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Review by Troy and Callum Chelin
(SAFOLs Members, jhbLUG Members)

Set number 70418 J.B’s Ghost Lab is the first of 8 sets in the 1^st wave of the Hidden Side theme. This new range uses AR (Augmented Reality) via LEGO’s APP to make your playing experience come to life. For those of you who don’t know what (Augmented Reality) or commonly known as AR for Short, it is computer-generated content overlaid on a real world environment, commonly used in video games and Television. We will get to the APP and AR experience later in the review.

Background

The Hidden side is based around the town of Newbury where you need to solve mysteries and turn a haunted town back to normal. J.B’s Lab is where you build and invent new gadgets to be able to catch the ghosts. You can explore the hidden side with your phone and catch all the ghosts to add to your ghost collection. You can get help from J.B’s Ghost lab and find objects to help you catch the ghosts in the hidden world.

Box Art Work

The artwork is not your typical art work which LEGO usually adopts and it works well with this theme, as you see Jack using his phone to spot the hidden ghosts in the built LEGO set. This set is a 7+ build and if you turn over to the back you get to see what you would normally expect on the front of a LEGO box, showing the built set and some of the close up areas of the set, zooming in on areas of the building for more detail. Some APP details are given at the back and you can follow the links and check if your devices are compatible. Note: my iPhone 6 does not support AR.

On the sides of the box you get to see all the mini figure characters with their names and what ghost you can expect to see in the set. In this set the ghost is DR. Drewell.

What’s in the box?

When Callum opened the box he found 2 poly bags marked 1 and 2, the instruction manual and the sticker page with 7 stickers and Callum mentioned that no ghost escaped or flew out at him when he opening the box.

There are 174 pieces in this set which includes 3 mini figures and a dog which is really great to get more than one mini figures in a small LEGO set and to get four I think is always awesome! Having seen all the Hidden Side sets they all come with over 4 figures each so defiantly no shortage of mini figures to add to any collection.

The Minifigures

In bag one you get 2 mini figures Mr. Elton, J.B and the third figure is Spencer the dog. In bag two you get to build Jack. Spencer is our favourite figure in this set.

SPENCER

Spencer the dog is white with a translucent tail and legs, Spencer uses one stud to stand on, we both thought that Spencer would glow in the dark however to our disappointment we found he does not. Spencer is Jack’s best friend who unfortunately passed away in a traffic accident and returned as a ghost.

MR ELTON

Aka Douglas aka, El Fuego in his human form has a great hair piece with really cool alternate faces. Callum’s best feature is his gray hand pieces. The detail in the torso is really good and the writing in the name bag says DIAZ with black writing on a silver background really stands out in the light. The knee pads on the legs are really well placed with the tools hanging off his belt and a rag in his pocket. The light lime green hair piece is made well and suits the translucent head piece. The play ability of this minifigure is really awesome as you get three different possibilities in one figure. 

J.B.

J.B. is the Scientist behind the ghost hunting operation who loves her coffee. The best feature is her light purple hair piece with the moulded goggles. Her white torso is designed well with what looks like a Frankenstein mini figure head on her shirt with a USB stick hanging off a keying. J.B. comes with an alternate head which looks as if she made a mistake in the lab and had something blow up in her face. Her legs are white with a name tag hanging off her belt. Callum and I both liked the light blue for her hands

JACK DAVIDS

Jack’s is new in town and his dad is the new high school headmaster. Jack joins Parker and scientist J.B. to hunt ghost and explore the Hidden side, He loves video streaming and often get court up in his video chats and forgets to chase the ghosts. The best part of Jacks minifigure is his white hoodie moulded over his red cap, he comes with an alternate face and has a white torso with red claw marks across it and black pants. He carries his black phone where ever he goes.

DR. DREWELL (in APP game play)

Known hang-out: J.B.’s Laboratory Soul Artifact: Erlenmeyer flask

Dr Drewell was a brilliant scientist working on experiments for the pursuit of eternal youth, however things don’t always work out in life as planned.

The Build

Callum (7) built this set on his own starting by building the colour scanner which you use in the APP, each colour gets scanned to get the ghosts to come out of hiding, three stickers are used on the scanner, two arrows to show the turning direction and a small sticker with a meter on it. You then fit a sturdy octagon plate to form the base of the Lab, a 6×6 plate is used next to the octagon base for the rest of the lab floor and the walls and the basic shell of the Lab is built with a large sticker placed at the back of the lab which has some sticky notes and some x-rays of a skull and the cross section of a Brain. Callum and I really liked the use of the silver grate pieces for the step up to the white chamber and the use of a yellow 1×4 warning tape printed tile.

Bag two is where the real fun begins as you get to add all the detail onto the build. In the laboratory area there is a computer screen with a sticker added for the display and the keyboard is a printed piece, another printed piece is the pizza which is a nice addition to the set, however as J.B. is a lover of coffee we were expecting the iconic LEGO mug. Next to the keyboard are a spanner and camera, the 3D printer with the translucent front piece is a fun addition to the side of the computer. Above the computer screen are different colour jars that are used in the APP to find gloom however this changes with ever opening of the APP.  A great piece to have in this set is the clear lime green pipe connecting the selector to the chamber. Above the chamber are electric rods which conduct electricity, they have used two round tiles with stickers to represent sparks or burst of electricity. It took Callum one and a half hour to build this set with a break after bag one.

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The APP

We struggled with the APP at first, there is a bug which LEGO is aware of which they are currently working on for the IOS user in South Africa, and you will need to change your region to United States before you can download the APP and open the program.

When you open the APP you need to select the Ghost Lab and place your phone screen onto the outlines of the Ghost Lab and before the AR begins it does show you to. Play in a well lit area, play on a clean, flat surface and avoid patterned and reflective surfaces. Once in the game the AR will direct you to where you need to scan to find Ghost, it does help if you can read and small kids might get frustrated as the AR does prompted you with messages on the top of the screen.  Some guidance will be needed for young children. Once in the APP you need to collect as many ghosts as you can. Happy ghost hunting!

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Reviewed by Chris McGee (SAFOLs Member, jhbLUG Member)

Something wicked this way comes…

The theme

For starters, I think we can all agree that LEGO® has clearly taken a different direction with licensing this particular theme. Stranger Things is a Netflix original television series, but in the same breath, it is also a horror / sci-fi show, currently rated 16 in South Africa. Not exactly a kid-friendly set made from toy blocks, but being a fan of the show myself, I loved the idea of having this as a set. Monsters; a dangerous, hidden world; the 1980’s; Dungeons & Dragons… I don’t think I could ask for more.

The Minifigures

So the set is sorted with characters from the show, 8 to be exact, with the 5 main kids (Mike Wheeler, Will Byers, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair and Eleven) as well as Joyce Byers (Will’s mother), Chief Jim Hopper and the main antagonist of the first season, the Demogorgon.

Each of the kids is detailed brilliantly based on their clothes from keys scenes from the first season, including Eleven’s dress and blond wig. A new hair and hat combo is in place for both Dustin and Lucas, with Dustin’s being right on point. The faces though are just great with how they have captured the kids expressions, especially Dustin whose minifigure really hits home. Mike’s face is probably the least accurate (from my perspective at least). The alternate faces are coming through nicely as well, although Eleven doesn’t get an alternate. The characters each get at least one accessory with Eleven’s being my favourite with the waffle printed 1×1 round tile (representing her favourite food “Eggo Waffles”). Each of the kids also comes with the recent new mold of the three quarter legs (medium legs) each of a different colour.

The Joyce and Jim minifigures also have a great likeness to their show counterparts and Joyce a great printed 2×2 tile showing off one of Will’s drawings of his D&D character, “Will the Wise”. I also appreciate that the characters have different builds of flashlights, as well as something that shows key points from the show. Mike with his Walkie Talkie, Dustin with the compass and Lucas with his “wrist rocket” (slingshot).

Hopper got himself a coffee mug, which is not wrong given all the coffee he is seen drinking, to go with his police car, a Chevy Blazer from the 80s. Last but not least is the Demogorgon, which is the show’s primary source of danger and scare moments, definitely got the full treatment here. With some uniquely printed faun legs and a well printed minifigure head showing the closed mouth without eyes, having the added piece to fit over the head with the opened mouth and array of teeth is just.

Seeing what a good job they did with the figures, I really wish we could have gotten some of the other main characters (Jonathan, Nancy and Steve), but I guess this would have raised the price point too far.

The build

To say a lot about the build for the Byer’s house would be to say too much towards spoilers and other components, but for what it’s worth I hope to give some valuable feedback and avoid any spoilers.

The techniques used in the build are not necessarily the most complex but there is some simplicity in areas where you may have thought that some crazy building would happen, which was greatly enlightening and surprising. As an example, the trees are effectively one row of technic bricks, strengthened with some plates and technic pins. Also the upside down component is dealt with through the use of ball joints holding together a house horizontally stacked above the other.

And then comes the detail placed all over the build: Easter eggs and references to the show, references to some iconic scenes such as the alphabet on the wall with the light brick excellently placed for sprinkling some light thereon. Season 1 is definitely the main focus point here, and a season 2 reference in there for good measure. Will’s room has some nice sticker detail along with the many lamps, a bear trap in the entrance hall and continued references to some of the inspirations the show took (such as Jaws and Dungeons and Dragons). It even looks the same as the house of the show and uses the muted colour palette well to give a realistic setting.

The upside down is a fantastic contrast of colour and creepiness. Mirrored exactly across the Byer’s house, with the necessary blemishes, creepy vines and some slime droplets to distinguish it. The colours used also provide a nice darkness to the scene and gives it an incredibly unique look and ability to see the detail, avoiding the dark on dark problem that can arise using similar toned colours. But this also causes the problem mentioned above where if the light is not good makes it difficult to avoid picking out the wrong dark colour. Even some of the windows, blocked out by newspaper prints, have a more tattered look in the upside down.

The trees are also mirrored with that “realm of shadows” look, and provide an amazingly stable support structure, holding steady even when being slightly rocked. The build can therefore also be turned upside down and back over again with ease (although probably too heavy for a small child). Both tree structures are an identical build, but look different attached to the main build as the connection to the houses needs the trees to be turned around. Although it repeats, the mechanic of the build is interesting enough to give it a second look.

The one set of trees also has a nod to one of the side but important characters, Barbara through the use of two “missing person” stickers. The trees also have some cool re-colours of parts (dark blue plant leaves, black hot dog sausage, and trans-black antennae) which are provided in good quantity for those who would seek to get multiples of the set.

The verdict:

Honestly, watching season 1 over when building this really showed me just how much they packed into the build and decorative details. As a fan I was not disappointed. But the build and design are so unique and entertaining, I feel that even if you are not a fan or have not watched the show, it would still engage and provide challenge.

At 2287 pieces, the price point of R3,499.99 is reasonable given it is a licensed theme and that the similarly priced Star Wars Tantive IV only has just around 1800 pieces. Added to this, are a full set of unique and well produced minifigures, and an array of newly coloured parts. So from a value and experience side I am happy with the purchase. Also to note that with some minor adjustments and removal of the trees and ball joint connections, you end up with two very cool house builds.

It is a very different direction for LEGO®, and this will come with criticism and praise alike. But given the audience target market being adults, I like that the set is not beyond a child’s enjoyment of the set. (My son loves the upside down idea with no context from the show).

In summary, it is one of my most favourite builds in the past couple of years and I really hope we get to see more of the theme and characters being produced into sets.

Reviewer Photos

Reviewed by Thys Brits (SAFOLs Member, jhbLUG Member)

2019 saw several regionally released sets cause a lot of hype in the AFOL communities. Some of the sets that caused most of the uproar, were the sets released only in the East for the Chinese New Year. These are sets 80101, 80102 and 80103. I managed to get my hands on all of these sets and thus thought to do a review on the last one in the line, released on 1 May, mostly because it is the only one of the three I have had time to build J

The Dragon Boat Race set, 80103, is the smallest of the 3 Chinese New Year sets, at 642 parts, but it makes up for this with a whopping 15 minifigures. The majority of these minifigures make up the boat crews, 5 per boat. The other figures are the race judge, a male, female and boy spectator and a stall owner. The set has a green and red dragon boats, harbour with a stall selling fast food, and the judges’ stand.

When I opened my set, the sticker sheet was all crumpled, so I took a chance and reported it to LEGO® Customer Service, who were as always very helpful, and within 6 days I had a new, perfect sticker sheet replacement in hand. Due to this, the photos were taken without stickers applied, apart from the last one which was taken after I received the sticker sheet.

The two boats make up the most of the build and are put together very similar, however the heads and tails of the dragons differ, with some very interesting part usage for this, like using a car front for the heads of the dragons, a phone for decoration on the green dragon, a croissant on the red dragon and diving flippers as fins. The builds are not very complicated but make use of a few interesting techniques. A nice feature is that the dragons have wheels at the bottom, so they can actually race, which is a very nice feature when you have a 7 year-old son so he can actually play with the set. We have had several boat races since finishing the build.

The docks section is built in three separate parts and put together in the end. The first is the stall to sell food to the spectators. The decorations on the docks are very well thought out, to fit in with the theme of the set. The smaller printed parts also make the details of the set better, such as seaweed sold in the food stall. The second part is a bridge to the judges’ stand, a simple section to connect the two edge sections. The judges’ stand is raised, so the judges can have a better view of the boat race. Below is just some landscaping and plant pieces, with some of water and plant parts too. The upper section contains a table with a golden table cloth holding the winners’ trophy. Again, the decoration of the stand is very original, using sausages as part of the make-up of the banners.

All in all, the set is a very interesting and colourful build, with lots of playability, as well as making for a very nice display set. Not the most complicated build, but still a fun build. After all, it is LEGO®!

Reviewer Photos

Reviewed by Julie-Ann Schmidt (SAFOLs Member, BUFFLUG Member)

Mia is the fourth out of the five ‘besties’ to get her very own house. This set comprises of 715 pieces, making it the largest of the four sets. Her house gives the impression of being a homely mountain retreat. Considering that Mia is the adventure junkie of the five, one can expect to find her home in the country. The build throughout this set is fairly easy, adding only two to three pieces per page.

This set contains six bags in total, the first of which allows us to build Mia, a grey horse, small water well and the kitchen. Mia looks great in her orange and olive green outfit and we can immediately notice her hair colour has changed this year from dark red to red. The kitchen is well equipped with a sink, blender, pan and bowls. The lime and white tiles looks great but, oddly, don’t cover the whole floor. The horse is a nice addition, and while this version lacks the articulation of regular horses, it has various pin-holes for decorative ribbons to be added.

With the second bag we continue the construction of the house. The front door has an intricate pattern provided by a sticker and side by side windows with pretty flower boxes below.

We then go on to build a small mountain structure with staircase to the upper level. Behind the stairs is a feeding area for the horse with a trough for water and one for carrots. There is also a storage place for the horse’s bridle and saddle. The interior has a nicely designed couch and coffee table with a cup and phone. The hallway has an ornamental frog and flower on the table. Stickers are used to add details such as a bookshelf, portrait, rug and clock.

Bag three also contains Mia’s parents, Ann and Angus as well as her pet bunny. The mom figure has a lovely printed torso complete with pearl necklace. She makes use of Rapunzel’s long plait hairpiece in a new colour, dark orange and holds a camera with lens. The dad figure has matching dark orange hair and moustache. His olive green shirt has a pine tree badge hinting that he works as a forest ranger. There is also a separate dining area that one can add on to the kitchen. The table is laid with a plate, cup, bread, cheese and juice.

Bags four and five contain the parts to construct the first floor. It contains a water closet with a door for privacy, a hallway with a rug and dresser and a study with a desk, chair and bookshelf. On the side of the house is a rock-climbing wall with a secret entrance into the study.

Bag six finishes off the house with a rather unusual dark purple sloping roof. There is also a ladder leading up to the loft area, which contains a lamp, cushion and bed.

The exterior of the house looks lovely with tan walls on the ground level and medium dark flesh on the upper levels. The dark azure windows are in line on both levels as are the doors. There are wooden and stone details which help to create a rustic feel. A beehive and various flowers offer a good deal of ornamentation.

While the house is primarily made up of neutral tones, there is definitely no shortage of colour. While using nearly 30 different colours in a single set might make AFOLs a little queasy, it is surely every little girl’s delight.

Reviewer Photos