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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

LEGO Chima Icebite's Claw Driller review! set 70223


Second biggest set in this Chima wave!

LEGO Bionicle Lewa Master of Jungle review! set 70784


This is good.  I think CCBS can definitely use more green :)

LEGO Movie Bad Cop Car Chase review! set 70819


Okay, I think this is the last of the (three) new LEGO Movie sets for now.  Perhaps more will sneak up on us over the next couple of months, though?

FAQ: How do I make videos that look like yours?


Let me very quickly get one thing out of the way.  I will not share any precise lists, photos, or videos of what I use in my own studio for two big reasons:
  1. I don't want to give or in any way support the impression that you must use the exact equipment I do to get nice results, or that copying my methods will copy the popularity my work has been so lucky to acquire.  Both of these ideas are miles away from reality, plus I hate copycats, whether or not I'm the one being copied.
  2. The overwhelming majority of my setup is home-grown and hand-built by me (with raw materials & tools) to my own design that's specifically tailored to my needs and quite different from any commercial product or industry standard arrangement I've seen.  I also change & evolve it continually over time.
So, let me redirect & morph all of the relevant questions into a more useful form.

LEGO City Helicopter Pursuit review! set 60067


This video, in addition to the typical review fair, starts with an answer to the popular question, "Why another police helicopter?"

LEGO Disney Princess - Jasmine's Exotic Palace review! set 41061


Still a lot more Friends & Disney Princess sets in the queue!  They've released a lot of them this season, which suggests to me that the series are pretty successful!

LEGO Star Wars Senate Commando Troopers review! set 75088


Another of the popular battle packs, this time with the Star Wars equivalent of the Blue Man Group :)

Monday, December 29, 2014

LEGO Chima Tormak's Shadow Blazer review! set 70222


Now here's a 2015 Legends of Chima set with a big ol' obvious gimmick... that I quite like.

LEGO Bionicle Pohatu Master of Stone review! set 70785


Another re-imagined classic in the new 2015 LEGO Bionicle series, Toa Pohatu!

Mega Bloks Call of Duty Hazmat (Nuketown) Zombies Mob review!


I'm keeping things as varied as possible this release season to keep anybody from getting tired of too much of any one theme.  This one takes us back to the Mega Bloks Collector Series Call of Duty line with a new figure pack that's now purchasable.

LEGO Technic 2015 Mining Truck review! set 42035


Technic!  I barely got through the 2014 sets I really wanted to cover, and 2015 sets are in stores!

LEGO Star Wars Wookiee Gunship review! set 75084


This is another Mi-24 Hind inspired ship from the Star Wars universe, Rebels style this time :)

LEGO Creator Beach Hut, all 3 builds reviewed! set 31035


Another of the new small 3-in-1 Creator buildings for 2015 here:

Sunday, December 28, 2014

FAQ: How much did [some item] cost & where can I buy it?


Q: How much did [some item] cost and/or where can I buy it?
  • Here are places I most frequently buy from:
    • Amazon.com* (also Amazon.co.ukAmazon.jp, etc.)
    • LEGO Shop* (physical stores + online)
    • Target (physical stores + online)
    • Walmart (physical stores + online)
    • eBay* (be sure enable the 'Worldwide' option in searches)
    • Bricklink.com
    • ToyWiz

      Items above marked with an asterisk ("*") are are affiliate links, meaning if you choose to click one and then buy something, you will pay normal prices with no additional markup, but I may get a tiny commission (typically around 50 cents), which I'll then usually apply towards the purchase of more sets to review or more parts for MOCs. No store or advertiser paid or even asked me to put these links here -- these are the places actually I buy from all the time, and I proactively chose to sign up for affiliate programs with a few of them.
  • !! If you cannot find a specific product at one of the above locations, try other places that sell toys, and also keep reading below !!
  • The price of every product I review can vary from store to store and country to country, plus it will change over time as old stuff either gets discounted or becomes rare.  For current, accurate information for the region in which you live, do a web search for the product by name.  For LEGO set info, check out Brickset.
  • Availability also varies by region and changes over time.  If I tell you I bought a product from one place, by the time you see the video it may be sold out there and thus the information I gave you was useless.  Alternately, I may have had a really tough time finding something, but in your local area, there are tons of the thing on store shelves.  This is why I avoid stating where I bought products in my reviews -- where I got something when I got it is irrelevant, and what you need to know is where you can get it, when you want to get it. For current, accurate information for the region in which you live, do a web search for the product by name.  Some stores that sell both locally and online may also have stock checking tools to let you see from the Web whether an item is available at a physical location nearby.  
See also Where I buy from & how I get 'early' sets.

DISCLOSURE:  I am NOT under the employ of any of the above companies, and NONE of them ever pay me to create content for them.

LEGO Bionicle QUEEN of Skull Spiders MOC!


Don't call it a comeback; I've been here for years.

LEGO Movie Batman & Super Angry Kitty Attack review! set 70817


Another supplemental-style set here that asks kids not to forget about The LEGO Movie.  This one is a great deal for the figures, plus it introduces one absolutely fantastic new color for a rare piece that is going to open up a world of possibilities for custom accessory builds.

LEGO Friends Heartlake Hair Salon review! set 41093


If the Friends theme makes one of your eyelids twitch uncomfortably, then I ask you this.  Watch one Friends set review.  Just one.  This one.  This set is good.  Really good.  It also introduces some very nice parts & part colors that are useful in builds across any theme.

LEGO City Hovercraft Arrest review! set 60071


Here's another Swamp Police subtheme set that uses that same main villain character.  The set on the whole, though, brings me much happiness.  There are some very classy and different builds here that complement other City items without repeating commonly-used ideas.

Friday, December 26, 2014

LEGO Bionicle Lord of Skull Spiders review! set 70790


Moooore Bionicle!  This won't stop any time soon :)

LEGO Star Wars Ezra's Speeder Bike review! set 75090


Here's another LEGO Star Wars Rebels set, introducing the first variant of a Sabine minifig.

LEGO City Racing Bike Transporter review! set 60084


This set surprised me with not only new motorcycle fairings, but new frames as well, plus a brand new round 2x2 jumper piece!

LEGO Bionicle Tahu Master of Fire review! set 70787


My first experience with one of the new Toa from the rebooted LEGO Bionicle series.  Anyone who says this is not as good as the original Toa Mata & Nuva is... someone I disagree with very strongly :)

LEGO Chima Flinx's Ultimate Phoenix review! set 70221


It has been awhile since I reviewed a new Legends of Chima set!  There are a ton of new sets from this theme beginning to show up in stores, though, so I have a lot of work ahead of me.

LEGO Friends Stephanie's Pizzeria review! set 41092


This was one of the earlier 2015 LEGO Friends sets to hit the streets.  The specific topic of the set is pretty popular, but I personally wish they had used up the budget for the set in a slightly different way.

LEGO Star Wars Shadow Troopers review! set 75079


Excellent, another battle or troop builder pack, something which LEGO Star Wars fans seem to truly love for quickly & inexpensively building up their armies.  I love it when companies make exactly what customers want.

LEGO City Swamp Police Station review! set 60069


Here's the big one, the main police station for the 2015 LEGO Swamp Police theme.  Ironically, the real police station portion of this set is shockingly tiny.

Thursday, December 25, 2014

LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Toy & Grocery Shop review! set 31036


Alright!  Another small minifig-scale Creator building set with three different builds that can work in any LEGO City.

Mega Bloks Halo Spartan Customizer Pack review! Venom & Crimson


Well now, this is good.  I like the concept (and have been pushing for it for awhile) and the price is a big, pleasant surprise.

LEGO DC Super Heroes Darkseid Invasion review! set 76028


I'm not a big comic universe fan, but I got this set for the viewers and ended up liking it quite a bit, myself.

LEGO Movie Double Decker Couch review! set 70818


Remember The LEGO Movie?  LEGO does, and they've released a few more sets in honor of the blockbuster film.  Here's the first of them to be built in my house.

LEGO Friends Heartlake Lighthouse review! set 41094


This is another of those Friends sets I'm hopeful manages to occasionally reach across the gender aisle, so to speak. (To the male side, to be clear.)

Mega Bloks Halo Heavy Assault Cyclops review!


Here we go with Cyclops variant #8!  Not a big fan of this one personally, but the figure is great.

Toys R Us & Target MEGA-HAUL Dec. 24, 2014! LEGO & more!


Answering the "how do you get sets?" question for the millionth time ;)

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

LEGO Bionicle Protector of Earth review! set 70781


R.I.P. Hero Factory, welcome back Bionicle (all made of "Hero Factory parts" HAH!).  This is the first of what I'm sure will be a long series of Bionicle-related videos from me for this season.  As always, there will be combination model videos, summary videos, and more.  Stay tuned & spread the word.

LEGO Friends Emma's House review! set 41095




Here's the big house set from the first wave of the 2015 LEGO Friends lineup!  Surprisingly it features a modular design that's easy to reconfigure.

Monday, December 22, 2014

LEGO custom Bugatti 1931 Type 40A Roadster MOC


The People want a Bugatti MOC, The People get a Bugatti MOC!  Not what was expected, but a fun build nonetheless and I'm satisfied with the end result. For now.

Mega Bloks Halo Covenant Drone Outbreak set review!


The barely-early 2015 set release season continues, this time on the Mega Bloks side of the fence.  This is a highly anticipated set that introduces the first official Spartan Jorge-052 and also the first Mega Bloks Covenant drone figures.

Sunday, December 21, 2014

LEGO Series 13 Collectible Minifigures review -- all 16!


Suddenly, a wild full set of CMF series 13 minifigs appears!  This is a pretty solid collection, in my opinion, with no forgettable or unusable figures in the lot. Be sure to post up your favorite(s)!

Thursday, December 18, 2014

LEGO Technic 42028 alternate build - Wheel Trencher


As promised, the second official build of the 2014 Technic Bulldozer set.

LEGO Friends 2015 Vet Clinic review! set 41085


Most sources have given a name of "Animal Care Clinic" to this 2015 LEGO Friends set, but it says "Vet Clinic" on the final US-market retail box.

Tenkai Knights Elemental Titan Dromus review! set 13009


Here's the second of just three new Titan models Ionix has brought to the US this season.

LEGO Blacktron 2 Grid Trekkor from 1991! set 6812


Age-wise this set starts to push the later limits of what I'd call "classic space," but the design certainly earns it at least the honorary title.

Custom LEGO Cars Dec. 17, 2014


So long as there's an open parking space, there will be more vehicles :)