Pirates wasn't something that interested me as a kid. It did when I was younger, alongside Medieval with a toyline I honestly don't remember the name of. But around the time I got into Lego themes like Bionicle, my interest in things like Pirates drifted away for an interest in machines. The only time I got back into Pirates was the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but with the state of those movies, that didn't last very long. In all seriousness, how many variations on Undead Pirates can they come up with? When I saw this though, I was interested as due to being bound to crutches twice in two years due to my own stupidity, the attempts to kill time have given me an interest in older Lego themes, and seeing how people reimagine them, which this set basically is. Welcome, to Barracuda Bay.
One of the interesting things about this set is that it's two sets in one. Like a lot of Creator sets, there is the main mode, in this case, the Barracuda Bay. But the second mode and one that required a lot of drastic differences being made from the original design pitched to Lego Ideas, is that it is possible to turn the set into a mostly faithful recreation of a Lego set from 1989, the Black Seas Barracuda, the ship that the bay gets its new name from (but being honest, I don't think The Pirate Bay was ever going to last as a name). While I would like to see the original Idea be released to the public at some point, even as instructions and a Bricklink catalogue, I love the idea of this being able to be either the Bay or the Ship, especially as the new look for the Black Seas Barracuda is really impressive to look at. The only issue I have with it is that it leaves a lot of parts from the Bay that have nowhere to go in the Ship, making the sand islands look very barren as a result. That alongside all the detail that gets covered up in the Ship configuration that's easier to get to in the Bay configuration makes the Bay the preferred configuration for me personally, though I would not be surprised if people buy multiple versions of the set to have both the Bay and the Barracuda built. I will say right now if you're looking for a comparison between the 1989 set and the new Barracuda, you won't find it here as I don't have a Black Seas Barracuda. I feel pretty confident knowing that out of the Pirates Lego I inherited from my dad, the BSB isn't hidden away in my Lego tubs.
In the Barracuda Bay configuration, this set is beautiful to look at, something
that's surprising as most of the colours on the set is very dark, with a lot of
brown and black dominating the colour palette. Probably thanks to the light
blue plates being used as water though, along with many other tropical elements
like palm trees, it feels very vibrant, something that is a big difference from
the original design. One thing it's not though, is playable, as with the
exception of two functions (working cannons, and a working mechanism to raise
and lower the anchor) and room for minifigs, there isn't a lot of playability
to the set. It's a display piece first and foremost as are a lot of Lego Ideas
sets, something that's up to you on if it's a bad thing or not. The advantage
of it being a display piece though is the amount of detail in it. From a hidden
treasure chest to a detailed kitchen and tavern, beds that minifigs can sleep
and stay in (something I wish the Treehouse had), a Captain's quarters, even
some skeletons, one of which I can mostly confirm to be an Imperial Bluecoat
based on the hat it has, no idea about the other guy though. I'm surprised
there isn't a brewery here though because there is a lot of bottle of (likely)
rum here, along with a French Baguette? I also love the animals that come with
this set along with the updated designs of Captain Redbeard's crew. Crabs, a
Shark, a Frog, and even some Lego Birds and a Pig, though one thing I wish the
set came with was a Lego Monkey. It was an animal made for the original Pirates
sets but has since become a discontinued piece in Lego's catalogue, as it
hasn't been seen as a physical element since a Speed Racer set from 2008. It's
an element I wish they had brought back for this set. It honestly feels a
little incomplete without it and is probably something I'm going to try and
hunt for after I finish this review. I'm also a little disappointed that the
Lego Coins couldn't come back for this set, but at least you get some gold
bars, crystals and even a trophy to act as the new treasure for this old pirate
crew.
One thing about this set that I love though is the updated look for the
minifigures. With the exception of Quartermaster Riggings and Robin Loot (yes
they all have names in this one), the print work is all really well done. I
call out those two specifically, as, at least on my copy, the torso prints
suffer from the same issues that Minifigs like Mercy and Captain America had
last year, where the colour is washed out, and not as vibrant as the prints
should be. It's odd though as these are printed onto brighter colours, so while
I can excuse Robin's print, as Yellow is a tough colour to get right when it
comes to print and paint, and the only issue I have is the bit of exposed neck
around her collar, Riggings is one I can't excuse as easily. Alongside the
yellow for the neck not being right, the red and white undershirt looks really
bad, especially as this is an older print from those original Pirates sets.
This is something I wish Lego would address soon because these print issues are
becoming more and more frequent, and more and more annoying.
 |
| The original design for the bay |
Though this set lacks the complicated engineering of other Lego Ideas set's
I've experienced, it's clear that this is a labour of love project. Everything
about this screams passion, and it was a delight to build, even if there wasn't
many "that's a really cool technique" moments. What it lacks in complexity
though, it makes up for in presence and is worth a buy even if you only have a
passing interest in Lego Pirates.
No comments:
Post a Comment