Tag Archives: Video Games

Even if you’re not an Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo gamer yourself, and even if you’ve never played one of the many LEGO games, it’s hard not to appreciate the strange and stunning LEGO creations inspired by video games. Look for lots of LEGO models inspired by Halo, the Legend of Zelda, Gears of War, Pokemon, Final Fantasy, and more. Game on!

Vivi explores Alexandria in the latest Final Fantasy LEGO JRPG tribute from Brick Ninja

July 7 marked the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy IX, and to celebrate, Kevin Wanner (Brick Ninja) recreates the game’s opening in Alexandria out of LEGO. After the sci-fi-infused Final Fantasies VII and VIII, the ninth installment returns to the franchise’s medieval roots and classic character designs, like the black mage Vivi, who Kevin adapts with ease into minifig form. It’s such a charming, immersive scene that feels like it’s lifted straight from a video game, with barely a stud in sight. There’s so much to love, from the dense wolverine-claw grass, to the oval tiled walls, to the curved wall slats on the rightmost building.

Of course, Kevin is no stranger to Final Fantasy-inspired builds. We’ve featured several of his FF7 tributes in the past, but there have been enough recent builds that we’ve missed, that this is the perfect time to play catch up, starting with this spot-on recreation of the expanded cast as minifigures.

Kevin’s Final Fantasy LEGO tributes continue…

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Skyrim gets remastered yet again, this time in LEGO

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim debuted in the era of the Xbox 360 but has remained an essential game across three console generations. With all those remasters and mods, of course Skyrim would inspire LEGO tributes as well. What I love about this version from Gabriel Midgley is how the builder distills everything about this epic open world into a compact LEGO scene. Not a small build, mind you – it’s quite epic, but also dense with details that fans of the game will appreciate.

From the dragon soaring above the peak to the Dwemer ruins that wind through the mountain’s roots, the scene yells “adventure” with the intensity of a Dragonborn’s shout. Even though the game is single-player, Gabriel packs in references to many player races and classes, like the Argonian lizard man chilling at the camp. This LEGO take is such a fun way to experience Skyrim again, it just might tide me over until Elder Scrolls VI finally arrives… in 2042, if we’re lucky.

LEGO Palico and feathered mount are ready to help you hunt monsters

Capcom’s Monster Hunter games have gone from niche to mega popular, so it’s high time we see some of the incredible creature designs get the LEGO treatment. Thankfully Mitch Phillips answers the call, not only nailing ornate feathers and fur from LEGO elements but sharing the process so we can train up to capture our own monsters in bricks. For the feathered mount, Mitch draws on leaves, flippers, chima wings, and so many other clever parts. Kudos to Mitch for spotlighting the technique used on the neck feathers that was learned from character-building legend Jayfa. Even though it’s a simpler build, I’m smitten by the ~~kitten~~ Palico companion.

For a breakdown of how the creatures were built, and tips on building complex and colorful characters that draw on LEGO’s broad range of parts, I can’t recommend Mitch’s video stream enough.

A haunting LEGO tribute to an RPG as French as baguettes and brie

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a very beautiful and very French RPG that has captured the hearts of players and critics alike. The game has such a distinctive setting – Belle Epoque Paris by way of Final Fantasy – so it seemed only a matter of time before someone would pay tribute in LEGO. That someone is Franck Chavernac, a French AFOL and storyteller who recreates the party of heroes confronting the tragic villain, the Paintress. I love the use of a Belville doll for the Paintress, her face hauntingly obscured in “hair.” Franck created custom prints for the four heroes’ outfits, which you can see here. Scattered flowers provide a pop of color and a grim reminder of the Gommage.

DOOM: The Dark Ages Skullcrusher slays in LEGO

The DOOM franchise has introduced some memorable epic weapons, going back to the original BFG (“Big Friendly Gun), but the newly released DOOM: The Dark Ages introduces the most metal weapon of all: the Skullcrusher. This weapon does what it says on the tin, crushing literal skulls and using the bone fragments as deadly projectiles. Dicken Liu built a roughly life-size version in LEGO, complete with a pre-ground skull to feed into the chipper. Even if it’s not motorized or sharp, that maw of gears and rotating blades fills me with dread. Whether a sly joke or serendipity, the gun is decorated with the headpiece of Bionicle baddie called Skull Grinder. How perfect is that?! Dicken is no stranger to gaming tributes, although they tend to be of a slightly more family-friendly flavor, like this adorable Baby Bowser.

To learn more about the builder and his creations, check out our interview with Dicken Liu from earlier this year.

LEGO Voyagers revealed at Summer Game Fest, co-op adventure from Builder’s Journey developers Light Brick Studio [News]

LEGO’s biggest video game hits have featured minifig mayhem and slapstick adventures in the worlds of Star Wars, Batman, and Fortnite, but there is one LEGO game that took a different path. A Builder’s Journey was released in 2019 by Light Brick Studio, an internal development team inside of LEGO, and it offered a poignant and wordless puzzle experience similar to games like Monument Valley, but through an AFOL lens. It’s a beautiful game that offers a more meditative approach to playing with bricks. Today at Summer Game Fest, Light Brick Studio reveals their follow-up: LEGO Voyagers.

Putting players in control of a humble 1×1 brick, the game expands on its predecessor’s gameplay by letting two players journey together in a new co-op adventure. As a fan of the A Builder’s Journey and low-stress couch co-op games, this one looks like a must-play. It’s a welcome addition to the LEGO games lineup – one that remains accessible to all but with a special appeal for AFOLs. The trailer and game details follow.

Official press release and screen shots follow

LEGO GLaDos congratulates Bousker on their Iron Builder victory and promises cake

If you have played either of the Portal video games, then the birthday-cake-obsessed GLaDos may fill you with some fear and dread, even in LEGO form. And if you have a keen eye for part usage, then you may recognize the Iron Builders seed part, 54097 from the last round of the Iron Builder competition. Bousker uses that aircraft door along with a lot of other beautiful part usage to create the terrifying GLaDos. That ingenuity helped Bousker win over the judges and come out on top as the newest Iron Builder.

Check out Bousker’s other Iron Builder entries as well as our interview with their competitor, Tim Goddard.

Pixel-perfect Sonic tribute brings Green Hill Zone to life with 30,000 LEGO bricks

Over the last three years, builder and video creator Jason (JustBeardy) has been working on a massive motorized LEGO tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone. Built from roughly 30,000 bricks, the diorama draws on specific gameplay elements of the iconic level, all lovingly rendered in the 16-bit style of the classic SEGA Genesis game.

While the front view of the level is slick and studless with every pixel in its place, a look behind the Technic scaffolding reveals how much mechanical wizardry went into making the scene come alive. Jason would have been done sooner, but needed a new drive train to power so many motorized elements.

Of course, a project like this is meant to be seen in motion, so it’s best to watch the reveal video to appreciate Jason’s most ambitious work to date. And if you’re interested in how the builder solved all the elaborate mechanical functions, there’s a series of 34 behind-the-scenes videos showing the build process from the beginning. Feeling nostalgic for classic Sonic? Jason shares free instructions for Dr. Robotnik’s Egg Wrecker as seen in the diorama.

Beware of brick Clickers in Boston in LEGO Last of Us tribute

HBO’s The Last of Us just wrapped season 2, but if you’re not ready to let go of a run-down world filled with murderous mushroom zombies, Greg the Gungan has your back. In this towering diorama, Greg returns to the first game/season with Joel and Ellie traversing a crumbling Boston. Greg finds the perfect balance between urban decay and nature taking root, creating a world that is so beautiful that you might risk a cordyceps bite to take it all in. True to the source, the decrepit office building hides many dangers that Greg also built in bricks.

Take a trip through the LEGO looking glass for two very different spins on Alice

When LEGO introduced a new scale of buildable figures for characters like Wednesday Addams, the sets introduced interchangeable printed faces with big eyes. As builder lavishlump points out, these faces are quite similar to the ones used for the popular Japanese Nendororoid figures and work great for LEGO anime characters too. Lavishlump used the Glinda face for a model of Alice Margatroid, a magical puppeteer from a Japanese PC game.

LegoWyrm uses the same techniques for a very different video game Alice – the heroine of American McGee’s Alice. Wednesday’s goth expression is a perfect match for this dark spin on Wonderland.

Time will tell if LEGO continues to release buildable figures at this scale and expand the face options for anime fans, but for now it’s great to see a specialized part spur creativity in the community.

Killer Gaming minifigs from Bloodborne, Assassin’s Creed, and beyond [Minifig Monday]

LEGO and video games are overlapping more and more, with partnerships with big players like Fortnite, Minecraft, Mario Kart, and even Horizon taking up a growing share of LEGO releases. Of course, no amount of official sets can keep up with all the games being released on PC and consoles. Fortunately, there are plenty of amazing builders making custom versions of game characters we love.

Kamil Karpiński is a builder we’ve spotlighted several times for his bolstered figs that integrate brick anatomy with minifig heads. For this tribute to From Software’s cult classic Bloodborne, the builder sticks with classic minifig parts and perfectly captures the Victorian horror aesthetic of the game. The rubber band wrapped around the sawtooth blade and the extra buckles on the arm really sell it.

beyondb0nes also found inspiration in Bloodborne with this minifig take on Lady Maria of the Astral Clocktower.

Free play enabled. No need to insert another coin to continue!

LEGO shoot-’em-up fighters worthy of Player One Privilege

I’m an oldest sibling, so when we played video games growing up, I usually enjoyed Player One privileges. That is, until my siblings got better at the games than I did, and so I would get demoted to being a mere Player Two. I’m not sure which of these two LEGO ships that Brad K has built is which – I think tradition dictates that blue is one and red is two? Either way I don’t think I’d be disappointed with either in this case! There’s very little studs-up building in the ships themselves; it seems to almost all be sideways. In fact the bases seem like the only studs that are the right way up. But they’re a lovely touch too! Which one are you choosing?