Without transition, today we take a quick look at one of the five new boxes in the Ninjago range that will be available from March 1: the reference 71748 Sea Battle Catamaran (780 - € 74.99).

The last trailer dated the special episode "The unknown island" had allowed us to see the contents of this box in action and there is something here to have fun with two floating craft accompanied by six characters. You already know that the LEGO Ninjago range is not one of the ones I particularly like or collect, but LEGO kindly offered me to take a tour of the novelties of March 2021 and so it was the opportunity for me to return to a world that my children put aside for a few years after having accumulated many boxes in their toy boxes.

The set offers plenty of fun without having to go back to the cash register and that's already great news. The contents of the box invite to embark on a nautical pursuit between nice ninjas and colorful villains under the orders of Chief Mammatus. The two catamarans are quickly assembled but they seem to me sufficiently detailed to mark on the one hand the techno-futuristic aspect of the machines usually piloted by the young ninjas and on the other the tribal / artisanal side of the boat of the villains of the season to come.

The functions integrated into the two machines are limited: that of Kai can vaguely deploy to go into attack mode while that of the "Guardians" has two detachable side modules to vary the situations and a retractable jaw which allows to ram the enemy machine.

The two boats are also equipped with coin-throwing devices: two Stud Shooters on one of the floats and two Spring-shooters on the central structure for the Chief Mammatus catamaran and two Spring-Shooters for that of Kai. The wicked catamaran also has a cell to lock up a young ninja by folding the bones onto the figurine. Nothing crazy, but that's always taken for those who want to have a little fun.

Each of the two boats is equipped with a fabric sail which in my opinion will have a little trouble withstanding the onslaught of the younger ones. the accessory creases, tears and gets dirty easily and I would have preferred a washable and stronger flexible plastic sail. The impressions on these two sails are very successful, and their presence really gives volume and presence to the two boats.

There are a few stickers to stick on to dress the two machines and the youngest will probably have to get help to put those which decorate the curved nose of the Guardians catamaran. The other stickers are easier to stick and the two boats also benefit from these nice graphic details.

The assortment in minifigs is very balanced here and the tribe of the "Guardians" is really very successful with high-level pad printing and accessories with exemplary finish. The level of detail on the torso, legs, mask and shield is impressive and flawless.

Le Thunder keeper and Rumble keeper use identical torsos and legs, but the heads are unique. We find all the members of the colorful tribe in other sets of the range, they are not exclusive to this box which is however the only one to bring together the three figurines.

As for the young ninjas, the three characters delivered in this box, Jay, Kai and Zane are in an "Island" version and LEGO does not skimp on the pad printing. They set off in search of Misako, Wu and Clutch Powers, all three missing on the Unknown Island, and their outfits are logically embellished with tactical equipment.

In short, the LEGO Ninjago range rarely rests on its laurels and designers generally know how to maintain the interest of long-time fans by offering ever more original products. This box offers a rather successful content which should appeal to both those who are new to this universe and those who are faithful to this range since 2011. It's original, it's playable and the minifigs are really successful. What more could you ask for apart from perhaps a more contained price?

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 1er March 2021 next at 23pm. "The" I try, I participate "are automatically deleted, make an effort.

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.

Some products of the new interactive LEGO VIDIYO range are already available across the Atlantic and today we are discovering some visuals of six of the announced boxes and minifigs sold at retail.

I'm not remaking you the pitch of this range developed in partnership with Universal Music which combines plastic bricks, musical experience and augmented reality, we all understood when the concept was officially announced that it is simply a fun activity for children within an ecosystem for sharing secure and moderated content by LEGO.

For those who would like to recover a few crazy looking minifigs or several of the 16 "Beatbits" delivered in each box, you will have to pay 19.99 € per set and 4.99 € per "Bandmates" (Werewolf Drummer, Shark Singer, Samurapper, Red Panda Dancer, Alien Keytarist, Genie Dancer, Discowboy, DJ Cheetah, Cotton Candy Cheerleader, Bunny Dancer, Banshee Singer, Ice Cream Saxophonist), additional products to obtain additional minifigs and "Beatbits".

The application which allows to realize the small musical clips promised with the effects generated by the "Beatbits" is available in Android version (Android 8.0 and +) et in iOS version (iOS 12.1 and +).

It's still in season and it's especially an opportunity for all those who missed it to pick up this little set: LEGO is once again bringing out the 2020 end-of-year promotional offer and the set. 40416 Ice Skating Rink (304 pieces) is again offered from 150 € / 165 CHF of purchase and without restriction of range. This offer is in theory valid until February 21, 2021 or while there is stock, and it looks like there is ... Offer only valid online.

For those who have a LEGO Store near them (a real one, not a Certified Store): the LEGO Ninjago polybag 30539 Lloyd's Quad Bike (39) is offered until February 21 and from 40 € purchase of products from the LEGO Ninjago range in the LEGO Store only.

DIRECT ACCESS TO THE OFFER ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

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

Today we quickly tour the LEGO Star Wars set 75302 Imperial Shuttle, a box of 660 pieces which will be on sale at the public price of 84.99 € from March 1st and which will finally take over from the previous version of the shuttle marketed in 2015 in the set 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium (937 - € 99.99).

Even if the comparison with the previous interpretation is inevitable for many collectors, it is advisable to put this new set in the current context of the LEGO Star Wars range: LEGO has been offering since January simplified and a priori more accessible versions of the great classics of the Star Wars universe: sets 75301 Luke Skywalker X-wing Fighter (474 - 49.99 €) and 75300 Imperial Tie Fighter (432 - 39.99 €) marketed since the beginning of the year are perfect examples of this simplification with their reduced number of pieces and a low retail price which makes them more affordable for many young fans keen to build up a collection. The manufacturer's bias appears a little less obvious with this new box of 660 pieces which will be offered at the public price of 84.99 €, barely 15 euros less than the previous version.

The first visuals that had leaked on social networks suggested a rather successful version of the shuttle. We then discovered the packaging of the product with its photos with carefully designed angles to hide any weaknesses of the model. Putting the set online at the beginning of February on the official online store then allowed us to better observe the construction as a whole and to give us a clearer opinion. The assembly of the product confirms the few aesthetic compromises which will undoubtedly disappoint those who waited for a shuttle with an irreproachable finish.

With only 650 pieces, there are bound to be shortcuts and even if this LEGO version of the shuttle looks like the benchmark ship overall, it also accumulates approximations. The lower part of the cockpit, for example, lacks finishing and the black protuberance here is totally irrelevant. It reinforces the impression of having only a half-cockpit with its plunging nose which only deludes when looking at the shuttle from above.

Both wings would also have deserved a little more attention with even partial coverage in Tiles to double their thickness and match them to the center fin and the body of the ship totally smooth except for the few studs visible in the cockpit. Another revealing detail of this passage to the wringer: the landing gears are summarized here in their simplest form just like the interior of the cockpit. No stickers in this box, the only piece with a pattern is pad printed. Perhaps a grid effect is missing on the nose of the ship, it was enough to take the pattern of the part placed under the central fin. For those wondering, there is no deployable access ramp under the shuttle.

This product is mainly a toy for children and so it was necessary to think of those who will have fun with this shuttle. The upper cockpit hull tilts forward and the interior of the vessel is accessed by lifting the center fin which is held by a relatively inconspicuous latch. It's simple, it does not penalize the general aesthetics and these two features offer a certain playability to the product. Even if the cockpit can only accommodate one minifigure, the three characters provided can therefore take place in the shuttle, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader having "seats" in the back.

LEGO has nothing planned for those who would like to exhibit the shuttle with the wings spread, it will be necessary to DIY a support. I simply stacked a few bricks for the photos and by finding the point of balance it is possible to place the ship on a simple rod. Too bad that LEGO does not offer an integrated solution in the set. Even if it is a simple toy, it would be interesting to have a base to allow it to be stored on a shelf in its most interesting configuration and about fifteen pieces are enough here to achieve the desired effect.

On the side of the three minifigs provided, we find a mixture of parts present for many years in the LEGO Star Wars range and more recent elements: The torso and the head of Luke Skywalker are parts already seen for the first in 2015 in the and 75093 Death Star Final Duel then delivered in several boxes. The torso of the imperial pilot is a new reference to the minimalist pad printing on legs present in the Star Wars range since 2014. The character's head also dates from 2014 and the cap made its first appearance in 2016.

Darth Vader's minifigure uses elements already seen in the sets 75291 Death Star Final Duel et 75294 Bespin Duel but without the arms with the pad-printed shoulders. Note that the legs used here are also those of the festive version seen in the LEGO Star Wars 2020 Advent calendar.

To put it simply, LEGO continues to decline the iconic ships of the Star Wars range in frankly simplified versions which should in principle be more affordable. Unfortunately, this is not really the case here with a public price that seems too high for a slightly minimalist product that ignores several aesthetic details and the few finishing touches that would have made it possible to make a model. more faithful to the reference vessel. So we end up with a simple children's toy that is a little too expensive for what it has to offer.

Sooner or later this box will necessarily end up on sale somewhere, so you have to be patient to pay for it at the right price. Those looking for a slightly more accomplished version of this Imperial Shuttle can always turn to the aftermarket where the set 75094 Imperial Shuttle Tydirium from 2015 is trading new at around € 140.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 28th February 2021 next at 23pm. "The" I try, I participate "are automatically deleted, make an effort.

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.