Albert Balanza, Author at The Brick Show

ICYMI: LEGO Monkie Kid Monkie Kid’s Team Dronecopter (80023) Now Listed at LEGO Shop@Home

LEGO Shop@Home has now listed its first LEGO Monkie Kid set for 2021. We first saw this set when it was revealed back in November 2020 during the 3rd China International Import Exhibition (CIIE). Initially, it was thought this set might be a sort of regional exclusive, despite LEGO’s repeated assurance that they are finally letting go of this very limiting business model. And now we can confirm that the LEGO Monkie Kid Monkie Kid’s Team Dronecopter (80023), along with the rest of the still to be revealed LEGO Monkie Kid 2021 sets, will be arriving soon via LEGO’s online shopping portal.

The first to be revealed for its 2021 series, the LEGO Monkie Kid Monkie Kid’s Team Dronecopter (80023) comes in at 1,462 pieces and will retail for $150 when it arrives on March 1st. Check out the following product description of this set, along with its several official images. You may also add this set to your LEGO wishlist so you will not forget to add this to your cart once it is available in March.

LEGO Monkie Kid Monkie Kid’s Team Dronecopter (80023)

1462 pieces | $149.99

Children can become heroes in their own epic stories and wow their friends with Monkie Kid’s Team Dronecopter. This LEGO® Monkie Kid™ helicopter toy (80023) features 2 spring-loaded shooters and 2 detachable ‘cargo containers’ with lots of homely features inside, including bunk beds and a buildable arcade machine. The playset includes 8 minifigures and 2 figures, including Monkie Kid, Mei, Sandy, Mo the cat, Spider Queen, Mr. Tang with a Journey to the West book element, and Red Son with a flyer, plus a spring-loaded ‘spider poison’ shooter for battle action.

Go digital
Find clear instructions in the box and digital Instructions PLUS in the free LEGO Building Instructions app, which lets youngsters zoom in on, rotate, and visualize the models as they build.

Build, play, and learn
Inspired by the classic Journey to the West novel and rooted in China’s culture, LEGO Monkie Kid sets make the best gifts for kids, helping them develop creativity, bravery, resilience, and optimism.

Children can join a team of heroes and battle the Spider Queen with the fabulously detailed Monkie Kid’s Team Dronecopter (80023), plus a buildable, spring-loaded ‘spider poison’ shooter.
Includes 8 minifigures: Monkie Kid, Mei, Mr. Tang, Huntsman, Syntax, Red Son, Spider Queen, and Fei, plus Sandy and Mo the cat toy figures, with weapons and accessories for creative role play.
This helicopter toy has 2 spring-loaded shooters and 2 detachable ‘cargo containers’ that are full of homely features, including a buildable arcade machine, bunk beds, and a guitar accessory element.
This premium-quality building kit also includes Red Son’s flyer and Mo’s cat-box-shaped flyer to boost the action play, plus a Journey to the West book element for Mr. Tang.
Offering an immersive building experience and limitless creative play potential, this 1,462-piece, LEGO® set makes the best birthday or holiday gift toy for trendsetting kids aged 10 and up.
The Dronecopter measures over 7.5 in. (19cm) high, 15.5 in. (39 cm) long, and 15.5 in. (39 cm) wide and will look impressive displayed in any child’s bedroom between playtime adventures.

More Images of March 2021 LEGO DOTS and LEGO Friends Sets Revealed

Following the official LEGO Star Wars images released by Bulgarian online store Comsed, we now have more images coming from the LEGO DOTS and LEGO Friends March 2021 line-up coming from the same third-party retailer. We first caught glimpse of these sets last month when LEGO inadvertently published its H1 2021 LEGO Catalog online. And this time around we get to see them up close.

This line of LEGO Friends sets feature its first grand Heartlake Shopping Mall, a bakery and veterinary clinic. LEGO DOTS, on the other hand, adds another line of brick-built wearables to its portfolio with the inclusion of its animal Bag Tag accessories, two additional bracelets, and a first-for-2021 accessory bag. These upcoming sets are expected to arrive in stores and online starting March 1. Check out these images and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Heartlake City Bakery 4+ (41440)

99 pieces | $19.99

Heartlake City Vet Clinic (41446)

258 pieces | $39.99

Heartlake City Shopping Mall (41450)

1032 pieces | $99.99

Bag Tag Dog (41927)

84 pieces | Price: ???

Bag Tag Narwhal (41928)

85 pieces | Price: ???

Bag Tag Leopard (41929)

84 pieces | Price: ???

Cool Cactus Bracelet 41922

33 pieces | $5.99

Music Bracelet (41933)

33 pieces | $5.99

Extra Dots Series 4 (41931)

105 pieces | $3.99

This list is not all-inclusive, and since we still have a handful of March 2021 sets waiting to be revealed, I’ll be updating this post once newer information is available. Thanks to Brick Fanatics for the heads-up.

Are We To See A LEGO Creator Expert RMS Titanic Very Soon?

Rumors have it on brick-street that AFOLs might be in for another LEGO treat very soon. Word has been circulating across LEGO fan forums that LEGO might have in the works its very first model of the iconic British passenger ship, in form of the LEGO Creator Expert RMS Titanic.

In his video, LEGO fan and YouTuber Brother From Another Brick shared some info on some of the possible direct-to-consumer (D2C) sets that LEGO has lined-up for 2021. Among this is a mention of a LEGO Creator Expert RMS Titanic set that is quite frankly, long overdue among older LEGO fans. This news from the LEGO vine was first spilled by Eurobricks forum member VanIslandLego who has a reputation for accurately predicting the arrival of two recently released LEGO Creator Expert sets: the LEGO Creator Expert Ghostbusters Ecto-1 (10274) and the Colosseum (10276).

lego ideas fan submission titanic — A LEGO fan rendition of the RMS Titanic over at **LEGO Ideas**. Image credits to Jimmi-DK.

There’s no word yet with regards to its possible piece count and retail price if the rumors turn out to be true. And if such is the case, then we can expect that the rumored LEGO Creator Expert RMS Titanic will be the second of its kind following the likes of the brick-built shipping vessel, LEGO Creator Maersk Line Triple-E (10241) released in 2014. I feel that most adult LEGO fans have been looking forward to this for a long time. However, considering the tragic story behind this infamous ship, and the many people who died in the wake of its accident on April 14, 1912, LEGO was probably initially discouraged from pursuing this possibility. So I’m not really sure about LEGO’s reasons right now and what has changed if rumors about the arrival of a LEGO Creator Expert RMS Titanic turns out to be true.

So what do you think of this possible next LEGO D2C set? Do you think that a ship with such a sad story behind it should be offered as an official LEGO set? Share your thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks again to Brother from Another Brick for the heads up.

LEGO Vidiyo Music Video Maker Officially Revealed

LEGO has finally unveiled its next augmented reality (AR) inspired theme in the form of the new LEGO Vidiyo. First teased on LEGO’s H1 2021 catalog, this new way of combining physical LEGO elements with top-notch AR tech allows children and other budding LEGO enthusiasts to create their own music video from a wide array of music from Universal Music Group. Watch this video to have a better grasp of what to expect from LEGO Vidiyo. You may also read LEGO’s full press release right here.

Similar to what LEGO offered with its AR-powered LEGO Hidden Side, LEGO Vidiyo helps children spur their creativity by letting them direct, produce and star in their own music videos through the help of special scannable LEGO pieces. The steps are pretty straightforward:

Choose one of the many songs in the App from a broad variety of established artists – both contemporary chart toppers and instantly recognisable classics.

Create your band from a vibrant collection of new, physical minifigures, which can be customised and brought to life in different scales through AR technology in the VIDIYO App.

Line up special effects in the form of ‘BeatBits’ and place them on the scanning stage. BeatBits are decorated 2×2 square LEGO elements, which once scanned unlock digital effects that let you control everything from video and music styles to scene effects. Creators can see their vision realised by choosing anything from black and white bling effects, to confetti showers and even X-ray vision. They can also add audio effects such as DJ scratching, mouse voice or sax solo, as well as fun signature character moves and gimmicks, from breakdancing to surfing on a shark…

Set the stage. From parks to bedrooms and backyards to brick-built models, LEGO VIDIYO music videos can live anywhere. In just three seconds, your location is scanned and production countdown starts.

Hitting the selected BeatBits in the App, children then take creative control of their own music video production, triggering dance moves and audio/video effects in an amazing 60 second performance, which can be trimmed down to 5, 10, 15 or 20 second shareable clips.

Clips can then be uploaded to the App feed, but only once the content has passed moderation. Any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for App feed upload, but can be stored locally in-App, to be enjoyed in-person with friends or family members.

If you’re a fan of the now-discontinued LEGO Nexo Knights theme, the use of special 2×2 decorative tiles dubbed as BeatBits in LEGO Vidiyo sounds very much the same as those scannable shields that come with each LEGO Nexo Knights sets. Though the former’s use is to enhance the video game experience by giving power-ups and special character abilities, the use of the BeatBits tiles in LEGO Vidiyo unlocks various special video and audio effects that you can use to spice up your own music video. Plus it seems that the theme itself will come with their own set of new-for-2021 minifigures. I’m not sure if the accompanying app will allow you to digitally animate your own choice of minifig from your existing collection, but from the looks of it, it is most likely limited to what the app will offer. In my opinion, it will be nice if LEGO will also expand its LEGO Vidiyo in-app options to include its extensive library of non-licensed collectible minifigures and other well-known characters. I’ll certainly have a blast if I can dance along with Banana Guy from CMF Series 16 and Mr. Gold from CMF Series 10!

LEGO Shop@Home has now updated its site to include an About page for LEGO Vidiyo, with a launch date of March 1st. Brickset has also listed 15 upcoming sets (or collectible minifigs perhaps?) under this theme, so it’s kind of exciting to see what LEGO has in store on this one. My best guess is that the minifigures included in LEGO Vidiyo’s latest promotional video and still images will be included in future sets as well. Some of them were somewhat indirectly revealed already. I’ll keep you posted once these new LEGO Vidiyo sets are officially revealed.

ICYMI: Here Are Some of the LEGO Star Wars 2021 Sets Slated for March

Back in October last year, we published an exhaustive list of LEGO 2021 sets that are expected to be available sometime in the first quarter of this year. And this time around, just in case you missed it, Brickset has updated its database to now include three upcoming LEGO Star Wars 2021 sets slated for a March release.

Additionally, Hoth Bricks have also mentioned that some online third-party retailers, particularly Bulgarian online store Comsed, has begun publishing some of these LEGO Star Wars 2021 sets but later removed the listing from their shopping portal.

Here’s a quick look at three of these LSW offerings.

LEGO Star Wars 4+ Resistance X-wing Starfighter (75297)

60 pieces | $19.99

LEGO Star Wars Tauntaun vs. AT-AT Microfighters (75298)

205 pieces | $19.99

LEGO Star Wars Imperial Shuttle (75302)

660 pieces | $79.99

These LEGO Star Wars 2021 sets are still yet to appear over at LEGO Shop@Home, but seeing them being posted early by other retailers is an indication that we might get to officially see them any time soon. I am also looking forward to seeing this year’s LEGO Star Wars UCS set (75303) and another LEGO Star Wars Mandalorian set (75299) that are rumored to be released in the first half of this year. I’ll be updating this post once more information comes in.

So what do you think of this initial offering? Share what you think in the comments below.

New LEGO Adults Welcome Section Curates the Best Sets That LEGO Shop@Home Has To Offer

One of the key objectives of The LEGO Group during the past couple of years is to encourage interest among adults in welcoming the LEGO lifestyle. From the low-key introduction of the now discontinued LEGO Forma to the more intentional and market-driven introduction of the LEGO 18+ branding as a way of encouraging adults to pursue the LEGO hobby, LEGO’s online shopping portal now makes it easier for adult LEGO fans to find their set of choice via its LEGO Adults Welcome Section.

Located under the Interests tab, the LEGO Adults Welcome section features an extensive collection of LEGO 18+ sets that are curated by LEGO and features a range of sets coming from its diverse portfolio of current LEGO themes. This is ideal both for those who are just beginning in the LEGO hobby, and those that are long-time fans of a particular LEGO theme or subtheme.

From the get-go, the LEGO Adults Welcome Section provides an overview of what to expect from this selection coming from four broad themes: Entertainment, Vehicles, Art, Design & Music, and Travel & History. It also presents a brief description of what to expect from this section and some pretty neat trivia regarding LEGO’s adult fan base.

Clicking 0n the Products link will then show you 84 suggested sets that LEGO Shop@Home has to offer, representing a wide array of interests and themes regardless of if you’re already an experienced builder or a beginning LEGO collector. Huge sets such as the LEGO Creator Expert Colosseum (10276), LEGO Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System (71374), and LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (92176) occupy my top list of LEGO sets under this section. Clearly, this section is intended to feature LEGO’s largest (and most expensive) sets that LEGO hobbyists will be interested to put on display.

On a personal note, I appreciate what LEGO did here since they have eventually recognized that their sets are no longer just toys in themselves, but a worthwhile brick-building interest to pursue. I also find it convenient since I can immediately find those larger sets that I want to place under my LEGO wishlist for 2021.

So what do you think of this new LEGO Adults Welcome section over at LEGO Shop@Home? Do you find it convenient as well? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Here’s Your Chance to Revive a Classic LEGO Theme Set

Today is the last day for LEGO Ideas’ latest online activity. In case you missed it, LEGO has launched a new LEGO Ideas Activity to mark the LEGO Group’s 90th Anniversary. And as a way of paying forward to its ever-growing adult LEGO fan base, LEGO is giving us the chance to determine which among its 30 favorite classic LEGO themes will be revived as the basis for its 90th Anniversary Set. This classic LEGO set will then be released sometime in 2022 as part of the LEGO Adult Portfolio.

The contest is divided into two parts, with the first voting cycle launching last week, January 17, and slated to end on January 25 giving loyal LEGO adult fans another day to cast their votes.

For the first round, LEGO fans can select up to 3 candidates from the following themes and subthemes: Trains (1966), Town (1978), Classic Space (1978), Classic Castle (1978), Lion Knights (1984), Black Falcons (1984), Model Team (1986), Forestmen (1987), Blacktron (1987), Black Knights (1988), Pirates (1989), Imperials (1989), Space Police (1989), M-Tron (1990), Wolfpack (1992), Paradisa (1992), Dragon Knights (1993), Ice Planet (1993), Aquazone (1995), Spyrius (1994), Exploriens (1996), Time Cruisers (1996), Divers (1997), Adventurers (1998), Xtreme Team (1998), Rock Raiders (1993), Studios (2000), Bionicle (2001), Arctic (2000), and Alpha Team (2001).

The results from this first round of voting will then be carried over as the basis for the second round of voting which will run from February 3 to 10. The top three themes to be selected from this final round will be the basis for the LEGO 90th Anniversary Set that LEGO intends to be a surprise.

As shared by The Brick Fan, the top three leading themes as of Thursday last week are Bionicle, Classic Space, and Pirates. Though a lot can still happen by the end of the first voting period, I find it more feasible that Bionicle may eventually rise as the theme of choice considering that we already have a recent, Pirates-inspired set in the form of the LEGO Ideas Pirates of Barracuda Bay (21322). Furthermore, LEGO Ideas also has its share of Space and NASA-based sets in the form of the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (92176) and International Space Station (21321). And though LEGO tried to revive interest in the Bionicle theme with its 2016 offering, this latest LEGO Ideas activity may somehow show that LEGO Bionicle is still very much in the minds of adult LEGO fans.

8531 1 — The LEGO Bionicle Pohatu (8531), one of the earliest sets released under the theme back in 2001.

Remember that you still have 24 hours to cast your vote over at the LEGO Ideas platform. So what classic LEGO theme do you think the 90th-anniversary set will be based on? Will LEGO Bionicle come on top? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith (21325) Officially Revealed

LEGO has now officially unveiled its next LEGO Ideas set that is sure to pull some nostalgic heartstrings among its adult fan base. The LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith (21325) has now been listed at LEGO Shop@Home and is slated to arrive in-store and online beginning February 1.

As the brainchild of LEGO fan Clemens Fiedler (aka Namirob over at the LEGO Ideas platform), the LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith is another set that takes inspiration from one of LEGO’s classic themes of the past. It managed to come up on top during the LEGO Ideas 2019 Second Review Stage, alongside the still to be officially revealed LEGO Ideas Winnie The Pooh set. Similar to the Pirates-inspired LEGO Ideas Pirates of Barracuda Bay (21322) from last year, this latest fan-based LEGO set takes its cue from the classic LEGO Castle theme, particularly with the inclusion of the two Black Knights minifigures included in the set.

Coming in at 2,164 pieces, the LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith will retail for $150, and will feature a 3-level building with a removable, intricately detailed rooftop, fully furnished bedrooms, a kitchen, and of course, a blacksmith workshop. Check out the set’s official images below, plus a complete description of what you can expect from it. You may also click on the following affiliate link below to add this new LEGO Ideas set to your LEGO shopping wishlist.

LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith (21325)

2,164 pieces | $149.99 | Available starting February 1, 2021

Take a break from modern life and build this magnificent LEGO® Ideas Medieval Blacksmith (21325) display, model. The architectural details of a 3-level building from the Middle Ages are lovingly recreated in LEGO style. The roof and top 2 levels lift off for easy viewing of the fully furnished bedroom and kitchen, plus a workshop packed with items you’d have seen in a real medieval blacksmith’s smithy. Other features include a glowing forge with a LEGO light brick, plus a garden with buildable models of an apple tree and a well. Minifigures and more There are 4 minifigures to bring the scene to life: a blacksmith, archer, and 2 Black Falcon Knights with 4 swords, 3 shields, and a halberd, plus a posable horse figure with a buildable cart, dog and frog figures. Stylish gift Part of a collection of inspiring LEGO sets designed to help adults relax in a creative way, this building kit makes a wonderful gift for yourself or the LEGO fan or hobbyist in your life.

Capture the architectural details of a medieval blacksmith’s workplace and home when you take time out from modern life to build this evocative LEGO® Ideas display model (21325).
Includes 4 minifigures: a blacksmith, archer, and 2 Black Falcon Knights with 4 swords, 3 shields, and a halberd, plus a posable horse figure with a buildable cart and dog and frog figures.
This 3-level building has a removable roof and the top 2 levels lift off for easy access to the fully furnished bedroom, kitchen, and workshop. The garden features an apple tree model and a well.
The workshop is packed with accessory elements such as tools, coal, and armor. Press the bellows to activate the LEGO® light brick in the blacksmith’s coal forge and make it glow.
Measures over 10.5 in. (27 cm) high, 10.5 in. (27 cm) wide, and 8 in. (21 cm) deep. An impressive buildable model to photograph and share, it makes a top gift for yourself or LEGO® fans and hobbyists.
An LR41 battery is included for the LEGO® light brick in this building set for adults.
This collectible 2,164-piece model comes with an illustrated booklet featuring the set’s fan designer and LEGO® designers, plus clear instructions so even LEGO newcomers can build confidently.

WATCH: LEGO Ninjago City Gardens (71741) Designer Video

LEGO has released an accompanying designer video to mark the release of its massively beautiful LEGO Ninjago City Gardens (71741). LEGO designers Markus Rollbühler and Michael Knap give us an inside tour of this 5,000+ piece LEGO set, and all of its little details that celebrates 10 years of LEGO Ninjago. Watch this.

Each level in this almost 2 1/2 feet tall set highlights a bit of LEGO Ninjago history throughout the decade since its inception in 2011. As a modular set, it’s really impressive to see how each of these levels manage to feature so many details that eagle-eyed Ninjago fans will surely see. The nice part about this set is that it can be seamlessly connected with the LEGO Ninjago Movie Ninjago City (70620) set for a bigger, more beautiful brick rendition of Ninjago City.

The LEGO Ninjago City Gardens is now available over at LEGO Shop@Home. It was placed on backorder status last week but is now back on stock so. If you’re eyeing to get this one, then perhaps now is the time to visit your local LEGO brand store or shop.LEGO.com. For more information about this set, you may check our recent post right here.

LEGO Ninjago The Island Set Images Revealed

Back in December, we saw LEGO’s H1 2021 catalog, and eventually, a glimpse at our first wave of upcoming LEGO sets which are expected to arrive during the first quarter. From there we learned that LEGO Ninjago will be introducing the LEGO Ninjago The Island subtheme, where we find our ninja heroes at odds against a new threat, deep in a mysterious jungle. The chief antagonist of the new subtheme goes by the name of Chief Mammatus and his loyal cabal collectively known as The Keepers.

Now thanks to Brickset, we have a closer, better look at these new LEGO Ninjago The Island sets, slated to arrive in March. This is just in time for the debut of LEGO Ninjago’s Season 14 animated series to be aired on Cartoon Network. As of this posting, these sets are yet to be listed over at LEGO Shop@Home, but I’ll update this post once they are up at LEGO’s online shopping portal. But for now, let’s a closer look.

Lloyd’s Jungle Chopper Bike (71745)

183 pieces | $19.99 | Minifigures include: Lloyd Garmadon, Nya, Rumble Keeper

Jungle Dragon (71746)

506 pieces | $39.99 | Minifigures include: Lloyd Garmadon, Zane, Poulerik, Thunder Keeper

The Keepers’ Village (71747)

632 pieces | $49.99 | Minifigures include: Kai, Jay, Zane, Chief Mammatus, Rumble Keeper, Thunder Keeper

Catamaran Sea Battle (71748)

780 pieces | $69.99 | Minifigures include: Kai, Jay, Cole, Chief Mammatus, Thunder Keeper

As a final note, this subtheme will also be getting its own polybag in the form of Lloyd’s Quad Bike (30539). It also features a Lloyd Garmadon minifig in his jungle-ready outfit and 4×4 all-terrain vehicle. It’s most likely that this polybag will also be available sometime in March along with its larger set counterparts.