LEGO Hidden Side Newbury Haunted High School 70425 Building Kit, School Playset for 9+ Year Old Boys and Girls, Interactive Augmented Reality Playset (1,474 Pieces)

Legos are wonderful educational toys but the cost has become astronomical making it to become only a “special” present for most average kids.

My son loved this!

Our four year old is a huge fan of legos, and he was excited to put together this set. He was able to do it 95% himself, with just a little occasional help. This ghost train has so many fun features. The engine has wings that fold out and in using a lever in the roof. One of the cars has a clear jail-like compartment that mini figures fit inside. And the third car has a large weapon on top. Most of the mini figures can transform into ghost versions with a new head and hair. The winged train is definitely our sons favorite aspect of this figure, the wings snap in and out in a very satisfying way. It would be nice if more tracks were included so you could actually drive the train around. There are only enough tracks for it to sit in place. The set comes with a free augmented reality game you can download to a phone or tablet. The game didn’t work on the older tablet our son uses. So we played on a phone. It was fairly easy to capture a picture of our train, but you only really needed to use the LEGO set once during the game — you set a color dial then scan that color. After that, the game doesn’t really need the set at all, and in fact it would probably be more fun without it, since it’s annoying to try to keep the phone oriented on the train. You basically just tap the image of the train to find trouble spots, then scan a minifigure, then fight a ghost. It takes about 5 mins. Then it’s over. And that’s it. You can repeat with some variations, but there’s not much to it. So that was a little disappointing. But legos have always been plenty of fun with no bonus game, so no real harm done! It’s still a fun set. We havent touched the game since, but our son is still playing with the train.

Directions were explicit-extra parts just incase- all parts are spot on & manufactured precisely. Lots of moving parts and pleased with overall kit

Lego has built a legacy with the little plastic blocks, which by now come in many different colors and shapes. Sets like this one are Legos attempt to capture the audience beyond the build process. That also means that if you plan on this toy to pull the kids from the omnipresent (smart) screens, it wont do that as the main game idea is based on augmenting the physical toy with virtual gameplay. Halloween is (almost) around the corner and a ghost train the perfect theme for the season. My test subjects, also known as kids, are 6 and 9 years old and they do have ipads at their disposal. With Halloween 2 months away, perfect setting and timing for us. Assembly is rated to fit an 8-year-old. Of course, that also implies some Lego experience to decode the (excellent) build instructions, so you mileage (age) may vary but it most likely turns into an activity thats supported by an older sibling or a parent. In fact, i would highly recommend it as there are a lot of parts and frustration can keep little ones from enjoying this set. (Not all blocks are easily identifiable without a bit of interpretation.) The set has a short section of rails included and obviously wont make a closed track to play like a traditional train set. But this is a Lego, so the journey is half the fun (of building the train and station). Were currently still in the building process (which I want to help but not take over). However, with, portions complete I decided to cheat a bit and downloaded the Hidden Side app on my phone (which they dont know about yet). It seems like they will have a lot of fun exploring the ghost world of the train, but for now we have plenty time to assembly the almost 700 pieces. (You may want to dedicate a spot since its not built over night.)

My Son and I had a great time building this. Another great idea from Lego.

My Nephew was Over the Moon! Perfect Christmas gift!

I thought I was ordering the train from Harry Potter, so I returned this one. I liked it, but it wasnt the one I needed for gift giving.

Love it.. . great christmas gift

The Lego 70424 hidden side ghost train express building kit, is comprised of 698 components made in Denmark, Hungary, Mexico, China, the Czech Republic, and the USA. In addition to building the ghost train, an app is used to add interactive play using augmented reality. This kit is built in 5 steps detailed in the included instruction book. Each step comes with a set of numbered bags containing the parts needed. While this kit can be built by a single person, it is far more fun to get a buddy to join in. My boyfriend’s niece helped me build this kit, where she built certain parts and more often found the parts for me to assemble. This build took place in one afternoon and was greatly enhanced by friendly chatter, joking around, and much laughter. The 5 steps were mostly broken down to building the station, the back portion of the engine, completing the engine, the science car, and the container cart. The wings of the engine are set to swing out with the flip of a switch, while the mouth opens by twisting a lever. The station also has moving parts to change from normal to scary. The app takes longer than normal to download and install. Getting started wasn’t difficult though. I opened the app and followed instructions. The most challenging part was when I had to line up the train with the outline for the app to recognize it. The table was lit with the light source behind the train, and the app didn’t recognize the train until a flash of light occurred. From there I could choose to be a hunter or ghost and play the game. Once game play is complete, I could spend points on things like upgrades and capsules. The game is fun and has several skill levels. If you’re searching for an interactive Lego set, the Lego 70424 hidden side ghost train express building kit is a fun option to consider. ► PROS: Fun to build with a friend Hidden transition parts Comes alive with game app ► CONS: Instructions could be clearer