Aanchir

Basically, if there is no legible part number (Design ID) on the piece, Bricklink users would make up a placeholder. This is pretty much unnecessary now that part numbers can easily be referenced through either LDD or the LEGO.com replacement parts service, but especially with older parts the issue lives on (bizarrely, even when official part numbers ARE discovered, as with this piece, they are generally listed as "alternates"). Whether there's any rhyme or reason to which parts would get those sorts of placeholder part numbers and which would get theme-specific placeholder part numbers is beyond me. But the point is that, as placeholder part numbers with no official basis, the numbers don't have to mean anything to anybody besides the ones doing the cataloging.

It's her Kubrick stare. I'm going to miss the absurdity of the "Win" kids, but I'm sure a friendly minifigure will better convince kids and families to fill out a survey than a terrifying vessel of unfettered competitive zeal.

Obviously given how popular many of the LEGO Ideas sets have been, there are a lot of people who disagree with you about the sets being boring. And let's be honest. A set being exciting is not the same as a set being viable. A project with ten thousand pieces and a hundred minifigures is obviously going to be a lot more exciting than a project with 500 pieces and four minifigures, but only the latter is actually within the realm of possibility. The Space Marines project's biggest flaw was that it was a proposal for a theme rather than an individual set, and could not easily be condensed into a single set while still maintaining all the features that supporters liked about the project. The aliens and one of the troopers also required new molds, another obvious no-no. All things considered, the project had lots and lots of things working against it. If there are licensing issues facing Legend of Zelda projects, they are not insurmountable. Otherwise the LEGO Group would automatically reject all new Zelda projects the same way they would with projects like Transformers, My Little Pony, or other brands that belong to or have existing licensing agreements with competing toy companies. Furthermore, often a project fails due to issues that can't be summed up in a convenient sound bite. So expecting that of the LEGO Ideas review announcements is largely unreasonable.

Another Ninjago-related part error: when trying to assemble General Cryptor (a minifigure that appears in three Ninjago sets this year), the headgear (design ID 15616) collides with the armor (design ID 15618).

According to what we saw at New York Toy Fair, they'll be released in August. Makes sense that we'd be getting them later since the previous wave was delayed until March over here.

Great pics, Shakar! Incidentally, has anyone realized how PERFECT these cocoons would be for the Daikau plants from BIONICLE's first year? Not big enough to swallow a Matoran whole, but certainly big enough to grab one!

Just found a watermark-free catalog image of the new sets here. In the lower right corner it includes our first glimpse of a combi model constructed from the three new beast sets! It appears to be a scorpion-like model with a cocoon at the tip of its tail. Pretty awesome!

I dunno, I'm quite fond of Queen Beast's legs and how they're attached. Initially I was rather put off by the fact that the front legs are shorter than the back legs, but I realized that this is probably to make posing them easier. I won't be able to know whether making all four legs the same length is a worthwhile improvement until/unless I get the set. Still haven't committed to getting that one, since my brother and I already have the Furno and Evo mini-heroes and there are so many other sets competing for our attention, but it wouldn't surprise me if we end up picking that one up eventually. Tunneler Beast indeed doesn't have a lot of shells, but keep in mind that this is the largest $10 set by piece count and it DOES include lots of other useful parts in very useful quantities (including seven Bright Red Y-joints, six Dark Stone Grey 4M beams, four black talons, and two Dark Stone Grey pneumatic pieces to attach the fingers). I also think it's maybe one of the most elegant four-legged creatures in the theme to date. 19 points of articulation!

If the parts are "no longer made" there's no way to offer them on the online Pick-A-Brick — it's not like the LEGO Group has been stockpiling Classic Space parts somewhere. Certain parts (particularly ones for which the molds have not been retired) could certainly be reintroduced into production, but it's unlikely the LEGO Group would do that unless they were planning to use the part in actual sets. Only one "exclusive" part has ever been created specifically for release via a custom ordering service, that being the two-colored Hero Factory chest plate which was released via the "Hero Recon Team" service (a subset of LEGO Design byME). No idea how Classic Space minifigure packs might sell, but it is indeed one of the most plausible ways to capitalize on Classic Space, since figs resembling those in the Classic Space theme have already been re-issued for other sorts of minifigure packs like the "Vintage Minifigure Collections" and the Toys 'R' Us "Bricktober" promotions, and since there are already other minifigure packs like this one that feature exclusive minifigure designs. A new set in a theme like Creator or Juniors that takes inspiration from Classic Space is entirely possible, and perhaps a lot more likely than a full revival. As you say, such a set would certainly use some more modern parts and building styles, but aesthetically it could still draw heavy inspiration from Classic Space.

New Hero Factory pics via http://www.speelgoednl.nl/! 44023 ROCKA Crawler Package Out-of-package 44024 TUNNELER Beast vs. SURGE Package Out-of-package 44025 BULK Drill Machine Package Out-of-package 44026 CRYSTAL Beast vs. BULK Package Out-of-package 44027 BREEZ Flea Machine Package Out-of-package 44028 SURGE & ROCKA Combat Machine Package Out-of-package 44029 QUEEN Beast vs. FURNO, EVO, & STORMER Package Out-of-package

I noticed, but I wasn't really surprised. We already knew from Toy Fair that they were due for an August release in the US. And unlike the Chima, Ninjago, City, and Friends sets, we haven't caught so much as a glimpse of these sets in stores. So there wasn't really any reason to expect a June release like those other themes. I am a bit surprised at how MANY themes are getting a June release in Europe, but the reason is obviously to cash in on hype connected with the home media release of The LEGO Movie. In the U.S., however, it seems as though all of the themes that were delayed until March (most notably including Hero Factory, Chima, and Star Wars) will be getting an August release, in accordance with the usual release schedule.

Incidentally, the July LEGO Store Calendar confirms the next two episodes will be airing in the U.S. on July 13[/i]. So we've still got some time to wait before they air. Still, good to have a confirmed date.

I agree, I love this guy's color scheme. No doubt it would be interesting to see what would happen if you swapped the Tr. Fluore. Reddish Orange parts with colors like Black, Olive Green, and Earth Green. But on the whole I feel like his color scheme is quite unique, energetic, and elegant. There's a reason he's one of my favorites from this year's lineup.

Very nice. I love the proportions, and how solid the torso looks. My only criticism is that some of your photos are very very bright, which makes discerning the details a real challenge. I think all the photos could be improved with reduced brightness.

Incidentally, in case anybody was still unclear about the fate of the TV series next year, please look at the synopsis for this book, due for release in November: "Kids will discover everything they need to know about Cyrus Borg, Pixal, the Overlord, and the Nindroids, plus all the latest info about Cole, Jay, Kai, Zane, and Lloyd. The book also includes a special sneak peek at season five of the TV show." Incidentally, it's also a reminder that the season numbering is still confusing. The way the seasons are numbered in America and Germany (and probably some other countries), this year's episodes are Season Three and next year's episodes would be Season Four, not five, because those countries treated the thirteen episodes after the original TV special as Season One and the next thirteen episodes as Season Two. In the rest of the world (and WilFilm's own production numbers, judging by their Vimeo account), the original one-hour special and the two-minute mini-movies that accompanied it are treated as Season One — however, all 26 episodes from 2012 are treated as Season Two, so this year's episodes would technically be Season Three by either measure. So calling next year's episodes "Season Five" appears to be an error — perhaps informed by the IMDB page and other resources which both treat the original one-hour special as Season One and each thirteen-episode block in 2012 as a separate season.

Yeah, British prices are confirmed in this report from the London Toy Fair. And as you say, it's just the USD price with a pound sign in front of it (as is Surge & Rocka Combat Machine). Though at least the LEGO Group didn't do that with the small and medium size sets, which are £8.99 and £12.99 respectively (versus $9.99 and $14.99 in the US).

I know for sure that my brother and I will be getting Breez Flea Machine and Bulk Drill Machine. Not entirely sure about other sets. I'll have to see Surge & Rocka Combat Machine in more detail before I can decide whether I'll be getting it. Crystal Beast is the only one of the summer sets that I DON'T have any particular interest in. And then there's the decision of which of the sets that are already out I'll be getting. I still haven't gotten a single beast set, and I know I'll be wanting a few of those.

The Ninjago website has been updated in a number of ways. There's an X1 Ninja Charger product page, a Battle for Ninjago City product page, and an Overlord character page! The product pages include downloadable building instructions if you click the arrow next to the images all the way to the right. They're very high-quality — none of the colors are difficult to distinguish. Hopefully a sign of things to come. Check out the Overlord's delicious character art.

I had a big pink bucket of Tyco as a kid, and it got mixed in with my LEGO sometimes, but eventually I realized I'd want to keep it separate. The biggest challenge was separating white 1x1 round bricks because they were near-identical, but the difference was important: a LEGO 1x1 round brick can attach and detach just fine from a 3.2mm bar or aerial, while a Tyco one would get stuck for some reason (either a different material or slightly different geometry). Tyco had much better quality in terms of color, texture, and geometry than any other clone brands I had back then. Mega Bloks was easy to tell apart from LEGO because it simply "felt cheap". I hear Mega Bloks is better quality these days, and I certainly hope so, but it's been years since I've had to handle it.

Agreed here. Now, to be fair, it looks GREAT in yellow, and I fully understand that if it weren't an "extra" machine for Evo it would have probably been an "extra" machine for another hero — the chances of getting a new hero like Stringer or Nex would have been quite slim. But Evo already has two machines, and this machine, being a walker with not just a sphere launcher but also a storage container, ends up making the Evo Walker set look even more pathetic and unnecessary by comparison. I guess part of the reason it's another machine for Evo is just because he doesn't otherwise appear in any summer sets, and certainly not with a machine. Also it contrasts well with the Queen Beast, and has one of the most vibrant color schemes that could be achieved with parts that were already in production for use in other sets. But most of those factors also apply to Stormer and Furno, the set's other two minifigures, and I can't help thinking that it might have been cooler in one of their color schemes (especially since they only have one machine each). Granted, either of those might have needed new recolors to be as vibrant as Evo's here, which might very easily have been a factor in the decision.

Tunneler Beast is amazing in a lot of ways. I wrote a blog entry on BZPower analyzing how it stacks up against certain BIONICLE canister sets, and on the whole it's quite impressive in terms of value for money.

I'm not super-thrilled with the large summer HF sets either, to be honest. Queen Beast vs. Furno and Evo is pretty original (both the Queen herself and the little machine for Evo), but in spite of that uniqueness the Queen feels lacking in complexity, and I'm not all that excited about Evo getting a third machine. Surge & Rocka Combat machine is also a mixed bag. It's hard for me to judge its construction or functions until I see a review, but it definitely doesn't speak to me the way Evo XL Machine did. Still, I feel like the summer HF wave as a whole has a lot to be excited about. Tunneler Beast is brilliant for the $10 price point (wish there were more non-humanoid beast designs). Breez Flea Machine and Bulk Drill Machine bring even more variety to the $15 price point with their non-bipedal designs and nifty Technic functions. Crystal Beast doesn't excite me too greatly (since its color scheme is its most unique feature), but I do like that it and the other beast sets for the summer all boast articulated claws. And as far as designs and piece counts are concerned, the summer Hero Factory sets continue to shine, proving that there is no longer any merit to the claim that Hero Factory sets lack the complexity of the BIONICLE sets that came before them. Both of the $15 machines have higher piece counts than any BIONICLE canister set or even the $15 Mutran & Vican set. Bulk Drill Machine has very nearly as many pieces as the $15 Nocturn. Even the $10 sets are impressive: Tunneler Beast boasts 59 parts, and even if you subtract the 14 parts used for the minifigure and accessories you're left with more than any Piraka, Bohrok, or Toa Nuva, as many as any Rahkshi, and over a dozen more than any Vahki (keep in mind that the Vahki retailed for just $9, which in today's money would make them cost over $11).

One difference between American and European sets besides the lack of piece counts is which alternate languages are featured. North American boxes feature three languages: English (spoken primarily in the US and Canada), French (spoken primarily in certain parts of Canada), and Spanish (spoken primarily in Mexico and other Central American countries). In contrast, European boxes might feature a lot of languages. Check out the assortment of alternate character names on this European box for set 70812 Creative Ambush.

None in the sets yet. Don't know about the show. Some people have speculated that he might be the exclusive fig from the upcoming Legends of Chima Visual Dictionary. In any case, I figure his story role is probably similar to the other new big cat minifigures (Tormak, Lundor, and Li'ella) who are allies of the Phoenix tribe. I'm not sure how I feel about the CHI Panthar set. The design doesn't feel quite as unified or elegant as CHI Laval or CHI Cragger. But at the same time, like both versions of CHI Cragger, he has a creative torso build which is pulled off rather elegantly. I'm not too fond of the claw compared to the more reasonably-sized claws of CHI Lava. Nor am I fond of how he boasts only one articulated claw, unlike CHI Worriz, CHI Gorzan, and both CHI Laval sets, which boast two articulated hands AND full weapons. But on the other hand, it is kind of cool how one arm appears "energized" and has full golden armor while the other just has a single gold shell like his legs. His yellow eyes are a bit peculiar. Normally, the eyes of the constraction sets are color-coded according to the character's moral alignment — blue for heroes, red for villains. Is the decision to break that rule with CHI Panthar an aesthetic consideration, or might he be meant to be morally ambiguous?

Commercial for the new sets: Also, Tormentalous on Flickr posted a picture of this activity book which will be a cheaper way of getting the Zane minifigure from the Destructoid set. I plan to take a look at its contents once it's out (my LEGO budget for the year is already bursting at the seams, so any opportunity to save money is probably worth it), but the Destructoid is itself quite a cool set so I'll have to give it some thought.