Today we make the tour of the LEGO Star Wars set very quickly 75334 Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader, a box of 408 pieces which will be available at the public price of €49.99 from August 1, 2022 on the official online store and in LEGO Stores and for a little less at some retailers.

As you probably already know, this product is inspired by a scene from the third episode of the Obi-Wan Kenobi mini-series, the broadcast of which has just ended on the Disney + platform, it should in principle make it possible to reproduce the clash between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

On the bottom, it must be recognized that it is fitting with the reference scene. Tala Durith and NED-B are there when the battle ends: the droid saves Obi-Wan from the flames, but Tala Durith, hidden away, has already gotten rid of her uniform by this point in time. story.

In terms of form, this set easily enters the top products derived from the LEGO Star Wars range which frankly make fun of fans: the base to be built is incredibly sad despite the few integrated functions and the scene is sorely lacking in volume. This box brilliantly embodies in my eyes all the laziness of LEGO when it comes to doing fan service without forcing on the rest, with the implicit certainty of selling buckets of them just because the minifigs are emblematic enough, new or nicely executed so you don't have to worry about the creative side of the rest of the inventory. All that was needed, however, was a simple additional structure with a few pipes and other beams to give a bit of cachet to the proposed staging.

The decor of this mini-diorama is at the level of a very young fan who understood that you can simply stack bricks but that you also have to add a few small pieces to refine the work: it's cute on arrival , parents always see it as a work of some creativity because it's the fruit of their offspring, but it's not worthy of an official product sold for €50. There is also almost no context apart from a few flames vaguely embodied by the small orange bricks and the presence of Tala Durith in imperial dress is undoubtedly due to the impossibility of placing her in another set that does not exist. not.

The designer has tried to go to the end of the limitations of the specifications provided by his superiors by integrating two rotating platforms, a lever which makes it possible to store the "curtain" of flames and to take it out when the need arises. makes sense and a system that allows the yellow minecart to be ejected under the effect of the Force, but this abundance of functionality falls flat because the context is not there. LEGO even manages to impose a rubber band on us which remains clearly visible on the side of the base, at this stage, we cannot even speak of a lack of motivation.

The "endless possibilities of creative play" are therefore in my opinion not there despite what the manufacturer claims in the official description of the product and this even if LEGO goes there frankly in the nod to the scene concerned by providing us with two transparent pieces that allow Obi-Wan to be put in the bad aerial posture seen on the screen. One cannot speak of a pure show product either, the workmanship is simply not up to par. Small consolation, there are no stickers in this box.

If we forget the too flat base with a too coarse and simplistic finish for a product sold for 50 €, we therefore have a handful of minifigs which are rather successful and for some new. The star of the set, in my eyes, is the droid-carrier NED-B whose figurine is frankly successful for a secondary character. The pad printing is beautiful and the minifig is very convincing. Too bad the effort is a little spoiled by the rest of the product, NED-B deserved better.

Obi-Wan Kenobi would also be very correct if he didn't once have to deal with LEGO's inability to stamp light areas on dark-tinted parts. Don't be fooled by the heavily retouched official visuals, the character's neck doesn't actually match the color of the head. Same observation for the shirt under the tunic, it is disappointingly pale. the mullet cut provided by LEGO is not in the best taste, it will have to be done with it.

the Tala Durith figure is a bit on the economy with her neutral legs. It has at least the merit of allowing us to obtain an unpublished imperial officer's torso with the rank of Senior Lt. if we rely on certain nomenclatures or captain if we take into account the dialogues in the series. The head of the character is new, the cap has existed since 2017.

Darth Vader minifig reuses legs and torso already seen in multiple sets since the reference 75291 Death Star Final Duel marketed in 2020 and the helmet in two parts available since 2015. Too bad for the cape which could have been molded for the occasion, it will be necessary to be satisfied with the usual piece of fabric. The head is new, it is in the spirit of the one seen in several sets in 2017.

The possible presence of two Stormtroopers could have contributed to making the pill easier even if it would then have been even more obvious that the few pieces provided only serve as an alibi to justify the designation of construction toy. As it is, I won't spend €50 on this box and I'll wait wisely for Amazon to offer a more reasonable price that matches the content of the set. That's the whole problem: we won't end up buying this box, and LEGO will in the end deduce that this type of somewhat sloppy product still sells very well. Why make an effort when the fans always end up cracking up?

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 2, 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the set 10303 Loop Coaster, a box of 3756 pieces which will join from July 5, 2022 (VIP preview from July 1) what is now called LEGO Fairground Collection, a label that brings together the sets on the same theme already marketed so far: 10244 Fairground Mixer (2014) 10247 Ferris Wheel (2015) 10257 Carousel (2017) 10261 Roller Coaster (2018) et 10273 Haunted Houses (2020)

The premise of the product is simple: it is in principle a top-of-the-range toy intended for older children who will have the means to pay for it with its public price set at €399.99 and the promise of this big carousel, it's is above all to offer a circuit with two loops whose crossing is based only on gravity. You obviously have to assemble the thing before you can have fun with it, but I must admit that on this type of product, I'm generally in a hurry to finish the assembly to take advantage of the advertised features.

As for the set 10261 Roller Coaster (4124 pieces - 349.99 €) marketed in 2018, the motorization of the product is possible but it is optional. It's really disappointing knowing that milling to raise the nacelles will quickly tire many purchasers of the product beyond the phase of wonder at the on-board mechanism and that it will therefore then be necessary to go back to the checkout to afford the essential two ecosystem elements Powered Up to be integrated: a motor 88013 Technic Motor L (34.99 €) and a battery box 88015 Battery Box (34.99 €).

This article is not an infomercial glorifying the toy in question, expect some criticism from me. I have indeed just spent three days building this product and "having fun" with it and there is a lot to be said. I deliberately don't dwell on the assembly of the merry-go-round, we oscillate between sequences of stacking pieces, attaching 258 chain links to each other and setting up rubber bands and other pieces of string to arrive at the long-awaited result and finally have the right to have a little fun.

The track circuit is well designed with a few well-thought techniques so that the different sections of track are connected to each other and we avoid assembling the chain of the many pillars seen in the set 10261 Roller Coaster. The tower with its elevator is not of boundless creativity and its assembly and of an abyssal boredom, but the structure ultimately only serves to take passengers to the top of the carousel and to give a little volume to the whole building.

It should be noted above all that the inventory of carousel rails in the LEGO version is now being expanded with a few modules with angles and curvatures that make it possible to build loops. I doubt that many fans will ever start building alternate versions of this Loop Coaster, the necessary budget necessarily limits the possibilities, but know that you get a total of 41 sections in this box. Not all of them are used for the carousel circuit, there are also some along the central pillar of the tower on which the ballast circulates and on the roof of the boarding platform where they serve as an internal structure. You also get five pods, three are used on the carousel, two are used to slide ballast down the center ramp.

We cannot say that this cumbersome carousel was designed with the essential solidity and the no less necessary rigidity in mind, which would allow it to be moved without taking too many risks. The instruction booklet clearly documents how to carry the construction to limit breakage, but it is still insufficient to avoid having to devote a few long minutes to rechecking everything. It will therefore be advisable to embark on the assembly of this big ride on the place of exposure of the construction or at least near it. the Loop Coaster is not "modular", nothing is planned to disassemble it into subsections which would greatly facilitate the storage or transport of the thing. The base is not of sufficient rigidity to guarantee movements without breakage, it is moreover perforated in various places as if it were necessary to save a few parts.

The operation of the Loop Coaster requires that all the parts are in their place and that the junction between the rails is absolutely perfect. We spend a lot of time checking these different points between two fun sessions, there is bound to be a pillar that moves or a few studs that come off a little during the operation of the tower with its elevator and repeated passages of the nacelles on the circuit. This is especially the case when the Loop Coaster is motorized via the elements of the ecosystem Powered Up, the manual use of the toy being less brutal and more "respectful" of the various connection points at the level of the tower. You won't escape the pod train stuck somewhere on the course or the failed start at the top of the tower with a ramp that doesn't line up perfectly with the first rail of the circuit.

We get a little tired of milling to get the nacelles up to the starting point at the very top of the tower, I counted eleven turns of the crank from the blocking point of the ascent support on the short section of the chain made up of 33 wider links that circulates around the central axis of the tower, all to obtain five seconds of descent. For those wondering, the ballast visible on the other side of the central pillar of the tower assists the rise of the mini-starting ramp. The circuit is very short, the two loops obviously have their effect during the first uses but the ride is quickly completed. And you have to grind again.

The other defect of the manual world: you still have to grind to go down the starting ramp and allow the train of nacelles, which remained braked by the mechanism present just before the arrival in front of the boarding gates, to set off again for a turn. Finally, I can't help but mention the use of a piece of string to connect the ballast to the climbing mechanism of the ramp that accommodates the nacelles. This string does its job, that's not the problem, but the clearly visible presence of this piece of string on a high-end product at 400 € leaves me perplexed.

I am also a little disappointed by the aesthetics of the elevator system that allows the nacelles to reach the starting point. This is not a classic configuration for this type of carousel and despite the debauchery of parts, string and chain links I do not find myself on the Blue Fire or Silver Star from Europa-Park. The ramp needed to reach the highest point of the carousel at 92 cm high would probably have been too steep if it had to stay in the format used here, but I remain a little wary of this oversized elevator with its big pillars.

Some will probably cry at the technical feat with this imposing product which combines an ingenious climbing system and a circuit with two loops crossed only thanks to gravity, but let's not forget that we are in 2022 and that at 400 € the few kilos of plastic is the least you can do to get a product that fulfills its main function. We are not sold a carousel model but a toy presented as functional.

Misfires are annoying and patience and attention to detail is required to achieve the promised effect of a full ride. It is better not to neglect the various settings detailed in the instruction booklet, otherwise you will have to come back later to correct the exact position of the ballast with its notched winch which allows it to be positioned correctly or the number of links in the chain. A technical detail: there is an error in the instructions with a reversed sequence and two pieces were missing in the bags of the copy I received.

LEGO does not forget to deliver a large handful of minifigs, some with new torsos, and pretty little secondary constructions in this box. It's always taken to animate the aisles of your amusement park even if it is probably not the main motivation of those who will spend 400 € in this product.

The promise was there and it responded to the criticisms about the somewhat sad ride of the set 10261 Roller Coaster : this new model is visually very consistent with modern colors, it is a little more fun to assemble than its predecessor and the two loops make your mouth water. However, the experience is a little spoiled by the many failures that we strive to try to correct in order to really obtain a complete cycle. It's a shame, because the majority of us will have fun for a few minutes before putting the construction in a corner to return to it only occasionally and this short phase of pleasure had to be irreproachable in my opinion.

In summary, we are faced with a toy for adults who can afford to spend 400 € on this bulky carousel in order to perhaps integrate it into a thematic diorama. The gameplay is there, it is short-lived and repetitive, but that's the lot of many LEGO products. The lack of motorization by default is unspeakably petty, knowing that all you need is a single motor and a simple battery box to be able to put the carousel in an autonomous loop. You might find me a bit of a killjoy, but my LEGO budget is not infinitely expandable and when it comes to buying a product that promises me a feature, I expect it to be simply up to LEGO's pricing requirements. Now it's up to you to see if this impressive merry-go-round deserves to sit on your shelves.

I'm a nice player by the way, I leave to the winner the motorization kit that I managed to get financed by LEGO and the Hoth Bricks minifig that you see in some photos. I keep the batteries, do not abuse.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 30th June 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

We are now quickly interested in the new edition of the encyclopedia of characters from the DC universe in LEGO version with the availability of the book concerned. I will spare you the content of the book, you will find examples of pages on the product sheet at Amazon and I think there wouldn't be many people to buy this type of book anyway if it weren't accompanied by an exclusive and unpublished minifig.

For this time, the publisher Dorling Kindersley and LEGO have made an effort by offering us a character that is certainly second-rate but which has the merit of being completely new to LEGO and which will remain exclusive to this book: it is Val -Zod in Earth-2 version, as he appears for the first time in the comic Earth 2 #19 published in 2014. We also know that a series around the character produced by Michael B. Jordan is in progress writing for the HBO Max streaming platform.

The minifig is overall successful, no doubt about it. We could however quibble about the differences in color between the blue tinted in the mass of the torso and the ink of the pad printing of the legs, it is not perfectly fitting. Same observation for the pad-printed white areas on the chest, we guess the blue background under the thin layer of ink.

We are delivered a classic one-hole soft cape and once again I regret that LEGO does not generalize the solution used for Batman and Doctor Strange with nicely molded plastic accessories. No accessories with the character, the minifig is delivered alone.

Another interesting technical detail of this book, the publisher is now changing the process for inserting the supplied minifig: the figurine is no longer directly visible on the cover and you have to remove a sticker and tear the flap of the interior insert to access the elements.

This solution should limit the theft of minifigs in bookstores, the old transparent sticker that closed the plastic insert could be peeled off and reattached in the blink of an eye. On the other hand, it will be advisable to be careful on delivery or during the purchase of the work and to check without delay that the insert is indeed intact and the minifig is present, it is no longer possible to ensure it visually from the cover.

We are not going to complain about being able to add a character from the DC universe unpublished at LEGO to our collections, knowing that the sets in the range have become rather rare since the beginning of the year. The book that accompanies the figurine is only a collection of digital visuals of the minifigs of the range which distills some statistics and anecdotes about the different characters concerned, it will be necessary to wait for a possible edition in French if you plan to give to a young fan who has a poor command of English.

This 200-page book and its exclusive figurine is currently available for almost €22 at Amazon:

LEGO DC Character Encyclopedia New Edition: With exclusive LEGO minifigure

21.56 €

BUY

Note: The work presented here, provided by DK editor, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 19th June 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

We are now interested in a product that is indeed based on official LEGO elements but which is not a reference offered by the manufacturer. It's the sign Super Bricks who currently markets this "Templar Pack"which, as the title suggests, allows you to obtain three minifigs in the colors of the Order of the Temple and a few accessories. UV printing well known to anyone looking to print custom parts in small series.

I had already specified it to you, the result obtained via UV printing is quite acceptable on small surfaces, even if the process does not make it possible to obtain the visual uniformity guaranteed by pad printing, in particular on solid surfaces. . Production times are much shorter than with pad printing, the drying of the inks by polymerization under UV radiation being immediate.

This UV printing process which makes it possible not to "dig" the parts as is the case with the engraving already offered by several brands, is also used by LEGO for its Minifigure Factory installed in some LEGO Stores, a service that allows you to personalize and print very quickly on a souvenir minifig of your visit to the store. It is therefore not an exotic technique or a simple economical alternative, even the manufacturer has gotten into it.

I also note that the Super Briques brand has made a lot of progress on the quality of printing since its beginnings and the result here is visually very convincing. You really have to look very closely to tell the difference with an average quality pad printing and the possible integration of the torsos, armor and other shields delivered in this pack to your dioramas will probably not shock anyone.

The good idea of ​​the pack: the use of torsos with gray hands which will allow to replace the three different yellow heads but with a look a little too vintage for my taste by flesh-colored copies. The design of the torso seems successful to me, with a piece of chainmail that protrudes under the white garment stamped with the red cross. I am a little less convinced by the design of the leather belt, the edges of which seem a little thin to me compared to the usual official designs which often use slightly thicker outlines, but it is mainly a matter of taste. The three torsos are identical and are only printed on the front side, so the back of the minifigs is neutral.

As you will have understood, this is a niche product that occupies a niche that LEGO will never explore, the manufacturer contenting itself at best with evoking a largely idealized Middle Ages and without religious reference. There is undoubtedly a clientele for this type of minifigs, but it is above all the possibilities of personalization via UV printing that are highlighted here with a product that makes good use of them.

To obtain personalized elements based on your designs or ideas, you must make your request via the form located at this address adding the visuals you want to print and specifying the format and quantity. The sign will then provide you with an estimate, it is then up to you to see if the asking price is right for you.

In conclusion, I think this product has been thought out and executed well enough to be worthy of fans of this type of content. The sign does not encroach on the LEGO flowerbeds and fills a void. I would have added a horse in the pack, but the selling price would not have been the same.

If you have read this article so far, know that the brand is currently offering a promotional offer that allows readers of the site to obtain an additional templar minifig when purchasing a pack that already contains three with the coded HBTEMPLIER. So you get on arrival four minifigs on the same theme with their accessories for 24.99 €. The offer is valid until June 22, 2022 inclusive.

TEMPLARS PACK AT SUPER BRIQUES >>

Note: The pack of four minifigs presented here, provided by Super Bricks, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 18th June 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Disney Pixar Lightyear set 76832 XL-15 Spaceship, a box of 497 pieces available at the retail price of €49.99 since April 24th.

If I'm talking about this box again, it's mainly because it's not just a mere derivative product for children from an animated film not yet released, but it's because it also has something interest the most nostalgic adult fans.

It is obviously not on the side of the assembly that the most demanding LEGO fans will find their account, this is a toy which once is not customary, however, benefits from the passage of a small exhibition stand to highlight the construction.

It's hard to find fault with the design of this vessel, 27 cm long by 18 cm wide, assembled in a few minutes, which is essentially content with a stacking of parts and a few very successful finishes, it's compact, it's solid and it really looks good.

Fans of the Battlestar Galactica universe, like yours truly, will inevitably see a Viper there, some will make the connection with the ships of the video game WipEout and others rather nostalgic for the period Classic Space at LEGO will see it as a tribute to the defunct range of slightly flat vessels. To each his own memories and references, this product is also made for that.

More interestingly, the new yellow canopy is a never-before-seen feature wanted by Angus MacLane, director of the longtime Lightyear and AFOL animated film. It was he who suggested the idea to LEGO and for those who have already forgotten, Angus MacLane is also the creator of the LEGO Ideas WALL•E project, which became an official product in 2015 under the reference 21303 WALL•E.

The presence of this new piece is therefore a nice nod to a whole generation of LEGO fans, even if we lose loyalty to the reference ship seen in the trailer. There are a few patterns missing on the canopy but it's not that bad in the end, the LEGO version of the ship is only a very free interpretation of the one visible in the film anyway, with a lot of approximations and shortcuts.

Another detail that should please all those who are followers of the diversion of parts from their initial use: the use of LEGO Technic differential elements for the two reactors of the ship. This part, available since 2020, is very appropriate here and it really helps to improve the finish of the rear of the ship.

The buildable black stand to comfortably set the ship up on a shelf between play sessions is simple but well-designed enough to show the thing off at its best. The small plate which distills some facts on the machine gives a little collector's side to the product, enough to "train" from an early age children who will later invest their money in much more expensive products also flanked by a plate sticker based.

The sheet of stickers is quite substantial with thirteen stickers that dress the ship. Good news for the fans, the computer IVAN installed in the cockpit is stamped just like the fuel cell which can be inserted in the back of the ship.

On the side of the three minifigs provided, this is also a call here to fans of universes featuring space conquest, its ships and its astronauts: Buzz's outfit is sufficiently neutral and generic to be reused just like the accessories supplied including the helmet in two colors usually available in the CITY range. The pad prints are very successful, each of the three characters comes with additional hair and Buzz even benefits from a head with a blue hood and another more classic one. the head with the hood is affected by the usual problem of paleness of the flesh color printed on a blue background, it will have to be satisfied.
If it's the Sox cat that interests you, know that it is also available identically in a cheaper set also available since April 24, the reference 76831 Zurg Battle (261 pieces - €29.99). Darby Steel and Mo Morrison use identical outfits from the helmet to the legs through the torso, there is only the removable breastplate which changes from one character to another.

In short, this set is in my opinion a very nice derivative product which must succeed in seducing both the youngest and the nostalgic adult fans of the range. Classic Space. It's already a lot these days with a product at 50 €. Some fans of Buzz Lightyear in its "usual" form will perhaps be a little disappointed by the somewhat too generic side of the figure delivered in this box and they may prefer to turn to the two other sets already available.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 6th June 2022 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate.

Update : The winner was drawn and notified by email, his nickname is indicated below.