UPDATE: Nearly all of the LEGO sets featured in this post are now available, including LEGO Space Police, Castle, and Agents 2.0.
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LEGO fans don’t normally get an official look at third-quarter LEGO set releases until Toy Fair New York in mid-February. However, CTV technology journalist Kris Abel visited the Canadian Toy & Hobby Fair in Toronto this past weekend, posting a full run-down of the late 2009 LEGO releases.
We’ve confirmed with The LEGO Group that this is official. Although Kris Abel reports that many of the sets and box art are still prototypes, his photos of the sets themselves are pretty good. In keeping with our new policy, then, here goes…
First up,
5972 Container Heist opens up to reveal a massive cannon:
If you can’t see the photos, click the links at the bottom of this post.
5974 Galactic Enforcer has classic (dare I say Classic?) lines:
The alien criminals in the LEGO Space Police sets have several new, unique pieces:
In LEGO Star Wars news, Endor gets a bunker (8038), the Y-Wing gets a facelift (8037), the Neimoidians get their own shuttle (with Nute Gunray minifig?), and 7749 Echo Base includes a first-ever LEGO tauntaun:
LEGO Power Miners sport a larger rock monster and a very large drilling platform:
The LEGO Indiana Jones assortment includes a boat chase, a pair of fighters, and a new Elsa Schneider minifig:
On the LEGO Castle front, the trolls get their castle and the undead make their return in 7079 Drawbridge Defense:
Finally, LEGO has announced MINDSTORMS NXT 2.0, with a new color sensor.
You can read all of Kris Abel’s coverage on his blog:
We’ll expect even more complete coverage at Toy Fair New York in a few weeks from the usual suspects. In the meantime, share your thoughts in the comments.
The Space Police sets look very nice, great big ship, I love it. I don’t like the over use of the (new) fin Technic looking things that the Police sets have.
I’m extremely excited about the new lineup of sets coming out particularly the space criminals.
I really love the hood that Luke is wearing in the Hoth set. I don’t remember seeing that anywhere before.
As a City builder, I’m pretty disappointed in the sets that were shown. Considering that City sets are some of the most popular worldwide, you would think that they would try a little harder in that arena.
I hate Bionicle. I realize it is popular, but come on, there’s way too much emphasis on them.
2009 is ganna be such a great year!
Space Police looks fun! I’m really excited for those sets.
Aw I’m bummed NXT didn’t change color schemes. The emergence and quick pull of the black logic brick on lego.com gave me hope. Still lots of new wonderfulness!
Never mind Space Police, we get Alien Criminals! I think I can actually near Nennan screaming of joy over those head pieces. No, wait…. oh, thats me!
Love this, first unraveling of the upcoming sets and all that.
Indiana Jones gives us a new motorcycle fairing! Finally the Nazis get the right bikes. This seems to be a very good year! Wohooooo!
I am also very excited about the new sets. The criminals in the Space Police sets look very cool, and I am looking forward to getting some of that action.
lotonah, that isn’t Luke in the Hoth set, that’s Hon Solo. Plus LEGO has had those hoods for years, but never really used them. They were included in the “Arctic” sets and came in black, blue, and green.
I love the new Indiana Jones sets, am very intrigued by the space police, and the castle line always works for me.
I have one major complaint, and it is part of a pattern that disapoints me. Why is LEGO so stingy with plates or base plates. How can you have a drawbridge with a four stud wide plate underneath representing water, COME ON! Or the boat chase from Indiana Jones with the same exact single plate of water.
Most AFOL’s will just add more blue plates, but what happens to the young kid who is getting their first or second set. I would gladly pay an extra $2-$3 for more plates to create the scene they are selling me. It started when they eliminated the base plates from the castle themes, and now, other than the useless raised baseplates in the Crystal Skull, we have to pay extra for green 32×32 or the gray 48×48 baseplates. Why the shift away from giving us the land these wonderful sets sit on?
Ok, enough of my rant, as I said, I like most of the sets I have seen. Thanks for the pictures!
lotonah & David4, LEGO used that exact fig of Han Solo in 4504 Millenium Falcon set.
From what I have seen the Space Police line seems to be promoting an “everybody who is different is bad” mentality. Humans vs Aliens. Does this not reenforce the use of stereotyping?
I would hope to see some intermingling between the two groups. It works in SF. Plus, an alien cop could look cool. They could also justify the other with a few Blacktron escapees.
Shiningblade please tell me you are joking? The guys are yellow and they are fighting evil aliens like LEGO has down the last few Space themes. There is a bigger issue with LEGO being sexist because none of the cops are female!
LEGO also doesn’t like having humans fight humans, it’s some new thing they started doing the last decade or so.
Let’s keep the discussion between us nice, dear readers. Don’t make me pull this blog over! :-P
Are we there yet? :-p
I was nice, we are talking about a toy with yellow “people” fighting aliens in outer space. lol
I just thought of something, the spiky Space helmet could be used to make a Darth Maal head.
Yum yum! The Indiana Jones and Castle sets are looking delicious. Can’t wait to get my hands on a fez!
Me, for one, am willing to wait for the final official box art and set photos before commenting on racial, species and sex issues in the Space law enforcement scene. In the meanwhile I’ll just watch Alien nation.
David4, yes, I was joking pretty much. It was a thought that popped in my head as there appears to be a nice diversity of original aliens based on minifigs (it is not just one type of helmet like UFO or a non-minifig that only has one point of articulation like Mars).
Seriously though, I would love to see a mix of both humans and aliens on both sides, including an updated Blacktron I. ;-)
The other thing that would be nice in the future would be to have an original Space theme based on exploration without the us vs. them dualism that we have seen for so long. Very much like we had back in the days of Classic Space.
All this said, I am looking forward to July and I hope it is a beginning of a new era for Space and not just a one off theme.
Space Police notes:
-Oh God, that very first picture here dropped my jaw (That and the knowledge that it was a SPACE POLICE set). I am going to be going hardcore back into Space sets, looks like… and Castle (My favorite at the moment) is still going to be a big contender, so my wallet is going to be hurting. X( Which is great news!
-One of those aliens looks like a Castle troll with a frickin’ sweet spiky helmet on. If that’s NOT what it is, well, I can guarantee you that’s what it WILL be. In my house. :D
-Every alien looks awesome, which flies right in the face of every alien LEGO has come up with since the Insectoids line ended. AWESOME.
-I am going to have to buy every set. Just LOOK at them! Oh, man.
Power Miners notes:
-Big rock monster looks cool, and I imagine you can fit a big chunk of LEGO (Maybe a boulder) in his hands. But you can’t rotate his hands? So that seems like a bit of a failure (But I don’t KNOW that the hands do not rotate).
– Sets have some pretty cool designs. I’ve gotta say, I’m totally not into Power Miners at all — but if I were a lot younger, I’m pretty sure I might be. And I DO at least like the designs, I just for some reason don’t connect well with the concept and colors or something. You can’t win ’em all.
Star Wars notes:
-The new goggles from the Hoth set(s?) look really cool.
-The prequel Y-Wing is the only thing I like about the prequels, so it’s good to see it.
-Also good to see a Greedo head coming back!
-Another AT-ST design… looks good, and like it actually has good figs with it.
Indy notes:
-RED FEZ HAT NO WAY OH MAN THAT IS SWEET.
-New blonde hair is also sweet, but I’m a little afraid of seeing it on a yellow head (And I wouldn’t let it stay on a miserable fleshie head).
@lotonah: Luke’s hood is actually an already-existing piece from an old (Not OLD old) polar-themed line (The name of which I do not recall. Arctic Explorers? That sounds good. There were polar bears in it). It may be a different color here, though.
And I hate Bionicle as much as the next guy (Assuming the next guy also harbors deep resentment and loathing for Bionicle), but I can’t deny the evidence in front of my eyes when I see my hordes of nephews happily playing with Bionicle. It’s popular with its targeted audience. If it helps LEGO pay the bills, then maybe it helps them feel more free to produce things like a totally sweet new Space Police line, a fez piece, and cows.
I will be going to Toy Fair NYC shortly and cannot wait! I hope I can get into the LEGO booth again this year!
The Space Police Aliens look great! Cool additions to the Minifig population!
notenoughbricks
I’m still admiring those aliens. The green slip-on piece was a very clever way to add two arms, although I think they ought to have tilted the pegs the “robot” arms attach to (So there would be a little less “oops the top arms can’t fit past the lower shoulders”). On the OTHER other other hand, that would make the top arms unable to move higher than the head. I now veto my proposed change.
Taun Tauns! yay :)
Loving the new googles on the rebels as well. Looking forward to building these puppies!
I wish they’d put out a Sallah figure already :S
I just noticed the Battle for Endor set has an SRP of $129.99 CDN which is a $90.99 cost price with a 30% Margin.
I remember when the margin was 50% for the non-license products. Wow, Lucas is must be making a chunk of coin on each set.
Jai, with the green alien I think they should modify it a little bit, and like your ideas. I would also ad they should make the top have a minifigure stud on it so LEGO can have different alien head attach to it.
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I like that drawbridge…
Finnally, a jester!
But I don’t like Space Police, because I hate stickers!
:-)