WriteMakesRight

Set name: The Brick Apple Set Number: 3300000-1 Pieces: 133 Figures: 0 Price: Free with $35.00 purchase on 7/1/2010 Theme: Store Exclusives On June 29th, 2010 at 8:00AM, the 'flagship' Lego store opened in Rockefeller Center, NYC to massive crowds of urbanites eager to purchase that first brick. Long lines, high prices, and inadequate supplies of blind-bagged minifigures were only some of the obstacles builders faced as the doors opened. This information was all gleaned second-hand, however, from a easily startled co-worker. I was waiting until Thursday- when a purchase of $35.00 or more would net you an exclusive, limited-edition set. That is, assuming you were one of the first 500 to get there. Forgoing breakfast Thursday morning, I hurriedly made my way to Rockefeller Center, expecting to find an unending stretch of brick-fans snaking infinitely away from the store, my chances of obtaining that brilliant set decreasing by the moment... ...only to find I was the third person in line, at 7:55AM. Long story short, I was five minutes early to work, my prize tucked safely in my backpack, along with a massive Atlantis set- a smile on my face and a song in my heart. Planning to build the sucker as soon as I got home, I casually checked the set's going rate on eBay. $125.00. So, sadly this will not be a review of the set itself, merely of the lovely packaging it comes in. And what lovely packaging it is! The Brick Apple is featured prominently on the poly-bag's front, set majestically against a mysterious blue city-scape. What?! A ninja! Where did you come from? No! Stay away from that set! It's very valuable, you don't understand! NOOOOOO!!!!!! *Ahem* Thank you, kind ninja, for showing me the error of my ways. Let's review the set together, shall we? Parts Not much to say here- lots of red, a smattering of yellow and brown, along with a solitary piece in neon green. I prefer granny-smith apples myself, but all that green is likely being bogarted by the remaining Power Miners sets. Instruction Manuel Random Page The instructions are clear and easy to follow. No piece call-outs, but they aren't necessary. Colors are vibrant and easily distinguishable. (Red vs. brown is not a difficult distinction to impart.) The build is divided into two sections (describing them would ruin the 'hidden feature' of the set) and you are left with a solitary cheese block in red upon completion. Completed Set The sense of realism here is astounding. I have attempted to consume this Lego apple several times upon completion, my only reward being chipped teeth and frustration. Ok. Sarcasm off. It's a blocky-looking apple, less realistic than the completed Rockefeller Center apple, but a decent-enough likeness. But what's that, ninja? There's a HIDDEN FEATURE!?!?! ENLIGHTEN US! **CHOP** Yep- the top of the apple is removable, exposing the core! Alright, it's nothing special, but it's an extra layer of detailing the designers could have left out, but decided to include. The inside of the apple is rather spacious, and can act as a sort of bank, should you so choose. Final Thoughts An apple a day may keep the doctor (and ninja) away, but don't spend $125.00 on this set. Hey- it's a nice set, but a removable core is not worth anywhere near the current prices this thing is going for. Alright, since you've read all the way through this review, I'll let you in on a little secret: The Brick Apple is still available. That's right- you can still buy this exact set at the Lego Store in Rockefeller Center. There should be a small bin full of them by the new Castle sets. Hurry though- they're priced at $10.00 a pop (highly reasonable) and probably won't last too long (if the rumors of it's 500 set run are accurate.) Good luck!

Sorry everyone- took me a while, but I got everything up and resized.

Set Number: 6879 Set Name: Blizzard Baron Theme: Ice Planet 2002 Number of Pieces: 82 Year of Release: 1993 Original Price: ??? Price Paid: $20.00, shipping included, from BrickLink When I was but a wee lad of nine, Lego released the Ice Planet 2002 theme. Celestial odysseys in the arctic vein, the brick-built mythology was filled with dynamic ships, intricate scientific equipment (i.e.: large missiles with makeshift satellites stuck to the end) and, of course, translucent orange chainsaws. I was hooked. Or, rather, I would have been, had I received any of these sets. I'd been a Lego kid since teething on Duplo farm animals, and had amassed quite the sizable sum of parts, stored in two vast, seemingly bottomless buckets. (This was far before I would carefully preserve every set I built, ensuring every brick stayed with it's set-mates for future use.) However, I never did manage to get a Ice Planet 2002 set. Thanks to BrickLink, that is no longer the case. So, was it worth it? Hells-to-the-yeah. The Box: Side: Back: Side 2: Side 3: Yes, the box is a bit beat-up, crushed on one side, with a few rips on the back; but this is a set for building, not eternal-investment-storage. The front graphic is simple and effective, making full use of the Ice Planet color palate (florescent orange, blue and white). The image of the Blizzard Baron is set against a icy backdrop of a craggy frozen wasteland; a strange grid pattern obscuring the outer cosmos. In the right hand corner, the now-retro 'Ice Planet 2002' logo graces the box with its obsolete promises of a neon-arctic wonderland by the year 2002. The rear shows off various different models that can be built using the components of this set. (Although TLG reminds the builder that instructions are only 'included for main model.' My favorite alternate build is the crazy outer-space ski rack, showcasing the set's almost ludicrous amount of neon orange ski components. It's a weird thing opening a vintage set. Knowing that someone had the restraint to keep this awesome toy sealed in it's packaging for sixteen years... and then opening it yourself. It's probably best not to dwell on it- these were made to be enjoyed, after all. Contents of the Box: The Parts (Bagged): Odd that the one wing piece was not sealed in the bag with the other. Besides the instructions, there's a mini-catalog (featuring Spyrius, among others) and this flyer for the Lego Club, featuring what is possibly the most terrifying child ever photographed. Flyer: He seems absolutely deranged with excitement. Instruction Booklet: Random Page: (As the instructions are just one, long, double-sided page, I'll give you a shot of a random step instead. The Parts: Special bits include printed instrumentation tiles and a 2x3x1 slope with a printed Ice Planet logo. Oh, and more florescent orange than a radioactive citrus orchard. The Build: It's a fairly straightforward build, easy to follow with clear steps. Of note, however, are the quality of the bricks. When I put two pieces together, they literally -snapped- into place. The bricks fit tightly together, with no looseness on any connecting joints, and an refreshing feeling of sturdiness throughout. The difference between this and the simple friction fit of today's sets is astounding. I cannot account for the difference in piece quality, with the possible exception of mold degradation on the part of TLG. Minifgure: The set includes 'Ice Planet Blonde Guy' (as Brickset so eloquently identifies him). Wielding the electrifying translucent orange chainsaw (the subject of one of the few Lego memes), he comes armed with the trademark Ice Planet visor, logo parka and orange skis. Are these some sort of magical energy skis, able to traverse the endless tundra with ease? Concentrated fire? The manifestation of the wearer's very soul? All unanswered questions in the rich mythology of Ice Planet 2002. Our Blonde Ice Planet Guy seems quite unkempt. Is he a scientist, as are, presumably, all of the other inhabitants of Ice Planet? He must be a junior Ice Scientist, with radical theories on... ice. What scientific goal were these spacemen hoping to achieve? 'After years of tireless effort and research, we have come to the conclusion that ice is actually frozen water, structured in a stable crystalline lattice.' Someone's not getting tenure at the Lego Space Academy. Cut your hair, astro-hippie. Finished Set: Isometric: The Blizzard Baron is a sleek little ship and manages to cram a lot of detail into a relatively small package. Black, blue, white and neon orange all manage (somewhat miraculously) not to clash, with the orange seemingly emitting a 'energy aura' over the more conservatively colored base model. The cockpit features a 'control-column' (yeah, I have no clue what it's supposed to be) and a printed control panel. Blondies' translucent orange chainsaw (vital for the excavation of... um... ice) stores neatly on either side of the cockpit, while his skis attach above the engines. The three sets of ski-landing gear are set on hinges, and actually cause the craft to angle downward toward the nose; a nice touch. Front: Side: Rear: Features: The (slightly cluttered) rear section actually detaches to form a miniature scientific research station. Here we see the 'scientist' conducting a valuable 'study' of the Ice Planet. Chances are, his breakthrough discoveries will include: 'It's cold.' and 'I hate Ice Planet.' Final Thoughts: The only way you would not enjoy this set immensely, is if you hate fun. If you are an opponent of happiness, please, do not purchase the Blizzard Baron. However, if the thought of fantastically unrealistic spaceships on improbable missions through frozen-heck planets ignites your imagination, then by all means, buy this set. 10/10.

Dramatic Prologue... -->Rogue Archeologist Jim Brody finds himself in a familiar place: the barren and desolate wastes of Tunisia. What he finds there, however, is anything BUT familiar.<-- "Great scott! A wall of solid ice in the middle of this endless desert! How perplexing!" "Ah, but this is no ordinary frozen mystery- it appears to be some sort of icy gulag! Whatever is this 'Lego System?'" -->Ignoring the identity-obliterating ramifications contained within the mysterious box, our hero begins his exciting excavation!<-- -->Reaching the summit of his frigid quarry, Jim readies his trusty pickaxe, when suddenly a booming voice blasts through the chilly air!<-- "WHO DARES SULLY THE WINTER SHRINE OF MR. FREEZE?! This shall be your final folly, foolish adventurer! For now, you will taste the primal fury of winter unleashed! I, whose tremendous power has cut frozen swaths through the very molten core of the Earth itself! Whose might eclipses even the desert sun with icy strokes of-" *BLAM!* "AGH! You SHOT me! You %&^$ing SHOT ME! AGH! Do you have ANY IDEA how much this HURTS?!?" -->As our hero's frigid foe flails frantically, weeping wintery, womanly woe, Brody raises his revolver with a victorious retort, in the brilliant baritone of Teddy Roosevelt: 'Bully!'<-- -->Excavation begins anew, as Brody prepares to delicately coax the megalith from it's icy prison!<-- -->One thunderous explosion later, the mystery deepens!<-- -->Utilizing only the most gentle of atomic-powered rocket flame-cannons, Brody prepares to fully uncover his find!<-- -->The ice is carefully carved away, ensuring every inch of the ancient treasure is perfectly preserved!' -->At last, our hero gazes upon this archeological wonder, a scientific tome of ages, like the Rosetta Stone before it! The most brilliant minds on Earth with recall this day as the turning point in modern Anthropology, the very moment when the history of all life became suddenly, incredibly clear! An it is all thanks to the tireless efforts of Jim Brody, Rogue Archeologist!<-- -->...Who once again, has taken the money and run.<-- And now, your feature review...

Thanks for your help!

Set Number: 8988 Set Name: Glatorian Legends Gelu Price: $12.99 Place of Purchase: Toys'R'Us, Central New Jersey, USA Build Time: >5 Minutes Comprehension of Bionicle Storyline: Limited to None Howdy! Long-time reader, first time reviewer. Stopped by Toys'R'Us today while on my lunch break looking (in vain) for the new Sports Car (8402), but found all of the new Glatorian Legends instead. Having bought the previous two Bionicle sets in the Arctic sub-theme (Metus & Strakk; purchased in the middle of blizzard) I decided to pick up this guy as well. Packaging: The box art for this guy is sharp and striking: icicles border the main figure, posed in a dynamic and exciting fashion. The back of the packaging depicts the other sets available. Instruction Booklet: Again, pretty standard stuff here: image of the set flanked by a kind reminder from TLG that eating pointy plastic bits is detrimental to your health. The starburst in the background is really eye-catching though, it draws the builder's attention right to the figure. Really slick design work on TLG's part. Random Instruction Page: Straightforward build, nothing revolutionary or extraordinary. The pages themselves do have a nice arctic blue tint to them, as well as a small depiction of a Glatorian arena along the lower border. We get a glimpse of what's to come later this summer towards the end of the instruction booklet: Max Max-cum-Ben Hur gladiatorial contraptions. They look to be extraordinarily detailed and horrifically expensive. The Parts: The stock body parts are cast in a nice royal blue; the bulky shins are new to me, but may have been used on other sets in the Glatorian Legends line. The razor-edged snowflake-death-weapons were seen earlier this year with Metus, while the mask and giant-ice-spear weapons are brand new. Open-faced and streamlined, the mask is cast in dual plastics, white fading to translucent blue; the angled, icy flow of the piece suggesting great speed on the part of the wearer. The ice spear pieces are also cast in dual plastics, this time silver building to blue. The handles are made of a harder plastic then the blades, which are rather soft and pliable (due to the looming specter of juvenile ocular trauma). The Build: Piece call-outs on every page aid in the crippling simplicity of the build. Another friendly reminder from TLG reminds children NOT to fire the latest plastic projectile ball-weapons at the faces of their friends, pets, or loved ones. The Finished Set: As expectantly simplistic as the construction of this set was, the sheer bad-$%^ery of the completed product is nearly impossible to deny. Looking imposing and suitably frozen, Gelu radiates with an aura of arctic fury (aided admirably by the translucent blue flanking of his weapon, snowflake shoulder armor and mask). The mechanized appearance is less overt than with most Bionicle sets, the new hand molds helping the figure seem more techno-organic then merely technological (even with the stalwart presence of that bizarre gear-crotch). Posing is, as is to be expected, excellent, with thirteen points of articulation allowing Gelu to reign down righteous vengeance on behalf of his people. Or break dance. Whichever your preference may be. Comparison Shots: Gelu stands here, surrounded by his comrades-in-arms Strakk and Metus. While Strakk is slightly taller, Gelu feels more solid, with better proportions. (Of course, Strakk also has a immense frozen ax of glacial destruction, and icicle-spike shoulder pads, which makes him well worth the purchase on his own.) To me, Gelu, Strakk and Metus comprise the native pantheon of gods on Ice Planet 2002. While the tiny alien miners toil away with their translucent orange chainsaws, harvesting vast amounts of... well... ice, I guess; the three ancient deities wait for opportune time to strike, constructing blizzards of unimaginable fury to strike down upon these destructive interlopers. Random Shots: Mask, Front: The new translucent (color-coordinated) heads are much more expressive then the pseudo-creepy Predator-esque modules from older Bionicle sets. Mask, Profile: Edged Weapon Posed Against Alma-Mater Yearbook: Final Score: Price: 7/10 $12.99US is fairly expensive, but the figure you get is sturdy, flexible and dynamic, worth the money, if you can swing it. Parts: 5/10 While the mask is simply incredible, there are no real OMGMUSTHAVE pieces in this set. Though does one buy a Bionicle set for part diversity? Build: 7/10 Piece call outs on every page, a piece count under 60 and large, easily distinguishable parts do not a difficult build make. However, it's basically an action figure with 'some assembly required'; and when was the last time you could swap Spider-man's limbs with Batman's? Overall: 9/10 The design screams fast, powerful and cold; which is exactly what you would want in an set meant to depict a mechanized gladiator lifeform from the frozen north. I had no qualms purchasing it, and can't wait to test his mettle against the scientific hordes of Ice Planet 2002. Hope you enjoyed the review! Thanks for reading! -writemakesright

Hi, I wasn't sure of where to put this, but how do I delete my account? I'd like to start over using the same email address but a different screen name. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Where can I go to find a gallery of all the exclusive sets?