City Jungle Theme! I'm Excited!

AllBrick

Is anyone else?

The scope for fauna is the most appealing aspect, I am also hoping for new takes on flora too. 

Did anyone notice any jungle natives? I don't remember seeing any. Is it odd that they have been left out? I guess that the protagonists within the theme are focused on  discovering something else so the need for them is redundant.

Could this theme outlast other themes that have previously filled this space in the City line? I wonxer how TLG could improve on this, safari? 

Lots of questions, even more speculation. 

My thoughts of a jungle / drum & bass theme were short lived.

Shib

Is anyone else?

- Yes but not as much as you it'd seem, I'm just after the new animal pieces.

Did anyone notice any jungle natives? I don't remember seeing any. Is it odd that they have been left out?

- No, and no - think you've answered your own question

Could this theme outlast other themes that have previously filled this space in the City line?

-hypothetically it could, but it almost certainly won't, City subthemes are regularly rotated - this will almost certainly be a single year subtheme like arctic, undersea and volcano over the past couple of years.

catwrangler

I'm excited for the new or not-seen-for-a-while stuff (the animals, the giant venus flytrap, the temple), but it's tempered by the fact that these themes do tend to be a rotating showcase for broadly similar vehicle types. That's not a bad thing, of course - me criticising it is about as worthwhile as complaining that there's always another police station in City's future. It does mean I'll be picky about which sets to get, but I think overall it's a fun theme, and I'm curious about the story/what the characters are hunting for/examining...

Bumblepants

I think the large base set is poised to be one of the best sets of the year. Indiana Jones style artifact hunting in a ruined temple + Leopard + plane crash + vehicles should make it a huge hit with kids. I will certainly be looking to get one when discounts start dropping next Fall. 

CCC

AllBrick said:

The scope for fauna is the most appealing aspect, I am also hoping for new takes on flora too. 

The sad thing is what has been seen is probably pretty much all we'll get.

AllBrick said:

Could this theme outlast other themes that have previously filled this space in the City line? I wonxer how TLG could improve on this, safari? 

I doubt it. They could, of course, improve much further doing many more animals, plant / leaf types, etc. But they won't. It will be one and done just like Arctic, Deep Sea, Volcano, etc.

SumoLego

Am I the only one excited about new helicopters?

Bumblepants

SumoLego said:

Am I the only one excited about new helicopters?

Yes.

gratefulnat

SumoLego said:

Am I the only one excited about new helicopters?

That got me wonxering,,,I certainly hope so!

thedoctor46

SumoLego said:

Am I the only one excited about new helicopters?

Did I spot a brick built cockpit?

eggshen

I'm very much looking forward to this theme. The cats will be welcome additions to the zoo I'm eventually going to be able to build. I'm a sucker for utility vehicles like the ones in that theme. 

piratemania7

It's iconic the sense that it's "new" but will surely follow the path of other subthemes - arctic, deep sea and so forth and likely be a one and done idea.

Paperballpark

I'll probably look to get the sets with animals in them. That's all.

Fauch

CCC said:

I doubt it. They could, of course, improve much further doing many more animals, plant / leaf types, etc. But they won't. It will be one and done just like Arctic, Deep Sea, Volcano, etc.

Arctic was done twice, though the first time was in 2000 or something. the submarine theme has been done multiple time, though the closer to deep sea was probably divers in 1997 or 1998.

weeksuk

Any ideas when the expected release dates will be

TheBigLegoski

I am always interested in Lego animals. Though my feelings towards them with regard to how they are designed are a bit ambivalent too, E.g. the brown bear (from several years ago included in forest police sets) is really nice, but why does Lego not put more articulation points in their animal and bigfig creatures?!? The bear's hind legs are hinged, so you can make him stand on them, and his head can move up and down, however his front legs are fixed. Just like with the legs of the bigfigs, they are just one big colossal Lego element. It would be nice, seeing how many articulation points minifigs have, if TLG would have included a couple more on their larger animals and bigfigs.
Anyway...   
This is what I could tell from looking at some pictures found on the web on YouTube.
All sets seem to include a red spider
#60156: Jungle Buggy
1 minifig
#60157: Jungle Starter Set
3 minifigs
animal included: crocodile
#60158: Jungle Cargo Helicopter
2 minifigs
#60159: Jungle Halftrack Mission
2 minifigs
animal included: black panther
#60160: Jungle Mobile Lab
4 minifigs
#60161: Jungle Exploration Site
7 minifigs
animals included: a spotted panther, or leopard; and a crocodile.

The two sets that include the big cats I think are most appealing.

Don't really get why the vehicles are all light orange / warm yellow?! I would have preferred beige (light sand yellow) or dark green, or even a greyish mint green (in Lego this comes closest: aqua or unikitty blue; colour 323), but that is probably because the classic rugged Land Rovers often are painted in these colours, and when I think of going on a safari these type of vehicles in those colours come to my mind first.
http://lego.wikia.com/wiki/Colour_Palette

It would have been nice if TLG put an elephant, or a rhino etc. in a set from this theme.

I suppose this adventure theme is more about discovering hidden treasures in the jungle (like Indiana Jones etc.) than wild life discovery. The cats, crocs, and giant flesh eating plants in the sets are dangers and obstacles for the minifigs to overcome in their quest for treasure.
ps.
The new big jungle knife the minifigs have looks fantastic! Other than that I cannot tell from those pictures what other new elements might be included in these sets.

Bumblepants

weeksuk said:

Any ideas when the expected release dates will be

May-June most likely. 

TheOriginalSimonB

If they really are a Jaguar and spotted version then elephants or rhinos would be a bit of a stretch, being from the wrong continent and all...  Would really need a savanna set for them.

TheBigLegoski

^
There are jungles in Africa, and Asia too. Leopards life in Africa, and Asia, both the spotted as well as black ones. Cougars, Pumas, and Jaguars are indeed indigenous to the Americas. And the term 'panther' is just a more generic term which can be applied to many of these big cats living on all these continents mentioned.
Anyway, still would like to see Lego design rhinos and other big wild animals.

madforLEGO

Leopard and apparently a panther animal piece? Interesting line, but just want the creatures

Greendude

I assume this jungle is based on a lost or made up continent so can have any animals it wants, how else do we explain a giant man-eating plant.

Anyway, 60161 looks fantastic.  Kind of makes the other sets in the theme look redundant.

helicopter

truck

atv

motorbike

wrecked airplane

canoe

crocodile

leopard

7 minifigures

carnivorous plant

temple

cave

trees

Looks a lot more than 813 pieces would suggest.

piratemania7

Any news on these sets and their release?

Bumblepants

Summer City is usually June 1st but sometimes a few sets debut on [email protected] a few weeks early in May. Some stores like Target might not reset their toy Dept until later and new sets might be delayed in scenarios like that.

ImABrickManNow

I'm pretty stoked for this theme. I've always loved when Lego does adventure-like themes as I grew up with the orient expedition Adventures sets.
I hope we get some real pictures of the sets soon and not just blurry toy fair pics.

Crownie

Heck, it'd be great to see them recycle some Ninjago parts for an anaconda...

piratemania7

ImABrickManNow said:

I'm pretty stoked for this theme. I've always loved when Lego does adventure-like themes as I grew up with the orient expedition Adventures sets.
I hope we get some real pictures of the sets soon and not just blurry toy fair pics.

My sentiments exactly and why I am looking forward to this release!

AllBrick

8D

VBaskin2008

Eh, so what?!

LostInTranslation

^ "Eh, so" some people are interested to see hi res images. No need to be so rude. 

I'm really looking forward to this set, definitely on the want list.  

tamamahm

Huh. I have to say I am oddly disappointed. I think for me, it suffers from the same issue I had with Hoth. This appears piecemeal, with so many smaller builds to it. With the photo like this instead of the box photo, one can see that far better. I guess I am discovering that for my larger sets, I personally prefer larger sets. I will need to see a full review before making a final decision. It may be that the jungle pieces feel more substantial once seen in a review. I can see, though, this would have great play value for kids that like having more pieces than a larger structure. 

WhiteDove

Well the problem is that for a jungle, there just isn't enough vegetation. The bigger sets at least really should have another tree or a lot more leaves hanging off the rocks. I can only assume Lego's research indicates that kids prefer more vehicles over landscaping but I find it hard to believe. I think the Friends jungle sets were more successful in this regard - really got the lush green feeling from them. 

bandit778

I like the idea, but like the last couple of years with these type of sets, I wish they had more of the scenery included in the sets instead of more of the same vehicles in just a different colour.

WhiteDove

I should also say however that even though I think there should be more greenery, I still really like these sets and will be buying (some of) these for my son's 5th birthday and Christmas presents - they will be his first big lego sets. I think this is a great theme to spark his imagination and better for him than fire and police (at this stage). However I will also bricklink a stack of leaves, branches and perhaps a few more rock pieces to go with them. 

tamamahm

^ I  think you hit part of the issue for me. I prefer many aspects of the Friends Jungle theme where that extra vegetation/scenery made it feel more jungle. Actually, that has been our favorite Friends theme ever, so it make sense I am automatically comparing even if I had not recognized that.

TheBigLegoski

@WhiteDove   
Of course kids (well at least boys typically) prefer vehicles over trees and vegetation in a Lego set. These sets are designed mainly with boys in mind (yes, of course some girls may also like them). When I was a little kid in 1983 and had just seen Return of the Jedi and played with my Kenner SW action figures and speederbikes all the legs of the dinning table and chairs functioned as big jungle trees, and I just imagined it was a lush jungle with lots of vines, moss, plants etc. When my Lego classic space astronauts landed on the moon or some other planet, again I just let my imagination run wild and fantasized it would look a certain way, even though in reality nothing much had physically changed in the living room; same floor, same furniture etc.

I would be very happy as little kid with these jungle sets, I would probably also, if my parents let me, temporarily hijack some pot-plants from the windowsill place them on the floor, and voila! problem solved; you got yourself a jungle! Get some scissors, some sheets of paper, cut out some meandering shapes, get some tape or glue, stick them together and there is your make shift river for your crocodile and canoe, and an imaginary obstacle some of your land vehicles may or may not be able to cross etc. Build all the vehicles from the Lego set, and invent stories and adventures to play out with your minifigs.

Us adults can always buy or get some Lego trees, vegetation, an assortment of green bricks from 'pick a brick', or our own collection, and create a 'proper' Lego brick build diorama to expand upon these jungle sets.

Btw. I really like those 'venus fly trap' Lego elements, the panthers, and those big machete jungle knifes. I like this city jungle theme. The vehicles look good too.

Fauch

the scenery pieces are a definite improvement over what we got in previous year, and there are many animals. I don't see much to complain about in that regard.

AllBrick

Fauch said:

the scenery pieces are a definite improvement over what we got in previous year, and there are many animals. I don't see much to complain about in that regard.

My only complaint is that I haven't seen many (if any) birds in the lineup.

The new parrot would have been nice (as there is one in the fun at the beach set) and possibly a new mold or two.

Could TLG make a Toucan? Vulture? Crane, Stork or Heron? Even an Eagle or Hawk would be joyful.

MaffyD

I'm used to superhero sets where you get one big vehicle, one small vehicle and some minifigs. This is a smorgasboard of different elements, and I think it looks great. Lots of colour, lots of play options, what's not to like? Although I'd agree with @allbrick - some birds would be great.

MaffyD

^ Oops, just realised that this image is two sets, not one. But my comment still holds, just refers to both sets! :-)

lentil

I love the Indiana Jones-esque/explorer theme of these sets, and the big one with the downed plane and cave is especially fun. The animals included are great - especially the big cats and the venus fly trap. Thanks for posting the images - I had not seen such good quality ones yet.

I would also have much preferred more foliage, animals, and structures to the proliferation of vehicles, but I guess I can take the vehicles apart and add some more foliage in on my own to lush it up a bit. Definitely excited about these!

devilhead

The great thing about LEGO is you make your own stuff to fill in what you feel LEGO missed.

pharmjod

This theme excites me way more than the volcano theme. Id love to see a land before time type theme. No holds barred. Dinos, saber toothtigers, mammoths and whatever else. Have fun with it. Doesn't have to be  accurate =) 

ImABrickManNow

Ladies and Gentlemen, we have images! I feel like I can't go without a single one! :P

piratemania7

^where?

madforLEGO

thebrickfan.com has Jungle set photos, also has pics of the Creator sets, Friends set, Nexo knights, City and Coast guard sets

piratemania7

I think two things stand out to me here.  One is tangible the other is sentimental.  I like the animals and some of the molds - generally, the jungle idea is nice.  The later piece is that this remind me of a lot of the mid to late 90's sets I enjoyed before entering my DA; not quite the "adventurer" themes of the past but a nice reminder.

Crownie

It's amazing how LESS exciting these sets look without the nifty computer-generated backgrounds...

AllBrick

The mind is the best background generator in the world. 

bobabricks

Obviously I'm gonna buy the big one (probably $300 knowing City), just for that leopard, kayak, machete and one other piece. I think the most exciting new part in that set that new plane front. It seems to be cut off at the end to accomodate the propeller setup. Definitely a must have to build a single engine plane!

Bumblepants

So there is a tiger in the #60162 set. Leaked photo on Reddit via @CM4S

Sadly most of the model is a massive helicopter. edit: My 7 year old son says it is a really cool helicopter because it carries two motorcycles.

stlux

Nice. I also like that small boat - looks like a landing craft?

It's not listed yet on Smyths website, but the other City summer wave sets are.
Interesting that this #60162 Jungle Air Drop Helicopter carries a GBP 109.99 price sticker, but #60161 Jungle Exploration Site is "only" GBP 84.99. Does it really have that many more pieces? Seems to have the same/similar number of minifigs/animals.

SumoLego

Bumblepants said:

edit: My 7 year old son says it is a really cool helicopter because it carries two motorcycles.

Note to self - every future helicopter and Quinjet must be multiple motorcycle-compatible.