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 (55)

The Best Toy I have Played with in 40 Years
This system is phenominal. We own version 1.5, purchased a year ago and we have not put it down. And trust me, this is not for kids only. I only wish there was something around like this when I was 12 - I was stuck with Robbbie the Robot replicas.
When my son opened it for Christmas, we knew it would be a big hit. We have spend uncountless hours working on this together (quality, quality time) and the problem solving skills he has gained have put him in a position that he can now program a computer in Visual Basic at 12 years. (Not that this system teaches you VB, but it sure teaches you logic and structure, necessities for any program language)
We have since bought all the expansion kits, a few books and have built robots capable of some unbelievable feats.
Keep in mind that older Technic sets work well with these sets as well as many of the other Lego sets you have.
I would recommend this set to anyone, especially those who longed for a real robot as a child, not a "flashing lights only" Robbie.

Best think ever
I have this toy for more then a yeat and it still is fun,i keep making stuff i even made a robotic hand, this is the best thing ever well what are you wating for buy it!!!

Beware of software incompatibilty
Unless you have Windows 98 or Windows ME, it may not work (who knows -- you may get lucky). I refuse to use either of these operating systems, which I consider wretched. The Mindstorm official FAQ says it was tested only on those 2 operating systems. For those who can get it to work, apparently it's a great product.

Great Product, but IR Tower has problems w/certain computer
Great Product - but like another reviewer, I had the same issues with the IR Tower and XP. Non of the Lego Support Documents were of much use, but using an older PC with Windows 98 did the trick.

A MUST!!!!!
I am an engineering student and we use these in our robotics lab. Adults with an interest in programming can use java or C to program, children can use the included software. The software is an easy to use visual drag and drop type software. I would recommend every parent to purchase this toy. It allows the kids to learn the basics of programming and see the immediate results when the program is downloaded to the robot. My 9 year old daughter never lost interest in my assignments. This is one of the best learning toys I have ever seen. I am planning on purchasing on for myself to use with my daughter (lots of little parts, messy children will need some supervision or most of the robot will be in the vacuum). Children between 7-12 will enjoy the product, with alot of assistance from parent, over 12 should have no trouble at all with it. Excellent for education, and a lot of fun for a parent - child activity. ... Read more

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

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.

Return of the fragile Lego models
They're back!The fragile Lego models with parts that break off if you touch it the wrong way are back with a vengeance (pun intended).This set builds a Jedi Starfighter and a smaller droid fighter, both of which come with their own pros and cons.

This set comes with one minifig.Anakin Skywalker.He has a blue light saber (not the light-up kind).

Anakin's Jedi Starfighter is the coolest thing about this set.It's a great little ship with a unique cockpit canopy.It goes together easily enough.Nothing too difficult here.Colors are yellow, dark gray, light gray, and black.We get an interesting assortment of pieces here to work with, and a sheet of decorative decals.I have to say, these are some quality decals.When I assembled this model, I accidentally placed one of the decals the wrong way.I noticed this the next day.Removing and reapplying the decal was not a problem, and even though it was removed and replaced, it looks as good as new!There is not a scruff mark on this thing, and it sticks to the piece as well as it did when first applied.Lego knows that the point of this toy is to build, take apart, and build again; so none of the decals here link two pieces together.Kudos to the designers of this model!That's the way things should be.

The Jedi Starfighter has two wings with posable solar panels on them.The instructions say to angle the wings downward (they're on adjustable connectors), but I like it better with the wings straight.If you angle the solar panels appropriately, the ship looks sort of like Darth Vader's tie fighter.It's very cool.Sort of like a mixture of Darth Vader's tie fighter and Darth Maul's Sith Infiltrator.The ship has three sturdy and retractable landing gears, and Anakin's light saber fits in the cockpit with him.This ship is loads of fun to play around with, swooping around in dogfights with the droid fighter.

In our durability department, Anakin's little ship leaves a bit to be desired.It's kind of fragile, and the two little guns on the outside of the wings can easily fall off.The larger guns on the inside of the wings are remarkably stable.On top of the wings, there are two smooth plates that could easily come loose because they're not connected to much else.This isn't a model to be rough with.

The droid fighter is reminiscent of the brown droid fighters from Episode 1.This droid fighter is a mixture of light and dark blue, with some black and white.There are some nice decals that give him some cool detail.His wings are quite flimsy and easily break apart.Just like Episode 1's droid fighter, this guy can transform into "walking mode".Just turn his wings so they're facing downward (the wings become his legs), remove his head and snap it on the front, and you've got a "walker droid".Nifty.He's a cool droid fighter; but again, he's not meant for rough play.Very fragile, and wings easily fall apart.In spite of this, he is an improvement over the brown Lego Droid Fighter from Episode 1, and I like his colors better than that dull brown one.

The fragility notwithstanding, I'm giving this set a thumbs up.If you're not rough with the spaceships, it's all good.Both of 'em are fun to build and play with.

Fun but frustrating
My 4 1/2 year old loves this toy - actually he loves all things "Star Wars" at this point.We had a lot of fun putting it together.He found the pieces we needed and helped me put them in the right place.It develops concentration and skills in following instructions.The only gripe I have is that it falls apart far too easily - so often that after two weeks my son will be able to put it back together himself after watching me do it repeatedly. ... Read more

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 (112)

This is Awesome!!!
I'm 13 years old and thought this is the best toy ever. I got kind of bored with the set that it tells you to make so I built my own. I built the new boomerang ride at Six Flags Magic Mountain called "Deja Vu". I ran out of pieces, so I love it so much that I'm going to buy another one. I think that it should come with more pieces so you can build your own coaster, but that is the only flaw in it. I think it's the best toy ever especially to roller coaster enthusiasts like me.

Fun, but lots of work
I'd first like to say that I find the claims of other reviewers here that this toy can be assembled in 2-3 hours to be pretty unbelievable. My adult brother and I spent about 7 hours building this model, mostly working in parallel. This was our first KNEX model, but we are hardly novices at building complex toys.

I generally avoid Chinese-made toys due to their notoriously poor quality, and I was concerned about the not-completely-specified Chinese content of this model. Apparently, all of the standard KNEX parts are made in the US, and were of a very high quality plastic that snapped together nicely. It looked like only the electrical components (motor and sound box) and the train were made in China (and were of noticeably poorer quality plastic).

The actual construction process was a lot of fun. My only complaint here was that some parts of the manual dealing with the track support system were difficult to reproduce exactly, and failing to exactly reproduce this left us with a track fit problem. We finally had to fudge and use an unspecified part to make the track support work.

After construction, very little tweaking was required to get the model working as advertised. As other reviewers have noted, the model moves a lot when in use. This was resolved easily by building the model on a piece of pegboard and using a few strategic tie-wraps to hold it in place.

My major complaint: the motor assembly. It has a small, difficult to operate power switch. To make matters worse, it's apparently a generic KNEX motor module, and the power switch also has a "reverse" setting which, when accidentally activated while trying to turn the model on or off, can cause the model to jam (and possibly even cause damage).

Once the construction process is completed, this is not much of a "hands on" toy. There's really nothing you can "do" with it other than watch the train go round and round. The actual "ride" from the top of the lift to the bottom is only 2-3 seconds long.

This toy is awesome!!!
Its definately worth the 90.00 bucks that you spend on it cause it is VERY fun to build and even more fun to play with...The only thing is that you have to know and use your imagination to be able to build this thing cause it can be pretty hard in some spots...but never the less awesome!I'm 13 and built this in a Day in a half(took alot longer than most people)but I had fun doing it.If you do order this item TAKE YOUR TIME on it and don't rush it cause I did that and I had to start all over cause I couldn't figure out where I was at on building it.so I hope this review helped you and if you liked this try building the other knex theme park rides such as other rollercoasters and the ferris wheel.

The Screamin Serpent Rollor coaster rocks !!!
This toy is amazing and very entertaining. It is just a little complicated by with a little help it looks awsome. One of the best parts about it is that if you dont' like the the way the instructions tell you to build it you can build your own. You can have your own mini millenium force if you choose to in your own house. If I was to rate this out of five I would give it a four and a half. The only little flaw is that the instructions are a little hard to understand.

screamin serpant roller coaster
my son has one and it isnt extremly hard but slightly difficult to build. it has been almost a year and he still hasnt fixed all the bugs! some problems were bad design, track shortage and when the car goes through the loop sometimes it doesent go over the small hill or get a head start on the chain lift. I think that after awhile it gets boring and takes up too much room and money. ... Read more

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 (8)

crabby castle
this set is neato mosquito! i love it. It come with 2 skeletons with hoods & capes,some old guy,a nerd with glasses{Harry},Hermione,Ron,& Prof. McGonagoL.it took me three & a half hours to build it.its defenently worth the price.i like the classrooms & moving staircase's.it even has a moving clock.if you have the old castle{4709)you can combine it with this one(4757).I have to go now buh-bye.

cool castle
the castle is kewl. it has harry potter,ron weezly,hermione granger,basicly the whole school. i like Profesor Mcgonagal's class room the best. i like how the figures are white instead of yellow.it is definent ly worth (...).
P.S.(...) bye bye

FANTASTIC
It's Great. It took 3 days for me to build it but it's worth it.

Comparing the Harry Potter Hogwart sets
I own the very first Hogwarts Castle. This came out in 2001. The first one took me no more than an hour to build, and the instructions were all very clear.Now the first Hogwarts Castle doesn't have as good as looks, but is very fun to play with. Unfortunately the steps are hard to work and there arent as much areas to go exploring to.
The second set is much better. The steps are not like the ones on the first hogwarts set. They are very easy to control. This set also has many more locations than the first set had. It has some of the classrooms. Plus, this set you get a pair of dementors to go alng with it. This Hogwarts Castle looks a lot nicer and has many more pieces, and for what? The same azact price?
Now if i had to chose one of the two i would chose the second, and newest version, but dont take this review as saying that the other castle is not at all what you are looking for. Thank you!

The Best Lego Set Ever Made
I think this is the best harry potter lego set yet.
This set covers the entire hogwarts castle.
It also includes two dementors,Harry,Ron,Hermione,Professor Mcgonagall,Professor Dumbledore,2 owls,and Scabbers.
There is also a cool wind-up motor that makes the clock move,but you have to be very careful when you get to the where you put in the motor.I bought this set a week ago and finished it in 2 days, but it broke so I built it again.Overall,I think this set is definitley worth the price.
SO GET THIS SET!!!!! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Tie fighter
This toy is awesome! I got this for the pilot, but it's better than I expected. It's really fragile, but it is really cool. I was dissapointed when I saw the pilot. It has no face! I feel sorry for him.

I only have one issue, Darth Vader can't move his hand. He can't come apart either. But thats just me.

easy to assemble
I have a little boy as obsessed with Star Wars as his Daddy. (ok, Mommy likes it too.)This is super easy to assemble, unlike some lego sets. It does not stay together well, but what was a tie fighter today is a blaster tomorrow, right? As I said SUPER EASY to put together.

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

Editorial Review

Magnets spur imagination in this building set from leading arts and crafts maker RoseArt. Fun and sharply designed, the set contains a series of brightly colored bars equipped with opposite polarity magnets at the tips. Small steel balls enable you to lock the pieces tightly together and assemble them into nearly innumerable arrangements. (RoseArt promises more than 500 possibilities, and provides a booklet suggesting some, including a miniature Eiffel Tower.) The set has 150 pieces and offers wonderful creative opportunities for kids. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

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 (1)

Big Air Ball Tower
If you are up to a big challenge, I would highly recommend building the Big Air Ball Tower. I received this set from my parents on July 9. I had the tower completed in about five to six hours. If you want an easier challenge, I would recommend bulding the Junior Big Air Ball Tower. But, if you are up to the real challenge, build the Ultimate Big Air Ball Tower. The most challenging part of this set is adjusting the orange tubes correctly. My favorite parts of the set is watching the balls go through the loop and bouncing off the trampoline. I really enjoyed building the Big Air Ball Tower, and I hope you will, too. ... Read more

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 (1)

An Awesome Set!!!
Wow, what can I say about this lego set. It is amazing! It has a new type of steering, which has never before been seen in/on a lego set. It also has eight wheels that are each huge. This set is HUGE, with 600+ pieces. I really enjoyed making this set and playing the the pieces to make other sets from my imagination. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Magnets spur imagination in this building set from leading arts and crafts maker RoseArt. Fun and sharply designed, the set contains a series of brightly colored triangles, squares, and bars equipped with opposite polarity magnets at the tips. Small steel balls enable you to lock the pieces tightly together and assemble them into nearly innumerable arrangements. (RoseArt promises more than 500 possibilities, and provides a booklet suggesting some, including a miniature Eiffel Tower.) The set has 100 pieces and offers wonderful creative opportunities for kids. --Andy Boynton ... Read more

Reviews (2)

the best
i really like it . durabilty is good.

Bring home a piece of Empire Strikes Back Hoth battle.
This is a cool set to have if you have some other star wars sets.The best set to buy is AT-AT.So you can recreate the Hoth battle.Lego has already made an older version of this set but its hard to find.If you are buying this to play with then get it.I would have to say the Original version is better for collectibility.I have both and the old one falls apart easiely.This new set comes with a grappling hook and different colored pieces.It is also more like the ship from the movie.I reccomend this to any lego or star wars fan. ... Read more

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 10 NBA players you'll hit the court in a realistic game. Shooting, dunking, blocking, and passing, this game has it all! ... Read more