Review: 60384 Penguin Slushy Van
Posted by CapnRex101,
60384 Penguin Slushy Van appears noteworthy among equivalent LEGO City vehicles, which are frequently repetitive. There are familiar features, although the prominent penguin theming more closely resembles Friends creations, rather than those in LEGO City.
I appreciate that cartoonish approach, balanced with more realistic features. The general structure and opening service window, for instance, recall 60253 Ice-Cream Truck. Nevertheless, this vehicle does preserve a unique appearance.
Summary
60384 Penguin Slushy Van, 194 pieces.
£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99 | 9.3p/10.3c/10.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
60384 Penguin Slushy Truck is delightful, combining unique details with existing functions
- Attractive colours and theming
- Enjoyable functions
- New minifigures
- Limited interior detail
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Minifigures
Collectable Minifigures were once the exclusive domain of costumed characters, but they have started to appear more consistently outside the range recently. This penguin-attired minifigure is certainly interesting, with the existing penguin headgear piece now available in dark azure. The orange beak remains though, while the vendor's torso displays one of the titular slushies.
The magenta arms look slightly odd and I was surprised to find that this minifigure lacks printing on his back, given that has become a standard feature. Nevertheless, no printing was necessary and the customer's exclusive torso more than makes up for that omission. This young minifigure includes short legs and her shirt, decorated with fruit, looks superb.
Additionally, I like her dark brown hair element, along with a double-sided head. The vendor only features a single smiling expression. Both minifigures come with colourful slushies, represented simply, although quite effectively, by 1x1 round bricks and 1x1 round tiles with vertical bars.
The Completed Model
While the shape of this vehicle is familiar, particularly given the use of a 6x5x2 roof element over the cab, the colour scheme is unusual and looks excellent. The dark azure and magenta bands match the vendor's costume and the trans-light blue windscreen and windows appear excellent here, given the obvious association between penguins and ice!
Printed eyes decorate the front of the penguin slushy van, above an orange beak and between the headlights. The shape of the beak seems peculiar, but some stylisation is appropriate. I like the rounded bonnet, which includes a couple of 2x2 corner bows, uncommon in black. Also, the 1x2 semicircular tile on the front rarely appears in black, returning from 21337 Table Football.
There is space to seat one minifigure inside the cab, with the steering wheel. The interior seems rather lacklustre here, although I do like the functional doors. Additionally, stickers are applied to appealing effect on the exterior, including pictorial menus on both sides and decorative graphics above the cab. These look particularly good when lined up beside the aforementioned brick-built stripes.
60253 Ice-Cream Truck featured a sliding service window, with a 1x4x3 panel moving along two 2x8 plates with slide rails. Exactly the same assembly is found here, with stoppers at either end keeping the window secure. The huge slushy on the roof is another nice addition and features a lovely straw on top, although its support structure appears extremely basic.
Two more stickers decorate the back of the slushy van, including a delightful penguin logo! One side of the model opens to place minifigures inside, again recalling 60253 Ice-Cream Truck, but improving upon the prior vehicle with an easily removable roof. This function works well and the hinges are neatly integrated, so the van looks splendid from either side.
However, I think the interior leaves something to be desired. The slushy dispensers are colourful and the orange grille tiles underneath are a welcome detail, but only the two accessories shown with the minifigures are provided. The absence of green and pink slushies is both disappointing and surprising, given those colours appear on the menu and inside the slushy machines.
Overall
Despite the relative absence of interior detail and accessories, 60384 Penguin Slushy Van looks great and provides ample play value. The easy access to the interior and the sliding window are particularly satisfying. Moreover, the charming penguin theming is equally ideal for children and adults seeking to add something novel to their LEGO city!
Of course, the addition of two exclusive minifigures is also appreciated. LEGO City is becoming increasingly impressive in this regard, as new torsos and hair elements are appearing more than ever. The price of £17.99, $19.99 or €19.99 feels reasonable too, so I can definitely recommend 60384 Penguin Slushy Van.
134 likes
54 comments on this article
For some people, the best parts are the minifigs. For me, it's that penguin face.
@ItisNoe said:
"For some people, the best parts are the minifigs. For me, it's that penguin face. "
Yep me too, it's perfect haha :D
@HidesFromSun said:
" @ItisNoe said:
"For some people, the best parts are the minifigs. For me, it's that penguin face. "
Yep me too, it's perfect haha :D"
Thirded!
Love it... An excellent addition to the 60150 Pizza Van and 60253 Ice-Cream Truck (and the 60345 Farmers Market Van for those looking for healthier options!)
Who wouldn't P-P-Pick up a penguin?
A neat little model to be sure. I don't really bemoan the interior, but it could have looked a little more "penguin-ish" from the exterior. A more massive front section and perhaps orange mudguards would have improved this IMO. And of course a paler blue would have made it look more icy...
If they had changed the colors...(cue Doofenshmirtz), "PERRY THE PLATYPUS!" This is another fun City set. It's not revolutionary, but it's creative enough to make it interesting. I especially love the slushy build on top of the van.
this is so many levels of awesomeness.
This is a delightful addition to any Lego city. I love the vibrant colors and sense of whimsy with the vehicle - it'd also look at home in a fairground or theme park setup.
Cute vehicle and will fit in perfectly with our City sets. This is a Day 1 purchase for us. Thanks for a solid review!
@ItisNoe said:
"For some people, the best parts are the minifigs. For me, it's that penguin face. "
The one on the front of the truck?
I got this set from my 9 year old daughter for my birthday.. she was so cute :)
Ok vehicle, but to be picked up only at a discount imho.
@MaxA said:
" @ItisNoe said:
"For some people, the best parts are the minifigs. For me, it's that penguin face. "
The one on the front of the truck?"
Yes.
Why there is a a giant soap dispenser on the top of the truck?
Successor to 1737
Love it. We do have 60253 though, so unless the kids spot this one we'll probably just stick to the ice cream.
@FARLANDER said:
"Why there is a a giant soap dispenser on the top of the truck?"
Ha ha, that's what I see too. Looks like the straw can be adjusted to another angle, though, if I'm not mistaken, which would make it look more like a drink.
Thanks for the review. Didn't even notice the penguin face at the front when the first pictures of this came out - what a great set at a reasonable price. More like this, LEGO.
I'm really confused as to how this connects to DC Comics and Batman, but hey, we've seen a lot of different interpretations of the Penguin - and many in LEGO form already.
The 4x4 clear sphere is a useful part to have, although if the bent white 'straw' connectors were just 2x2 clear round bricks it would match the drinks better.
@ItisNoe said:
" @MaxA said:
" @ItisNoe said:
"For some people, the best parts are the minifigs. For me, it's that penguin face. "
The one on the front of the truck?"
Yes."
I absolutely agree. I didn’t notice it when it was first announced. After I did, it became an automatic purchase.
"Hey, we're LEGO, what shall we make next?"
"Please, not just the same food van over and over".
"I heard 'Make that same van again'. OK, here's that same van again!"
This'll go great with the 60253 Ice-Cream Truck (2020) and 60150 Pizza Van (2017) in my collection.
I shed a tear of joy every time I see opening doors on a City vehicle nowadays.
@Joefish said:
""Hey, we're LEGO, what shall we make next?"
"Please, not just the same food van over and over".
"I heard 'Make that same van again'. OK, here's that same van again!""
I love this "series" of food trucks that they release every few years. Keep 'em coming!
Don't forget about the 70804. The one that made it into the movies! (or was it the other way around?)
@FARLANDER said:
"Why there is a a giant soap dispenser on the top of the truck?"
That's not a soap dispenser, it's a SPACE LASER! *pew pew pew*
This is my favourite kind of City set. I've run out of room for all my food truck collection in front of my modular street but I will still get this.
I just wish that the giant slushy on the roof could rotate when you push the truck along. Of course that would be too complicated to be in the official build for the age group this set is for (I can't remember if it's 5+ or 6+).
@disone said:
"Don't forget about the 70804. The one that made it into the movies! (or was it the other way around?)"
And 60314! Although that one only partially counts.
Great review! I just got this set a couple days ago. I absolutely love it!
@PhantomBricks said:
"If they had changed the colors...(cue Doofenshmirtz), "PERRY THE PLATYPUS!""
Luckily, 80109 has us covered for Perry. And the cancelled 3868…
Not a fan to be honest. Looks more like a Hand Sanitizer truck to me.
@TheBrickPal said:
"Great review! I just got this set a couple days ago. I absolutely love it!
@PhantomBricks said:
"If they had changed the colors...(cue Doofenshmirtz), "PERRY THE PLATYPUS!""
Luckily, 80109 has us covered for Perry. And the cancelled 3868…"
Wow, I can't believe I already forgot about the New Year sets. I've never seen or heard of the board game set though. I'm kind of surprised they wouldn't have gone a minifig direction with the license, but I guess they didn't get the chance to develop it further.
I do love the food truck line and want more (although I am not enough of a fan of slushies to justify buying this specific example given my limited budget, rather buy the gaming truck instead)
@gonesnakee said:
"Ah Helloooo LEGO...
That Plastic Straw on Top of that Truck is a BIG No No...
Just Saying..."
Just because the bricks are plastic, doesn't mean they represent plastic. That's clearly a paper straw. A plastic one would have been clear.
From now until forever, Lego penguins will just make me think of Dreadflipper on his blood-soaked throne from the Friends advent calendar, last year. Having said that, this set is adorable, and I absolutely will be buying it, later in the year. It's actually a great year for good vehicles in Lego city. There's a great variety that have come out, this year.
I remember the Pizza Van, man it has been great buying all these cute sets.
Great review. Will be picking up one when they go on sale
Great review. The exterior looks appealing and the removable roof is a commendable improvement. Unfortunately the interior is a bit sparse- it's somewhat inferior compared to the preceding two vans IMO, as the set merely has two slushies, and is devoid of a cash register; however, those are still minor and (fortunately) the pricing remains consistent with 60150 and 60253 (and is reasonable, in contrast to the ludicrous price of 60345 in some countries). But noteworthily, just like 60150 this has a misleading menu!
I’m glad to see these continue...and I hope they do well into the future. I was extremely glad to see them go back to the $20 price point after last years, short lived, Farmers Market truck(although I did appreciate the corncob pieces). This is a great addition & I love the details...the face & advertising on the roof. The bendy straw was particularly clever. I even got an extra semicircle tile.
The design and decoration of this van is delicious. I particularly like the penguin face front. Excellent, colorful, well done.
I wish Police and Fire would move away from DUPLO-level to this sort of standard.
And not a single word on what a "slushy" is :D
So you mean this isn't a giant hand-sanitizer dispensing truck?
Saaaaaaaaaa-nit-izer, get ya Saaaaaaaaaa-nit-izer!
@Andhe said: "So you mean this isn't a giant hand-sanitizer dispensing truck?
Saaaaaaaaaa-nit-izer, get ya Saaaaaaaaaa-nit-izer!"
Well, they're both drinking it, so you'd want to hope so. Or else, things are more messed up in Lego City than we thought. No wonder they have such a police presence.
My favorite flavors: blue ba— berries, strawberry, purple… berries, and unnaturally-hued green apple.
@Trigger_ said:
"My favorite flavors: blue ba— berries, strawberry, purple… berries, and unnaturally-hued green apple."
The purple I think is cherries. Although I have yet to see those in real life. But then again, blueberries providing blue juice is unrealistic as well.
Wow surprised no mention that Aaron from Season One Lego Master USA who now works for Lego designed this.
My boy is only two and a half and has a big City collection ready for him when he reaches the right age. I keep saying I will not add to it and then Lego keep bringing out sets like this. Dammit!
Mmmm Bacta Slushies....
@quixotequest said:
"Mmmm Bacta Slushies...."
LOL I came down here just to say this, the giant slushie motif on the top will double as Boba Fett's Mobile Bacta Tank when I get the chance to buy this set!
Put some loose black ball joint 32474 parts up in that bishh and NOW ITS BOBA TRUCK
Lol, I thought this was a Batman set! …oye.
Bought it for 20 bucks US - worth every penny. I reversed mine to make it "American", with the service window on the right.
I'm kind of new (1 year) into LEGO. Is it common to be able to guess the year of a City or Friends set just by its color choices?
All this year sets abuse the azur, bright reddish viole and bright bluish green tones. I guess it makes it easier to produce them in mass.