Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'animals'.
-
INTRODUCTION When I was growing up Lego animals used to be pretty basic and there were only a few kinds (horse, dog, cat, and fish for example). But Lego seems to have gotten the hint that we love new animal molds! The otter mold first showed up in the Harry Potter theme as a patronus. But this is the first time we've gotten an otter that's not translucent. So how does this set do at introducing otters to the Lego universe? SET INFORMATION Number: 60394 Title: ATV and Otter Habitat Theme: City Released: 2023 Part Count: 90 Box Dimensions: 15.7 x 14.1 x 4.5 cm Weight: 0.14 Kg Set Price (RRP): £8.99/$9.99/€9.99 Price per Part: 10.0p/11.1c/11.1c Links: Brickset, Bricklink THE BOX The front shows off the titular ATV racing through a forest with the otters enjoying what nature has to offer them. The back shows much of the same. CONTENTS OF THE BOX Inside are 2 bags and 2 loose plates. THE BUILD The build is basic and what you would expect for a $10 set. The piece of forest is meant to represent a waterfall flowing down a small section of rock. It's not very convincing as a waterfall. But it makes a nice slide for the otters if you can look past the design inconsistencies. The completed build allows the explorer to photograph the otters at play, or eat a fish, or drive up a "waterfall" with her ATV. Overall it's a nice compact build that allows a cheap way to get otters and display them. The parts aren't overly unique, but for $10 it feels like you get enough. I do like that the tires are still using the same white wheel-wells from when I was a kid. It's nice to see that even as Lego gets more specialized pieces every year, the old standards still hold up today. CAN IT BE A MECH? And just for fun, I used the parts to create a Mech for the otter. I incorporated as many of the parts from the set as possible but used other pieces from my collection to craft this simple mech. OVERALL This is a decent $10 set. I like that you get 2 otters, not just 1. And while the build isn't fantastic, it's decent for the price. SCORE How do I rate this set? DESIGN 6 The ATV is a decent, compact vehicle. The piece of forest is ok, but the supposed waterfall is lackluster. BUILDING EXPERIENCE 7 Nothing overly exciting, but nothing repetitive either. FEATURES 6 Lets be honest, the main feature is the otters. It succeeds there but doesn't do much else. PLAYABILITY 10 I have 4 kids. They love sets like this. There's enough pieces they can use to build other things they want (like a mech) and cute animals as a plus. This kind of set is Lego succeeding at reaching their target audience. PARTS 6 Again, nothing overly exciting beyond the otters. But also an okay collection of parts. VALUE FOR MONEY 10 The finished build feels like it's worth $10. FINAL SCORE: 7.5 If you want a cheap gift or just want to expand your animal collection this set is a good purchase. Though, the otters themselves are available on Pick-a-Brick for under $2 each (ID 6425514).
-
My first creation in this "Seasons" series (Autumn's Canvas) was lucky enough to win a LEGO Ideas challenge and will soon be on display in LEGO House starting next year. Because of that I decided to complete the set. This is the third model in the series. Check out my other projects on Instagram and Flickr.
-
@LittleJohn and I worked together to create another Everdell scene, this time based off of the Chapel card. We built it in about a week working on it sporadically. John primarily handled rockwork, animals and some small details, while I built the chapel and helped finish the landscaping. John also handled the photography and photo editing. It’s always a treat building together, and I’m super pleased with how this came out! Our source of inspiration: Plain background overview Details and Characters: There are a few more shots on our website, Brickbuilt. Thanks for looking, your feedback is always welcome
-
Hello, I finished a new model. It´s a cat. Built in lifesize.
-
Hey folks! There is a rumor about a new set coming up in 2022 - 40530 Jane Goodall No piece counts, price or release date at the moment. The link: https://www.brickfanatics.com/lego-jane-goodall-reportedly-arriving-2022/
-
LEGO Creator 31150 is a powerhouse set that was released in the year 2024 and is one of my favorite set to built Transformers from. Swoop is my 3rd Transformer made using set 31150: Wild Safari Animals.. He is a character from G1 Transformers cartoon series. He is a member of team Dinobots, a group of Transformers that turned into dinosaurs / prehistoric creatures. Swoop turned into a mechanical Pteranodon. Just like most of my LEGO Transformers creations, transformation between robot and alternate mode doesn't requires reassembly of parts. And he is very poseable and articulated, too! For more photos , visit my blog (link below) https://alanyuppie.blogspot.com/2024/12/video-tutorial-dinobot-swoop.html VIDEO TUTORIAL -
I built a fish that can be remote controlled. It can also swim standalone with an ultrasonic sensor. There's also a Youtube Video of the fish swimming. What do you think?
-
It's been ages since I last shared a MOC, so here is something I pieced together based on my fond childhood memories of Beatrix Potter's classic tales. The design is inspired from 3 of my favourite stories wrote by Potter - Peter Rabbit (1902), Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908) and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905). I would love to hear what you guys have to say about this MOC; your support for this project on LEGO Ideas would also be greatly appreciated . Peter Rabbit and Friends Explore the world of Beatrix Potter with LEGO® Ideas Peter Rabbit and Friends set. Reimagine the classical tales of some of Beatrix Potter’s most iconic characters with LEGO® bricks. Build, play and display 3 iconic tales depicting scenes inspired from some of Potter’s most famous works: Peter Rabbit (1902), Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908) and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905). Includes 3 buildable LEGO® characters: Peter Rabbit (320 pieces), Jemima Puddle-Duck (279 pieces) and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (336 pieces). Peter Rabbit build features a cabbage-patch display stand including a printed 2x4 tile, cabbages, Mr. McGregor’s spade complete with Cøck Robin and Peter Rabbit. Jemima Puddle-Duck build features a garden display stand including a printed 2x4 tile, 9 Duck eggs and Jemima Puddle-Duck. Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle build features a cosy display stand including a printed 2x4 tile, tiny bucket, wash basket, table with cloth, iron, Cøck Robin’s scarlet waist-coat and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. Peter Rabbit measures over 8” (22cm) high, 5” (13cm) wide and 3” (8cm) deep. Jemima Puddle-Duck measures over 8” (20cm) high, 6” (16cm) wide and 3” (8cm) deep. Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle measures over 6” (16cm) high, 5” (14cm) wide and 3” (9cm) deep. This set includes 935 pieces and weighs over 860 grams. LEGO Peter Rabbit and Friends by Kez., on Flickr LEGO Peter Rabbit and Friends by Kez., on Flickr LEGO Peter Rabbit and Friends by Kez., on Flickr LEGO Peter Rabbit and Friends by Kez., on Flickr Peter Rabbit (1902) LEGO Peter Rabbit (1902) by Kez., on Flickr Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905) LEGO Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle (1905) by Kez., on Flickr Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908) LEGO Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908) by Kez., on Flickr Feel welcome to comment and ask anything about this model. Thanks for looking! https://ideas.lego.com/projects/dd6c809c-f394-4282-aa04-67b23527fb22
-
When Pink Floyd announced in around 1994 that they would be releasing new music after a long hiatus, no one was happier than their art department (Storm Thorgerson and friends) who finally had a new project to get their teeth into. One of the main results of their new work was the iconic scene of the two heads talking to each other. There were many different versions of this concept produced, both physical statues and drawings. I have not followed them literally but just chose what I thought looked nice! For Lego and Pink Floyd purists, this one is all Lego and is also the closest I got to what was on the CD cover, with Ely Cathedral in the background. Number 1: The Division Bell Some of my other experiments were as follows; The music on the album was not well-received critically at the time, but I think it has gone on to become a minor classic.
-
Hello there! It's been a long time since my last post. Sharing my latest MOC~ Polar bear from Arctic & lion from Africa. I hope this Moc will make people care more about the issue of climate change on our earth. Hope you guys like it. Thank you!
-
Hello, On the Lego World Builder website (https://worldbuilder.tongal.com) people can design their own new Lego Theme. If the design gets plenty of votes and LEGO likes it, then the new Lego World may actually be taken into production. Being a fan of Lego Pirate themes I figured LEGO can always do with a new Pirate Theme, especially one with a clear story line. Therefore I came up with the idea of a story about a young Redbeard before he lost his limbs and one of his eyes. Roger Crow, later to be known as Captain Redbeard, washes up on an unknown island. He cannot believe he has survived. After the initial shock he needs to explore the island to look for food. Doing so he discovers the island is not deserted but there is indeed human, and not so human, life. There are several villages with islanders and pirates, a lagoon where sometimes mermaids can be spotted, quite a few skeletons lying about and the spirits of doomed soldiers near the ruins of an imperial fort. I invite you all to visit the website and check out my work. Of course I would really appreciate it if you would give "Distant Shores" your vote. https://worldbuilder.tongal.com/world/6850b491-4611-4306-b1e5-765fa6d12a I somehow managed to upload two pictures that I did not really want to add, but I cannot get rid of them. I have tried. If somebody knows how to delete uploaded pictures, please let me know. For now please disregard the following images:
.jpg.8374be200f77f24bf040cd170765f5ed.jpg)
-
Springtime! They become active, now...
-
I tried to find a old post about xtra sets, but for some reason could not Anyway there are 2 new sets on Instagram now, looks like there is one with a ocean tape and one with a road The parts included look similar to earlier sets, I was hoping for a xtra set with pirates parts to go with the new bay set or some set with focus on animals, hopefully next time
-
Hello, finally something new... A group of lifesize meerkats. I hope you like them. I am on Instagram, now! Take a look
-
Here are some pics of my brick built animals. Perhaps some day I will finish my custom Zoo to cage them. [MOC] Giraffe This is a remake of my old giraffe. This time I tried to give the giraffe a spot pattern. Head, legs and tail are posable. [MOC] Lion I created this one in 2015. It uses a tan colored 1x2 plate with clip(s) for jaw which was not available yet at that time. Now it is thanks to BrickHeadz. Jaw, legs and tail are posable. [MOC] Stork I created this one for the Polybag Competition at Brickset.com. Place it on the roof of a LEGO house. [MOC] Baby elephant This one was also created for the Polybag Competition at Brickset.com. It looks very cute next to a modded 10257 elephant or the 'rebuild the world' elephant.
-
I wanted to create some different areas based on the four elements represented by the four main elves, I've mixed parts from all kinds of different sets to create these places. This one is the earth themed home for Farran the Earth Elf. I wanted it to be part cottage, part treehouse. It's mostly parts from The Elves Treetop Hideaway and the Ewok Village sets. I attached my waterfall cave alongside the treehouse I also made a fire themed volcano cave with a tall treehouse/tower neighbouring it. It's mostly made from a Lego Friends set that has a cabin and a waterfall. I kept the cabin and built the tower above it and changed the waterfall into a volcano. I've created a workshop for the Air Elf Aira in one section of the tower with a bedroom above it, an observing platform with a telescope above that and a turret room on the top. The webisodes show that Azari the fire elf is homeless and just crashes with the other elves, but I've given her a warm place to sleep inside the volcano. I kept the camp beds in the cabin for the humans to sleep in when they visit Elvendale. And here's some random pictures..
-
Accordidng to Wikipedia, Some triceratops could grow up to over 9 meters long and weigh more than 12 tons. That put them in the same weight class as the ultimate predator T-rex. So their only appearance inJurassic Park obviously didn't do them justice size-wise. And if you know anything about polar bears, you would know Arctic beasts usually grow larger than their relatives in other regions of the world. Imagine how powerful and beautiful this creature must be. Features: 1. Play features. It is not a statue. It's moderately posable with tons of joints. I made it this way so it could fight a T-rex in the short movie below. You can have more poses with a few modules added or removed. 2. Sturdy. Every time I had to choose between appearance and sturdiness, I chose the latter, for which I think is a virtue of official sets. 3. Stud-Not-On-Top design, and all “legal” LEGO parts and techniques. The Triceratops is a LEGO Ideas project, if you like it please support me at https://ideas.lego.com/projects/144697 . Thank you so much :-)
-
Hey everyone, I have recently started a lego ideas project called Lego sea animals. For the project to get into review i need 10,000 supporters and if it then passes review it will be made into a real set! :) So i am asking everyone just to have a look at the project (follow the link) and if you like the project or if you like the designs of the animals, then support and share the project with your friends and family who might also be interested :) Hopefully together we can get to 10,000 supporters and i may one day be able to tell my Lego crazy niece and nephew that I have made a real lego set :D Thanks everyone :) https://ideas.lego.com/projects/117629
-
As the nights draw in and the weather gets cooler, all the little critters are off to find somewhere cosy to hide out the cold weather. Elvendale's animals are no different! From their elven friends or with their own two paws, the animal inhabitants have somewhere to call home for Winter. But just what sorts of dens do the have? That is up to you! In an 8x8 sized space, create a cosy hide-away for your favourite Elvendale critter and you are in with a chance of winning cool prizes. First Place: The most recent copy of the Elves Magazine with two cute animal friends for free! Also first choice of a new set of Elves Tags for your Eurobricks profile. Second and Third place win their choice of these new tags. The all important rules are below! One entry per member. Entries should be no larger than 8x8 studs. Reasonable overhang (foliage etc) is allowed but within sensible limits. Entries should be new (never posted anywhere previously). You do not have to include an animal, but they will be appreciated. All entries are to include only real LEGO. No clone brands, 3rd party parts, or digital entries allowed. Decals will be allowed if you've made them yourself, but no cutting, sculpting or modifying parts. Entries are to be placed in their own entry topic in the Action and AdventureThemes forum. The title of the topic should begin with "[Autumn Animals]" and then give the name of the entry. The entry post (first post in your entry topic) may be edited at any time up to the end of the contest, so feel free to make improvements if you wish. Entries are to consist of no more than 3 posted pictures of 1024x768 pixels or smaller resolution but may also include a link to a folder of additional images of any size. The first picture will be used for your entry in the voting thread. Photos of your creation can be manipulated with Photoshop for levels, proportions and colour correction but may not include graphic enhancements. We reserve the right to disqualify any entry that does not follow these rules. Winners will be decided by public vote The Contest Ends on November 30th at 23:59 GMT (Wrap those animals up warm for winter!) So, get building and have fun!
-
I decided to modify some parts of the Goblin Village set and to add my own structures to make the playset feel much bigger
-
My daughter is planning to make a zoo with her Friends animal polybag sets, and was thinking about what other, larger animals belonged in the zoo. She thought about brick-building animals, as in her set 4637. Digging in her toybox, however, she found her old Duplo animals from 4962, I think you'll agree that the scale, sculpting and printing of these animals is very "Friend"-ly. Something others may find useful.
-
I am not starting another generic animal wishlist. Since many of us talk about target audience, I thought of putting the wish list of a 7 year old, all in Friends animals series: 1. Penguin, 2. Seal, 3. Peacock 4. Panda, 5. Goat in some farm set and 6. Reindeer in Christina's Christmas set. "No wild animals should be included as they would look strange with cute blue eyes, and other kids may think they are friendly and go near them to play in real life!" If any similar thread already exists, please merge this. Would love to see your lists too (mind you all with cute eyes, eyelashes and smiley faces).
-
It's that time of the year again! A new series of the friends animals has arrived and I have acquired them all to bring you another review (and to complete my collection, of course). If you haven't read my reviews of the last 2 series, click on the links and start reading (but don't forget to come back here when you're done!) Series 1 review Series 2 review Let's get started and see if this series still holds up. The bags The design of the bags hasn't changed a bit from the last series. On the front is still a picture of the set that's included, with a cutesy picture of the animal in the top right corner and the Friends girls holding the animals of this series in the bottom left. On the back the new animals are also represented and it makes clear it's series 3 in a number of different languages. Inside the bags we find a smaller transparent bag with the parts in it, and a small booklet which contains the instructions for the main set, and a link to the website where you're supposed to find the instructions for the alternative set and the combined set you can make when you've got all 3 sets of the wave. I say supposed because, no matter how hard I looked, on the site I could only find the instructions for the normal and combined sets, the instructions for the alternative build where nowhere to be found. (no worries, I still got them build, I just had to use the small sample image in the manual as a reference, which provided a welcome challenge). The inside of the booklet is basically the same as it was for the previous sets. clear instructions, with no part callouts (not that you would need them for these sets). 41023 - Fawn's Forest Set Nr: 41023 Theme: Friends Year released: 2013 Nr of parts: 35 Price: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 The part collection for this set is quite nice. You get the expected collection of brown, green and pink pieces, but for me the best parts are the magenta cherries and the printed mushroom head. Oh deer... This animal takes some getting used to. When I first saw pictures of it I hated it. When I first got it out of the bag I disliked it. After looking at it for a while longer I.... Kind of started to like it. By the time you're reading this it will probably be impossible to get me to part with it. I am still convinced the snout is too short, but dammit, I can't stop myself from liking it all the same. All I can say is, reserve your judgement of this piece until you've got to hold it in your own hands. It really does look better in real life then on any of the pictures. It's got a hole in it's back for attaching accessories. When you've completed the model, it should look like this. It's a nice little tree, with colorful blossoms on the leaves, a small hole (probably made by a woodpecker), and a classic mushroom. On the ground is another leaf with a feeding bowl placed on top for the fawn to eat cherries out of. I like it, it's a nice little spring scene (which we get in the autumn, but who cares, right?). The alternative model is also quite nice, for a change. It created some nice undergrowth for the fawn to frolic around in. I just don't know how I feel about feeding it decorative bows... 41024 - Parrot's Perch Set Nr: 41024 Theme: Friends Year released: 2013 Nr of parts: 32 Price: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 Some nice white fences, a couple of bright light blue round bricks and a dark pink basket make up for the most recognizable parts in this collection, but for me the biggest surprise was the Technic pins (I know you can see them on the front of the bag, I just didn't really look at the picture all that well before opening the bag). And then we come onto my biggest disappointment for this series, the "parrot". It's just a normal friends bird, painted green. It doesn't even look like a parrot. In my oppinion they should've either used on of the existing parrot molds (which may not be cute and detailed enough for this series), or made a new mold. Or, as a third option, just call it anything but a bloody parrot! Anyway, it's got a small hole on the top of the head to attach an accessory. And the molding is of good quality and detail. With the build done you get a small perch for the "parrot" to sit on and feed, and a bird house which has some characteristics of a roman temple. I quite like both of them, the perch for it's simplicity, and the birdhouse for it's great architectural design. The alternative model I am less excited about. It just looks like some blocks jumbled together by a 5 year old. 41025 - Puppy's Playhouse Set Nr: 41025 Theme: Friends Year released: 2013 Nr of parts: 39 Price: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 This set has some nice medium lavender slopes and medium dark flesh masonry bricks, among a collection of white and tan parts. And we get another dog, are they running out of animal types to use? I wonder. Well, at least it's not another poodle. The dog actually looks kinda cute, with it's little cocked head (including hole for accessories). Everything considered it's a pretty nice mold. The dog gets a nice looking doghouse to sleep in, complete with a bowl containing a bone, which is the only sustenance LEGO dogs apparently need. Additionally there's a see-saw for the dog to play on (or a catapult to launch him with, depending on your mood). For the alternative build the dog get's a shittier doghouse, which offers much less protection, and the feeding bowl gets better protection from the rain. Wouldn't want that bone to get soggy! The combined build The combined build makes yet another protective alcove for the bone (still don't want it to get wet), a place for the deer to stand, with what I assume is supposed to be a faucet to fill the bowl with water. And a great looking house for the "parrot". The models all look well enough, but unlike the previous series, they don't really form a larger scene, which I found to be the best part about the combined models. Conclusions: (Disclaimer: I don't believe in giving numerical scores. It is up to the reader to decide what they think of any given model, and I believe mandatory scores detract from this notion.) minifigs: Like before, the animals are all made very well, but they may be a bit too cute for some. Though I still can't get over that damn "parrot". Parts: A nice collection of parts, for the small price you pay. build/design: No real complaints here. What you get is pretty nice, especially the main models. Playability: Still the same, some playability, but adding a minidoll of you own makes the possibilities endless. I am still very much in love with these sets, and hope this isn't the last we will see of them.
-
When I came out of my dark ages at the start of this year, one of the first things I did was get the latest Lego catalogue to see what was new, and what would be coming. One of the things that caught my attention what a small insert in the Friends section detailing 2 waves of animal poly bags. I instantly liked the look of these sets and decided to buy them as soon as they came out. Here we have all three bags I will be reviewing today. Let's get started shall we? Set nr.: 41017, 41018 and 41019 Theme: Friends Year Released: 2013 Nr of pieces: 41 (squirrel), 31 (cat), 33 (turtle) RRP: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 The Bags The bags are made of very high quality plastic, and as such are not very easy to rip or tear without the use of scissors or a knife. On the front of each bag is the Lego Friends logo, with a drawing of the animal included in the set next to it. On the bottom are the 5 Friends girls, holding the 3 animals that come with this first wave of bags. And, the most important part of the bags, in the center is a picture of the enclosed set, with a nice background that amplifies the atmosphere. On the back is a lot of purple, some warnings, two time the web address of the Lego Friends page (because one is never enough, right?), a reminder that this is only Series 1, and a 1:1 picture of the animal that is enclosed in that bag. When we open the bag we find a small bag with parts and an instruction booklet. We'll get to the parts later, for now let's concentrate on the booklet. The front of the booklet is the same the front of the bag. When we turn the booklet around we are greeted by a creepy looking girl and the opportunity to win Lego Friends products in various languages. The instructions are easy to follow, with a non-obtrusive purple background with some adornments in the bottom right corner. Near the end of the booklet is an alternate model for the set, with a web address that leads to the instructions to build said alternative model. I like this! Now bring back alternative models for all other sets as well! After the alternate model you come to a page that shows you yet another alternative model, which you can build if you collect all three bags, again with a web address to the instructions. I think this is a great incentive to get people to collect them all, even if they only like one or two of the animals. Now, let us move on to the individual sets. 41017 - Squirrel's Tree House When you open the bag, another bag comes out, containing the parts. A bag within a bag. Well, at least you can be certain the parts are secure enough in their packaging! When freed from their bag, you get a nice selection of parts. Probably the first thing you'll notice are the lime plates, of which you get four. Apart from that you get mostly brown and tan parts, with some yellow thrown in there for variation. The accessories. You get a yellow plate, four of the new flowers and 3 bow ties. And of course we can't forget the most important part: the squirrel itself. It is adorable! It has a hole on the tip of it's tail to attach an accessory, and a cute printed on face. The first thing we are instructed to do is to put a bow on the squirrel's tail, and put some 1x1 round plates together to create nuts for the squirrel to feast on. Though I must say, those are some huge nuts! The main part of this build is the small tree house in which the squirrel will reside. The small tree stump it sits on is quite simple, but effective. The house itself is very cute, with good use of the cheese slopes to make a simple ladder. The top of the little house can open up for easy access to the inside. With the squirrel in it's place, and the plate with the nuts set in front of the tree house, this sets depicts a nice little scene, which can be used in any larger garden layout, or function well enough on it's own. These are parts that are left over when the model is completed. Like i mentioned before, in the back of the instruction booklet is an alternative model. Seeing as this review would not feel complete if I left this out... Voila! The alternative model seems like a small tree stump with.. a window..? next to it. I must say I'm not too impressed with this one. It seems a bit random, but then again, there is only so much you can do with so few parts. 41018 - Cat's Playground Let's move on to the next set, Cat's playground. Again a nice selection of parts, in quite a large range of colors. The accessories you get with this set are a pink plate, a fish and three magenta bow ties. And of course the cat. The printing on this animal is done quite nicely, although I have to say the face is a bit too cutesy for my liking. On the top of the head is a small hole to attach an accessory. The first thing we have to do is put the bow on the cat's head and build the scratching pole. And then we build up the main playground. It has multiple platforms and a little ramp for the cat to play and jump around. When everything is combined this is a fun little play set. this can easily be places inside a house (or outside if the house is not quite big enough) or be used as a stand alone set. These are the spare parts after the model is completed. Of course this model has an alternative model as well. The alternative model for the cat is some sort of obstacle course for the cat to run, with a nice fish at the end to incentivize the cat to jump from pylon to pylon. A lot better than the alternative model for the squirrel. 41019 - Turtle's Little Oasis And here we come to the final bag in the first series. Let's open her up, shall we? Mostly brown and tan parts in this model. With a few yellow parts, five transparent dark pink 1x1 round plates, 5 gold telescopes and some green jumper plates and foliage. For accessories you get 3 lavender bow ties and a white clam shell. The small turtle is well molded and has nice printing on it's head and shell. There is a small hole on the top of it's head to insert an accessory in to. The completed model is a nice little water side hut for the turtle to dwell in. The turtle can enjoy the shade in her little hut, and use the ramp to easily gain access to the water for a little swim. And these are the spare parts you have left after completing the model. Of course the turtle can't be left out when it comes to the alternative models. It appears that, in it's off time, the turtle like to visit a shrine and worship the great clam shell which governs the waters around Heartlake city. All together now! Time to combine these sets and see how the combined model holds up against the individual sets. The combined model consists of two smaller models. The first of which is this little scene which contains a little tree trunk for the squirrel and a small patch of water for the turtle. The second part is a small.. shrine for the cat to worship those ribbons? I honestly don't get this part. It seems like they had too many parts left over and had to build something out of them, even if it didn't make any sense. Overall I'm not too impressed with the combined model. The first model is merely okay, but the second is just nonsensical, The normal models, however, are all very well designed for such small sets. Conclusions: (Disclaimer: I don't believe in giving numerical scores. It is up to the reader to decide what they think of any given model, and I believe mandatory scores detract from this notion.) minifigs: The animals are all made very well, but they may be a bit too cute for some. Parts: For such small sets, the parts you get are very nice. build/design: The individual models are great, but the alternatives are a mixed bag. Playability: With the self-contained sets you can have some fun. But if you combine these with normal Friends mini dolls, the playability jumps up ten-fold. I really, really like these small sets, and will make sure to get the second wave as soon as they hit the stores. All that's left now, is to wave goodbye to our small new friends, and hope the next three can keep up the momentum.
-
After my full review of the first series of Friends animals (Link) I found myself at a toy store to discover they already had the second series up for sale. Obviously I grabbed all 3 different bags, ran to the register to pay, and then hurried home to build them. Let's see if they hold up to the great first series. The bags The front of the bags has not changed much since the first series. Once again every bag shows a nice scene with the included set, an enlarged animal head in the top right corner, and the Lego Friends along the bottom, this time holding the three new pets. The back hasn't changed much either. still very much purple, with a 1:1 picture of the included pet for scale. The first thing we find upon opening the bag is a second bag with the parts. I still really like this, as it makes absolutely sure that all the parts will be in great condition when you get them. The second thing you'll find is the instruction booklet. Again with the same front as the bag. The booklet is folded in half to fit inside the bag. Inside the booklet we find the building instructions, which are very easy to follow, despite lacking a parts call out at each step. The colors are nicely differentiated, and I never had to do a double-check to see if I had the right piece, though this may also be due to the small number of pieces in each set. When we complete the build we come to the page containing a sample of the alternate build, and a web address where you can find the instructions to build it. After the single set alternative build, we find the "collect them all" build, made of all three sets in the second series. From the image it looks a bit better than the series 1 build, but we'll see. On the back we are once again assaulted by this creepy girl, telling us to "WIN!" by completing a survey. 41020 - Hedgehog's hideaway Set Nr: 41020 Theme: Friends Year released: 2013 Nr of parts: 34 Price: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 On the front of the bag we see the hedgehog and it's cute little hideaway standing in what looks like small clearing near the edge of some woods. In the foreground there are some flowers, and near the bush in the back are what I first thought to be hedgehog droppings, but to my relief turned out to be pine cones, or at least I hope that's what they are. Inside we find a nice assortment of parts. some various plates and bricks, two colors of plant leaves, of which I've never seen the dark red ones before. You also get a reddish brown pitchfork, a bright green apple and a few lavender bows. Overall nice earthen tones for the most part in this outdoor set, with a bit of pink thrown in there for the hell of it, it seems. The hedgehog itself is very well molded, with good quality printing. I feel they've really nailed the look on this one, except maybe for the overly cutesy eyes, but seeing as this is a Friends set, I'll let them get away with it. When you complete the build you have a nice hedgehog hideaway for the hedgehog to.. well.. hide away in. The hideaway itself is very nice, with a small jumper plate in the middle to attack the hedgehog. I don't really get the use of pink and purple in this build. wasn't this supposed to represent a natural outdoor area? The dark red leaves are stacked on top of a small place. I guess this is supposed to represent dead foliage lying on the forest floor. The apple and pitchfork feel like they are just thrown in there just so there are some accessories in the set. These are the parts you have left over when finished building the set. Nothing too impressive. All hail our lord and master, the Hedgehog! This looks a lot like some sort of shrine to worship the hedgehog (or any other animal you choose to put up there). It is quite simple in it's construction and all in all not a very great model. 41021 - Poodle's little palace Set Nr: 41021 Theme: Friends Year released: 2013 Nr of parts: 46 Price: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 The front of the bag shows the poodle and her accompanying set in the back yard of somebodies house. a few purple flowered plants adorn the foreground, whilst an apple tree casts it's shadow on the "palace". (apologies for the color quality in this foto. I am currently tinkering with my lighting setup and some photo's come out just..weird. I'll try updating it when I get to do the alternative models) Lots of pink and white in here, with some bright light blue. medium azure and bright light orange splashes, and green for the base of the models. For accessories you get a bright light orange brush, dark pink flowers, white bones, and a couple of magenta bows. The poodle itself is mostly white, with a scarf printed across it's chest, along with the printed face. The doggy is nicely molded, but I just don't really like poodles, even in Lego form. The completed set consists of a small square feeding bowl, with a bone in it (someone really need to give the dogs in the Lego world some real food, I don't think they can live off of bones alone.), a small pedestal with the brush, for the poodle to sit on, being brushed, looking all snobby, and a "palace", which is nothing more than a small dog house with a lot of pink parts. I feel some more work could have been done on the "palace", as it currently stand I doubt it would hold the poodles "magnificent" fur coat dry during any kind of rain fall, it's just too shallow. After finishing with the set, this is what's left over. The first thing I did after seeing three bricks left over was do a double take on the instructions to see if I missed anything, which was not the case. The only explanation I can come up with, is that they are used for the alternative model, but time will tell. Speaking about the alternative model... No, you don't use those bricks for that either. The model itself is a nice little seen of some sort of small bridge over a tiny body of water. It's...okay, I guess. 41022 - Bunny's hutch Set Nr: 41022 Theme: Friends Year released: 2013 Nr of parts: 37 Price: £2.99 / US$4.99 / €4.99 The front of the bag shows the set in some larger back yard area, near a vegetable garden. The most standing out part of this set for me are the medium dark flesh bricks with masonry profile, for the sole reason these are the first of these new bricks I've managed to acquire. Apart from that, a nice selection of colors, With three medium azure bows and an orange carrot for accessories. The bunny itself looks very cute, like it can hop away at any moment. The molding is well done, and the face print is of good quality. The completed set consists of the bunny hutch, which I'll come back onto in a moment, a small balance beam for the bunny to walk across (I never knew bunnies liked that kind of thing?) and a carrot sticking out of the ground as incentive for the bunny to cross the balance beam. As shown above, the roof of the hutch can be opened up to make it more easy to place and retrieve the bunny from within. The design of the hutch itself is quite nice, with some brickwork on the sides to give it a more real feel. When you're done with the model these parts are left over. The alternative build for the bunny is some sort of back wall with a carrot in front. I'm getting less and less impressed by these things, even though they clearly do the best they can with the small number of parts they have at their disposal, without making something that looks too much like the original model. Combined model The combined model consists of five smaller builds, that form one bigger scene. Let's look at the individual pieces first. The first part looks like a small waterfall appearing out of thin air, which ends up in a cute tiny pool of water with some flowers floating around in it. The second part is a small storage area for the brush and pitchfork. The third, and least impressive of the lot, build is a few loose patches of grass with some flowers sprouting from them. The fourth part is another shrine for the hedgehog. They must really worship hedgehogs at Lego... It's a cute little building, with a roof of leaves. The ramp seemingly leads to nowhere, but that is remedied by combining the smaller parts into one scene. The last part is a patch of grass, with a carrot sticking out of the ground, a bone lying on a patch of dirt, and a small ramp that leads to nowhere (guess where that will be going on the combined scene?) Surprice! When combined both ramps line up so that the holy hedgehog can get down from it's shrine and harass the lower creatures, who are just trying to enjoy their favorite foods. The other parts are nice little additions, though the small patches with flowers feel a bit excessive, and the small waterfall/pool area has no real use, seeing as there are no aquatic animals in series 2. Maybe it's meant for the turtle from series 1? Conclusions (Disclaimer: I don't believe in giving numerical scores. It is up to the reader to decide what they think of any given model, and I believe mandatory scores detract from this notion.) minifigs: Just like the first series, the animals are all made very well, but they may be a bit too cute for some. Parts: A good part selection for such small sets, and for a decent price as well. build/design: The individual models are mostly good. I will comment on the alternatives as soon as possible. Playability: On their own these sets offer little in terms of playability. But if you add a mini figure of mini doll, the possibilities are endless! Overall, I still quite like the idea behind these sets, and hope to see more of these in the future. For now let us bid farewell to all our animal Friends.
