LEGO today unveils the LEGO ICONS set 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade, a box of 2651 pieces under the official Bandai Namco license which will be available as a VIP preview on the online store and in LEGO Stores at the public price of €269.99 from June 1, 2023. The date of the announcement of this derivative product owes nothing to chance, the arcade terminal in question here was launched on May 22, 1980 in Japan.

It is therefore a question of assembling a reduced-scale reproduction of the famous arcade cabinet, without its booster seat, with a construction that measures 32 cm high, 25 cm wide and 17 cm deep on arrival. As with other products derived from game consoles, the sets 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System et 10306 Atari 2600, this version of Pac-Man is obviously not playable and it will be necessary to be satisfied with a crank which sets in motion the various protagonists present on the screen of the terminal. A luminous brick is placed at the level of the coin mechanism and a small vignette with a minifig is placed in the bowels of the terminal.

10323 PAC-MAN ARCADE MACHINE ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

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Let's pretend there's no rumor announcing a future set from the LEGO ICONS range featuring a vintage Pac-Man arcade terminal and marvel at the teaser below which logically announces a collaboration between the manufacturer and Bandai Namco.

We then return to the rumor circulating since last March and which announces a box bearing the reference 10323 containing more than 2600 parts which should in principle make it possible to reproduce the famous arcade terminal of the 80s on a necessarily more modest scale than the real one given the reduced inventory.

The announcement of this product which will soon join the sets 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System et 10306 Atari 2600 on the shelves of retrogaming enthusiasts is imminent judging by the release of the short teaser below.

Forward for the launch of a large handful of new products on the official online store, including the effective availability of the three sets based on the Indiana Jones license.

As usual, it's up to you to see whether to crack without waiting by paying the full price for these boxes or whether to show a little patience and wait for the inevitable reductions that will be offered in the boxes. weeks and months to come at Amazon, on FNAC.com and at a few other resellers.

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Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10317 Classic Land Rover Defender 90, a box of 2336 pieces which will be available as a VIP preview from April 1, 2023 at the retail price of €239.99. You already know it since you follow, Land Rover is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and it was therefore an opportunity to collaborate with LEGO to pay tribute to one of the legendary models of the brand. The choice fell on the Defender in version 90, a vehicle marketed between 1983 and 2016.

This product will allow its buyers to assemble three versions to choose from: a version with a V8 engine and its flat bonnet, a five-cylinder Turbo Diesel version and its domed bonnet and an "Expedition" version which makes use of all accessories provided. The necessary modifications are documented in the instruction booklet which, after assembling the structure common to the three vehicles, allows you to go directly to the next section according to your preferences. Going back from one to the other later will be a little more laborious, you will have to play the game of the seven differences a little.

If the two motors supplied are interchangeable without having to disassemble anything, this is not the case for the front cover and its support, which will have to be modified to integrate the curved area. Some parts also come to block the spaces left on the bodywork to fix the luggage rack there, they will have to be removed to switch to "Expedition" mode. The over-equipped version seems visually coherent to me, but that's a little less the case with the two standard versions: the Defender then seems to me aesthetically a little too high on its suspensions.

Everyone will agree, the subject treated lends itself rather well to an interpretation based on LEGO bricks. The Defender is a "cube", so the LEGO version is inevitably stunningly realistic except for a few aesthetic shortcuts. The lines are there, the new wheel arches are very appropriate and the angles linked to the use of certain parts are not chosen here out of spite, as is sometimes the case on other models.

This Land Rover Defender of 32 cm long by 16 cm wide and 16 cm high is here delivered in a color Sand Green, a choice that may seem relevant, this color being close to the idea that we have of this vehicle when it is mentioned. But regulars of this color at LEGO know that it often involves rather unsightly color variations and this is once again the case here, especially at the level of the doors. The visible junction between the pieces already breaks the uniformity of the flat surfaces, but it makes sense since these are LEGO bricks, and these color differences only reinforce this effect.

As far as I'm concerned, I would have preferred a Camel Trophy version of this Land Rover, the over-equipped version of the vehicle would in my opinion have been more credible and more attractive for all those like me who only knew the Defender in their youth. with its ocher color and stickers on the doors. Especially with the two sand removal plates provided which obviously evoke the rally-raid and the desert.

This vehicle from the ICONS range, or Creator Expert for those who knew this defunct label at LEGO, is an almost surprising mix of classic parts and many elements drawn from the Technic universe. These allow to obtain some notable refinements such as a functional steering, a playable winch as well as a complete set of suspensions. This last technical detail is significant on a show model which in principle is not intended to do too much under its bodywork apart from a few openings and simple moving parts, especially for an all-terrain vehicle.

We therefore obtain here a real top-of-the-range toy that it will be possible to evolve in rough terrain to measure the effectiveness of the four integrated suspensions. Be careful all the same when handling, some sections are just simple stacks of slightly fragile bricks, exhibition model stamped 18+ obliges.

In the standard version of the Defender, the hard-top is easily removable to allow access to the interior of the vehicle, the layout of which is very neat. It will be a little more laborious with the "Expedition" version. The upholstery is well executed and the cockpit, on the right, then becomes accessible to easily manipulate the steering via the steering wheel, it's always easier than sliding two fingers through the door to have fun with the integrated steering.

LEGO provides two small stamped Land Rover logos but everything else including the model name placed on the front of the bonnet is based on stickers. The two stickers to be aligned carefully to get the correct spacing between the letters E and N add an extra color gap to the vehicle, it's a bit of a shame.

Do not expect protected glazing to minimize potential scratches, LEGO seems to have definitively abandoned the good idea of ​​the individual protective sheet present in the sets 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine et 75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder. Besides, in my opinion, LEGO misses the opportunity to create a totally flat windshield like on the reference vehicle and is content to deliver the usual glazing with its rounded edges flanked by two stickers to break the curve of the item delivered. The result is a little disappointing but we will have to deal with it.

The slew of accessories delivered in this box is interesting with a jack, a tool box, a fire extinguisher and two jerrycans whose finish is very neat even if they seem a little oversized. All these elements can be hung on the vehicle, they bring a welcome touch of color but they also contribute to inflate the inventory of the set and therefore its public price.

I'm not sure that it was absolutely necessary to hang a shovel and a pickaxe on the hood as well as two other tools on the sides of the vehicle, but the adventurer atmosphere of the machine is only reinforced even if the bodywork disappears a little more under this abundance of additional elements. Those considering doing something else with the wheels of this Defender will have on hand here not four but six pretty rims and the tires to match.

Finally, I think this vintage-looking Land Rover Defender is a nice surprise despite its flaws. It may seem a little redundant with the larger one, 42 cm long by 20 cm wide and 22 cm high, from the Technic range set. 42110 Land Rover Defender released in 2019, but it should find its audience among anyone who has ever used this vehicle or who simply wants to expand their collection of LEGO cars by incorporating this off-road machine that has become a classic.

Too bad for the color chosen and the associated aesthetic defects, I will skip it because the only version that immediately comes to mind is that of the Camel Trophy.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at March 30, 2023 next at 23:59 p.m. Just post a comment under the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. 

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

LEGO today unveils the ICONS set 10317 Classic Land Rover Defender 90, a box of 2336 pieces which will be available as a VIP preview from April 1st at the retail price of €239.99. The Land Rover brand is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year and it is therefore an opportunity for LEGO to offer us a "classic" version of the Defender after that of the set from the Technic range. 42110 Land Rover Defender marketed in 2019. Exit the olive green, we go to the Sand green.

The 32 cm long and 16 cm wide vehicle has a few refinements: steering, suspensions, functional bonnet and doors, two different engines to assemble the version that suits you the most, three front bonnet variants, a winch, two additional tires and a roof rack capable of accommodating the slew of accessories provided.

We will talk more about the contents of this box in the coming days.

10317 CLASSIC LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90 ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

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