Inconspicuous

Meh. The hair is cool, but not as cool as a printed beanie. However, I really like the side leg printing! I've never seen that before. It's so funny, I was just reading this the other day: How interesting!

BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Shipwreck Island Set Number: 6296 Number of Pieces: 216 Minifigs: 4 Price: 30.00 USD (Now worth approximately 40.00 USD used) Theme: Pirates I Year Released: 1996 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Flickr THE REVIEW: BOX: Front: First up is the box, full of Classic Pirates touches, like the sculpted backgrounds, logo, and snapping crocodile. A certain skeleton seems to be the life of the party over in the corner, while one Pirate gets launched from a mechanism. Back: The back is occupied solely by alternate models. What's more, the sides are also adorned with even more alternate models! My favorite has to be the lower center one, featuring a crocodile-activated closet skeleton. Tray: As with most Classic Pirates sets, this box has a sliding tray. I find this quite handy for storage, because without the tray, the box can be easily collapsed. Box:: Thoughts: It's space-efficient, cute, and not overly ad-packed. Some of the alternate models are pretty funny! INSTRUCTIONS: Front: The instructions are a similar to the box cover, with less set information. Although the cover is Landscape, the contents and back cover are all Portrait. Minifig Page: The inside of the booklet shows how to build the minifigs, crocodile, palm tree, and small raft. Also note that the first step includes a piece call-out and a birds' eye view to help the process start easily. Random Page: A random page of the instructions, around two-thirds done with the build. There are no regular piece call-outs, but mini boxes for small submodels. Also note the lovely and not very distracting parchment background. Back: The back cover features a mini picture of the set as well as two of the box's alternate models. That's right- absolutely no advertising! Instructions:: Thoughts: Very clean and to-the-point. I'm so used to piece call-outs that I missed some pieces the step they were added, though. PIECES: Pieces (sorted): The pieces of the set are mostly black, but also have a decent amount of white, gray and yellow. A giant baseplate is a great touch for a medium-sized set, and the sail is nice and tattered. Remember, click the pic for a larger version! Pieces of interest: Here are some of the more interesting pieces of the set. The blue cannon base is really awesome, as well as the printed flag and map. I also like how Lego went all-out and provided two sets of coins. I also like that there are two rifles, three pistols, and three swords for four minifigs- fantastic addition! Pieces:: Thoughts: Considering there aren't too many of them, there's a nice blend of specialty and generic ones. MINIFIGS: Front: The four minifigs of the set are all 100% Classic Pirates. The first has a lovely torso, beard, and hat, as well as green legs, an uncommon touch. The second one has a nice torso and face too. The Conquistador has a standard torso and hat, but is still interesting and uncommon. The skeleton also has a unique torso print, and well as very-detailed headgear. Back: No back printing for them, but then again how would you print the back of a skeleton anyways? Minifigs:: Thoughts: Very nice torsos, and a good selection. The Conquistador is a nice addition, that many of the later Pirates sets had thrown in. THE BUILD: Build: The build progresses very smoothly, in 21 steps. The pictures are at approximately 5 step intervals. There is nothing questionable about the build, and it uses no spectacular building techniques. Build:: Thoughts: Simple and a bit hard to follow, but adding in a piece a step later isn't a huge problem. COMPLETED PRODUCT: The whole set: And we have our completed set! the little raft is a great touch which adds more playability. The one thing that stick out at me is, what is it supposed to be? A shipwreck? An Island? If it's a shipwreck, the mast looks out of place amongst the mostly-wrecked hull. And if it's a wreck, why is it floating, and why is there a giant skull at one end? And if it's an island, why is there a ship lodged in it, and why is it so puny? I don't see what the designers were trying to do with this. It's just so weird. Left Side: A side view shows a good view of the skull, as well as the net with the skeleton behind the sail. The net has a very wide range of motion, which is a great feature. Also note the bent edges near the sail. Another great touch! Skull: I think the skull deserves a close-up. It's not very dense, but still well designed. I love how the mouth is eating the treasure chest! See that black lever? Press on it, and the panel behind the treasure goes flying into the air! Back View: The back view gives another perspective on things. You can see a palm tree, a cannon, a sword-in-a-barrel, and a jail. The sword is conveniently placed and is easily accessible. Jail: Taking a closer look at the jail, we can see a cup on top, as well as hinges. Open: The hinges allow the jail to open, revealing our Conquistador friend. It's a little cramped, and a little hard to open, but it's not bad considering. Palm Tree: The little palm tree is shorter than many of the other ones, and is awfully cute, but something seems.. off. Perhaps it's the fact that it's growing on a piece of land barely bigger than its base, in the middle of the ocean? This is the second set I've seen this in, the other being Rocky Reef, which was even worse. Why did Lego do this? I have no idea, nor ever will. Cannon: The lovely blue firing cannon can swivel in the center of the wreck. The cannon balls are stored on the other side of the mast. Again, this set would be better with a firing cannon, but the change isn't as bad as in the Cross Bone Clipper. Also note, it is on a sliding piece. Interesting... Open: Just pop off that little blue switch, and the cannon can slide off revealing... guns and a map that somehow don't sink into the ocean! Cool idea, lame execution. A hinge would have been better than having to remove the blue handle, and there could at least be a plate under there! Back: At the end of the wreck is a cute little telescope, with a simple and effective design. This doesn't seem like the kind of thing they would include in a Pirates set, but this set was a little out of line anyways. Right Side: The other side shows the tattered sail very nicely. There's not much else about this view. Action Scene: Now for a little action scene! The poor Conquistador is being eaten alive by the crocodile, while one Pirate decides to try a human cannon-ball act. Video: Here's a quick video showcasing the launching function of the set. I think it's really ingenious, because it operates under the treasure without bumping it. It also flings quite far! _______________________________________________ Totals: Design: 5/10 I'm not sure what it is, so it's hard to judge is the designers reached their goal. However, there are some island touches, like the rock jail, and some shipwreck touches, like the sail and wrecked hull, so I guess the set name isn't very deceiving. However, it looks a little bit thrown together and incoherent, a problem that was rather uncommon among Pirate sets. It looks like a test of some sort. Parts: 8/10 A decent variety, but the black pieces feel overpowering. There are plenty of accessories, but not too many special pieces otherwise. Build: 8/10 I missed some pieces going through, but it wasn't a problem in the end. The build is fairly satisfying. Minifigs: 10/10 Definitely the right amount, and a decent variety. Nothing like some swash-buckiln' sailors, and a good 'ol skellie to do the trick! Playability: 10/10 This is a high point of the set. There are lots of accessories, some good functions, and enough minifigs to recreate a good battle without any other sets. Price: 8/10 The price is off a bit, at 216 pieces for $30. Although there is a baseplate, it isn't a very good value. Total: 49/60 Not the best set, but not the worst one either. It's stronger points are minifigs and playability, but its design is very weak. This set was definitely aimed at kids, since the factors important to kids were emphasized. But the design just kills the whole thing, in my opinion. It's not quite and island, and not quite a shipwreck, but it still floats. I can definitely see why this set was lost in history. And perhaps it rightfully deserves to be forgotten. Thanks for reading! -Inky

The closest one that has the Landspeeder, according to Walmart.com. Cool! I like that idea a lot! I'll check it out the next time I go! Thanks!

They didn't even have the Luke's Landspeeder at the Lego store. Apparently it's on "online exclusive", which really sucks. I'll have to check Walmart though. EDIT: Darn! The nearest Walmart that has it is 47 miles away. Grrr.

I checked this morning; still nothing. Well, at least starstreak found some.

Looks great. I'm looking forward to the full episode! You have me hooked.

Amazing work! You creation is deatiled, accurate, sturdy, and best of all, functional. The stairs underneath are really cool too! My only complaint is that the second slanted arch looks a little odd. Otherwise, you've created a nice MOC. Keep up the great work! (Minifig Theme Park...? )

I agree with dr_spock, that the only problem is taking off the tires when the car is up. Otherwise, I love it! It has a nice, more modern air about it, and is very detailed. Awesome work!

Heh heh I'm in Silicon Valley too. The only Target I checked was the Stevens Creek Blvd one, and they were just setting up the Easter stuff. I'll have to try again tomorrow.

http://brickset.com/news/article/?ID=550 These are obviously the slots for the new Target Easter Promotionals: Last year, we got the Mini V-19 and General Grievous Starfighter as our promotionals. I'll try to get a review out if I can pick them up, but they look better than last year's.

What a unique creation! The suspension and wheels are incredible! It's just so ingenious. Hanging planes, solar panels, the whole thing.

That's hilarious! "I have been getting alot of questions about this item, this Lego minifigure was in a hard to find, limited edition set THAT WILL NEVER BE MADE FOR AWHILE, when I said "You may see this for double or more elsewhere" their were a few on eBay for USD$9,099.00 and now they have been taken off or sold! So this is one of the last ones, which makes it even more rare. The price is still the same and their is still free shipping. Even if you pay $4,500.01 it is yours!" Never be made for awhile? There were some but they sold? Zero feedback? *falls on floor laughing*

Cool figs! I've never particularly been into minifig customization, but I can recognize some of the talent that went into those things. The printing is lovely, and I like their version of Aayla much better than the chubby cartoon one in the Turbo Tank. I also like the idea of hips, but it looks a bit strange. Thanks for sharing, Siegfried!

Graveyard Duel is a set from the Goblet of Fire Line. Which set are you talking about? After thinking about it, I think Lego did a sensible job of which figures to include. As Clone O'Patra put it, they're really versatile and pretty much all of them can be used in multiple scenes/books. My only concern is that in order to get all these characters, you need most of the sets!

Welcome to my review of 4720 Knockturn Alley. This cute little set was based off of a shop called Borgin and Burkes and was one of two Diagon Alley sets at the time (the other being Quality Qudditch Supplies). Borgin and Burkes played a very brief role in the second movie: Harry accidentally went there instead of Diagon Alley through the Floo network, tinkered with a few trinkets, and left. In the book version, it played a more significant role: Harry hid in a corner, and overheard Lucius Malfoy doing business the store. The shop also made an appearance in the sixth movie and book when Harry, Ron, and Hermione eavesdropped on Draco Malfoy examining a cabinet. It was later revealed that this magical cabinet had a counterpart in Hogwarts, and was used to smuggle Death Eaters into the Castle. With a few memorable scenes in the movie, and the actual partner vanishing cabinet making an appearance in the new Hogwarts Castle, is this set due for a comeback in popularity? Read on to find out. BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Knockturn Alley Set Number: 4720 Number of Pieces: 209 Minifigs: 2 Price: 20.00 USD (Now worth approximately 40.00 USD used) Theme: Harry Potter / Chamber of Secrets Year Released: 2003 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Flickr THE REVIEW: INSTRUCTIONS: Front: First up are the instructions, since I don't have the box anymore. The cover features a funny but not accurate scene, where Harry is apparently shoplifting a bag of magic dust, while Lucius glares at him angrily. Many of the items in the shop have been moved closer to the window to advertise them as well. The border is a simple stone architecture, with some decorative owls. Minifig Page: Inside, we find a simple minifigs page and then construction of the chimney begins right away. Random Page: A random page shows us more of the instructions' layout. I find the rotated parchment to be distracting and unnecessary. Why couldn't they have kept it straight? Otherwise, color discrimination is fine and the instructions aren't hard to follow. Inside: The only real "junk" ad found is for the Chamber of Secrets video game. I only played the first one, but the ad makes the second one look appealing enough. Back: The back cover features the lovely modular castle layout at its peak. You can see the Knockturn Alley and Quality Quidditch Supplies are outliers, and don't even get a spot on the map! Yet somehow, 4728 Escape from Privet Drive does. Instructions:: Thoughts: Clear, easy to follow, and to the point, but a little distracting at the same time. PIECES: Pieces (sorted): Next up are the pieces, meticulously spread for your viewing pleasure. You can see that the set has a unique color scheme: black, dark gray, and sand blue, with touches of dark blue. This is strange for a set even now, and I think it was even stranger back when it was released. However, just because it's strange doesn't mean it's not satisfying. I personally love the colors, simply because they're rare and gloomy. Pieces of interest: Here are some of the more interesting pieces of the set. The window is very useful as well as the arch piece. Owls are cool in dark gray, and the printed eye pieces are rather unique. However, my personal favorites are the purple jewel, the printed hand, and the brain piece. The hand represents a display that Harry gets ensnared in while looking around. The brain piece is rare, but very useful. I would love to see the piece come back sometime. Pieces:: Thoughts: Cool colors, huge selection, and no stickers! I can't think of anything negative to say. MINIFIGS: Front: There are only two minifigs that came with the set, but if Lego had put the characters who appeared in the movie, there would only be one. Harry's shirt is movie-accurate, but I wish they had included a cape. The Lucius torso is incredibly useful, and includes such lovely details as pinstripes and a pocketwatch chain. Again, I wish he had a cape, but if you're a Lego Harry Potter fan, I'm sure you have some laying around. Back: No back printing for either, but back printing wasn't all that common back in the day. Minifigs:: Thoughts: Lovely printing, especially on Lucius' torso. Capes could have been nice though. THE BUILD: Build 1: The first phase of the build is the chimney that Harry slides out of. The pictures are at approximately 6 step intervals. The chimney is much more dense and complex than the rest of the set, which is why it only takes three less steps to build compared to the body of the shop. The build is very straightforward, and doesn't use and ingenious techniques, except for roof slopes and a tactic for locking the sliding plate in. Build 2: Then in 26 steps the rest of the set is done. This part is even simpler than the chimney, and utilizes a similar roof technique, as well as some minor SNOT. Build:: Thoughts: No ingenious techniques are used, but there's little repetition and it's not very boring either. COMPLETED PRODUCT: The whole set: And the set is completed! The colors all blend nicely and I definitely think they captured the mood of the location very well. Back: Taking a look from the back, we can see the details inside. I think there's a perfect amount of details, open space, and functionality. This side of the chimney looks amazing. Main Room: Let's take a closer look at the body of the shop. You can see the skulls by the entrance, the cash register and table, the side display, and the window display. Also note the small attic with a glowing spider. Store Items: The shelves of the shop have some gruesome decorations including a brain, two potions, a telescope of some kind, and a green glass. I really like the design of the side shelf. Register: The cash register is a lovely printed piece, and the hand behind is neat. The hand was actually next to the register in the book and the movie, so Lego really went all out on accuracy! Window Creature: That table in the shop window looks fishy... oh my god it's a freaky owl! I really don't see the point of this, but I guess it's a semi-cool function, and it gives us an excuse for printed eyes. Chimney: The chimney is a little bit odd, but the front with the opening looks superb. The side view is probably the most awkward. The colors really work here! Alternate Set-Up: One of the features I like is the rearranging capabilities. The chimney can move around, and the other two segments have a hinge. Here's another possible set-up that I find a bit more movie-accurate. Screen Shot: Here's a quick screenshot of Harry shooting out of the fireplace. Lego definitely captured the feeling, but maybe a little less sand blue would make it more accurate. Also, glass cases would really help. Video: Here's a brief functions video that showcases the chimney function. I think it looks quite cool! _______________________________________________ Totals: Design: 10/10 Plenty of details are included, and yet there is room to move the minifigs about. The shop can be changed into different formations to keep things interesting and the color scheme really works. Parts: 10/10 Amazing selection of rare sand blue as well as plenty of dark gray, black, and touches of dark blue. A few of the specialty printed parts, like the brain and the hand, are simply fantastic! Build: 9/10 Not very boring, but it doesn't have too many interesting techniques. A simple process, but still an enjoyable one. Minifigs: 9/10 Excellent torso prints, especially Lucius', but they could have used capes. The only other fig that could be included is Malfoy, who is more common. Playability: 9/10 A few handy play features, like the fireplace, and the owl, and lots of accessories. It probably needs wands to get a 10, but there is quite a bit of stuff that can be done as it is. Price: 10/10 Perfect piece/price ratio, and it even has lots of big plates! 209 for $20 is just great. Total: 57/60 This is a pretty darn good set. It has lots of rare and useful pieces and colors, some great minifigs, and an excellent design. The only real downside is that it doesn't have wands or capes, which could make it a bit more interesting, but if you're a Harry Potter fan, supplying these shouldn't be a problem. I say that if you're willing to pay the price tag, go for it! I don't think you'll regret the purchase. Parting Shot: "Run for your lives! It's the undead traveling salesman!" Thanks for reading! -Inky

The older ones are more floppy and cute. They're good for more realistic skeletons. The Fantasy-Era ones are for undead armies, their primary function already. I personally am completely for the old skellies. But that's just a preference.

Blew my socks off the moment I saw it! I've always wanted to do a Lego mosaic, but I never really had the time to dig up lots of 1x1s, or the money to buy some. Now you're really tempting me! Amazing work!

Prizes received! Thanks KimT for the awesome prizes and running the contest! (I was bored so I made a case for the Stormtrooper!) EDIT: Yay! 800th post!

Welcome to Eurobricks, Elander! I also see that you're a LOTR fan. There are plenty of us around, and I think your set ideas may encourage more MOCs. Have fun. Inky

Check my signature- I've already done two of the ones you listed. I agree that a Hobbit game and the trilogy would be likely, but anything else is definitely out of the picture. I remember that the Harry Potter video game was announced before the line. Maybe it will be the same with the Hobbit...

Coolio! Nice find Svelte! Unfortunately, my Lego budget doesn't allow for Atlantis, but for those of you with an extensive collection, I can imagine you are truly thrilled! And a Polish version with a sharkman? Wow! Now there's a convenient way to build up armies of all the sea creatures except the Orc-ish one in the portal set.

Hooray! I definitely agree with you there. I think it got some bashing, just because it was put in polls against the bigger ships. Thanks for the comments, guys!

BASIC INFORMATION: Set Name: Cross Bone Clipper Set Number: 6250 Number of Pieces: 151 Minifigs: 3 Price: 33.00 USD Theme: Pirates Year Released: 1997 RESOURCES: Brickset Peeron Bricklink Flickr (Remember, pics are clickable!) THE REVIEW: BOX: Front: First up is the box, which my brother conveniently stored is his closet and kept in perfect shape. You can see lots of Classic Pirates touches, like the molded background and the foaming sea. The edges of the box get a nice purple color. Back: The back features a lovely treasure map background, as well as alternate models galore! Perhaps this is because there aren't too many features to advertise. Side: Upon inspecting the box further, I came across this price tag. This was an incredible price for the set back then, so you can imagine how shocking this is now! Perhaps the reason why it was marked down so far is that it wasn't selling very well... Opened: Just cut a seal, and out slides the tray. The box's shape is mainly supported by the tray. Box:: Thoughts: Classic and simple, which is always nice in today's world of advertising. It actually seems fairly thin considering the large hull pieces would have had to fit in. INSTRUCTIONS: Front: Next up are the instructions, which have a cropped, almost over-cropped, version of the box on it. Lots of the set information has been swiped off. Minifig Page: First, the simple minifigs are built, and construction starts without hesitation. Notice the tan parchment background, which compliments the set's color quite well. Random Page: This random page shows how sub-models and string are added. Submodels get their own light-tan boxes and string gets its own 1:1 scale box too. Back: The back features rearranged alternate models from the back. There are absolutely no ads; as soon as construction is done, the book ends. Instructions:: Thoughts: These are even simpler than the box! Incredibly to-the-point and no errors or color discrimination difficulties. PIECES: Pieces (sorted): Here are the set's pieces, meticulously sorted for your viewing pleasure. You can see that for a $30 set, there are barely any pieces! Also, for a mostly green set, there are no green pieces aside from the hulls. Apart from accessories, the pieces are fairly generic. However, there aren't too many colors, one of the problems with 6280 Armada Flagship, the "Rainbow Ship". Pieces of interest: The more interesting pieces of the set include barrels, swords, coins, and the red flag pieces. The red pole appears in five sets, and the circular one is exclusive to this set. Pieces:: Thoughts: There aren't very many of them, but what's there is simple and fulfilling. MINIFIGS: Front: Here are the three minifigs included in the set. They all have wonderful torso printing and headgear. Female pirates were rare and Captain Redbeard is always a treat with his hook, peg leg, eyepatch, and epaulette. Back: No printing on the backs, but this was very common back in the day. Minifigs:: Thoughts: Fairly rare, wonderfully printed, and 100% pirate. Quite an array for a smaller ship. THE BUILD: Build: The build progresses very smoothly and is very quick. With a lack of pieces, it's not a surprise that the process is very unfulfilling. The pictures are taken at perfect 3 step intervals, and it a quick 18 steps the ship is done. I noticed that I missed a few pieces the step they appeared, so this isn't the easiest build. Pieces are added inconspicuously and are easy to miss. No interesting building techniques are used either. Build:: Thoughts: Subtle, fast, unfulfilling, and no interesting techniques leads to a fairly unpleasant build. COMPLETED PRODUCT: Completed: And the ship is finished. Doesn't it look kind of cute? Front: A full-front shows an excellent view of the sails. The main sail is printed on one side, but the smaller one is printed on both sides. Close-up: If you can't have a figurehead, this is the next best thing! A skull is simple and matches the ship very well. Side: A side view gives you a better idea of the ship's layout. You can see that the string that attaches to the front supports the barrel of gold in the middle. You can also see a string that keeps the main sail close against the mast. Inside: Most of the action of the ship is happening in the middle and back of the interior. In my opinion, it's a tad cramped, but nothing really interferes with anything else. Steering Wheel: Nothing like a good, old fashioned steering wheel! I'm surprised that the wheel is down here. It would make more sense if it was up on the platform. Rudder: However, there's at least one good point to the steering system- you can control the rudder from inside! I've removed the platform to give you a better view of this simple but effective design. Back: The back platform of the ship looks empty without a steering wheel. However, the barrel and the lantern are nice touches. This is usually where I put Redbeard and his map. Cannon: The cannon that came with mine is of the non-firing variety, but it seems like there's a special design suited for firing cannons. Let's try substituting in a 2009 firing one to see if we can identify it... With Firing: And indeed we have! The small pin can actually keep the trigger pulled at a decent distance! All you need to load it is pop in a cannon ball, push on the back and snap the little clip into place, and then gently press on the front of the cannon and the ball will fire! Video: If you don't get what I mean, here's a video demonstration. Quite ingenious isn't it? It doesn't work the best, but you can modify it to shoot farther. _______________________________________________ Totals: Design: 7/10 It feels a little bit cramped, and the steering wheel should be on the platform, but otherwise the design is pretty sleek and simple. I think the amount of details was sufficient for a small ship. Parts: 8/10 A good selection without an overwhelming number of colors. The hull pieces are cool, and the set has a few rare pieces. Build: 5/10 A tad fast and difficult, but otherwise fine. The string riggings aren't too hard, which is a good plus. Minifigs: 10/10 Lovely printing, fairly rare, and a female pirate. Any more and the ship would be crowded, but what they gave us was great. Playability: 8/10 This would probably be a lot more fun with a firing cannon, but otherwise, you can sail the seas, steer the rudder, and stage pirate battles with the selection of weapons included. Price: 5/10 Too expensive for the price, due to the large hull pieces. Even so, it should have been cheaper. The $15 price I got it for was much more reasonable. Total: 43/60 Even though it got a C-, this ship is just dwarfed by all other ships and seems bad. It has some nice features, and the bad ones can be easily modded. I would recommend this to Pirate fans with a smaller budget, because this is one of the smaller "actual" ships. I think the cute little ship just needs some love. Thanks for reading! -Inky

Awesome MOCset! I think you captured the feeling of the location well, as well as the feel of an official set too. I love all the little details- the clocks, the bench, the basketball court, even the brown eraser on the blackboard. The chem lab is pure win.

By so it is! For a single set at least; there were some Harry Potter Complete Collection type bundles that came out early on, but I don't really count those.