Hasan Jensen of the LEGO Ideas Team has recently announced the end of the First LEGO Ideas Review 2016 qualifying period Monday morning, midnight Central European Summer Time (in the US that is 6PM on May 1, last Sunday), showcasing the nine LEGO Ideas entries that have hit 10,000 votes among the LEGO community.
First LEGO Ideas Review 2016 With Nine Projects to Become a Potential Official Set
Among these nine entries, four were inspired by the movies taking their cues from films such as Jurassic Park (1993), Star Wars (2015), and Short Circuit (1986), others are of modular types, and two science-themed builds based on an archaeological museum and particle accelerator – all voted upon by members of the LEGO Ideas community between January and May of this year. Just in time to make it to the finish line is PepaQuin’s Johnny Five robot which garnered the necessary votes just in time before the end of the qualifying period.
The people have spoken, so let’s see what the guys over at the LEGO Review Board have to say about them. These are all great sets, with the Rolling BB-8 from mjsmiley and arbot138 closest to our hearts. Let’s go back and visit these entries once more, and what their creators have to say. Be sure to click on the sets’ names if you wish to see additional pics from these entries.
Who do you think will win the nod from the LEGO Review Board? Share your personal favorites in the comments section that will follow.
Fossil Museum by whatpumpkin
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This set attempts to capture that magnificent museum experience in a small display featuring four popular dinosaurs (and one popular pterosaur) in skeletons as accurate as I could achieve at this scale. The genuses are:
- Stegosaurus
- Pteranodon
- Apatosaurus
- Two Deinonychus
- Spinosaurus
Additionally, a paleontologist and a family of three are in the exhibit, to stand in awe at the creatures before them. Five plaques on the exhibit theoretically display the name of the species, though at this scale actually doing so would be difficult. Each dinosaur has a reasonable amount of articulation, if you wish to pose them in your own way when on display, or if you wish to have some dino skeletons duking it out. The skeletons are not white, because from my experience they rarely are. Fossils in museums are usually varying shades of tan and brown, so I did my best to choose the most fitting tone I could. This set has 599 pieces.
Gingerbread House by Swan Dutchman
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There are some great sets available to make a Christmas village… and every year there is a new set to expand it. Wouldn’t it be nice to expand your village with a gingerbread house?
This gingerbread house is almost edible: it’s made of cookie walls, decorative icing, candy and caramelized windows. And why not? You can even put a light inside to brighten things up. Mind your teeth though with this cookie house: bricks are a bit chewy.
Jedi High Council Chamber by lojaco
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The Jedi High Council Chamber on Coruscant, the room where the jedi masters meet during the rule of the Galactic Republic.
With this model you will be able to reconstruct the decisive moments of the second Star Wars trilogy (Ep. I, II & III): from the first meeting with the little Anakin, to the growth of the Dark Side of the Force with the unborn Darth Vader.
A setting that can be populated by characters that are gradually collected with other Lego Star Wars sets, but already enriched with some unreleased knights and/or one new “Transparent-Light-Blue” minifigure (to act as hologram of a Jedi knight away).
The set, with sliding doors mechanically operated, can be enriched with a LEGO Power Functions Light item (ref. 8870) to create glowing pushing buttons.
Jurassic Park Visitor Center by LDiEgo
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The biggest set in a utopian Jurassic Park Theme would be the Visitor Center. This project features a complex building in the facade, as well as some rooms inside to recreate every scene in the movie:
- Main entrance hall, with two brick built skeletons: a Sauropod and a Tyrannosaurus.
- “Les Gigantes” restaurant, with gift shop.
- Kitchen.
- V.I.P. Dining Room
- Emergency bunker
- Showcase theatre
- Control room
- Genetics lab with cold storage room
The rooms can be hinged or detached for a better play experience. There is also space for a secret compartment at the main entrance, under the stairs. Minifigures included are:
- John Hammond
- Tim Murphy
- Lex Murphy
- Donald Gennaro
- Ray Arnold
- Robert Muldoon
- And “The Big One” molded raptor (A.K.A. “Clever Girl”)
It has 2,623 pieces and measures 43.1cm X 28cm X 20.7cm
Modular Train Station by LegoWolf
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Add your favourite locomotive to your Lego modular street with a train station! To fit in with the early twentieth century look of other buildings in the series, this model takes inspiration from nineteenth century stations in Europe. These structures were cathedrals to industry, marrying classical stonework and statuary with technological innovations like all-glass roofs. Many of these stations are still in use and have been renovated over the decades, bringing in advances like electric lights and RFID cards.
Features:
- The platform at the back lets you lay track in the same direction as your street, so that your diorama can fit in a compact space. The platform height is sized for standard Lego trains.
- There is equal detail on front and back, which is unusual for modular buildings.
- The roof and upper back wall detach, exposing the vaulted interior for play.
- The focal point inside is the ornate clock and timetable, which features replaceable letters so that you can set your own destinations.
- The interior features a ticketing office, ticket vending machine, newspaper box, snack bar, public toilets, and turnstiles leading to the platform.
- The exterior features statuary, decorative moulding and brickwork, and arched glass windows. There is a bicycle rack for couriers in the front, along with public notice boards.
- A snack bar opens onto the interior and the station platform, because captive customers are profitable customers!
- Minifigures include: Ticket Vendor, Snack Seller, Businesswoman Commuter, and Bicycle Courier.
It comes in approximately 3000 bricks, measuring at 10 inches in width, 10 inches in depth, and 12 inches in height (25.5cm X 25.5cm X 30cm)
Old Fishing Store by robenanne
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Robenanne’s Old Fishing Store takes its cue from LEGO’s line-up of Christmas modular sets. The building consists of roughly 2160 parts and three floors: the main store, office, and lookout. The choice of brown and sand green gives it a realistic feeling. It comes with an add-on Dock with buoy and fishing boats, and a Boat Repair Shop. The dock and buoy have about 545 bricks.
It also includes:
- Three minifigures: Fisherman, Store Keeper, and Captain.
- Creature elements such as mini fish, crab, starfish, and snow owl.
- Other pieces include flicking hooks, bottles, baits, fishing poles, barrels, treasure chest, dive mask, dive, tanks, chains and a whole lot fishing materials and equipments.
Particle Accelerator by JKBrickworks
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Help these intrepid scientists with their quest to find the (Mini)Figgs Boson! Or maybe just to find out what a 2×4 LEGO brick is made of.
This working particle accelerator uses a simple system of spinning wheels to accelerate a LEGO ball around a ring. Although the propulsion system is different than that of a real particle accelerator, it’s a great way to illustrate the concept. Not to mention, it is fun to play with. Multiple balls can be inserted simultaneously and obstacles can be introduced for the ball(s) to collide with.
The set could be scaled anywhere from the basic accelerator and ring (which combined are only 170 pieces) all the way up to a fully styled installation like the one I have designed. The inclusion of a small control room with a few minifig scientists would also be a nice addition and add to the play value.
Rolling BB-8!! by mjsmiley and artbot138
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This unique BB-8 was designed with the primary goal of being able to move with his head staying up on top. The entire model was made using 100% Genuine Lego parts. His shells were of course carefully painted (and if this model is approved and created by Lego, the parts would come printed as so many Lego parts are). Inside you’ll find Lego weights suspended from the central axle that bolsters up two Lego magnets. Those magnets are held up close to the top of the ball and attract the two magnets built into BB-8’s head. The head uses a cockpit dome (painted), hinge parts, and the smallest Lego wheels to skate on top of the body. The body’s shell started out as Tatooine from the Lego Star Wars Planet series. The total part count is around 180 pieces.
This Rolling BB-8 is super fun to fidget with, roll about, and satisfies a midpoint between static model and full on electric RC. It would make a great addition to any LEGO or Star Wars Fan’s collection!
- Features an accurately rendered LEGO BB-8 that actually rolls.
- This Model is able to roll on a single axis while keeping BB-8’s Head up on Top!
- BB-8 Comes with attachable arms for both his Electric Zapper and Thumbs-up Torch abilities.
- BB-8 has a desert base station that uses a turn crank to demonstrate his rolling ability.
- The base station has a compartment to hold BB-8’s accessories.
Johnny Five by PepaQuin
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Number 5, a.k.a. Johnny Five, is the hero of the Short Circuit movies. Number 5 was one of five prototype robots, but after being struck by lightning gained a sense of awareness and free will. The multitude of his expressive abilities, combined with a youthful demeanor and thirst for knowledge (need more input!), made him an instant favorite with audiences in the 80’s.
This small model attempts to replicate the sense of wonder that the robot often displayed. It stands around 7″ tall and is very flexible. Arms, torso, head, and even ‘eyebrows’ can be posed however desired. Also featured are a retracting shoulder-mount and freely moving treads.
Number 5 contains approximately 300 pieces, making this an ideal mid-range set.
Congratulations to those who made it in the first LEGO Review Stage for this year! The results of the third 2015 LEGO Ideas Review will be out in a few weeks, so be sure to stay tuned here in the Brick Show to find out who among the nine aspirants from 2015 will make it to become the next official LEGO Ideas set.
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