Review: 30662 Maple's Pumpkin Garden
Posted by CapnRex101,
Polybags are often an ideal introduction to new themes and 30662 Maple's Pumpkin Garden is especially effective in that regard, containing a unique minifigure to join the animal characters in other sets!
In addition, Maple is a popular villager and one featured in all Animal Crossing games released to date, which only increases this polybag's appeal. Hopefully it offers a strong introduction to the Animal Crossing theme.
Summary
30662 Maple's Pumpkin Garden, 29 pieces.
Buy at LEGO.com »
This is a near-perfect polybag, particularly for the unique Maple minifigure
- Exclusive Maple minifigure
- Attractive model, using the new tree base
- Complements many of the other sets
- Missed opportunity for an outdoor library
Minifigure
Maple, like the other Animal Crossing minifigures, appears completely adorable in LEGO form. Her dual-moulded head element is shared with Marshal from 77048 Kapp'n's Island Boat Tour and I think that works well, as their head shapes are similar. Additionally, the decoration looks wonderful, faithfully recreating Maple's fringe and featuring the correct colours.
Similarly, the nature-themed jumper corresponds with Maple's attire in New Horizons, including a tree on the front. The white hands are also appropriate, but I am surprised by the use of short legs because most other Animal Crossing minifigures produced so far have medium or standard legs. Maple is relatively short in the game though, so this is an understandable decision.
The Completed Model
The new Animal Crossing sets are noticeably nature-focused, so I understand the decision to include a garden in this polybag. However, I strongly associate Maple with reading, so I would have preferred something like an outdoor library to the pumpkin garden, or maybe a tiny library from New Horizons. There should be a book included, at the very least.
Nevertheless, the garden does look nice and matches the style of the bigger Animal Crossing sets, using the 6x6 rounded plates developed for the Super Mario range. A new tree base has been produced for this theme and the piece appears here, adding some detail to the otherwise extremely basic tree. The ladder also looks lovely and is again consistent with the other sets.
Overall
Just the exclusive Maple minifigure is enough to recommend 30662 Maple's Pumpkin Garden, especially since I think the delightful bear cub has translated very well to LEGO form. Also, the titular garden includes all the details I would expect and looks good, but I wish the designer had provided something more tailored to the included villager.
Nevertheless, this is a fun introduction to the Animal Crossing theme and certainly a must-have for fans of the games, even though I would be surprised if Maple remains exclusive to this polybag forever.
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31 comments on this article
Fabuland 2.0
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Edit: way too slow. ;-)
Even though she's based on her New Horizons incarnation here, Maple has actually appeared in every AC game to date; in fact, her only non-appearance was Gekijoban Doubutsu no Mori.
I like the use of the tree sweater, though. It suits her best.
Other than Tom Nook, this is such a wholesome theme. It's just too hard to dislike it, I'm not even going to bother.
Outstanding Legofication, I'm here for it.
Its a cute set, pity it is a GWP, as I think it would do better as an impulse buy.
Fantastic torso. Might pick up this bag if I see it, solely for that.
I'd love to have the Maple minifigure in my collection, when will this set be available?
Has this GWP already happened in the US? Or is it an upcoming promotion?
@StudWorks said:
"I'd love to have the Maple minifigure in my collection, when will this set be available?"
It was already available as a GWP a couple weeks ago. I'm not sure if there have been statements about other availability.
It so happen to be i just bought it for €3.75. Good deal
I'm not the target audience for this theme, but I'd like to see it do well.
I also need that sweater for a Winter Village minifig.
Is this available in any store in the USA?
Sugoi !
I bet this figure will appear in later sets. Still a solid polybag!
@kumasawa said:
"Is this available in any store in the USA?"
Not yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up at Walmart or target eventually.
I don't know Animal Crossing, but is hard for me, not seeing Happy Tree Friends in this.
Which is not a appropriate for LEGO.
Great little set for young children. Might have attracted more interest as a GWP on its own rather than bundled with a Friends set.
I picked this one up the other day. Haven't played any AC games, but it seems to translate nicely to Lego, and for 3€ this is a nice little taste.
An exclusive minifigure in a polybag? that's pretty rare for 2024.
@Yooha said:
"I don't know Animal Crossing, but is hard for me, not seeing Happy Tree Friends in this.
Which is not a appropriate for LEGO."
Seems like a yooha-problem.
@Ridgeheart said:
"Other than Tom Nook, this is such a wholesome theme. It's just too hard to dislike it, I'm not even going to bother.
Outstanding Legofication, I'm here for it."
Tom Nook? Is he the guy who tried to kill baby Buster, er... I mean, baby Harry?
@StyleCounselor said:
"Tom Nook? Is he the guy who tried to kill baby Buster, er... I mean, baby Harry?"
No, he's a raccoon (or tanuki, depending on where you are) who runs a general store.
@EtudeTheBadger said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Tom Nook? Is he the guy who tried to kill baby Buster, er... I mean, baby Harry?"
No, he's a raccoon (or tanuki, depending on where you are) who runs a general store."
I'm not going to let a badger lecture me about raccoons! (sniff).
Will this be a GWP in Europe?
I like this type of small, polybag reviews. It is a refreshing take amid the chaos of so much space-taking and expensive display models. Please do more mini / poly bag reviews like this .
Animal Crossing is such an obvious theme for a Collectable Minifigure Series.
@EtudeTheBadger said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Tom Nook? Is he the guy who tried to kill baby Buster, er... I mean, baby Harry?"
No, he's a raccoon (or tanuki, depending on where you are) who runs a general store."
Tom Nook is a loan shark who likes to get people into a lot of debt, requiring people to work long hard hours (and life threatening work, such as capturing venomous creatures) to repay the debt.
@MegaBlocks said:
" @EtudeTheBadger said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Tom Nook? Is he the guy who tried to kill baby Buster, er... I mean, baby Harry?"
No, he's a raccoon (or tanuki, depending on where you are) who runs a general store."
Tom Nook is a loan shark who likes to get people into a lot of debt, requiring people to work long hard hours (and life threatening work, such as capturing venomous creatures) to repay the debt."
Boy, that does sound like the kind of guy who'd try to kill baby Buster!
@MegaBlocks said:
" @EtudeTheBadger said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"Tom Nook? Is he the guy who tried to kill baby Buster, er... I mean, baby Harry?"
No, he's a raccoon (or tanuki, depending on where you are) who runs a general store."
Tom Nook is a loan shark who likes to get people into a lot of debt, requiring people to work long hard hours (and life threatening work, such as capturing venomous creatures) to repay the debt."
He does offer a 0% interest rate and ‘repay when you want’ terms though. Therefore if you want to avoid the perils of creature capturing and just grow fruit & veg to pay him off, he seems fine with that. Plus you don’t have to bribe him with clothes & furniture to get in his good books :)
Sooooooo..."Robot Chicken" did a FANTASTIC sketch/spoof on 'Animal Crossing', and especially the Nook character; laying out 'the whole plan'. Posting a YT link, which just remember; Adult Swim/"Robot Chicken" so not super safe for work (swearing is less than "RoboCop", Violence as well, it has a touch of "Scarface" though...):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haz5aFiJ9Io
I didn't have a lot of interest in this theme when it was revealed, but I might get this one if I see it. It wouldn't be the first time I got a polybag from a theme I wasn't otherwise interested in. I got 30555 just to get a Trolls figure and for the purple treasure chest, and 30676 because it looked like a Mixel.
@mafon2 said:
"Sugoi !"
I think you mean kawaii.