14 March 2024

LEGO® Friends review: 42620 Olly and Paisley's Family Houses

Posted by Eero

Houses of the main characters have always been prominent in the LEGO® Friends line. The theme was rebooted last year, and the new style has been generally acclaimed. 42620 Olly and Paisley's Family Houses is the first LEGO Friends main cast set to feature two different houses, both in unusual colour schemes, yet feeling architecturally coherent.


05 March 2024

LEGO® Pick a Brick: new elements added in March 2024

Posted by Admin

We've received notice that LEGO® Pick a Brick are adding new elements from November 2023 sets to the service beginning today. So they might not be there right now, and availability always varies over time and from country to country.


You can view the list of elements added in March 2024 here.

If you're still wanting the list of elements added in February 2024, you can find that here.

Happy element hunting!

All text and images are © New Elementary unless otherwise attributed.


04 March 2024

LEGO® House Exclusive set review and interview: 40505 LEGO Building Systems

Posted by Caz Mockett

Recently I was lucky enough to attend an online reveal of the latest LEGO® House exclusive set, 40505 LEGO Building Systems, with the opportunity to ask some questions to the set's designers, Stuart Harris (LEGO House Master Builder) and Markus Rollbüller (Senior Designer at The LEGO Group). 

02 March 2024

29 February 2024

LEGO® Icons review: 10330 McLaren MP4/4 & Ayrton Senna

Posted by Zachary Hill

Few Formula 1 cars have ever come close to the dominance displayed by the McLaren MP4/4. In the 1988 season, teammates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost drove the cars to win the World Constructors' Championship with more than triple the points of their closest competitor; a feat never again seen in F1.


This legendary car and its drivers have been immortalized in many forms, but 10330 McLaren MP4/4 & Ayrton Senna is its first time as a LEGO® set. It's also the first LEGO® Icons car to include a minifigure. Their scales don't match but display stands are included for both and nothing's stopping you from putting tiny Senna in the larger car. Several new moulds and printed elements form the wheels, suspension, bodywork and iconic helmet. Even in a bare-bones F1 car, some areas such as the engine bay still pack in the detail expected of LEGO Icons vehicles.

27 February 2024

LEGO® Disney™ review: 43249 Stitch

Posted by Thomas Jenkins

Say 'Aloha!' to LEGO® Disney™43248 Stitch, a brick-built version of the mischievous extra-terrestrial. Today we take a look at all the recoloured elements and techniques used to build the little critter.

24 February 2024

LEGO® Disney™ review: 43239 Mirabel's Photo Frame and Jewelry Box & 43237 Isabela's Flowerpot

Posted by Eero

The Walt Disney Animation Studios film Encanto was featured in three LEGO® sets – one large house and two small storybooks – in 2021. It is therefore surprising that two more sets are soon to be released; 43239 Mirabel's Photo Frame and Jewelry Box and 43237 Isabela's Flowerpot. Furthermore, these sets borrow their idea and style from the LEGO® Botanical Collection and the discontinued LEGO® DOTS theme. This double-feature article takes a look at both sets.


22 February 2024

LEGO® Disney™ set review: 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage

Posted by tobymac

"Heigh-ho, heigh-ho! It’s home from work we go!"

The cozy house from that memorable song to is now featured in LEGO® Disney™ 43242 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Cottage. Based on the revolutionary movie from 1937, this set depicts the little house in the woods Snow White stumbles upon after being chased away by the huntsman. So grab your pickaxe and join me in song as we march home to explore all the new elements.

19 February 2024

LEGO® Pick a Brick: new elements added in February 2024

Posted by Admin
The long-awaited first parts update to LEGO® Pick a Brick of the year happened from 19 February 2024.

The list of 252 elements includes new pieces from September and October 2023 LEGO sets, many of which were supposed to be added in January, but a warehouse upgrade delayed the update. 

Browse the images of the 252 new elements below, each with a handy link direct to the element on Pick a Brick. Availability may vary over time and from country to country.

16 February 2024

LEGO® Friends review: 42604 Heartlake City Shopping Mall

Posted by Eero

The LEGO® Friends theme was rebooted last year and in addition to brand new set concepts like 42605 Mars Space Base and Rocket it has brought many new takes on sets from earlier years. During its 12 year run, LEGO Friends has given us 41058 Heartlake Shopping Mall in 2014 – remembered for its Pearl Gold palm leaves, and 41450 Heartlake City Shopping Mall in 2021 – a surprisingly recent model that shares the same name, layout and escalator system as the new mall I'm reviewing today: 42604 Heartlake City Shopping Mall.

 

All of the rebooted LEGO Friends sets seem to be large improvements over their predecessors; so how does this mall fare?