LEGO Pizza Tile Made Real on Twitter

LEGO’s near-infinite variety of pieces also includes elements depicting food items for the minifigures. These range from beverage glasses and cups, to pieces shaped like fruits and vegetables, to tiles representing plates. That last group would also include one familiar LEGO food piece: pizza. Believe it or not, the LEGO pizza tile can be used to check the evolution of detail in LEGO sets. The most recent iterations of the pizza piece can be found in two sets that launched this past New Year’ Day. And surely some builders have looked at a LEGO pizza tile and wondered: How does it look like when life-sized?

Well, Brick Fanatics tells us that a Twitter user went and recreated a LEGO pizza piece in 1:1 scale. Did we mention the de-fictionalization was made of edible ingredients? User girlpatched space dog (@dogs_on_mars) posted photos of her efforts on Twitter Sunday, January 23. As seen in the photo above @ dogs_on_mars made an actual pizza, using food colorings to achieve the right tile colors. The crust is a bright yellow, while cheddar slices went under the tomato sauce. The green spots, which the creator believes are green-colored pepperoni, were replicated with green food color.

As if that wasn’t enough, girlpatched space dog decided to take things full circle. She scanned her actual LEGO pizza in Bricklink Studio to make a custom pizza piece. The results can be seen in the second tweet series above. The green pepperoni apparently didn’t translate well, and commenters offered that the green stuff was probably basil. But hey, we appreciate the experiment. At least we now know how LEGO minifigs perceive their pizza tiles.

LEGO VIDIYO to be Discontinued at January’s End

There is a method to how LEGO releases its wide variety of products. Some themed lines are core to the brand and are assured of having sets released. Other new themes get introduced and run for a fixed period. If buyers and collectors like them enough however, these lines stand a chance of being promoted as regulars. Still other themes barely even make it through their release window period and stop getting new stuff. LEGO VIDIYO debuted last year as a cool new fusion of brick-building, music and TikTok-esque app. Now, it’s been officially discontinued after a prematurely-halted 2021 launch.

LEGO revealed this in an announcement going into last weekend, according to The Brick Show. While they initially phrased the mid-July 2021 pause in rollout of VIDIYO sets as temporary, apparently it’s become permanent. There was speculation that rollout would resume around 2023. Instead, LEGO VIDIYO will be considered a discontinued theme effective January 31 this year. The decision to terminate the line, which tanked in sales after launching 2021, came about after months of research. LEGO however assures that VIDIYO’s concept of fusing building with music is one they hope to revisit in future.

In line with this, not all of LEGO VIDIYO will be discontinued; just the physical sets. The tie-in mobile app, which can produce effects-laden music videos, will remain supported by LEGO for at least two years. This is in consideration of collectors who bought VIDIYO products, which contain pieces that interact with the app. In that at least, LEGO VIDIYO won’t immediately go to waste. At least it got a collaboration with Nintendo’s “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”

John Harvey’s London Underground Gets 10-K Support on LEGO Ideas

One urge probably felt by many LEGO builders is the desire to add plenty of cool stuff to their creations. Maybe they want more complex details like props. Perhaps they think they can fit in one more feature or room with furnishings. This new product idea with 10-K support from LEGO Ideas member John Harvey apparently fits the bill. It can be considered a “regional” City set, seeing as it’s based on London, UK. One notable characteristic of this build is that it comprises three stories. Two of them are above street level and the other is, quite appropriately, Underground.

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John Harvey pulled out all the stops, as it were, for “Mini City Diorama: London with Underground Station.” Like the name says, it shows a London Underground station in a two-story corner building.

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The beauty part is that it also depicts the subterranean Underground tube with a train waiting. The station building is housed in a brownstone structure.

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Aside from the station entryway the building boasts a coffee stand and mailbox at ground level. The upper floor features an architect’s office filled with computer screens, maps and a drafting machine.

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Commuters descend to the tube by way of an escalator, where a train driver is ready to welcome them aboard.

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This marks the first contemporary-period building set to enter the LEGO Ideas First 2022 Review Stage. London with Underground Station would be a challenging but sweet addition to a LEGO City-scape. But First 2022 Stage is only just begun. More product ideas are certainly inbound after gaining the requisite support.

“LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” Coming April 5

Nowhere has the global pandemic more visibly affected LEGO than perhaps its videogame arm. How else might one describe the plight of “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga”? It was first glimpsed in E3 2019 after all, with a plan to release in August the following year. It never happened for obvious reasons. WB Interactive Entertainment and Traveller’ Tales tried to give a definitive new date. But by April 2021 the effort proved futile. Only in August of last year did the developer/publisher give a new estimate: sometime this early 2022. Now, after a while, we have a specific date.

Brickset has it that WB Interactive and TT have pegged “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” for April 5. This highly-anticipated mega-mix installment of the “LEGO Star Wars” videogames has languished in release limbo for pandemic-related reasons. In celebration of this fact, we even get a new near-7-minute gameplay preview of the game. Warner and Traveller’s Tales aren’t billing this as the biggest LEGO videogame ever for nothing. Being able to choose one’s starting point in the nine movies of three “Star Wars” trilogies is absolutely wonderful. New combat mechanics like counter-moves, pseudo-FPS aiming and terrain cover add more spice to the overall galactic experience.

The epic that is “LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga” boasts a wide multiplatform release this coming April 5th. Advance online retail listings reveal that a bundle pack for the game also includes more characters from “Star Wars” spinoffs. From films like “Rogue One” and “Solo” to series like “The Mandalorian” and “The Bad Batch,” this title’s packed. Soon, gamers shall have the Galaxy Far, Far Away in their consoles/PCs.

LEGO Publisher AMEET Teases “Your Galactic Mission” Read-and-Play Book

LEGO is such an expansive brand that expanding into multimedia was a given. Before the rise of the animated series and films however, there were the LEGO books. These print media were handled by a variety of publishers like DK. But one label holds the distinction of being the official LEGO publisher: AMEET. Over the years AMEET has rolled out exciting storybooks featuring LEGO’s various themes and licensed IPs. Besides the conventional-narrative books, they also feature “novelty” books. These combine storybook with exclusive set pieces and minifigures for young readers to build. Their recent 2022 book-release catalog actually teases one upcoming novelty book that’s out-of-this-world.

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Brick Fanatics reports that AMEET plans to release “LEGO: Your Galactic Mission” in Q3 of 2022. This novelty book is a “read-and-play” kit featuring an interactive storybook plus LEGO pieces. These pieces can be used to build the creatures and vehicles readers will encounter in the book. Like other read-and-plays, “Your Galactic Mission” puts readers in the role of the story’s hero. Here, a space explorer must protect the planet Aurora from the invading Cyber-Cobra. He decides how, by building his pick of vehicle or machine from the book’s cards.

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AMEET and LEGO put together this great novelty book via the latter’s Creative Play Lab. They even tested it on family reading groups, so one can be sure “Your Galactic Mission” will be genuinely fun. This is but one of many LEGO books coming from AMEET throughout this year. Expect from them titles for LEGO City and Ninjago, and franchises DC and “Jurassic World” too.

LEGO VIP Rewards Offers Free Alternate Build Instructions for Three LEGO Art Sets

Membership in the LEGO VIP program can open a new world of special benefits and perks. Many of these bonuses can be redeemed with a good amount of points accumulated from LEGO purchases as a VIP. But every now and then, LEGO offers great goodies on their VIP page that don’t even require VIP points. Quite the number of them went live recently, ready for download on the LEGO.com VIP Rewards Center. The thing is, to enjoy them VIP members would have purchased three particular LEGO Art sets. If they have them though, they’re all set for alternative building as The Brick Fan tells it.

Some new zero-VIP point rewards are available on LEGO VIP Rewards Center. They come in the form of alternate building instructions for three sets of the LEGO Art line. In truth, these building instructions have been online for much earlier. The LEGO.com Art theme’s “About” page made mention of the instructions. Interested builders then needed to visit the original Art set’s product listing. The new arrangement put all alternate building instructions in the central hub of the VIP Rewards Center. VIP members can redeem them there without costing VIP points.

These alternative instructions illustrate new designs to be made on the LEGO Art sets in question. Amazingly, one only needs the existing pieces from one set to create the new designs. But what would you expect with a name like LEGO Art? Here are the LEGO Art sets in question, with their respective alternative designs:

Harry Potter Hogwarts Crests (31201)
  • Golden Snitch Logo
  • Platform 9¾ Sign
  • Hedwig Portrait
Disney’s Mickey Mouse (31202)
  • Alternate Portrait: Mickey
  • Alternate Portrait: Minnie
World Map (31203)
  • Europe Map
  • Denmark Map

LEGO Toilet Gains 10-K Support for First 2022 Review

Something potentially smells with this next LEGO Ideas 10-K support submission for the First 2022 Review Stage. Before we get to that however, let’s talk about the LEGO Technic line. Its selling point beyond the cool vehicle sets is building mechanical functions using Technic pieces. That should apply not just to car engines and such, but also to other machines and appliances. So what if a LEGO Ideas builder uses Technic pieces to create a set that, err, stinks? Okay, that’s a tired joke and avoidable with proper hygienic care. But what else do you say to a brick-built toilet?

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The LEGO Toilet, by Ideas 10-K member NickLafreniere1. You read right. This product idea recreates a flush toilet in LEGO, with the flushing mechanism using Technic pieces. The flush tank is viewable from the back, where Technic elements make up the float valve, drop valve, etc.

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The flush lever on the tank moves the mechanism as intended. Other movable elements include the toilet seat and the removable tank lid. The toilet sits on a black baseplate foundation. Blue pieces inside the bowl simulate the interior being filled with toilet water.

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As a quality mechanical set, The LEGO Toilet comes with an info plaque (including a buildable mini-toilet décor) and cleaning brush.

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NickLafreniere1 also springs for a plumber minifigure with to-scale plunger and toolbox, plus brick separator all on its own. This is hands down one of the quirkier product ideas to gain the necessary support for a Review Stage. Let’s wait and see if the Review team goes for it. The product page comments at least think this is great.

LEGO Ideas Set #40: The Globe (21332) Revealed

The release of official LEGO Ideas sets seems to have become somewhat haphazard. LEGO announces several product ideas that have passed a Review Stage or two. The order of reveals however, doesn’t necessarily become the order of release. The “Home Alone” set by adwind got announced for production before TOMOELL’s Fender Stratocaster. But the latter got numbered 21329 and launched October 2021, while the former became 21330 and followed a month later. Sonic the Hedgehog (21331) was one of the more recently-announced Ideas Review-passers. However its successor as Ideas set release #40 was confirmed earlier.

As told by Brickset, LEGO finally revealed its next Ideas set with an online listing: The Globe (21332). Exactly like the name says, this is a brick-built Earth globe of standard size, capable of rotating on its frame. LEGO tiles on the globe’s surface not only depict the oceans and continent, but also the climate/vegetation of each land region. The continents are also labeled with glow-in-the-dark nameplates for convenient identification. This LEGO globe by French builder Guillaume Roussel (Disneybrick55) survived the First 2020 Review Stage. It makes for fun educational display in studies and desktops. Expect the LEGO Ideas Globe (21332) to arrive in February.

The Globe (21332)

2,585 pieces | $199.99 | coming February 1, 2022

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Travel without moving

A journey of 2,585 pieces starts with a single brick, and illustrated instructions are included to guide every step of your building adventure. This collectible model makes the best gift for yourself or travel-loving friends.

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  • Spinning Earth globe model for display – Explore the world as you build this The Globe (21332) set, a detailed LEGO® Ideas replica of a vintage Earth globe
  • Authentic spinning movement – Two LEGO® worlds collide to build this globe, with LEGO Technic™ elements to recreate the classic, spinning axis and LEGO System bricks to replicate the spherical shape
  • Glow-in-the-dark decoration – Light up the room with decorated tiles displaying the names of continents and oceans
  • Buildable ship and compass icons – Build vintage-style ship and compass icons to attach to the globe, and affix ‘The Earth’ nameplate to the base for a finishing touch

LEGO Star Wars Sets Delayed from January 1 Now (Mostly) Available on LEGO Shop

The January 1, 2022 storm of new LEGO set launches was pretty intense. In fact, there were plenty enough new products becoming available that some sets got delayed but were barely noticed. In particular we have items for the overall LEGO Star Wars theme. One of these sets is actually a complementary addition to last year’s UCS AT-AT (75313). The other’s a milestone entry to the BrickHeadz line, featuring a favorite “Star Wars” non-trilogy character. They were no-shows for the New Year, and one contemporary still carries “Coming Soon” on its LEGO Shop listing. But we have a start now.

Courtesy of Brick Fanatics, we know BrickHeadz Ahsoka Tano (40539) and Star Wars Clone Trooper Command Station (40558) are available. At least, the milestone LEGO BrickHeadz set (#150) is now fully available after being delayed from January 1. The same couldn’t be said for the Clone Trooper Command Station minifig Battle Pack. For LEGO.com US it’s on backorder, with shipping date of March 3. Technically this would already be available in the UK and Europe, but are marked “Temporarily Out of Stock.” At least the earlier-released Snowtrooper Battle Pack (75320) remains available without any issues.

That said, we may still have to wait longer for another LEGO Star Wars set, Defense of Hoth (40557). The Snowtrooper BP (75320) is good if you’ve got the UCS AT-AT (75313) and want to fill its interior. But if you want to build or expand your LEGO Battle of Hoth scenario, Rebel representation isn’t here yet. Still, 2022’s still young. We can be patient.

legotruman’s LEGO Koala Hit’s 10-K Support on LEGO Ideas

One encompassing theme LEGO does really good at is the buildable animal figure. We tend to get a lot of those for seasonal sets, and the details or aesthetics can vary too. They could be reasonably realistic as the 2022 Valentine Lovebirds (40522), or fanciful as Year of the Tiger (40491). Even in LEGO Ideas, buildable animal figures are prominent submissions. A certain build with new 10,000 supporters for First 2022 Review actually reminds us of something we covered in 2019. Perhaps it’s because both depict critters living in the ANZAC region. This one however, is a tad more iconic.

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Courtesy of legotruman on LEGO Ideas, we have the next First 2020 Review Stage entry, LEGO Koala. Exactly as it says in the name, we get some cute koalas in this aspiring would-be Ideas set. Builder legotruman created a mama koala and baby, as well as a portion of a eucalyptus tree-trunk to perch on. Both koalas have points of articulation (head, arms, hands and feet). The eucalyptus leaves can be detached to put on the koalas’ hands for them to eat. Baby koala can also cling to the mother’s back, like in the documentaries.

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LEGO Koala becomes the fourth 10-K support submission to the Ideas First 2022 Review Stage. Its presence makes for one new variant theme represented in this batch. Buildings already have two sets in the mix. Let’s keep having an eye out on this Review Stage to see what future submission trends can be observed here.