DK Brickmaster Atlantis

 

  • DK Brickmaster Atlantis

    Posted by Huw, 08 Aug 2010 14:40. Filed under Book review.

    Brickmaster Atlantis book

    Following on from the success of the first two Brickmaster books last year (Pirates and Castle), Dorling Kindersley are publishing more this year: Atlantis, which has just been released and is the subject of this brief review, and Star Wars, due for release around October time, I believe.

    Brickmaster Atlantis is very similar to the others in that it's a 1" thick hardback book consiting of a box attached to the front cover to hold the bricks (in this case 140 bricks and 2 minifigs: a diver called Bobby Buoy and the Manta warrior) and a 46 page book attached to the back cover. The book contains instructions for building 5 different models, each of which consist of 2 or more sub-models. What's more there are instructions for more models available online from dk.com and LEGO.com. Or at least that's what the book claims. I haven't been able to find them on the DK site at the given URL, although there is one model on the Atlantis downloads page at LEGO.com.

    Brickmaster Atlantis book

    So, what are models like? In general they are excellent. They are mainly different submarines and sea creatures and I would not be at all surprised to hear that they had been designed by the same team that did the Atlantis sets, they are that good. (Update: now the reason they are so good is clear: they were all designed by Mark Stafford, who did indeed design many of the Atlantis sets. Good job Mark!)

    The only criticism I can make is that the book is very childisly written (e.g. "Top Tip: Look at the drawings very carefully to work out which pieces you need next!)  but I suppose given the target audience (6+) that can be excused. Actually there's another thing I don't like: the pages don't lay flat because of the box which makes building difficult!

    This is easily the best of the three Brickmaster books published to date, because the parts are so versatile and the models so well designed.

    I've posted more pictures on flickr, including the parts inventory and the submarine from the main model.

    Brickmaster Atlantis is available from Amazon.co.uk now, priced £13.74. It's released next week in the USA and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.com for $19.79.


    16 comments, latest one posted 33 months ago. (Commenting has ended on this article)
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Comments

Posted by Alemas in Germany, 08 Aug 2010 15:22

I guess it has no Atlantis keys, right? Does it have any "treasure"?

Posted by Huw in United Kingdom, 08 Aug 2010 15:34

No keys, the treasure (4 crystals) comes in a standard treasure chest.

Posted by Crt2 in United States, 08 Aug 2010 15:50

Uh-Oh. I Always wanted a Brown Treasure Chest (I Hate The Gold). Should I Cough up The Money Just for The Pieces?

Posted by jjr in Netherlands, 08 Aug 2010 16:05

Good review, I heard there will be some kind of City themed book like this. Does anyone knows when it comes out?

Posted by I like Lego in Canada, 08 Aug 2010 16:55

I don't know if I should buy this. It sure is pricey down here (50.00 CDN).

P.S: On the Download page Huw linked to, did any of you notice that Bobby's legs are on the back of the bug?!

Posted by Crt2 in United States, 08 Aug 2010 17:25

^ Woah! Never Noticed That! That is Indeed Strange, Nobody. (Can I Call you NOBODY Here?)

Posted by I like Lego in Canada, 08 Aug 2010 18:27

Actually, now that I see the American price, I might buy this.
@ Crt2: Sure.

Posted by ceroknight in Canada, 09 Aug 2010 00:29

How much is it in canadian (there is no way it can be 50 bucks)?

Posted by frosted otter in United States, 09 Aug 2010 06:00

Actually, the Atlantis Brickmaster is already out where I live, but the City and Star Wars Brickmasters are not.

Posted by DrathMaul1997 in United Kingdom, 09 Aug 2010 06:55

Cool, thank you for taking the time to write this. Bit pricey though...

Posted by mission_zed in United Kingdom, 09 Aug 2010 07:47

Hmmm. About the same price as the Guardian of the Deep and Seabed Scavenger, but with more instructions. I think I will be getting one, you can never have too many manta warriors ! Its a shame it does not seem to include any stickers, I'd like to have vents/bubbles and ID numbers to match the regular Atlantis sets, even if this makes the bricks less versatile.

PS - nice review Huw !

Posted by I like Lego in Canada, 09 Aug 2010 08:36

@ ceroknight: The price in Canadian Dollars for the Brickmaster Atlantis Book is 39.99 . With it now being 19.79, it is 29.99 CDN.

Posted by Toa Of Justice in United States, 09 Aug 2010 10:26

@I like Lego: I downloaded the PDF instructions, and I noticed that only Bobby's flippers are on the back of the bug. Bobby still has his legs attached to his body.

This set looks like a lot of fun! At the very least, it's a great parts pack, and a cheap way to get the new 2x2 angled corner bricks in red, not to mention the red TECHNIC panels and trans-Atlantis green elements.

Posted by ncbarrett in United States, 09 Aug 2010 10:57

i saw this at my local TRU on saturday.

Posted by bluemoose in United Kingdom, 09 Aug 2010 17:58

Come on guys, why am I having to remind you that this isn't a chat site? Please keep it on-topic & keep it relevant.
I really hate having to delete 20+ posts at a time ...

Posted by Toa Of Justice in United States, 21 Aug 2010 08:46

I just finished building the main models from this book, and I was shocked to discover that there were no spare parts included! This means that if I were to lose a TECHNIC pin or one of the 1x1 round plates, I would have to either take a new part from my existing collection or call LEGO for a replacement.

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