Review: 60271 Main Square
Posted by CapnRex101,
LEGO has produced various sets which contain multiple buildings and vehicles recently. 60271 Main Square appears unique though, including some important characters from the LEGO City Adventures animated series and vital locations which have appeared onscreen.
Unfortunately, these models seem remarkably disconnected from each other and I think their individual quality is questionable, based upon official images. However, the target audience must be taken into consideration and the great diversity of subjects included should offer impressive play value, pleasing younger LEGO fans.
Minifigures
LEGO City Adventures is populated by various odd characters, including Mayor Fleck who regularly wears a corn cob costume for unknown reasons. This element was created for the Corn Cob Guy Collectable Minifigure but now features dark green leaves and flame yellowish orange corn, replacing the original green and yellow colours. The moulded detail is marvellous and I like this head, featuring a suitably mundane expression.
Removing the costume reveals a dark green suit underneath, along with a metallic gold sash which continues onto the back of the torso. Unfortunately, the mayor lacks an appropriate hair piece but Poppy Starr features a lovely dark azure component that matches her guitar. 60262 Passenger Airplane offers another version of the music star but this minifigure features a new torso.
The lime green jacket looks superb, displaying Poppy's heart insignia on the reverse and featuring metallic silver patterns. Her pink shirt appears equally colourful and I like the black stars which complement her trousers. The double-sided head includes an enormous smile on one side and a singing face on the other, suiting this character perfectly.
Harl Hubbs has appeared in several recent sets, consistently sporting his dark blue overalls and red shirt. I love the paint splatter across his legs and the ink which is visible on his breast pocket. Harl wears a dark orange tool belt around his waist and I think this double-sided head looks tremendous, offering two faces which appear exceptionally expressive!
Two previous sets contain Freya McCloud but this minifigure is unique, combining elements from those earlier appearances and including a new head. The dual-moulded hat and hair component looks splendid and I like Freya's dark red jacket, featuring a lovely fire emblem on both sides. Printed legs would have been welcome though as the onscreen minifigure includes trouser pockets.
However, the new double-sided head is even more important. One side displays a smiling expression while the other is covered with cocoa! Freya inadvertently splashes herself with cocoa quite often throughout the animated series and her printed mug is therefore provided, featuring a flaming marshamallow.
Duke DeTain has been updated too, now featuring dual-moulded arms to represent short sleeves. These are more accurate to his animated design than previous minifigures but the torso printing remains unchanged, displaying a gold police badge and various straps. Duke's double-sided head looks wonderful but this would have been an ideal opportunity to release Cubby, the officer's childhood teddy bear, so the absence of that accessory is disappointing.
60243 Police Helicopter Chase introduced Snake Rattler and the conniving criminal returns here, wearing his traditional Stetson and an eye patch. The dollar emblem on the back of his jacket incorporates a snake design that looks excellent and I like the striped shirt underneath Snake's jacket, presumably reflecting his historic prison sentences.
The eight remaining minifigures are not officially named, although several are evidently based upon characters from the series. These two figures, for example, closely resemble Marc and Ann McCloud, comprising existing elements which reflect their onscreen counterparts. The double-sided heads both look fantastic, featuring cheerful expressions and an alternative sleeping face for Ann.
Ann's orange hair piece is notably appealing, having only otherwise appeared in 70615 Fire Mech from 2017. The torso elements are also reasonably versatile, although this selection for Ann seems strange as the animated character wears a knitted cardigan and that component is available in three other sets.
The next minifigure was evidently inspired by Marc and Ann's son, Billy. His propeller cap is delightful and makes reference to an episode from the series while the torso features pleasant detail as well. However, this minifigure should be wearing a yellow badge with a smiling face on his chest to achieve the utmost accuracy to the original character.
Madison Yay sometimes accompanies Billy on his adventures and this minifigure looks exactly like the onscreen design. The dark brown pigtails include lovely moulded detail and both faces look suitably cheerful. This torso also features realistic decoration, including two flowers which complement her orange attire and returning from 31095 Fairground Carousel.
The remaining minifigures are completely generic, although they do incorporate some useful pieces. The first character seems to work at the diner which is provided, based upon the box design. Her double-sided head appears similar to Madison's and this minifigure also features dark brown hair, along with an attractive striped shirt.
Another ponytail hair piece appears on the second minifigure which is disappointing. Greater variation would certainly be appreciated in future sets. This simple torso includes ample detail though and the exclusive head is interesting, featuring a hearing aid so further broadening the representation within LEGO City sets. It would be great to see a minifigure with a guide dog in the future.
Minifigure heads routinely include extensive decoration, although that rarely extends onto the sides. This hearing aid is accordingly unusual and provoked some speculation that LEGO may now be able to print all the way around minifigure heads. However, they have instead decorated one side and simply offset the design which is clever.
Characters are included to drive the tram and limousine. Both are neatly dressed, although I think the tram driver's dark red waistcoat seems quite outdated, originating with 70424 Ghost Train Express. A modern design would have been preferred, although this piece does include the correct transit symbol. Unfortunately, there is visible colour variation between the hips and the legs, as shown below.
The limousine driver appears bland by comparison, lacking intricate decoration on her torso. Nevertheless, this attire seems appropriate for the character and I like her sunglasses which resemble those worn by stereotypical security personnel. Additionally, the black hair element has only appeared once before, with Iden Versio in 75226 Inferno Squad Battle Pack.
The Completed Model
Numerous different models comprise 60271 Main Square and many of these have their own instruction manual, encouraging family building. The selection is exceptionally varied and the apparent lack of connectivity between them might disappoint some people, although the wide range of items provides outstanding play value. Furthermore, many are recognisable from the LEGO City Adventures animated series which is fun.
Harl Hubbs' customised buggy transports equipment around the city and appears regularly during the series. This model does resemble the onscreen vehicle, although its forward rake departs from the source material and I dislike the rear wheel. However, there is room for Harl behind the handlebars and the jumbled heap of accessories is fairly accurate.
They include golden taps, a toilet seat, some popcorn, a mop, dynamite and an orange life jacket. The original vehicle includes many other items but this selection is reasonable and I appreciate the ladder which is fitted on the side. Even so, I believe the designer could have achieved greater accuracy, especially given the prevalence of this vehicle during the series.
Police vehicles infiltrate numerous City sets, although this example occupies relatively few elements and I understand that police play remains popular among children. Duke DeTain's quad bike closely resembles previous designs, featuring four large wheels and space for the driver. The badge on the front is a sticker which is unfortunate but I like the handcuff storage and blue light.
Of course, the police rarely appear without criminals to apprehend and Snake Rattler's red motorcycle is therefore included. This motorcycle fairing is only found in two other sets and features extraordinary moulded detail, most notably around the exhaust. A chain is situated towards the near, allowing Snake to remove windows or drag contraband during his criminal enterprises.
Freya McCloud's fire helicopter appears quite similar to copious existing models, distinguished only by the net which can be attached on either side. I like the red and bright light yellow colour scheme and the fuselage shaping looks very smooth, particularly behind the cockpit where two 4x4 curved wedge slopes are employed to outstanding effect.
Opening the cockpit reveals space for one minifigure, although detail is rather sparse. The medium nougat net is an impressive addition though, presumably assisting in the rescue of trapped animals. Moreover, the trans-blue lights look nice and the cylindrical engine intakes appear comparatively authentic beneath the spinning rotor blades.
Stickers are applied behind the cockpit but the tail fin is printed which was a lovely surprise! Metallic gold details decorate the fin and the tail rotor can spin, as usual. I think the tail boom could have been improved as these layered plates look rather bland but the consistent use of bright light yellow stripes across this helicopter is appealing.
An elegant limousine is provided for Poppy Starr and this design is almost identical to the vehicle from 60102 Airport VIP Service, other than the obvious colour difference. The model measures 20cm in length and I like the black and flame yellowish orange bodywork, although the absence of significant changes when compared with the version from 2016 is frustrating. I much prefer 41107 Pop Star Limousine, for example.
The protruding wheels are particularly unsightly and I think the limousine should have been widened to achieve more realistic proportions. However, the bonnet looks good and I like the number plate stickers which are placed at the front and back. The opening doors are welcome too but the light bluish grey door mirrors appear completely out of place.
Despite the modest width of this limousine, the interior space is generous. There is space for one passenger, a reddish brown table and a television screen in the back while the driver sits towards the front. LEGO should release a dedicated television 2x2 tile, rather than repeatedly using this element that depicts a computer monitor so looks somewhat awkward here.
Poppy Starr's stage appears fairly rudimentary, although its most important features from the television series are present. The large speakers look fantastic and I like the lighting rig which supports eight colourful lights. Moreover, the yellow barriers in front of the stage seem realistic, preventing the audience from reaching the stage and matching the onscreen location.
The speakers are attached using Technic pins so they rotate very easily which is frustrating. However, the angled position is attractive and the microphone stand at the centre looks nice. There is room for Poppy to stand behind the microphone with her guitar and you could place additional minifigures on either side, perhaps as backing singers or dancers.
LEGO City features an enormous park at its centre. This park has been scaled down quite dramatically here, although the most important features remain present. They include some trees, a picnic area and the stone statue of Horacio Hubbs which appears prominently during LEGO City Adventures. The colourful flags across the park look splendid as well.
However, the picnic table and bench both look incredibly basic and I dislike the large railings around the statue. These look very tall beside the minifigures and the trees are disappointing too, lacking pieces to secure the green leaves. However, the lampposts at either corner seem reasonably realistic and I like the tan plinth beneath the statue.
Horacio Hubbs freed LEGO City from pirates during 1715, repelling the invaders while still wearing handcuffs. This statue accordingly features handcuffs, a sword and an accurate hat when compared with the animation. I appreciate such outstanding attention to detail and wish that had appeared more consistently throughout this set.
This set also includes an impressive tram beside a tram station. The station is quite simple, featuring an elevated platform with yellow stripes along the edge, a vending machine, a map board and a ticket machine. I like the consistent yellow colour and there is plenty of space for minifigures to wait for the next tram, although seating may have been useful.
Stickers form the map and signage which appear authentic, matching the designs one might encounter in real cities. The vending machine looks great too, containing two Vita Rush cans. Vita Rush branding has sponsored multiple racing vehicles but the beverage is only available here. That seems particularly appropriate as Vita Rush is often associated with Snake Rattler, the criminal who appeared earlier.
The associated tram features the same yellow and black colour scheme which looks brilliant. Trams have appeared periodically in previous City sets and this model is somewhat similar to the vehicle from 60097 City Square, comprising three linked segments and measuring 37cm in length. The aerodynamic cockpit components at either end were created for 60197 Passenger Train but they appear equally fitting here.
Ball joints connect each section of the tram, enabling it to travel around corners. No track is actually included and I believe the packaging could be considered misleading, displaying the tram on an elevated rail which is not included. Nevertheless, the vehicle would fit on standard LEGO railway track and I love how the wheels are situated behind 2x4 tiles, creating a smooth exterior.
Both ends of the tram include seats for the driver alongside printed controls, although I was surprised that the driver's cabin is not separated from the passengers. Additionally, only two seats are found in each large carriage which is fewer than I had anticipated, especially since 60097 City Square contained four passenger seats in each carriage. However, doors did not appear on the previous tram and the removable roof is useful for reaching the figures.
My least favourite aspect of this model is the central segment. There is absolutely no detail inside and the ends are completely open, leaving substantial gaps between each carriage. I understand the intention for minifigures to walk through the tram but favour the solution from 2015 where the smaller carriage was dedicated to bicycle storage. A red bicycle is included.
Two buildings complete this set, varying dramatically in purpose and architectural style. This diner appears reasonably modern, featuring large trans-light blue windows and bright colours across the exterior. The rounded shape is unusual and I like the curvature of the roof. Several stickers are applied on the windows and door, including burger advertisements and an 'open' sign.
The signage above the door is also formed using stickers and looks fantastic. However, I am even more impressed with the decorative burger behind that sign! This structure makes good use of the 6x6 platform element created for the Super Mario range, depicting the burger, while the bun is assembled using 3x3 curved corner slopes. Unfortunately, the burger sign can rotate which is sometimes irritating when trying to display the diner.
Interior space is relatively limited, although I think the designer has made efficient use of that space. The dining area features two chairs around a table while the counter is nicely furnished with a cash register, a coffee machine and condiment bottles. I like how the enormous burger is constructed too, although I hope the printed bun created for the Scooby-Doo theme will return at some point.
The largest model is the imposing city hall. This building definitely resembles its counterpart from LEGO City Adventures but the structure has been scaled down significantly, lacking the vast wings or majestic portico which appear onscreen. Even so, I think the width of 27cm and the height of 33cm are sufficient and the colour scheme of dark red, tan and medium nougat is equally successful.
However, the external design appears extremely basic in my opinion. The walls lack suitable texture and the bland portico fails to achieve the grandiosity which is typically associated with city halls. I like the golden figure above the doors as that detail reflects the source material but the green doors seem out of place. Furthermore, this set exhibits the continued need for a door frame element which can accommodate double doors.
White windows are distributed across the building and these can be removed easily, allowing Snake Rattler access for a burglary. I dislike the studs under the ground floor windows but the poster on the neighbouring wall is wonderful, making reference to R.E. Fendrich's campaign to become mayor! I am disappointed that Fendrich is not included to accompany his poster.
The balcony above the entrance resembles the original building, although there is no external door to reach the balcony and the sides are not enclosed by railings. The large windows seem impressive though and I like the dark bluish grey lattice along the edge of the roof. Animals are found here as well, both of which can be identified with characters from the television series as the seagull recalls the criminal Joanquin 'The Ornithologist' Lopez while the cat belongs to Billy.
10224 Town Hall evidently provided inspiration for the onscreen location during LEGO City Adventures and I would not expect this set to include the same level of detail. However, the relative simplicity of this clock tower is remarkable. Once again, this area of the model lacks proper texturing and the bell above the stickered clock has been completely omitted.
The interior is sparsely furnished but features some interesting items. They include the pearl gold key to the city which is found inside a glass cabinet and protected by trans-red detection lasers. Turning the black gear on this side of the cabinet will cause the detection lasers to spin. A security camera also supervises the key and two golden cups are displayed in both flanking rooms, hence Snake Rattler's interest in robbing city hall.
Mayor Fleck works from an office on the next floor. An impressive selection of accessories is provided but the mayor's desk is very simple, comprising 2x2 dark tan bricks below a reddish brown 2x6 plate. The clock on the wall offers welcome detail though and I like the bucket that forms an umbrella stand. Even so, some bookshelves would have improved this room.
Opening the reddish brown door behind the clock reveals an empty space inside. This could provide storage for Harl Hubbs' maintenance accessories but those are generally kept on his buggy, leaving little purpose for this tiny room. Maybe the designer could have included some items belonging to Snake, suggesting that the criminal occasionally hides out here.
Overall
60097 City Square and 60233 Donut Shop Opening are among my favourite recent City sets, both containing enjoyable collections of vehicles and buildings which might be integrated with any LEGO City. 60271 Main Square seems disappointing beside its predecessors. The varied selection of structures and vehicles certainly offers considerable play value but their individual designs are poor.
The age recommendation of 6+ reduces the complexity of construction techniques which the designer can implement, both 60097 City Square and 60233 Donut Shop Opening shared the same age recommendation and features far greater detail. Additionally, the price of £169.99 or $199.99 feels expensive, despite the extensive range of models included. The exclusive minifigures may appeal to fans of LEGO City Adventures but I would not recommend this set.
This set was provided for review by The LEGO Group but the review is an expression of my own opinions.
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90 comments on this article
Good review. I have always loved Town/City. It seems to Ebb and Flow in terms of the buildings, vehicles, sets. I am not interested in any for this quarter.
It's super pricy but I think it's a really fun set with a lot to do
That last picture perfectly illustrates the problem with this set. It looks like a lot from a jumble sale where someone has simply thrown together some of his leftover stuff that doesn't fit in anywhere else.
Coupled with the price I agree that this is a set that can't be recommended. I also showed it to my kids (8 and 12) but they were not impressed. They don't know the TV series either, so no connection there. And that image on the package is bordering on false advertising with that suggestion of a monorail.
The tram - with tracks, and proper package art - could have made for a nice solo set. The stage and the VIP limousine look like straight out of Friends - except for the colour scheme. The facade of the town hall looks totally off in terms of style and dimensions and nothing like any town hall I have ever seen either here in Germany or in the US, where the TV show appears to be based (naturally).
This set might not be the most compelling one however, as a deaf person myself, seeing the lady mini-figure wearing a hearing aid just made my day ... : )
Appreciate the review, I didn't realize (for instance) that this was tied to an ongoing animated series.
I still dig the collection of models, builds and minfigs, but the price is going to keep me out, I think. Maybe a modular would have been a better fit?
LEGO has printed in irregular areas on minifigure heads before. Both 2006 Alfred Pennyworth and the Minifigures Skeleton Guy have printing all around their heads for Alfred's hair and the string for the Skeleton Guy's mask. They've made exceptions before.
Also, the sentence describing the mayor's face is incomplete.
Excellent and incredibly thorough review, as always. It feels, though, like you still pulled some of your punches.
IMHO, this set is just plain awful. I would go a little easier on it if it were Junior / 4+ but not much. If we ever go negative and try to find the worst set of the millennium, please allow me, from the great state of Virginia, to nominate Main Square for the lowest office in the land.
Sure, Star Justice should have arrested itself; Assault on Hoth was a cold mess in desperate need of Bacta; the fairground mixer was far from the fairest of them all; and the poor poor Osprey, so hard to find yet an ease to break. I’m not even going to get into the Crested Bounty Razor Mobile.
Yes, Main Square, you are now setting the pace to the bottom.
It's interesting. The whole set is kind of messy with a lot of varied components, but at the same time each component by itself isn't as interesting as its own individual set, remembering that action play is essential for a good toy. As long as you're aware of the targeted age range, this set doesn't seem too bad.
I low-key love this set. Getting this for sure. Plus have a good price around 140++ Euro (conversion based on my home currency).
LEGO should release a Vita Rush F1 car.
Great review! Neat nice, but would have been a lot nicer at the 130 USD range.
"Horacio Hubbs freed LEGO City from pirates during 1715, repelling the invaders while still wearing handcuffs. This statue accordingly features handcuffs, a sword and an accurate hat when compared with the animation. I appreciate such outstanding attention to detail and wish that had appeared more consistently throughout this set."
Gotcha. I'm glad to know the statue doesn't commemorate the defeat of Robin Hood and his Merry Men by the Sheriff of Nottingham in 1315.
@ CapnRex101 . Hey there, sorry to hijack but we are still waiting on the AT-AT review. I am wondering if a bad review wouldn't be published.
Ah, I see the park isn't as good as it should've been. That's a shame. It's the thought that counts, I guess.
The tram station is already more detailed than 60197's platform.
Very thrilled about the hearing aid user! Excited to see more and more disability inclusion from LEGO.
All the other side builds are decent. I think this works well as a family building set, and don't see why the disjointedness of the set should be seen as a negative. That's like complaining that the brick-built NES is just a grey brick.
I don't mind the town hall's lack of texture, in fact, it didn't even occur to me until it was pointed out that there was no texture. The green doors, while out of place, add an interesting splash of color that I appreciate. I do agree that the omission of a bell was a glaring one. Definitely glad that something like it exists in the modern LEGO City range now, and definitely still taking inspiration from it to build my own thing in the distant future.
But wow... the dark red parts are egregiously, awfully inconsistent in both their dimensions and pigmentation. Not just in the tram driver's hips and legs, but also the town hall's brickwork. Possibly the worst I've seen of any color this year. I generally eschew such strong negativity but this is a quality issue that can't possibly go ignored.
@CapnRex101, Thanks for the detailed and balanced review.
'It would be great to *see* a minifigure with a guide dog in the future' (my emphasis). Irony?
I actually quite like these style of sets. They bring a lot of different things that can be added to a layout. I often like to challenge myself to rebuild the city buildings into more complete versions for my own layouts.
I think there is a lot that a child can do with this. I remember some of the sets from the late 90’s/early 2000’s that I grew up with. It was basically town jr. and I loved every bit of those sets. I didn’t care that the front of the buildings weren’t intricately detailed, or that the back half of all of the buildings were open. It was fun and this looks even more so!
Back in 2008, Lego had nailed a great blueprint for these City Centre/Main Square sets with 10184 Town Plan. Adjusting for inflation, that set's $149.99 price tag then would translate to little more than $180 today. Compared with this one, it came with almost 500 pieces more, though 10 minifigs less, and was cheaper. So, it is kind of disapointing Lego has not carried on its own leagacy regarding this type of sets...
It's cool I guess, but the fact that 75810 The Upside Down is the same price makes this feel very small.
We picked up Donut Sop opening a couple weeks ago and my daughter has been playing with it non stop. I was impressed with the vehicles and the buildings, plus there were a ton of figures included. All for $90. It has exceeded my expectations.
The only thing this main square has going for it is the specific people who are featured on the Lego City Adventures show that we watch. The burger place is nice, but everything else is pretty awful, even the tram. If this set ever fell into the $100-120 range, I would consider getting it, but it’s a definite no otherwise.
Another helicopter. Another ATV. In a 200€ set. Says everything.
Minifiures are getting more colorful with every pasing year...
The LBG Forestmen hat is the most interesting part in this set.
Nice and I really just want the minfigures :p
"...remarkably disconnected..." How should the parts of this set be connected? And how is it different, in this respect, from 60097 and 60233? This review feels to me as if you decided to dislike it from your first glimpse of it.
@560heliport said:
""...remarkably disconnected..." How should the parts of this set be connected? And how is it different, in this respect, from 60097 and 60233 ? This review feels to me as if you decided to dislike it from your first glimpse of it. "
I am not referring to a literal connection but the thematic link between different items. The tram and the tram station or Duke's quad bike and Snake's motorcycle are thematically connected, for example. I think the remaining items are relatively independent though.
Comparing that with the sets you mention, many of the items in those sets are linked with others. 60097 City Square contains a service station, a tow truck and three associated cars, for instance.
Having said that, my primary issue with this set is not the absence of thematic connectivity between items but their individual quality, as described in the review.
"Horacio Hubbs freed LEGO City from pirates during 1715, repelling the invaders while still wearing handcuffs."
Ah, so it was after they were kicked out of Lego City by Horacio Hubbs that Captain Redbeard and crew were exiled to Barracuda Bay...
Wow. look at all those monorail tracks.
Sorry for being off-topic, but will you still review the tabletop aspect of the new Ninjago line? You teased that in one comment, but maybe it's too much hassle since it's only partly set-related and there's plenty to review... Would have been interested in your opinion, though.
This is a perfect gift for kids with wealthy parents/grandparents. The builds are not too difficult and they are easy to change/add your own imperfect builds on to. There are also a lot of stories with the minifigs going on, so good job.
I think an AFOL isn’t really interested in this set. Probably only some pieces/prints?
@donutboy said:
"@ CapnRex101 . Hey there, sorry to hijack but we are still waiting on the AT-AT review. I am wondering if a bad review wouldn't be published."
Apologies, I was intending to publish that review last weekend but the arrival of some newer sets suddenly shifted my focus. I have reviews of 75292 The Razor Crest, 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2 and another set to publish next but then I can guarantee the 75288 AT-AT review will be published.
It is probably my favourite summer Star Wars set and definitely the best AT-AT in my opinion, just to preview the review!
What an overpriced dumbed down City set for rich kids who don't give a crap.
Instead they should have made separate sets of a large city hall with more than 6 studs space, a proper tram with station AND tracks and a big park with alleys, plants and people walking their dogs and such. The rest of the set is filler material anyway.
This set isn't for AFOLs and that's probably why it's designed as it is, however it's price is designed for AFOLs.
I think it is an overpriced set, which disappoints me because I also really love these types of sets! So I very much doubt that I would purchase it. However, I still think it is a good set for what it is. I've watched a few episodes of Lego City Adventures (and it is actually much better than I expected it to be!) and even though I have not watched very much, I still understand why a lot of these mini builds within the set are important to the city and to the show. I think any little kid who watches the show would be beyond thrilled with this selection of buildings and minifigures. Honestly, if it went on sale, I would be tempted to buy this!
All characters have names of just the main ones?
@Rimefang said:
"This set isn't for AFOLs and that's probably why it's designed as it is, however it's price is designed for AFOLs."
Maybe it is designed for kids building technique wise, but I doubt many kids would really want it, judging by my past self and 3 small cousins of mine (not a huge sample size, I know). There is pretty much nothing in here, that would excite a kid of it's designated age and undoubtedly parents will go for more smaller sets of the same total price (if they'd even go that high with the price to begin with). I mean this year's city lineup is certainly not much to look at and the prices are very high, for this kind of money you could've gotten 2 city flagships (police and fire station or whatever other combination) with way more playability and excitement factor a few years back.
Edit: I just noticed the color inconsistency in the dark red and somehow became even more disappointed. This is used be an issue of the competition, but never so much Lego. Lego really needs to get their stuff together, because the price rise is not acceptable as is, so at least be better than the competition.
They should honestly bring out less stuff per year, because they are draining themselves of ideas way to fast, while no child can actually get all the sets of a subtheme within a year. So bringing so much stuff out per year is just pointless, from a business standpoint too. Why not focus on better set design and better quality control again.
@yellowcastle said:
"Excellent and incredibly thorough review, as always. It feels, though, like you still pulled some of your punches.
IMHO, this set is just plain awful. I would go a little easier on it if it were Junior / 4+ but not much. If we ever go negative and try to find the worst set of the millennium, please allow me, from the great state of Virginia, to nominate Main Square for the lowest office in the land.
Sure, Star Justice should have arrested itself; Assault on Hoth was a cold mess in desperate need of Bacta; the fairground mixer was far from the fairest of them all; and the poor poor Osprey, so hard to find yet an ease to break. I’m not even going to get into the Crested Bounty Razor Mobile.
Yes, Main Square, you are now setting the pace to the bottom."
Tbh the set is not really that bad you’re just being too negative
& tbh I think most people don’t care what the worst set of the millennium is Because most people aren’t negative like you
IMHO I have to agree with several comments here, this set is looking disconnected and very simplistic in terms of design. With 1500+ bricks there should well be more.
I am also wondering why EUR 180 for 1500+ bricks, especially with quite many decorative pieces here. Is plastic getting more expensive?
Thanks Captain for the review, quite soon actually! Good set, no doubts, I really enjoy this type of set just to look for all the individual details and characters, not the overall picture, and get some inspiration for my lego city.
Will not by this one, actually I am trying to sell my 60097 and I have all my money reserved for the Ideas Tree House!
As someone who owns several of the "Town Square" type City sets I think this one is shockingly poor.
A set like this doesn't need Police or Fire as there are already a number of these sets out there. It's a waste of pieces.
The Town Hall facade is bland and unimpressive.
I don't like the forced tie-in with the TV show. It's no longer a City set but a licensed set with built-in personalities for the minifigs.
The remaining builds are fine but that's not even half the set.
I love City, but this is an easy pass in a year of lots of easy passes.
It's not a bad set, it's just that I feel it's expensive for the target market, and should've been split into at least three sets.
I’m still interested in getting this one, but as mentioned it seems odd that some basic stuff is omitted; the bell, a hairpiece for the mayor, etc.
I think it’s quite good. Realistic enough for the adults and fun for the kids. The price is a little uncalled for though.
Wonder why a city set like this is so expensive. It's not a licenced set but it rivals the prices of some licenced themes sets. This makes the modulars seems like a deal since they have a lot more pieces than this (around 1000 more) but cost less. Pretty sure more design work is needed for modulars as well. Not to mention this set looks nothing special consider multiple city squares sets had been made before and this is not even the best of them.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @donutboy said:
"@ CapnRex101 . Hey there, sorry to hijack but we are still waiting on the AT-AT review. I am wondering if a bad review wouldn't be published."
Apologies, I was intending to publish that review last weekend but the arrival of some newer sets suddenly shifted my focus. I have reviews of 75292 The Razor Crest, 71028 Harry Potter Collectable Minifigures Series 2 and another set to publish next but then I can guarantee the 75288 AT-AT review will be published.
It is probably my favourite summer Star Wars set and definitely the best AT-AT in my opinion, just to preview the review!"
It is the best AT-AT!
and no question about the favorite set of Star Wars this summer
I try on this site to only say positive things, so...
I like the flaming marshmallow cup and Mayor's blazer and sash minifigure torso.
Have a good day...
I am just interested in that Dinner but not so much that'll I will buy this.
@Gingerbread_MF said:
"Tbh the set is not really that bad you’re just being too negative
& tbh I think most people don’t care what the worst set of the millennium is Because most people aren’t negative like you
"
Apologies if you felt I was too negative but this set is beyond frustrating as it could have so easily been so much better. I can’t speak for you, but I’m shopping for 1, 3, 5 , 7 and 9 year olds as well as myself, a longtime AFOL. And we all love these city collections and it feels like they just didn’t even try here, especially for the price tag. Even the Mrs., who tends to appreciate all sets, was disappointed after reading Cap’s review and realizing it’s cost.
Negative also isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You can’t have peaks without troughs. :o)
The “worst list” was suggested to be silly. @Huw is running far too great a ship here to dwell on the rare misses by LEGO. Now that being said, I wouldn’t mind other fun polls like “most surprising”, “best value” etc.
I think it makes a good point of comparison to 60097-1, to see how this theme has declined in the intervening five years. Both sets have the same basic idea, are recommended for the exact same demographic, cost a huge amount of money, and have a couple of the same things included... this one is arguable worse in every way. It includes fewer pieces and fewer builds, the builds themselves are MUCH worse and less useful in their subject matter, it's at least $50 too expensive, all the TV tie-in seems to do is add the stupid corncob costume and horrible looking little ladder truck, and no two of the builds make sense together except for the tram station which looks like it has less than 50 parts. The boxart with the monorail track is completely deceptive.
Honestly one of the worst large sets to come out in recent memory.
All of these buildings are meant to go with the other current City sets so as to recreate the entire City Adventure show, I wonder if the company has this massive City with all of these characters in their roles.
Leaving aside the pricing issues (I mean, my gosh), the thing I really don't like? Lego's begun this habit of naming it's characters. That seems wrong, to me. Aren't the kids supposed to come up with who their characters are? There's an entire genre of action figures based on pre-existing characters, but isn't the point of Lego that you can build and create your toys to be whatever or whoever you want?
Maybe it's a small thing, but it doesn't make me comfortable.
I'd never buy this just because it's City, but you never know when useful parts will pop up in any set. The first thing that popped into my mind when looking at the one minifig was to wonder why she had a blue smudge on the side of her head. The hearing aid is actually interesting for being possibly the first instance of a standard minifig head including printed evidence of ears. Glasses of all types have straight temples that just end short of where ears would be located, and the only other real evidence that they exist is either sideburns formed into hair, or sculpted ears sticking out of hair. It's disappointing to find out that the statue has dark-bley hands, as that would have been only the fourth or fifth true monochrome minifig to be released.
This set just feels sad. I wouldn't bother getting it at half the price.
I was extremely excited when this set was revealed, but it has become extremely disappointing for me. This seems so small for it's mediocre price, Police and Fire are space fillers again, and I can't stand the show and when they fake the monorail. I might get this on sale, but only maybe and it has to be a great deal.
Still think Creator 3-in-1 offer much more value in terms of buildings, even Newbury High could function as a larger townhall.
Vehicles are either filler (Quad/Helicopter), or should be their own sets imo (Tram/Limo).
The figure and their prints are the best part of the set but not worth the overall price imo.
If someone want to sell me the tram from their set as that’s all I’m interested in from this release.
This set costs more than a modular and has 1000 less pieces. Just let *that* sink in. I wouldnt even pay $200 AUD for this, much less $200 USD. This would be a hard sell at 40% off, and of course it'll never see such a discount. TLG desperately need to rein in their pricing, this is happening far too often these days.
@Zordboy said:
"Lego's begun this habit of naming it's characters."
It’s fine for something like Adventurers or Ninjago where there is a bit of background, but it’s just odd in City. With the sets and characters released in the last couple of years, and the emergence of the TV series, it seems they’re trying to steer towards the synergy of having a TV show to sell the sets, rather than the sets selling themselves with exciting and fun builds and generic city denizens. A bad move, IMHO.
The naming of the characters is the exact opposite of a problem because you can simply...........not use them. Call them something different, call them nothing at all. And are kids really gonna read the box art to find the names? Given a plethora of actual drawbacks, I find it a bit silly that there’s the most non-issue issue ever that people want to take a stand on.
I would also question the difference between named characters in any other theme. Y’all gonna start a petition to cancel Johnny Thunder?
@PurpleDave said:
"The hearing aid is actually interesting for being possibly the first instance of a standard minifig head including printed evidence of ears."
Don't forget printed headsets, such as https://brickset.com/sets/containing-part-6057757
ok i have a lot of stuf to say frist of all i have to say i love this lego city set and 2 if you hate this set i will tell you till you shut up and say that this set is good 3 i will buy this set or i will get this lego city set for crist mas
@Lordmoral said:
"All of these buildings are meant to go with the other current City sets so as to recreate the entire City Adventure show, I wonder if the company has this massive City with all of these characters in their roles."
If this is the case then the entire City line is a complete failure. It's just another licensed product. At least the Friends line exists to give us good City sets, albeit in colors I don't like.
Regarding the thirty-eighth paragraph, I’m thinking that Jaoquin might have been mistyped as Joanquin.
@Peek_a_boo_ said:
"This set might not be the most compelling one however, as a deaf person myself, seeing the lady mini-figure wearing a hearing aid just made my day ... : ) "
Agreed! I’m partially deaf and I’m excited to see this new head/minifigure! The set is a real mish-mash and overpriced at $200 but I’ll look for this minifigure separately.
@AS2020 said:
"ok i have a lot of stuf to say frist of all i have to say i love this lego city set and 2 if you hate this set i will tell you till you shut up and say that this set is good 3 i will buy this set or i will get this lego city set for crist mas "
Please, PLEASE don't spam the comments and fill it up with profanity
@Peek_a_boo_ said:
"This set might not be the most compelling one however, as a deaf person myself, seeing the lady mini-figure wearing a hearing aid just made my day ... : ) "
I have severe hearing loss and wear hearing aids. It made my day, too :)
The minifigs are fantastic.
That's it.
Even 75098 Assault on Hoth is great compared to this.
"Only the best is good enough."
If, being colorblind, I can see color inconsistencies in bricks, then it must be really bad.
The moment you compared it to 60097 City Square I had a new appreciation for how poor this set is in design. Everything seems sparse and simple here, with a focus on quantity of small models over quality.
After building 10184 Town Plan (such great set!) in July I don't even want to look at it.
I don't wear hearing aids, so I am not familiar with the shape of them, but could the print on the minifigure be wireless earplugs ?
@Charles_LEGO_Studio said:
"I don't wear hearing aids, so I am not familiar with the shape of them, but could the print on the minifigure be wireless earplugs ? "
No. Its a definitely hearing aid.
The burger shop looks great (very Fortnite-inspired), but the town hall is atrocious. I'm not saying it has to be a Modular Building, but could it at least look as nice as a Diagon Alley or Medieval Market Village building? If the answer is "no, due to price point", they should make another building in the style of the burger shop instead.
Parents- if your kid loves City, get 60097 on Bricklink instead.
The wait for Lego to produce a small city tram that's not part of one of these $150+ city bundles continues :(
@GHED:
Brothers Brick assumed it was a bluetooth earpiece for a mobile phone, which I must admit seems like just as valid a conclusion as a hearing aid.
@PurpleDave said:
" @GHED :
Brothers Brick assumed it was a bluetooth earpiece for a mobile phone, which I must admit seems like just as valid a conclusion as a hearing aid."
If it had been both ears, you could safely say they were hearing aids because you don't normally use two bluetooth earpieces at once. As it is just one ear (and the right ear at that, the ear most people use for earpieces), I have to agree with PurpleD: it could be either a bluetooth earpiece or a hearing aid. I'm guessing LEGO will say in due course that it's the latter.
A few nice elements, but way too expensive for what you get.
I've bought all the previous City combination sets before (60097: City Square, 60200: Capital City, etc) but im afraid I won't be getting this one. I really wanted to like it, but it's not for me.
@GHED said:
" @Charles_LEGO_Studio said:
"I don't wear hearing aids, so I am not familiar with the shape of them, but could the print on the minifigure be wireless earplugs ? "
No. Its a definitely hearing aid."
@Zander said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @GHED :
Brothers Brick assumed it was a bluetooth earpiece for a mobile phone, which I must admit seems like just as valid a conclusion as a hearing aid."
If it had been both ears, you could safely say they were hearing aids because you don't normally use two bluetooth earpieces at once. As it is just one ear (and the right ear at that, the ear most people use for earpieces), I have to agree with PurpleD: it could be either a bluetooth earpiece or a hearing aid. I'm guessing LEGO will say in due course that it's the latter.
"
What does it matter? It very well can be seen as both. Could even be a sound monitor for musicians who have perfectly fine hearing but use them during concerts to filter the loudness and better hear what their playing (harmonizing, staying in tune, etc).
Drop the Burger joint (ANOTHER ONE) and Helicopter, make limusine 6 wide, and use proper pieces for Harl vechicle, and add Edna and her garabage truck.
@Zander:
The shape looks more like what you'd expect from an old-school hearing aid, though. By the time the first Bluetooth earpieces came out, there wasn't much need to pack batteries behind the ear (nor was there much interest in trying to hide the fact that you're wearing one). Usually what I've seen with those is a thin clip that hooks behind the ear, and the bulky part projects forward towards the mouth.
Anyways, a former coworker is completely deaf in one ear due to complications from brain surgery when she was very young. She once talked about getting a complex two-piece hearing aid where one piece would go on the deaf ear to collect sounds, and a second piece would go on the other hear to receive signals from the other part. While not true stereo hearing, it would at least allow her one functional ear to hear all of the sounds that someone else would be able to hear with two. I've also known people who were hard of hearing in only one ear, and the other was fine. For them, a single hearing aid would be sufficient. So, I'm leaning more towards hearing aid, but I'm sure kids who don't have any experience with such things will just assume it's Bluetooth and go from there.
Prefer the previous LEGO city Square 60097, with the orange tram been really sought after (myself included). Just wish they would put a tram in a separate set so more people could purchase. The new tram set here just seems to be going back to the Lego 8404 blue tram design, which is fairly easy to build with spares. The town hall building facade looks like a lost opportunity to build something a bit more substantial, and reminds me of Duplo window blocks and doors.
To integrate more I would have started with a large 32x32 green baseplate, with a circular band area/stage in the centre, the tram stop on the South of the plate next door to an outdoor Parisian style small cafe on the East side (to catch the morning sun), with the city Hall on the Northside (similar to back to the future) leaving the West side for a playground.
The most positive about this set is that it think it's a no-brainer: I do not feel inclined in any way buying it.
With 70% off I'll start considering for the parts.
I'm glad to see the mayor has a nice suit torso under the corncob costume. Buying that and some Vita Rush cans from B&P will be the extent of my involvement with this set. I could be more forgiving of the set's weaknesses and the regrettable shift to named characters were it not for the outrageous price tag.
@Zander said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @GHED :
Brothers Brick assumed it was a bluetooth earpiece for a mobile phone, which I must admit seems like just as valid a conclusion as a hearing aid."
If it had been both ears, you could safely say they were hearing aids because you don't normally use two bluetooth earpieces at once. As it is just one ear (and the right ear at that, the ear most people use for earpieces), I have to agree with PurpleD: it could be either a bluetooth earpiece or a hearing aid. I'm guessing LEGO will say in due course that it's the latter.
"
German blog StoneWars.de got confirmation from LEGO itself that it's indeed a hearing aid. You can throw this post into a translator of your choice: https://www.stonewars.de/news/erste-lego-minifigur-mit-hoergeraet/
it's a shame to see how the design quality has declined since 60097 city square ...
and i'm so glad i watched our local 2nd hand store for city sets the last few years, buying everything that appealed to me, just to have a reserve of sets when the kids come into the right age ...
they are now, and it would hurt me big time to buy the current city sets, be it police, fire brigade or general city ... everything just got more expensive and less inspired, and it would hurt me to give that to my children because there is nothing better available.
i don't know how much more lucrative the afol market is, but until lately TLG said they are making the real money with the children/parents segment ... well with these current sets, they will only continue to do, if other companies are equally uninspired and non-inventive. also, if things get even worse, they'll lose a generation of enthusiasts in 20 years.
@iwybs said:
""Horacio Hubbs freed LEGO City from pirates during 1715, repelling the invaders while still wearing handcuffs. This statue accordingly features handcuffs, a sword and an accurate hat when compared with the animation. I appreciate such outstanding attention to detail and wish that had appeared more consistently throughout this set."
Gotcha. I'm glad to know the statue doesn't commemorate the defeat of Robin Hood and his Merry Men by the Sheriff of Nottingham in 1315."
If there's any historical accuracy to the legend that Robin Hood lived during the reign of King Richard I, if he existed at all, then he would've been hiding out in Sherwood Forest in the latter part of the 12th century. So, he'd be long dead by 1315. Luckily, if we have to believe the folk tales, he was never defeated by the Sheriff of Nottingham, so the statute couldn't have possibly resembled the capture of Robin Hood. ;-)
On topic, though: I appreciate the idea of this set, but it would've worked out a lot better if these had been five individual, more fleshed out sets: 1. a proper city hall; 2. an extensive market square or city park; 3. a working tram/monorail; 4. a significantly bigger restaurant (more akin to Friends' restaurant buildings); and 5. a more impressive festival stage with a larger limo (again: Friends did that fairly well). It also feels as if none of these buildings are in scale with those of previous city square-type sets. The donut shop is so much larger than city hall, yet it is meant to be similar in size to the fast food restaurant in this set. I applaud more structures, always, but the Friends and Creator lines (both expert and 3-in-1) are far more consistent in the quality, scale, and overall usefulness of their buildings.
So I just went and caught myself up on LEGO City Adventures, paying special attention to episodes that are most relevant to this set.
While I'm probably still not getting this set even at an amazing deal, I'm definitely getting so much more context behind each of the builds and have a much greater appreciation for the set. And, as always, I enjoyed watching the show itself. The Poppy Star episode was especially self-aware of crooks always having striped printing on their torsos.
@AustinPowers said:
"That last picture perfectly illustrates the problem with this set. It looks like a lot from a jumble sale where someone has simply thrown together some of his leftover stuff that doesn't fit in anywhere else.
Coupled with the price I agree that this is a set that can't be recommended. "
Absolutely right, it more looks like a job lot of Lego than a complete set. This set is awful and I can't see it selling well to the AFOL crowd, really bad.
"Minifigure heads routinely include extensive decoration, although that rarely extends onto the sides. This hearing aid is accordingly unusual and provoked some speculation that LEGO may now be able to print all the way around minifigure heads. However, they have instead decorated one side and simply offset the design which is clever."
What about the Lobot figure in the UCS Cloud City? He had printing all the way around his head, although it's never been seen again...
@Jay_H_Brickwood:
Rarely =/= never.
They've done several minifigs that have 360 degree printing, but geometry limits your options. The minifig head has vertical sides, or near enough that we can't tell the difference by sight alone. You can't print around the entire circumference of the "face" area with a single printing pad. Minimum, it takes two pads from opposite directions to achieve that. If you look closely at the Lobot pattern, its probably done with three sets of pads. The face would be done normally, and the cybernetic implant has a seam in the back that proves it's printed in two separate passes. But go back to the original Boba Fett and you'll see why this is. There's a thin band that runs across the forehead but not the back of the helmet. For some reason they decided to print it in two steps rather than just one. The result was...not great. The lines were often poorly aligned with each other, and rarely perfectly horizontal, so dead center on his forehead looked like someone was graphing a math problem. It took years, and possibly the launch of the CMF theme (there was a lot of concern that the eyes wouldn't match up with the eyeholes on the S3 Gorilla, which proved not to be the case), before they were able to really sort out their minifig printing issues.
So, besides the fact that running three times as many printing passes ties up the machines even longer, the alignment tolerances are razor-thin before people will start complaining about the print quality. They've had the capability to do 360 degree printing for quite some time, but I think they still try to avoid it whenever possible.
Anyways, your Lobot printing actually came from a minifig released in 2012 as part of the Planet series. The only difference was the color of the facial features.