Review it – Even though our children are grown and gone, we often have families with children at our home. I thought it would be nice to have a building brick or two for them to play with while they are here. In this review, I look JMBricklayer Chameleon set it up to see if it would be fun for the kids to come, connect, and play with.
What is it?
The JMBricklayer Chameleon is a LEGO-compatible building block (model 70124) that features a bionic chameleon based on a small tree. The set contains 827 pieces, mostly in shades of gray and green, along with a few stickers and one light brick. Most of the pieces, with a few notable exceptions, are small, and most are similar to LEGO Technic pieces. JMBricklayer text is “Joy Makes Brilliance,” and their mission is to help architects “harvest the benefits of their imagination.”
What’s in the box?
- 827 building bricks
- A small piece of paper for stickers
- Light brick
- Brick separator
- 94 page book
Design and appearance
When it comes to the design of LEGO alternatives, there are several questions that always need to be answered:
Is it compatible with LEGO? Yes, this set is fully compatible with LEGO. I did a few tests, and everything connected exactly like a LEGO brick would connect.
Are they of the same construction type? These are some of the best building bricks I have ever seen. The smaller ones, the more there are, are the same, and the bigger ones are better. I think any child would enjoy adding these pieces to their LEGO collection.
Do they fit together tightly, or do they split easily? These pieces are as sturdy as LEGO pieces. I generally didn’t have any problems with pieces failing to stick together or coming out on their own. The accuracy of these pieces, unlike many that are JMBricklayer’s lighthouse, are closely related. The only exception to this is the back leg piece, which was too loose to fit the ball (step 208).
Is it cheaper than LEGO? Surprisingly, they are not. One of the biggest selling points of colorless bricks is that they are cheaper than LEGOs. The Chameleon, however, is about 10 to 15% more expensive than similar LEGO sets. 755-this piece Strange Tiger set is 6.6 cents/piece. 630-this piece Hedwig the Owl set is 6.3 cents/piece. 827-piece Chameleon set is 7.2 cents/piece.
How are the instructions similar? The instructions are good, although not perfect. It’s clear, easy to follow, and has a few pieces for each step. The previous steps are painted white, making it easy to see where to add new bricks. There’s a place to measure the axles, lots of markings on where to rotate the set, and a good indication of where to add stickers. There are, however, a few errors in the instructions. There is no explanation as to what the starburst symbol next to the brick means. The bright orange and red pieces are similar in color, though luckily there aren’t many. I found two pictures with the wrong piece (steps 62 and 74), two steps and instructions that left me scratching my head (steps 91 and 129), and one step where JMBricklayer included the wrong piece (one-by-one in step 238 should have a stud on one side, not two sides). To be fair, these complaints are nitpicky. Overall, these guidelines are good, and experienced builders will have no trouble following them.
The book begins with an explanation of design principles. His goal was to become a bionic chameleon in the future, and this set is exactly what this little guy looks like. This introduction really helped me appreciate what I was building, and I hope JMBricklayer will do the same with future sets. There are also instructions on how to use a brick separator, how to measure the length of the axle pieces, and where to go for help.
Sit down
There are five main sections in the worm book, and there were five main pockets numbered accordingly. This made it easier to find the necessary pieces. There were also separate pockets of silver coins, a light brick, and large pieces of green backsplash.
The first major part was the main part of the body. I immediately realized that this set has some very interesting little pieces. Another thing I noticed is that the developers are great to use SNOT method. For example, this part of the body has cords on four different sides.
This installation consists of a single bright cylindrical brick with a built-in, non-renewable battery that is used to light the “pipe” with a bright green color (see the photo above with a close-up of the bionic components). It also has a lot of stickers that added an extra layer of texture to a few bricks.
When I’m done with this part, I can already see the shape of the body and the head. It’s clear that this is going to be a very well-designed product that offers a lot of attention to detail.
The second major part added more that were added to the body. This is where I ran into a problem. I built this little group here, which looks like a little engine. This connects to the main body with two small pieces, and connects the sound tube to the light brick. This section is very difficult, but it is also unreasonably unstable. Every time I plug in one place, it pulls to another. After 30 minutes of trying to get it to fit, I gave up and reset it the easy way.
This is what it looked like after I finished re-creating it. Even this was not good; as I added the round pieces, I had to adjust them several times to get them to fit. I have sets with clever and complex designs, but if the result is not consistent, then it is not a good design. This assembly is so difficult that JMBricklayer calls it “the hardest part” and he has it special instructions on the Internet testing and providing support. JMBricklayer needs to take steps 74 to 94 back to the drawing board and come up with a better design.
The box says this set is for ages 14 and up. At first, I thought this number was random; After dealing with this problem, I think it is probably right, since building strength requires patience. When you buy this set, don’t be surprised if you have to make your own jewelry to complete this piece of jewelry. The good news is that my repair works fine, and if you didn’t know I made the change here, you probably didn’t. Although the situation was distressing, it did not disturb my mind. Hey! Innovation is part of what we do as architects! Be flexible.
So far I’m done with the second part, and the bionic form of the body can be seen clearly. A circular eye is in place, and above it are spines. It looks good.
The third major part was the tail, and this was my favorite part to build. The tail is absolutely sick. I like to use short connecting pieces to create sections that can be fixed or extended. This concept can be copied from other creatures, such as a scorpion or a wyvern.
When they are attached to the body and curled up, they also look good.
This episode was the first time I added some of these larger pieces. I am not a fan of this at all. He shouts, “We want to cut costs so we don’t have to finish building the back of this set.” This seems like something LEGO could do, and I wish they hadn’t used them. Of course, it cannot be reused, like all other tools.
Here is a preview of the final third.
Here is the back, where the molded pieces can be seen.
The fourth large part completed the body by adding the jaw, tongue, and legs. All this was done very well, and the lift is now over.
A large fifth party built the tree and stood the badger on it. The foundation was very solid, and the trunk of the tree was another solid display of SNOT, with studs on five sides. This was well done.
The lamp is attached to the beam in only two places, and is remarkably stable.
Here is the finished back.
Procedure
Overall, I love this set. The parts are good. The design is very detailed and highlights the high quality of this challenger. The use of MOC (My Own Creation) is also high, especially for those who like to be professional, detailed builders who are looking for a challenge. One body part was very unstable and needed to be repaired. The light is rather meh; it lights up one tube to a bright green color, but this does not increase the power. Despite these issues, it’s a great set.
This is not for small children. The complexity and difficulty of the pieces will make it very difficult for these builders. Additionally, this is one of those sets that was designed to be built and displayed but not played with.
Unfortunately, no mini figures are included with this set.
Which I like
- Good tools
- Lots of reusable pieces.
- Intelligent design with many mechanical parts
- Keep the base and cool the tail
What I would change
- Lower the price
- Repeat steps 78-94 for a tight fit
- Replace the large green pieces
Final thoughts
JMBricklayer Chameleon is a futuristic interpretation of the cyborg reptile. It has over 800 pieces that are mostly small. The artist focuses on the minutiae, which gives a realistic look. There is a lot to like about this set. The little kids coming to my house may not want to build this because of the difficulty, but the adults will love the challenge! I can always put the pieces in the box, and kids of all ages will have a lot of fun making their own creations. The only thing that should make you pause is the price, which is much more amazing than similar LEGOs. If this is not a problem, and if you are looking for a challenge, this is a good way to make it.
PricePrice: $59.99
Where to buy: JMBricklayer’s online store and Amazon (Use code VIPGAD15 to save 15% on every page. (Expires 12/31/2023)
Source: An example of this review was provided by JMBricklayer.