Hinges are placed at the front, and a lock placed between to connect them. Next. the back end is completely finished, and the front has begun. Here the main walls are up and the drawbridge is ready. The Finished Product It's a castle for sure. It's not as formidable by today's standards, but it still looks good. And we need to keep in mind that this is the castle set that set the standard, both in color and in design. The first castle release wasn't half as strong, though it has its own charms. The portcullis, the shields above the drawbridge, the flags that debuted that year... Right down to the varied prints on the walls to recreate the brick look. The detail on this set is surprising. The only flaw in the design is that it's 99% symmetrical, which makes it less exciting. But the large courtyard is a great play feature. The staircase at the back is a nice detail. The set opens at the back to create this wide wall. I think I prefer the current modular technique, but really, I never had a complaint about this play feature, and I think it looks quite natural open and closed. The string and piece on the left is for the portcullis, meant to be fastened nowhere in particular. With no difficulty, it pulls the portcullis up. It's perfectly positioned, so that there is no rubbing or friction. A winch is included for the draw bridge. This string has a little more friction, so, though it pulls up easily enough, you have to help the bridge down a little. There is an axe there, but it should be a spear. I just didn't have a replacement handy. Can you notice the two replacement pieces I had to slip in here? With the drawbridge up. It's not outstanding, but is framed well by the columns in the doorway. From the inside, we can see the alternating black and grey bricks in the frame for the portcullis. The grips for the axes look good, and there are two swords stored on pillars nearby. One block is missing there though; I didn't have a replacement for it. An inky, black, unphotographable door is in the locked position. I assume it's a prison. Open, you can see there is just enough space for a few mini-figs. On the opposite side, we just have a pillar and a sword. It's simple but fitting. The Final Verdict Design: 10/10 It's hard to grade this fairly, but I give this perfect score for a few reasons. For one thing, it is the standard from which other castles have come. It wasn't the first, but the first really successful castle set. Also, I was surprised at the variety of pieces. A number of pieces that are now standard came out in this set; the first castle panel piece, the SNOT bricks to hold the shield and lances, new horses... I can't 100% say that those were new pieces, but they were used for the first time in a Castle set. These are examples of really successful design, that they are standard pieces today. Well done, 1984 Lego designers! Build: 7/10 It's a solid set, with somewhat difficult instructions (how did they ever make those instructions without computers?!) There are a few interesting techniques, in the stairs and in the front gate, but overall, it's fairly repetitive. Playability: 10/10 Twelve figures! Four horses! Four types of weapons! The castle changes shape! Even by today's standards, this is very playable. Minifigures: 8/10 The only disappointment is a lack of variety. At the time, we were fine with all minifigs having the same face, but it isn't that exciting. A great count though. Price: N/A A Christmas present when I was nine. I can't find the original price, much less translate it into 2010 dollars. Overall: 8/10 This set has a lot of good qualities, and not just from a historical perspective. It has a good selection of blocks that work as the foundation of your own castle, a healthy amount of mini figures, three base plates, and some early Lego detailing. It's simpler than the sets of the last decade, but at that point, there just weren't that great a variety of pieces. I don't think this set is a must have. It's a nice one to have, and since it's available in the $100 range (used), it's reasonably purchasable. Still, unless you have nostalgic attachments to this, I'd advise to get whatever the current castle is (and 2010 should bring a new one). If you have a reasonable Castle collection, you could probably make it yourself, since there's almost no exclusive pieces. Ultimately though, as a piece of Lego history, it's priceless.

Macs are becoming more and more useless for games. I was hoping that that would improve with the switch to Intel, but it seems to have gotten worse. I'm not a hardcore gamer, but I play games, and that's a frustration. And you're right, computers across the spectrum have dropped in price. But it has made Mac no longer just an upper middle class object. As for the "premium" title, you're right here too. They are mid to high range. It's better to just say they are not a discount company. A company like Dell which think a bottom-line $500 machine is a good thing, rather than a waste of money since the technology gets outdated and frustrating so fast, is something that Apple doesn't want to be. Something I hate about Apple? Their mouses. I hate them. I've never used any of them. For all I like about Apple design, their mouse design is utterly ignorant.

Fair enough. As a ten year Mac user, I think I've just gotten fed up with price complaints in general, and I draw the line at hearing it at Eurobricks! I'm reasonably techie. I don't build my own, but I have dismantled my iMac to swap out the hard drive, and I've set up a few friends' computers. So I love talking with other computer literate people. But whenever I encounter a PC person in person or online, they almost always spit hate out at Mac, and as often as not, they have little experience with them, at least in the last decade (that's not aimed at you, I don't know your experience). I realize there is brand loyalty, but hating on Mac is really similar to hating on Lego. It's a premium brand that ignores the low-end market. Sure they don't offer a $500 computer, but as a brand, it's not in their best interest to offer one. The prices have definitely gotten better since I first bought a Mac, adjusting for inflation. My first set up cost me $4,500 Canadian (Mac tower, monitor, burner, scanner, printer). Now I think you could get an updated contemporary set up for $2,500.

You'll have to take that up with the owners of pcmech.com Perhaps you're right about prices, perhaps the writer was quoting general prices. For example, I live in Okinawa. If I wanted to build a computer, I'd have to buy through big box stores or Amazon. If I lived in Tokyo, I could spend a chunk less by shopping in Akihabara. But these price complaints seem way too specific to me. People saying "I built my own for $xxx" doesn't really mean much difference to the average buyer. Like, my mom is not going to go parts shopping to buy a tricked out hot-rod of a computer. Generally speaking, if you bought a Mac, it would cost not too far off a similarly priced PC. If you're really techie and tend to build your own machines, well, let's factor in your shopping and construction time. Apple ships to your door in 24 hours Not to say they're cheap, especially the Powerbooks are now out of my price range...

Love isn't a strong enough word. I've played through most installments of the franchise 2-3 times. The only one I couldn't do a second time was the Wind Waker. Too much water. But I finished Twilight Princess twice, and loved every second of it. Pure delight. I look forward to the new one this year!

A great review, thanks! I'm interested in this set, but I'm in the same boat as everyone else: Not at that price. I have three tie fighters already, so this isn't essential. I'm glad they used the same silver motif that they used for the Darth Vader tie last year. This set looks good.

Well, I personally wouldn't claim it best in all possible circumstances. People who assemble their own computers are definitely a minority of the public (like people who fix their own cars), but I think they can serve their own needs better than a packaged Mac. Those people tend to be a bit more overrepresented on forums though.

All the "Macs are overpriced" complaints are way off base. They are very close to the price of comparable P.C. hardware, and basically the same when you consider the soft Mac bundles in its machines. The company makes a point of not offering low-end products, they simply take them off the market, and it helps establish their brand. A company like, say, BMW, doesn't offer low end products either, they let other Dell-type companies corner that market. If you look at the monitors, the memory, the speed, etc etc, the hardware itself is usually about 20% more than a comparable PC. At that, the software and the crisp design makes it a completely reasonable price, or at least nothing to make a fuss about... or are MegaBlocks that much better than Lego for the price? Edit: A quick google search of "apple not overpriced" brings up this, and a host of other articles http://www.pcmech.com/article/is-the-mac-overpriced/

I've had two iMacs, two Powerbooks, a g4 tower, three iPods and an iPhone in my life, and currently am very happy with my iMac. It lets me play and create in a way I can't easily on a PC. If I were a gamer or a business person, I'd use Windows, but I'm not, so I like Macs. The only product I haven't been thrilled with is the iPhone. The camera is absolute crap, the roaming fees are ludicrous, and Apple is fascistic in locking apps. I'm in Japan, and can't get English language app downloads because I'm forced to use the Japanese app store. You can't even download free apps, because you need a credit card to make an account. I basically use my iPhone as an iPod, and occasionally as a phone. It's an overpriced piece of crap. The iMac is fantastic, in price, design, usability etc, and highly recommended.

Well, I suppose I can follow up on what all I got now. I got mainly money, and put half of it toward Lego, the other half toward a fun vacation. 8970 Robo Attack 5891 Apple Tree House 7639 Camper 8073 Manta Warrior 5969 Squidman Escape 8399 K-9 Bot 7778 Millennium Falcon and my real, real, real present, 7754 Home One Mon Calimari Star Cruiser Now my apartment will definitely be too full with Lego

Hey Yumi! Welcome I'm sure we'll all get used to your Italo-Japanese English

Officially, I'm on vacation from Eurobricks, visiting the Great White North, and lo and behold, l got a hold of one of the nicer looking 2010 sets, the not-creatively-titled-at-all Apple Tree House (thanks to Ricecracker for the pass along). Only because it's a 2010 set, I decided to do the review from my parents basement. The color on these photos isn't great, and I plan to reshoot it once I'm back home I was anticipating this set, just because of its beautiful color. Can a book be judged by its cover? Set#: 5891 Name: Apple Tree House Theme: Creator Year: 2010 Pieces: 539 Price: $53 Canadian MSP: U.S.$ ?, £ ?, euros ? Peeron Brickset Bricklink The booklets There are a standard three Creator booklets, one for each build, and the ads that come with each. The Pieces None of the pieces jump out at me as new, except the basketball net, which I haven't seen before. The base plates are a slightly brighter shade than the 'grass' ones. The Build This is at about step 15. It's not that complicated, compared to the other Creator sets I have, but it is minimal and elegant. One clever thing, I thought, was the mailbox, the base of it is simply two L-bricks. With the next 15, you've added the garage door, and a staircase to the second floor, and have pretty much finished the main walls. Just after another 15 or so, the main part of the building is done, minus the takeaway roof. Most of the building techniques are either the same or variations on the Creator house series. A few more pieces are left over and we get to.... The Finished Product This is the money shot I guess. Lawn mower, apple tree, basketball net. On the right side of the house is a water tap. The back is nothing special. It doesn't lend itself well to being a 'real' house. With the garage door open, and a loose basketball by the net. There certainly are nice details, like the flowers and the house lights. The lawn mower is simple, but effectively gives off that 'lawn mower' feeling. The tree has some loose apples. A flowered bush sits in the distance. The roof pops off, but the spaces are tight inside, so I can't imagine putting many minis in. <EDIT> Here are the other two builds, as I warned would come! The second house is quite nice, a chalet of sorts. While the first floor is alright at mini-fig scale, the attic is useless. Strangely, the window panes aren't used. They're supposed to be empty. The garden is nice enough, but the lamp seems a bit out of place. Access to the insides are through the roof. That piece dangling below it is supposed to lock it into place, but it really doesn't work. The roof slowly falls down. Inside, there is but a fireplace. I suppose that's an important feature of a chalet. This part is interesting, it's a shrubbery I think. Very irregular, and built into the wall. The garden is so-so relaxing. The house is decent for mini-fig scale. And these are the leftover pieces. The third house is also a nicely detailed one. A three-story one. The floors separate for access. Unfortunately, the inside is so small, it may as well be closed. If it was micro-scale, I'd really like this design. This set isn't really meant to be viewed from the back. Nothing much to see here. The yard is really nice! This has all you need. Again, it is a little small for mini-figs. Even at the picnic table, there's no room for food. Slightly less pieces are left over here. The Final Verdict Design: 8/10 I like the overall look of this set. It's not an unbelievably good set, but it is very tasteful, and the blue and white really look nice together. I'd love to live there. The inside isn't particularly done well at all. The alternate builds, while looking nice, aren't particularly mini-fig friendly. Build: 6/10 Really unexceptional. It was a deja vu of other sets, with very few 'Wow' moments. Not boring, or unenjoyable, but nothing exceptional either. Playability: 8/10 The inside is cramped, the garage is just a little tight. There is just the new Lego equipment, like the lawn mower and the apple tree. The alternate builds help add to the playability. Price: 7/10 Not terrible, but it should be less than $50. Overall: 7/10 I like this and all, but not as much as I hoped to. It's a decent set that doesn't try particularly hard to do anything new. The overall design of it is nice though, and would fit in with most suburban Lego towns. This is a good set that adds to any collection, but in the big picture feels fairly unessential. If you have no other Creator house sets, then I definitely would recommend it. My rating is pending to change after seeing the other two builds. <edit> I bumped it up a couple points, but the overall rating is unchanged.

1922 at the moment!

In advance of the holiday, and my trip back home, my wife gave me a lovely present last night, 10185, the Green Grocer. It's simply too big and heavy for the airplane, so I got it early. Am I happy with it? As a matter of fact, I am, though it's only two thirds built. As much as Christmas is the time of giving, there's a lot of getting too. Let's share what we get

Great review. I have 6212, so I won't be tracking down this set, but Dagobah Luke and the Yoda house are certainly nice!

It looks really really good, but unfinished. It needs wings. But as a starfighter base part, it's beautiful.

The roof is really nice, as everyone's mentioned. For the doorway, is that meant to be a curtain? It reminds me of one. If so, great job!

Nice review and a nice set. I'd like to see those troopers side to side with the troopers of the summer Hoth set. I wasn't blown away by their goggles. Anyway, I have this pre-purchased on Amazon and it'll be arriving shortly after they're released in Japan. Thanks for the beautiful review!

I will be buying this for sure.

I like this a lot. It's quiet and classy. Good job.

I'm pretty sure my titles were both by Whitefang. The first, Miniature Star Wars Reviewer was from my teacher training. I bought a set of four miniature Star Wars sets and reviewed them for my training. I was urged to increase the size of my reviews, and I had to explain, Yeah, I'm going to review large size sets, just let me finish the mini sets I got. Though the teachers were wary, I did get around to 1,000 piece plus sets. But I got that title first. The second (and current) title, Def-initive Star Wars reviewer was due to my name (which means little <I am but a shadow>) but also with my later reviews, 7133 in particular, I edited and re-edited them to make them the 99% unimprovable. I'll eat my shorts when you do a better 7133 review. That name might have been by Svelte though. I'd like a new name soon, but I haven't done anything of note recently

Born in 1975, I hated Star Trek. I loved loved loved Star Wars. I saw Star Trek 2 in the theater, around age 7, and it was just too young. An age 11 birthday party showing of Star Trek 1 didn't help things. By the late 80's I could get into Star Trek:TNG, but grudgingly. As lots on this thread ask, do Star Wars fans hate Star Trek, much less so much? I don't think so. In the 30 years since Star Wars came out, most of the Star Wars fanboys grew up and it stopped being an either/or thing. At least it did for me, and I was the most serious fanboy of all the people I know.

Interesting vid. I liked it. I'm really not a baseball fan, but I can tell the maker is a fan and a New Yorker. The music seems anachronistic compared to the slobby dress of a contemporary baseball fan, but that's a small critique. I liked the music, it was just classier than the images Anyway, I dig tiltshift stuff, and did a bunch of those photos myself. You can Photoshop fake them, but it's best to take the photo from overhead, and have an easy line of perspective. If you're interested, I'll tell you more. Taken from the top floor of the department store in the center of my city, and 'tilt-shifted' by me

I like the look of the Pirate Tank! I haven't got it, but it's definitely on my list. I voted: the hyena droid - I like it, but all the blue/grey ships bore me a bit. magna guard fighter - an interesting ship, but takes up a lot of space... I don't keep many very flat ships built. AAT - More blue/grey. For some reason, a really boring set for me. Things like Shanghai Chase and Echo Base never need to get taken apart. They are compact and fun little sets.