LEGO Minifigures Series 16 - Bump Codes

LEGO Minifigures Series 16 - 71013

LEGO Minifigures are awesome.  Normally, these are hard to find in my area.  I happen to be on holiday in Utah, stopped by a Target, and found a bunch on the pegs.  I noticed that there was a guy in a banana suit on the package.  Seriously, a guy in a banana outfit.  I have to have this!

I also noticed there was a guy in penguin outfit...and a baby Minifigure.  What?  I have to have these, too.

So, like many, I stood there and felt the blind bags for about half and hour.  As I was feeling up the Minifigures, I felt some parts that seemed like they were not part of the line up on the package.  Thanks to free wi-fi at Target, I looked up the line up and realised there was a mini penguin as well.  Oh, this is going to take a while.

LEGO Minifigures Series 16

Above is the image I used as reference as I pinched and felt my way through about 50 bags. Eventually, I got the four that I wanted.

When I got home, I did some more research on Series 16.  That is when I found out about Bump Codes.  What?  There are a series of bumps on the bottom of the bags that can tell you which Minifigure is in the pack.  No need to feel, if you know the codes.  This saves a lot of time and crazy looks from others as you stand there feeling bags.  I know I was on the security cameras and the crew was watching me.

As of this post there has not been an update of bump codes for Series 16.  These four should hopefully helps in that quest.  Anyway, here are the Minifigs I got and their bump codes.  There are no 'official names' for the Minifugures, that I know of, so I made some up.  I have also 'enhanced' the bumps so it shows up better on camera.

Banana Man

Banana Man - Probably the easiest to feel because of the banana outfit.

Bump Code:  Two bumps.  Left bump about 14mm from left edge, 4mm up from bottom. Right bump about 12mm from right edge, 4mm from bottom.

Babysitter with Baby

Babysitter with Baby - Feel for the baby's body.  You will notice the shape of hands and feet. 

Bump Code:  Left bump about 23mm from edge, 3mm from bottom.  Right bump about 15mm from edge, 3mm from bottom.

Penguin Man

Penguin Man - Feel for the arms, they will be straight and flat and will not have hands to twist.

Bump Code:  Left-A, 11mm, 4mm.  Left-B, 25mm, 6mm.  Left-C, 37mm, 2mm.  Right, 14mm, 5mm.

Arctic Explorer with Baby Penguin

Arctic Explorer with Baby Penguin - This one is harder to feel.  Feel for the Explorers hoodie, two big openings.  Then feel for baby penguin, you should be able to feel the shape of the flippers.

Bump Code:  Left-A, 9mm, 6mm.  Left-B, 33mm, 3mm.  Right, 11mm, 3mm.

Hopefully, with the Bump Codes and feel techniques, that will help you find one of the four I found.

Series 16 Bump Codes

These are the four I wanted.  I was also running out of time.  This should help others get started in decoding the bumps.  Good luck and have fun.

LEGO Back to the Future Time Machine (21103)

LEGO DeLorean Time Machine (21103)

This is the LEGO set that nerds like me have been waiting for.  Through their Cussoo program, LEGO has released the DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the Future.  The set was released at this year's Comic Con in San Diego.  To no surprise, the sets were sold out within minutes.  Luck for us who did not make it, or were too lazy to head down to San Diego, the set is available at 'select retailers' and at LEGO for $34.99.

Anticipating the rate that these are selling, I ordered mine through LEGO.  These are currently sold out everywhere, typical wait is about 30 days.  You can always pay more at an online auction site or just order and wait a few weeks for delivery.

The set is pretty much what you would expect from LEGO.  Although, the prototype and other fan made Time Machines are more 'accurate', this set is great at the price point and for the general consumer.  One of the highlights is the set comes with pieces to make three versions of the Time Machine as seen in the Back to the Future Trilogy.  Notice I said "three versions" and not "all three versions".  Why?  Because there are at five versions of the Time Machine from the movies.

The three versions of the Time Machine you can build from the set

Anyway, you can build three.  Version 1 - Original from 1985, with Plutonium Chamber.  Version 2 - Upgraded from 2015, with Mr. Fusion and Hover Conversion.  Version 3 - From 1955, with Hood Box and Red Wheels (but no white wall tires).*

The set is fairly easy to build with easy to follow directions.  It is graded for 10+, but you know and I know, that if you are giving this to a kid, you end up building it yourself.  Oh, kids these days and their video games.  The build should take about an hour.  It took me about two hours, but I like to line up the "LEGO" on the studs so they face the same direction when possible.  Yes, I really do this.  I also shot the process using my GoPro camera and iPod Touch, making a stop motion gif.

 

Building the LEGO Time Machine

For each step, I would snap a photo and rotate the base the width of one LEGO stud.  You can see the piece of tape with pencil mark at the at the bottom, where my finger pops in.  There are 62 steps in the build.  The first 55 frames of the gif above shows the build, I combined some smaller steps to save time.  I did not really know how much it would rotate in the build.   Since I finished before the full 360º, I showed the door open and close to finish the full rotation.  Total frame count is 97.

Marking the turntable, using a "LEGO T-Square"

Here is the interesting part.  You can see the iPod at the top of the frame.  I was just listening to it on shuffle, as I finished the build, the iPod was playing a track from the Back to the Future soundtrack.

I did not think ahead to document the process of  documenting the process.  I tore down the set before I had a change to snap a few photos.  Should have taken a before and after shot, but it is mostly there in the gif.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes Review

LEGO Batman 2:  DC Super Heroes

After the disappointment of LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 5-7, LEGO Batman 2 does not disappoint.  This is a great game.  If you liked the first LEGO Batman game, you will love this one. 9/10

As the title suggest, this game features major DC Comics' characters.  Making their LEGO debut is Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, Lex Luthor, Wonder Woman, etc.  For the first time ever in a LEGO game, the characters talk.  This happens only in the cinematic sequences, not during game play.  A nice addition, since I do not like to read.  Seriously, if I wanted to read, I would pick up a book.

Speaking of sound, this game features Danny Elfman's Batman score, or at least a modified version.

Game play is what you would expect from a LEGO title.  There is more a sense of 'teamwork' in this title as you often need multiple characters to complete a task.  One feature they added is the ability to swap  your entire cast of characters while in the game.  In Free Play, you have your eight characters.  Often times the character you need is not in your eight.  In older games, you had to chose your characters and you were stuck with them.  If you needed a special ability, you would either know to select before game play...or replay the level from the beginning with the 'correct' character.

I am playing this on the Nintendo DS, which is usually limited in graphics and some game play.  So, any other format would even be better and worth playing.  This game is definitely worth a repeat play.

LEGO Harry Potter - Part III

Finally, I finished playing LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 5-7. It took me a while.  Why?  Because it was kinda lame. This one did not live up to LEGO standards as far as game play, good but not great.  6/10

LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 5-7

As I have mentioned, the controls of the game are lacking compared to Years 1-4. In a way, could not really get into the game as I did with Years 1-4.  Felt like I was completing the game just to complete it...and so I can complain about it here.  When you create a great game like the first one, it is hard not to compare the two.  I waited a while before I got these games, hoping they would combine the two, as they did with the LEGO Star Wars.  Based on how different the two Potter games are, this can never happen.

It seems the main focus on Years 5-7 is dueling.  About 25% of the game is dueling...boring dueling.  You have to dueling against about fifty characters to get your 100% game completion.  How boring is it?  After about five duels, you pretty much figure out how to beat anyone.  Spoiler alert:  All you need to do is keep blocking their shots...uh, spells...and wait for them to make a mistake.  Boring!

As for the rest of the game, the levels, or books and chapters, do not seem as thought out, and a lack of puzzle solving.  I am wondering how the games would have played if I got them on another system.  Really, the use of the stylus and microphone was simply genius.

Hoping to get my hands on LEGO Batman 2.

LEGO Harry Potter - Part II

I just finished LEGO Harry Potter:  Years 1-4 for the Nintendo DS, good game. As I have mentioned here,  it is a relatively easy game to play.

Interesting note, the maximum number of LEGO studs you can collect is 4,200,000,000.  The game took be about twenty-four hours of game play to complete.  Well worth the price of $20, and worthy of a repeat play.  8/10

Now, I am on to Years 5-7.  I just finished the Story level of The Order of the Phoenix.  I have to say that this game is not as good as the first one.  For some reason, the game developers decided to eliminated the 'casting of the spells' with the stylus.  The touch screen is used to select spells, which is 'casted' by pressing the Y-button...or you can use the shoulder buttons to shuffle through your spells menu.

Another feature different from Years 1-4, the use of the microphone to speak Parseltongue is gone in favour of a Simon-like memory game.  Although Years 5-7 does make use of all the buttons on the DS, I really enjoyed the use of the mic and stylus.  Poor choice on the part of the developers to eliminate this and the casting elements from the game, you could say that they took out the magic.  It makes it seem like these are two completely different games and licenses.

The game play is average. The lack of the features I mentioned really hurt the game play.  Also, I find myself just walking around as I have no clue what I need to do.  The direction is not clear to the users as it was in the first game.

I will finish the game and give a final review, but I do not think I will play this one again.

LEGO Harry Potter

LEGO Harry Potter Year 1-4 on Nintendo DS

I think this is my first video game review.  I generally suck at video games.  So, I stick with the 'easier' games.  One of the best games out there are the LEGO series games.  I have played the LEGO Star Wars series, LEGO Batman, and LEGO Indiana Jones.  After watching the final movie of the Potter series,  I got both LEGO Harry Potter games (Years 1-4 and Years 5-7) and see if the game lives up to the movies and the rest of the LEGO games catalogue.

Now, I am only about half way into the Year 1-4, and I have to say that it is a great game.  I should mention that I have these games on the Nintendo DS.  I also have Star Wars on Wii and PC, but found that this style of game is better suited for handheld.  The other LEGO games have been played on the DS platform. 

Like the other games, the Potter series loosely follow the movie outline.  For the Potter game, there is a better use of the stylus as your magic wand as you 'cast spells'.  The game also makes use of the forgotten mircophone so you can speak in Parseltounge, quite a neat feature.  Not sure how Parseltounge would translate (get it?) on other platforms. 

Being a 'simple' game, it does not take advantage of the use of the many buttons on current video game platforms.  In fact, other than advancing through menus, the buttons are pretty much useless.  Everything can be executed by using the D-pad, stylus, and mic.  One thing that may bother some (like me), it is hard to by left-handed and use the stylus, since the left hand is busy with the D-pad.

LEGO Harry Potter Year 5-7 on Nintendo DS

Graphics are what you expect on a DS.  Honestly, it is good enough.  I have played similar LEGO games on the Wii and PC and better graphic, while perfered, does not really add to the game play.  Sound does not matter all that much either.  There is no dialogue (although a lot of reading in this one), just a soundtrack and and sound effects. The only drawback to the smaller, lower resolution screen of the DS is the cinematics between levels.  You can tell it was ported over from home consoles.  

I know this is not much of a review since I have yet to play Years 5-7, or even complete Years 1-4.  But, if you are a fan of LEGO and Harry Potter, I recommend this game.  Heck, if you just like the properties and just acknowledge the fact that LEGO exists, then I highly recommend the other series.  After I 'beat' these games, I will be looking into the other games by LEGO.

LEGO Star Wars