Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2006 2:44 pm
This is - on the face of it a really nice set. Lots of interesting pieces. Sure the purists out there (yeh, and I'm amongst them) would prefer flat baseplates and solid - i.e. non-gappy - walls (Castle Lion anyone? Black Falcon's Fortress?) but we have to accept that these are sets aimed at the Nintendo generation with less patience than their forebears.
But... and I hate to be negative on my first post here - It looks like it's been designed by a committee! Sure, give the king Gold Armour, but wouldn't A chrome gold armour/sword/crown combo be even better? Plain torsos? Even for the wizard? (and am I the only one who would have prefered him in robes, rather than with legs?) Stickers? Surely we'd all prefer either blank flags or even using the current KK ones if production cost is an issue? Can you see M*g*bl*cks using stickers? Thought not...
As for the cost? 99.99USD? At today's currency rates that's under 82Euros! So why does will it cost over 100 euros in Europe/Britain (£79.99? that's 115 euros! - 40% more that the states, and the Guys in the US say it's too expensive!) - costs even more in Denmark, the home of lego...
So to buy or not to buy? Well, my eight year-old and I will be heading to Legoland Windsor and stopping by the gift shop next month. If this was being sold at the same price as in the US then yeh, we might blow our budget on this. but at a 40% mark-up for not biying in the US? (ok we get the "Free" flags and poles. Whoop-de-do! The canadians only pay 30% more than the Americans do, and they don't get the flags?) At this price, TLG, you've lost some of my respect here, which is not an easy thing to do.
Lego won't be losing out though. The latest KKII sets look good (and represent good vlaue IMHO) chances are we'll buy them instead. And be tempted by this set at a later date.... I can see her piggy bank and my mankmanager weeping now...
8/10 Lego: Must try harder. (But will probably buy when the price comes down...)
But... and I hate to be negative on my first post here - It looks like it's been designed by a committee! Sure, give the king Gold Armour, but wouldn't A chrome gold armour/sword/crown combo be even better? Plain torsos? Even for the wizard? (and am I the only one who would have prefered him in robes, rather than with legs?) Stickers? Surely we'd all prefer either blank flags or even using the current KK ones if production cost is an issue? Can you see M*g*bl*cks using stickers? Thought not...
As for the cost? 99.99USD? At today's currency rates that's under 82Euros! So why does will it cost over 100 euros in Europe/Britain (£79.99? that's 115 euros! - 40% more that the states, and the Guys in the US say it's too expensive!) - costs even more in Denmark, the home of lego...
So to buy or not to buy? Well, my eight year-old and I will be heading to Legoland Windsor and stopping by the gift shop next month. If this was being sold at the same price as in the US then yeh, we might blow our budget on this. but at a 40% mark-up for not biying in the US? (ok we get the "Free" flags and poles. Whoop-de-do! The canadians only pay 30% more than the Americans do, and they don't get the flags?) At this price, TLG, you've lost some of my respect here, which is not an easy thing to do.
Lego won't be losing out though. The latest KKII sets look good (and represent good vlaue IMHO) chances are we'll buy them instead. And be tempted by this set at a later date.... I can see her piggy bank and my mankmanager weeping now...
8/10 Lego: Must try harder. (But will probably buy when the price comes down...)