LEGO® pieces, new set reviews, building techniques and brick model ideas
After publishing our overview of all new elements in the Summer 2023 wave of LEGO® NINJAGO® sets, the most commented on elements were the new balls. At the time of writing, the new series hadn't officially started yet, so it was unclear what the spheres represent.
The best clue comes from the name of one particular set: 71795 Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores, so let's kick off our series of reviews of the Ninjago Dragons Rising wave with this set.
As time progresses, it feels as if the prices of LEGO® Classic Space sets are flying out of my reach; certainly the boxed examples in good condition. I know some of the gaps in my collection may now never be filled (and that’s fine, because being completist is a fool’s errand), however there’s always the odd occasion when the Classic Space Moon aligns with a healthier bank balance and I do manage to acquire a long hankered-after gem.
The city is expanding once more with the upcoming release of LEGO® 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, and we are here to tell you all about the new moulds, recolours and new printed elements contained within this set.
71799 NINJAGO City Markets is the largest LEGO Ninjago set yet with 6,163 pieces used to construct a 4-floor structure and 21 minifigures, plus a host of play features to explore.
But first, let's take things back to an elemental level with its new parts. This set took a long time for me to inventory and there's a pile of new elements to cover in this initial post. To keep this manageable, minifigures will be covered in a second post. Probably best you pop the kettle on before we head to the markets...
Ninja Goooo! We had to wait for what felt like a long time, but finally we know what happens to the LEGO® NINJAGO® theme after the Crystalized storyline wrapped up.
The Star Wars movie Return of the Jedi, also known as “How The Care Bears Kicked the Emperor’s Behind”, celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2023. Wait, that makes the movie the same age as me, and the movie is considered to be classic...
Sorry, I had to recover from that. Back to the bricks: to commemorate the occasion, LEGO Star Wars has released several sets, and UniekeBricks has kindly sent us 2 of them to have a closer look.
Last week, New Elementary's Flowerfest kicked off with an impressive line-up of character builds by Eero Okkonen. A Sontaran built from rose petals is a tough act to follow, but I'm ready to do my best! I'll be analyzing two recent arrivals to the LEGO® Botanical Collection - 40646 Daffodils and 10313 Wildflower Bouquet - and sharing MOCs inspired by their parts.
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After we took a look at the new and rare parts in the 2023 LEGO® Icons Botanical Collection sets a week ago, I am now kicking off our Flowerfest! Over the next few weeks, my New Elementary colleagues and I will reveal what we created with these beautiful elements.
I received two LEGO® Icons Botanical Collection sets, 40646 Daffodils and 10314 Dried Flower Centrepiece. As usual, these floral bricks and pieces inspired me to build flowing hair and elegant clothes… Well, mostly. I also turned a rose into Sontaran.
LEGO® are releasing their first Peugeot vehicle, so get ready for some petrol-fueled fun. There's a good chance sparks will fly as well, as the car we’re looking at features the first ever electric engine in a Technic set.
Here at New Elementary, we love a good Parts Festival! But we also love to push boundaries. So how about a Parts Festival containing no new moulds?
Released in March, the latest LEGO® Technic wave touts American motorsports heritage and a whole lotta black that covers a bike fit for a vigilante. Read on for a detailed look at the builds and features of two blistering fast US-made cars and one sleek movie motorcycle.
As part of the Disney™ 100th anniversary celebrations, LEGO® has released two main sets plus an upcoming series of collectible LEGO Minifigures. We have already reviewed 43217 'Up' House and now it's time to take a look at 43212 LEGO Disney Celebration Train.
You can check out all entries in our gallery, or carry on just to see the winners here!
I've created a list showing all 153 new LEGO® elements added in April 2023, with links to which sets they come in so you can check for the ones you might be interested in. And for those of you who instead prefer our list of sets showing which contain the most new elements, click here.
The largest and loftiest of the LEGO® Technic sets launched in March 2023 has taken to the skies, but New Elementary is calling it into to the hangar for inspection. Before we clear this airplane for takeoff, why not refit it into something a little more whimsical? Keep reading to see the features of 42152 Firefighter Aircraft; one of which inspired me to repurpose its parts into a giant dragonfly.
In a previous article, I took a careful look at the numerous new element designs, decorations, and recolours that appear in the forthcoming 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell set from the LEGO® ICONS™ theme. Today, I'll be expanding upon that by taking a look at the building process and finished model, with additional insight from Senior Graphic Designer, Ashwin Visser, who New Elementary spoke to at Recognized LEGO Fan Media Days in September 2022.
The Disney·Pixar animated movie Up was released back in 2009 and won a couple of Oscars that year as well as a Best Picture nomination. Nearly 14 years have passed since its release, but recently LEGO® Disney 43217 'Up' House was revealed as part the Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary this year.
Gundam! Jay’s Titan Mech looks great. This Beautiful Blue Bot is the second largest of January’s LEGO® NINJAGO® releases. Let's take a look at what this set has to offer, and see whether my idea for a modified version is successful.
I’ve reviewed so many sets from the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends, I’m in need of some food and a drink... which these two sets will provide.
The LEGO® Technic line of simple "ripsaw"-like remote-controlled vehicles began in 2017 with 42065 RC Tracked Racer, which was an excellent source of Power Functions elements. The latest entry in this line is 2022's 42140 App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle, which I am dissecting for its inventory of juicy parts, before trying to come up with a very different use for it.
Released as the smallest set in the mid-2022 wave of LEGO® Monkie Kid™ Series 3, 80037 Dragon of the East is a fun playset featuring two baddies pitted against our hero Monkie Kid and Mr Tang. Let's take a look at the interesting elements found in the set, before I use some of them in a creation of my own!
UPDATE March 5 2023: Added the new elements found in 10316 Rivendell.
I've created a list showing all 449 new LEGO® elements added in March 2023, with links to which sets they come in so you can check for the ones you might be interested in. And for those of you who instead prefer our list of sets showing which contain the most new elements, click here.
The buildings I have reviewed so far in the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends sets are all located in Heartlake City. Time to take a trip to the countryside and pay a visit to Autumn, who lives with her family on a ranch just a bike ride’s distance from the city.
We've saved the biggest (and I think the best) set of the March LEGO® Speed Champions sets for last, as we finally take a look at 76918 McLaren Solus GT & F1 LM.
Nevertheless, despite their long partnership with the LEGO Speed Champions line, Ferrari always brings something new to the table. Take last year's 1970 Ferrari 512 M for example: a totally unique addition to the LEGO Speed Champions garage and maybe the best building experience of that lineup. Despite my initial reservations, the Ferrari 812 Competizione still proved to be an impressive set.
Today we’re taking a look at LEGO® Ideas 21339 BTS Dynamite, a set that uniquely has been based on a music video. More specifically, the music video for Dynamite by BTS. For the uninitiated, BTS is a mega popular Korean K-Pop band with a massive worldwide following.
21339 Dynamite gathered the required 10,000 supporters to enter the LEGO Ideas review process before being approved in February 2022 to become an actual LEGO set.
When details first emerged of the LEGO Group revisiting The Lord of the Rings franchise some ten years after the discontinuation of the original theme, as a Tolkien fan my interest was understandably piqued. Following the release of three sets under the LEGO BrickHeadz banner earlier this year, we're about to receive a set under the LEGO® ICONS™ theme, in the form of 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell.
Four new LEGO® Technic vehicles roll out of the garage on 1 March 2023, equipped with all sorts of recently-introduced parts, plenty of recoloured elements, and even a few new panel moulds. Whether the set's got two wheels, four wheels, or two wings, they all make use of modern LEGO Technic bits while further expanding the selection for MOCs.
What if LEGO® Jurassic World sets had brick-built dinosaurs? I was intrigued by the presence of one in 2022's 76956 T.rex Breakout, and wanted to check it out to see if LEGO succeeded to bring the prehistoric predator to life with so-called normal pieces. Also, a brick-built Tyrannosaurus is definitely easier to refurbish than one of those prefabricated dinosaurs, so I gave mine bit of a facelift.
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| Left: ©2022 The LEGO Group. Right: Eero's revised version. |
The super cars of Pagani blur the lines between automobile and art. Horacio Pagani's latest masterpiece, the Utopia, would look equally at home in a museum or a garage. I'm not a big car fan by any means but even I can appreciate this work of art! Let's take a look at the LEGO® version of the stunning 'hyper car of the future'.
The LEGO® City Stuntz subtheme uses a number of unique elements in its sets' novel play features. Today, I'm taking a look at 60338 Smashing Chimpanzee Stunt Loop from 2022, which offers a nice sampling of the specialized elements featured throughout the Stuntz range.
The Porsche 963 is the German automobile manufacturer's newest race car and draws inspiration from the 956 and 962 from Porsche's 1980s racing days. It was revealed last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and just made its racing debut last month at Daytona. Better still, next month it's getting a brick-built replica in LEGO® Speed Champions 76916 Porsche 963, which we are looking at today.
Today's review is for all dog-lovers! Join me on a journey through Heartlake City in search of canines in need of rescue.
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I've created a list showing all 47 new LEGO® elements added in February 2023, with links to which sets they come in so you can check for the ones you might be interested in. And for those of you who instead prefer our list of sets showing which contain the most new elements, click here.
It’s contest time! We want you to design a LEGO® model that includes one or more elements traditionally associated with the construction industry – like the digger scoop, girder and the hardhat. The catch? The subject of your creation must not be construction industry-related!
The January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends sets bring us forward in the timeline with the original group now all grown up and the introduction of a new group of 8 brand new characters. To get to know them better the theme gives us a look into their rooms with 4 new sets showing their hobbies and interests: 41739 Liann’s Room, 41740 Aliya’s Room, 41754 Leo’s Room and 41755 Nova’s Room.
The sets average around 200 parts, and are available for £17.99 / €19,99 / $19.99 / AU$32.99. I assume the rooms of the other 4 friends will show up in future?
Apparently it’s a new trend: Tiny Houses. On one hand, I like the concept: less room means less building materials, heating, maintenance and footprint but just thinking about living in one makes me claustrophobic. I’m not a fan of small spaces. I need room to breathe and move...besides, where would I store my LEGO in a Tiny House?
The next set from the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Friends sets under my review is another shop: 41729 Organic Grocery Store. With 830 parts, it sits within the top 5 largest sets out of the wave, and includes some nice new elements. So, grab your cart and load up with MOC-feeders.
LEGO® BIONICLE® has had a surprisingly turbulent life cycle for a LEGO theme. It initially debuted in 2001 and ran until 2010, supported by comics, novels, and films. In 2015, the theme would receive an ill-fated reboot, which lasted only until the end of 2016. Despite these ups-and-downs, BIONICLE still has an avid following among a certain sect of LEGO fans.
Later this month, BIONICLE once again rises from the ashes in the form of 40581 BIONICLE® Tahu and Takua, which will be available as a gift with select purchases over the $100 / €100 / £90 threshold between 27 January and 9 February, 2023.
In August 2022 the world of LEGO® Super Mario™ expanded yet again with 71408 Peach’s Castle Expansion Set. Today we're playing a bit of catch up with a look at the new elements and prints it introduces, as well as a handful of MOCs inspired by its inventory.
The new year brings us a brand new group of Heartlake friends and according to the press release they'll meet each other at school. So naturally a school comes in the new wave of LEGO® Friends. We've seen 2 previous school sets (5 if you count the Art, Theater and Performance sets), and I’ll be schooling you today on the third: Friends 41731 Heartlake International School. With 985 pieces it's the second biggest set in the January 2023 wave, so sit up, grab your pencil or laptop and pay attention!
Thomas Jenkins has already reviewed the largest offering of the January 2023 wave of LEGO® Monkie Kid sets, 80045 Monkey King Ultra Mech, and I have taken a look at 80040 Monkie Kid's Combi Mech and 80041 Mei's Dragon Jet in a combined review, plus 80043 Yellow Tusk Elephant. Today it is the turn of 80044 Monkie Kid's Team Hideout.
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