Set Review ➟ 60271 Main Square
Front view
Since time ago, at this days, LEGO® has launched new sets, to make the end of the holidays happier. And within the new sets, the city ones are always there.
Well, here we have one of the main city sets, 60271, Main Square. It’s a set similar to the 60097, City Square, and 60233, Donut Shop Opening, that is, it’s a set composed of several minor sets and seeks to complete our city dioramas for the variety of these small sets.
The set that concerns us is based on the new animated series that is broadcast in the United States entitled Lego City Adventures, therefore the buildings and characters appear in the series.
Box and Instructions
The front of the box shows all the minisets that make up the set placed to highlight the town hall, where some action is shown with the pursuit of the motorcycle, and the tram is shown as if it were a monorail (was it necessary?).
In the upper right part of the box there is a new concept that LEGO® presents, they show us a family of minifigs, and the motto “Build Together”.
Build together concept
The back of the box, as usual, comes with vignettes of different parts of the set where we are shown parts that open, move, and that give the set playability. This is where you can better appreciate that it is a tram and not a monorail.
Box rear view
The content of the box consists of 12 bags of numbered pieces, two separate bags of specific large pieces, such as large plates, or the fronts of the tram. And finally, the pack of instructions booklets and the sticker sheet.
Box content
Not too much to say about the instructions, in my opinion, too many instruction booklets, adding to that feeling of having taken a handful of minisets and putting them in a big box. At the beginning of the instruction booklets, the concept of “Build it all together” is clarified. The idea is that each member of the family takes an instruction booklet, the numbered bags corresponding to that miniset and build, so all members of the family can be assembling something at the same time and together.
Instruction booklets
Minifigures
In the set are 14 minifigures, 6 of them have names and surnames, as shown on the front of the box, it seems they must be regular characters from the animated series. They are, Snake Rattler, the thief; Duke Detain, the cop; Freya McCloud, the firefighter; Poppy Starr, the singer; Harl Hubbs, the handyman, and finally Mayor Fleck, who for some reason explained in the animated series, wears a corncob costume, over the mayor’s suit and band.
Minifigs
The rest of the minifigures are a whole family, with dad, mom, daughter and son; the driver of the mayor’s limousine; an employee of the diner restaurant; the tram driver and finely a citizen of LEGO® City, on this one note that it features what appears to be a hands-free / headset on the right side of the head.
Mayor with band and corncob suit
Detail of the ear device
Vehicles
Once we start with the building, the first three instruction booklets are those dedicated to the vehicles, along with the seventh, which is the manual for building the tram.
First, the thief’s motorcycle is built, along with the police officer’s buggy, and the “boxcycle”—to call it somehow—of the city handyman. Nothing to highlight, only the motorcycle, which is the new model that LEGO® has released this year. To tell the truth, it’s difficult to classify/describe the handyman vehicle, but it looks fine and fulfills its function perfectly.
Motorcycle and the buggy
The “boxcycle”
The next vehicle to build is the firefighting helicopter, which does not fit into the context as there is no fire anywhere, I imagine it’s a recurring vehicle in the animated series. From construction point of view, nothing to say, quick and easy assembly.
We finish this section of vehicles with the limousine, another simple assembly, where to give it some props it includes a mug and a screen for the passenger area.
Helicopter and limousine
Tram
It deserves a separate mention, because of the impression it transmits when seeing the box. As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the initial impression was the possibility that it was a monorail. Truth is, many of LEGO® fans, including myself, want a return or an upgrade of the monorail.
When you look at the back of the box, or when you start to assemble this part of the set, you can see that it’s another tram, being the third we have for our city, along with the blue tram that comes in set 8404, Public Transport Station, and the orange tram from set 60097, City Square. Unlike the previous two, the piece used for the front, improves the design, despite the fact that the inside is very basic and easy to assemble. It’s a pity that, taking advantage of the catalog of rail sections that exists for the roller coaster, it has not been designed to circulate on them, so when elevated we would have a new version of the monorail (for the future, perhaps?).
Tram building detail
In addition to the tram—articulated, with a central body—in this phase a small depot with a ticket machine and a vending machine are built to wait for the next tram.
Tram with small depot
Buildings
Being strict, this point of the article should be divided into two parts, buildings, itself, and the rest of the minisets, due to buildings itself we have two, the Diner and the City Hall, and then we have the park and the concert stage, but not to extend it more than necessary I bring them all together in this section.
As I have mentioned, we have a concert stage, where the singer plays a concert, not to much to say about it, as the rest of the set, simple assembly, where what highlights are the speakers and little else. Regarding the park, despite being quick to build, it’s quite complete for its size, there are a couple of trees, a statue in the middle of a fountain, two street lamps, which are used to hang some party decorations, a bench and a table where the family is having a picnic.
Concert stage
Park
Later we have the Diner, which along with the tram, is the best of this set. For the size and the assembly without complications it has, it’s a very complete construction, aesthetically it shows the typical image of the roadside diners in the United States. Inside it’s the most complete of all the buildings in this set, it has a well differentiated customer area, with table, chairs and hamburger included, and the food ordering and kitchen area, with cash register, sauces for food, stove area and beverage dispenser, including a pan storage cabinet. All topped off with a giant hamburger where I find the piece used to make the meat interesting.
Diner interior
Part used as meat
Diner
And finally we have the City Hall, and to be honest, I don’t really know how to approach my comments regarding the City Hall. Construction don’t change, fast, no mystery, and even with something I just can’t understand, the side turrets are built separately and then attached with technic pins. If we talk about the interior, we find the main floor where it simulates an exhibition of trophies and the keys to the city, with a laser system that protects them, I understand that’s to give it some playability to the set with the thief. I’m pretty sure that watching the animated series all this will make more sense. The upper floor has the mayor’s office, with his table, where he has breakfast ready, some mail and a computer, as well as an umbrella stand with his umbrella and a space to leave his briefcase. On the roof we have a small structure that has the clock, and in the back a room, probably for the handyman to leave their work utensils. Not forgetting the cat that is looking around for the seagull.
City hall interior with laser system
Turret attached by pins technic
Conclusions
If what you want are small sets that adds atrezzo to your city diorama, and complement those that come in “Donut Shop Opening” (60233), “City Square” (60097) and “City Corner” (7641) this is a good set to get, without great expectations but for that purpose gives good results.
Set completed
If instead you are looking for a city set because you like the theme, and/or because you want to enjoy with its bricks, unfortunately I cannot recommend it, I think it lacks some details to enjoy the construction and even improve the gameplay. Regardless, the tram and the diner are worth it, as I said, the best of the set.
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