LEGO Ideas Archives | Page 16 of 16

The LEGO Ideas Voltron (21311) Set Officially Revealed

Our long wait is finally over! LEGO has pulled the veil from one of its closely guarded secrets, one that I followed very closely since the time that it was submitted as an early LEGO Ideas project. For the first time ever, we now have our first look at the biggest, buildable LEGO mech ever: the LEGO Ideas Voltron (21311) set. Designed by LEGO AFOL extraordinaire, Lendy Tayag from the Philippines, the LEGO Ideas Voltron is inspired by the original 1980s animated Voltron TV series, and the modern DreamWorks Voltron: Legendary Defender series. When completely assembled, this iconic brick-built mech stands a staggering 15 inches tall and 8 inches wide.

As an added treat to AFOLs and fans of the animated series, LEGO has announced that a limited number of sets will be available for purchase during next month’s San Diego Comic Con. The 2,321-piece set will retail for $179.99 and will be available to the general public on August 1, with early VIP access beginning July 23, 2018.

I have so much to say about the LEGO Ideas Voltron (21311) set since I am a fan of Voltron, and of course, of Lendy himself. I had the privilege of meeting him for the first time during the Philippines’ biggest LEGO fan convention sponsored by the Philippine LEGO Users Group (PhLUG), and it was one unforgettable experience. I’ll share more about this convention in my next write-up, but for now let us enjoy these crisp, clear images followed by the set’s official product description. This is one set that I will not miss.

21311 – LEGO® Ideas Voltron

2,321 pieces | Ages 16+

Price: $179.99

Available August 1, 2018.

**Limited quantities will be available for purchase first for attendees at San Diego’s Comic-Con (7/17-22)

Let’s go Voltron force in LEGO® style!

It’s time to defend the universe so get ready to form LEGO® Ideas 21311 Voltron, the biggest buildable LEGO mech ever! This awesome set features buildable and highly posable black, blue, yellow, red, and green lions with specially designed, extra-strong joints to combine them all and create the Voltron super robot, plus a huge sword and shield that attach firmly to Voltron’s hands. Ideal for display or recreating thrilling action from the original 1980s animated Voltron TV series and the modern DreamWorks Voltron: Legendary Defender series.

Features 5 buildable and posable lions that can be transformed and combined to create the giant Voltron super robot.
Play with the lions individually or combine them using extra-strong joints to form Voltron—the black lion forms the head and torso; the red and green lions form the arms; and the yellow and blue lions form the legs.
Pose the head, shoulders, arms and wrists of Voltron (legs are not posable).
Also includes a sword and shield (each with silver-colored elements) that attach firmly to Voltron’s hands.
Includes a booklet with building instructions, plus information about the set’s fan creator and super force of LEGO® designers.
This set includes over 2,321 pieces.
Display or play out exciting stories from the original 1980s animated Voltron TV series and the modern DreamWorks Voltron: Legendary Defender series.
Voltron measures over 15” (40cm) high, 5” (14cm) long and 8” (21cm) wide.
Black lion measures over 6” (17cm) high, 8” (22cm) long and 5” (15cm) wide.
Yellow and blue lions each measure over 3” (8cm) high, 8” (21cm) long and 3” (8cm) wide.
Green and red lions each measure over 3” (8cm) high, 7” (18cm) long and 1” (5cm) wide.
Voltron’s sword measures 11” (29cm) long.
Voltron’s shield measures 6” (16cm) in diameter.

LEGO Ideas First 2018 Review Stage Begins with Ten Candidates

It has been an event that’s been hyped so many times before in previous posts here on The Brick Show. For every instant that a new submission on LEGO Ideas achieved the coveted 10K support milestone, we reminded you of what’s coming. And finally, it has. The candidates are assembled.

As the LEGO Ideas Third 2017 Review Stage finally winds up its work and makes ready to announce a new official Ideas set (if any), the deadline for the First 2018 Review Stage has finally elapsed, automatically starting the assessment period of the 10K-supported Ideas submissions that made the cutoff.

To sum things up, there are ten entries on LEGO Ideas that got the support of 10,000 members on the platform, that’ll be included in the First Review Stage for this year. The Brick Show has covered most if not all of the lucky submissions that we’ve listed down below.

Embraer A-29 Super Tucano

SR-71A: The Final Flight

Treehouse

Disney’s Stitch

Modular Arcade

I am Amelia Earhart

Mystery Science Theater 3000

Star Wars Acclamator-Class Assault Ship

The Flintstones

The Vintage Motorcycle of BMW R60/2

In a surprising turn of events, the last entry, a LEGO build of a BMW motorcycle, managed to get on the list despite BMW previously being included in a list of “restricted licenses” by the toy company. It can be assumed that restriction is no longer in effect.

Meanwhile, we still have to wait on the official announcement by the LEGO Ideas Review Panel as to which submission in the 2017 Third Review Stage will make the cut. Even further, there’s still no word as to the Ideas winner “Voltron – Defender of the Universe” set which passed review in August 2017. If LEGO is keeping the release date secret, the best time to reveal it would be on the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con.

LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) To Be Discontinued?

The highly prized LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) may probably still sit on the top of our must-have LEGO sets of the year, but unfortunately, in spite of the relative early shelf life of this set since its release last June, the availability of the Apollo Saturn V (21309) has been notoriously close to none. True, we have the reassuring words from the LEGO Ideas Team that the set will not be retired right away given that it has only been three months in circulation since its release on June 1st. There were also moments when the NASA Apollo Saturn V set has been available at LEGO shop@home on very seldom occasions. However, the obvious unavailability of the set for weeks has cast a shadow of a doubt on the truth behind the availability of this highly sought after set.

For weeks already, shop.LEGO.com has always returned a ‘Temporarily Out of Stock’ message each time a query has been made for this set. Similarly, LEGO Brand and Certified stores have been informing customers about the indefinite date of 21309’s arrival in their respective stores. In search for answers, our friends from Promo Bricks decided to dig deeper and was able to have a privileged conversation with an undisclosed LEGO Product Manager. This may sound very, very sad, but according to Promo Bricks, the said manager has revealed that LEGO no longer has plans of producing the highly prized set. In other words, they are now in the process of delivering and selling the last copies of 21309 that went into production.

From the LEGO Group’s business perspective, this somehow makes sense, especially considering what a LEGO Customer Service Rep told Promo Bricks. According to the said LEGO CSR, even before a set is released for sale, there is already a pre-determined number of copies that each set is expected to have. This number is not usually revealed to the public, and the sets are produced in batches. When the demand exceeds the pre-determined supply eventually, then better expect delivery delays and ultimately the set’s cancellation. Furthermore, given the long lead-times needed to produce such great sets like the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309), it is very impractical to produce more sets just for a short-term supply. Simply put, the NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) set is hugely popular and a solid success that LEGO could no longer supply the growing demand.

But then again, these are just assumptions that we have based on currently available information. Perhaps LEGO will still reconsider and we will still get to see this gorgeous set once again on store shelves. Let’s just hope for the best.

What are your thoughts about this brick fans? Let me know in the comments.

The LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) Will Soon Be Back

More than a month has passed since the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) has been launched into the market, and it seems that the LEGO Ideas team never quite expected the huge demand for this replica of the iconic rocket ship. As a result, some fans are still anxiously waiting if they will still be able to purchase, while some went far to speculate that the set has been retired, or will be retired eventually, making the set’s aftermarket sales insanely expensive. As of this writing, the set is currently out of stock at shop.LEGO.com, with very limited quantities, if not, none at all at some LEGO brand stores. Historically, though LEGO Ideas sets are not really produced in large quantities as compared to other major LEGO themes, the NASA Apollo Saturn V set has proven to be so popular that limited supplies of this set were quickly sold out.

Thankfully, Hasan Jensen of the LEGO Ideas Team has issued a statement to clarify the rumors of the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V’s availability. Read on for Hasan’s announcement.

It has been over a month since the official launch of the LEGO® Ideas 21309 NASA Apollo Saturn V set and the overwhelming popularity of the iconic rocket has unfortunately meant that some LEGO fans have not yet been able to purchase their set or have had to wait longer than they had hoped.

Unfortunately, rumors and speculation have arisen concerning its availability, which we would like to shortly address.

We Are Continuing To Produce More Apollo Saturn V Sets
Having just launched the Apollo Saturn V set recently, we will continue to produce the set according to our scheduled plans and we would like to re-assure everyone that it has not been retired.

While the set is temporarily out of stock through our online shop, with limited quantities available in LEGO Stores, our production teams are working hard to produce more sets in order to make sure that everyone will be able to purchase their copy. This does take time however and we therefore ask for your patience. The product page on our online shop is continually updated to reflect current availability, but if you have questions regarding your order you’re very welcome to contact our Customer Service.

We would like to thank you for your continued support of LEGO Ideas, and we cannot wait to bring you more exciting sets designed by LEGO fans.

It’s good to hear that we’ll be seeing more of the NASA Apollo Saturn V sets in the future, and I hope that this will eventually settle any rumors regarding the availability of this set. The LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) comes in at 1,969 pieces at a 1:110 scale of the original Saturn V rocket and retails at $119.99 in the US and £109.99 in the UK. For more details of this largest LEGO Ideas set to date, set co-designer Felix Stiessen gives a walkthrough on the cool features of the NASA Apollo Saturn V via an interview by Hasan Jensen at a LEGO Store in Vienna, Austria.

How about you, are you planning to get this LEGO Ideas set? Have you spotted it in a LEGO Store near you? Let us know in the comments below.

Mission Control… The LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) Is Ready for Launch!

The long wait is finally over. After many weeks of teasing on the arrival of the largest ever LEGO Ideas set to date, Hasan Jansen of the LEGO Ideas blog site has finally broken the news. As LEGO’s 2nd Ideas set for this year right on the heels of Adventure Time (21308), the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) will be available to the public beginning 1st of June. The brainchild of LEGO and space fans Felix Stiessen (saabfan) and Valérie Roche (whatsuptoday), the towering set (standing one meter high) is their personal tribute to NASA’s iconic Apollo Space Program.

This space-bound set clocks in at 1,969 pieces which is, quite cleverly, a sort of an Easter egg for Apollo Saturn V’s successful launch on July 20, 1969. At such scale, the LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) is currently the largest LEGO Ideas set that will be offered to the public. The LEGO Ideas Design Team was keen in rendering the set as accurately as possible, keeping it at an approximately 1:110 scale of the original Saturn V rocket with all its offload sections, lunar lander, command service module, and three, never-before-seen microfigs of NASA’s heroes: astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.

The LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V (21309) will retail for $119.99 in the US and £109.99 in the UK. Here’s the set’s product description courtesy of Hoth Bricks.

Build the first rocket to land people on the Moon!

Display and role-play with this majestic meter-high LEGO® brick model of the NASA Apollo Saturn V packed with authentic details. It features three removable rocket courses, including the S-IVB third course with the lunar lander and lunar orbit.

The set includes 3 booths to display the model horizontally, 3 new-for-June-2017 astronaut microfigures for role-play recreations of the Moon landings, plus a booklet about the manned Apollo missions and the fan designers of this educational and inspirational LEGO Ideas set.

Features a meter-high (Approximately 1: 110 scale) model of the NASA Apollo Saturn V with a removable S-IC first rocket internship with hand rocket engine details, removable S-II second rocket internship with rocket engine details, removable S-IVB third rocket internship with the Apollo spacecraft and rescue rocket at top of the whole spacecraft, plus 3 booths to display the model horizontally.

The Apollo spacecraft features the lunar lander and the lunar orbiter.

Also includes 3 new-for-June-2017 astronaut microfigures.

Great for display and role-playing the manned Apollo Moon missions.

Includes a booklet about the Apollo manned Moon mission and the fan designers of this set.

This set includes over 1,900 parts.

Measures over 100cm high and 17cm in diameter.

LEGO Ideas Launches A New LEGO Community Platform: The LEGO Ideas Test Lab.

Earlier today, the LEGO Ideas blog site announced the launch of its latest community-based platform, the LEGO Ideas Test Lab. Initially open to selected LEGO Ideas and LEGO Rebrick members, the LEGO Ideas Test Lab is a challenge-based site where members are encouraged to develop a Fourth Build Challenge based on the more recent LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets. Here’s the full announcement:

What’s that now? LEGO Ideas Test Lab?

Today we’re launching LEGO Ideas Test Lab, a test version of an updated LEGO Ideas software platform. We’ve emailed invitations to 5,000 of the most active LEGO Ideas and LEGO Rebrick members. Please help us test the new platform between January 18th and April 14th. If you didn’t get an email invite, you’re still welcome! The test is limited to 7,500 people. Head over to LEGO Ideas Test Lab to sign up.

On LEGO Ideas Test Lab we’ll be running a new kind of challenge during this period, which differs from the standard LEGO Ideas and slightly from the LEGO Rebrick experience that you’re used to, but don’t worry – neither of these two classic experiences are going away. On LEGO Ideas Test Lab, you can participate in an exclusive Fourth Build Challenge, that’s about expanding upon given LEGO Creator 3in1 sets. You can also join in small activities along the way and socialize in the Community Café.

We can’t wait to get started and are very excited about what we’ll learn from testing this platform together with many of you. We’re looking forward to how LEGO Ideas Test Lab will shape the future of LEGO Ideas.

The LEGO Ideas Team assured that the LEGO Ideas and Rebrick platforms are here to stay. The LEGO Ideas Test Lab will be more like – based on the name itself – a testing ground for more possibilities on their existing sets. It’s more like a feedback mechanism where LEGO can hear or consider additional set suggestions from builders and community members based on their existing ones. If you wish to be part of this new contest, head to their sign-up page to register.

Once registered, you can have the opportunity to join their very first Fourth Build Challenge starting February 1^st, where a winning design will be selected, and several LEGO prizes will be given away. The winner will also feature his design in the LEGO Life Magazine and app. As a warm-up, this latest LEGO Ideas activity also offers several building exercises where you can participate and develop your own creations based on the given criteria. The thought behind The LEGO Ideas Test Lab reminds me of the Iron Builder Challenge hosted by the Builders Lounge, though at a much toned-down level.

If you’re in for a challenge and want to sharpen your brick-building skills, then this is one LEGO community-based platform that you may want to sign-up too.

LEGO Ideas Project Jurassic Park Visitor Center Hits 10K Mark

The LEGO Ideas project, Jurassic Park Visitor Center, has hit 10,000 supporters and now moves into the review stage. This project created by LDiEgo features the iconic Jurassic Park location as seen in the original film.

It comes in at 2,623 pieces and includes 6 minifigures: John Hammond, Tim Murphy, Lex Murphy, Donald Gennaro, Ray Arnold, and Robert Muldoon. It also features a molder raptor figure. The Jurassic Park Visitor Center now qualifies to move on to the LEGO Ideas First 2016 Review Stage. Read on for this project’s full description and other details. If you’re excited to see this as a potential LEGO set in the future, then be sure to keep with tabs with our blog site.

LEGO Product Idea Jurassic Park Visitor Center

What to Expect from this LEGO Ideas Entry

Over the years, almost every new LEGO movie licensed theme has been created to match with a new theatrical release. In the case of big movie franchises, some sets based on previous films were produced before the ones based on the new films. This has happened with “STAR WARS”, “Toy Story”, or “Indiana Jones”.

So a good reason to release a fourth Jurassic Park movie was the chance to see LEGO products for the previous films, right?

Strangely, the last product license ignores the previous movies and is based only on the last film in the series, “Jurassic World”. It looks a lost opportunity for such a license deal.

The key elements in the Jurassic Park films are the dinosaurs, but the movies are also filled with lots of iconic vehicles, locations, and characters with a lot of potential for a complete building toy line.

The biggest set in a utopian Jurassic Park Theme would be the Jurassic Park Visitor Center.

The LEGO Ideas Jurassic Park Visitor Center 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 a gift shop.
Kitchen.
V.I.P. Dining Room
Emergency bunker
Showcase theatre
Control room
Genetics lab with cold storage room

The Jurassic Park Visitor Center also features several rooms that 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.

The dinosaurs menu… I mean, the minifigures included would be:

John Hammond
Tim Murphy
Lex Murphy
Donald Gennaro
Ray Arnold
Robert Muldoon

And “The Big One” molded raptor (A.K.A. “Clever Girl”).

Jurassic Park Visitor Center specifications (note that this could change if the project becomes a product)

Pieces: 2623
Measures: 43’1x 28 x 20’7 cm

LEGO Ideas Maze (21305) Officially Released

We featured some of Jason Allemann’s work for quite some time now and we’re so proud and delighted that LEGO has finally and officially unveiled his creation – the LEGO Ideas Maze 21305.

A Closer Look at the LEGO Ideas Maze 21305

Here’s a look at the official box art and packaging for the LEGO Ideas Maze 21305. The set includes 769 pieces and will retail at $69.99 in the US and $89.99 in Canada slated to hit stores on April 1 (don’t worry, we’re not in the habit of pranking people on this date). Anyways, in addition to the basic design the set comes with a second castle-themed design.

The back side of the box shows how the maze is operated by using the tilt knobs and a very simple guide to changing the themed maze plates.

Here’s LEGO’s official press release:

LEGO Ideas Maze – The reinvention of a classic!

The latest LEGO Ideas product reinvents the classic ball and labyrinth game, but adds a twist of creative LEGO building to the fun.

Built entirely from LEGO elements, the LEGO Ideas Maze consists of a base frame and a simple tip and tilt mechanism made up of LEGO beams and axles. You turn the wheels to move the maze up and down or from side to side guiding the ball away from the traps.

The interchangeable LEGO Ideas Maze system means you can easily swap maze plates without having to rebuild the entire game. Once you’ve mastered the two maze designs included with the set, you will find lots of inspiration to start creating your own mazes using the bricks included or any of your own LEGO elements.

The set also includes a removable container to store the balls and a travel lock that keeps everything in place when you are carrying or storing the game.

This is the 13th product in the LEGO Ideas series, this time designed by LEGO fan Jason Allemann who has always been fascinated with this classic game.

This Might Be the Coolest Rolling LEGO BB-8 That We Have Ever Seen

Hey LEGO! Care to come up with your own rolling LEGO BB-8 set?

There have been plenty of fan-built LEGO BB-8s all over the internet, but none like what Mark Smiley created and contributed at LEGO Ideas. So, what set it apart from the rest? This custom rolling LEGO BB-8 actually rolls while keeping its head afloat! Mark goes on to show that his rendition of the skittish but loyal astromech droid is made of 100% authentic LEGO parts. Needless to say, this might be the coolest custom LEGO Star Wars LEGO BB-8 that we will see rolling around. Watch its demo video below.

How to Make Your Own Custom Rolling LEGO BB-8

Mark’s BB-8 received a great deal of thumbs-up from fellow LEGO Idea supporters, running at 2398 votes as of this writing. The interesting part is that it gained almost 2,000 votes since last Friday when Gizmodo featured Mark’s ingenious creation. As you may notice, the design of Mark’s BB-8 is reminiscent of that of Sphero’s BB-8 robotic toy.

Check Out the Inner Workings of this Custom Rolling LEGO BB-8

Unlike, Sphero’s absolutely cool and sophisticated version, the build of Mark’s BB-8 is surprisingly simple. Using magnets that are bolstered up from a central axle and stabilized by LEGO weights, BB-8’s manages to keep afloat while his main body is rolling.

It lacks any electric motor that allows independent motion, however, it comes with a desert-themed docking station that allows BB-8 to roll using hand-cranked wheels while it remains stationary. As expected, there is no standard LEGO piece for BB-8’s spherical body giving Mark experimenting on certain parts as the only option.

After countless trials and errors, Mark found the perfect spherical candidate: the desert planet from the Sebulba Podracer and Tatooine set (9675). Mark said, “It took a lot of experimenting…I think I ordered one of every dome and ball-shaped piece LEGO has ever made off of Bricklink just so I could try every option.” After a quick paint job, the desert planet of Tatooine now houses the mechanisms for this adorable rolling astromech.

9675 1 — The LEGO Star Wars Sebulba Podracer and Tatooine (9675) set was the basis for the spherical body of this LEGO Ideas Rolling BB-8 product idea.

Here is Mark’s commentary on his BB-8 design.

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 bolster up two Lego magnets. Those magnets are held up close to the top of the ball and attract the two magnets built into the head of this custom rolling LEGO BB-8. 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 LEGO BB-8 is super fun to fidget with, and 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!

We hope to see more support for Mark’s custom rolling LEGO BB-8 (I certainly voted for it) as LEGO gave him an extra 182 days as a way of giving a thumbs-up for the project. Perhaps future builds will incorporate NXT programming. The design potential is limitless. Just visit his LEGO Ideas page and click Support if you like to see this coolest LEGO BB-8 roll out in LEGO store shelves later on.

Check Out This Fun Micro-Scale LEGO Disneyland MOC on LEGO Ideas

Nowadays LEGO seems to be into micro-sizing things that it finds worthy of attention. Even with its own theme sets, LEGO will throw in a micro-scale or two – such as the replica of a mini-sub in The Lost City of Atlantis, or the Phantom ship in the Star Wars collection. Nick Carlierti, a certified brick fan, pays tribute to his love for theme park fun with his own version of a micro-scale LEGO Disneyland MOC project submitted on LEGO Ideas.

Crossing Our Fingers for This LEGO Product Idea Micro-Scale LEGO Disneyland MOC

It’s amazing how these micro-scale sets are actually recognizable as the locations they’re trying to copy. With such few LEGO pieces, Nick’s attention to detail is pretty awesome. We hope to see his creation get the support that it deserves from LEGO.

Once it gets the needed 10,000 votes, then it’s up to the toy company to consider it for production. The only difficulty perhaps might be securing the rights to actually produce the set and we won’t find out unless the set gets the thumbs up from the LEGO jury.

Dive into the Details of this Micro-Scale LEGO Disneyland MOC

For now, check out this cool animation of Nick’s micro-scale LEGO Disneyland MOC. Want it? Support it on LEGO Ideas!