New Ninjago Now at Shop@Home

[Staff]

Just in case you haven't blown all your money yet and feel like paying full price for stuff, LEGO Shop@Home now has the new 2012 Ninjago line. They are also offering free shipping if your order is $99 or more. Unfortunately, they're out of the Holiday Set #2. Still, it's waaaaay better than the prices at TRU right now for the new stuff. They've marked up everything: $2 for 9440 Venomari Shrine, $5 for everything else except for 9444 Cole's Tread Assault. That one? That one they've marked up $10. These markups are across the board for LEGO sets. Let the holiday price gouging begin!
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Permalink: http://www.fbtb.net/2011/11/29/new-ninjago-now-at-shophome/

[Mofo Jones]

Why do I get the "somebody reanimated the corpse of Exo-Force" feeling when I look at these sets?

[itchybreath]

Spotted today, 2012 Ninjago also now available at Target.

[starfire2]

It's not showing up on S@H. Fluke maybe?

[jonutah]

Is it me, or is the whole ninja mystique sort of lost if he's behind a helicopter or jet plane?

- Jon

[starfire2]

I see it now. It is under the "what's new" section.

[onions]

Is it me, or is the whole ninja mystique sort of lost if he's behind a helicopter or jet plane?

- Jon

yeah they are definitely taking liberties with the whole ninja concept. plus, the sets are straying far from the spinjitzu play feature they developed that no doubt made the line a hit with kids. i guess there's only so many battle arenas you can make. though, i think i remember seeing some larger than minifig sized figs and spinners somewhere.

[vynsane]

Why do I get the "somebody reanimated the corpse of Exo-Force" feeling when I look at these sets?

... because they're awesome?

Seriously, anyone complaining about ninjas in tanks and jets not being 'sneaky' enough is missing the point. They're fighting reanimated skeletons and snake-men using transforming tank-cars and jets and over-sized motorcycles that all have huge swords sticking out of them. THAT'S REAL ULTIMATE POWER!!! This isn't about subtlety or realism here.

[Mofo Jones]

vynsane, I respectfully disagree with your opinion about the awesome nature of the 2012 Ninjago sets. Way too much Mecha, not enough (sp)Ninjitsu. liked a few of the 2011 sets, even if I only ever bought the $5 2516 Ninja Training Outpost. I was more impressed with the Ninja sets of the late 90s.

[Tyrant]

I'm with vynsane on this one. This line is meant to appeal to kids and it mixes together lots of things that do. I don't care how the sets look because I'm getting more skeletons to add to the ranks of my Castle army and now Snake Men (and snake themed parts).

[SHL27]

This looks like it's getting a very Power Rangers feel to me. The vehicles, adding more armor (shoulder pads) to the ninjas...

[vynsane]

The spinners are still there, and they've added new pieces (like that round piece with the snake heads sticking out at angles).

IMHO, the design of these sets are so much better than last year's offerings. The sculpting around the front of the snake helicopter and truck is just incredible.

vynsane, I respectfully disagree with your opinion about the awesome nature of the 2012 Ninjago sets.

To each their own. I can't really get into CITY sets even though I'm sure it's full of pieces that would be useful in MOCs. I just think Ninjago is an incredibly fun theme - and I never liked Power Rangers

It's nothing new, though; Ninjago has polarized the AFOL community since its inception, but it's not really targeted at the "A's" anyway. Ultimately, it appears to be making a LOT of money for LEGO which they've in turn invested in new part molds, which is only a benefit to all LEGO enthusiasts.

I was more impressed with the Ninja sets of the late 90s.

That's a quintessential "apples vs. oranges" comparison, though. The 'Ninja' sets of the 90's were a subtheme of Castle, and as such tried to go for historical accuracy, or at least as much accuracy as you can get when dealing with something as elusive and unknown as traditional Ninja/Shinobi. Make no mistake, there were plenty of liberties taken with the myth of the Ninja in the Castle subtheme. That said, Ninjago just has a completely different (ridiculous, cartoony) tone than that of the 90's, but that could be said for a lot of recent themes (compare Alien Conquest and Space Police 3 to any previous Space subthemes, or the Fantasy Era Castle sets, what with its trolls, skeletons and dwarves, to earlier Castle themes).

[volumex]

interesting.. This is not aimed at the AFOL, but if you a younging, well this set would have alot of stuff you can get into...
no doubt some nice parts on the way

[jonutah]

I understand how business/capitalism works. And, as such, I understand why they keep putting out sets that stretch the theme. Call me a traditionalist (or old), but I think its lame to bastardize something so much you can't even understand it anymore. They are ninjas... no ninjas with choppers...no ninjas with ATVs and monster trucks....no ninjas with jet fighters and tanks...ninjas in air craft carriers. Wait, why does a ninja need to be a ninja if he/she has an air craft carrier? Who cares, it sells!!!

Is it wrong for a kid to put a ninja in a jet and say "look dad, I have a ninja that flys a jet?" No. But when it comes to spending money, I want my kids to be a bit more discerning and able to one day say "just because its a "Spiderman movie," doesn't make it a GOOD movie." Its really the old Star Wars episode 1-3 versus 4-6 argument.

- Jon