Tag Archives: Video Game

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!

LEGO Ninjago Avatar Arcade Pods: 71714 Kai, 71715 Jay, and 71716 Lloyd [Review]

Each year LEGO’s homebrewed Ninjago theme finds a new setting for its cast of pseudo-ninja heroes, ranging from sky pirates to medieval fantasy. The theme has always reveled in a no-holds-barred approach to mixing and matching ancient bladed weapons, advanced technology, and outrageous antagonists. The 2020 lineup’s twist is a cyberpunk aesthetic set in a digital world via a videogame. All of the Ninjago heroes find themselves dueling in the cyber realms via their avatars, bringing a Ready Player One-like plotline to LEGO’s most successful in-house theme. Today we’re looking at a trio of small sets that serve as the entry points to theme both for the consumers and the characters in the world. These arcade cabinet boxes are the transformation portals wherein Kai, Jay, and Lloyd are transformed into their digital avatars. 71714 Kai Avatar – Arcade Pod (US $9.99 | CAN $13.99 | UK £8.99), 71715 Jay Avatar – Arcade Pod (US $9.99 | CAN $13.99 | UK £8.99), and 71716 Lloyd Avatar – Arcade Pod (US $9.99 | CAN $13.99 | UK £8.99) will be available starting January 1. They contain about 50 pieces each.

Click to read the full review

Now you’re playing with portable (elf) power!

With this retro gaming-flavored diorama, Kale Frost‘s early holiday dominance continues. Obviously the Nintendo Game Boy is the star of the show, and darned if it doesn’t look just like the one I unwrapped on Christmas in 1989. Not to be ignored, the wily minifigure elves have appropriated the device for their own purposes. Circuit boards, wires, and batteries are all expertly represented here.

Like Kale’s Santa creation before the iconic portable gaming console diorama is just one part of a larger whole, which is Kale’s bespoke Christmas scene.

Rundle Mall Display

It seems as if there are more LEGO stories to be shared from the display, but you can check out the whole thing for yourself at Rundle Mall in Adelaide Australia until January.

Jedi found

After a decade of seeking solace and peace, the silence is broken by the sound of blaster fire and lightsaber slashing. The Empire has found another Jedi fugitive. Created by Hypolite Bricks, this apocalyptic Star Wars display features what might have been a scene from the upcoming Jedi: Fallen Order video game.

Republic Gunship Jedi Hideout after Order 66

The level of detail here is incredible. The tree growing out of the gunship cockpit is genius, truly giving the image that the fugitive has been in hiding at this location for many years. Adding to that image is the disassembled gun turret and cloth covers, as well as the growing maize. The small green hut reminds me of Luke Skywalker’s hut on Ahch-To.

I hope we see more creations like this, since this is what Star Wars is all about: dirty, grubby, worn, and full of meaning. Hypolite Bricks’ Gunship Hideout is the definition of what a LEGO Star Wars diorama should be.

The late 90s called, and Tony Hawk wants his video back

Skateboarding video games may have fallen out of favour since the heady years of Tony Hawk’s regular domination of the console charts. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have fond memories of practising ollies and flips for hours on end, with sore thumbs our only risk versus real-life skater injuries like broken wrists and shattered elbows. It seems Nick Jensen also has a soft spot for skateboarding videogames as he’s put together a LEGO version of one of Pro Skater‘s key collectible items — the hidden VHS tape which featured in every level. The tape is nicely done, built to scale with a real VHS cassette (although how many of us still have one of them lying around to check the measurements?!) The light-up frame is perfect, a smart re-creation of the highlights around the tape in-game. Sweet building dude.

LEGO Skateboard Videogame

Sweet cyberpunk dreams at the No-Tell Motel

What do you do when you are eagerly awaiting the release of a video game, and the wait is killing you? If you’re like Jan T. and are drooling over screenshots of RPG (role-playing game) Cyberpunk 2077, you draw inspiration from your obsession and channel it into a LEGO model. Jan’s No-Tell Motel offers an atmosphere that is simultaneously gritty and colorful; dilapidated city streets and patches of rusty metal contrast nicely with the teal upper floor and purple & green graffiti. There are also plenty of excellent details to spot, including thugs & junkies, grass peaking through the concrete, a balcony supported by a Technic shock absorber, and a Technic piston acting as a flower pot. Here, the world can go to Hell and still look beautiful.

Pacifica. 2077.

A delightfully derelict and decrepit drive-in

Post-apocalyptic builds are popular in the LEGO community for some reason. Is it because we are fatalistic about the fate of society, and are certain it is all going to go up in mushroom clouds? Is it because we play video games that are set in a post-nuclear apocalyptic world? Do we just want to watch the world burn? Perhaps it is some combination of all those. hellboy.lego brings us a scene from the video game Fallout 4, which at very least satisfies my second suggestion. The Starlight Theatre, a now decrepit drive-in movie theater, serves as the camp for some raiders, and is gloriously derelict. Vines and trees are growing up everywhere, and the buildings are all half-ruined.

Starlight Theatre Overview

Click to see more of the Starlight Theatre

Ape, bear, whatever... it’s an epic figure

It’s not often we see a Sigourney Weaver inspired LEGO creation which isn’t something to do with the Alien movie franchise. Well here’s a cracking build from Ian Hoy inspired by the 1988 Dian Fossey biopic Gorillas in the Mist. Oh, hang on…My mistake. Seems this is actually inspired by PANDAS in the mist, more specifically Chen Stormstout — brewer, monk, and warrior — a character in the 2012 Mists Of Pandaria expansion to World Of Warcraft.

LEGO Mists Of Pandaria

Regardless of its inspiration, this is excellent LEGO character modelling. The clothing is great — particularly the toggle fastenings, the white strip edging, and the way the pyjama-top hangs beneath the belt. The face has the brilliant combination of cute-yet-scary which the Panda warriors carried in the game, and all the details are present and correct, including the ponytail and the sandals on those clawed feet. Nice bearclaw emblems on the knees too.

I am Northstar Titan. I come to do Northstar Titan stuff

What has Brothers Brick alumnus Nick Jensen been up to lately? At last check, he was cradling a fat-bottomed old lady in his arms. We’ve all been there, right? Now he has built Viper’s Northstar Titan from Titanfall 2. Viper is one of the bosses fought in the Titanfall 2 campaign and pilots this Northstar Titan, which has the ability to fly, hover and carry a Plasma Railgun. Transparent Technic beams give the illusion that this model is hovering while also offering it stability.

Viper's Northstar Titan - Titanfall 2

An alternate photo shows that it has some joint flexibility and the cockpit is open to reveal Mr. Bossman Viper himself. That’s what his friends call him. Probably.

Viper's Northstar Titan - Titanfall 2

Fortnite Mecha Team Leader, heck yeah!

Tackle the Fortnite article? Sure, I can do that! (clears throat) You were delighted when we featured the Loot Llama. You went completely ape-poopy when we showcased the Fortnite Battle Bus. Now prepare to totally lose your collective cookies at the sight of this Mecha Team Leader built by Kelvin Low. Fortnite is a series of three video games that has kept 125 million players up for more than a fortnight at a time with its awesome game play and graphics. It is a pop culture phenomenon that I am definitely savvy to, so don’t go getting it into your heads otherwise. I was totally thrilled when I finally saved the…um…Fortnite princess from the…uh…Fortnite monsters. And I like how the mech looks sort of like Voltron except with silly faces which, as you and I both know, is completely integral to the plot.

Mecha Team Leader 5

Kelvin’s model is accurate to the source material–and I am speaking from personal gameplay experience and definitely not research I did two minutes ago. Care to build one of your own? Follow Kelvin’s step-by-step instructional Youtube video if you’re into that kind of thing, which you probably are.

Half bulldozer, half tank, half robot, and 100% awesome

I have never played Overwatch, but I have purchased several of the LEGO sets based off the game just because they look cool. A little while back, though, I did a quick browse of the different characters to familiarize myself with the ones appearing in brick form. Apparently, there are different roles in the game, one of which is Tank. (This might be obvious to everyone but me, but I have never been a gamer.) Djokson has built a tank, not from the game itself, but inspired by it. Called the Siegebreaker, the mech looks more than capable of doing a lot of breaking, with big scoops up front, a big gun on the back, and additional armaments on the arms. Siegebreaker reminds me quite a bit of Bastion, but cooler.

The Siegebreaker

The visual highlight is the large spring in the middle, giving it the appearance of rugged durability. I love the yellow color scheme; it makes it look almost like a cross between an excavator and Bumblebee from Transformers. The fact that Djokson used Constraction gun elements as part of the base makes it even cooler. Curious about what the sentry mode of the tank looks like? It has one, of course.

A trio of traps – Claptraps, that is

When it comes to hilarious AI sidekicks in video games, it’s hard to beat the exuberant, boisterous, stair-challenged inverted triangle designated CL4P-TP, or better known as Claptrap. And what could be better than one Claptrap? If you asked Jerac that question, the answer would be three Claptraps.

Borderlands Claptrap family - 2.0!

Jerac has captured the distinctive look of these mono-wheeled robots very well, from the spindly arms to the oversized guns. And speaking of wheels, they are attached using the 1×1 modified plate with handle as if the part was made just for this purpose.

Super-cute super brothers superbly put together

Whilst we’ve never had an official set, Mario and Luigi are no strangers to LEGO. Many builders have tackled these gaming icons before, but it’s always good to see another take. These figures by ZiO Chao are excellent — tightly-built in a chibi style, but immediately recognisable, and full of character. The outfits are perfectly captured, the faces expressive, and I love the stands beneath each figure. Don’t miss the brickwork on Toad’s mushroom head, and the simple but effective way ZiO has captured Toad’s face. Lovely stuff.

LEGO Mario Luigi Toad