Review: 71837 NINJAGO City Workshops - Part #2 - Model
Posted by CapnRex101,
NINJAGO City sets are primarily known for their beautiful architecture, usually featuring various shops, restaurants and even skyscrapers. 71837 NINJAGO City Workshops instead favours more industrial buildings, so adds something new to the cityscape.
I welcome the change because the standard of detail seems as impressive as usual, with many creative functions as well. On the other hand, focusing so much attention on a mech may be off-putting for some, given their frequency in other NINJAGO sets. Thankfully, there is plenty to appreciate here, including lots of references, plus a few surprises to explore!
Summary
71837 NINJAGO City Workshops, 3,244 pieces.
£219.99 / $249.99 / €249.99 | 6.8p / 7.7c / 7.7c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Though far from an all-time classic, this is an impressive addition to NINJAGO City
- Unique aesthetic and architecture
- Richly detailed interiors
- Outstanding functions
- Countless fun references
- Poseable and characterful mech
- Some great minifigures
- Falls short of past NINJAGO City corner modules
- Underwhelming crane
- Only eleven figures
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The Completed Model
NINJAGO City Workshops is the third corner structure in the series, following 70620 NINJAGO City and 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens. However, the layout here is unique, with the buildings facing inwards and leaving ample space for the mech under construction to stand in the centre. The overall composition works for me, although it definitely relies on the mech for colour on the lower stories.
With the mech removed, the lower levels seem quite subdued. I appreciate the clear distinction between older and more modern buildings, similar to earlier NINJAGO City sets, but I think the designer has used too much reddish brown. Moreover, the model lacks the density of previous corner modules, although that suits the industrial setting and offers some variety when sets are combined.
Speaking of which, this model includes connection points on all four sides, unusually. Technic pin holes are available behind the buildings, ready to link to the sides of earlier sets, while two more are found in the water. This is a welcome option and one to discuss fully in another article, focused on combining this set with its predecessors.
As always, the water across the base looks fantastic, comprising a layer of trans-light blue 1x2 tiles over a layer of plates to create an impression of different depths. The bright green flowers floating in the water add some detail and I like the pink lily, matching those growing around the two previous NINJAGO City sets.
The green and dark green plates used around the edges of the walkway are excellent as well, where plants are growing in shallower waters. However, I wish there was something related to the industrial setting, similar to the outflow pipes in 70620 NINJAGO City and 71799 NINJAGO City Markets. An oil slick on the surface would have been an interesting detail, for instance.
The stone walkways around the base match the earlier sets exactly, including a short flight of steps on this side. The wooden structure over the walkway looks great and I love the use of a pearl silver fence piece, with foliage growing up the outside. The first of many posters is placed here, warning passing minifigures of 'high voltage' nearby.
A wall lamp and another stickered poster are found in the passageway too. The latter displays 71797 Destiny's Bounty - Race Against Time flying over the city, with towers featured in 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens and 71799 NINJAGO City Markets underneath.
It seems the designers of NINJAGO City sets are challenged to develop new roof designs for each model, as they always include cleverly constructed roofs. This is a good example, using catapult elements upside down to create rounded roof tiles. The resulting texture looks superb, although the gear above the roof is awkward.
This obviously controls a function, which is fine, but similar knobs and dials are usually better hidden or disguised as something else. Otherwise, this timber-framed building looks fantastic. The combination of reddish brown and dark orange is striking and I like the circular fan unit on the wall, as well as the bulging garage door, which looks marvellous in dark blue.
I love the use of 6x6 curved gear racks as runners for the garage door, giving this building the slightly fantastical aesthetic expected from NINJAGO. The mechanism works flawlessly, lifting the door smoothly as the gear is turned and rolling it up inside the workshop. The sign over the door looks good too, mirroring the door's curvature and simply reading 'mech' in Ninjargon.
The back of the workshop attracted some criticism when the set was revealed and this wall is rather bland, admittedly. More detail would always be welcome, but keeping this panel simple makes sense because it needs to be easily removable and will be hidden once linked to other NINJAGO City sets.
The workshop is quite tall, but there is remarkably little floor space. Nonetheless, there is room for an anvil where the mechanic can prepare the mech's armour, plus some accessories stored on clips: a hammer and a crowbar.
My favourite detail inside is the Octan can on a shelf, represented by a stack of white, red and green pieces. The drawer underneath contains a white 2x2 wedge plate for use with the mech, while the orange-topped container serves as a stopper for the garage door. This is ingeniously disguised and the whole garage door mechanism works brilliantly.
Another poster completes the interior, featuring Sora and the word 'power' written in Ninjargon. Given Sora's pose, this sticker is clearly inspired by the iconic 'We Can Do It!' poster produced during World War II, which is a fun reference.
The purpose of the neighbouring building is not immediately apparent from the front. There are some interesting features though, including a barred window that orients two bars upside down to bring them closer together. This is a clever technique, but one perhaps overshadowed by the Fabuland poster, featuring some characters beside 3625 Sandy Seagull's Aeroplane and 3679 Flour Mill and Shop. Fabuland could exist as an obscure region of the Merged Realms!
A new peony element was introduced last year and makes just its second appearance in trans-yellow here, forming an attractive lamp. A similar light fixture is mounted on the nearby column and these supports are another feature of all NINJAGO City sets, often integrating unexpected parts. This one uses a crane arm, with a row of decorative 1x1 plates inside. Also notable is the frog at the column's base, ever-present in NINJAGO City.
While the crane arm forming a column and the peony serving as a lamp are clever, I think the dark tan scarf representing noodles is even better! This element looks stunning on the noodle shop sign, between two wands as chopsticks. The bowl is also neatly assembled and features another sticker, with a dragon design reminiscent of the Tea Vendor in the Markets.
There are two seats for customers at the noodle shop, which seems authentic to the little food vendors found in many Japanese and Chinese cities. The wooden counter looks good and the bowl with a printed fried egg inside works well. However, only one bowl is provided and the 1x1 round tile with printed noodles released last year is not included at all, sadly.
Chopsticks are available from a container beside the counter, however, beneath a tiny sticker that reads 'fish'. The curved signs on the other side, pictured above, advertise ramen noodles and encourage customers to try their noodles with a fried egg on top.
You can access the kitchen area by sliding out the whole interior, which is a feature returning from 71799 NINJAGO City Markets. There is not a huge amount of detail inside, although the compact stove looks reasonable and I like the colourful sauces on the shelf. The jumper plates on the floor are welcome too, for posing minifigures.
The chef can enter the kitchen via a door on the other side of the shop, opening onto another walkway. This area is small, but continues the water from the front of the model to match with other NINJAGO City sets. Additional parts for the mech are stored in a crate here, outside the workshop.
Behind the door is our second reference to Octan, this time with a full-size barrel. As ever, the bright colours look nice and the barrel is decorated with a sticker, reading 'Octan' in Ninjargon. Unfortunately, I have found this sticker tends to peel from the 2x2 round brick quite quickly, so maybe a bigger sticker should have been used, wrapping further around the brick.
It is fortunate that so many NINJAGO characters are sufficiently agile to become ninja because the floor above is only accessible via this rudimentary ladder. I think there is enough room for a steep staircase, which might have been preferable. The ladder suffices though, beside a poster advertising 70751 Temple of Airjitzu, perhaps as a tourist destination.
The billboard above, meanwhile, presents an unknown character identified as the 'nomad', with 71767 Ninja Dojo Temple in silhouette in the background. Presumably this is a movie familiar to residents of NINJAGO. Crossing the angled bridge from the sign leads to the next section of the Workshops complex.
Most of the components for the mech are kept in this warehouse, which is constructed around four reddish brown Technic supports. Clearly, the building is extremely industrial and not really intended for customers to visit, although I still think a sign should have been added on the side, especially with room available on one of the Technic columns.
Two stickered signs are displayed on the front, advertising 'mech parts'. The dark blue Technic beams are quite exposed, which would normally bother me in this kind of set, but they work on this occasion. Warehouses are hardly renowned for their decorative architecture, after all.
A crane runs between these Technic stanchions, controlled using the lever and knob found on the side of the warehouse. The mechanism hidden against the ceiling is surprisingly elaborate and allows you to raise or lower the chain while the crane moves back and forth along its track, quickly delivering goods to the ground.
Much like the workshop on the ground floor, where is not a huge amount of floor space inside. However, I like how the designer has used the vertical space, with sand blue racks where you can keep crates and bigger pieces of armour for the mech. Sand blue is an ideal colour choice, adding some brightness without looking gaudy.
Different parts of the mech are variously kept on clips, jumper plates and inside crates. Maybe the chaotic storage is deliberate, but I think arranging the items more logically would be better. Similarly, the ladder to reach the top shelf is strangely short and I am not sure why, as there is plenty of room for a ladder down to the floor.
The shelf inside the warehouse also provides access to the exterior walkway, through a small gap in the wall. Again, this is quite unusual and a proper door would have been nice, but I can imagine the hole was made as a shortcut for workers to enter the upper levels of the city, rather than an intended architectural feature.
Like that at ground level, this walkway lines up with those in previous NINJAGO City sets and includes similar advertisements on its railings. The stickers on the staircase advertise the City Bank and Spybotics, a short-lived subtheme of Mindstorms. Official images and the instruction manual show the bank sticker upside down, but it is the right way round below.
Underneath is a sign displaying the Paradisa logo and I am glad the theme's palm tree symbol is included because the Ninjargon text is basically illegible. The adjoining vertical sign is easier to read, advertising the 'Mech Bay'. I think the mech's head shown here is an original design.
Several more advertisements are found on the top level, including one with a nice lime green and yellow colour combination. The stickered signs read 'arcade' and 'Darnagom', inspired by Darnagom Enterprises, which was a demolition company founded by Lord Garmadon in one of his sillier schemes!
The striking Ninpla model shop stands in stark contrast to the buildings underneath, as one of the most colourful businesses anywhere in NINJAGO City! The shop is named after Gunpla, a range of plastic model kits based on Gundam mecha and vehicles, which has obviously had an enormous influence on NINJAGO designs.
Another billboard is placed on the side of the shop, this time promoting Dungeons of Shintaro. This is a location from Master of the Mountain and several of its major characters also appear, including the Skull Sorcerer and Grief-Bringer looming in the background. The three characters in the foreground are the Upply, a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired quest group from the show.
The combination of red and orange shades on the walls and a blue border around the roof is remarkably effective, with lights providing even more colour! Moreover, the stylised head and hand of a mech looks brilliant, reminiscent of the brick-built octopus atop 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, or the animal balloons in prior sets.
Two stickers across the window and door comprise a silhouette of 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech. The design looks fantastic, but applying a clear-backed sticker to this curved window is quite a challenge. In contrast, the poster for Lava-Tide Noodles is probably my favourite sticker in the set, featuring Lava-Tony and a dragon egg from an episode of 'The Elemental Mechs'!
A detachable roof would give reasonable access, although removing the whole interior is even better. Inside are various model kits and items of modelling equipment, although the minifigure-sized recreation of Cole's Titan Dragon Mech is the most eye-catching feature. The colours and proportions of the mech are very recognisable, although I wish its wings were represented.
9448 Samurai Mech, 70676 Lloyd's Titan Mech, 71821 Cole's Titan Dragon Mech, 71785 Jay's Titan Mech and 71738 Zane's Titan Mech Battle are all displayed on the shelves, with gaps for more mechs hopefully joining the series in the future. Three paint pots are also available and a price list hangs in the corner, using another sticker.
The other wall includes clips for a golden pair of scissors, a paintbrush and a chopsticks piece, serving as tweezers, which are commonly used when applying decals on Gunpla kits. I believe the 2x2 tile underneath is a magazine, featuring a mech and the Ninjargon letters 'NP', standing for Ninpla.
Another walkway runs beside the Ninpla shop, featuring the standard NINJAGO City railings, albeit without lanterns hanging underneath, which is an odd change. These two signs feature Buddy's Pizza from multiple episodes of the animated series and the word 'magic', presumably relating to Dorama's nearby shop.
An advertisement for Wong's Costume, a shop featured in the second season of NINJAGO, is attached to the next railing, alongside a sign reading 'Zippie's'. The Island introduced a dragon named Zippy, but the billboard uses a different spelling, so must refer to something else.
References continue on the signs outside Dorama's shop, starting with an image of 71737 X-1 Ninja Charger and the word 'Autobody', which is a mechanic's workshop where the Ultra Sonic Raider was repaired. Chan's Theatre, meanwhile, appears in several episodes of the NINJAGO series, memorably hosting a calamitous date between Nya, Jay and Cole in Rebooted.
Dorama is known primarily as an entertainer, but I can envisage him owning a magic shop too, perhaps to fund his passion for invention. Spring yellowish green and teal is an unusual colour scheme and works remarkably well, with the backs of 1x2 masonry bricks adding texture to the walls. In addition, the black chairs comprising the roof look marvellous.
71783 Kai's Mech Rider EVO appears on a poster beside the door. Kai's mech and motorbike from the set are posed to recreate the theatrical poster for Akira, which is another influence on NINJAGO, like the aforementioned Gundam.
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Ninja was a subtheme of Castle in the late 1990s, long before NINJAGO debuted. This poster pays tribute to the range, including some classic minifigures with 3052 Ninja Fire Fortress and 3019 Ninpo Big Bat. Beyond the poster looking excellent, I like how it is angled downwards, so differs from others around the Workshops.
The back of Dorama's shop looks a bit untidy, although any odd colours are used to add detail inside, which I consider worthwhile. Also, I like how the pearl gold windows double as points to grip the wall when removing the interior, a technique used throughout this set.
The traditional furniture inside is perfectly suited to Dorama, notably including a gramophone that he uses in Dragons Rising season one. This is neatly designed, with a revolver and bowl forming its horn and an inverted Minecraft container for the legs. The record on top reads 'The RB', so Dorama must be a fan of The Royal Blacksmiths barbershop quartet, of which Cole's father was a member.
A dark red welcome mat lines up with the entrance and looks lovely, with symbols for the four playing card suits in each corner. However, this is mainly needed to strengthen the floor, as is the rotating card rack beside the desk.
Four stickered 1x2 tiles are displayed on the rack. The first is a joker playing card inspired by Krazi, one of the Skulkin warriors. Also featured are an image of the DUPLO rabbit appearing from a hat and a pair of cards with symbols representing Earth and Fire, sometimes shown on Cole and Kai minifigures.
Otherwise, this room contains a poster for a new show featuring Dorama's puppet, a coin in a drawer and a couple more stickered tiles. One features the famous wizard Majisto from LEGO Castle, while the other recreates Nya's character card from 2172 Nya. I am glad the tradition of including these minifigure-scale cards in certain sets carries on.
Two stickered curtains complete the interior, attached on the other side of the Ninja poster. A proper stage area would have been ideal, but with space obviously at a premium, at least the curtains are included. Dorama loves a dramatic reveal, after all.
Minifigures can access the roof via another ladder, passing a poster featuring 70747 Boulder Blaster en route. 'Quake of the skies' is written in Ninjargon above the aircraft and this sticker looks great, though I doubt Dorama would tolerate ninja-related posters outside his shop.
The rooftop is disappointing though. This empty space is useful to pose Dorama's puppet, but there was an opportunity for more. An outdoor stage or a cage for his prisoners, as featured in the animated series, would have been welcome additions, for example.
Continuing to follow the walkway, we reach a staircase down to Zane's apartment on the level below. A surfboard and orange fish serve as simple advertisements and the surfboard piece is uncommon, making only its second appearance in red, after 60453 Lifeguard Truck.
I think the golden heart attached to a dark blue plate could be intended for P.I.X.A.L. After all, these colours are associated with Zane's girlfriend dressed in her Samurai X uniform and the sign is situated directly outside Zane's home, though this may be a coincidence.
Olive green is an attractive colour choice for the apartment, complementing the reddish brown elements forming the timber frame. Similarly, I like the texture around Zane's front window and the tulip in the window box looks nice. The roof underneath could be improved though because it is only supported at either end, so feels fragile.
Also, a drying rack is placed outside the apartment and makes clever use of crowbars for the supports. The short legs hanging underneath are an odd choice, probably because there was not enough space for standard legs, although I prefer to assume Zane's trousers shrunk in the wash!
The window on the side of the apartment is another impressive feature, using books as part of the frame and dark red book covers as shutters, which hide messier parts of the structure. The result looks wonderful, brilliantly finished with a 1x2 semicircular tile and a window box to match the front window.
The interior of Zane's apartment slides out and leaves some interesting details behind, like the curtains in Dorama's shop, as two stickered portraits flank the side window. The first depicts Dr. Julien, Zane's creator and a character definitely deserving of a minifigure in the future.
Also pictured is Zane with another of Dr. Julien's inventions, the Falcon. This sticker features its titanium design and I wish this robotic scout actually appeared in the set, perhaps using a pearl silver version of the falcon element introduced with the Falconer Collectable Minifigure last year.
Zane's apartment is tiny, although still bigger than Arin and Sora's shared space from 71799 NINJAGO City Markets. Nevertheless, there are lots of appealing details and my favourite is undoubtedly the door mat, which reads 'protect' in Ninjargon. This was Dr. Julien's expressed reason for creating Zane: to "protect those who cannot protect themselves".
The banners on the wall reflect Zane's status as the Elemental Master of Ice, with a model of 71770 Zane's Golden Dragon Jet in between. I love the use of shuriken for its wings. Another mini vehicle is displayed underneath, most closely resembling 70616 Ice Tank. There is also a simple bed with a superb bonsai tree on the headboard, which would explain Zane's scissors accessory.
Moving back outside, a large crane is mounted on the Ninpla shop. This is definitely my least favourite part of the set because it feels like an afterthought, plonked on top without fitting the architecture. I suppose this is logical in some regards, as the crane could be a new addition to the Workshops, but it lacks detail relative to the structures below.
Despite those criticisms, the crane is very functional. The whole assembly turns by rotating a dark blush grey knob on the side of the shop, while those on the crane alter the boom's angle and raise and lower the hook. You could also extend the boom manually if you wish, but it only retracts as far as these images show.
The hook cannot actually reach the ground, only extending just under Zane's apartment. While this is comfortably enough to attach sections of armour to the mech's arms and torso, the other crane and minifigure intervention will be required for the legs.
Replacing the mech in its central position really changes the appearance of the whole model and the mech itself looks very different without armour. The dark bluish grey skeleton is quite unusual, but emphasises the drastic change once its armour components are attached. A few more mechanical details would have been appreciated though, ready to be covered.
I love the mech's contrasting colours with only certain pieces added, showing the progression from its skeletal form to completion. The main crane lowers armour panels almost exactly into position and you can definitely envisage characters stepping from the walkway around the top onto the mech's shoulders.
The feet are securely connected to the mech's base, so the platform can slide back and forth without any risk of the vehicle toppling over. I would rather its feet were angled slightly further inwards, but there are limited options with click hinges and these anchor points do feel secure.
Turning the gear at the corner brings the mech into its ready position, clearing the surrounding buildings. I think this location is better for display because the workshops around the mech are more visible.
Dark bluish grey elements and dashes of colour ensure the mech platform stands out from the walkway, although it is accessible via steps on each side. These steps actually retract beneath the platform when you rotate the gear, before the whole assembly moves. This is a remarkable function, also revealing a second dark orange ingot once the steps are retracted.
From there, the platform disconnects from a clip on the walkway, moving along the worm gear until it stops against the gear housing. The mechanism is very smooth and I think the exposed gear works in this situation, maybe representing part of a motor.
Mechs are everywhere in NINJAGO, with four in the January range alone. Though I normally enjoy them, even I was not clamouring for another. Nonetheless, this is an excellent example, standing 18cm in height, which is about equivalent to last year's Elemental Mechs or Empress Beatrix's vehicle from 71796 Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech.
Flame yellowish orange and grey is a stunning colour combination, with teal highlights on the waist and calves. However, this mech's greatest strength is articulation because its shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles all feature ball joints. The elbows are double-jointed for an even greater range of motion and the waist swivels 360 degrees too.
I love the mech's bulky shoulders and how the minifigure nestles inside the chest, so the mech lacks an obvious head. Its proportions remind me of Cole's vehicle from 71699 Thunder Raider, at least around the torso and arms because the lower body is slimmer.
Twitchy Tim is shown piloting the mech in official images and seems like a good choice, given his occasional desire for adventure. Of course, the flame yellowish orange armour would work well with Arin and you can customise the mech somewhat, as nine stickers are supplied for the torso, shown below. This sticker features the Ninjargon letters 'NC' for NINJAGO City.
Opening the chest reveals the standard mech body component, with room to seat a minifigure inside. I like how this piece is integrated, so its familiar shape is not immediately obvious. Also, the roll cage and chest armour fit together seamlessly and wrap securely around the character inside, so Twitchy Tim is well protected!
Stickers are also applied on the arms, adding a little extra detail. The metallic gold areas of the stickers are useful to complement the few pearl gold parts on the mech, most notably including 1x2 plates with bars on the hands. The fingers and thumbs are articulated, as we have come to expect nowadays.
The back appears unfinished, compared with the front. I am not bothered by the few Technic pieces around the hips, but the exposed studs on the back make it seem like something else should be added. Of course, you can easily modify this yourself, but some thrusters or similar would have resolved this issue.
Teal ingots and two more stickered curved slopes form faulds covering the hips. These can be moved aside to accommodate the leg articulation, although the ingots attached on the front do sometimes obstruct the legs' forward motion.
Despite their slender appearance, the legs feel quite sturdy and the feet provide total stability. The use of white pieces on the thighs is odd, though I like the contrast between the armoured lower legs, the thighs and the faulds. Even so, perhaps the arms should have white accents to match.
Unlike the back of the torso, the legs are brilliantly detailed on all sides. Bar holders with clips form actuators for the ankles and a couple of 1x2 grille tiles provide texture, which is relatively lacking elsewhere. Despite its few areas for potential improvement, this mech provides definite personality, which is the most important thing.
Overall
71837 NINJAGO City Workshops is a fascinating set. While the minifigure selection and crane could be improved, I am delighted with the model as a whole. The level of detail is consistently impressive and the functions are exceptional, surpassed only by 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, with its working cable car and flushing toilet! Creative building techniques are abundant too.
However, as the third corner in this series, comparisons with 70620 NINJAGO City and 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens are unavoidable, which is very unfortunate because they are routinely discussed among the best LEGO sets ever made! Relative to those, NINJAGO City Workshops was near-certain to seem inferior and so it has proven, at least for me.
Failing to rival two of LEGO's greatest models is hardly a fatal criticism though and I definitely consider this a worthy addition to the series, particularly considering its lower price of £219.99, $249.99 or €249.99. Though not the incredible deal of some of its predecessors, the NINJAGO City Workshops still represents fair value.
Combinations with the previous NINJAGO City will be reserved for the third part of this review. You can look back at the minifigures in part one.
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63 comments on this article
Ninjago City was an epic set that set a new bar, and the following two sets came reasonably close. The more recent Markets was OK, but clearly not at the same level. But this one seems almost like an afterthought, or an attempt to milk the franchise for one more, even though they had run out of ideas. It fails on every level, it has no beauty and little fun. The first picture at the top of this review says it all.
I suggest that TLC stop with the Ninjago City sets at this point and leave us with what we have.
@gylman said:
"It fails on every level, it has no beauty and little fun. The first picture at the top of this review says it all. "
Damn, that's true to me too :(
Can only hope they do a microscale version (that is not the GWP for this set) as it is the only way I am coming close to sniffing this set.
I do really like this and think the micro version may improve on some of the issues mentioned above.
If not an actual lego set I am sure some enterprising individual will create one for bricklink? Someone here perhaps?
@gylman said:
"I suggest that TLC stop with the Ninjago City sets at this point and leave us with what we have. "
You are entitled to your opinion, but this seems like a silly way of thinking. By the same logic, maybe the Modular Buildings series should have finished with 10190 Market Street because that set was not as good as 10182 Cafe Corner.
I hope the series carries on and that the designers consider returning to a denser layout for the next one. The negative space in the previous two instalments has worked, in my opinion, but the city benefits from variety.
I think this set gets too much hate. It may not be the best of the series of Ninjago City sets, but I don't think it was trying to be, nor do I think it had to be. As someone who doesn't collect many of the standard sets, I like the ability to get season specific figures in these sets, so the figure count doesn't bother me. I think it matches the standard of detail set up in previous sets, and I think it will be a wonderful complement to said previous sets. If each new Ninjago City set was meant to reinvent the wheel per say, there'd be nowhere to go by the fifth or sixth one without being at least a little disappointing to those who wanted something bigger and better, so I'm more than okay with one of the installments keeping to the basics of the line while also having its own individual personality.
So many pictures and none from the back. This is definitely not a popular angle ??
Unfortunately, since Market, the sets of this series are becoming less and less interesting. It's a real shame, because I'm a big fan of Ninjago.
Nice review!
My thoughts on the set are shaped by the fact that I'm less concerned about how it compares to previous corner modules and more concerned about how it complements them. In that respect I feel like this one is an unmitigated success—its unique layout (with an inverted, raised corner for the upper walkway) and distinct visual identity (with a more industrial-feeling area for the lower levels and a crane on the top that makes the area feel even more "under construction") make it stand out compared to the two earlier corner modules. The functionality seems great, with the cylindrical garage door and retracting mech gantry being standout features. I love the mech construction feature, which adds a classic element of the Ninjago universe to this series with a new twist and synergizes thematically with the "Ninpla" model shop on the top level. And there's several features I really appreciate considering the size of my Ninjago City display already, such as the ability for it to function as a straight module for a wall based display and the lack of an additional 16x32 baseplate like the Gardens had (this is the smallest and cheapest Ninjago City set since the Docks, which I appreciate in a series where the modules have been getting bigger and bigger lately).
I feel like many of the criticisms of this set are rooted in assumptions that anything that differs substantially or fails to escalate from the earlier elements of the series are a failure. But as someone who has all the previous Ninjago City set, I didn't need another corner module with a similar walkway around the front and a towering skyscraper defining its silhouette. That may have been the formula for the previous two modules, but repeating that a third time would start to feel samey. Indeed, many of my concepts for custom Ninjago City modules had already been toying with ideas of how to "break the mold" those established with new layouts and subject matter. So I'm very pleased that the next official expansion to the series has followed that same philosophy.
I will say there are small aspects of this set that do disappoint slightly. With the removable interiors slotting in and out of the rear, I feel like there'd be room for additional easter eggs under the floorboards (sort of like the hidden storage underneath Ronin's shop in the Gardens or the hidden Bionicle mask under the Monkie Kid Megapolis City set). The lack of lanterns under the railings also feels like a missed opportunity for some stylistic continuity (though perhaps those were left out to avoid them colliding with the mech when it retracts). Even so, these are small issues, and easily moddable ones at that.
Great review. Always an enjoyable read.
Not the best. Yet, I'm conflicted because I'm happy that it exists as it continues the line.
It's seems like a bare compromise to continuity without progress. It is purposefully mediocre. The sad minifigs are really pathetic when considering the Ninjago tradition. 71827 arguably has better figs as a $10 set.
I wonder how many other Ninjago mechs would fit in the mech bay? I wonder how they'd look? Perhaps an additional idea for review article 3?
I really like Zane's apartment. It looks like a calm space. The spare details with the bonsai show how good design doesn't necessarily need much.
The only complaint I have with this is the inclusion on the mech. I don't have any interest in them and its going to take a great deal of thought to come up with an alternative feature for the water. A docking system, maybe?
I'm interested to see how this works with the other buildings. I had to take mine apart before Christmas so I had room for new sets. Now I need to find space for them again and I'm not sure I have any.
It is annoying I can't preorder it. Alot of the sets I'm looking forward to building the most will arrive after my birthday, not before. It seems weird that there are some sets you can't preorder and some you can. I wonder what the distinctions are made to decide which sets are preordered.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @gylman said:
"I suggest that TLC stop with the Ninjago City sets at this point and leave us with what we have. "
You are entitled to your opinion, but this seems like a silly way of thinking. By the same logic, maybe the Modular Buildings series should have finished with 10190 Market Street because that set was not as good as 10182 Cafe Corner.
I hope the series carries on and that the designers consider returning to a denser layout for the next one. The negative space in the previous two instalments has worked, in my opinion, but the city benefits from variety."
Great argument, one can hope they listen to the criticism this time around and improve on the next installment. Lego abandoning the line would be way more disappointing than them simply releasing an arguably mediocre set. The line has immense potential, and though (imo) it might've not hit its peaks with the markets and workshops, there is so much latent creativity the designers can unleash in the future.
this is a must-buy for me. I love it!
I think it’s an excellent set personally. The level of criticism it’s getting is way undeserved
Alright, this was a much needed review, I like it now
This reminds me of the Corner Gas Station modular, both in terms of its function in the lineup and the outsized criticism it's receiving.
I mostly wish the "face" of the model wasn't so dependent on the mech. With no robot in place, the buildings do indeed look quite plain and the large amount of negative space in the footprint makes it look quite empty.
Very nice. If my budget allowed, this would be a must buy for me.
Just one more corner modular and they can call this series complete. I’m pretty burnt out at this point, though
Thank you for the excellent review with constructive criticisms. I do intend to get this on release March 1st in the USA for *quickly scrolls to the top of the article, as prices aren't listed in the second to last paragraph*
$249.99
We'll see what the Shop GWP might be then.
This is the 1st inverted corner modular style building lego released. I wonder if lego will ever do that with the official modular line. Here it works really well because the focus is on the mech.
Having got the first four sets this should have been an automatic purchase. However, given I find Lego's obsession with mechs almost as baffling as the popularity of flower/plant sets I'm not so sure now.
I think I'll need to see it on display in a Lego shop before deciding one way or the other.
Considering we seem to only be getting one of these every two years it can help but feel like a disappointment relative to what’s come before, and should have definitely come with more minifigs.
Something on this page hijacked my browser to the domain https colon slash slash 6bqz5c0vxmft dot yachts, which went on to produce fraudulent pop-up messages about scanning my computer for viruses.
With each one of these, I wish I purchased the previous. Since I didn't, I will continue to save my money and regret.
In general, I love it when Lego sets homage other Lego lines, but pulling the DUPLO rabbit out of a hat is great. Possibly one of my favorites overall.
Do want!
Nice review and photos! While this set is certainly smaller than Ninjago City's past corner buildings (closer in scale and piece count to the Docks), I think the designers did a very good job providing the sort of highly detailed and varied architectural styles, irregular ways of getting around the city, compact homes and shops, elaborate signage, and creative Technic functions that the series is known for! Plus, as expected, there are a plethora of Easter eggs for Ninjago fans and general LEGO fans alike.
The mech itself is interesting in the way it's designed as a customizable "frame", an approach I've seen in some MOCs, but rarely in sets. It feels practically like an invitation to come up with different styles of armor that can be exchanged with the colorful armor provided here! Also, while the review doesn't really bring it up, it's fun that the crane can hook onto the canopy/rollbar of the mech's upper body to lower it into position on the waist. I was a little perplexed at the use of a Technic axle there instead of a lightsaber blade that minifigs could grip onto, until I spotted that detail on the back of the box and everything immediately made sense.
That said, the set design is not without its flaws. The lack of hanging lanterns on the railings is definitely odd, considering those were a relatively standard feature of previous Ninjago City sets, and I agree with you that the ladder inside the warehouse ought to be longer. I don't mind the plainness of the roof of Dorama's magic shop, though, especially since I can easily imagine his puppet stationed up there even when NOT battling Pixal or the ninja, as sort of an animatronic advertisement!
Incidentally, the Ninjargon on the Paradisa sign reads "ParaTEAsa", which together with the stylized letter E in the center leads me to think it might be the name of a bubble tea shop! Also, a small but fun detail of the series that I didn't notice until this set is that aside from the original set and the docks, no two Ninjago City sets have used the same color of frog! Wonder whether that trend will continue in the future.
I certainly hope for a future review with photos on how this set integrates with the other Ninjago City sets!
That will be the final deciding factor, I think.
Ninjago City Docks is also a set with a lot of negative space, and might fit well together.
I don't understand the concept of these 'workshops' that are used to build this mech. Who owns and operates these workshops, why is it plural? Is this a community mech that is assembled by citizens of the City? Why is that mech on such a small platform surrounded by water, why not have more dry ground for mechanics to operate on the machine? Why are those ladders and passages so unfunctional? Nothing in this set is really surprising, I can't find any 'wow' moment (maybe except the fabuland and paradise references, but those are just two stickers). I know we are spoiled with all the previous ninjago city sets but this one seems bland and uninspiring. It looks better than the Docks, and as the Docks, I feel it is not a standalone set, it's a filler for other ninjago city sets.
Great review focusing on the merits of this as a standalone set!
I think once we start seeing it in context with the other Ninjago City sets everyone will change their minds. I feel like the versatility of how this can connect (inside corner, outside corner, side-by-side) is very underrated.
Looking forward to Part 3 with it next to the others!
I actually really, really like this. LEGO has never made a set that feels urban and “industrial,” so I’m all for this! (*rather than commercial or residential)
Ninjago City Markets didn’t appeal to me, heartbreakingly, because the first set is my favorite ever, and I love the first three. It’s nice this is a more affordable entry, and that the series seems to continue. I hope we get more industrial entries in the future, too!
@Ottozone said:
"This is the 1st inverted corner modular style building lego released. I wonder if lego will ever do that with the official modular line. Here it works really well because the focus is on the mech."
10264 looks like an inverted corner to me.
@TheOriginalSimonB said:
" @Ottozone said:
"This is the 1st inverted corner modular style building lego released. I wonder if lego will ever do that with the official modular line. Here it works really well because the focus is on the mech."
10264 looks like an inverted corner to me."
10264 is not inverted, though.
I don't follow the ninjago show, or theme (so many sets, and sub-themes, it's just a bit over-whelming!) but I enjoy reading these Ninjago City set reviews and am impressed at the amount of detail and references that the designers fit in, and that the reviewers explain!
This set somehow feels lesser than the sum of its parts. I love all the details, but put together it feels lacking compared to the previous Ninjago City sets. Perhaps if the Mech was more customisable, with different armour or attachments that were hidden around, it would feel more like a workshop?
It seems to me the Boulder Blaster on the poster resembles the original set from 2015 as opposed to the Legacy remake that's linked.
I know I'm in the vast minority here, but this is probably the first ninjago city set I'm picking up, for two reasons:
1. the price, don't think that needs much elaboration hahaha
2. I absolutely love cyberpunk and this set perfectly encapsulates exactly what makes my brain itch when seeing cyberpunk architecture. It's in the janky, almost scaffold-like warehouse section and the seemingly misplaced crane (I actually don't mind it, I agree it could be incorporated slightly better but its position and current execution isn't that jarring to me), the misplaced garage door slammed into what otherwise would've been a neat traditionally asian building on the lowest level and the crudely integrated ventilation unit on the floor above - and obviously the glaring mech bay smacked right in the middle of it all: the whole model conveys the careless industrial overtaking of a once calm and structured atmosphere incredibly well. In some part the NC sets always portrayed a city that got struck with unexpected rapid growth, hence the architecture getting more and more cramped the further up you go, but this is the first module that actually feels like the city wasn't able to keep up with the developments; the place seems to have run out of a proper way to incorporate the people's needs and so the industrial element is now being forced into the cityscape in unnatural ways, like a sort of mechanical overgrowth. And while that description may sound highly unappealing from an aesthetic point of view to many, I absolutely adore this type of visual storytelling. All the unconventional ways of getting around, seemingly improvised by the residents of this area; the somewhat visually pleasant buildings up top, indicating a corporate attempt to cover up the mess below, only to be subjugated to the spreading overgrowth right away when some clever citizen from the lower levels saw the unused surface on top as the perfect spot for a crane to aid in his mech-constructing endeavors down below...
Someone please tell me I'm not the only one whose brain goes into overclock mode when they see this set :P
@mr_Fikou said:
"It seems to me the Boulder Blaster on the poster resembles the original set from 2015 as opposed to the Legacy remake that's linked.
I know I'm in the vast minority here, but this is probably the first ninjago city set I'm picking up, for two reasons:
1. the price, don't think that needs much elaboration hahaha
2. I absolutely love cyberpunk and this set perfectly encapsulates exactly what makes my brain itch when seeing cyberpunk architecture. It's in the janky, almost scaffold-like warehouse section and the seemingly misplaced crane (I actually don't mind it, I agree it could be incorporated slightly better but its position and current execution isn't that jarring to me), the misplaced garage door slammed into what otherwise would've been a neat traditionally asian building on the lowest level and the crudely integrated ventilation unit on the floor above - and obviously the glaring mech bay smacked right in the middle of it all: the whole model conveys the careless industrial overtaking of a once calm and structured atmosphere incredibly well. In some part the NC sets always portrayed a city that got struck with unexpected rapid growth, hence the architecture getting more and more cramped the further up you go, but this is the first module that actually feels like the city wasn't able to keep up with the developments; the place seems to have run out of a proper way to incorporate the people's needs and so the industrial element is now being forced into the cityscape in unnatural ways, like a sort of mechanical overgrowth. And while that description may sound highly unappealing from an aesthetic point of view to many, I absolutely adore this type of visual storytelling. All the unconventional ways of getting around, seemingly improvised by the residents of this area; the somewhat visually pleasant buildings up top, indicating a corporate attempt to cover up the mess below, only to be subjugated to the spreading overgrowth right away when some clever citizen from the lower levels saw the unused surface on top as the perfect spot for a crane to aid in his mech-constructing endeavors down below...
Someone please tell me I'm not the only one whose brain goes into overclock mode when they see this set :P"
Honestly I really appreciate that you're logically considering why the set is the way it is, instead of rejecting it because aspects of it raise questions and you're not interested in coming up with your own answers.
Yeah, I get some similar vibes to what you're laying down. In my case I was thinking the "old world" section of this set is larger because the warehouses were already large bustling structures (albeit with fewer high-tech upgrades) during an earlier era of Ninjago City as a shipping hub, back when other more residential areas were smaller. But eventually those residential/commercial areas would be more appealing to new developers due to their population and commercial wealth, hence the building of more colorful shops and towering skyscrapers, whereas the reduced scale of the upper sections here gives me the impression that a noisy industrial area like this might be less appealing (but seedier folks like Dorama might be happy to put down roots here due to cheaper property values, and the mechanical Zane probably feels at home amidst the machine noise here).
I like it and I think the mech bay fits wonderfully inside the city. Really curious about the next part of the review!
This is the first Ninjago City set that I really understand all the hate it gets.
I already didn't buy the last one because it didn't wow me like the first ones, and especially not at the price, but this one for me is a total failure on every level (literally).
For a start I hate mechs with a vengeance, so the main theme of this is a flop imho to begin with. Secondly all those references are lost on me because I have never watched a single episode of Ninjago, nor have I any interest in ever doing so.
I bought all the Ninjago City sets I have for their awesome architecture and creative building techniques, not because of the Ninjago theming.
Other than the creative new way to attach and use the old fire station garage doors there's just nothing here to pique my interest - at all.
Then again I have the first three Ninjago City sets and all of them to me were awesome, plus they made for a very nice (but not too large) display assembly. I can live with not adding any more of those sets to said assembly.
Final reason, I live in a rural countryside area, I hate industrial sites and any set that reminds me of them. This set just isn't for me - at all.
I am excited to see how this set displays with the other Ninjago city sets. Although, I myself have lacked room since the docks already!
I love the Ninpla shop and do think it’s wonderful that they paid homage to some of their clear influences.
@VictorvanSchagen said:
"I certainly hope for a future review with photos on how this set integrates with the other Ninjago City sets!
That will be the final deciding factor, I think.
Ninjago City Docks is also a set with a lot of negative space, and might fit well together."
That'll be the third part of the review.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @gylman said:
"I suggest that TLC stop with the Ninjago City sets at this point and leave us with what we have. "
You are entitled to your opinion, but this seems like a silly way of thinking. By the same logic, maybe the Modular Buildings series should have finished with 10190 Market Street because that set was not as good as 10182 Cafe Corner.
I hope the series carries on and that the designers consider returning to a denser layout for the next one. The negative space in the previous two instalments has worked, in my opinion, but the city benefits from variety."
I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets. I definitely think that has taken its toll on the detail. The aesthetic 'harmony' in this set is also not as good as in the previous ones- I think they should stop trying to do different things with each set (not that I'm saying variety isn't good, I just think not every set needs a unique selling point- looking really good is enough for me, without anything special). Ninjago City sets don't need to be massive and sit over two full baseplates at the cost of detail; and they don't need to have connection points on all four sides and have some great functions; to me, Ninjago city sets are for looking beautiful, which the first three accomplished incredibly, and for having overwhelming levels of detail, which is something the last two have, to me, been slightly lacking compared to the others.
That is my arrogant opinion, and I'm not dismissing this set and Markets as 'bad'- I just think that, despite being still in the top 99% of most desirable sets, they're not nearly as desirable (to me) as the first three.
Day one buy, trying to figure out how to change this layout for both Market, a second Gardens and now Workshops...
https://youtu.be/FbRdswsxdU0
Tbh I still really like it, I won't get it day one (in no small part because I won't be able to built it until I move later in the year) but I'll definitely get it.
They should have go with Samurai x building/mech bay.
I have the first four + another baseplate and a half of moc that I added to those and I actually ran out iof space to display them all together. In the past few months, I had to change my LEGO room settings because we got some water in our basement and needed to redo the whole thing and I lost a table worth of space. So now my Nijago City sets are in a shelf, split in two separate displays. The sets look great and display well, but they don't really look like a "city" anymore.
I would have room for this one. And I don't hate it, but I do find it plain enough. I also dislike mechs. And I don't know a thing about Ninjago the show. With the economic uncertainty in my country, I also decided to scale down my LEGO purchases. Anyway, all of that to say I don't know if I'll get it or not. The completist in me would like it, but the LEGO fan not so much. I'll see.
@alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets."
It's this kind of post that makes the term "juniorised" lose all meaning it may have ever had. In what universe is a 3,000 piece set with Technic functions and other complex building techniques "juniorised" in any sense of the word?
@Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets."
It's this kind of post that makes the term "juniorised" lose all meaning it may have ever had. In what universe is a 3,000 piece set with Technic functions and other complex building techniques "juniorised" in any sense of the word?
"
Fair point, but I mean 'juniorised' compared to the other Ninjago City sets. I guess what I really mean is that I think the Dragons Rising modulars have put playability above aesthetics. I totally get why TLG would do that, this being a play line rather than a display one, but for me at least, I prefer sets that look good to ones that are fun to play with. In terms of total revenue, though, the approach they are using is probably the most profitable. They're just not getting *my* £220.
@alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
" @Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets."
It's this kind of post that makes the term "juniorised" lose all meaning it may have ever had. In what universe is a 3,000 piece set with Technic functions and other complex building techniques "juniorised" in any sense of the word?
"
Fair point, but I mean 'juniorised' compared to the other Ninjago City sets. I guess what I really mean is that I think the Dragons Rising modulars have put playability above aesthetics. I totally get why TLG would do that, this being a play line rather than a display one, but for me at least, I prefer sets that look good to ones that are fun to play with. In terms of total revenue, though, the approach they are using is probably the most profitable. They're just not getting *my* £220."
I mean, these have always been playsets. The very first Ninjago City set had integrated play functions like an elevator, a working ATM, a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, and a grill that transformed a crab from raw to cooked. I don't really feel like functions such as the Markets' elevators, cable car and flushable toilet or this set's retractable mech platform, cranes, and opening garage doors are in any way a departure from that.
@Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
" @Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets."
It's this kind of post that makes the term "juniorised" lose all meaning it may have ever had. In what universe is a 3,000 piece set with Technic functions and other complex building techniques "juniorised" in any sense of the word?
"
Fair point, but I mean 'juniorised' compared to the other Ninjago City sets. I guess what I really mean is that I think the Dragons Rising modulars have put playability above aesthetics. I totally get why TLG would do that, this being a play line rather than a display one, but for me at least, I prefer sets that look good to ones that are fun to play with. In terms of total revenue, though, the approach they are using is probably the most profitable. They're just not getting *my* £220."
I mean, these have always been playsets. The very first Ninjago City set had integrated play functions like an elevator, a working ATM, a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, and a grill that transformed a crab from raw to cooked. I don't really feel like functions such as the Markets' elevators, cable car and flushable toilet or this set's retractable mech platform, cranes, and opening garage doors are in any way a departure from that. "
I think what @alLEGOry_HJB2810 might be getting at is that a lot of space in and NINJAGO City Markets and the Workshops is reserved for the main functions, whereas those in 70620 NINJAGO City are more compact and tightly integrated. Personally, I think it is a worthwhile trade-off for the functions in recent sets, but I understand the desire for something denser, without dedicating so much space to functionality.
@CapnRex101 said:
" @Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
" @Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets."
It's this kind of post that makes the term "juniorised" lose all meaning it may have ever had. In what universe is a 3,000 piece set with Technic functions and other complex building techniques "juniorised" in any sense of the word?
"
Fair point, but I mean 'juniorised' compared to the other Ninjago City sets. I guess what I really mean is that I think the Dragons Rising modulars have put playability above aesthetics. I totally get why TLG would do that, this being a play line rather than a display one, but for me at least, I prefer sets that look good to ones that are fun to play with. In terms of total revenue, though, the approach they are using is probably the most profitable. They're just not getting *my* £220."
I mean, these have always been playsets. The very first Ninjago City set had integrated play functions like an elevator, a working ATM, a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant, and a grill that transformed a crab from raw to cooked. I don't really feel like functions such as the Markets' elevators, cable car and flushable toilet or this set's retractable mech platform, cranes, and opening garage doors are in any way a departure from that. "
I think what @alLEGOry_HJB2810 might be getting at is that a lot of space in and NINJAGO City Markets and the Workshops is reserved for the main functions, whereas those in 70620 NINJAGO City are more compact and tightly integrated. Personally, I think it is a worthwhile trade-off for the functions in recent sets, but I understand the desire for something denser, without dedicating so much space to functionality."
Honestly, I feel like the amount of negative space in this set and the markets (and I'd say even the docks) has more to do with the type of subject matter they focus on than on their play features. Playable or not, a harbor, open-air marketplace, or vehicle/mech assembly bay kind of has to be pretty spacious to feel authentic. Plus, the walkways in the markets needed to have enough clearance for Cyrus Borg's wheelchair.
I think scaling back was a smart choice. I could see some “slim” modular sets that would bring some variety to the city as well. Not everything has to be 1.5 baseplates.
I feel the grey background & the lighting in the photographs make it harder to appreciate the detail of the model.
@Aanchir: TIL that Cyrus Borg has a wheelchair, which is of particular personal relevance to me, as my sigfig uses his head, and I'm in a wheelchair.
I Like - yes its not as impressive as the other sets but it fits in and creates a good expansion - I would like to see a few smaller sets perhaps released that would allow greater variety in connecting all the sets together - even modify where required - Id pay for those for sure
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Aanchir: TIL that Cyrus Borg has a wheelchair, which is of particular personal relevance to me, as my sigfig uses his head, and I'm in a wheelchair."
Yep! When he was first introduced in Season 3 ("Rebooted") he was using a more high-tech chair of his own invention with robotic arms and legs. But then the Digital Overlord took control of his technology and used it to subject him to mind-controlling cybernetic "upgrades" (as depicted in 70722 OverBorg Attack), and after the Ninja freed him he went back to using his old wheelchair.
I like it :)
@Aanchir said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @Aanchir: TIL that Cyrus Borg has a wheelchair, which is of particular personal relevance to me, as my sigfig uses his head, and I'm in a wheelchair."
Yep! When he was first introduced in Season 3 ("Rebooted") he was using a more high-tech chair of his own invention with robotic arms and legs. But then the Digital Overlord took control of his technology and used it to subject him to mind-controlling cybernetic "upgrades" (as depicted in 70722 OverBorg Attack), and after the Ninja freed him he went back to using his old wheelchair."
So Borg got "Borg"ed, hmm? I guess resistance was futile.
I'm going to rename it to `Ninjago City Shipyard` and trade the useless mech for a small local shipyard that builds 70419 (wrecked) shrimp boats!
@alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
" @Lyichir said:
" @alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"I just hope the next one doesn't feel as 'juniorised' as the other Dragons Rising branded Ninjago City sets."
It's this kind of post that makes the term "juniorised" lose all meaning it may have ever had. In what universe is a 3,000 piece set with Technic functions and other complex building techniques "juniorised" in any sense of the word?
"
Fair point, but I mean 'juniorised' compared to the other Ninjago City sets. I guess what I really mean is that I think the Dragons Rising modulars have put playability above aesthetics. I totally get why TLG would do that, this being a play line rather than a display one, but for me at least, I prefer sets that look good to ones that are fun to play with. In terms of total revenue, though, the approach they are using is probably the most profitable. They're just not getting *my* £220."
Might I suggest the word 'Toyetic'?
Juniorized is a term associated with quick builds made out of highly specialized parts that are hard to use outside of their intended purpose. Think of Jack Stone and the 1997-2000 Town sets (online called Town Jr. Because there were still regular subthemes like Divers and Res-Q). This design style was a response to capture a market of kids who were more interested in video games and who wanted all play and as short a build experience as possible.
It was a style of set design that started to creep into many other themes around that time.
The current 4+ sets still make use of this design philosophy (although it's now almost entirely contained in there).
As stated above by someone else, calling this set juniorized is like saying it can be built in 15 minutes because entire walls are three pieces.
Another con could be the large mech.
Very underwhelming.
As a non-Ninjago Modular building collector, I felt the previous Ninjago city sets were not really glaringly out of place. The traditional(Non-Ninjago) series of the modulars were "built" around 1930-40s time era but you could pretend that the street scenes were newer but with older buildings. 70620 had a lot of classic oriental scenes at the bottom. Even an old style telephone (instead of a cellphone. It crossed a line with an atm machine (1967), and some sort of tiny work robot but they did not detract from the ability to sort of blend it in with the US based modulars. 71799 again had traditional oriental scenes at the bottom level. Cable cars were invented in the 1800s. 71741 again had classic oriental scenes at the bottom. Perhaps only tipping the scales with a computer arcade game (1971 invention). So essentially you could make a claim that your city set was at least circa 1970s and decide if you wanted it to be later. Or you could just take the offending technologies out of the buildings and stick to an earlier era consistency. 70657 is very traditional classic in its theme from bottom all the way up. Not sure I saw any glaring technology features placing this one out of range to fit in with a nice peaceful oriental city of a past era. This new set 71837 just totally nukes that effect by placing the mech construction assembly front and center and on the lowest level all the way up. This in essence has no place in your city if you were trying to stick to a gentle yet Asian in nature city theme. This new set puts you in the the future (or at least at some steam punk level but IMHO this has no resemblance to any steampunky theme I've ever seen s that doesn't fly. Yes the Asian city sets (the 4 previous) are a little "garish" compared to the "boring" city modulars in their color schemes and "busyness" but that is what happens when you walk into a Chinatown you get to be overwhelmed by all the activity in the streets and so forth. So I do not think the criticism of this set is "undeserved"... its VERY deserved. They jumped the shark. Its that simple. Gone is that nostalgic look to a harbor village that could go back centuries and replaced with a high-tech landscape of mech building. It will work for many who want leverage the pure Ninjago themes but for those that yearned for a consistent approach to each first level of the city buildings this breaks the mold. I will likely NOT buy this one. So much for completionism. I very very rarely break that mold but I'm really tempted to draw the line here. Again for the non-Ninjago buyers were looking for sets to blend in with our non-Ninjago stuff and this goes over the line too much to fit. The rest of the sets were amazing and we had no issues to stop us from wanting to create a "Chinatown"(Japanese, Oriental, etc.) within our overall "city" scheme. This set would push our bounds too far.
Yes there were minor violations of time period in the other Ninjago City sets relative to the non-Ninjago modulars but they were minor, this mech assembly plant is just too obvious of a bad fit to be added. It lacks the lower level nod to the traditional oriental scene and stands out like a sore thumb.
The folks who gleefully added the Avenger's Tower or Daily Bugle to their modular city will likely have no problem at all with adding a Mech assembly into their city. I just happen to fall into the camp that knows that the Avengers tower is 93 stories and the Daily Bugle is 43 stories and refuses to add them in as out of scale proxies not to mention they break the technology timeline for my city. Some of us are actually trying to keep the time period as consistent as possible looking the other way on minor violations but not major ones.
Honestly, @sidneyleejohnson, I feel like your expectations of this series have been kind of at odds with their intent from the get-go. The Ninjago City sets were never MEANT to fit in neatly with the Modular Buildings Collection as part of the same setting, even if they feature compatible connection points, and the set names and graphics make it pretty clear that Ninjago City is meant to be understood as its own setting, rather than a Chinatown-like neighborhood without any ties to the Ninjago universe.
Moreover, the Ninjago City sets have always included modern and futuristic elements — for example, besides the robots in the original set and the Gardens, the Gardens also include a hoverbike and characters like the Nindroid Zane, the cybernetically enhanced Mechanic, and the futuristic bounty hunter Ronin. And while you call attention to the ATM in the original set and the arcade machine in the Gardens, there have been quite a few more modern elements in these sets such as the solar panels on the original set's boat and lower level awnings, Cole's cell phone in the Docks, the home video game console in the Gardens, or the hologram-like transparent signs and billboards in several of the sets throughout the series!
Obviously, I get that up until this point you've been able to omit or ignore these elements that conflict with your own vision for the series — but they were still always an intentional part of the set designs, not features that builders were expected to omit or ignore. And consequently, it was never realistic to expect the designers NOT to include futuristic elements in future installments in the series.
It's fine to feel this set isn't for you, but it sounds like you weren't really the target audience of the previous sets either, and it was only by luck and creativity that you were able to tailor them to your preferences in spite of that. And it feels kind of unreasonable to act like it's like some huge blunder to design a Ninjago City set for Ninjago fans first and foremost.
So disappointing. I'll get it to keep my Ninjago buildings collection complete, but not really thrilled about it. Can't stand the mech. Get back to dense and detailed buildings please :-)
One of the subtle pleasures of the Ninjago city subseries have been the creative roof treatments. This set really lets down the standard.
My biggest problem with the last two Ninjago City sets is that they sacrifice too much of the original sets' identity. These sets used to be detailed around all sides, providing a 360 degree play experience. Markets and Workshops really cuts corners on the back of the models and ruins the ability to display all of the Ninjago City sets from both sides, something I loved about the first two sets in 2017 and 2018. This set is cool and I hope we get more Ninjago City models in the future, but I want to see playable detail around all four sides return.