Symphony Orchestra LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project is a Symphony Orchestra created by Brickasso. Orchestras have long been a source of high quality music and musical entertainment especially when it comes to classical music. There are normally several sections in the orchestra, including the brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
I think this is a lovely little project. Unfortunately, it is not reasonable to have a full symphony orchestra as the size would make it more of a MOC than a feasible LEGO Ideas project, but I like how this project represents the various sections without making the project too large. Something else that really sticks out to me is the design of the stage. I really like the SNOT technique used to build curves into the front creating a few small thrust stages (the parts of the stage that protrude outward). Another feature that I like is the tiering of the stage, and the reddish brown pieces used to make the steps and the trim between the different tiers.

There are some very nice brick-built instruments in this project, but perhaps the one that stands out the most is the baby grand piano. This piano does a nice job of capturing many of the details associated with a baby grand without making the model too clunky. It uses the modified tile with grill piece (2412b) effectively to create both the black and white keys as well as the strings inside the piano. And I appreciate that the top appears like it can be folded down, or propped open to offer a couple different looks.


A couple of other nicely brick-built instruments that I like are the kettle drums and the double bass. The kettle drums are very simple in their design, but very effective in capturing the shape and appearance of this instrument. The double bass, on the other hand is more complicated in its design. This is primarily because it is a particularly difficult instrument to build (as are most of the instruments in the string family) out of LEGO, though I think this is a pretty good representation. I especially like how the curved geometry of the double bass is captured in this brick-built instrument.

Areas for Improvement
As it relates to the brass section, I am not a fan of the "clown horns" (87996pb01) used as trumpets, even though the rubber ball is colored to match the rest of the trumpet. Instead, I would recommend using the old bugle piece (71342) in the pearl gold color as this piece looks much more like a trumpet in my opinion.

Conclusion
Overall, this is a very nice project that has the potential to offer a new option for children as they play, or to be a nice display piece for AFOLs. I believe this would make a great set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of Brickasso.

Disney's Pinocchio LEGO Marionette with Jiminy Cricket LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project is a marionette version of the Disney character Pinocchio created by buggyirk and Jimmyc. I am sure many of you are familiar with the story of Pinocchio, but for those who aren't, here is a quick synopsis. Pinocchio was a wooden marionette made by a woodcarver named Geppetto. One night, a fairy comes to remove the marionette strings and make Pinocchio come to life. She promises to make him into a real boy if he proves himself worthy, and chooses Jiminy Cricket to be his conscience. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This LEGO marionette is an absolutely marvelous model. It seeks to introduce something (the marionette) that LEGO has never done before while combining this new direction with the classic Disney character Pinocchio, who was a marionette himself. This would be a wonderful set for AFOLs and would even include a nice brick-built display stand. I think this could also be a lot of fun for children to play with, though the difficulty of the build points towards an older fan of LEGO (teen or adult) building the model and then allowing younger fans to play with it.

Speaking of building difficulty, this is largely because of the many wonderful building techniques used throughout the model. There are lovely SNOT methods used in just about every section of this marionette, but my two favorites are both located on Pinocchio's head. The first SNOT method I like is how Pinocchio's hat is attached at what appears to be a 45 degree or so angle on top of his head, while the second technique that stick out to me is the vehicle mudguard piece (98282) used upside down to create Pinocchio's mouth. A couple other creative parts uses that appeal to me are the dish pieces (6256) used as ears, and the claw or horn piece (53451) used as eyebrows.

Another nice touch to this project is the inclusion of Pinocchio's conscience, also known as Jiminy Cricket. Jiminy is designed as a minifigure with the short pants in order to capture the small size of a cricket next to a wooden (or in this case LEGO) boy. In my opinion, this is the perfect scale for the little conscience. Another attractive feature about Jiminy is that he would come with a very nice torso and hat which would be very useful in a number of other builds.

Areas for Improvement
Overall, this is a really nice project, and there is not much that I would change. One thing that might improve this project a little bit though, is a slight change to the design of the arms and legs. In my opinion, either the sleeves and the pant legs are a little bit oversized or the arms and legs are ever so slightly undersized when viewed from the side. The solution might be as simple as adding another 2x4, or possibly a 2x3 plate to the underside of the arms. To me, this does not diminish the appeal of the model, but I do think is should be given a little bit of thought.

Conclusion
This Pinocchio Marionette is an amazing project that would be a fun build as well as a beautiful display piece and engaging toy. I believe this would make a wonderful set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of buggyirk and Jimmyc.

Autumn Café LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
The Autumn Café is a cozy little coffee shop created by ChadSteahly. This establishment is a modern café in an older building, something that might be considered a little "hole-in-the-wall joint". For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.
Appeals of this Project
This project appeals to me from many standpoints, such as the architecture of the building, the interior and exterior details, and the nice blend of colors throughout this build. Outside there are so many wonderful details, from the detailed architectural patterns around the top of the building, to the A/C unit up on the roof, to the two different outdoor seating options: out front there is the fenced in area under the canopy, or the minifigures can enjoy their coffee under the gorgeous autumn trees along the side of the building. Speaking of trees, I really like the additional details of leaves scattered across this build. To me, they really make it believable that this is set in the Fall season.

Inside, the minifigures can head over to the café counter and order a cup of coffee or an espresso from the friendly barista. This section of the coffee shop is decked out with details such as an espresso maker, blender, sink, cash register and a nicely tiled floor. The color coordination in this section is also very well done. If you haven't noticed, the black and white tile matches the black and white cabinets and the white walls with black windowpanes. I also like the inclusion of a swing gate at the counter to clarify what area is employees only and what part of the café is for the customers to enjoy.

Since we are talking about customers, there are plenty of seating options inside for patrons who do not want to enjoy the brisk Autumn weather. The sections of the wall where it looks like the plaster is coming off the walls really adds a lot of character to this build, making it appear like an establishment that has been around for a while. In the main part of the café, there is a newspaper stand where the patrons can read up on what is happening in their LEGO town, and a shelf full of Autumn Café collectable coffee mugs for sale. And in case of emergencies, there is also a fire extinguisher to ensure that the café is up to the brick building code. Remember, safety first! There are eight minifigures included with this project, and they cover many different types of people who frequent coffee shops including: the obvious café employees, college student, grandmother, café bum, mother and daughter, and a singer/songwriter with the new acoustic guitar piece.

Areas for Improvement
This is a really strong project, and despite trying very hard, I cannot find anything that I would recommend changing or adding.

Conclusion
The Autumn Café is a cozy little coffee shop that is absolutely stunning to look at and appears like it would be fun to build. I believe this would make a fantastic set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of ChadSteahly.

Third Planned Updates to LEGO Ideas

It has been a busy last few weeks on the LEGO Ideas blog, first the second planned update to LEGO Ideas were announced a few weeks ago, next the release of the Caterham Super Seven, then the announcement of the results of the First 2016 Ideas review period, just yesterday The Beatles Yellow Submarine was revealed, and now today they are announcing the third and final planned updates to the LEGO Ideas platform for 2016. You can read the official blog post here or at the end of this post after my thoughts.

This planned update does not have as many major changes as the first two updates, which were primarily focused on improving the quality of projects on LEGO Ideas. Instead this update is focused more in streamlining the project supporting and project submittal processes.

Here are my thoughts on the changes:

• It has been so long since I was a new member, that I do not remember this problem, but it seems like it will help streamline things for those who are signing in on LEGO Ideas for the first time.
• I really like this update. It makes it much easier to support a project (not that it was that difficult before, but still, I like this update a lot!). I especially like the "All" button option when choosing who would most likely be interested in the potential set.

• Not a huge update, removing the check box when submitting a project will help streamline things a bit.
• I like that the "Delete"  and "Preview" buttons are moved up to the top right on the project submittal page now.

• The auto save feature will be nice when submitting a project for review. Now people will not have to remember to save their project periodically as LEGO Ideas will do it for them.
• I have not run into this problem personally, but I am sure for people who submit multiple projects in close succession this will be a nice feature.

What are your thoughts on the third planned updates? Let me know in a comment below!

Posted October 13th, 2016 on the LEGO Ideas blog:

Today we’ve released the third and final planned update to the LEGO Ideas website for fall 2016. This time, we streamlined the Support and Submit Project flows:

• New Members Return to Project Page – If a new visitor entered LEGO Ideas on a specific project page, once they create their account and verify their email, LEGO Ideas now returns them to the project so they can support the project. We hope this means more new members convert into actual supports on your projects.
• Support Survey – We’ve removed the images from the supporter survey and tightened it up so it should not need to scroll anymore within the window.
• Submit page – We removed the checkbox confirming your agreement to the Guidelines, and replaced it with a Submit button. You’re still asked to confirm agreement to the Terms on the final page before you submit.
• Submit Flow – The bottom control bar buttons are now more intuitive. Specifically we moved the "Delete Project" and "Preview" buttons to the right column above the Project Tile preview.
• Auto Save – Projects now auto-save when you make a change. You may see a yellow alert banner below the Progress Bar.
• "Save and Exit" button now appears if you submit a new project with another project still Awaiting Approval. A tool tip reminds you that you can save your progress, but have to wait to submit until a moderator has looked at your other project.

This is the last user experience update for a while. But don't worry, we're building the foundation for even more improvements to the LEGO Ideas experience in 2017 and beyond. We're also looking forward to the next wave of 10k Club interviews and building our new Yellow Submarine sets!



Update and Ideas Logo curtsey of LEGO Ideas website.

LEGO Ideas Set #15: The Beatles Yellow Submarine

 

The team at LEGO Ideas has just announced the release date of LEGO Ideas set #15, 21306 The Beatles Yellow Submarine by kevinszeto. You can read the full blog post here. The set will be available November 1, 2016 for a MSRP of USD 59.99 / EUR 59,99 / GBP 49.99 according to the post on the LEGO Ideas blog, "including 550 LEGO bricks including the 4 minifigures representing John, Paul, George and Ringo, as well as a Jeremy figure."

Overall, this is a really impressive build with very bright colors. I am not a Beatles fan personally, but I know several people who are, and from what I have heard, this LEGO Yellow Submarine seems to be pretty accurate. LEGO has even posted a video on their YouTube channel recreating in a way the original Beatles Yellow Submarine animated video (included at the end of this post).

The bright golden yellow pieces used in the submarine give it a warm and welcoming appearance, and the torso prints are very much what come to mind of when I think of the Beatles, and the box in itself is quite fascinating. It is one of the most colorful boxes that I remember the LEGO Group producing in the recent past.  I am sure this will be a wonderful set for collectors, both LEGO Collectors and Beatles collectors, though I myself will not be purchasing one due to a lack of interest in the Beatles as mentioned earlier.

 

What are your thoughts on The Beatles Yellow Submarine? Will you be purchasing one for your collection? Leave a comment below!



Swing Ride LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project is a fair themed Swing Ride by tkel86 and patterns itself after the existing fair ride Creator sets. The Swing Ride is particularly appropriate this time of year as it is Fall which, in many places (at least in the United States), is fair season. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
This is a beautiful looking fair ride. I like the use of red and orange throughout this build. Both are very warm colors, and they give this model a warm and welcoming feel. Starting with the ticket booth, there are several subtle details that I think really make this project stand out. I like the SNOT technique used to portray the paneling along the sides of the ticket booth, and the brick built slope of the roof is nicely done. Heading over to the ride itself, there is a good mix of white among the red and orange which provides a good balance of colors, and I like how the gold 2x2 round tiles around the swing ride add a repeating pattern around the circumference of the ride. The swing seats are brilliantly built, looking very much like they belong, which can sometimes be difficult with brick-built components.

Something else that I really like is the functionality of this swing ride. As seen in the video below, the swing rotates through the integration of a PowerFunctions XL motor. What I like most about the functioning though, is the tilting of the rotating head. This reminds me of how an actual swing ride works, with the head tilting during the ride. Another feature that attracts my attention is the mechanism where the swings attach to the top of the ride. This mechanism utilizes several LEGO Technic pieces and a SNOT technique to allow the swings to swing out as the ride is spinning. Although details like this are often overlooked, it is my opinion that the finer details really make the good projects stand out from the average projects.

Areas for Improvement
There is not much that I would change with this project, but one thing I think would improve the project is for the swing seats to have backs to them. One way to do this would be to add a chair piece (4079) to the swing seat. Something else that I would like to see would be this ride on a green baseplate. I feel that adding a green baseplate would bring out the orange and red within this build even more.

Conclusion
The Swing Ride is a fun and engaging project, and I believe it would make a nice set if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of tkel86.

Results of the 2016 First Official LEGO Ideas Review

The results of the LEGO Ideas Official Review Process for the first qualification period of 2016 are finally here! You can read the official announcement here or watch the reveal in the video below.

Let me start by saying, I personally was not overly excited with any of the projects that were in this review, but I am glad to see the Old Fishing Store by RobenAnne pass the review process. The Old Fishing Store is a very detailed model, with a great deal of character because of the many details. As a collector's item, this will be a great set to display, and I am sure there are many AFOLs who are looking at the numerous useful pieces that would come in this set (assuming the LEGO set designers do not change too much). Though I did not support this project, I do really like it because of the high level of detail included. Whether or not I will purchase this LEGO Ideas set will depend on how much it changes from the fan model to the final set design, and what the MSRP is listed as.

There are a couple of projects that I wish would have been approved, and they are the Modular Train Station and the Gingerbread House. Again, both projects tend to be more along the lines of collector type builds, and I can understand not wanting to produce too many collector type LEGO Ideas sets all at once.

 

What are your thoughts? Will you be purchasing an Old Fishing Store set? Leave a comment below!

Images courtesy of LEGO Ideas.

American School Bus LEGO Ideas Project Review

Overview
This project is an American style school bus designed by chenhongmai. I imagine many people are familiar with these yellow school busses, but for those who are not in the United States, one of the ways children can get to school is to ride what we call a "school bus" instead of walking or being dropped off by their parents. For more information, you can visit this project on LEGO Ideas by clicking here.

Appeals of this Project
Let me begin by saying I really like this bus! There are so many details that make this an accurate representation of a typical school bus and I will not be able to mention all of them in this review. Though, I will try to talk about my favorites. Let's start on the outside with what is probably my favorite detail: the side windows. I really like how they are shown as being in different positions, some open, some closed. (School bus fun fact: the air-conditioning system on a school bus depends on the length of the bus. This particular bus would have max A/C capacity of 22/40. That is 22 windows open traveling at 40 miles per hour.) Another feature that I really like is the functioning doors and luggage compartments. I think this adds nice playability to the model, especially as it is built to minifigure scale. Though the luggage compartments are not standard on most school busses, it does offer the option to use this as a charter bus instead of a school bus if desired.

Going around back, we find the engine compartment which, when opened, reveals a detailed engine in addition to the many other mechanical parts needed to power the bus. The engine compartment is even detailed to the point of including vents on the side and back of the bus. Another nice feature is the functioning stop sign that all school busses have to warn other vehicles that there are children walking too and from the bus. Remember, safety first!

Taking the roof off allows us to peer inside the school bus and to see the interior details. Inside the bus, there are the typical brown bench seats for the passengers, while up front there is the driver's seat equipped with everything from a functioning sun shade to a sloped dash to a gear shift lever, and of course, the steering wheel. Another nice detail is the inclusion of walls in front of the forward most seats to keep the passengers from coming out of their seats if the breaks were to be applied too quickly.

Areas for Improvement
There are a couple of really minor things that I would add to this model. It would be nice to include glass below the closed windows, maybe using two 1x1 bricks stacked on top of each other on their side. Inside, I would like to see a second lever for opening and closing the doors and the large mirror that is usually above the driver. These are really minor, but I think they would take a great model and make it even better.

Conclusion
This American School Bus is a fantastic project with many wonderful details. I believe this would make a great set, both for children and for adults, if it reaches 10,000 supporters and passes the Official LEGO Ideas Review Process. To see more pictures and offer your support to help this become a set, you can visit the project on LEGO Ideas here. Not sure how LEGO Ideas works? Click here to find out more.

Photos used and review completed with the permission of chenhongmai.