Editorial Review

Many high-tech toys start with a fun and fascinating idea only to make it frustratingly complicated in the execution. Leave it to LEGO to make a technologically advanced toy fun to play with. The enormous 718-piece LEGO Mindstorms Robotic Invention System lets you construct a variety of moving robot vehicles and then program them from your Windows 98- or Windows Me-compatible computer. The robots are all based around a bright yellow basic unit, which serves as the functional heart of whatever is being built. The brick receives commands from the computer via an infrared tower unit. The computer interface is incredibly user-friendly and intuitive. What's most impressive about the system, however, is the variety of robots that can be built. There are detailed instructions for each one, and since these are LEGOs, builders are free to come up with an endless variety. --John Moe ... Read more

Reviews (76)

rocks
This toy rocks!!!!!!!!! you get to build a robot, program it, and add sensors!!!!!!!!!!!!

Invention, Robotics, Computer Programming
If you want your child to take the steps necessary to prosper in the future, this is the kit to purchase.

The kids of my generation had telescopes, microscopes and chemistry sets.We only could dream of building and programming a functioning robot!

It truly will create a positive mindstorm in your child !!

Windows XP fix
With regard to users having problems using this kit with windows XP.The dreaded freeze problem will only occur on computers using hyper thread processers.(...)

Save this zip file to your harddrive.You should have previously installed the mindstorms software and the USB tower.Unplug your USB tower, restart your machine and follow the installation instructions.The freeze issue should now be a thing of the past. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Electronic    4. Motors    5. Robotics   

Editorial Review

The incredibly popular LEGO Bionicle series approaches the long-standing tradition of building toys in a different way than anyone who is only familiar with older LEGO sets might expect. Bionicle imagines an epic battle being fought in a far off planet where everybody, somewhatcuriously, is built out of LEGO blocks. In this limited edition Bionicle set, we meet Ultimate Dume (the homonym is no accident) who seeks to wreak havoc on the unfortunate residents of Tua Nuva. There are 555 pieces in all and the finished product is indeed an impressive and nimble looking towering creatures. Of course, since its LEGO, the bricks can be used for an infinite variety of other purposes to build yet other creatures limited only by the builders imagination. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Hmmm... a makuta combined w/ the trinity, seems great!
Can sombody send me a pic of what this thing looks like combined? [...] This seems so cool! AND YET ANOTHER COST MILESTONE FOR AMAZON! could you guys put a picture of what the combined one looks like? It may convince me into buying. Thanks!

-Willsburo

makuta - the ultimate villian
when makuta uses his red hand attack he absorbs nidhiki, krekka, turaga dume, and nivawk.He then becomes ultimate dume/dumerator!!This set comes with nidhiki, krekka, turaga dume, nivawk, and an exclusive ultimate dumerator/ makuta mask!!

I wish I had read up on the story behind the toys first
My 7 year old loves his Bionicles especially this set because it was challenging to put together. But If I had it to do over again I wouldn't have let my son have these toys just because I disagree with the movie and stories behind the toys. And also how expensive it is to collect all the pieces. The series doesn't end, there is continually more and more bionicles to collect. I let my son have the Bioncles because to me they look like challenging lego robot sets to put together and some of his cousins had them. But if I had read the stories and the info presented in the movies first he wouldn't of had any of them. And I wouldn't have let him get hooked on them and wanting the rest of this endless series. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Record & Play is a nice set
I have a ton of LEGOs, including a Mindstorm and a Spybot, so what's different about the Record & Play?The core of this set is the brick with two motors with integrated rotation sensors.Push the red button and push the robot through it's moves (up to 20 seconds).Then hit the green button to play it back.It plays back fairly accurately, although it is a bit jerky (it doesn't play the motors slow, but short bursts of fast).As a bonus, the tail end of the brick has a shaft input that does the same thing as pressing the play button every time the axle turns.This is useful for building something that has the motor block hidden inside, making the buttons hard to reach, or for making the 'bot respond to some stimulus (My next plan is for a passing LEGO train to flip a lever, causing the shaft to turn, which will trigger the playback to lower and then raise the crossing gates).There is an on-off switch on the bottom, and the robot will remember it's programming even when turned off, as well as an auto-shutoff if left alone for 10 minutes to save batteries.
Normal play mode runs through the actions once and stops.Hold down the play button for a couple seconds and it switches to mode 2, which repeatedly plays the commands forwards and backwards.Pretty cool.Do it again to get into mode 3, which repeatedly plays the commands forwards.This is very handy too.
The 192-page book shows how to build five models: a bug that hops along on two wheels and 2 legs, a dog with 3 wheels, a pen plotter, a 4 legged crab with claws, a standing-up walking robot, and a drummer.Much briefer instruction are shown for a dune buggy, a catamaran walking bug thing, tractor, a grabber, a block thrower, and a card dealer (and probably a few more).
The other pieces included in the set are fairly standard, a nice mix between Technic and standard bricks in pleasing tan and greens (lime and forest).The only really new piece is a right angle 1:1 gear box.Two are included in the set.
I like the fact that there is no real programming involved, no computer required, and it is very quick to get the bot moving.The kit has LEGO's usual excellent quality throughout. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction   

Reviews (12)

Fun to look at, not to run around with
Quick notes -- I put this together for my 6-year-old. It's the first time I've done a new-fangled Lego set, and it took me about 3 or 4 hours. The trouble is hunting for that elusive, single, specific piece, since all the pieces are grouped indiscriminately in little baggies (note to self -- use a huge table and spread the pieces out). The thing is really cool looking, but don't expect your kid to be able to run around "flying" it -- it's too fragile. Altogether a very cool toy, though.

hours of fun
My parents bought this toy for my 6 year old for Christmas.It took us 2-3 hours to build, mainly because Lego does not organize the pieces in any logical fashion.This toy is much different from the legos that I built as a kid, it has tons of specialized individual pieces, and is more like building a model than a traditional Lego toy.In fact, my son has a couple of these Star Wars lego toys and once we built them we put them up on the shelf in his room for display.

Lego makes it easy for kids to put these together.The instructions are actually very nice.The age range is 9-up but my kid is 6 and he was able to read and understand the directions (I just sit and make sure that he puts the pieces together tightly).

Once assembled, I wouldn't recommend playing with it as the Lego joints can't handle twisting force very well and some joints fall apart no matter how tightly you put them together.

The only part of the model I found poor, was the entrance platform: no matter how tightly you secure the pieces, opening the door more than a couple times pulls the piston away from the connecting piece.Easily fixed, but this part of the design could have been better.

"You hear me, baby? Hold together!"
Sigh... it's toys like this that make me wish I was born twenty years later than I was. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the space-theme Lego sets I used to collect and play with when I was but a wee 'Norch. But these "Star Wars" Lego toys are a whole shelf above those old-school space sets of yesteryear. A good case in point is the Millennium Falcon, which I got for Christmas from an out-of-touch aunt who apparently still thinks I'm ten years old. Well, maybe she ain't so out-of-touch, 'cuz most of the people who know me would agree that I have the maturity of a ten-year-old, with a sense of humor to match...

...but I digress. Anyhoo, I was considerin' exchanging this thing at the local brick-&-mortar Toys 'R' Us for a few new plug-&-play TV Games consoles when I just said "the #ell with it". So I opened this bad-boy up, laid all the pieces out on the floor, and turned on my VCR. Then I broke out my widescreen Star Wars trilogy tapes (I'm talkin' `bout the ORIGINAL movies (available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6303617700/qid=1104468809/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/104-0488135-0118334?v=glance&s=video ), NOT those silly "Special Edition" versions where Greedo shoots first), popped "A New Hope" into the player, cracked open the building instructions, and went to town while the movie played.

I finished up the whole schmear `round the time the Millenium Falcon was blastin' outta the Rebel hangar on Hoth in "Empire". Which was kinda fittin', `cuz the last thing I put together was the snowtrooper cannon, which had a pretty good resemblance to the one that was firin' at the Falcon in the scene. But the little trooper is nothin' compared to the main event, which is both a neat display model AND a cool playset for the Han Solo, Leia, C-3PO, and Chewie mini-figures it comes with. The ship opens up in a neat manner: the top hull panels open outward (sorta like a reverse aperture/bloomin' sunflower sorta deal) to reveal the interior, which includes an engine room (complete with tools ), the game-board room, gang plank, and a little stowaway space at the bow which holds a container box with some sorta scope-looking thing in it. And no, I have no clue what its purpose is, save for makin' me wonder what the heck its purpose is. Oh yes, there's also the hood-holder peg (don't ask).

Also making up the interior is the upper gun pod to help your gallant heroes pick off those pesky TIE fighters after makin' the big break from the Death Star. And let us not forget the rather cramped cockpit, which isn't quite as roomy as the "real" one was. Come to think of it, the entire Lego ship isn't quite as roomy as its cinematic counterpart. But at least it's more to scale with its figures than the Hasbro Millennium Falcon action figure playset is to its dollies...

This little booger (well, actually his thing's about a foot-and-a-half long fully assembled, which is pretty big for a Lego toy) also has a few neat features like a drop-down gangplank and escape pod. Unfortunately, the part of the gangplank pull-switch (AKA that knob-lookin' thing on the right-- er, starboard side of the vessel behind the cockpit) that connects to the plank itself often pops loose, which can be pretty frustrating when yer tryin' to re-enact the scene where the stormtroopers are searchin' the ship on the Death Star. Which leads to my big gripe about Legos: they don't stick together quite as snugly as Mega Bloks and Best-Lock blocks do. Its seems like no matter how carefully I move this thing about, there's always a piece or two that doesn't wanna hang onto the rest of the ship during the trip. Kinda makes ya see the irony in that Han Solo line "You hear me, baby? Hold together!" doesn't it? Eh, maybe not...

On the upside, it is kinda cool how this blows apart into a zillion pieces when I collide it into the TIE Bomber Lego ship I got from auntie last year, and then try to reassemble `em using my burgeoning "force" powers! Sadly, the whole "reassembling-the-Legos-using-the-force" thing hasn't been workin' out for me lately. Guess I gotta work on gettin' my midi-chlorian levels up to par, hmm?

`Late ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Movies   

Reviews (49)

My 9 year old son LOVES these toys!!!
I ran into Toys R Us on Christmas Eve last year to find another toy for my son (I wanted him to have a certain amount) and saw these on an end display. I bought a box, wrapped it, and put it under the tree.
He absolutely LOVED playing with these. So did his siblings. They spent hours and hours for weeks making all kinds of cool concoctions. We have since added several more sets to our family.
I came here today to buy a set for a birthday this weekend for a 13 year old family friend who still enjoys building things.
Great toy!!

magnetix is roseart!
100 pieces is a perfect way to build stuff but mixed with the magnetix magnetic building set 70 pieces It's a extreme perfect way to build stuff!When i opened the magnetix magnetic building set(70 pieces) i was shocked.When i opened the magnetix x-treme combo carying case (100 pieces)i was shocked even more!
With the magnetix i can build a sword a boat a 3d triangle a 3d dimond a 3d sqrare a house a dinosar a crazy design a trap and a big playset. If we didn't have roseart we wouldn't be creative!So be smart think roseart and buy magnetix today.

magnetix extreme combo 150 pc. case - where is it?
I have to agree with sbrown.I don't beleive Toys R Us ever had this product.I too, went to the store every day for four days.I was told that this was a "TOYS R US" exclusive and could not be purchased anywhere else.At least I got a rain check for the advertised price but here it is four (4) days after Christmas and still they have NO magnetix toys availabe.I got mine from Super Target the day before Christmas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Activity    4. Blocks   

Reviews (3)

Gundam NT-1
I must say, if your a gundam enthusiast, you have to get this model.This Skill Level 7 was my first and it took me about 3 hours.One completed I was very pleased with how it turned out. So many parts of articulation and the oerall durability was excellent.Though I wouldn't recommend playing with this, it is a model.Overall I gave it a five.

The least favored Master Grade kit...
You might like it or hate it. I don't really know. I have one and I am not quite sure about it. The detail of the kit is rather mush compared to other 1/100th scale Master Grade Gundam kits from Bandai. You really need to paint (preferably with an airbrush) it to make it look cooler. And, no. It's a model kit not a toy. It's so fragile that you don't want to play with it.

The Cool Toy
This is a great toy.People who enjoy building models,well this is the model for you.It stands up tall and does not fall over.I had a lot of fun making this toy.I know you will too.It is a fair price and it is well worth it.Buy it! You will be satified! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action Figures    2. Anime   

Editorial Review

Lego has done it again; giving us another awesome addition to their Star Wars collection, this time with this two-piece Revenge of the Sith set. You construct both the Jedi Starfighter that Anakin Skywalker (figure included) pilots in combat, as well as the Vulture Droid of the Separatist arsenal. Both of these models stand alone as finely detailed Lego units equipped with some of the best decals you’ll find. The instructions take you step by step through the simple assembly of both vehicles so there is no difficulty in achieving results. Have fun outfitting the models following the step-by-step directions or go off on your own to create unique Star Wars ships. This is a Lego product so you’ll want to be aware of the numerous small pieces that aren’t suited for young children (recommended 7+ years of age). There’s fun to be had with this toy for Star Wars collectors or Lego fans alike! --Chip Quinn ... Read more

Reviews (9)

AWESOME TOY!!!
I jsut got this toy today and it is awesome!!! People lie they say it falls apart easly that is total poppycock. it is very durable and i will have much fun playing with this and all my other star wars lego sets that i have now and that i will get in the future.

Great and Durable
This lego was great and was the second episode 3 lego I got.I think that lego could have made this item a little bit better but overall, it was pretty cool. If lego had only put a little more on it, it would be the perfect lego. Still, it is a great lego and is defenitally worth the money.

Favorite Toy
This is a good toy. I think that the best thing about it is the things that open up. The only problem is that the cockpit keeps falling apart. I also like the action figure. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Movies   

Editorial Review

This neon green and grape roller coaster is impressive in both size andscope. When fully built the coaster stretches 6 feet long and stands 3 feethigh. The directions are detailed and clear, and we had no trouble putting ittogether. It did take us a bit over five hours, though, and it's likely that anychild under 12 will need parental assistance. But assembling it is half the fun.When finished, the track careens so hazardously, it's hard to believe the carswill stay on, but they do! The plastic chain hauls the three cars up slowly,just like a real roller coaster, and the sound effects box re-creates the noiseso perfectly you'll squirm with anticipation. After reaching the top and passingthrough the serpent's mouth, the cars begin their dizzying descent past thesound effects box, which has now switched to emitting enthusiastic and terrifiedscreaming. Gravity and centrifugal force whip the little cars along the rest ofthe track until at last it reaches the beginning of the ride, only to be towedup for another round. If you don't have 6 feet of space, there are instructionsfor a smaller version, and you can turn the sound effects off if you prefer toplay quietly. Entirely worth the time and effort, this is ideal as a familyendeavor. --M. Sullivan ... Read more

Reviews (125)

GREAT BUILDING
Mon son got this for christmas and when I first saw it I thought "Oh no." But then once we opened it up and actually started to build it, WOW! I am always amazed by k'nex and how they make it work, it was a lot of fun to build, took about 5-6 hours ( We are not experts yet on the k'nex) but well worth the effort. It has withstood being moved from room to room, having the dog topple it over and being jumped on by the friends who have played with it. It comes with the option of a small or large track (we went for the large) and the instructions are easy to follow. My kids, 8 and 5, have not grown tired of it yet. Definitely a better buy.

A great toy!
I (...) built this toy when I was ten. This toy works very good if put together right. Many people would think this is a very hard toy but It really wasn't at least for me.

I give this 5 stars

Fantastic!
This easily is the best present that my 8 year old son has ever received.Even though it took about 5 hours for my husband and son to assemble, the assembly was easy, with color coded pieces and a clear instruction manual.Once it was finished, we all sat in awe.It looks like something out of an amusement park!We all sat and watched this thing go around for about an hour.My husband and I like it as much as our son does.We highly recommend this! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Models    4. Activity   

Editorial Review

Let's face it: Lego is the standard by which so many toys these days are measured--and fall short. In a world where creativity seems to be going out the window, replaced by step-by-step instructions for proper construction of toys with pre-determined stories, Legos are basically stackable blank slates. This particular bucket o' blocks features 1,000 small elementary pieces. A pamphlet with 13 instructions (and 28 ideas) is included, inspiring young builders to create anything from clowns to dinosaurs, but most children will probably do their own thing anyway…flying tractors, anyone? Parents and kids will love the big, sturdy blue storage tub with space enough to hold far more than 1,000 Legos. A true classic. --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Legos
This bin contains 1000 Legos(Legos are VERY fun and safe!!).If your child likes building Bionicles, Star Wars, Clickits etc. then they will like this!Legos are also very educational.They teach kids to use their imaginations.But, if your child is under the age of about 4, dont worry!There are also bins containing Duplos, and Quatros, wich are made for youner children(they are like Legos only bigger).Legos make a great gift.

Great Value
I'm not sure if we just timed our purchase right or what, but the price we paid for this Lego bucket was great.After we ordered it on here and were shopping in stores for other items, we realized we had gotten a deal!LEGOS are always a great toy, who could go wrong, especially at such a reasonable price!

Great Value but You'll Want More
I bought this for our four year old, and he really enjoys playing with them.I like this generic collection of mult-purpose bricks better than the sets that are designed to build one unique item.For the price, you really get a lot of stuff.On the down side, there are a lot of the smaller bricks (1 x 2 and 1 x 1), but it is still a good value.After playing with this for a few days I found that my son wanted more plates, bricks (2 x 4 and 2 X 8), and wheels (my son loves to make cars).I went to lego dot com where I was able to buy more of these specific things.

In summary, buy this set first from Amazon and then go to lego dot com to buy additional wheels, bricks and plates. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction   

Reviews (6)

A Glowing review!
All the kids though these were so cool and so did the parents and aunts / uncles. My only complaint is you can never have enough. You just want to keep building and building.

Unavailable
I am very upset that every item in this category is unavailable.
Why have a buy now button if you cant actually buy the item?????????????

Awesome
My son just got this for Christmas, and he has been playing with it nonstop all day. He turns 6 next month, and has already asked for another set for his birthday. If you have a young builder in your family, this will be a sure hit. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Activity    4. Blocks   

Features

• Includes instructions
• Ages 8 to 12 years
• Includes 928 pieces
• Build Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle

Reviews (11)

COOL!
i got this toy for christmas,and i think it is awesome!the other cool thing is the skin of the characters is white instead of yellow.there is trapdoors,moving staircases,spiders,frogs,and other cool stuff.the set includes:

-harry potter

-hermione granger

-ron weasley

-draco malfoy

-proffesor dumbledore

-proffesor trelawny

and 927 pcs

Great for building fine motor skills
I bought this for my 5-year-old nephew who loves Lego sets and Harry Potter. While it provides hours of entertainment, concentration/focus and independent play time for him it also helps him work on his fine motor skills -- which he doesn't get with sports and other favorite activities. He needs a little assistence at times because some of the pieces are very small and a little tricky for little fingers.

This keeps my son busy for hours!
I bought this for my 4 year old son (as his 2004 Hanukkah gift). He LOVES it!

Although it is way too complicated for him to put together himself, he still loves it because it comes with over 900 pieces and he gets to be very creative...(and it keeps him busy for hours!) Highly recommended.

Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works [...] ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Tie'd for the best of the re-releases
Being that I didn't get into the Star Wars Lego line until early 2003, I missed out on a huge number of sets. Now, I am not a big fan of re-releases--mainly because I was able to get about 85% of all the Star Wars sets I wanted thanks to [...] anyway, and also because the originals then become sort of obsolete. But the #7146 TIE Fighter was one I failed to obtain (at first; I have it now), and I was glad to see Lego changed almost nothing from the original. And what they did change was for the better (although they did get rid of the Stormtrooper).

The sleek look of the TIE Fighter is exactly the same as before, the colors are all identical, and they enhanced the Vader minifig by giving him an illustrious light-up lightsabre. I believe this was the first set to include that detail. And while they replaced my favorite minifig, the Stormtrooper, with a TIE Pilot, they also did away with that ridiculously unsteady stand thing (the main reason there's 10 fewer pieces on this set). Had they included that again, the durability would've been about a two, at best. The TIE stands better on its own anyway, although it is still a bit unstable. Oh well. Putting this set together took no longer than a half-hour, which is pretty average for a piece count of 159. It was a very easy set to assemble, with most of the building time going into the two (identical) wings.

The TIE Fighter is one of the most recognizable ships in the Star Wars universe, since it appeared in episodes IV-VI and is set to appear yet again in Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. Although I don't consider this set to be part of the Episode III line, it was released at about the same time and compliments a Lego collection very nicely either way. If you already own the original TIE Fighter from back in 2000, ask yourself whether or not a light-up lightsabre is worth the price of an almost-identical set. Otherwise, pick this up before you miss out on it. Again.

Awesome Toy
This TIE Fighter is the best toy I've ever had. At first some of it kept falling apart. But then I tightened it the best I could. So now, I can play with it as tight as can be.

Nice Set
I really like the Tie Fighter in this set. I don't really like the Darth Vader light-up light saber. It's one of the strongest sets I've ever built. This set has a great form and also can be a link to Death Star II or the Imperial Star Destroyer. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Movies   

Reviews (2)

Creative fun
My 5 year old got this as a present. I was amazed at the creative things he made! My 3 year old joined in the fun by making letters of the alphabet. I highly recommend this. Note that these magnets are heavy. If your child throws things, these would REALLY hurt or damage something.

Excellent developmental toy
This toy is great to spur kid's imagination. I was really impressed by all the things my 4 year old build. This toy kept him busy for hours. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Activity    4. Blocks   

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Activity    4. Blocks   

Editorial Review

Big Air Boz is being hounded by plastic balls that are pursuing him through a convoluted maze of tubes, chutes, and contraptions in this complex construction toy. Use the included step-by-step instructions to build a five-foot tower, featuring a motorized airlift, a tiny trampoline, spiral loops, spinning paddle wheels, and other Rube Goldberg-type tricks. You can also set the instructions aside and come up with your own system. The storyline of a young hero like Big Air Boz chased by plastic spheres adds little to the fun of toy but there is tons of fun to be had in orchestrating the network of available mechanisms. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (21)

THE MOST FUNNER AND BESTEST TOY S EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS TOY IS SOOOOOOOOOO AWSOME A LICOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An incredible toy (if you know who you're buying it for)
My son got this for his 10th birthday.He has previously built just about every major K'Nex kit including the Ferris Wheel, Screamin' Serpent, Rippin Rocket, Electronic Arcade, and Loopin' Lizard.His excited reaction when he opened the box: "Wow. This looks complicated!"That was the highest possible compliment he could have granted to this toy.

A week later, it has lived up to his expectations.He thinks it's the best K'Nex project ever, and I share his opinion.The things that other reviewers seem to be complaining about are the very things that make this superior.It's complicated.It requires a lot of tweaking to get right.But unlike the simpler projects that you build and then stare at, this one demands involvement.If you want a model kit, buy something else.If you want the thrill of building and interacting with a classic Rube Goldberg contraption, this is one great toy.

If your child is not extremely patient, or has never built a K'Nex project, I would NOT make this the first.The instructions are not easy, but kids who've succesfully completed large K'Nex models before will be more comfortable with the familiar graphic lexicon of the instructions.

RE all the reviewers' comments about missing parts, I would be amazed if anybody could get through the construction of this thing without making some mistakes along the way.Thinking that a part is missing is part of the process of discovering you have to retrace your steps to figure out what you did wrong back in step 47.If that sounds awful to you, don't buy K'Nex.

RE all the comments about balls missing targets and tubes needing adjusting and balls flying in the wrong direction, see above.This thing requires tweaking to get right.Balls WILL fly off in the wrong direction.That's what makes it all the more satisfying once this thing gets humming.

If you are shopping for a serious K'Nex fan, Big Air Ball Tower gets 5-Stars.

Wow, what a turkey
The original Big Ball Factory was solid.Solidly built, solidly durable, good solid fun.

If you were fortunate enough, you caught sight of an early model that was rejected, in an ad from the time.There was originally a jump at the end of the track run, and a basket to catch the ball after it flew through air.They changed the design before press because it wasn't reliable enough.

Too bad the quality-control folks at K'Nex from that era have (apparently) left the building.

I built my (original) Big Ball Factory at work once; I worked for a major software company.I would have fellow engineers come and watch the machine at work for 10-15 solid minutes. Our moments of zen.Balls rarely if ever jumped the tracks.It was a thing of beauty.

This latest incarnation is an abomination.It has horrible support, needs constant tweaking, and looks like it was designed by a child. A child lacking in any kind of engineering talent.

Even at the reduced price I got it for, it's barely worth the specialized parts I'll use to build a better Big Ball Factory some day. Anyone who doesn't have the patience and engineering drive to treat this set as raw materials for something worthwhile he or she will build separately is wasting money.Bottom line.

Oh, K'nex, this was such a shame.You usually do so much better. ... Read more

Editorial Review

You may never have the raw basketball ability to keep up with NBA All-Stars Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, or Tracy McGrady. Unless, as in this amusing LEGO set, each of those guys are just a couple inches high and attach easily to plastic pegs. Besides Shaq, AI, and T-Mac, other players included are Kobe Bryant, Jason Kidd, Antoine Walker, Steve Nash, Kevin Garnett, and a particularly weird-looking Dirk Nowitzki. The arena can be built with the assistance of a detailed instruction booklet and resembles a slightly flattened-out Velodrome. The neatest feature in this 481-piece set is a little round basketball that players can pick up between their hands and actually shoot by leaning back at their spring-loaded waists. Admittedly, it makes for an unorthodox shooting style, but that's never hurt players like Shaq in the past. Everything is compatible with other LEGO sets, which creates opportunity for interesting transference: let Antoine Walker mix it up with pirates, send Steve Nash into space. The choices are limited only by your imagination. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Features

• 481-pc set
• Ten collectible mini-figures
• Players can shoot and move on the court

Reviews (2)

Fun to Build and Play
I got this set for Christmas last year and I had a great time building it and playing with it. This set is rather large so be prepared to have a place to store it (I built it on a piece of plywood). I would also suggest building it on a hard surface.

The Ultimate in LEGO NBA Fun
The NBA Ultimate Arena is the best in LEGO basketball. With 10NBA players you'll hit the court in a realistic game. Shooting, dunking, blocking, and passing, this game has it all! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Sports   

Editorial Review

When a battle takes place somewhere with the name "Dragon Mountain", you can be confident that the fighting will be anything but dull and ordinary. Sure enough, in this sprawling 255-piece set from Mega Bloks, the action is likely to be pitched and furious as the forces of fire and ice come together in epic war. Dev and Kyra lead the Draigar and Norvagen (both good guys) forces against the Ice Vorgan hordes as the good dragon Lumendraconis battles the evil Frenkuhl. Both dragons are nicely articulated and features mouths that open with the help of a lever on their backs and chests that light up. The Dragon Mountain set sports a working rail system as well as an icy peak that busts apart when struck to reveal a fiery dragon skull. Of course its all Mega Bloks so the component bricks can be used to create a radically different set or append to existing sets to build configurations limited only by the builders imagination. One note: Kyra looks like Angelina Jolie playing Marilyn Manson. --Charlie Williams ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Maybe
I have heard so much about this ship. I can't wait till i get it in july 2005 for my birthday. I hope this ship is really over 30 in. long. This ship should lead all of your dragon toys. A must have. I highly recommend it.

This set is really really huge!
This set is so coooool! It comes with two dragons!15 figures! And many ,little features like the avalanche thing at the top! or the working mine cart! this I think all kids should have bacause it teaches you how to become a better builder and it is just awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Trust me It's that cool)

Will not stay together
I bought this for my 8 year old son. We spend about 2 hours putting it together. Easy to assemble but near impossible to stay together for play. we returned the toy as it frustrated my boys. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hogwarts Express, take two!
I'm both a big Potter fan and a big LEGO train fan, but I haven't gotten either of the two new versions sets 4758 or 10132 (motorized), but I have the old 4708 set.The new sets look very similar, with an updating of characters to the third movie.I've already modified my old set to be powered and running on the LEGO tracks along with my other two engines, so I'm not sure I'd need another set even if it has some slight changes to the windows and how the engine storage compartment works.

On LUGNET, this was reviewed as having the following differences...
Aaron West: "Better fleshed out version of the first, windows are closed. I like the Hogsmead stop too. If they keep releasing these, soon we'll have a full length train. Sticker sheet includes decals for 10132"

THE COOLEST LEGO TOY EVER!!!
This train is simuler as the scorcerers stone train but this train has Profecer Lupin and who can forget the Dementor figuor! The Dementor is the funist figuor to have in your hands! You can also take the roof of the passenger car and preetend that the Dementor is sucking Harrys soul out of his body and Profecer Lupin saving him!!!

This train is the best!
I absolutely love this train!I've always loved the Lego Hogwarts Express.I'm glad they made a new one.The dementor is a good addition.The only reason I rated the durability a little lower is because they designed parts of it to come off easily (they don't hook with other Lego pieces).It means you have to be really careful when you pick it up.I don't really plan on picking it up too often, though.But, I still rate the toy overall as a 5 because it looks awesome! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

AWESOME LEGO!!
I bought one with my allowance and have ABSOULUTLEY NO REGRETS!!
This is an awesome toy, but don't grt it unless you are going to play with it.
It comes with a rebel soldier and turret and the speeder with Luke and his co-pilot (That's Dak for all you star wars buffs).
Again it is an awesome toy.
If you really want some fun, then start saving up for the AT-AT so that you can use the tow cable.
As anybody who has legos (and siblings) knows, legos can be broken easily, but this one stays together pretty well.

Best Lego i have 4 now!!!
This LEGO is AWSOME!!!!! Very durable. And fun. My favorite star wars movie is The Empire Strikes Back. And the Battle of Hoth is my 2nd favorite sceen!!! I strongly suggest getting an AT-AT with this (I'm getting one for Christmas!). You can also make the Echo Base with this set. But you need to also buy the Millinium Falcon, 2-4 X-Wing Fighters, and 1-5 more of theese. I'm getting one of each for Chrismas (go figure!).
My gripes:
1) THE GRAPPLING HOOK!!! Even though this is one of my FAVORITE features I HATE PUTTING IT ON!!! IT TOOK ME SO LONG!!! Mabye this is becuase I'm not good at tie-ing knots...
2) PUTTING DAK AND LUKE IN!!! iT'S REALLY HARD! My solution: When you take the ENTIRE top off, PUSH DOWN HARD and the ENTIRE back will come off. Don't worry! Assuming you already put Luke in... Put Dak in as well! It's a lot easier making Dak stay in without having the back on! Then put the back on!
That's about all of my gripes. In conclusion this is a GREAT LEGO!

the best
i really like it . durabilty is good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Movies   

Reviews (2)

Lego is outdoing themselves...
So...I dont have $1M for the real thing, and since I love Legos, this is the next best thing!I built the 'Model Team' sets as a kid, which are the sets geared toward realism more than functionality; but Lego doesn't really make the line anymore.However, this would be a Model Team set if there were such a thing.For a Lego set, this Enzo looks as much like the real thing as it can and it holds together really well.I actually bought 2 so I could build both models.This is an excellent addition to the Lego Ferrari collection.

Not radio controlled...
This lego set is not radio controlled!

It is a great model team type set.
Also the lights on the front are not stickers but painted on the slopes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets