Hapori Tohu

Bricks Cascade 2013 is in the books, and next up is a brand new event in the Northeast - BrickFair New England. We want you and your MOCs there to support BZPower. You can find out more details about how to send stuff in in this blog entry. There's about a month and a half until we all gather in Manchester, New Hampshire, so get building!View the full article

It appears I wrote my editorial a week too early, since I seem to have missed out on yet another addition to the Chima lineup. LEGOLAND Florida will soon receive a Legends of Chima themed area containing a water ride, a Speedorz arena attraction, a 4D movie, and walkabout characters from the theme. This will be the first section of a LEGOLAND Park to be based off of a specific theme, as opposed to more generic themes like City, Adventurers/Indiana Jones, and Pirates. Cartoon Network is the presenting partner of this park section, and will have a large part in the Chima section as well, advertising some of their other programs like Adventure Time.View the full article

TT Fusion, a division of TT Games, has just released Lego City: Undercover for the Wii U. The player assumes the identity of undercover Lego cop Chase McCain and explores the open world of Lego City, while trying to nab the (fiendish) Rex Fury. LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins for the Nintendo 3DS will be out in Europe on April 26, which is five days after the previously announced North American launch date of April 21st. For more information check out the official site here.View the full article

Today we get to take the wraps off a project that's been in the works since earlier this year. BZPower is proud to announce that we are expanding the site to include a LEGO Users Group, or LUG. BioniLUG is a group for people who enjoy building creations and then displaying them at events and conventions, or who just like to go to those conventions to interact with other members and fans. You can read more about it in this topic and ask any questions you might have in the Talkback. I'm looking forward to this new aspect of our community and hope you all are as well.View the full article

The coolest Bionicle game we've seen in years isn't even official, but the size and ambition of the project blows every other game out of the water. A small team of Russian modders have been working for over a year on converting Skyrim characters, items, locations, powers, dialogue, and quests into Bionicle. With their apologies, they say that the story and locations will be limited to the quest for the Mask of Light arc, and that they "absolutely will never make Bara Magna and giant robots." They've put up a call for help on their Moddb page for everything from 3D modeling to GUI design, so if you want to see this project pull through, go ahead and contact them! You can see in-game clips and follow the team's progress on their blog here. With the attention it's been gaining, I doubt the project will die before release, but it couldn't help to spread the word.View the full article

Oh right, we focus on constraction sets here - I guess we should review some. It's very convenient then that I happen to have a review for 44001 Pyrox for you all. How does this little baddie stack up as part as the 2013 lineup? Let's find out! Presentation From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set. This set comes in a bag like most Hero Factory sets these days. It's very clear that this is a Hero Factory Brain Attack set, and Pyrox is charging at you of the front of the bag. I bought this set at a Toys 'R' Us in Maryland, but for some reason French seems to be the predominant language on the back. In addition to the foreign language lesson, we also see that Pyrox can combine with Furno XL to make an even bigger Furno XL. And of course don't forget to enter your Hero codes. Inside the bag is another bag with most of the parts. The brain attacker, the torso, the mask and the instruction manual are loose inside. Building Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it? I think we all know this build by now. There's some pieces you don't usually see like the Ben 10 feet, but it's really straightforward. You could probably do it without the instructions if you wanted to. Set Design Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here. Here's the part selection. Lots of black core Hero Factory pieces of course, but we also get some dark red, bright red, and trans-neon orange too. It's a decent selection, but nothing amazing. I would have liked more dark red, like some #3 and #4 armor pieces in that color. There's a bunch of new, recolored, and otherwise interesting parts in this set. The L-shaped Technic connector isn't new, but this is the first time it's appeared in a Hero Factory set. The 2x3 quadruple axle connector is new for this year and is only available in Pyrox and Furno XL, as is the flame/lightning bolt piece. The claw with clip isn't new, but this is the first time it's in trans-neon orange which is cool. The head is new for this year and has been covered in previous reviews. The rock armor is new for this year and is only available in dark red in Pyrox. The #5 trans-neon orange armor has a pattern that's exclusive to Pyrox, and of course the mask is unique to him too. The brain is also new for this year and the yellow color is only in Pyrox. Not shown, the armor and feet are also new colors only found in this set. The first thing this set makes me think of is a raging bull - the big horns and the hoof-like feet lend itself to that idea. Once you get beyond that, he looks very top-heavy. And he is - it can be difficult to balance this set and keep him standing. I like the dark red a lot and wish there was more of it - there's five black #3 armor pieces in this set, why not make some of those dark red instead? Or either of his hands - the new color is a bit useless with so few pieces in it. His left hand/paw is kind of cool, especially the transparent claws. The right hand seems kind of weak though - is it supposed to be a flamethrower or something? The back is pretty bare, as expected in a smaller set. The brain helps though, as long as it stays in place... ...which, as you can see from the above, it does not do well. I had to pop it back in numerous times while taking pictures, and managed to capture it once here. In addition to not staying in place, it greatly limits the head poseability. Playability The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with? Pyrox has one play feature - you can spin his flamethrower around with the Technic connector behind his hand. Other than that, you can pose him in a variety of positions. As I mentioned earlier, he's not the most stable, so that is a concern. Otherwise, if you have some other sets they can battle each other. And that's it. Final Thoughts Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it? Pros What's to like?Dark redTrans-neon orange clawsGrab the bull by the horns Cons What's not to like?Not enough dark redTop heavy and unstableSilly flamethrower Overall, I think you can pass on Pyrox. The dark red pieces are nice, but there's simply not enough here to buy it just for the color. I'll probably be taking him apart for the pieces soon, since the design and character of the set aren't very interesting. And there you have Pyrox in all his bullishness. I hope you found the review informative - you can post your comments and feedback in the Talkback. And of course you can check back for more LEGO reviews and news, here on BZPower. View the full article

No, not a magazine, but a physical club at the Joplin Public Library. The new program, which allows kids to play with an enormous collection of LEGO bricks once a month, has drawn as many as 70 participants. Sadly, perhaps maddeningly, it has included Mega Bloks in the provided bricks. Back on a happy note, Joplin's program isn't isolated. Pittsburg Public Library has recently started its own LEGO building sessions. You can read more about this awesome occurrence right over here.View the full article

BZPower Forum Leader Windirder has put out a call for questions. If there's something you want to know about on BZPower - questions about policy, how to do something, or why the spinnies go the direction they do - send Ryan a message. He's a pretty cool guy, and we both will appreciate your assistance!View the full article

If you're a photography buff, you may have heard of the M9-P "Hermes Edition" camera model by Leica. It costs around $50,000, so odds are you will never own it (even if you are a photography buff). So, as consolation, why not construct a LEGO replica of it? That's what LEGO master builder Chris McVeigh did, and it is certainly something to behold. Click here for an article and to check out some photos of this photogenic LEGO creation. You'll also find a link to step-by-step PDF instructions of the model if you're interested in building it yourself!View the full article

We will soon be recording the next episode of the BZPowercast, and that means another Staff Interview. For this month, you can direct your queries to BZPower Forum Leader Makaru. <a href='http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?app=members&module=messaging&section=send&do=form&fromMemberID=5232'>Drop him a line</a> and ask him why he's so tall, how much he enjoyed being a Blog Leader, or what it's like to ride a moose around the frozen plains of Canada. The more questions the merrier, so don't hold back!View the full article

Oh, hey Pohatu. Poor guy, you don't see much action. Of course, Onua has it even tougher--there's not even a Reference Team anymore. I suppose that's just another thing to tease him about next time he brags about his March Madness bracket. Anyhow, your triumphant return comes as I, BZPower Reporter LewaLew, present my concerns over the risks taken by LEGO with the videogames and TV series LEGO has made based on Legends of Chima. Unfortunately, due to the fact that news stories are unviewable right now, you're going to have to go to my blog, The BaseBlog, in order to read. Once the news stories are viewable again, you will be able to read this as you normally would. The entry's comments will be locked--to comment, post in the talkback. I will provide a link in my blog when the talkback is posted by Hapori Tohu.View the full article

Lego's been growing unbelievably for years now, with sales of $4.04 billion in 2012. The company's estimated value has just climbed to $14.6 billion, topping Mattel Inc's $14.4 billion. This article explains some of the recent history of company and also delves into the shares of Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen's three children, all of whom seem to be billionaires thanks to the brick.View the full article

What happens when you combine some classic (gear-containing) Bionicle sets, an Arduino, a MIDI synthesizer, and some instruments? One of the most unique musical ensembles I've ever seen, that's for sure. Engadget reports that Guiseppe Acito, an Italian sound designer and producer, has combined all these things to create the Toa Mata Band, a new project featuring Tahu, Gali, Lewa, and Takanuva playing drum pads, xylophones, synthesizers, and more. You can check out his blog (in Italian) here for additional pictures and details. It's good to see we're not the only ones still playing with our Bionicle sets!View the full article

It's certainly not the first time we've featured Ochre Jelly's work on the front page, but his creations have been the most culturally relevant and enjoyable to look at, so here's his latest work: Tard the Grumpy Cat built in brick! Whether or not you've gotten tired of seeing this cat all over the internet, this incarnation is definitely worth another look.View the full article

Today we take a look at the smallest boxed Hobbit set, 79000 Riddles for the Ring. Despite it's diminutive size, it portrays probably one of the most pivotal scenes in the movie. So does that make it worth tossing into your shopping cart and bringing it home? You'll have to read on to find out! Presentation From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set. The front of the box clearly showcases just about all there is to see in the set. It depicts a scene, though certainly not a scene I read in the book or saw in the movie. But it has Bilbo, Gollum, and the Ring, so I guess that's good enough. Speaking of which, the Ring does not really glow like that. The back shows off many of the possible ways you can play with the set, including having Gollum beat Bilbo with a dead fish. Cracking the box open, you get two small bags and an instruction book. Nothing surprising here. Building Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it? You start out by building Gollum's little boat. There's really nothing too it. Then comes the main event - the rock outcropping that holds the Ring. There's no fancy techniques here, but you do get a little Technic building in at least. It goes together fast and without difficulty. Set Design Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here. If you like dark grey, then this is a set for you. It's got bricks and plates and slopes and more all in that color. If you need a variety of parts in the color for some landscaping or something, you're in luck! There's also a smattering of light grey, dark tan, black, and brown. In all honesty, nothing in the pieces really stood out as being unique or rare though. It's a thoroughly average collection. Here's what you get. Gollum and his boat, a rocky outcropping, and Bilbo Baggins of Bag End. The main piece definitely captures the feel of the goblin-tunnels from the movies, and overall it looks pretty nice. I understand what they were going for here, but I'm not a fan of the execution. Gollum's boat looks very unfinished, and the bones look like a tacked-on afterthought. I know his boat is supposed to be cobbled-together, but it just looks like there was no effort put in here. And what's with the grey 2x2 plate? Couldn't we at least have brown to tie it together? They could have done a lot better with this in my book. I think the rest of the set, on the other hand, looks quite nice. It's pretty monotonous as far as color goes, but it has some very interesting shapes made out of the various slopes. There's a couple gaps on the side that I wish they hid, but that's pretty small in comparison to the rest. I definitely see it fitting right into the movie. Here's the real reason you bought this set - the minifigs. Gollum we've seen before, but his face is a different print than in the Shelob Attacks set from The Lord of the Rings line. Otherwise he's the same, and still pretty great. Bilbo Baggins is of course brand new to The Hobbit sets, and comes with a great printed torso that I can see being used in Victorian England and Steampunk MOCs. I think his face looks a little bit more like Ian Holmes than it does Martin Freeman, but it gets the job done. Two great figs for sure, and obviously must-haves for collectors. Playability The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with? There's one play feature in this set. If you turn the Technic coupler on the side, a piece of rock with the Ring on it comes flipping out, pushing the rock face out of the way. It doesn't get them all the way out, so you'll have to do that yourself. It works I suppose, but honestly I think it looks better just as background scenery. And then of course there's the whole canonicity thing. Bilbo finds the Ring on the ground, not stuck in some rock. That makes the whole feature just a little bit silly to me. If you take my suggestion from above and just use the rock as scenery, there's still lots of fun to be had here. You can act out the entire Riddles in the Dark chapter if you'd like. What has root that nobody sees, Is taller than the trees, Up and up it goes, Yet never grows? An eye in a green face saw and eye in a blue face, 'This eye is like to that eye,' said the first eye, 'But in high place, not in low place.' I could go on, but I'll spare you. Final Thoughts Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it? Pros What's to like?Great minifigsGood parts for building mountains and similarCaptures an iconic scene in the book and movie Cons What's not to like?Lackluster boatSilly and inaccurate play feature In the end, this is really a set for the fans and for people who want the minifigs. It offers some good play value and parts, but nothing that makes it a must-buy. I'm glad I have it on display though, along with my many other Tolkien LEGO sets. That's it for now. Of course you can leave questions and feedback in the Talkback, and both are more than welcome. And please keep checking back for more LEGO news and reviews, right here on BZPower! View the full article

Time for another set review! Sharing some insight on the Chima line, BZPower Forum Assistant Nuju Metru takes a look at 70002 Lennox' Lion Attack. What goes into this ferocious ATV set, and is it worth your while to pick it up? Why don't you read on to find out? Presentation From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set. Ever since I saw pictures of them, I've thought that the Legends of Chima boxes were quite attractive in a design sense. The box of Lennox' Lion Attack (henceforth abbreviated as LLA, for my convenience) reinforces that opinion. The theme's distinctive logo rests on a dappled blue backdrop, and some blue energy flows from the Chi dotting the letter "I" into the eye of an enlarged Lennox artwork. Against a speed-blurred Chimascape below, we can see the Lion Attack Vehicle, a 4x4 ATV, rushing after a crocodile on foot with a heavy-looking gun and a crystal of the magical Chi, the energy source in Chima and the root of the conflict in their universe. I didn't really think about it until now, but it doesn't make much sense that a crocodile on foot carrying something heavy should be able to outrun anything, let alone a juiced-up Lion ATV... The back of the box, as is typical, is occupied with several smaller images of the set that showcase its functions and playability. The eye is drawn first to the top right corner, where our characters, the lion Lennox and the crocodile Crug - awesome alliteration - are both lunging for a sphere of Chi. Below them is a collection of story-telling images, maybe intended as a loose comic, that show us Crug stealing Lennox' Chi and running away with it before Lennox runs him down, gets out of his tricked-out ride, and socks Crug right in the kisser to take back his property (at least, that's how I interpreted the bottom right panel playing out). We are also given an insight as to how the "rapid fire shooter" function works. Opening up the box, we're presented with a nice jumble of parts, a spattering of Keetorange (the color born for BIONICLE!) with various other eye-drawing elements, which we'll look into later. Sorry, I already unwrapped the parts from their bags when taking this picture - I've never found images of the bags themselves to be all that interesting - but I can remember that all the parts were in unnumbered bags. We're given two instruction books here, an event that seems abnormal for such an average-sized set (LEGO retail price $25). Something else missing here is the small sticker sheet, probably still somewhere in the box in this picture, I think. So sue me. Building Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it? Now the exciting part starts! It's time to make LLA out of the pile of elements seen above, enjoy the discoveries of building techniques encountered as the instruction manual progresses. I like that part. The first thing we build here are, as in most sets, the minifigures, Lennox and Crug, who is given his "Slugga" (I looked that up on the Chima website) cannon. Then the real build begins. Here are some WIP images; Crug and Lennox decided to put aside their differences for a few minutes to help build this vehicle. Lennox shows us our few extra pieces: Set Design Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here. First on the examination block are the interesting parts in this set. Neglecting all the new Keetorange elements that appear here, there are several new (or newish) molds that are exciting. Lennox' and Crug's headpieces are new molds, and the prints are unique for their characters. There's also the extended spine part - which I'm sure will find plenty of uses in BIONICLE MOCs - a long, rubber spike that comes in both reddish brown and white in this set. My personal favorite spots in this set are the 2x1 SNOT brackets (herein meaning "studs not on top," not nasal fluid), which come in the "above" and "below" varieties... I want a whole bin of those things. There's also the Chi piece, a pretty part that seems to combine the designs of a 1x1x1 cylinder with the old Rock Raiders crystal (Editor's note - Nuju Metru is too young to remember that these parts first appeared in Aquazone in the 90s); the end result is a rhapsody in blue. I also liked to see the "hollow slope" part, which is very useful. Moving on to the figures, we're given some pretty nifty little guys with LLA. Both figures have full front printing down to their clawed toes and back printing. They both have double-sided faces underneath their headgear; one face is kind of giggly, the other one serious, and only those eyes can be seen through the masks. Lennox is my personal favorite of the lion figures I've seen; he looks heroic from his golden eyes to his cool blue sash thing. Who would've thought a Lion could have abs? Crug is also a pleasing figure, with a red loincloth that compliments his scaly skin. The ironclad lower jaw is a fun touch that really gives Crug that "strong but stupid" vibe. Above is Crug with the Slugga and the Chi crystal. The gun is rather large and cumbersome, and not necessarily in a good way; it's hard for Crug to hold, and its handle detaches somewhat easily. I do, though, appreciate the inclusion of the olive green cheese slope. The full set is bigger than I imagined it, and looks good from most angles. The color scheme, a feline flow of Keetorange, tan, and brown, looks great, and accentuates the leonine theme of this vehicle. The forward facing array of weapons including claws, long guns, and (most imposing of all) flickfire missiles really reinforces that LLA is an attack vehicle, all front armoring and offensive weapons. The ATV looks light and agile, an impression somewhat made enigmatic by its wide-spaced tires and sturdy footprint. The cleverly achieved lion's head dominates the front view, while the back is defined by its stickered-on controls and Chi slot. Playability The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with? The first thing I noticed when I started to roll the finished model around was its suspension. The system, based around reluctantly flexible thin elements and loose joints, is remarkably effective - above, you can see me all but twisting the wheels into perpendicularity with no ill effect on the model - and makes for a lot of fun. LLA can be rolled seamlessly over the uneven terrain of couch cushions, the treacherous ground of clothes on the floor, and of course smooth surfaces too. Its suspension is exciting and adaptable; you can really play with the LLA anywhere. An added plus is that the claws in the front, which look like they could be breakable, aren't; not only are the claws themselves rubbery shock-absorbers, but the housing for the claws is also totally rotatable, held in place only by the pushing of the blue Chi hoses. You could roll the LLA full-speed against a wall, and the claws wouldn't take any beating. I adore this part of the design. Less satisfying is the "rapid fire shooter." If you're unfamiliar with my own LEGO creations (as I'm sure you are), I'll let you know that one of my favorite things to do is to design rubber-band-powered projectile launchers. I was excited to see that LLA supposedly has one of these, a gravity-loading 2x2 round plate launcher that will fire upon the release of a pulled-back trans-blue element. In theory, it should work, and the loading mechanism does very well. However, the firing part isn't as smooth; the disks, once ejected, fly out a grand distance of about two inches before flopping sadly to earth and skidding to an apologetic halt. The images above are a dramatization of the launcher's capabilities. Not only is the launcher ineffective, it's also hard to fire; the trigger element is very difficult to get a hold of when it's in the pre-firing position, which bugs me. The disks are, to top all that off, difficult to load. Final Thoughts Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it? Pros What's to like?Oh-so-functional suspensionCool-looking vehicle with attractive color schemeThe return of KeetorangeMinifigs are funSNOT platesSturdy, playable model that looks like a lion Cons What's not to like?Rapid fire shooter... everything about it.Larger than desirable parts-to-price ratio (230 pieces at $25)Why does LEGO keep putting in flick-fire missiles, why?Slugga is awkward Thanks for reading. Overall, I am very pleased with this set; it's been rolling around my room ever since I assembled it. I even took it apart and built some really cool alternate models when I was watching TV, including a Lennox' Lion Helicopter, which I then forgot to take a photo of... Ah well. I think LLA is a great way to introduce you into the nifty new Legends of Chima theme, which I hope to explore in more depth by purchasing more sets. I would recommend LLA to anyone who is still young enough at heart to lie down on the floor and make engine-revving noises while playing single-pin crocodile bowling with an unfairly sized ATV. ...I did. And so concludes our review for today - I hope you enjoyed it! Of course, be sure to thank Nuju Metru in the Talkback, where you can also ask any questions you might have or given some feedback. And don't forget to keep checking back for more set reviews and brick news, right here on BZPower! View the full article

LEGO has recently updated the Hero Factory website with a new "Webisode". The video covers the "Brain Attack" story, and features all of the summer heroes and villains. It also includes some shots of a mysterious villain, so head on over here and watch it!View the full article

Looks like Hero Factory will be coming back in 2014! Christian Faber made a blog post letting us know that he and his company (Advance) are working with Ghost on a 22 minute Hero Factory film for next year. We don't know any other details, but with the track record of those two groups, it's sure to be something worth watching! And of course it means the current constraction line isn't going anywhere just yet, which is also good news.View the full article

LEGO already makes Lord of the Rings sets, but some people aren't quite satisfied with the choices that have been made so far. Our very own Nuju Metru is one such individual, and so has started two projects on LEGO Cuusoo to correct this grievous error. Go check out his projects for Minas Tirith and Edoras, both of which are very well done and have some stupendous details. If they're the kind of things you'd be interested in buying, consider voting for them and spreading the word.View the full article

We've had LEGO Harry Potter sets in the past and with those have come many, many variations on the model of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. In terms of detail and sheer scale, however, they all pale in comparison to the incredible recreation of Hogwarts by LEGO builder Alice Finch. The model, which is currently on display at the 2013 Emerald City Comicon, contains over 400,000 bricks and took over a year to construct. In addition, it features 250+ minifigures reenacting key scenes throughout the complex. Click here to read a full article on this amazing piece of LEGO artistry, as well as to view pictures and a brief video documentary. It's well worth a look!View the full article

Looks like Canadian fans in Edmonton have some great news. Southgate Centre recently announced that a LEGO Brand Retail store will be opening there this summer. At 3800 square-feet, it'll be no little thing either. if you live in the area, get your wallets ready!View the full article

It looks like a new LEGO game has been added to their mobile lineup. LEGO City Spotlight Robbery is now available for Android and iOS. For the low, low price of free, there's no reason why you shouldn't pick it up if you have a device that can run it!View the full article

Looks like another LEGO Cuusoo project has hit ten thousand votes. BZPower member Infrared reports that the Landrover Defender 110 submission has reached the necessary milestone. It's going into the review phase shortly and we should hear either way in a couple months. The truck is a pretty awesome model that you should definitely check out!View the full article

Spider-Man is facing off against his arch nemesis Venom, and this time he has the help of his cool new Spider-Cycle and Nick Fury in a flying car. If that's not an interesting premise for a set, then I don't know what is. But the real question is: How good of a set is it? BZPower Reporter xccj reviews this set to see if this is one you should web sling to the store to get. Presentation From the design of the box to the instruction manual, these are the first things you see before building the set. We are yet again treated to a red LEGO Marvel box, and the front shows Spider-Man and Nick Fury teaming up to take down Venom, all while flying in the air above the city streets. Pretty standard stuff. The back shows off some of the features in the vehicles, accompanied by the sound effects that should be made while using them. Not bad, and it does a nice job of previewing the set for potential buyers. One thing that is also on the front that's worth mentioning is the advertisement for the Ultimate Spider-Man television series. You see, the latest wave of Spider-Man sets is based off this new television show. Spider-Man, instead of being a solo web-slinging crime fighter, has actually joined up with a team of teenage super heroes that train with SHEILD under Nick Fury's guidance. Two of the other team members, Iron Fist and Nova, have been made into minifig form, and I'm still waiting for White Tiger and Power Man figs in future Spider-Man sets. The show is certainly different from other Spider-Man universes that I'm familiar with, but love it or hate it, it's what these sets are based off of. And I feel that I needed to mention it to explain why the set has Spider-Man teaming up with Fury in a flying car. In addition to the pieces and instruction booklet, you also get a comic book, which follows the characters from the two Spider-Man sets being released this winter. The first half of it is really the villains fighting each other before Spider-Man and friends swing in, and even then it's hard to figure out who is on who's side. But for what it lacks as a gripping narrative, it makes up for by showcasing all the characters and vehicles well. It's not a Bionicle 2001 comic, but I liked it better than some of the ones that came with last summer's Marvel sets. Building Half the fun is had building the set. How fun is it to build and how easy or challenging is it? The build is fairly simple, which is great for younger audiences. The flying car does have a few nice SNOT (studs not on top) techniques used on it, particularly with the windshield, and it's well done. However, one thing I noticed while building was the use of so many colored plates on the inside of the vehicle. Most of the blue, yellow, and orange pieces are supposed to be hidden on the green car, but some of them are still partially visible, which can throw off the color scheme. I don't understand why LEGO had to be so varied on the interior greeble. Why not just make it all grey or something? Did they really have to use the entire color pallet? And if you're going to throw in random colors, why not also include purple, because that would've completed the rainbow? I'm sure LEGO did this as a way to help younger builders differentiate between the types of plates visually, but I think they took it a step too far. Set Design Now that the set is complete, we can critique how it looks from every angle. New or interesting pieces can also be examined here. There are lots of pieces here. 237, plus a handful of extras, which is a decent price per parts ratio for this $20 USD set. As I mentioned in my rant above, there are a lot of different colors in this set, although most of them are in the forms of plates. The main colors used here are black and green, with some grays and reds to highlight the outside, and then blue, yellow, orange, tan, and white to build the car. There are two parts that really stand out. The first is a 1x2 plate with a pin hole on one side. It's a new piece for 2013, and while it shows up in a fair amount of sets, it's still a great way to help integrate Technic and System building styles. The next piece is a new liftarm design, and only appears in one other winter set this year, and offers plenty of new design opportunities for MOCers. Some other interesting pieces are the green wedges, green car hood, new bracket pieces, and the silver 1x1 round tiles, which are all either fairly new or fairly rare. Not a bad set for the parts! But you aren't interested in the individual pieces, are you? The minifigures for this set are the real stars. You get the Ultimate Spider-Man, his arch nemesis Venom, and Mace Windu with an eye patch. . . er, sorry, I mean Nick Fury. Three amazing figs to be sure. Despite being the namesake of the set, Spider-Man is also the most underwhelming of the figs, primarily because he has comes in a couple of other sets too, and not to mention that he also came out in sets ten years ago. (Wow, has it been that long since those Spider-Man sets? Back then licensed minifig characters still came with yellow skin!) Still, he's a descent design, as he has his traditional uniform print on both the front and back of his torso. Even the back of his head has a pattern printed on it, although it doesn't extend around the sides. The figure clearly represents our hero, and it's great to be able to snag him in a relatively inexpensive set. Venom is also an amazing addition. His is one of the classic Spider-Man villains to appear in the series, the torso and face design really capture the character. However, for whatever reason, Venom has black vines attached to his back. I get that this is supposed to represent the tentacles of the Symbiote, but they are connected loosely by a rod and spin far too freely. It also hides his back printing. Overall, the fig is great, but the back tentacles are unnecessary. Finally, we have Nick Fury. It was a huge disappointment that Fury wasn't made for the Avenger's line last summer, but luckily he was able to pop up in this set, so the Avenger completists will still be able to collect him. His torso is rather simple compared to the details on Spider-Man and Venom (and the other Avengers figs from last summer.) But his head print does an excellent job of showing off the character with his eye patch, facial hair, and no nonsense expression. It's great to be able to get him in such an inexpensive set. When I first heard that there would be a Spider-Cycle set, I was afraid Spider-Man would be given the same bulky motorcycle that appeared in the Cat Woman and Captain America sets last year. But luckily, this bike is actually brick built. It's not a slim bike at all, but when folded together it looks like a smooth ride for Spidey. A cool feature is that the wheels can rotate out to turn it into more of an angled four-wheeler. It's a fun design. The green car, however, is the best build of the set. The use of SNOT techniques allows for a pretty good flow, although it doesn't quite hide the various colored pieces hidden on the inside. The coolest design is the windshield, which is placed on its side and connects to the car via clips. This uncommon building style works amazingly with the vehicle's flow, and I applaud the design. One thing to mention though is that the seat of the car is very deep. Even standing up, Nick Fury just barely clear's the top of the windshield. I can't decide if I like this or not, so I'll leave that up to you. Playability The other half of the fun is in playing with the set. How well does the set function and is it enjoyable to play with? As far as role playing goes, this set is great. You have three classic characters to battle against each other, and two of them have vehicles too. Venom is a bit outmatched, but he's been given two slime bombs, which I guess he can throw at his opponents. Besides, Venom's strong enough to throw cars around with ease, so he's probably not too worried about the extra vehicles against him. As mentioned earlier, Spider-Man's Spider-Cycle does have a neat feature that allows the wheels to move. So he can transform his cycle into an angled four-wheeler, or even what I presume to be some odd sort of hovercraft. The new liftarm piece really works well for this function. And if Spider-Man gets tired of his bike, he also has a strand of white webbing that he could use to swing from building to building or wrap up his foes with. Nick Fury comes in a flashy green SHIELD car. (Why is it green? I thought SHIELD's colors were blue? Oh well, I like green, so it works for me.) I don't remember seeing this particular car in the series yet, but flying SHIELD cars have appeared in plenty of other places, so it's not that far fetched. How does this car turn into a flying vehicle? Well, first, you take the wheels and turn them downward. And then. . . well, that's it. There's no secret engine or hidden wings or anything to transform it further. The movable wheels are a nice touch, but a little underwhelming. Of course, there is the hidden missile launcher. Fury doesn't come in a ride that doesn't have a hidden missile launcher! The back pops up to reveal the deadly. . . flick fire missile. And thanks to the wedge brick on the top, it's also rather difficult to flick it. Sorry, flick fire fans, but this is yet another gimmick design that just doesn't work well. Still, it is nicely hidden. Final Thoughts Once it's all said and done, how does the set stack up? Should I get it? Pros What's to like? Amazing figures all aroundNeat Spider-CycleVery smooth car buildWindshield design is particularly well doneGood amount of pieces, with some cool new ones added to the mixPrice is relatively inexpensive Cons What's not to like? What's up with Venom's back tentacles?Too many colors were used to build the interior of the carAnd said colors were not always hidden wellFlick fire feature not found to be favorable Should you get this set? Yes. It's good for Spider-Man fans; even if you're not into the new television show, Spidey and Venom are both iconic enough to be desirable. It's good for Avenger fans too; where else are you going to get Nick Fury? Are you looking for some good role playing action? This set has two vehicles and three characters; that's enough for anybody to stage a good fight scene. More interested in the pieces? This set has lots of them, some in cool colors and some in new molds. Looking for a set that won't break the bank? This one is only $19.99 USD, which is a step above impulse sets but not outrageously priced either. Yes, this set has some flaws to it, but I think they can easily be overlooked and the set can still be fully enjoyed? Reasons why you wouldn't want to get this set: You're arachnophobic and deathly afraid of spiders. Or a spider-like Symbiote. (If this is the case, then I really wouldn't recommend the LotR Shelob set either.) Thanks for reading, and keep checking back to BZPower for more Hero Factory and LEGO set reviews! View the full article

If you're a fan of telling stories and collaboration, you need to head over to the Bionicle RPG forum to check out <a href='http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=8857'>RPG Contest 27</a>. You can come up with your own premise and story set in the Bionicle universe and then if you win, everyone gets a chance to play! Check out the topic for all the rules. You have until Sunday, March 24th to enter, so that's three weeks from today and plenty of time. I look forward to seeing your entries!View the full article