#lego2017

Review: 60181 City Forest Tractor

Price: $24.99 CAD

Build Time: 25 minutes

Design: This tractor really looks great! I love the choice of colours, the smooth look of the final build, the huge tires, and the cab with all its lights. There is just the right amount of detail to everything, the build process is enjoyable, and you end up with a very solid feeling tractor. The extra accessories are perfect, and the single minifigure is fine because that’s all this set really needs. This is definitely a 5 out of 5 City model for me!

Play Experience: There’s a lot of play value included in this set! The tractor’s huge rubber wheels make it great to roll around on all kinds of terrain (note that they do really attract dust and dirt though!). The chains at the back for pulling/dragging/uprooting and the posable arm, which has lots of articulation, allow the tractor to interact with the other accessories, as well as other things you might want to pick up outside or around the house. The minifig worker can drive the tractor, cut logs with his chainsaw, plant a new tree, or even participate in the caber toss! A great indoor or outdoor set. (A young fellow of just two and a half who came along while I was shooting pictures of this set really enjoyed it and was completely fascinated by using the claw to pick up sticks.)

Level of Difficulty: The build itself is fairly easy, though the large rubber tires may take some fiddling to get right, and younger builders are likely to need help with these. There are also six stickers to apply, but they are small and adhere well.

Review: 60163 City Coast Guard Starter Set

Price: $12.99 CAD

Build Time: 10 minutes

Design: This is probably the simplest starter set I’ve put together so far. Nothing fancy here, nothing that will wow you – it’s pure functionality. The coast guard watch tower will go together in a minute or two, and you’ll be wondering, “Is that all?” Yes, yes it is. Now on to the beach! One tiny thing I have to nitpick is the lifejacket accessory, which leaves a gap between a minifig’s head and body and looks quite awkward.

Play Experience: This set works very well on its own, especially if you have access to some water (even a bathtub will do), and it’s an equally great fit with basically any city set involving water. No need to buy up the full coast guard line! Although the elements of the set are very simple, there’s a lot of interactivity here, and the surfer minifig is fun to put in different places and take pictures of. If you want to expand this set and make it a bit more exciting, I also like adding the water-themed Xtra bag (available from the LEGO store), which is quite inexpensive and adds lots of neat accessories, to any water-based set.

Level of Difficulty: Nothing could be simpler. No stickers. No worries. You’ll be done with this one and ready to play in no time!

Review: 31057 Creator Air Blazer

Price: $12.99 CAD

Build Time: Appx. 10 minutes (main build)

Design: This is a set that exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t that excited by the box initially, but as I went through the main build, I was constantly impressed by how solid it was and how satisfying it was to put together, and by the end of it I had a much more favourable impression of this little helicopter. The cockpit and turbines are nice details, but the greatest strength of this build is just how incredibly solid and stable it is. There are a few exposed studs at the end which you could attach more features to if you desired, but it looks pretty polished when completed with just the pieces provided. The seaplane is fairly solid, too, and the pontoon construction is neat. The catamaran is, well, what you’d expect from the third build – a bit of a stretch.

Play Experience: This set does not accommodate minifigures, so it doesn’t fit in particularly well with the City line, but on its own it doesn’t really need them. There are a few moving components, but spinning the rotor is the only real play feature, though that’s probably enough for a set of this size. As mentioned, the build is quite solid, so it will likely survive the inevitable drops and crashes of young flyers! And if you’re headed for water, a beach or pool perhaps, why not give the seaplane build a go? It’s the better alternative build, and you can swoop in and out of the water and perhaps carry some adventurous minifigs on the wings! There is, unfortunately, not much play value in the catamaran build, though it’s a good background element if you want to take a beach/sea photo of another set.

Level of Difficulty: This is a very solid, straightforward build that should pose no difficulties in construction. Due to how tight the build is though, getting it apart is a bit trickier than putting it together, and a brick separator will definitely help!       

Review: 60157 City Jungle Starter Set

Price: $12.99 CAD

Build Time: 10 minutes

Design: Both of the builds – the boat and the tree – are very simple and go together quickly and easily. I like the colours and the smooth design of the boat, as well as the fact that it’s able to carry all 3 minifigs along with some cargo despite its small size. The tree is a nicely asymmetrical, organic build that uses several different foliage pieces and even manages to include a little nook for hidden treasure (or a frog’s hidey hole if you prefer!). Overall, simple but effective and good-looking. Also, the pieces are useful (not overly-specialized) ones for when you’re ready to break the set down and build something of your own.

Play Experience: The 3-figure starter sets are just great, and this is one of my favourites. There’s just so much to do with all the stuff that’s included! Obviously, this goes well with the other jungle themed sets, but it’s absolutely fine on its own, too! With plenty of hazardous wildlife and interesting accessories (camera, machete, magnifying glass, snake catcher) to play around with, there are dozens of scenarios to play out as the jungle explorers search for the lost treasure of gold coins. The scientist figure has two expressions, and the scared expression is just great seen through the magnifying glass (which actually does magnify a little bit!). You can have him freaking out over everything they discover! This set begs to be played with outside, but there are a lot of little pieces that could easily get lost. It might be safer to get some houseplants together and make a little artificial jungle indoors.  

Level of Difficulty: It doesn’t get any simpler than this, and there isn’t a single sticker in sight!

Value for money: The City starter sets are great value at $13 CAD and the jungle one is particularly good. Although even young builders will have it put together in 10 minutes or less, there is a lot of play value in this set, and it functions just as well by itself as it does when integrated with the rest of the jungle line. With a vehicle, a terrain element, 3 minifigs, 3 animals, and several accessories, you’ll have everything you need to get your jungle adventure started. Maybe you’ll even get lucky and get a second machete like I did! Bonus!