Welcome back to the Hidden Side! For our second review of the current wave of sets, we are looking at the largest of the five, 70437 Hidden Side: Mystery Castle! This set contains 1035 pieces and retails for US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99. It is available now in Europe, and will be released later this summer in the US and Canada, likely on Aug. 1.
Read on to discover all the mysteries inside!
LEGO Brick Sketches are a new collectible series of brick-built portraits of popular characters intended for display, not play. Slated to be available July 15, they will retail for US $19.99 | EU €19.99 each. We’ve already taken a look at the LEGO DC Brick Sketches characters in the first wave, and today we’ll check out the Star Wars sketches. Are 40391 Brick Sketches: First Order Stormtrooper and 40431 Brick Sketches: BB-8 worth the price point, and do they have any appeal for the larger LEGO market?
Click to read the full hands-on review
The LEGO Ninjago theme has been around for nearly a decade and spans over 50 released sets. The “Legacy” sub-theme is LEGO’s way of bringing back classic Ninjago offerings, which is usually a win for both new and old fans. The summer 2020 set 71703 Storm Fighter Battle is interesting in that it’s a Legacy version of a Legacy set. In 2019 we got 70668 Jay’s Storm Fighter, the reissue of 2012’s 9442 Jay’s Storm Fighter. But this 2020 version is a “4+” simplified build, making this a very different take on the vehicle. This set also comes with Serpentine Quad bike (likely a call back to 2012’s 9445 Fangpyre Truck Ambush) and a temple holding the Sword of Fire. The set’s 165 pieces are rounded out by three minifigures: Kai, Jay, and Lasha. This set became available on June 1st, and retails for US $29.99 | CAN $39.99 | UK £24.99. Is this “juniorized” version worth the price or time? Read on to see what we thought!
Click to read the full hands-on review
For more than a decade, LEGO has been releasing amusement park ride sets, letting fans slowly assemble a massive minifigure-scale theme park. With the latest set, LEGO has formalized the theme under the heading Fairground Collection, and 10273 Haunted House is the first set to bear that moniker. The Haunted House features all manner of spooky decorations as well as a Tower of Terror-like ride inside its tall spire. The mansion was the home of Baron Samuel von Barron, best known as the dastardly antagonist in the classic Adventurer’s theme. His house is filled with treasures he looted from all around the world and is haunted by the ghost of Pharoah Hotep, whose tomb he disturbed. Available now for LEGO VIP members, the set will be available broadly June 1, retailing for US $249.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99. It features 3,231 pieces and 9 minifigures, and can be optionally motorized with Powered Up elements.
So let’s take a look and see just how this Victorian manor now hides a terrifying drop ride and other mysteries.
The LEGO Store Gift With Purchase (GwP) offer for the month of June revives an old classic from the archives, reissued in a smaller form factor. The Hot Rod was originally released back in 1995 as the 5541 Blue Fury under the Model Team theme and reissued again in 2004 as the 10151 Hot Rod. This unique set of wheels comes free with purchases over US $85 | CAN $85 | GBP £85 and the offer is valid from 1st to 21st June 2020 (or while stocks last). We’re taking a quick look at this miniaturised version of the classic for you to decide if this is one to add to your collection.
Click to read the full review of the Hot Rod
Our coverage of the Summer 2020 Ninjago sets continues with a close look at the Spinjitzu Burst sets. Slated for a June 1st release, these are similar (read: almost identical) to 2019’s Spinjitzu Slam sets. Each features a single ninja, an elemental-themed spinner base, and a color-coordinated launch platform. There are three different characters to collect:
70685 Spinjitzu Burst Cole
70686 Spinjitzu Burst Kai
70687 Spinjitzu Burst Lloyd
Aimed at the 7+ age range, these 48-piece sets are focused around the play factor. But at an expected $10 price point in the US, is there enough to attract adult builders and collectors, too? Read on and judge for yourself!
The summer 2020 wave of LEGO Ninjago sets are just around the corner. We’re kicking off our series of hands-on reviews with LEGO 71718 Ninjago: Wu’s Battle Dragon, 321 pieces of ninja-goodness. One of the smaller sets in this wave, it is expected to retail for $19.99 in the US when it launches June 1st. Ninjago completists are going to want to pick this one up for the exclusive Hero Wu minifigure, but what if you’re not deep into Ninjago lore? Is this set worth your time if you’re just looking for a fun build or useful parts? Read on and see!
Click to read the full hands-on review
Hello and welcome to the Hidden Side! Although the theme debuted last year, this is our first review of a Hidden Side set and I’m pleased to be your guide on this spooky journey. Today we are looking at one of the new sets from the theme’s third wave, Hidden Side 70433 J.B.’s Submarine. It is the smallest of the new wave and a fun, affordable entry into the series. There have been two previous waves with a total of fourteen sets following the ghost hunting adventures of heroes Jack Davids, Parker L. Jackson, J.B. Watt and their ghost dog, Spencer. In this outing, Parker takes a submarine, presumably of J.B.’s invention, down to the depths of the ocean to discover the Statue of Evil. The set includes 224 pieces, and while LEGO hasn’t officially revealed the price yet, we believe it should come in around $19.99 USD when it launches on June 1, 2020. Now, let’s strap on our diving gear and take the plunge down to the bottom of the sea.
Click to read the full hands-on review
One of the beloved classics from LEGO is the Pirates theme. It first saw its debut in 1989 and made waves through the mid-90s capturing the imagination of young ones all over the planet. These days, fans who grew up during the early days of LEGO’s early success pine for a return of the three golden classic themes: Space, Castle, and Pirates. LEGO is well aware of this and instead of an outright re-issue, the inspiration never died, but only revived and modernised to steal the hearts and minds of the newer generation today. One such example is the latest Ideas set, 21322 Pirates of Barracuda Bay. Now, I believe there’s a good chance the LEGO Creator Pirate Ship will be remembered decades later repeating the very same cycle of nostalgia, albeit in its own special and unique way. The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 31109 Pirate Ship has 1,264 pieces and comes with four minifigures. The set is slated for a June 1 release, but the final price has yet to be revealed, but we will update this review as soon as we can confirm it. Let’s up anchor and set sail for a journey of discovery on how the LEGO Creator Pirate ship fares in today’s context.
Click to read the full review of the Creator Pirate Ship
Close your eyes and imagine a LEGO set: iconic 1970s Dodge Charger R/T, packed with authentic details. The opening hood reveals a model version of the iconic V8 engine; moving pistons, wishbone suspension, steering system, and air blower. There are even nitro bottles in the trunk. Just like the real thing! Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? According to LEGO, such an exciting set, in this instance, LEGO Technic 42111 Dom’s Dodge Charger, retails for just US $99.99 | CAN $139.99 | UK £89.99. Moreover, the model consists of just 1,077 pieces, which, by all means, isn’t a big Technic set. A medium-sized Dodge Charger in an authentic design for US $100 seems to be an absolute bestseller. But before you order one for yourself, let’s build it and make sure it is as good as we imaged it.
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Last month LEGO revealed the next set in the Ultimate Collector Series would be 75275 A-wing Starfighter, making it available May 1 just in time for May the Fourth celebrations. Due to the current global pandemic, LEGO’s shipping department wasn’t able to get us an early copy, but we’ve finally got our hands on the set to bring you an in-depth review. The new Rebel fighter has 1,673 pieces and is available now for US $199.99 | CAN $259.99 | UK £179.99.
Every year for the increasingly merchandised “May the Fourth” Star Wars holiday, LEGO has produced an exclusive item to include for free when you buy other Star Wars products. This year’s promotional set is 40407 Death Star II Battle, a microscale vignette from Return of the Jedi featuring an A-wing and TIE Interceptor skimming the battlestation’s surface. The set includes 235 pieces, and will be included with Star Wars purchases between May 1 and May 4 from LEGO’s website over US $75 | CAN $75 | UK £75. LEGO is also offering double VIP points on all Star Wars purchases over the same timeframe. LEGO lists the set for US $14.99 | CAN $19.99 | UK £13.49, but it isn’t available to purchase directly, and likely won’t ever be unless LEGO ends up with a lot of extras after the promotion ends.
