Today we quickly tour the LEGO Marvel Avengers set 76153 Helicarrier (1244 pieces - 129.99 €), a box vaguely inspired by the Marvel's Avengers video game (Square Enix) which has been on the market since June 2020.

This is not the first LEGO version of the Helicarrier: in 2015, the manufacturer indeed offered an interpretation of the machine intended for the exhibition with the set. 76042 The SHIELD Helicarrier (2996 pieces - 349.99 €). This new version is much less ambitious, but also less expensive, and this time it is a playset intended for the youngest fans of the Marvel universe.

The idea of ​​offering a playable and affordable version of the Avengers headquarters is not bad, but its execution leaves me a little dubious here. The designers have however tried to integrate different functionalities which reinforce the playability of the product while trying to respect the aesthetic codes which allow to recognize the machine at first glance.

The whole thing could have almost convinced if a major detail had not been sloppy: the four propellers which allow the Helicarrier to fly and stabilize in the air are simply added above the fairings which in principle serve to them. frame and protect them.

However, there is a very rational explanation for this somewhat dubious aesthetic choice: The integration of the various mobile propellers in a frame entailed the risk for the youngest of getting their fingers caught or their hair caught in the mechanism and deporting them. above the side extensions eliminates this risk.

Seen from the outside, one could imagine that this Helicarrier offers many accessible and possibly playable interior spaces. This is not the case, only the cockpit placed at the front allows three characters to be installed in their respective seats and there is a large cell at the rear intended to accommodate the large MODOK figurine. The rest of the fuselage is filled with axles and gears held by Technic elements in the service of the rotation of the four propellers when the Helicarrier rolls on the ground.

The missile launcher placed in the center of the machine is a novelty for 2020 also delivered in the Spider-Man sets 76151 Venomosaurus Ambush and Ninjago 71703 Storm Fighter Battle, just like the arrow with its rubber tip which is a variant of the usual version. The possibilities of integrating this new element are really better than those offered by the gun Technic classic (ref. 6064131) often used until now.

With a Helicarrier version microfighter luxury, you also needed at least a matching Quinjet. And the version delivered here does not have much of a Quinjet as we know it, but the small ship remains playable with its cockpit which can accommodate a minifig and its rotating coin launcher placed in the front. It is also easier to install a character at the controls of this micro ship than to try to fit three miniatures in the very deep helicarrier cockpit accessible only through the very narrow hatch placed at the front. .

For those who were wondering what the 18 yellow parts seen grouped next to the craft on the official product visuals are for, they take place under the fuselage to prevent the Helicarrier from rolling and falling off the shelf on which it is. is stored or displayed.

This 1200-piece Helicarrier therefore vaguely resembles the machine seen on the screen and in the video game, but the size / functionality / playable space ratio is definitely not to its advantage. Note that all the stickers provided in this box are on a transparent background which allows to remain in line with the background color of the parts on which these different stickers are placed at the cost of a few bubbles or white burrs on the largest of them .

The figurine endowment here is rather substantial with a total of 8 characters, some of which are also available in other boxes marketed this year.

We assemble a large MODOK figurine which takes over from the version seen in 2014 in the set 76018 Avengers: Hulk Lab Smash. This new version of the leader of the AIM is in my opinion more interesting than the pseudo-minifig with the big head with its somewhat ridiculous seat proposed in 2014. The construction fits perfectly in the cell placed at the back of the Helicarrier, it is planned for that.

The Black Widow minifigure is not exclusive to this box, it also appears in the set 76166 Avengers Tower Battle and in the minifig pack 40418 Falcon & Black Widow Team-Up. I'm not really convinced by Harry Potter wands plugged into lightsaber handles, but why not.

The versions of Thor and Agent of AIM delivered in this box are identical to those seen earlier this year in the set. 76142 Avengers Speeder Bike Attack. Nick Fury's minifig could have been brand new, but LEGO didn't make the effort and it is simply the one seen in 2019 in the set 76130 Stark Jet and the Drone Attack.

Captain Marvel's minifigure is the one seen this year in the set 76152 Avengers: Wrath of Loki and Tony Stark's minifigure comes in a big handful of new 2020 releases.

We still have War Machine, delivered here in an unprecedented configuration with back-mounted equipment flanked by pad printed parts already seen in 2019 in the set 75893 Speed ​​Champions Dodge Challenger SRT Demon & 1970 Dodge Charger R / T. Well done for the three stacked roller skates that make a very believable missile launcher. The character's head with its red HUD is that of the set 76124 War Machine Buster (2019)

Knowing that the Helicarrier is an iconic machine in the Avengers universe, I think this new version at least has the merit of making it accessible to younger fans. The machine is solid, easy to handle and the narrow cockpit remains easily accessible to small hands.

Everything is not perfect in this set with a very rough aesthetic and few really playable interior spaces but there is plenty of fun with the beautiful assortment of characters provided and we already find this box less than 90 € at amazon in Germany. Collectors wishing to afford a more successful Helicarrier will wait for a hypothetical reissue of the 2015 version, but children will be happy to settle for this more affordable compromise.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 25, 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 go around another set "for stressed adult clients"of the moment: the LEGO Ideas reference 21323 Grand Piano with its 3662 pieces and its public price of 349.99 €.

I believe that we must immediately evacuate the main problem of the set to be comfortable thereafter and not to give the impression of drowning a troublesome detail in the rest of the test: Contrary to what is indicated at the whole start of official product description (... Beautiful ... and you can really play it ...), you can't play the piano with this piano. In defense for LEGO, one finds elsewhere the mention "... Pretend to play by selecting a melody already recorded ..."which helps calm the most optimistic.

I know many overwhelmingly enthusiastic fans reacted a bit quickly to the product announcement by shouting at the creative genius about this box, only to realize that the instrument isn't really functional. The presence of an engine and a few moving parts does not make it a piano on which you can play your own compositions. This is a simple music box, which does not emit any sound without the presence of a smartphone.

If I take the trouble to tell you all this at the beginning of the article, it's because I know that others will only make one line at the end of their "review", after having praised a product who certainly has qualities but who is not what many imagined he would be.

Now that we agree that this piano is just a beautiful decorative item with an overlay that allows it to become a vaguely interactive luxury toy, we can talk about this box knowing what we get after spending ten hours assembling the 3662 parts in the inventory.

I chose to put on gloves to assemble this set in order to offer you some photos without the inevitable fingerprints on the entire black body of the piano. I do not regret having done it and I can only advise you to do the same, the construction loses enough of its cachet with the multiple stripes, the differences in color between the different more or less black parts, the dots of injection which remain visible and some parts which tend to "curl" a little without adding a complete collection of fingerprints.

Those who have never approached a piano in their life will have the opportunity here to discover a simplified but credible version of the mechanism of the instrument with its hammers at the end of the keys, its strings, its soundboard and its strong pedal. which lifts the choke block. The buildable piano in this box is also an instrument with the features available on the real versions with a two-part hinged cover, a movable sheet music stand and a cover to cover the keyboard.

From the start we install the three elements of the ecosystem PoweredUp, le Smart Hub, the motor and the sensor, which will give life to this piano by setting in particular the camshaft which will move the keys during the automatic playback of a musical track. Access to Smart Hub is done through a door placed on the side of the piano body which allows the element to be turned on or off and removed to change the batteries without having to disassemble anything.

At this stage of the assembly, we are not really bored despite the few sub-assemblies that must already be reproduced in several copies. It is when it comes to mounting the piano keyboard that the repetitiveness of the sequences quickly becomes boring. It's hard to blame the designer, you have to assemble the 25-key keyboard at one point or another. It might have been interesting to distribute the assembly sequences of the three keyboard modules over the entire assembly phase to dilute the repetitive side a little instead of having to string them together after having already spent half a dozen days. 'hours on the record.

The level of finish of the model is sawtooth. The keyboard cover is adorned with a pretty pad-printed piece of a vintage version of the brand's logo that fits perfectly with the technique used by different manufacturers to identify their instruments. The large cover of the instrument is for its part the sub-assembly which really reveals the most annoying aesthetic defects which I mentioned to you above. Under the light, this large black surface gives pride of place to stripes and color variations.

With the last of the 21 bags in the set, we also assemble a pretty little stool whose seat is adjustable in height via a mechanism using an endless screw, just to have a successful exhibition product. The final touch is a pad printed score of a piece composed by Donny Chen, the piano teacher who proposed the LEGO project from which this box is inspired. It takes place on the support provided for this purpose which will also accommodate the essential smartphone used to take advantage of the various functions integrated into the product.

Visually, nothing to say, it is very successful and we get a nice grand piano a little more compact and with the body a little higher than on a "real" version of the instrument, but everything is there with the possibility to present it open or closed and to leave the keyboard visible or not. We just regret the few red pins that remain visible at the level of the pedals and feet, LEGO obviously having difficulty in standardizing the appearance of certain products without insisting on the "construction toy" side.

We will have fun for a few moments watching the hammers bang on the golden rods that embody the strings of the piano and I must admit that the internal mechanism has its small effect, even without using the application. Powered Up. The set remains a toy made from LEGO bricks and it is not uncommon to see a key jam. Nothing serious, but it is not a model adjusted to the millimeter.

I see some who will not fail to note that the retail price of the product could have been more reasonable if LEGO had chosen to make the "interactive" overlay of the product optional. Why not, but I remain convinced that LEGO wants to modernize the image of its products a little to find its place in a market that gives pride of place to digital and / or interactive products and an instrument that does not make music right out of the box. and without going back to the cash register, it's still a toy from another era.

Here, the piano plays music, but it plays by itself and it is not able to reproduce a single note without the presence of the speaker of a smartphone or tablet. You have two options: listen to the piano play a few notes while watching the keys move on their own or pretend to be the one playing the audio track selected in the application by pressing the keys. The selection offered is not top-notch and I don't know if LEGO has plans to flesh it out with other pieces. As it stands, you have to be content with a dozen audio tracks to listen to, including "Happy Birthday to You"And"We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Okay.

When you pretend to play, you can actually press any key on the keyboard, the application will play the next note of the chosen score in any case. You therefore only influence the speed of execution of the sequence. The level of interactivity is very relative on arrival and you quickly get tired of pretending to take yourself for a pianist by "playing" one of the five tracks on offer including the two popular themes mentioned above with the great classic "as a bonus"Jingle Bells ":

More annoying: The mechanism of the instrument is really noisy, and you have to turn up the sound of the smartphone to try to cover the click of the keys which itself barely covers the sound of the motor. One would expect with a toy made from plastic bricks, but the hubbub generated by the keyboard really contrasts with the model's refined look.

All that for that and I am tempted to conclude that for 350 €, it is really poor. But this luxury fan music box who has the means and the desire to exhibit a beautiful instrument in his living room or his office still has some assets that will allow him to find his audience, even if it is a niche product that targets a specific clientele.

The set offers a good dozen hours of assembly with certainly repetitive steps but also some very interesting techniques to obtain the smooth and curved surfaces of the piano body and a very successful internal mechanism despite the presence of a little play in the keyboard and keys that sometimes get stuck.

As for the console of the set 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, this set is a product that is not intended to appeal to all LEGO fans and so it's up to you to see if you really need a brick piano on your shelves, depending on your affinities with the instrument or your conservatory memories.

We may regret that such a high-end product suffers from the same faults as more affordable LEGO sets in terms of finish and quality of the parts, it is time for the manufacturer to seriously look into the standardization of the colors of certain categories of products. parts and on the packaging of its products which favors the appearance of scratches on many elements.

The overlay of interactivity could almost have been convincing if it were not satisfied with some uninteresting music, as if LEGO were betting on the fact that the buyers of this set will only use it to wish a happy birthday or a merry Christmas. to someone...

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 22, 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.

It's time to do a little promotion for the LEGO Stores which are currently offering the small LEGO Super Mario promotional set until August 16. 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set for any purchase of the starter pack 71360 Adventures with Mario sold for € 59.99.

This little set does not offer anything exceptional or exclusive, but when we see the prices charged for the other expansions of this board game, we are not going to complain about getting a free product that adds some fun possibilities to the game. starter pack.

This 163-piece box also offers a little more interactivity than some of the paid expansions currently sold with a progression that allows you to rock the Stone-Eye seen in the New Super Mario Bros. game. U Deluxe to a mobile platform that ejects the Topi Taupe from its burrow. As usual, you have to hit hard to achieve the desired effect and make the mole fly away.

As with the other extensions of the LEGO Super Mario concept, the instructions for this set are only available through the dedicated application and this level is only an extension delivered without the start and finish stickers necessary to fully enjoy the product .

This small box will eventually allow some of those who want to keep only the different characters and accessories of the range to save some money: The Topi Taupe (or Monty Mole for purists) is also delivered in the set 71363 Desert Pokey sold for 19.99 €, the Super Mushroom is in the set 71366 Boomer Bill Dam sold for € 29.99 and the POW action brick is in the set 71362 Guarded Fortress sold for € 49.99.

I think it is no longer necessary to clarify that the Mario figure is not provided in these expansions, it is only available in the starter pack 71360 Adventures with Mario sold for € 59.99.

The offer that grants this small expansion is only available in the LEGO Stores, but anyone who pre-ordered the Starter Pack when it went live on the Official Store also got it. Too bad for the others.

LEGO having sent two copies of this box to all the blogs of the planet to ensure the promotion of the offer, I put them as usual with a deadline of participation fixed at August 16, 2020 to 23 p.m.

(Special thanks GeekMe3 for the LEGO Store photo)

Update : The winners have been drawn and have been notified by email, their nicknames are indicated below. Without a response from them to my request for contact details within 5 days, new winners will be drawn.

Today we make a detour to the LEGO Star Wars range with the set 75284 Knights of Ren Transport Ship, a box of 595 pieces freely inspired by the film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and sold for € 69.99.

I think the ship to be built here can be categorized as dispensable gear because they only make a few very stealthy appearances on screen, with two scenes that I remember: a rear view of the Night Buzzard in it. space and a plan on the side of the ship when the six extras who occupy it go to Pasaana.

The stealth of these appearances undoubtedly partially explains why LEGO did not really bother to offer us anything other than a version. Mega Microfighter of this vessel and it is the presence of minifigs and the resulting scale problem that will make this reproduction a little ridiculous in the eyes of some.

You will not spend long hours building this ship of about thirty centimeters long, the internal structure based on Technic beams, the (empty) shell that is attached to it and the few sub-assemblies that bring a little detail are assembled very quickly. There is no interior layout, but LEGO provides us with three large skids which act as landing gear. These three skis assure us "realistic flight effect"according to the official description of the set. Of which act.

The outer appearance of the ship is in my opinion overall very satisfactory considering the scale of the model and the side Chibi of the thing is not too much noticeable as long as one keeps the three minifigs provided apart. When it comes to trying to combine the ship with the characters, you have to settle for two narrow firing stations and a slightly more spacious compartment for "lock up Rey after his capture"... And so this is where the side microfighter overpriced is fully expressed.

Taken separately, I find the ship to be quite successful and the scale of the model ultimately doesn't bother me that much. It's easily displayed alongside a UCS Star Destroyer and I didn't have an overwhelming desire to know what might have been inside anyway. The angles of the cabin are correct, the level of detail is acceptable and the rear engines do the job. Anyway, quibbling over the aesthetic shortcuts used to design the ship with the scale used here is a waste of time.

The two missile launchers ensuring the playability quota of the product are relatively well integrated under the side panels of the cabin and they could possibly be removed if their presence reminds you a little too much that this is a children's toy.

I readily understand the disappointment of those who hoped to one day obtain a Night Buzzard sufficiently detailed and spacious to be able to accommodate the fine team in full, but I prefer to have to pay only 70 € instead of two or three times more for a vessel which in the end does not deserve as much consideration as other more emblematic machines from the Star Wars saga. Too bad for Cardo's bedroom, Trudgen's closet, Vicrul's bathroom or Kuruk's cockpit.

Three minifigs are provided in this box: Rey Palpatine (she had not yet adopted herself at this point in the film), Cardo and Kuruk. Rey's minifigure is the one already seen in the set 75250 Pasaana Speeder Chase (2019). It's hard to blame LEGO for delivering this version to us again, it's fitting with the film, even if a new variant with some traces of dust on the tunic would have made it possible to fill our Ribba frames a little more.

In the end, we are left with what the majority of fans will invest in this box: the two members of the troop of extras that we missed so far to be able to sleep at night. Cardo and Kuruk finally come to join their four friends distributed by the geniuses of marketing in other sets marketed previously: Trudgen (75272 Sith TIE Fighter), Vicrul (75273 Poe Dameron's X-Wing Fighter), Ap'Lek and Ushar (75256 Kylo Ren's Shuttle).

The costumes of these two new neutral-headed knights still seem to come out of a broke B-series that aired on SyFy, but they are rather faithful to the versions seen on screen. Cardo has his welder's mask and his grenades stuck under the mention and Kuruk wears his famous pilot's helmet of the Night Buzzard with his blinders which, as everyone knows, are very practical for driving.

The weaponry based on classic parts provided is correct, we will be satisfied with the lack of even more faithful molded accessories. The pad prints are impeccable and faithful to the outfits of the film which did not shine anyway by their originality. The "space rags" aspect is there, it is essential.

In short, it will be necessary to do with this version microfighter Night Buzzard until the renewal cycle of the LEGO Star Wars range may one day allow us to be entitled to a more substantial version of the ship.

The marketing aces at LEGO know that today's kids who have discovered The Rise of Skywalker at the cinema and who only have their pocket money to give are also the adults of tomorrow who will be able to afford a 200 or 250 € version of the ship.

So I think we will one day have a more detailed version of the Night Buzzard with closets, a bedroom and a cockpit. In the meantime, we will be content with this somewhat basic model but more affordable than a luxury playset.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 18, 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.

Let's talk one last time about the LEGO Super Mario set 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, a box available since August 1st on which almost everything has already been said and which at least had the merit of leaving almost no one indifferent: tribute to a legendary console for some, a simple model too expensive for others, this reproduction of the NES accompanied by its vintage television is a product aimed at a very specific audience and it is logical that many LEGO fans remain unmoved in front of this large box of 2646 pieces sold for 230 €.

We could discuss the interest of spending 230 € on a simple model of a console still available on the secondary market for around sixty euros: The NES is not a product that has permanently disappeared from the surface of the globe since its launch in 1987 and those who want to take a slice of nostalgia can still do so without breaking the bank. In 2016, Nintendo even offered a miniature version of the console with around thirty games. So you have to be both a very nostalgic player and a fan of LEGO to consider buying this set, belonging to only one of these two categories will probably not be enough.

I think that LEGO could have been content to offer us a simple model of the NES with two controllers and a cartridge for 80 or 90 €. Many would have been satisfied with it, just to have on hand an almost affordable object to display which could occasionally be used to try to trap some friends by trying to make them believe that this NES is not just a simple one. pile of bricks.

But LEGO chose to add a vintage television with a functionality a little less anecdotal than the mechanism of the console. Each of the two constructions in the set is presented separately with its own instruction booklet and there is no interaction between the console and the TV, the two elements are not even connected to each other by a false AV or Scart cable.

The TV to build here is also a bit anachronistic, I remember the time when I played on NES and the TV on which I was wearing my eyes was a little less vintage than this one which seems rather dated from the 60s. It's almost a shame, I have trouble finding the two elements to match and really making the connection with my childhood memories.

The reproduction of the console is almost no surprise. The model is very faithful to the reference product and we find all the details that those who have played for long hours in Super Mario Bros., Metroid or Donkey Kong Jr. know well. The result is stunningly realistic with all the buttons and ports present on the reference model. The ability to insert the game cartridge "like the real one" should easily bring a smile to anyone who has known this console. The fun "experience" obviously ends there with this LEGO model. We will also remember the presence of a easter egg aimed at fans who have really been around Super Mario Bros. under the hood of the console with a reproduction of the game world 1-2 and its Warp Zone.

I was, however, waiting a bit for the simple mixture of colored bricks provided for the bowels of the console and I think the designer could have tried to reproduce even summarily the printed circuits that all those who have one day dismantled their NES to try the clean or repair it well. As it stands, we feel that all efforts have been concentrated on the external appearance of the product, the rest being filling in the service of the mechanism, very realistic moreover, intended to insert the game cartridge.

Note that there are only three stickers in this set, those that dress the game cartridge and the one placed on the back of the TV, and that everything else is pad printed. So much the better, especially for a pure exhibition product whose destiny is to collect dust on a shelf. Using two stickers for the cartridge allows you to at least print your own labels if Super Mario Bros. was not your favorite game and you want to customize this item.

The other construction of the set is therefore the vintage television with its scrolling level. The assembly phase of the model is a little more interesting than that of the console, especially thanks to the installation of the mechanism which drives the game level board. We will also appreciate the attention to detail on the external appearance of the television set. with several pad-printed elements that identify the different adjustment buttons and even a chain change wheel with a notched rotation effect underlined by the snap of the green rod on the gear placed inside the chassis.

To set the level in motion, you have to reel. As the TV is not ballasted enough to hold in place, you will need to hold it with your other hand to prevent it from moving with each turn of the crank. The effect obtained is very successful with a Mario figure in Pixel Art which moves flat on the different elements of the level according to the obstacles symbolized by a layer of additional pieces. The latter obliges the Dish transparent placed at the end of the arm maintaining the figurine to follow the relief of the level. We are not going to lie to each other, we like to reel for a few minutes.

The product is directly associated with the LEGO Super Mario range: It is possible to use the interactive minifigure from the set 71360 Adventures with Mario to add some sound effects to the scrolling level on the TV screen. Mario identifies the different colored pieces placed at the top of the circuit and produces the associated sound and visual events. Even if the result is more than anecdotal, we cannot blame LEGO for proposing a connection between this product for nostalgic adults and the board game intended for the youngest.

In the end, even the most fundamentalist of LEGO and video game fans will have to admit that this product has little else to offer than a big whiff of nostalgia and a few turns of the crank. The debauchery of the efforts of the designers to come up with an impeccably finished package is however to be applauded and the end result should not disappoint those who can afford a fake console and an old TV equipped with a fun feature. .

Remember, if you can't find this particular product appealing, or think it's way overpriced for what it has to offer, then it's not for you. We have to be honest, LEGO has decided to aggressively flirt with adults who are not necessarily fans of the usual ranges and the manufacturer is trying forays into a wide variety of universes to seduce these potential customers. Video games, music, decoration, everything is currently going on and many early fans will perhaps see only products of little interest even if they use the same principle and the same bricks as their favorite toys.

The fact remains that this set is in my opinion a nice demonstration of the manufacturer's know-how with a real attention to detail, a few nods that will be appreciated by the most nostalgic fans of the first versions of the video game. Super Mario Bros. and a simple but successful integration with the LEGO Super Mario range which tries to appeal to the youngest.

As you know that I am eternally dissatisfied, I think that a second controller and a connection cable between the console and the television would not have been too much, especially at 230 € the luxury paperweight accompanied by its carousel manual.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 16, 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.