It's time for the VIP preview launch of the LEGO Icons set 10305 Lion Knights'Castle, a very large box of 4514 pieces finally available at the public price of 399.99 €. Everyone will have had plenty of time to get a very precise idea of ​​the content of this set which celebrates the 90th anniversary of the brand, it is now time to decide whether to crack.

Note that if you spend the 399.99 € requested by LEGO for this product, you benefit from the promotional offer currently in progress which allows you to obtain a copy of the set 40567 Forest Hideout offered from 150 € of purchase without restriction of range. This small set is automatically added to the basket as soon as the minimum amount required is reached.

Don't forget to identify yourself on your VIP account in order to be able to take advantage of this preview. The set will be available to all other Shop customers from August 8th.

10305 LION KNIGHTS' CASTLE ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

(The link to the shop redirects to the version of the official shop for your country of connection)

If you are considering purchasing the LEGO Icons set 10497 Galaxy Explorer (99.99 €), be aware that the manufacturer provides instructions for assembling two alternative models also inspired by old products: the references 924 Space Transporter et 918 Space Transport.

The most nostalgic will therefore perhaps make the effort to invest in three boxes to bring together the fleet of ships of their childhood instead of dismantling one to assemble the other. For those wondering, LEGO does not provide the stamped bricks to match the other two models, with the mentions LL 924 and LL 918.

You can download the two instruction files by clicking on the visuals below:

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Icons set 10306 Atari 2600, a large box of 2532 pieces which will be available on the official online store and in LEGO Stores at the retail price of €239.99 from August 1, 2022.

For those who did not know this game console, it is a product launched in 1977 in the USA and which was not marketed in France until 1981. It was then a console which brought into the children's lounge the most cult games available on arcade terminals. LEGO offers us here to assemble the "S" version of this console dating from 1980 with its wood finish and its four switches while the previous version had six of these switches and the next one lost the somewhat kitsch facade .

We're not going to lie to each other, this new console in LEGO version is in my opinion a bit to the NES what the Chevrolet Camaro Z28 is to the Ford Mustang: a little less sexy stooge that will highlight the another construction on the same shelf by playing on the range and collection effect. Although it was the first console for many children, the Atari VCS is not at the level of the NES when it comes to evoking the cross-generational aspect of the product.

I am one of those who had an Atari VCS in their hands in their childhood and yet the three games provided in this box are far from being those that I remember. In my memories, I mainly played Pong, Space Invaders or Pac-Man, but I also remember having quickly abandoned this console whose catalog of games contained hundreds of sloppy and uninteresting titles sold too expensive for my money. poached.

It is moreover the joystick that will have marked me the most in this product, the design of the console itself being simply consistent with the furniture and equipment such as the television or the record player available at the time in my living room and like many of us, I then turned to the Nintendo NES marketed in the 80s.

As for the console of the set 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, LEGO feels here obliged to add something to brighten up a somewhat boring construction process. We are assembling the reproduction of a console whose design is not very exciting and we had to offer something to alternate between the phases of stacking black pieces, setting up Tiles wisely aligned and some more entertaining sequences.

The public price of the product is obviously affected by this "filling" which imposes on us a small storage unit for the three cartridges supplied and three mini-constructions which are intended to offer a 3D representation of the games concerned. I think that many slightly nostalgic fans would have gladly contented themselves with the console, its controller and one or two cartridges to stay under the 200 € mark.

The aesthetics of the product speaks for itself, the assembly of this model is not the ultimate creative challenge and it is only the subassembly which includes the switches, the joystick and the kid's room that bring a bit of fun. It is also the subject that imposes this relative monotony, hard to blame the designer on this point.

With the exception of the frame surrounding the switches and the facade with a very correct wood effect, the console is completely black and there is no escape from the usual technical problem: many parts are scratched, marked or damaged upon unpacking and finish of the object frankly suffers from this lack of care from the manufacturer. The NES escaped the carnage with its gray surface, the Atari VCS will have more difficulty passing for a pretty high-end model depending on the lighting used.

The entrails of the console conceal a small staging of the bedroom of a kid living in the 80s with his boombox, his video cassette, his wall telephone, his CRT television and a few posters on the walls. It's totally cliche but nicely done with a simple mechanism that unfolds the scene when the console cover is pulled forward. Why not even if this subset also contributes to soaring the public price of the product.

The controller is on the other hand very well designed, it is really illusion and the designer has even thought of integrating something to manage the return of the stick to the central position after each manipulation. This level of attention is appreciable, it only depends on a few judiciously chosen and used parts and the result here is worthy of a top-of-the-range product which wants to pay homage to the reference controller. All those who have had an Atari 2600 controller in their hands remember the difficulty in taming the accessory and everyone then had their own technique and way of handling this rustic but terribly effective controller for the time. Too bad for the absence of a reproduction of the paddle which allowed to feast on Pong.

The three cartridges are dressed in huge stickers with a few references to different LEGO universes, they really look like the cartridges that those who have played on this console have manipulated to their heart's content and you would almost believe it without looking too closely . We regret the use of matte plates with their large injection points for the back of the cartridges, it's ugly.

I would have preferred Pitfall, Pac-Man or even Space Invaders to the Centipede, Adventure and Asteroids games, but it will be up to everyone to have an opinion on the selection offered based on their childhood memories. The small cabinet, greedy in parts, becomes obvious because it is there and that we can store the three cartridges there but it is once again a dispensable element which inflates the bill.

The three mini-scenes don't add much to the concept, we won't really know where to put them and I'm not sure that the three games selected deserved this brick-based adaptation. These three constructions have at least the merit of bringing a little fun to the construction process, the idea being to pretend that the game materializes in "real" form out of the cartridge. The assembly of these three modules offers a bit of diversity over the pages, the instruction booklet is intelligently balanced so you never have to get too bored.

I'm not making you a drawing, everything that is not on the three sheets of stickers that I scanned for you (see above) is therefore pad-printed. The console and its controller are fully dressed in pad-printed parts and it's very successful, with the possible exception of a slight, slightly fuzzy border around the text surmounting each of the switches. Note that the two switches on the right return to their initial position thanks to the use of two rubber bands.

Once is not custom, LEGO provides a minifig with this console and the young man is dressed in a nice t-shirt flanked by the Atari brand logo. It's then up to you to customize the figurine so that it looks like you if you intend to stage yourself in the rocking room with green carpet and brown walls.

This set is obviously a niche product for nostalgic forty or fifty-somethings, it's a console that has had a little trouble going through the ages except for a few diligent retrogamers. We can't deny that the Atari 2600 played a major role in the transition between arcade machines and home consoles with the porting of titles that have become cults, but at 240 € the box, it will be necessary to accumulate real memories to want to pay for this step back to build without then being able to play with it.

I am one of those who are in principle the target of this product, but I will still ignore it: there are too many interesting sets to come this year, and choices will have to be made. The Atari 2600 in the LEGO version could have seduced me as it is, but unfortunately it comes out at the same time as other products which leave it no chance and its price positioning does not, in my view, make it a product that could complete a large summer order.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 31, 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.

LEGO today unveils the Icons set 10306 Atari 2600, a large box of 2532 pieces which will be available from August 1, 2022 at the retail price of €239.99. After that of the LEGO Super Mario set 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System Marketed since 2020, this reproduction of the Atari VCS is therefore the second vintage game console to integrate the LEGO catalog.

The manufacturer chose to reproduce the version with four switches launched in 1980 rather than the original version marketed in 1977 which had six. The set intends in passing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Atari, a brand which today has very little to do with what it offered fifty years ago despite the launch last June of a new version of the VCS in the form of a mini-pc carrying a hundred games.

LEGO not only reproduces the console and its controller, the product also makes it possible to assemble three game cartridges (Asteroids, Adventure and Centipede), a storage unit and three mini-scenes from the games concerned presented on their respective bases . The opening of the console cover reveals a staging with a minifig whose torso is flanked by a brand logo.

We will very quickly talk about this box in more detail on the occasion of a "Review ".

LEGO ICONS 10306 ATARI 2600 ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO ICONS set 10304 Chevy Camaro Z28, a box of 1456 pieces which will be available from August 1, 2022 on the official online store and in LEGO Stores at the retail price of €169.99.

The title of the product is sufficiently self-explanatory, so it is a question here of assembling a reproduction of the Chevrolet Camaro Z28 from 1969, a vehicle 36 cm long by 14 cm wide and 10 cm high in its LEGO version, to personalize thanks to the three different sets of bands and the possibility of removing the roof to convert it to a convertible version. It's a little less sexy than the Mustang in the set 10265 Ford Mustang but this Camaro will easily take on the role of second knife on the shelves to highlight the other vehicles that will be lined up there.

LEGO has chosen to decline the machine in black, why not, the manufacturer thus avoids the headache linked to color differences Dark Red (Dark red) which had somewhat ruined the very successful aesthetics of the vehicle in the set 10290 Pickup Truck. But the choice of black also has its drawbacks, mainly because the manufacturer does not take care of all the stages of its production and logistics, we will talk about this below.

No surprise during the beginning of the assembly phase, the chassis of this new vehicle is as usual composed of Technic frames and beams on which we install the floor, the central tunnel and the various elements that will allow you to enjoy integrated management. The set is not lacking in interesting techniques, those who buy these boxes to offer themselves an entertaining editing experience should not be disappointed.

The upholstery seems very successful to me, it contrasts a little with the austere appearance of the exterior and it knows how to be pleasantly noticed when this Camaro is in version Convertible. The doors are mounted on the usual hinges but the designer adds a little extra with an arm that holds them open, the steering is functional, the trunk is empty and the engine compartment is properly laid out with a small, simple assembly that allows to lift the hood without being too disappointed not to find the expected reproduction of the engine there. No moving pistons here, it's not Technic and the engine is dummy.

We welcome the presence in this box of new wheel arches which avoid the two usual half-arches with their rendering not always very appropriate depending on the type of vehicle on which they are used. This new part is successful, it remains discreet and it integrates perfectly with the whole of the bodywork.

The lines and curves are there, you know it's a Camaro from the first glance and I think the designer has nothing to be ashamed of even if the windshield is as often a little too flat, we do not find the curvature present on that of the reference vehicle. This detail is a bit detrimental to the overall aesthetics of the upper part of the model, but we will have to be content with this piece that LEGO must cushion.
The rims and the central caps are well metallic but this is not the case for the bumpers, the door handles and the mirrors and that is a shame. The gray used is somewhat sad and LEGO could have made an effort to metallize these elements, especially at €170 per car.

The model does not escape a sheet of stickers with 18 stickers to put in place on the bodywork and various interior elements. That's a lot for a pure show model whose career will end on a shelf. Moreover, at least one sticker is missing to cover the center of the steering wheel, it's a bit empty as it is. The two striated headlights offered as an alternative to the round version at the front and the two rear lights are stamped, these parts are correctly executed and have their little effect.

I'm not a fan of the two gray glasses used for the mirrors, there was probably better to do, especially on a "serious" model which already makes a lot of compromises with the reference vehicle in terms of curves and finishes. These popsicles seem a little off topic, although I know that some will not fail to salute the ingenuity of whoever thought of this piece to embody the two mirrors of this Camaro.

On the form, we can therefore say that it is generally rather successful even if this Camaro is not flamboyant. Basically, it's much less obvious. The black parts are all more or less affected by surface defects with scratches, tenons visible by transparency and various and varied traces which will be more or less noticeable depending on the lighting used. Choosing a black livery was probably only a choice out of spite, the result is not very flattering for a high-end model sold for 170 € and I would gladly exchange this pile of black parts for a batch in Dark Red, too bad for color differences.

The two panes are simply thrown into the bags and they are therefore more or less damaged upon unpacking. It's full cardboard in the copy I received with two beautiful scratches. One could have imagined that LEGO would continue to protect these large elements with an additional piece of plastic as was the case in the sets 10300 Back to the Future Time Machine et 75341 Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder but that's not the case in this box.

The promised functionality which should in principle make it possible to choose between three sets of colored strips and combined with the hard top or convertible version is there but it is frankly laborious: To switch from one version to another you have to disassemble from memory certain elements and then follow the instructions from the page concerned. As well choose the version that suits you from the start, this product is "transformable" but it is not a question of simply exchanging a few Tiles to obtain the expected result as the official visual that shows the vehicle with its color variants already assembled suggests. LEGO could have supplied the extra parts needed to have these pre-assembled items on hand and only need to swap out a few blocks of parts.

To conclude, I think this product is acceptable but it will probably not make an impression. It's just one more American vehicle in the LEGO inventory that will expand a collection and highlight the other more iconic models it will accompany. Finally, be aware that the era of vehicles in the Creator Expert range sold for €140 is now over, the new pricing announced by LEGO applies to this product and you will have to pay €169.99 to afford this black Camaro.

And yes, I mixed the colors on the cover, I do what I want, you can do the same.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at July 26, 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.