Category Archives: LEGO

You’d probably expect a lot of the posts on a LEGO website like The Brothers Brick to be about LEGO, and you’d be right. If you’re browsing this page, you might want to consider narrowing what you’re looking for by checking out categories like “Space” and “Castle.” We’re sure there’s something here that’ll fascinate and amaze you.

LEGO 40179 Personalized Mosaic Portrait: downsized, but not in a fun way [Feature]

The LEGO Company is well-known for its excellent customer service. The products are generally high quality, and when errors occur they are quick to issue replacements. However, we recently encountered an unfortunate scenario that left a bad impression. While many of the products we review are provided for us by LEGO itself (which doesn’t mean, of course, that we always give them positive coverage), just like most of you, we also buy a lot of LEGO through regular retail avenues. That’s where I come in. My name is Chris Doyle, and I’m a contributor here at The Brothers Brick. Frequent readers may also recognize my name from the LEGO Art super hero mosaics I’ve been building lately. It’s fair to say I’ve spent a lot (a lot a lot a lot) of money on LEGO mosaic kits and related parts over the past year. When LEGO announced their new 40179 Personalized Mosaic Portrait kit, I quickly found an excuse to buy it. But what do you do when the 6,002-piece set you order arrives and it only has 4,502 pieces? Somewhere along the way, LEGO substantially changed the number of pieces included in this set. Here’s my experience.

Continue reading

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

All that glitters is pure gold

It is the Year of the Ox and we have not yet gotten tired of your OX-related LEGO creations. My case in point, Ian Ying knows that what glitters is pure gold. It’s an ox, it’s expertly crafted in LEGO and it’s entirely gold. What’s not to love? It’s especially poignant being that 2021 is a Golden Ox year and is said to be a very lucky year indeed. We haven’t had a golden ox year since 1961 and I’m told that year wasn’t without its charms. Other builders have used monochrome with some pretty amazing results. Also, check out some other Year of the Ox creations that we have featured.

OxHead1

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

The choice of the Me Generation

The ’70s were known for plunging necklines and one hell of a fuel crisis. At least one of those things was responsible for making the two best-selling cars in America the Ford Pinto and Plymouth Valiant. However, the Lamborghini Countach snubbed its rather pointed nose at all that and looked and performed like nothing else on Earth at the time. A builder by the name of RGB900 has given the favorite car of 80’s teenagers and strip club owners the LEGO treatment. At only six studs wide this is a truly impressive model. It just goes to show you don’t need a pinky ring and a lifetime membership at Spearmint Rhino to enjoy this ride. With LEGO and skill, you can build this pivotal sportscar on a box wine budget.

6 wide brick MOC Lamborghini Countach

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO 40456 & 40457 Brick Sketches: Mickey and Minnie Mouse [Review]

In 2020, LEGO revealed Brick Sketches, a collectible series of brick-built portraits of popular characters. The first wave featured DC comic icons Batman and the Joker, and Star Wars fan favorites BB-8 and a First Order Stormtrooper. A second wave of designs will start arriving in stores on March 1st, and will retail for US $16.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £14.99. The new sketches feature Disney’s Mickey and Friends, and includes 40456 Mickey Mouse and 40457 Minnie Mouse. How do these new sketches stack up? Are they of any interest beyond just being cute? Read on and see!

The LEGO Group sent The Brothers Brick an early copy of these sets for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Exploring other worlds with LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31115 Space Mining Mech [Review]

If you’re here, chances are you’re a big fan of the LEGO brand, so you already know that it’s the toy of endless possibilities. Even on more expensive sets, you’re most likely always going to get a good bang for your buck. And in terms of creative potential, Creator sets are some of the best at encouraging it, particularly 3-in-1’s which provide a great combination of inspiration and versatile parts. The latest addition to the line is finally here, and we’re eager to see if this space-themed kit is out of this world! Come along as we explore what LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31115 Space Mining Mech has to offer. The set will be available March 1st, and will retail for  US $24.99 | CAN $34.99 | UK £24.99.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to launch!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

It’s time to take a stand

What makes a great LEGO spaceship? A stylish cockpit? Massive engines? Mindblowing stickers all over the wings? Tino Poutiainen has a different view, and it’s all about the stand. The first time I saw this stunning built, my attention was instantly captured by the fantastic design of the base that the ship is resting on. So simple and clever, it proves that you don’t need thousands of different kinds of pieces to surprise everyone with something new. And once I noticed the ship, I can’t help smiling at the smart use of the Technic Roborider head in red.

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

The next phase in chicken walker evolution

When hearing the term “chicken walker”, one tends to think of the famous AT-ST walkers from Star Wars. Those vehicles set the trend for walkers with avian-style legs, where the ankle joint is pronounced like a backward knee. Tim Goddard, co-author of LEGO Space: Building the Future, built a Space Police mech wholly inspired by avian anatomy. Not only the legs are inspired by “chicken walkers,” but the body and head resemble a bird as well. It’s always a welcome sightseeing a new addition to Tim’s already extensive Space Police fleet. This time, he used the new Space Policeman in the most recent LEGO Collectible Minifigures not only as parts but as an excuse to always keep on building Space Police!

Avian style space police walker

And by looking at the details on this build, his creations never disappoint. The highlight of this build is how Tim cleverly assembled the satellite dish using handlebars to create a circular shape. But the rear thrusters made up of Technic piston engine parts has got to be my favourite detail. The grey looks out of place from the blue and black color scheme, almost tacked on as an afterthought. It’s like someone decided to plonk on rockets to this mech so it can receive a boost to help with pursuits over uneven terrain.

See more of Tim’s amazing space-themed creations here!

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO VIDIYO sets are officially revealed [News]

Today, LEGO announced the first wave of brand new VIDIYO sets. The new press release gives more details about what we learned from the initial announcement, as well as introduced new types of products. The new LEGO VIDIYO is all about three things: BeatBoxes, Bandmates, and BeatBits. The first wave, which is slated for March 1, will include six unique portable BeatBoxes that each hold a minifigure representing a specific music genre. The colorful tiles included in each BeatBox, are called BeatBits; you’ll find two special BeatBits and 14 random BeatBits in each BeatBox. Besides the six BeatBoxes, the series will include 12 Bandmates to collect.

Continue reading

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Medieval city tour

Sometimes you just happen to stumble upon a creation that shocks you. Roger Cageot’s creation did this for me. I was shocked that I never heard of Roger Cageot and that I’ve never seen his work before. His medieval street creation is simply stunning. It looks like it could be a film set. Every single building is a knockout if you ask me. I could write a feature about every single house and be perfectly happy to do so. My favorite building has to be the tan stables with the sagging roof. No, wait the white building on the right with the crumbling plaster. No, wait the Tudor-style house with the diagonal wood beams. No the barrack on the left with the half-round wall and the excellent roofing. Ah heck, I love it all! You can ‘walk’ these medieval streets by checking out the rest of the pictures in Roger’s stream. Some of the houses also have an interior.

DSC_0001

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO Marvel Spider-Man 76175 Attack on the Spider Lair [Review]

Batman has the Bat-Cave, and Spider-Man, obviously, has a Spider Lair. (In some universes, anyway.) LEGO mixes and matches different realities to create an amalgam of Spider-gadgetry in Marvel Spider-Man 76175 Attack on the Spider Lair. This 466 piece set will be available March 1st from the LEGO Shop Online for US $69.99 | CAN $89.99 | UK £69.99. Come along as we try and track down Easter eggs and origins in this oddball entry into LEGO Spider-Man lore.

The LEGO Group provided The Brothers Brick with an early copy of this set for review. Providing TBB with products for review guarantees neither coverage nor positive reviews.

Click to read the full hands-on review

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

LEGO 10295 Porsche 911 available for sale on 16th February to VIP Members [News]

The LEGO Creator Expert 10295 Porsche 911 Turbo & 911 Targa goes on sale on 16th February for VIP Members. General availability starts on March 1 and priced at US $149.99 | CAN $199.99 | UK £119.99.  Sales will be available in different regions as the day progresses in different timezones. Don’t miss our in-depth review of the set if you need a closer look.

Continue reading

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.

Biting hard into this bar of chocolate may land you a visit to the dentist

I had to do a second take as I was scrolling the LEGO channels on Flickr on this one, did someone accidentally drop a non-LEGO creation into the feed? Upon closer inspection, I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar builder, nobu_tary and an actual 1:1 scale of a chocolate bar. Without the tooth elements in silver, I’d probably need to take a third look just to make sure. I got to admit, the chocolatey  2×4 Flat Tile can make one salivate especially when it looks quite delicious at this angle and lighting. I think what does the trick is smooth bite formed by the inverted arch brick paired with a 1×2 flat tile. Then again, how is a bite ever this smooth? I’ve been fooled nevertheless.

chocolate

The Brothers Brick is funded by our readers and the community. Articles may include affiliate links, and when you purchase products from those links, TBB may earn a commission that helps support the site.