Pete Buttigieg Dishes About Why He Appears On Fox News So Often
Vermont’s GOP Governor Reveals He Voted For Biden, Not Trump
20 Best Lego Sets And Gifts For Christmas 2020
Lego has been one of the most popular toy brands for decades, and every year, the designers manage to release some truly inventive kits. In 2020, we saw the arrival of clever Nintendo-themed sets, including the Lego NES and a lineup of Super Mario course-building sets. Lego also released a new line of gorgeous wall art for Star Wars and Marvel. And, of course, multiple new sets featuring The Child (aka Baby Yoda) have hit store shelves. Lego is a big hit every holiday season, and we’re guessing you know at least one person who would love to receive a brand-new Lego set as a gift. To help you cross that Lego enthusiast’s name off your list, we’ve rounded up some of the best Lego gifts you can give this holiday.
While this guide solely focuses on Lego, we have plenty more gift ideas in our gift guide hub. From Marvel and Star Wars gifts to Funko Pops and Fortnite, chances are you’ll find some solid ideas regardless of what you’re looking for. And when looking for gifts for gamers, don’t forget to take a peek at our dedicated gift guides for Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Lego NES
$230
The Lego Nintendo Entertainment System is easily one of the cooler kits around. Released in celebration of Super Mario Bros.’s 35th anniversary, the 2,646-piece set lets you create stunning models of the console, controller, a Super Mario Bros. cartridge, and a CRTV. The TV is the most impressive piece here, as you get to build World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros. A tiny crank on the side of the TV moves Mario across the stage. It’s quite the inventive set all around and would be the perfect gift for the old-school Nintendo fan in your life. Check out our Lego NES review for more details.
Lego Super Mario Starter Course
$60
The Lego Super Mario line lets youngsters create their own courses using Mario-themed bricks, enemies, power-ups, and more. The Adventures with Mario Starter Course is where you want to start here, but there are 10 expansions available to purchase separately to make the possibilities endless. Lego Mario himself has sound effects, and both his eyes and chest are interactive, changing their look depending on what’s happening on the course. Keep in mind that building and playing requires an app that can be downloaded on iOS or Android devices.
Lego Baby Yoda
$80
Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one, Lego has recreated Baby Yoda as a 7.5-inch Lego statue. Despite his obviously blocky look, Lego Baby Yoda still looks quite cute. His head, ears, and mouth can move to make different poses, and he carries the control knob from the Razor Crest in his left hand. The 1,073-piece set also comes with a tiny Baby Yoda figurine and an information card.
Lego DC 1989 Batwing
$200
Hailing from the 1989 movie starring Michael Keaton, the Batwing is one of the most detailed Lego builds to date. The 2,363-piece set recreates Batman’s awesome flying vehicle to near-perfection. The set comes with three figures: Batman, The Joker, and a Boombox goon. The Batwing can be displayed using the included stand, or you can mount it to your wall.
Lego DC Batman 1989 Batmobile
$250
Also based on its look in Tim Burton’s Batman film, the Batmobile kit is an equally impressive build meant for older Lego fans. It’s a 3,306-piece build that comes in at 23 inches long–so it definitely takes up a good bit of space. The set comes with Batman, The Joker, and Vicki Vale minifigures. Though a great display piece, the Batmobile also has a cockpit that opens and two hidden machine guns that pop up. The Batmobile comes with a rotating display stand, too.
Lego Art
$120
Quite possibly the most “sophisticated” series Lego has made, Lego Art could feasibly hang in a gallery and not seem out of place. There are several Lego Art kits to choose from, including Iron Man and Star Wars, and each one has a dizzying level of detail. The Iron Man set is 3,167 pieces and can be built to create three unique looks. Meanwhile, the Star Wars set is 3,395 pieces and can be built to form one of three Sith Lords: Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, or Darth Maul. Buying three of the same set makes it possible to build one huge portrait of Iron Man or Darth Vader.
Lego Star Wars: The Mandalorian – The Razor Crest
$130
Build Mando’s ship from The Mandalorian with this large-scale 1,023-piece kit. The Razor Crest includes a cockpit that opens and closes, spring-loaded shooters, detachable escape pod, ramps, and a cargo hold. It’s great for both display and play and comes with five figures: Mando, Greef Karga, IG-11, Scout Trooper, and an itty-bitty Baby Yoda.
Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar
$30
For the Star Wars fan in your life, this Advent calendar is a very fitting Christmas gift. It comes with six Lego minifigures, six Lego figures, and 12 small-scale builds. It’s best to give an Advent calendar early so they can open a new little gift every day in December leading up to Christmas.
Lego Brickheadz The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda
$20
This Lego Brickheadz set comes with two chunky figures hailing from The Mandalorian: the inseparable duo of Mando and The Child. Baby Yoda is in his floating bassinet, while Mando means all business. While they aren’t large figures, they are more in-depth than they look at a combined 295 pieces.
Lego Marvel Avengers: Iron Man’s Hall of Armor
$48
For Iron Man fans, this is a really cool kit. You get to build Tony Stark’s Hall of Armor featuring his suits and gadgets. The 524-piece set comes with four Iron Man minifigures: Iron Man MK 1, MK 5, MK 41, MK 50. You also get two Outrider figures and an Igor Suit mech.
Lego Minecraft The Creeper Mine
$78
Minecraft and Lego really are a perfect match, and this large-scale build is easily the coolest set revolving around the mega-popular Microsoft game. The 834-piece Creeper Mine build comes with minifigures of Steve, blacksmith, and a husk. You also get Creeper, bat, and cow figures to round out the set. The star of the show is the giant Creeper mine though, which looks great as a display piece, too.
Lego Creator Robo Explorer
$33.59
This awesome Lego Creator kit can be built into three different models: a regular robot, robot dog, or robot bird. The 205-piece set is recommended for kids ages 7 and up.
Lego Boost Creative Toolbox
$160
The Lego Boost Creative Toolbox is a STEM-focused building kit that is dedicated to teaching kids aged 7-12 the basics of coding. After building Vernon the Robot, you can use the downloadable application (compatible with iOS, Android, and Windows) to program commands for Vernon. You can teach him how to dance, play guitar, and explore. There are a myriad of exercises included that make this kit worthwhile for kids who show an interest in robotics.
Lego Technic Remote-Controlled Stunt Racer
$100
Remote-control cars are cool–remote-controlled Lego cars are even cooler. Part of the Technic series, the Stunt Racer remote-controlled vehicle is a 324-piece kit that can be built into two different vehicles, each of which can perform wheelies and fast spins.
Lego Creator Mighty Dinosaurs
$12
For the dinosaur fanatic in your life, this little set can be built into three different notable types of dinosaurs: the T-Rex, Triceratops, or Pterodactyl. It’s a smaller scale set at 174 pieces, which makes it ideal for younger kids.
Lego Technic Chevy Corvette
$50
At 579 pieces, the Lego Technic Chevy Corvette is an in-depth build that will interest the gearhead in your life. In addition to building a slick orange corvette, you can also build a classic Hot Rod with this kit.
Lego Overwatch – Wrecking Ball
$20
Overwatch fans will love this 227-piece build featuring hero Wrecking Ball. It has extractable legs, fold-out Quad Cannons, and mirrors the cool look seen in the popular Blizzard first-person shooter.
Lego Frozen Elsa’s Magical Ice Palace
$70
The Frozen series is easily one of the most popular modern animation franchises, so there’s a good chance you have a kid on your list who still belts out “Let it Go” (much to your delight, we’re sure). This 701-piece kit lets Frozen fans build Elsa’s ice palace. It comes with Elsa and Anna mini-dolls as well as Olaf, Marshmallow, and four Snowgie minifigures.
Lego Ideas – Disney Steamboat Willie
$90
Big Disney fans, especially those who fancy themselves as something of a Disney historian, will get a kick out of this gorgeous Stemboat Willie building kit. Designed with a black and white aesthetic, the scene hails from the 1928 cartoon. At 751 pieces, this set has a nice attention to detail and comes with adorable Mickey and Minnie figures.
Lego Classic Creative Brick Box
$44
While Lego kits with designed builds are the most popular nowadays, sometimes it’s nice to just go back to the basics. This literal box of bricks comes with 790 bricks spread across 33 different types. Kids can construct a myriad of unique designs, with the only limit being their imagination.
FBI Launches Investigation Into Robocalls Telling People Not To Vote
Xbox Holiday Gift Guide 2020
It’s that time of year again and we’re here to help you find the perfect holiday gift for your favorite Xbox fan. Here are 7 gift ideas we rounded up so you don’t have to.Dragon Quest XI S Definitive Edition Gets a 10-Hour Demo That Transfers Over to Full Game
Square Enix has released a 10-hour demo for Dragon Quest XI S – Echoes of an Elusive Age – Definitive Edition (say that five times fast) on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Even better, Square Enix says all your progress will transfer over to the full game if you decide to purchase it.
One might be shocked to hear that a game’s demo can last 10 hours, given that some games last all of six. Considering Dragon Quest XI players can easily rack up 100+ hours before hitting the ending, it’s a little more understandable.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/24/dragon-quest-xi-s-definitive-edition-story-trailer”]
Square Enix announced the demo in a blog post. You can get the PS4 version here, the Xbox One demo here, or the Steam demo here.
“To be frank, calling this a demo is kind of underselling it,” Square writes. “The download lets you play through the entirety of the opening chapters – a gargantuan chunk of game that could take you around 10 hours, depending on how you play.”
Square Enix also added that players who complete the demo will receive a “little treat” for players who complete the demo, although they’re not revealing what it is.
[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/13/dragon-quest-xi-s-definitive-edition-gameplay-full-treehouse-presentation-e3-2019″]
Dragon Quest XI S is an expanded and enhanced version of the original 2017 JRPG, with new story content, new orchestral music, new battle speed options, a Japanese dialogue track, and an expanded crafting system, among other additions.
Dragon Quest XI S is out on December 4.
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he’s still in the demo stages of figuring out life.
PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan Talks About “Sticky” Community-Building
Community is one of those hard-to-define buzzwords. It’s always been a popular concept in marketing, advertisements, and is a key word in the age of social media-dominated internet. PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan offered some insight in a Gamesindustry.biz interview on how the gaming company sees its community–or, in other words, its userbase.
Ryan’s vision of the PlayStation community includes “stickiness and tribal nature” as key characteristics. Ryan defines stickiness as “once you’re stuck it’s hard to unstick,” and is a quality that “probably gives [PlayStation] an opportunity to retain those people, where in the past maybe they’ve gone.”
He continues, “We have the data to support this–the networked nature of entertainment these days allows for communities to be massively more sticky, and kind-of homogeneous.” Ryan hopes to expand this “tribal, networked, and sticky” community by drawing in new demographics. He cites the company’s work on female protagonists and geographic expansions for beefing up PlayStation’s userbase. Ryan states, “I think there is further progress to be made in [the Middle East and Germany]. But equally, I think Asia–outside of Japan–has huge potential for us. And Latin America has huge potential for us.”



















