As you are well aware by now, LEGO has released their latest Icons set that pays tribute to another pioneer of the video game era; Pac-Man. As I am sure you are also aware, in the early 1980s, Pac-Man was a mega craze in video game arcades all around the world. In the United States alone, it was estimated to have 30 million active players in 1982… and I could be counted among them. As a young kid, I remember a bunch of us excitedly piling into the car of someone’s older brother to go to a local department store where the game had been spotted - and piling quarters into the coin slots. I also remember being just tall enough not to need a step stool to reach the control stick. Ah, nostalgia. A few weekends ago, I went to a local game bar with tons of retro arcade games...

It's that time of year again, every constraction builder’s favorite time, Bio-Cup! Whether you are watching or participating, it is always a show full of incredible builders both known and new to building. As happens every year everyone participating has really taken their skills to the next level and brought their A-game to the preliminary round. This year the preliminary round theme was villains. This is a very open-ended theme which really allows for creative original takes on the theme. On top of that, countless villainous characters have appeared in digital media, books, and video games over the years which have provided some builders with exactly the inspiration they needed. Let’s see where a few went with the theme. Zim - _Monopoly_ To start, this is a very accurate representation of Zim from the TV show Invader Zim. There are some amazing part uses here to create the fun cartoon shapes...

While I haven’t been plotting any LEGO villainy in the opening round of this year’s Bio-Cup, I have been working with brown Bionicle bits as of late for my own malicious machinations. So let me tell you, Ted Andes was employing quite the limited part palette when he took on a violin-themed evil-doer, Il Maestro Di Violino. The shape he’s managed here is excellent, and the incorporation of the Kakama Kanohi mask is perfect. For a “last minute entry,” this feels like a well-planned symphony of parts. It immediately conveys “violin” and “villain” with just one glance. The post The Maestro is ready to drop some ‘bows appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller

Whether you’re a fan of the LEGO Ninjago theme or not, you have to give it props for surviving for so long. Some kids that grew up with Ninjago are now adult fans making fabulously inspired and skilled creations. Now, while I can’t speak to the history of the builder known as Woomy World, I can certainly say that this Oni Lloyd-inspired build is top-notch, and a solid tribute to the theme. The entire thing is riddled with fantastic parts usage, from the dragon-headed weapons, to the clothing and body armor. What really takes the cake, though, is the expressive face. It utilizes a hat for a nose, a hood for a chin, and even a tan crab holding horns for teeth/tusks. The character is both menacing and cool all at once! While you’re here, stick around for more builds and sets related to the LEGO Ninjago theme. We also have...

If there’s one thing that stands out most in this terrific LEGO inn by builder Tomasz Bartoszek, it’s the repeated creation of curved surfaces without using curved bricks. Both the sloped roof of tiles and rounded wall of the tower generate their curves through the use of 1×2 tiles, set at appropriately-varied angles. The result is a beautiful, clean look that perfectly captures a stop just off the roadway, in settings both real and fantastic. On top of that, I love the blobs of vegetation dotting the roof. But it’s the incorporation of Harry Potter wands into the eaves that adds the perfect finishing touch to those concave slopes of shingles. The post LEGO inn-sights and inn-ovations appeared first on The Brothers Brick. Original linkOriginal author: Kyle Keller