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Review: LEGO 8075 Atlantis Neptune Carrier

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The Atlantis Neptune Carrier is by far my favorite set in LEGO’s newest series. This set has it all: four figures, a manta ray (which you build out of bricks), and three vehicles in one. This set is very reminiscent of the 7645 Mars Mission MT-61 Crystal Reaper set from a few years ago (Brickset link). Like the MT-61, the Neptune Carrier lives up to its carrier classification by housing a small exploration rover in its forward cargo area. A red ramp lowers out of the front; allowing the rover to roll out to embark on its search for Atlantean artifacts. The carrier’s second vehicle is located at the stern. This vehicle is a small, propeller-driven sea doo type which accommodates a single figure (as does the rover).

2010 LEGO Atlantis 8075 Neptune Carrier

By the Numbers:
Set: LEGO 8075 Atlantis Neptune Carrier (from the Atlantis theme)
Type: Submarine with Mini vehicles
# of Pieces: 475
# of Minifigs and what kind: 1 Professor Diver (Dr Jeff Fisher), 1 Eyepatch Diver, 1 Regular Diver, and 1 Manta Warrior figure.
Stickers? Yes
Price: $59.99 at the official online LEGO Shop, Also at Amazon.com (price may vary) (other places charge up to $69.99, so be a smart shopper)

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LEGO Atlantis 8061 Gateway of the Squid (NEW 2010 Set)

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This is a review of the static set from the LEGO Atlantis universe, 8061 Gateway of the Squid. This set makes a great desktop model. The set is reminiscent of a few of the LEGO Indiana Jones sets which is why I was a little hesitant about buying this set. One of the best parts of the set is that you can mount the giant black squid atop the main structure which makes this ideal for setting up on display.

By the Numbers:
Set: LEGO 8061 Atlantis: Gateway of the Squid
Type: Static playset in the new Atlantis line
# of Pieces: 353
# of Minifigs and what kind: 1 X Female Diver, 1 X Male Diver, and 1 X Squid Gatekeeper.
Stickers? One sheet of 3 stickers
Price: $39.99 at Official LEGO Store, also at Amazon.com (prices may vary at Amazon)

2010 LEGO Atlantis 8061 Gateway of the Squid

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More on LEGO’s Atlantis Launch and Design

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A couple of quick notes. Back in December, I posted an article from The Dail Mail discussing LEGO and mentioning the design of LEGO Atlantis. There was an interview with William Thorogood who was the team lead on the Power Miners. Quite a few people (including Jason and I) have … Read more

More on LEGO Atlantis: The Movie and the Atlantis site

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Update: 7pm Eastern, 6pm Central according to the Cartoon Network’s website. Last week I mentioned that the LEGO Store calendars showed an event for January 15, 2010 called LEGO Atlantis: The Movie, on the Cartoon Network that is set in the LEGO Atlantis theme, here in the US: Somebody contacted … Read more

Review: LEGO Technic 8048 Buggy

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I was able to get my hands on a LEGO Technic 8048 Buggy this weekend. It’s a dual-purpose set, it can be built as either a buggy or a tractor. This is a Technic set that I’ve been wanting. I’ll say up front that I’m not a big fan of Technic normally – I simply don’t have the time or money (or space) to invest in Technic sets and in customizing them once I’ve built them, but this set plus the 8045 Mini Telehandler were two that I wanted out of the early 2010 batch. Some of the red pieces had me definitely thinking about maybe using them with an Atlantis-based MOC. Some of these larger pieces also showed up in the Space Police 5981 Raid VPR set as well.

Overall, it’s a decent set, although as with most Technic sets, I would say avoid it if you aren’t a fan of Technic. With that said, it does have some really good pieces that could make their way into offroad-based MOCs. It’s just a matter of cost – $40 could be very expensive for a set of wheels and shock absorbers.

On with the review and a warning – if you are reading this on the front page of MostlyBricks.com, it is image-heavy. If you are reading the full review, you already realize that. You may just want to scroll to the bottom to read the full review and then come back up and look at any photos.

2010 LEGO Technic 8048 Buggy - Finished

By the Numbers:
Set: LEGO Technic 8048 Buggy (2-in-1 – converts to tractor)
Year of Release: 2010
Type: Technic 2-in-1 Vehicle
# of Pieces: 314
# of Extra pieces: Depends on build
# of Minifigs and what kind: N/A
Stickers? Yes, 7
Price: $39.99 at Shop.LEGO.com or Amazon.com.
Ages: 9-16
Time to Complete: Right around an hour or so (Nearly two hours including laying all pieces out and photos)

Remember: click on the photos to see larger images at flickr (Full 8048 Buggy gallery at flickr)

Box Art – Front:
2010 LEGO Technic 8048 Buggy

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Packing Pick-a-Brick Cups (PAB) at the LEGO Store

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I’ve pointed quite a few people to this thread at the Eurobricks forum by Eilif detailing their efforts at packing the Pick-a-Brick cups at the LEGO Stores. They show how they squeezed over 500 into the cup and how just tossing the pieces in at random and shaking the cup will net you a substantially lower number of LEGO pieces.

I visited a LEGO store a few days ago, and while I was incredibly pressed for time, I managed to squeeze in a decent number of pieces into two large PAB cubs, including quite a few large bricks. Due to the random nature of what’s available in the PAB section at any given time, it can be hard to plan this stuff.

Cup #1 – 485 Pieces

Various angles:
LEGO - Pick a Brick Cup #1 (PAB)

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