EverydayBricks is a Lego blog featuring news, reviews, and photos from the world of Lego. Feel free to contact Everyday Bricks about your MOCs or Custom Minifigures.
Connect Four is one of those games that seemingly everyone has played. Plus it has one of the most memorable theme songs / jingles. It is remixed vertical version of tic-tac-toe. Tiago Catarino has created a Lego version of Connect Four, and best of all has uploaded video instructions so you can make it at home. The build itself is relatively simple but surprisingly complex too. The most difficult thing is getting the bottom tray just right. It is a horizontal build that has the vertical board held on with two technic pins, and a some exposed studs. The vertical part of the game is actually a bit more labor intensive than at first sight. Each lane has been designed so that the game pieces stay in their lane. Make sure to check out the video below to see how it all works!
This Floating Island is a Lego Tensegrity Sculpture built by LaughingJelly. This scene would fit in perfectly with Ninjago. The floating island is carefully balanced over a serene lake. The optical effect is actually created with a system of tension. The three Lego ropes / strings are holding the island up. In order to get the length just right the designer has hidden a technic pin inside the rocks, and has coiled the center string until the effect works. It can hold a surprisingly large amount of bricks / weight, but any sort of horizontal pressure will cause everything to fall over. The sheer amount of grass and vegetation makes the scene look like a hidden garden. And, the whole thing has been built on top of a detailed base. A detail that a lot of designers skip over.
The Pirate’s Cove is one of those legendary locations. A skull shaped rock or fortress hidden on a deserted island. This Lego “Pirate’s Cove” is created by CheeseyStudios. Built as an entry into Vignweek 2020. The challenge was to create a Lego vignette with a Pirate them. The end result has some really interesting ideas. The ocean water is floated two studs above the base, achieved by a a layer of transparent plates. The effect works well, and the blue light that shines through the plates onto the ocean floor looks great. The mini pirate ship has all the expected details, cannons, sails, crows nests, captains cabin, etc. A lot of of stuff to pack into such a small build. The island features a few tropical trees. And, the 1×1 round brown pieces work surprisingly well as palm tree trunks. The rocky skull design is instantly recognizable, if maybe a little too attention grabbing for pirate work.
The giant rogue wave is a rare event that can happen almost anywhere. There have been many documented waves reported from lighthouse keepers and ships. The real life version can reach up to 100 feet or 30 meters. Over time these rogue waves have been elaborated on, and have reached mythical proportions. This Lego MOC called “New Wave” depicts one of those mythical waves. The scene is built by Ralf Langer. The wave effect was achieved by using a lot of Lego hinges, and a lot of transparent blue pieces. The end result is awe inspiring. You can spot two tiny ships probably in the process of battening down the hatches. A brick built peninsula is getting ready to hold its own agains the forces of nature. The tiny village is well built, and the local lighthouse is a great mini build all on its own. There are a lot of interesting building techniques here. Check out the mini tree; built with a Lego carrot top, and two Minifigure hands.
Lego has released all the information about their new Super Mario Theme. There will be 16 sets and 10 collectable Character Packs. This is a lot of sets, and both Lego and Nintendo seem to be going all out. There are some early impressions and videos below for more info. The new theme will be released on August 1st, and you can preorder all of the sets now.
All 16 sets have been designed to be connected with each other. The result is that you get to create your own custom Mario level. A sort of real life Super Mario Maker. There are friendly good guys, evil boss battles, and all sorts of play features represented. On top of all that Mario can even collect a bunch of power-ups. Collecting all the sets will certainly be a challenge (you will need about $600), but the end result is impressive.
Fans of Nintendo and Mario might not want to jump all in with the bluetooth enabled Mario sets. In which case, a collection of 10 collectable blind-bag sets are available. This mini theme looks great on its own. Each featuring one of the famous baddies from the Mario Universe. There is a Fuzzy, Bom-omb, Spiny, Blooper, Eep Cheep, Urchin, Bullet Bill, Buzzy Beetle, Peepa, and a Paragoomba. You can preorder these on Lego.
A few of the newly revealed sets include Toad’s Treasure Hunt Expansion (71368). A neat little set that features Toad, Toadette, two Cheep Cheeps, and a Goomba. This village has a neat play feature in that there are three hidden blocks that Mario must discover and jump on in a certain order to win coins.
Another new set is Mario’s House and Yoshi Expansion (71367). A cozy house that almost looks like it is straight out of Animal Crossing. A Super Star is hiding somewhere inside. The main feature is the hammock, in which Mario can lay down in and fall asleep. Plus, Yoshi and a Goomba are hanging around too.
Then there is the iconic Guarded Fortress Expansion (71362). The classic small castle at the end of every level. There is even a flag pole outside that Mario can slide down (and any other character with hands). A Koopa Troopa, Piranha Plant, and Bob-omb are blocking the way. A hidden Pow Block might just be the right tool to use here. No sign of a princess so she must be in another castle.
The whole theme includes:
Adventures with Mario Starter Course (71360) — $59.99
10 Different Character Packs (71361) — $4.99
Guarded Fortress Expansion (71362) — $49.99
Desert Pokey Expansion (71363) — $19.99
Whomp’s Lava Trouble Expansion (71364) — $19.99
Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion (71365) — $29.99
Boomer Bill Barrage Expansion (71366) — $29.99
Mario’s House and Yoshi Expansion (71367) — $29.99
Toad’s Treasure Hunt Expansion (71368) — $69.99
Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion (71369) — $99.99
Fire Mario Power-Up (71370) — $9.99
Propeller Mario Power-Up (71371) — $9.99
Cat Mario Power-Up (71372) — $9.99
Builder Mario Power-Up (71373) — $9.99
Thwomp Drop Expansion (71376) — $39.99
King Boo and the Haunted Yard Expansion (71377) — $49.99
Super Mushroom Surprise Expansion (30385) — Freebie
Welcome to Reno, the biggest little city in the world. In the post apocalypse a pair of survivors have found refuge in Nevada. Their current shelter is a ruined airplane that they found in the high desert. This Lego vignette is called “The Gate Of Nevada: 2075” and is created by Mr.MOCsProductions. Built as an entry into the Vignweek 2020 challenge. The specifice theme for this entry is: post apocalyptic. The crashed biplane is a great build. It is emerging from the sandy soil. The plane has a lot of detail especially in the wings. The support structure is a complicated system of bars and clips; the end result looks great. There are also a few rubber bands being used to look like some minor repairs have been done. The two Minifigures look appropriatly end-of-the-worldish. They both come equipped with custom guns. The flags hanging from the telephone pole look great, which is helped by a few custom printed flags. The biggest feature of the vignette is the Reno sign. It has an appropriatly retro look to it, created by using some of the new Lego Dots bricks. Hopefully the nuclear fallout has passed, otherwise the future is going to get a lot harder for these two.
Two men in a tub (does the monkey count as three?) sailing the high seas. What kind of trouble will they get into? This Lego MOC is called “Shark Attack!” and is created by DarthBricks. Built as an entry into Vignweek, the challenge this time is to create a classic pirate themed vignette. There are some really neat ideas in this scene. The shark fins being created out of Axe heads is great, you can see that they are attached to the base by being wedged into a little lever base. That simple blue base has just enough detail to be recognizable as water. The layer of transparent 1×2 and 1×1 bricks helps. These two pirates look like they might be in danger. They better throw away their fish before they become food.
Lego creator Micah Schmidt has been working on their project to recreate every scene from the Lord of the Rings. For Chapter 2: the Shadow of the Past, they have built the fireplace from inside Bag End. This is the pivotal scene where Frodo Baggins receives the One Ring that his uncle Bilbo left for him after his 111th birthday party. The whole set up for the quest to destroy the ring begins in front of this fireplace. The Lego vignette is well built. The wooden arches help to suggest that there is more to the room even though we can only see one wall. It also ties into the design from the previous Bad End Lego build from the prologue. A few of nice details include building a wood pile basket with Lego Minifigure Handcuffs, the compact chair built with a window piece, and the little bellows made out of Minifigure flippers.
Hollow Knight has some of the most memorable characters and boss fights in any recent video game. The stylized underground world of bugs is surprisingly beautiful. Lego creator Dylan Mievis has created a trio of figures from Hollow Knight. There is the enigmatic Hornet who has proved so popular that she will soon be starring in her own video game called Silksong. The Lego Hornet figure features her deadly weapon named Needle, and she comes wrapped up in cloth from a Lego Star Wars figure. The black tentacle pieces work perfectly for legs. The Lego Knight is the shortest of the bunch and comes equipped with his Nail. Who would know that the future of the nest rests on his shoulders.
The last Lego figure is The Hollow Knight. One of the hardest bosses that the Knight has to fight. Infected by the plague, this creation is based on their first boss form. This figure ended up being a bit hard to balance properly. To hold up the weight of the head, there is a hidden Technic support structure running through the body. A great detail is the hint of the infection showing through the eyes, and all along the base. The green clothing is made up of over 15 individual capes from Boba Fett figures.
This Neko-Robo Companion is a Lego robot built by Jack Frost. Programmed with over 500 emotional responses you will never be lonely again. The robot is an entry into the Bio-Cup 2020 challenge. The companion has a few interesting features including a television for a head, and what looks like a microphone for a tail. In terms of a Lego creation make sure to check out some of the inventive part usage. The Lego shock-absorbers can be found being used as feet, a few springs add some detail to the mechanics, the flower used for decoration, and a pair of Lego tires used for wrists. The figure features a good amount of articulated joints, which means that it can be posed in many different ways. Although with such small feet, it might be hard to find a good balance.
