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Ninjago Arcade Pods Turned Into Vendor Kiosks

by Thita (admin) on March 11, 2020

We discussed the three new LEGO Ninjago Arcade Pods previously (see links at the end of this post), but to recap, they are uniquely shaped large LEGO pieces that look like arcade games and hold a minifigure and a bunch of accessories inside. The shapes, decorations, and features of the pods are referencing the events that take place in LEGO Ninjago Season 12: Prime Empire where the ninja end up getting inside a video game through arcades that work as portals. With their securely latched doors, the pods also double as excellent little storage containers for Ninjago minifigs and accessories.

While the three new LEGO Ninjago Arcade Pods have been well received by Ninjago fans, there are some complaints too. One is that the pods are too big to work as realistic arcades in a regular minifig-size setting, and the hinges on the sides prevents them to be lined up next to each other. In addition, large specialized pieces like the pods are also considered wasteful, as their reusability is limited. However, LEGO fans are a creative bunch, and they will often come up with novel ideas even for specialized pieces.

For example, take a look at these vendor kiosks, using the arcade pod pieces! They were built by a Singaporean LEGO fan that goes by the name Xennethy on Instagram, and is well known for building highly detailed buildings, interiors, vehicles, and accessories for LEGO City type settings. One of the kiosks is selling caps, the other fruits and veggies, while the last one is a newsstand. Notice the different ways the canopies were built, as well as the shelves and containers to display the various items.

If you like to build your own LEGO city, I recommend checking out Xennethy’s other creations on Instagram, as he has some great designs you can learn from, including more kiosks and shops.

And if you are now inspired to build your own kiosks using the Ninjago pods, they are available at the LEGO Ninjago section of the Online LEGO Shop. And for the new 2020 LEGO City sets, visit the LEGO City section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Ninjago Arcade Pods? Do you have any of them already? And have you thought about converting them to something else? How do you like the idea of making them into vendor kiosks? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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LEGO Ideas Tree House – Medieval Version

by Thita (admin) on March 10, 2020

in Featured LEGO Creations

(Written by Geneva – gid617)

After enjoying the beautiful #21318 LEGO Ideas Tree House for a while (see LEGO Ideas Tree House Review & Nature Photos), I got ready to take it back in time and build a medieval version. Inspired by the old LEGO Castle Forestmen theme from the late 1980s, I made some modifications that would make my LEGO Castle minifigures feel at home.

The first change I wanted to make was from static stairs to a rope ladder. Although the original stairs in the set are very nice, a proper tree house just isn’t complete without a rope ladder that you can pull up to keep yourself safe from the sheriff’s men.

I also tweaked the base a little, adding some more leaves and green slopes. The trunk got a makeover as well – just a bit of varnish to make it even better.

A more drastic change was cutting the third cabin in half. I felt it made good sense to have an open storage room, and it’s a little more playable that the original circular cabins. And of course, what would a forestmen’s hideout be without lots of treasure!

I decided to make the roofs straw-colored – the change I’m sure everyone noticed first! This felt much more appropriate for a medieval era tree house than the original dark-blue.

Of course the roofs can be removed, just like in the original set. The first cabin boasts a table and a couple benches built into the wall, as well as a chest under the round window. The new second cabin features two bunk beds, modeled after the cleverly designed bunk bed in the third cabin of the original set.

You may remember from m my previous review that the tree house photographed very well outdoors. So, I took the opportunity to take this medieval version outside too.

One of my favorite things about customizing official LEGO sets is that the LEGO designers have done all the hard work coming up with play-features and making them work. In the case of this set, I didn’t have to think about how to build removable roofs or how to keep the winch working.

Essentially, what I did to the original LEGO Ideas Tree House set was changing the skin. With the pattern in front of me, turning the dark-blue roofs into tan ones was easy and it only took a few other minor changes to bring the set into the middle ages.

Now we’ve finally gotten to the picture you’ve all been waiting for – the sheriff tied up while dinner is cooking.

LEGO isn’t just about building; it’s also about rebuilding. So if LEGO gives me a 21st century tree house when the 16th century is more my thing, no problem! A handful of tan bricks and a few tweaks later, and we’ve gone back in time. You could easily turn this same set into a Native American encampment or a fantasy fairyland.

Some sets are definitely easier to rework into other themes or time periods than others. The LEGO Ideas Tree House is definitely one that’s easy to adapt, but there are other sets as well. What do you think? Did you ever rebuild official LEGO sets in to other themes or times? Is there anything you would have done differently if you were building a medieval tree house? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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Ninjago Arcade Pods Turned Into Vendor Kiosks

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