LEGO® VIDIYO Review & MOCs: 43111 Candy Castle Stage & 43112 Robo HipHop Car

Caz Mockett (@cazmockett) follows up our 5x5 fest by taking on a further two LEGO® VIDIYO sets today, 43111 and 43112. Products in this article were provided by LEGO; the author's opinions are their own.

June 1st 2021 saw the introduction of several new buildable stage sets in the LEGO® VIDIYO theme. Today I am exploring two of the smaller models, 43111 Candy Castle Stage and 43112 Robo HipHop Car. Both sets are at the £24.99 / $29.99 / €29.99 price point, with Candy Castle containing 344 pieces while the HipHop Car has 387.

Exclusive Recolours & Prints in 43111 Candy Castle Stage

There are two re-colours included in the set:

• 1x Panel 3 x 4 x 6 Curved Top in Reddish Brown (6342957 | 2571) - unique to this release
• 6x Tile 2 x 2 Curved, Macaroni in Reddish Brown (6342958 | 27925) - also unique here, which is a bit of a surprise, as I would have assumed it already existed elsewhere

My review of the VIDIYO Beat Boxes shows that each minifigure in them gets two unique BeatBits. However, the minifigures in these sets have just one each. In this case:

• 1x Tile 2 x 2 with VIDIYO print (Carousel Horse pattern) in Bright Orange/Orange (6341639 | 3068) - this one is for Candy Ballerina
• 1x Tile 2 x 2 with VIDIYO print (Minifig with top hat and candy cane pattern) in Bright Yellow/Yellow (6341638 | 3068) - for Blue-Beary Guitarist

Also included is 1x Musical Instrument Guitar Electric with Dark Azure Strings and White Stripes Print in Dark Pink (6333996 | 11640), which additionally appears in 43102 Candy Mermaid BeatBox.

Rare Elements

Considering it is such a small set, the Candy Castle contains a large selection of elements in rare colours:

• 1x Plate 8 x 16 in Aqua/Light Aqua (6295267 | 92438) - making a return this year after only one appearance in each of the 2017 and 2019 versions of Elsa's Magical Ice Palace (41148 and 43172 respectively)
• 1x Hinge Bracket 4 x 5 x 5 Locking with 2 Fingers, Two on Each Side, 7 Teeth in  White (6317510 | 65132) - also appears in Candy Mermaid BeatBox
• 1x Plate 8 x 8 with Half Circle in Light Aqua (6292997 | 41948) - in just two other sets from 2020, 41905 Rainbow Jewelry Stand and 43183 Moana's Island Home
• 2x Brick Round 2 x 2 Dome Top - Hollow Stud with Bottom Axle Holder x Shape + Orientation in Transparent Medium Reddish Violet with Opalescence/Satin Trans-Dark Pink (6331340 | 40528) - in 4 other sets, a very pretty new colour treatment for 2021
• 2x Tile Round 2 x 2 with Bottom Stud Holder in Bright Light Yellow (6133845 | 14769) - included in 3 sets all released in 2018, and also in 41667 Olivia's Gaming Cube from this year
• 1x Plate Special Round 4 x 4 with Melting Drops on Sides in Reddish Brown (6286645 | 65702) - only seen once before in the tasty 2020 Friends release 41393 Baking Competition
• 2x Hinge Plate 4 x 6 with Two 1 x 4 Studs and Recessed 2 x 4 Middle - Light Aqua (6317534 | 65133) - new mould for VIDIYO in 2021 which I covered in more depth in my BeatBox article, this comes in 3 other sets in this colour
• 2x Slope 45° 2 x 1 with 2/3 Cutout [New Version] in Light Purple/Bright Pink (6290457 | 15672) - seen once before in 41396 Puppy Playground
• 8x Tile 2 x 2 Curved, Macaroni in Bright Pink (6331809 | 27925) - just seen twice before, and this is the largest number in any one set
• 2x Brick Round Corner 3 x 3 x 1 with Bottom Cut Outs [No Studs] [1/4 Arch] in Bright Pink (6294350 | 65617) - its only previous appearance was in 80009 Pigsy's Food Truck
• 2x Brick Round Corner 4 x 4 Macaroni Wide with 3 Studs in Dark Pink (6253753 | 48092) - appears in 3 other sets from 2019-2020
• 4x Slope Curved 4 x 1 Double with No Studs in Medium Nougat (6273854 | 93273) - previously in just 3 sets
• 2x Brick Round, Half 1 x 2 in Medium Azure (6308034 | 68013) - first appeared in  70434 Supernatural Race Car, but it also now seen in 43112, 43113 and 43114 from this VIDIYO release wave 
• 4x Brick 2 x 3 in Dark Pink (6143708 | 3002) - previously only in 1 obscure Creator set from 2004, 4411 Blue Strata XXL, it appears in this new set with an updated Element ID and also in 40516 Everyone Is Awesome

Minifigures in Candy Castle Stage

The minifigure parts in these characters are all unique to this set.

As with the other offerings in the VIDIYO theme, the minifigures have some lovely printing on front and rear. They comprise the following elements.

Blue-Beary Guitarist:

• 1x Minifig Head Bear Dark Blue Raised Eyebrow, Black Glasses with Lavender Glass, Light Aqua Ears print dual-moulded in Trans Light Blue with Dark Azure inside (6338690) - not a remake of 15506, as it has no eye holes and does not fit over a regular minifig head
• 1x Torso, Jacket, Tie, Dark Azure Shirt/Chest print with Dark Purple Arms, Dark Azure Hands in Medium Lilac/ Dark Purple (6351835) 
• 1x Legs and Dark Azure Hips in Transparent Light Blue/Trans-Light Blue (6351842) - the first appearance for minifig legs in any transparent colour!

As you may be able to tell from the photos, my Blue-Beary actually has two slightly different trans light blue colours for left and right legs. TLG changed the formulation of this colour slightly a while back, and some AFOLs (me included!) have been annoyed to find that the older, slightly more turquoise version (Bear’s right leg) is less milky than the newer bluer example (Bear’s left leg). Sites like Bricklink do not distinguish the two variants but they are easy enough to spot if you look closely side by side. It’s a bit of a shame my Bear has mix and match legs on the same minifigure!

Candy Ballerina:

• 1x MINI WIG, NO. 321 in Bright Pink (6347539 | 73272) - a unique unprinted recolour of the Light Aqua mould (6347539 | 75647) which first appeared in Candy Mermaid Beatbox 
• 1x Minifig Head, Dark Pink Lips Bright Light Yellow/Dark Pink Eye Shadow, Wink print in Yellow (6338646) - single sided print
• 1x Torso, Dark Pink/Bright Pink Bow, Heart, White Stripes print with Yellow Arms and Hands in Light Aqua (6347556)
• 1x Minifig Hipwear Ruffled Ballerina Tutu [Plain] in Light Aqua (6343298 | 24087) - a unique recolour for this set
• 1x Legs and Hips Bright Pink Stripes, Shoes, Dark Pink Heart Toes in White (6338648)

The Build

The build is pretty straightforward, as can be expected for a 7+ age classification, There is a minimal amount of SNOT techniques employed - mostly in the construction of the two twirling speaker stacks and the rotating head on top. Both sides of the play set can be used in conjunction with the app for different augmented reality effects. I liked the chocolate fountain here, and the attractive gingerbread head above the two side stages. 

The two large ice cream cones at each side also rotate to reveal different colour patches for the app to recognise. The other side of the stage has a drum kit for Candy Ballerina to bash, when she is not singing atop her dripping chocolate fountain plinth. The set has a selection of soothing pastel hues, and includes a great selection of parts in rarer colours. 

Original Builds Inspired by 43111 Candy Castle Stage

There are some lovely details in this playset, but I didn’t really want to keep it together in its original form. However, I could see those details making some excellent features for a little Minifigure Habitat for each of the main characters. 

Adding some of my own pieces as well as those from the set, Candy Ballerina has of course inherited her drum kit, along with the chocolate waterfall, the bear head and a matching speaker above the flowing chocolate. Meanwhile, Blue-Beary Guitarist has a dripping chocolate topping for his stage, sitting inside one of the castle turrets. He’s also negotiated custody of those two huge ice cream cones and the gingerbread head. I love the Habitat format as you can cram an awful lot of detail into the 8x8 footprint. The features I have kept will remind me of the set they came from while still integrating easily with the ever-growing display of habitats in my LEGO room. 

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New Moulds in 43112 Robo HipHop Car

These elements are all new for 2021, some first appeared in the first wave of VIDIYO BeatBoxes or other sets from earlier in the year.

• 1x Hinge Bracket 4 x 5 x 5 Locking with 2 Fingers, Two on Each Side, 7 Teeth in  Yellow (6317526 | 65132) - only in 2 other VIDIYO sets
• 2x Hinge Plate 4 x 6 with Two 1 x 4 Studs and Recessed 2 x 4 Middle in White (6317532 | 65133) - also in 3 of the VIDIYO Beatboxes (see my full review of BeatBoxes for more info on both of these)
• 4x Technic Brick Special 1 x 2 with Pin Hole and 1 x 2 Plate in Medium Stone Grey/Light Bluish Gray (6326478 | 73109) - only in 3 other sets, 75301 Luke Skywalker's X-Wing Fighter  (see Kev Level's review), 43196 Belle and the Beast's Castle and 60287 Tractor

Recolours & Printed Pieces

There are two recolours available in this inventory:

• 4x Slope 18° 2 x 1 x 2/3 with 4 Slots in Silver Metallic/Flat Silver (6167922 | 61409) - surprisingly this is a new colour for 2021; additionally it appears 16 times in 76174 Spider-Man's Monster Truck vs. Mysterio, an excellent colour to give your greebles a bit more character 
• 2x Tile 1 x 1 Half Circle in Transparent Light Blue/Trans-Light Blue (6251070 | 35398) - a unique recolour of this piece

There are several printed items of note as well:

• 1x Tile 2 x 2 with VIDIYO print (TV-Head Singer pattern) in Bright Bluish Green/Dark Turquoise (6341640) - Sing-Bot’s unique BeatBit
• 1x Tile 2 x 2 with VIDIYO print (Graffiti Artist pattern) in Bright Yellowish Green/Lime (6341641) - Bass-Bot’s unique BeatBit
• 1x Tile 2 x 4 with Dancing Figure print (VIDIYO) in Black (6347437 | 87079) - in 2 other sets in the current VIDIYO wave, 43113 K-Pawp Concert and 43115 The Boombox (which I reviewed a few weeks ago)
• 1x Musical Instrument Guitar Electric 'ML' Type with Silver Strings and Silver Tiger Stripes Print (6346057 | 17356) - also in K-Pawp Concert and The Boombox
• 1x Tile Round 2 x 2 with Silver Vinyl LP Record print in White (6346038 | 14769) - another print unique to this set 

Rare Elements

There are not so many rare elements in this set compared to the Candly Castle Stage, and their colours are somewhat more muted. They also inevitably lean heavily towards vehicle builds:

• 4x Mudguard 2 x 4 x 2 in Black (6252537 | 35789) - also appears in 2 Speed Champions sets and 76173 Spider-Man and Ghost Rider vs. Carnage
• 2x Hub Cap 24mm without Tube in Black (6253649 | 49098) - made its debut in 2019 in 75893 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and 1970 Dodge Charger R/T but now also in a handful of VIDIYO releases including 43107 HipHop Robot BeatBox, 43114 Punk Pirate Ship and The Boombox
• 1x Slope Curved 2 x 2 with Stud Notches in Light Bluish Gray (6305049 | 66956) - included in just 5 other sets
• 2x Brick Round, Half 1 x 2 in Medium Azure (6308034 | 68013) - only in Supernatural Race Car previously, but it also now occurs additionally in 43111, 43113 and 43114 from this VIDIYO release wave 
• 3x Plate Special 1 x 4 with 2 Studs with Groove [New Underside] in Blue (6292291 | 41740) - surprisingly this has only been in one other set, 40431 BB-8 from the Brick Sketches line (even the older version 92593 without groove had only appeared once in a BrickHeadz set)
• 4x Wheel 18 x 12 with Pin Hole and Stud in White (6290262 | 66727) - in 3 other sets, 76897 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1, 41443 Olivia's Electric Car and 41681 Forest Camper Van and Sailboat
• 1x Windscreen 3 x 6 x 1 Curved with Rectangular Stud Holder in Bottom in Transparent/Trans-Clear (6246850 | 35298) - appears in just 5 other sets

Minifigures in Robo HipHop Car

The minifigure parts in these characters are once again unique to this set. We are treated to some metallic gold and silver printing on both figures - which doesn’t show up as well in the photos as it does in real life, unfortunately. The heads are single-sided.

The minifigure elements are listed below.

Sing-Bot:

• 1x MINI WIG, NO. 325 in Warm Gold/Pearl Gold (6347610 | 77184) - a wonderful new mould which also appears in Coral (6336757) in the Punk Pirate Ship
• 1x Minifig Head, Robot, Silver Face, Yellow Eyes print in Titanium Metallic/Pearl Dark Gray (6338654) 
• 1x Torso, Hoody, White Laces, Silver Circuitry print with Yellow Arms, Light Bluish Gray Hands, in Yellow (6347410)
• 1x Legs and Hips Gold/Silver Circuitry, Toes, Belt print in Titanium Metallic/Pearl Dark Gray (6346052)

Bass-Bot:

• 1x Minifig Hair with Visor, Equaliser and White Hair Print in Black (6338692 | 72250) - a recolour of element 6331799 from HipHop Robot DJ BeatBox
• 1x Minifig Head Blue Eyes, Silver Circuitry print in Pearl Gold (6338653)
• 1x Minifig Neckwear Hood Folded Down in White (6294387 | 15428) - previously seen in 3 Hidden Side releases from 2020, 70435 Newbury Abandoned Prison, 70432 Haunted Fairground and 70429 El Fuego's Stunt Plane 
• 1x Torso, Pearl Dark Gray/Silver Jacket, Gold Chest, Dark Azure Decorations with Odd Arms, Left Flat Silver Arm, Right Pearl Dark Gray Arm, Pearl Gold Hands [Plain] in Titanium Metallic/Pearl Dark Gray (6347444)
• 1x Legs and Hips, Pearl Dark Grey/Gold Belt, Silver Circuitry print in White (6338652)

The Build

If I’m honest, I found this build a bit boring, but then I’m not really a car person or in the 7+ target demographic. I do like the big, ostentatious front grille very much, and it certainly has the potential to be an excellent limo, but I think they missed a trick by not having it able to transform into a better car somehow. 

As well as the two outrigger stages on either side, the rear of the vehicle has a jacuzzi with bar, but it is overshadowed somewhat by the massive robot head in the middle of the car. I prefer the other side which normally faces front, which is far less menacing!

Original Build Inspired by 43112 Robo HipHop Car

As my LEGO City is mainly water-bound and has few roads, I decided I didn’t need another vehicle and just kept the essence of the car to provide a nice bit of stage set on which Bass-Bot can perform. I added plenty of my own pieces, but he retains that less-threatening of the buildable heads, a big speaker and both BeatBits from this set. I have other plans for Sing-Bot, so I didn’t make another habitat for them.

I’m sure you will ask, so here’s an image of all three Habitats stacked up together. I’m certainly not going to make a Habitat for each and every VIDIYO character, but I’m gathering quite a collection and the band will look great when they are all finished.

Conclusion

Both sets provide decent value for money at their price point. Personally I found Candy Castle Stage more appealing, with many interesting pieces in rarer colours, giving AFOLs great potential for MOCs. The car was less interesting but I’m sure it will be popular with folks who are not so keen on the cutesy colours of the Castle. MOCing potential of the parts is definitely biased towards vehicles here, but will likely have less appeal to the generalist.

The Castle and the Car both provide us with some more quirky and highly detailed minifigures which have good quality prints, unique elements and new moulds for their accessories. I was a little disappointed that my version of Blue-Beary Guitarist came with non-matching legs, as left and right seemed to be moulded from the two different variations of trans light blue plastic. I could understand them perhaps being different from one copy of the set to another, but this mismatch is definitely a point deducted from TLG’s normally excellent quality control. 

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