The Brick Connection– A novice Lego fan explores the great brick world of LEGO

Happy almost New Year BrickWarriors fans!

As we say goodbye to 2015 I thought we could take a look back at all the exciting things that happened in the world of LEGO and BrickWarriors this year; from the new themes like Jurassic World and Scooby-Doo to the new video games like LEGO Dimensions. LEGO also gained an awesome new fan, who started an awesome blog dedicated to her newfound fandom. BrickWarriors released a ton of new and exciting accessories that made all the LEGO designers drool and started selling Warrior packs at Toys R Us locations all around the United States.

Oh and the first wave of LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens sets came out a few months before the movie premiered.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, I’m really proud of how long I was able to go without mentioning Star Wars.

NO SPOILERS! NO SPOILERS!

Don’t worry! I won’t be discussing the movie this week. I decided to give everyone another week before I give my spoilerific thoughts on The Force Awakens…with a focus on how it relates to the new LEGO sets of course….because this is a LEGO blog. And I definitely only want to talk about Star Wars LEGO…and all of my very strong feelings about the Star Wars movies LEGO sets.

But to those who are worried about spoilers, I ask, HOW HAVE YOU NOT SEEN STAR WARS YET????

I’ve seen it twice! And I’m already thinking about when I’ll go a third time.

I might wait a few weeks for everything to die down though. (I went to a 4:30 showing on a Tuesday that was sold out. This was 11 days after the movie was released. I had to buy tickets the night before because I knew it would sell out if I didn't.)

I think I’m gonna try to see it in 3D next time. I’m not a fan of how everything is made in 3D these days, but I think anything in space would look pretty cool in 3D. Also, lightsaber fights in 3D? Yes please!

Okay, okay, okay. Enough Star Wars. Other things happened in 2015…I think.

Yes, LEGO-related things:

NEW THEMES

Scooby-Doo

It’s kind of strange that Scooby-Doo, a popular cartoon franchise that started in 1969 only just got its own LEGO theme. But I think I mentioned/discovered in a previous blog post that LEGO has only been taking on licensed themes since the late 90’s and/or early millennium. Therefore the powers that be at LEGO, or builders that be, have plenty of older brands to choose from as possible LEGO themes in addition to taking on the latest and newest brands like with the Jurassic World and Ant-Man sets this year.

I haven’t discussed the Scooby-Doo sets yet on this blog, but I did get a glimpse of one set while visiting my friends’ house. (My friends, who also happen to be the co-owners and co-founders of BrickWarriors of course.) I don’t remember which set Ryan had, but whichever one it was, it was super cool. There were 5 sets released in all, and I am guessing there will be more to come.

The sets:

• Mummy Museum Mystery
• Mystery Plan Adventures
• The Mystery Machine
• Haunted Lighthouse
• Mystery Mansion

Minifigure versions of Scooby-Doo and Shaggy come with each set, and there are 11 other Scooby-Doo characters in minifigure form as well.

Here is an awesome video for The Mystery Machine LEGO set, from what is possibly my new favorite LEGO YouTube channel, MADABOUTLEGO.

Jurassic World

You may have heard that Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been breaking a ton of box office records in the last two weeks. Well some of those records have only been standing for six months, because they were last broken when Jurassic World was released in June. (Note to self: make a trilogy of films. Wait a decade or two. Release a new film continuing the original trilogy’s saga. Break box office records.)

Although LEGO had never licensed anything from the previous Jurassic Park films (released in 1993, 1997, and 2001) they were very wise to make it happen with Jurassic World, which made a ridiculous amount of money at the box office and introduced a whole new generation to the world of genetically recreated dinosaurs.

Dinosaurs in general have been a very popular brand of toy since…I don't know, when humans first found dinosaur fossils probably. So combining that concept with the biggest toy brand in the world? That’s a no-brainer.

Here are the 7 Jurassic World sets that have been released:

• Pteranodon Capture
• Dilophosaurus Ambush
• Raptor Rampage
• T-Rex Tracker
• Indominus Rex Breakout
• Raptor Escape
• Gallimimus Trap

Among the sets are 10 Jurassic World character minifigures and 9 LEGO dinosaurs.

Check out another video from MADABOUTLEGO below. This one features the Dilophosaurus Ambush set.

Other new themes released in 2015:

BIONICLE (re-introduced)

City Swamp Police subtheme

Classic

DUPLO Sofia the First

Elves

Pirates

Speed Champions

What were your favorite new LEGO themes from 2015?

Another big new LEGO product was a video game:

LEGO Dimensions – released September 27^th

I’ve already talked at length about this awesome new video game in a previous blog post that you can read here. 

I say awesome despite never having played the game. But if I had a way to play it, I would. This is LEGO’s first foray into the toys-to-life video game and if anyone should be producing these types of video games, it’s LEGO.

From all the different worlds you venture through in the video game to all the building and re-building you get to do outside of the video game, there is a lot to love. I couldn’t find any specific sale figures for LEGO Dimensions, but with mostly positive reviews and additional packs to come, I think it’s safe to say LEGO’s got a hit on their hands.

Other new video games in 2015:

LEGO Jurassic World

LEGO Ninjago: Shadow of Ronin

The LEGO Movie Videogame

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

How many LEGO video games do you own?


And now let’s take a look at the highlights for BrickWarriors in 2015

New Releases (Click the photos to find the pieces on our website):

Knights

Digger

Swordsman

Sci-Fi Weapons

Footsoldier

Executioner

Pirate

Barbarian

Samurai

The most popular new accessories were the Sci-Fi weapons and the Executioner, Pirate, and Samurai accessories.What was your favorite?

It's been an exciting year of releases for BrickWarriors and we have many more to come in 2016, so stay tuned. (And subscribe to our newsletter to be notified about all the latest releases.)

Other things that happened with BrickWarriors in 2015:

• We're in Toys R Us!! Yes, we've finally jumped through all of Toys R Us's many complicated hoops and made it to the big time. Check it out.
  
  

• I continued my vlog, Behind the BrickWarriors Mask. After a fast start to the year, with 9 videos in 5 months, things slowed down A LOT. There have been only 3 videos since then. Maybe it was blog fatigue. Maybe it was lack of creativity. Maybe it was laziness. (It was all of that actually.) My new plan for 2016 is to post at least 1 video every month. In the mean time please enjoy my favorite video and the one I have gotten the most compliments on. (Compliments from my fellow LEGO convention vendors, who feel my pain.)    

• And finally, as you know if you're actually reading this, I started a blog! It hasn't been all smooth sailing, but it has been a learning experience in blogging and LEGO-ing. I hope to bring you even more silliness and hopefully lots more LEGO-ing in 2016. Like seriously, I should actually buy some LEGO. That is my plan/goal for 2016; to talk about LEGO that I've actually seen with my own eyes. Genius idea, right?
  

So that's all from 2015. Thank you to all the amazing BrickWarriors fans, both new and old for your support this year. And thank you to all my readers...all 3 of you. 

A very Happy New Year to you all! May 2016 bring you health, happiness, and lots of LEGO. 


Oh my gosh! I'm so impressed that I was able to stop talking about Star Wars.......ah crap!

Until next time (when I will be talking about Star Wars)....GO SEE STAR WARS!!

*Compliments, general feedback, and constructive criticism are welcome. Any haters that are gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate can go step on some Lego with their bare feet.*