4201: Loader and Tipper

4201: Loader and Tipper

 

Year: 2012
Pieces: 139
Retail Price: $17.99 (Birthday Present for Daniels 5th Birthday)
Theme: City (Mining)

This isn't a bad set, however I felt the dump truck was a bit lacking in its design (more on that later).  Daniel has no problems putting the set together and had a great time playing with it after it was built. The set comes in two parts - the first part being the tractor and the second part being the dump truck.

The Minifigs in this model aren't anything to be in awe about, but they are workers so what can we expect? They have a scruffy face, bruises, and sweat running down their face, something Mike Rowe would be proud of I'm sure.

 

 

I was actually impressed with the tractor itself. It is a simple build but looks and drives much like a traditional bobcat. It is much better than some of the cheap tractors LEGO has pit out for their polybags over the years. The end model is shown below.

The dump truck was the second part of the set. It works as a dump truck, the hopper takes a load and dumps it and all, but the design of it just seems a bit off. Yea, it is meant to be a mining truck (I'm assuming in small tunnels) but there are no meaningful headlights, the front of the truck looks funky, and the hopper is much smaller than the cab of the truck which brings the proportions off compared to a normal dump truck.

All in all its not a bad set, I just wish the designers would have come up with a better design for the truck. I guess kids don't care so long as it's playable but as an adult It just saddens me a bit and reminds me of LEGOs dark years in the late 90s and early 2000's. The set is great in that it had both the tractor and dump truck included in the set though. In the past, the tractor and dumper were always sold separately and more expensively, although they were constructed better.

Run!

No Number Given

 

 

Year: 2013

Pieces: Around 50

Retail Price: Free

Theme: Superheroes

 

Every once in a while, Toys R' Us does a LEGO build day. These days offer a small, unique set for kids to build and take home with them, undoubtedly to get kids to be excited about LEGOs and for the parents to go and buy more sets since they are already in the store. The concept is pretty nice: They have the bricks set up in cardboard boxes (pictured below) and each box tells the kids how many pieces they need to make the set. The employees then give the kid an instruction sheet and lets the kids have at it.

 

 

Well that is exactly what we did on Saturday (October 19th). These free sets aren't anything to be awestruck of, but hey, its free and thus its hard to complain. The sets are pretty easy to put together and the instructions are one page, front and back. The sets here don't have a number that I have seen and aren't in the LEGO set database, so I don't know if this is just something Toys R Us puts together or what.

 

 The set for this workshop was a mini robot of the robot I reviewed previously. For being free it's not really a bad set. Sure its not something you can really play with per say, but the parts are good for other builds (a lot of extra joints) and it looks cute next to the larger version of it (below). Even for a polybag (the term given to sets in small plastic bags, the ones usually found for around 5 dollars in the cashiers line as an impulse buy) the set is of pretty good quality. Overall a nice set, easy build, and fun to look at.

 



6862-2: Superman Vs Power Armor Lex

 

 

 

Year: 2012

Pieces: 207

Retail Price: 19.99 (I'm sure I paid full price - couldn't turn down Superman of course)

Theme: Superheroes

 

This set is a fun one. It is a little difficult for LEGO beginners, but given enough time and patience most of it can be done by Daniel. This set is divided into a few subsets, one for each body part. It makes sense since all of the pieces connect to the robot torso after all. Technically each leg is two sub steps, one for the foot and one for the leg since both of them are articulated, but for the purposes of this review, I'll call the leg itself a sub step.  The leg isn't too bad to create as Daniel was able to do it all by himself.

 

Leg+Leg+Pelvis = bottom half

Next up is the upper torso and head. Most of this is relatively easy as well. The only gripe I have about this is the green energy capsules attached to the back of the mech robot are very loosely fitted into the casing. If you flip the mech upside down or if it falls down roughly, the green capsules dislodge with certainty.

 

Next are the arms. Like the legs, these are very well articulated, pivoting at the shoulder, elbow, and fingers. The fingers are tight enough that it can firmly grasp an object, pick it up, and not let it go. If both hands grasp fingers, it will stay attached when lifted (the model is too heavy for one arm to keep it attached). Daniel did have some difficulty attaching the fingers, but as pointed out, they are a very tight fit and that made it difficult for him to press on.

 

Below you can see just how well articulated the model is, courtesy of the Village People.

YMCA

The last part of the model is the gun. Of course since it is LEGO, no words explain what the gun is, but it definitely has something to do with kryptonite since it has a green crystal in a container and a pipe leading from the kryptonite to the energy capsules. The gun is designed for use with the hand and fits nicely, with the hand holding the gun with no problem. Luckily for Superman, Wonder Woman is also included in the set, presumably since the kryptonite gun would be too much for him. *shrugs*

 

So there you have it - the full set. I do like this set and the playability of it is fantastic. If you can't figure out ways to keep yourself entertained with Superman, Wonder Woman, Lex Luther, and a giant mech robot, LEGOs (and toys in general) probably aren't for you.

 

Superman is the crossing guard, stopping the Mech from running over a child in the school zone.

Its a good thing for Metropolis that Wonder Woman was here to help Superman.

 

The minifugures are fantastic too. Both Superman and Wonder Woman have dual faces that are covered by their hair. Turn their head and hair around to reveal either a serious look or an angry look, depending on what Lex is up to today.

9462 - The Mummy

9462 - The Mummy

 

 

 

Year: 2012

Pieces: 90

Retail Price: 11.99 (paid 5.99 on clearance)

Theme: Monster Fighters

 

 This is another small and easy set. There were two distinct subsets on this model, one was the helicopter and one was the chariot.

The helicopter is an easy build but lacks... well, everything. The helicopter itself doesn't even have any weapons, only the lady fighting wields a crossbow. Obviously this is fantasy, but I don't think any sane monster fighter would ever be seen flying in this as they'd be eaten alive. I mean, if you were fighting zombies, would you choose this flimsy thing?

The second subset is the chariot for the mummy. It's a pretty decent chariot in all honesty. I mean, chariots were built lightweight so that they could go fast, so you can't expect much for it. Using some of the LEGO legion models along with the chariot (with minor modifications) could make a somewhat realistic diorama.

The best parts of this set are also with the chariot. The first is the undead horse. LEGO really seemed to go out of their way to make a horse scary (as much as a LEGO toy can). First off, it's a skeleton of a horse. Second, the horse has flames coming out of its eyes! It also glows in the dark...



 

 

The set ends with the chariot and helicopter. The female minifigure isn't anything special and the mummy has been use din multiple sets, but mummies and mummies and are always cool. The mummy also glows in the dark.

The set stays together fairly well, although the helicopter is flimsy. A hard landing while playing will break parts off, although since its about 10 pieces of build, its not too hard to put back together again when it does.

 



76008 - Iron Man vs. The Mandarin: Ultimate Showdown

76008 - Iron Man vs. The Mandarin: Ultimate Showdown

 

 

 

Year: 2013

Pieces: 91

Retail Price: 12.99 (full price - Daniel needed Iron Man :)    )

Theme: Superheroes

 

 

This set is fairly straightforward and what you would expect for 91 pieces. The instruction booklet was done in one substep since it was only a vehicle and then the two minifigures.  Having not seen Iron Man 3 yet, I cannot comment on the accuracy of the model versus what was in the movie.

 

The model itself is very playable. I have found that really all of the superhero themed sets have all been playable, but I think that they are designed with that fact in mind. After all, they are basically supposed to take the place of action figures (and they do that quite well in my opinion). The end model is a vehicle with a missile launcher and then iron man himself complete with transparent blue pieces for his feet and hands, meant to imitate the thrusters on iron man's suit.  It's a good set, although perhaps slightly overpriced. Having said that, it is a controversial subject but many adult fans of LEGO feel that licensed sets are typically more costly per piece.