Today we are quickly interested in the LEGO DC Comics set 76160 Batman: Mobile Bat-Base (743 pieces - 89.99 €), a box which went a little unnoticed when it was launched last June and which was quickly eclipsed by the flood of product announcements "Lifestyle"currently marketed by LEGO.

I think we have here one of the best LEGO playsets available in the DC Comics universe, provided we admit that Batman can have a headquarters installed in the trailer of a large truck. The idea is not as crazy as it seems: in 2015 we discovered a Bat-Truck over the pages of number # 42 of the comic All New Batman, even if the LEGO version does not have the organic design of the object in question.

There are no longer Bat-vehicles in the LEGO DC Comics range with many remakes, re-editions and reinterpretations of the great classics. In my opinion, the arrival of a truck gives a fresh blow to this universe invaded by Batmobiles, Batcycles and other Batwings, with a vehicle which also manages to stay in the "bat" spirit thanks to a few details aesthetics well felt.

The big advantage of this playset: All of the content provided fits in the truck with plenty of storage spaces rather well thought out. Taken individually, the secondary vehicles delivered in this box do not seem particularly inspired and would only deserve a priori to end up in a small polybag without much interest.

But their integration into the playset enhances them and allows to add a good layer of playability while offering a storage solution when it comes for example to take the truck to a friend: the motorcycle slips into the rear axle , the jet-ski finds its place under the tractor cabin and the quad is hooked under the Batjet via a clip which allows it to remain fixed until its deployment.

The jet ski is even ejected via a rod that goes through the floor of the tractor and you just have to push for the machine to be expelled. For its part, the Batjet has a landing zone at the front of the trailer and once in place it helps to round off the angular shapes of the vehicle a little.

I often criticize designers for the aesthetic shortcuts used for certain sets, here I have the impression that a very great effort has been made to offer a vehicle with a very correct finish while remaining functional.

The least successful machine is perhaps precisely this Batjet which has nothing of Bat and which does not really look like a jet, but a compromise had to be found to have a spaceship that could land on the trailer without disfiguring the truck and adding retractable fins saves the furniture.

The mobile base has an interior space with basic but convincing layout. There is even at the end of the trailer a cell from which the occupant can escape via the mobile panel placed at the rear. The feature will undoubtedly seem anecdotal to many fans but it widens the playful possibilities.

The rest of this compact Batcave on wheels consists of a desk with its control screen and a few accessories, all of which is easily accessible by lifting the mobile part of the body which remains attached to the trailer via a simple hinge based on it. 'Technic elements.

The Batjet canopy and the truck's windshield are currently exclusive parts to this box in this color Trans Yellow and I salute the effort to offer us these elements, moreover rather common in transparent versions, in a color which allows to obtain a vehicle that aesthetically sticks to the universe of the vigilante of Gotham.

The inevitable sheet of stickers is provided here, including a slew of bat-logos to stick everywhere so that the owner of the different vehicles is clearly identifiable. Black on black, it works, there is no risk of color difference.

If we can regret a certain imbalance in the endowment of vehicles in this box which only equips Batman and his acolytes, the assortment of minifigs is relatively balanced with three heroes and three villains. All these characters are not unseen, but the set will seduce collectors with some very original minifigs.

Batman's torso and head are items seen in many sets released in 2019 and in the set. 76159 Joker's Trike Chase marketed this year. The head of this minifig has also become the barometer of the evolution of pad printing techniques at LEGO and we can see here that the character's face is a little less pale than in other older boxes but that the problem is not. is still not resolved ...

Batgirl minifig, delivered here in version Rebirth, is almost perfect. She just needs boots to match the rest of the costume to be completely successful. The effort has been made on all elements, including double-sided cape with blue interior and black exterior surface, to give us a pretty minifigure but the legs remain hopelessly neutral. The character's hair is not new, it is that of Black Widow (Marvel), Lois Lane (Superman) or Mera (Aquaman).

The Nightwing minifigure, also in version Rebirth, also suffers from the lack of detail on the legs. It's a shame, the torso is really very successful. The hair is also that of Harry Potter, Cole (Ninjago) and Mike Wheeler (Stranger Things).

The minifig of Mr. Freeze is not new, it is the one seen in the set 76118 Mr. Freeze Batcycle Battle (2018) and in a bag offered with an issue of the LEGO Batman magazine released in 2020.

This is not the first appearance of Man-Bat at LEGO, the version New 52 was delivered in the set 76011 Man-Bat Attack in 2014 then in the set 70905 The Batmobile based on the animated film The LEGO Batman Movie in 2017.

LEGO offers us here a version Rebirth new with a superb torso and the element to be placed on the head already seen in brown on the previous version of the character is here delivered in white with a nice pad printing in the hollow of the ears.

The legs used for this new minifigure are however not new, they are those used for two of the minifigs of the Hidden Side set. 70423 Paranormal Intercept Bus 3000 (2019) and more recently for the driver of the vehicle in the promotional set 40409 Hot Rod.

This box finally allows us to obtain a version Prime Earth by Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger. The torso and the head of the character are nicely executed but here we can also regret the absence of details, even summary, on the legs delivered in Dark orange.

In short, this box sold for 90 € at LEGO but already available for much cheaper at Amazon In my opinion, deserves the detour with an original vehicle, a nice assortment of minifigs and playful possibilities increased tenfold by the presence of many additional Bat-things, which find here a justification for their design a priori very summary.

Sets as balanced as this one are becoming increasingly rare and it would be a shame to miss out on a product that in my opinion brings a little freshness to a range that often tends to be content to ramble.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 13, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

We quickly move on with a new extension of the LEGO Super Mario ecosystem: the set 71362 Guarded Fortress Expansion Set (468 pieces - 49.99 €), a pack in the soft underbelly of the range which, like the other available extensions, allows you to add a few additional steps to the very basic starting level of the set 71360 Adventures with Mario.

If the extensions 71369 Bowser's Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set (1010 pieces - 99.99 €) and 71377 King Boo and the Haunted Yard Expansion Set (431 pieces - 49.99 €) which I have already told you about on the site are already out of stock on the official online store, this one is still available at the time of this writing and it would therefore seem that 'it is a little less interesting for fans who want to try this board game inspired by the famous video game.

However, if we stick exclusively to the features offered by this extension, they largely offer something to expand the game sequences a little with three different courses on which there are a few catapults, water, lava, and more. a piranha plant returned to its pot to release an action brick by tapping on a platform and a final POW block that must be tapped to open the fortress gate. I think we probably get the extension here that offers the most interactivity in a relatively small space.

As usual, the game board will need to be set up where you can let it collect dust between two parts, it is difficult to move without breaking everything and LEGO did not see fit to provide a base plate on it. which to install the different elements of the course. The dislocation of the level during movement is however not dramatic, you can reorganize it as you see fit, it does not change much on arrival.

The "fortress" is here only a simple facade which serves to dress a little the decoration of this level, do not expect a very elaborate construction reusable in another context even if the few elements which constitute the building are sufficient to to give a little volume to the whole and to reassure (a little) those who will have spent 50 € in this box. The fortress gate can, on the other hand, be used as a gateway to another connected expansion pack.

As for the items to keep to build a thematic collection, we will keep the pot with the piranha plant, the green Koopa Troopa, the cubic Bob-omb and the few pieces, all pad printed, which will eventually allow you to decorate your shelves.

at 50 € a box, it's a bit expensive to pay to keep only these few elements, but with a little patience it should be possible to find this set much cheaper at Amazon or on the secondary market. I have not changed my mind, I do not see who will use these products beyond a few parts and the second hand market should quickly expand with second hand products.

Be careful if you plan to buy these sets from a fan who has grown bored with the concept and wants to buy a PS5, they come without instructions in paper format and it is difficult to put together the full inventory without calling a online database.

Each extension contains more elements than those used to assemble the level by following the instructions in digital format including a few plates which allow you to vary the layout of the different interactive islands but which are not mentioned anywhere.

The LEGO Super Mario range is now available and if you've decided to invest in the starter pack with one or more of the expansions on offer right now, feel free to share your first impressions in the comments. There will be as many reviews as there are fans and all the feedback is good to take especially for those wondering if they should spend their money on these products.

I remind for all intents and purposes that the interactive Mario figurine is not provided in this box, it is only an extension of the game board that does not contain the starting sticker to be scanned to start a game nor that of arrival allowing to validate the progression within the time limit.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 9, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 set 31107 Space Rover Explorer, a box sold at the public price of 54.99 € which promises us an extended assembly experience with three different models to assemble from the inventory of 510 parts provided.

I say it often, this Creator 3-in-1 range is arguably one of the last to regularly pay homage to the concept of the construction toy much vaunted by LEGO by really allowing to assemble something other than the promise made on the face. before packing. We are therefore entitled to hope to be able to extend the basic "experience" without having to dig into an additional stock of parts or download instruction files in PDF format. On paper it is, but in practice the secondary models are sometimes disappointing.

The Rover is a pretty model that should appeal to all fans of LEGO and the conquest of space: it looks great, the interior space is arranged without doing too much to leave room and it is sufficiently equipped to allow have a little fun with it.

The robotic arms placed at the front can be oriented, the crane at the rear allows the unloading of the small robot supplied and the alien to be built offers something to endanger the pilot of this machine which also benefits from a system of "suspensions" simply based on independent axles fixed on a movable axis but sufficient to produce the desired effect.

For those who would ask the question, the smoked glass used on the white panel which forms the side door of the Rover is also present in two copies on the locomotive of the set 10277 Crocodile Locomotive marketed since June 1st.

If the main model of the set is rather convincing, the two other proposed constructions seem to be the result of a bet between designers won by the most inexperienced of the band who will not have even made the effort to try to reuse a large part of the inventory. This is often the case in these boxes sold as 3-in-1 products which disappoint a little beyond the basic model.

The proposed space station had all of a good idea but the execution is rather disappointing. It's clutter and too compact even though there are a few identifiable spaces inside with the greenhouses, the office or the analysis room that allows you to peek at the green creature. Rather than doing like many "reviews" which largely ignore the secondary models while that is the purpose of this 3-in-1 range, I have put a photo of the two secondary models for each of the two secondary models. result accompanied by the volume of unused parts. It is immediately more visually speaking.

Regarding the space station, there are still four of the six wheels of the main rover and there was undoubtedly enough to enlarge the station a little and possibly assemble a small vehicle, even ultra-basic in addition to the module.

The third model is an interestingly constructed ship with SNOT wings (for Stud Not On Top) positioned at a particular angle that will bring back memories to regulars flickr galleries of enthusiasts who regularly create vessels with a similar design. Here, too, the designer has only used a small portion of the available inventory and the 3-in-1 spirit of the range really takes a hit.

Un Space Port even minimalist or a few maintenance props for the ship could have been offered to stay in the mood of the set and reinforce the feeling of having alternative builds maximizing inventory usage.

I specify that the instructions for the three models are well provided in the box, they follow one another over the pages of the included booklet.

The big star of the box, it is obviously the only minifig supplied with its pretty chest featuring a variant of the much appreciated logo Space Classic on top-of-the-line pad printing. Too bad the character's legs are desperately neutral, but the minifigure remains in my opinion very successful even if it will probably not be enough to calm the fans who continue to pray for a return of the range Space Classic one day on the shelves.

The character's head is not however exclusive, it is the one already seen in a good half-dozen boxes in the Creator, Speed ​​Champions or CITY ranges since 2018. The legs in Silver (Silver) are also those of several characters from the Minecraft range, Cyborg (DC Comics) or Reinhardt (Overwatch).

LEGO could have made the effort to provide us with two characters with why not an astronaut (or space explorer not to offend anyone) with feminine features. As it stands, the endowment is a little sketchy and limits the possibilities of having fun as a duo, except to draw lots who will play the wicked alien.

In short, the set is interesting for the universe which explores with three more or less successful thematic models and a pretty minifigure but it makes far too limited use of its inventory as soon as we are really interested in the two alternative constructions. It's a little too shy for my taste to justify the big 3-in-1 pictogram displayed on the box with a promise that is not kept until the end.

The Rover can justify the purchase of this box on its own, but not at 55 €. Fortunately the set is already sold widely below 40 € at Amazon and it becomes all the more attractive.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 8, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

We continue to tour the expansions planned in the LEGO Super Mario range to accompany the starter pack 71360 Adventures with Mario with the set 71377 King Boo and the Haunted Yard Expansion Set (431 pieces - 49.99 €).

As with each of the announced expansions, this one immerses the player in one of the many worlds of the Super Mario Bros. saga. with its theme and its creatures to beat to progress through the level. It will also be necessary to provide space to install your starter set and any extensions that you have chosen to acquire from the launch of the concept on August 1st. It will also be useful to install the entire game board in a place where you can leave it between two parts, the different modules being difficult to move without disassembling them first.

This extension adds a rather original thematic atmosphere to the game board but it is a little fishy with the playful possibilities offered and LEGO sums up the potential of this € 50 box: "... To reach the hidden Super Star, players must jump on Goombas and a spider web, flip a tree, then jump on the Swoopers who are spinning to topple King Boo ...A whole program on paper, a few seconds during which you just have to type everywhere with the interactive Mario figure in reality.

The construction of the level offers a slightly higher challenge than other boxes in the range with the integration of the mechanism of the King Boo hut which allows the figure in question to be raised via an endless screw to free access to the Super star hidden behind the ghost.

To activate the mechanism, you will have to tap like a deaf person with Mario on the Swoopers and turn the lateral axes. The rest of the game board is no big surprise with a simple spider web to turn over to reveal a barcode to scan and get some coins. Here too, you have to type. This is the concept of the product: we type with Mario, we scan, we get parts, we retype, etc ...

MOCeurs who love to get into Halloween-themed dioramas may find a few pieces in interesting tones reusable here within their designs, but nothing in my opinion justifies spending $ 50 in this box. We will therefore wisely wait for this set to end up in destocking somewhere, I have the feeling that it will end up happening one day.

As for the characters to be recovered to feed a collection, King Boo will have to be tinkered with a little to allow him to stand up as desired by removing the rod that circulates on the worm of the hut or by adding a part behind it as on the photo above.

The four bats provided must be removed from the two pins Technic which connect them to the lateral axes of the mechanism and even if the wings of these Swoopers are not completely faithful to those of the animals seen on the screen, they are small characters that can easily be staged in the middle of the other collectible figurines . You also get two Goombas which will also be easily integrated into a collection. The more we advance in the discovery of the different sets, the more we see that it is the main character who is missed and who will have trouble finding his place in the midst of relatively successful figurines.

As usual in this range, everything is pad printed, there is no sticker on the horizon.

It is neither the most expensive nor, in my opinion, the least interesting of the various extensions that will be marketed around the starter pack. The atmosphere here is much more immersive than in other clubs, even if the fun possibilities are still minimal.

Note that the essential application to be installed on a smartphone or tablet to be able to "play" with these products is now available on the App Store (iOS), on Google Play (Android) and on the Amazon App Store (FireOS), so you can already download it to get a feel for what it actually does. Do not get too carried away by the promises made in the description of the application, especially regarding the "weekly challenges" that will be offered and which in theory should extend the life of the product, we all know here that monitoring the Long-term application will strongly depend on the commercial success of the range.

I remind for all intents and purposes that the interactive Mario figure is not supplied in the box presented here, it is only an extension of the game board which does not contain the starting sticker to be scanned to launch a game. game nor the finish allowing to validate the progress within the time limit.

If you want to read or re-read my test of the concept itself published last June:

I tested for you: LEGO Super Mario

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 2, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

Without transition, we jump back into the LEGO Super Mario universe with a quick glance at the set 71369 Bowser's Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set (1010 pieces - 99.99 €), the largest box in the range which in principle allows you to complete the adventure and face the ultimate boss of the game: Bowser.

As for all the sets in the range, the assembly of the main module of the castle and the platforms which flesh out the staging a little is done via the instructions in digital format accessible only via the dedicated application to download and install on a smartphone or tablet.

Each step of the assembly is punctuated by a short video that allows you to better understand the features of the set. Do not expect to find here something to learn new techniques, we are more in the spirit of sets stamped 4+ with large meta-pieces and some slightly more creative sequences such as the base of the main structure based on beams Technic or the mechanism that allows the castle's drawbridge to be tilted. The finished product is ultimately only a castle because the main module is visually surrounded by a few platforms with walls or turrets.

If you plan to exhibit the model in order to stage your collection of characters, you can structure it in such a way that it offers a satisfactory rendering without occupying too much area: All the small modules with the walls or towers can be more or less close to the main structure with the statue and the walkway on which Bowser stands.

Once again, the lack of real rules of the game makes the experience disappointing and it is in fact not possible to lose the game except by going over the allotted time. The confrontation with Bowser comes down to milling like a deaf man to slide (very) slowly the big figure on the ramp until it tips over. You will first have to have tapped very (very) hard on the two side platforms to collect the two bonuses present and in the process raise the arms of the statue which will have the effect of tilting slightly forward the platform on which is standing Bowser. All that for this.

None of the expansion packs really overcome the limitations of the concept, regardless of the price or the number of pieces in the box. Here, we are always so bored after a few tries, except that we will have spent a hundred euros to obtain this "castle" with the correct aesthetics but not really faithful to the version seen in the different video games. from which the range is inspired.

In view of the operations to be carried out on this level, to type very hard and to reel without stopping, one is entitled to wonder when the interactive figurine of Mario will give up the ghost. Be careful to hit flat on the various obstacles and bonuses so that the costume's feet take the blow. If you tap on the edge of a part, you risk damaging the sensor placed between the two feet and it is not known at this stage what the reaction of the after-sales service will be on this precise point.

If you only buy this expansion to extract the different characters it contains, you will get here a big Bowser figurine, a Skelerex and a Boo, all three available only in this box and a Lava Bubble which is also present in the sets 71364 Whomp's Lava Trouble et 71376 Thwomp Drop.

Bowser, Skelerex and Boo are quite successful and will easily integrate a small collection of characters. All the patterned pieces are pad printed and it will suffice to replace those affublished with bar codes by neutral elements to obtain figurines with an irreproachable finish. I wish I could have gotten a club for Bowser and a clear mount to "levitate" the Boo, but the designers didn't see fit to force the props.

This extension, however more consistent than the others, does not make me change my mind about the relevance of the concept. We have five minutes of fun and get bored very quickly when we understand that despite all the efforts made by LEGO to offer an immersive experience in the universe of Mario are in vain. We even wonder who these products based on a 30-year-old video game with multiple reissues that appealed to the dexterity and perseverance of the players are aimed at, two qualities that are not really in question here. .

Do not be influenced by the overplayed enthusiasm of certain "reviews" which explain to you that all this is VERY fun, when the products are offered and that as in some cases the publications are sponsored and therefore paid, it is always easier to oversell a concept on behalf of a brand. Do not give too much credit either to those who tell you about their "experience" with children who "had fun" with these products, I had my own panel and I can confirm that the kids in question are. very quickly moved on and a good collective battle of Nerf guns easily replaces a laborious part of LEGO Super Mario.

Optionally buy the starter pack 71360 Adventures with Mario at 60 € and make up your own mind before investing in extensions that do not add much more and do not really extend the life of the product. Keep the box in a corner, having spent a lot of time on the subject, I promise you that you will not be long in trying to resell it all on Le Bon Coin.

I might be speaking a bad tongue, but I'm starting to understand why LEGO has chosen to launch the entire range in one fell swoop instead of spreading out the availability of the different expansions in multiple waves: Customers in the most rush will be tempted to immediately buy several boxes before having had time to really realize the emptiness of the thing.

If you want to read or re-read my test of the concept itself published last June:

I tested for you: LEGO Super Mario

I remind for all intents and purposes that the interactive Mario figurine is not provided in this box, it is only an extension of the game board that does not contain the starting sticker to be scanned to start a game nor that of arrival allowing to validate the progression within the time limit.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at July 30, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.