We are far from the Star Wars universe, but I could not miss the launch of the new Nintendo console on the occasion of E3 and more particularly the announcement of the new LEGO game: Lego city stories.

GTA-Like in the LEGO universe, this game should be released in the fall of 2011 and will be available exclusively for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
Until the next LEGO Star Wars on Wii U ....

Watch the overview video below.

Found on flickr, this cool snapshot of the exclusive Star Wars minifigs released over the years. This is the opportunity to take stock of these characters who are sometimes difficult to find, often too expensive, and always over-valued by speculators ....

On the far left we find the  Chrome Darth Vader (4547551), released in 2009 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the LEGO Star Wars range. Originally this minifig was available in North America, inserted at random in some sets, then offered in Sweden when pre-ordering the 8017 Darth Vader's TIE Fighter set, and finally offered during a purchase in the Toys store chain. R-Us in Great Britain.
It can be found today on eBay around 20 € or bricklink from 24 €, prices reaching 68 € at some sellers.

In the center, we find the Chrome Gold C-3PO (sw158), and if you are an avid reader of this blog, I already told you about it in this article on the different versions of this minifigure.
This minifigure has been produced in 10.000 copies. This is a plastic minifigure covered with gold colored chrome and delivered in a white bag mentioning the limited nature of this edition and celebrating the 30th anniversary of Star Wars. This minifigure was inserted at random in sets marketed in the United States in 2007 (except for battle packs). this minifigure is in all points similar to a classic C-3PO minifig, it is articulated in the same way. His torso is screen printed.
This minifig can be found for sale on bricklink from 143 € or on eBay at exorbitant prices depending on the presence or not of the bag (sealed or not).

On the right, we find the Chrome Stormtrooper (2853590) released in 2010 offered as a gift when ordering LEGO Star Wars products. It will later be found in the Toys-R-Us chain stores in Canada and the United States. It is currently found on bricklink around 10 € and on eBay for around 12/18 €.

Behind the Chrome Stormtrooper we find the White boba fett (2853835) also released in 2010 for the 30th anniversary of Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. This minifig was distributed at the Toy Fair in New York in 2010. It is estimated that 20.000 minifigs are produced and distributed. It is currently found on bricklink for 15 € or eBay for also around 15 €.

Finally, in the background we find the Shadow ARF Trooper (2856197) released in 2011 and first distributed for free as part of the "May the Fourth be with you" promotion for purchasing LEGO products online or in store. It is already for sale on bricklink for around 17 € or eBay for around 20 €.

If you follow this blog you already understood, I'm not particularly a fan of this set 7957 Sith Nightspeeder, which, it must be admitted, does not look like much.

The minifigs provided namely: Anakin Skywalker, Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress are struggling to save this set reproducing a machine that we laugh at. The emphasis is less on gameplay, the machine being divided into two speeders on which Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress move respectively.

Those who believed seeing the stolen photos of the set to be entitled to silkscreened pieces are at their cost. They will be entitled to a beautiful sheet of stickers.

Go read instead the review of this set on Eurobricks whose author gives a rather positive review of the whole and make up your own mind.

Here they are finally, the official images of this set 7879 Hoth Echo Base "Limited Edition" (See this product on the German LEGO site) which will have generated weeks of fantasies and various speculations on all the forums dedicated to the LEGO world.

According to the official text (in German):

Also contains an R-3PO droid and two minifigures [snowtroopers]. Includes a stable and a Tauntaun, a working crane, two rotating radars, an icefall, and a speeder bike. "

Click on the images to view a larger version. 

The novelties of June 2011 are finally referenced on the Lego shop and the least we can say is that LEGO has understood the craze for the Star Wars range ... The prices charged are slightly excessive when calculating the cost per piece for each set: 

7956 The Ewok Attack : 166 pieces for 29.90 € or 0.18 cents 

7957 Sith Nightspeeder : 213 pieces for 29.90 € or 0.14 cents 

7959 Geonosian Starfighter : 155 pieces for 39.90 € or 0.25 cents 

7961 Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator : 479 pieces for 74.90 € or 0.16 cents 

7962 Anakin Skywalker & Sebulba's Podracers : 810 pieces for 99.90 € or 0.12 cents 

7964 Republic Frigate : 1015 pieces for 139.90 € or 0.13 cents 

7965 Millennium Falcon : 1238 pieces for 159.90 or 0.12 cents

Surprisingly, the sets 7962 et 7965 are the ones whose cost per piece remains the most reasonable, and they are also the ones that I consider to be the most interesting of this wave of novelties. The and 7959 with its 0.25 cents / coin is far too expensive for what it offers both in terms of content and quantity of coins .... Same observation for the set 7956...

In short, even with the accumulation of VIP points which entitles you to a small discount on your next order on the Shop, it is better to buy these sets at your favorite online or in-store merchant than to pay the exorbitant price requested on the LEGO Shop.