Aanchir

How does the 5 tie it to Ninjago? Overlaid numbers and other graphics on T-shirts are common in real life. Many of TLG's official T-shirts in the "LEGO Wear" line have almost too many overlaid graphics to handle. Personally I think the real limiting factor is the belt, as few people wear belts over t-shirts like that. What were you planning on using it for if it didn't have the 5? It couldn't be used for anything but a t-shirt or sweatshirt anyway because of the collar print. And I'd think any use of it where the t-shirt look gets in the way could just use Lord Garmadon's.

For a long time, LEGO's attitude towards movie licenses was that they would limit creativity, but once convinced otherwise they introduced the LEGO Star Wars theme, and I am very grateful they did. I know a lot of people made Star Wars MOCs before they introduced the theme, but as a preteen boy I had never made Star Wars MOCs until the theme was announced. After the theme debuted, I spent many hours with a Star Wars video game's "vehicle select" screen open on the TV and my LEGO parts in front of me, trying to replicate the vehicles. How is that less imaginative than trying to replicate a historical castle, or a Saturn V rocket (another of my proudest childhood MOCs)? Meanwhile, a lot of people would argue that Ninjago is farther from TLG's core than many licensed themes are, as instead of trying to replicate something from real life or pop culture it is a whole new story being written and developed entirely by LEGO. While it's no doubt more imaginative on the part of the designers than a licensed theme, does it really inspire children's imaginations any differently when the story that they are building for comes from LEGO than when it is written by another company? This was a very controversial issue when LEGO Space was being developed, as it was one of the first times that a LEGO theme was not basing itself on history or real life, but rather on a future imagined by TLG and the other minds that inspired them. Overall, I am a bigger fan of TLG's "story themes" than their licensed themes, but I can see the merit in each. And at the same time there's much to be said for the themes like City that base their subject matter on the real world around us, or themes like Kingdoms and Pirates that base their subject matter on our cultural reflections on the past. Neither of these themes is necessarily accurate to the reality of their subject matter, but they are still drawing inspiration from real-life things which the eventual models can be measured against, and this inspires kids to look for inspiration in the world around them. Overall, I don't think any of these types of themes-- story themes, licensed themes, or traditional themes-- are against the creative spirit of LEGO, and I think each one can be just as inspiring to the imaginations of kids as to the imaginations of AFOLs.

Why so? I think the "5" seems like something that would certainly fit on a T-shirt like he's wearing. Without the 5, the torso would be close to identical to Lord Garmadon's, except with non-metallic printing.

Did pictures of that emerge? I can't find any in the most recent pages of this topic.

Once you know the naming scheme, it's easy. For instance, the main image for that set is http://cache.lego.com/r/dynamic/is/image/LEGO/9566?&wid=2400&hei=1800 To see alternate images (there can be nine or more for a single set sometimes!) you add "_alt1", "_alt2", etc. after the set number. So that image I linked before was http://cache.lego.com/r/dynamic/is/image/LEGO/9566_alt4?&wid=2400&hei=1800 This only applies for set images for the new version of shop.LEGO.com. For many sets before the big change this year the format is much more variable and cumbersome, and there are fewer images available in high-resolution. But the good news is that set images often get added to cache.LEGO.com before the sets actually get added to shop.LEGO.com, so it's a convenient way to view the images without needing to use the shop page (especially because cache.LEGO.com is the same for all countries, unlike shop.LEGO.com which sometimes adds and removes sets at different times for different countries). If you view any URL that does not exist on LEGO's cache, you get this amusing image.

Pics of several new Ninjago sets have been added to cache.LEGO.com. One of the main revelations for me was that Nya has a new double-sided face print. Her default expression is the same as before, but she now has an additional "angry" expression in place of the previous alternate face, which had a veil over its mouth.

Don't exactly understand why the stormtrooper on Endor is the same print as the Sandtrooper. But maybe the stormies in that scene were dirtier than I remember? I was of the opinion that Echo Base was a pretty good likeness of several scenes, especially with the bacta tank and recovery bed, so don't count on me to have a very precise memory of how things appeared. Loving the new Jedi Interceptor set and the new X-Wing, as well as the figs in each.

Great that you got it to work on your own. I can't say I had the same luck-- even following my own advice, I was having a dickens of a time getting the two ends of the tread to meet! Good luck finishing the Sandcrawler!

Two bits of news: First, The Brick Blogger has photos comparing a Friends fig (which can be seen here). Sure enough, they seem to be one plate taller than a standard minifigure, or the same height as a minifigure in a gown. Second, a placeholder site for the theme is up on LEGO.com. Here's the site description: "LEGO® Friends - Home – A whole new LEGO world for girls! Heartlake City is home to best friends Olivia, Emma, Andrea, Mia and Stephanie. Follow their adventures in Heartlake City, and create your own LEGO world with YOUR friends!" I'm curious to see what kind of web features end up being on the site. After all, designing a website for girls could easily be just as different from what LEGO's used to as designing a toy for girls is.

I think if they were made of a harder plastic they might snap. They're very thin. Then again, so are many LEGO flags, so perhaps it would work. In any event, I don't expect the material of the piece to change unless the part itself were redesigned to take advantage of or compensate for it.

Thanks for these pictures! I greatly appreciate the photo of Kendo Cole, because the pic of him I'd seen previously on Flickr had misaligned face-shield printing. It's good to know that this isn't always the case with this fig! Lloyd's design is hilarious, the way he has what looks to be a long-sleeved t-shirt that's just painted with the ribcage pattern of his daddy. Lloyd's such a poser! The weapons of the other two are of course also cool. Golden-bladed chainsaw!

Just from the thumbnail I can see that there's the wrong type of green. Dark Green is Bricklink's Green. Earth Green is Bricklink's Dark Green. Not doing a full error check, but I recommend you always compare colors with this list when building. Apologies for being curt, but I don't like spending too much time in this topic because I'm afraid of falling back in the habit of doing complete error-checks.

I'm pretty sure Breez has bright red, just like her 2.0 form, especially as many of her parts already exist in that color in other sets. I agree that this wouldn't be nearly as awesome for the shield as a transparent color, so transparent red would be my guess. Really waiting for a review of her to show up... she's the hero I'm planning on getting first. I don't really know how I feel about the heights of the taller heroes. I'm going to have to see them in real life to make a final judgment, but it almost feels like the height was only increased so much so that people wouldn't feel cheated for paying more for the larger sets. From what I can gather, she, Furno, and Rocka will all be around Toa Metru height while Surge and Evo will still be Toa Mata height. And unfortunately, the torsos have stayed the same size, so I'm worried the disproportionately long legs on the larger heroes will look bad.

Whoops, I thought I had checked thoroughly before posting. My mistake/ I don't see how it's cliche just by not playing up the LEGO angle. I think it's very original, especially with the characters' different personas. I can't say I've ever known a character quite as quirky and mysterious as Zane. You look at The Adventures of Clutch Powers, which did milk the LEGO aspect for all it was worth, and you see something that's still enjoyable and unique, but a lot cheesier at times and much less serious in general.

Well, in part because real-life military conflicts are more controversial than fictional ones. I don't expect TLG to make a military theme. I wouldn't be too opposed to one if it were done and done well, but I can't picture being interested in the sets either. I much prefer fantasy/sci-fi inspired military-like designs such as those in Alien Conquest and Dino Attack, and I'm not even all that interested in those. At the same time, it would be interesting to see how official military sets would be handled. Military vehicle MOCs often use a lot of advanced building techniques, precisely-sculpted shapes, and realistic technical details. An official set of a realistic tank would be much different so I'm curious how it would be handled with a realistic budget and age range.

That was actually my first post in this topic. I've mentioned MLP before in the Kre-O topic, but I figured it was worth bringing the question up in this one where the show can actually be discussed. The Ninjago TV series might be more enjoyable for me because I've read the Ninjago books by Greg Farshtey. But in general it reminds me of a lot of cartoons I enjoyed during my adolescence like Jackie Chan Adventures and Xiaolin Showdown. It's not nearly as deep or complex as Avatar: The Last Airbender, although like the other shows mentioned it fits within the same "fantasy martial arts" genre. I feel the humor and zaniness of the series is in keeping with the playful spirit of LEGO. However, unlike previous endeavors like The Adventures of Clutch Powers, LEGO Island, and even the LEGO Atlantis TV special, it unfortunately doesn't include building as a core plot element (perhaps the closest it comes to that is the "Tornado of Creation", the special Spinjitzu technique the Ninja use near the end of the first season). In fact, the show in some ways keeps the fact that it's a LEGO theme very subdued, with (for example) the various vehicles stylized to show fewer studs. I kind of understand the reason, though, as the gimmickiness of a lot of explicit LEGO references could potentially distract from the characterization and plot.

No, the Ben 10: Alien Force sets also had screws in the heads. And of course in non-action-figure sets there are countless electronic parts that contain screws, as well as a few McDonalds promotional sets and the current style of magnetic LEGO train couplings. I don't know of any screws being used in Galidor, except possibly in the Kek Powerizer, which if so would again be because it was an electronic toy.

'fraid I might start some arguments with this question, but... ...any bronies here? I watched My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic all the way through a couple weeks ago, and now I'm hooked. It's got pretty great storytelling, a fun and colorful art and animation style, and of course really engaging characters. I also recently saw the US debut of the new season of the LEGO Ninjago cartoon, which is very awesome, but that can be discussed elsewhere. The other TV show I'm anticipating greatly is Legend of Korra, which I'm sure is much more understandable to many people here than ponies.

I would assume there won't be printed parts, large quantities of stickers, or minifigures. Past Cuusoo models have been largely sculptural, and I think that would be the type of LEGO Minecraft product that would sell best, since the audience is probably mostly fans and collectors rather than people who would spend a lot of time playing with the sets. Of course, I could be wrong. TLG is no doubt going to do some market research to figure out what type of sets are best and how best to distribute and market them.

You could just as easily argue that Joker isn't Batman and so really doesn't fit under a line called Batman. The theme name just says what the theme is about, not who the characters are.

Thanks for this lovely review of your visit! I love the pic of you saluting Preston Stormer. He's not the best LEGO mascot figure by far, but the novelty is still appreciated. The Pirates show looks amazing from the photos I've seen on Flickr. I look forward to my first visit-- I live on the East Coast so it's a lot closer to me than LEGOLAND California was, especially if I end up going to a college in Georgia I've been accepted to!

Black Phantom has two of them, one on each shoulder. They take the place of the awkward Technic suspension used for Rocka XL and Fire Lord. It's a bit of a shame that as of yet there are no sets with more than two of these. It would be excellent if they got added to the online Pick-A-Brick.

Actually both of those parts are already on LDD and are in fact in the LXF file the OP linked to. The treads Superkalle is referring to in that post are an entirely different piece, 3711, which were in a previous version of LDD but were removed.

Generally the solution to this type of thing is to "float" the gears into place on top of one of the individual tread links, and then rotate the rest around the gear accordingly (which isn't difficult now that there are numerical inputs). However, there is no one right way to float things into place. Generally the easiest way to float things into place is to use Technic bushings and axles to raise up certain parts of a model by a regular interval, placing a Technic axle vertically and putting a bushing along its length, then selecting the bushing and the part you want to lift and positioning them so the bushing is higher on the axle. This can also be done for minute horizontal movements. In this case, though, this is not quite precise enough, and I had to do some fidgeting with more obscure parts like the Technic arrow in order to shift it by half of this standard interval. In this case it's also important to rotate the bottom gears by 11.25 degrees each so that they line up with the "teeth" of the treads. I am almost finished positioning your treads and I will post the finished LXF here when done.

Hmm, Surge looks better to me in that video review. The only parts of him I'd definitely change the color of is the left hand, which I feel should be blue and not lime, and the Zamor sphere, which I feel would be better in a bluish blend (like in the Ice Dragon Attack or Lightning Dragon Battle sets from Ninjago) rather than that mis-matched green. Of course, it also helps that the color quality in that video is so awful, as it makes the chest pattern almost seem to match his lime parts, when in reality we know this not to be the case. I also kind of wish the new Hero Cores were silver instead of white. Naturally, I'll warm up to the white in time, but while silver would still be different than the previous sets, it would at least have resembled the cores in the TV episodes. And it would have matched Black Phantom's shoulder parts. Mismatched greens are also a problem with Black Phantom, since most of his transparent parts are Transparent Bright Green and then those ones on his back-blade-things are Transparent Fluorescent Green. But in general Black Phantom looks more impressive than Fire Lord. His torso structure is sadly less complex, but that's mainly because he no longer needs that awkward shoulder suspension, and I can respect that. With just a few small changes his legs have become far more cohesive, and his color scheme is far more unified. I'm impressed that TLG resisted the temptation to give his chest piece a unique print. While I'm sure one could have worked for him, I like all the smooth, shiny, and unbroken black parts on him. They give him a unique and consistent aesthetic. His back blades are more cohesive and less awkward than I expected. The only thing I really didn't understand were his Titanium Metallic feet. Looking forward to your reviews, Siegfried! Video reviews are OK for a first glance, but they only tell us so much.