LEGO® Technic review: 42128 Heavy-duty Tow Truck

Zachary Hill (@zaxbrix) gets behind the wheel – and all the other parts – of LEGO® Technic 42128 Heavy-duty Tow Truck for you today. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

A new highway king has been released by The LEGO Group. LEGO® Technic 42128 Heavy-duty Tow Truck brings pneumatic functions back after their last appearance in 2018 and is decked out with a heaping helping of geared functions to boot. This truck released on 1 August 2021 and is available from LEGO.com for £139.99 / US$149.99 / 149.99€ and includes 2017 pieces.

LEGO® Technic review: 42131 Cat D11T Bulldozer

Alexandre Campos kicks off a series of LEGO® Technic reviews that we will publish for you every Saturday for the next few weeks. Officially revealed yesterday, 42131 Cat D11T Bulldozer is released 1 October 2021 priced US$449.99/ AU$$749.99/ £419.99/ 449,99 €. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/ for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Remember 42028, the bulldozer from 2014? Well, it grew up quite a bit in the last seven years, and mastered some new skills. Unfortunately, it also picked up a license from Caterpillar, usually known as Cat. Why do I say unfortunately? Well...

LEGO® Ideas review: 21329 Fender® Stratocaster™

Eero Okkonen (@eerookkonen) reviews the upcoming LEGO® Ideas 21329 Fender Stratocaster set, which will be available from 1 October 2021 priced US$99/ £99/ €99/ AU$159.99/ CA$139.99. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Usually, LEGO® Ideas products begin life as projects on the Ideas site, gain 10,000 votes within a given time frame, go through the LEGO Group review phase and are then converted into sets by employees. Gaining the votes - no small task on its own! - far from guarantees the product will be made; in the June 2021 review for example, only one of 25 projects was selected. 

©2021 The LEGO Group

However, the process was different for Ideas set number 37. In spring 2020 the Ideas website hosted a music-themed contest with fan voting. Tomáš Letenay's Fender Stratocaster project was chosen from the rank seven, surpassing band-specific, minifigure-scale and large figure-based projects.

LEGO® VIDIYO Review: 43113 K-Pawp Concert & 43114 Punk Pirate Ship

Caz Mockett (@cazmockett) continues our LEGO® VIDIYO analysis today with a rundown on sets 43113 K-Pawp Concert & 43114 Punk Pirate Ship. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

In this review I am exploring two of the larger sets in the LEGO® VIDIYO buildable stages range. The K-Pawp Concert retails for £44.99 / US$49.99 / €49.99 and contains 514 pieces, while the Pirate Ship costs £59.99 / US$59.99 / €69.99 with 615 pieces.

LEGO® VIDIYO Review & MOCs: 43111 Candy Castle Stage & 43112 Robo HipHop Car

Caz Mockett (@cazmockett) follows up our 5x5 fest by taking on a further two LEGO® VIDIYO sets today, 43111 and 43112. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

June 1st 2021 saw the introduction of several new buildable stage sets in the LEGO® VIDIYO theme. Today I am exploring two of the smaller models, 43111 Candy Castle Stage and 43112 Robo HipHop Car. Both sets are at the £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 price point, with Candy Castle containing 344 pieces while the HipHop Car has 387.

LEGO® Disney review + MOC: 43189 Elsa and the Nokk Storybook Adventures

Eero Okkonen (@eerookkonen) takes a look inside LEGO® Disney 43189 Elsa and the Nokk Storybook Adventures, before using some of its new parts in an original creation. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

LEGO® has recently shown interest in releasing sets that look like books, without actually being books. LEGO Ideas 21315 Pop-Up Book was released in 2018, and the first four Disney Storybook Adventures sets were introduced in early 2020. These lacked the advanced pop-up mechanism of the Ideas set, being simple cases fitting small playsets inside, easily closed for storage or travel.

These sets got a lone successor in January 2021 with 43189 Elsa and the Nokk Storybook Adventures. As the Frozen franchise is very popular, it is not surprising to see another storybook concerning it. I must warn you: the popularity of the franchise is the only thing I know about it!

(CW: HP) LEGO® Harry Potter build review: 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition

Tom Loftus (@inthert.lego) completes his analysis of the upcoming LEGO® Harry Potter 76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors Edition with a look the techniques used in the build. Editorial note: Although views expressed by Harry Potter's creator do not align with that of New Elementary, we continue to cover some sets for their parts. Read about our stance here. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

We've already taken a look at the set's delightful elements in Part 1 of our review so today we'll be focusing on the build itself and gosh, what a stunning build it is.

Harry’s Belongings

We start off with a trio of standalone items: Harry’s glasses, wand and one tiny vial of liquid luck - the identifying sticker for which I opted not to apply because who knows when a glow in the dark cone could come in handy. I’d be shocked if anyone building this set can resist the urge to immediately place the glasses upon their own nose - I'm unashamed to admit I couldn't!

LEGO® Friends review + MOC: 41449 Andrea's Family House

Eero Okkonen (@eerookkonen) casts his critical eye over the architecture of LEGO® Friends 41449 Andrea's Family House today, before creating a brand new model inspired by some of its parts. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

41449 Andrea's Family House - released in January 2021 - adds a new building to the series of homes inhabited by the main characters of Friends. Let's analyse its architecture and interesting parts before getting creative with the parts.

LEGO® Creator review + alt builds: 31115 Space Mining Mech

Thorin Finch, who contributed to one of our parts festivals a couple of years back, returns with a guest review today of LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 31115 Space Mining Mech, as well as designing some alternate builds of his own. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

With the recent success of NASA’s latest Mars exploration rover Perseverance (and the even more recent but less successful test of SpaceX’s SN10 rocket), the wonders and dangers of space exploration have been at the forefront of society’s collective consciousness. And, for anyone looking to extend their newfound interests in space exploration into LEGO®, a simple search for the keyword ‘space’ on the LEGO website produces, among other things, Creator 31115 Space Mining Mech. 

LEGO® DOTS review + MOC: 41921 Extras Series 3

Caz Mockett (@cazmockett) examines – and then creates her own model – using the parts from 2021 LEGO® DOTS set 41921 Extras Series 3. Buying this pack, priced £3.99 / US$3.99 / 3.99€? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop.

I liked the LEGO® DOTS Series 1 Extras when they were first released, but wasn’t as enamoured with Series 2. However, the Series 3 polybag caught my attention as it contains many elements in colours I enjoy. LEGO sent me five copies of the bag, and I added a sixth of my own for this review and MOC. I immediately cracked a packet open to see exactly what it contained.

LEGO® Friends reviews: 41677 Forest Waterfall & 41682 Heartlake City School

Saija Saarenpää (@saija_kristina) returns with not one but two more LEGO® Friends reviews for you today: the 93-piece 41677 Forest Waterfall and 605-piece 41682 Heartlake City School! Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

41677 Forest Waterfall

This small forest area beside a waterfall includes a wooden log that bridges both sides of the river where the waterfall lands. Included are two minidolls, a squirrel, and a few basic supplies for camping such as binoculars, a bonbon to roast in a fire, and a mug. There’s also a kick scooter as a means of transportation.

LEGO® DOTS review & MOCs: 41926 Creative Party Kit

Caz Mockett (@cazmockett) gets creative with a 2021 LEGO® DOTS kit today: 41926 Creative Party Kit, which she analyses before designing her own models using the cupcake piece 72024. Buying this set from LEGO.com? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK | USA | Australia, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

In this article, I take a look at the LEGO® DOTS Creative Party Kit, which was released in January 2021. The first thing I noticed was the box art, which I felt was perhaps a little misleading - you do get lots of lovely LEGO elements, but none of the other bits and pieces in the picture, such as the fluffy pompoms or ribbon. I know these were probably included to suggest a storage solution for party favours, but unwary parents who buy the kit for a birthday party on the basis of the box art may be a bit disappointed. It’s a minor thing, but one I felt I ought to mention.

LEGO® Star Wars review & MOCs: 75300 Imperial Tie Fighter & 75301 Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter

Kev Levell (@kevlevell) gives you double LEGO® Star Wars love today as he examines the parts in 75300 Imperial Tie Fighter & 75301 Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing Fighter before creating MOCs using both their parts. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

These two new iterations of iconic LEGO Star Wars ships have been available for a little while now. There are a very small number of notable new parts and even dealing with both sets at once, it is a scant offering. However, both sets feature elements that I wanted to investigate. None of the parts are presented in very great numbers either, but their connections and geometry may reveal them to be slightly overlooked gems. I’m hoping they aren’t disappointing, unnecessary introductions into the inventory.

LEGO® Star Wars review: 75286 General Grievous’s Starfighter

Zachary Hill (@zaxbrix) swooshes back to 2020 today with a review of LEGO® Star Wars 75286 General Grievous’s Starfighter. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

The Star Wars galaxy is filled with unique starships to suit each owner and ruthless droid army commander General Grievous is no exception. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith cinematically introduced the General’s ship while The Clone Wars gave the arch-clanker’s starfighter even more screen time. Chronologically in Star Wars the ship was last seen after the tense battle of Utapau, which claimed the last bit of life left in Grievous’s cyborg body and forced Obi-Wan Kenobi to commandeer the ship to escape the incivility below.

This dark and intimidating ship made its third minifigure-scale appearance in August 2020: LEGO® Star Wars 75286 General Grievous’s Starfighter. The build is strongly reminiscent of earlier sets and introduces a few newly recoloured slope elements. 

LEGO® Icons review & MOC: 10282 Adidas Originals Superstar

Zachary Hill (@zaxbrix) not only reviews the stunning new LEGO® 10282 Adidas Originals Superstar today, he also builds his own creation with some of its new elements! Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Adidas and The LEGO Group have established a solid working relationship with their Adidas x LEGO® collection of clothing. That partnership has birthed dozens of jackets, shorts, and of course sneakers. If you’re like me, all that new apparel just whizzed past you - what about those of us who don’t spring for the latest streetwear? How about the latest LEGO set? I’m no sneakerhead but LEGO Creator Expert 10282 Adidas Originals Superstar has enough ingenuity and new elements in its build to pique my interest. 

The first-ever Adidas-branded construction set comes with 731 pieces and is available on July 1 2021 for US$79.99/ CA$109.99/ €89.99/ £79.99/ AU$159.99.

LEGO® Super Mario review: 71381 Chain Chomp Jungle Encounter & 71382 Piranha Plant Puzzling Challenge

Nicolas Geeraert returns today to complete our coverage of  January 2021 LEGO® Super Mario, looking at the smaller sets 71381 and 71382. Buying these? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

Today, we are reviewing two further sets from the January wave of LEGO® Super Mario, namely 71381 Chain Chomp Jungle Encounter and 71382 Piranha Plant Puzzling Challenge. Both sets are situated in the Soda Jungle world of the Super Mario Universe. Thus we can expect lots of purple to represent the poisoned soda and a series of matching enemies.

LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes set review: 76178 Daily Bugle

Thomas Jenkins (@thomas_jenkins_bricks) completes his 2-part coverage of LEGO® Marvel Super Heroes 76178 Daily Bugle today, analysing the build. It is available now priced €299.99/ £274,99/ $299,99/ 499.99 AUD/ 399.99 CAD. Please consider using our affiliate links to purchase, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

76178 Daily Bugle is unlike any LEGO set I’ve built before. It’s part modular building, part playset, part diorama and it does all of these things really well. The accompanying host of minifigures are integrated into the design of the building itself, and sometimes quite spectacularly, too - as is the case of the Green Goblin bursting through the window of the second floor.

I analysed its pieces last time but there’s a ton of interesting building techniques, parts usage, and little details scattered throughout the build to still discuss. We’ll work our way up the building and take a look at them.

LEGO® review: 10292 Friends - The Apartments

Kevin J. Walter (@public.brickstory) returns as our guest reviewer today with a look at LEGO® 10292 Friends - The Apartments, coming 1 June 2021. Buying this set, priced £134.99/ US$149.99/ AU$259.99? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

The 1990s TV-series Friends is without a doubt a cultural phenomenon and still one of the most watched and streamed shows of all time. For the series’ 25th anniversary in 2019, TLG launched LEGO® Ideas 21319 Central Perk, so it comes as no surprise that Friends: The Reunion, also known as “The One Where They Get Back Together” which aired on 27 May 2021 is being used as an opportunity by TLG to launch the consecutive set. 

LEGO® VIDIYO™ review: 43109 Metal Dragon BeatBox & 43110 Folk Fairy BeatBox

Caz Mockett (@cazmockett) reviews two LEGO® VIDIYO™ BeatBox sets for you: 43109 Metal Dragon BeatBox & 43110 Folk Fairy BeatBox. Buying these? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

The LEGO® VIDIYO™ theme launched in March 2021 with a series of six BeatBoxes, similar in size and shape to the LEGO Friends play cubes, along with a collection of 12 different BandMates supplied in blind boxes. In the second wave which will be available from 1st June, two more BeatBoxes will be released, along with five larger buildable sets. The LEGO Group sent us the two new beat boxes to examine, and I have added components from the first wave releases from my own collection so that I can give you a comprehensive rundown of the new moulds and colours available to AFOLs.

LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 review: 31122 Fish Tank

TobyMac (@efraimaspie) examines another of the upcoming 2021 LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 sets: 31122 Fish Tank. Released 1 June 2021 priced £24.99/ €29.99/ AU$44.99 (except North America; 1 August US$29.99). Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

The second LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 set I’m reviewing is a lot smaller than 31120 Medieval Castle. But size doesn’t matter, as long as it brings us some new elements. Let's take a dive into the Fish Tank.