Connect 4 U-Build product reviews

OK, I have loved Lego for as far back as I can remember, and 'Connect 4' has been around in various guises since Noah first contemplated float'eze for the kids... so to bring the two together is an idea LONG past it's due...

But, it is now done! And we have this fun little boardgame to show for it. No longer vertical, this game plays out on two angled planes, surrounded, edged and manipulated by Lego'esque blocks that the young players can assemble prior to the gameplay beginning... which is almost as much fun as the game itself... because after a couple of games myself, I could see a number of possible alterations to allow for less 'clear shots' and more 'ricochettes' to really add that element of randomness to every piece drop.

As my young son also pointed out, you could use regular Lego blocks to change the colours, add decorations, or even 'theme' the board for gameplay during special occasions such as a birthday party, Christmas family gathering, etc.

Probably the only gripe I had with this was that assembly of the board was a bit tricky, even for an experienced adult to handle, so the younger kids may be OK attaching the blocks to the board base, but getting the base into the stand is a task for steadier hands. So saying, the clever little clip-pins used to hold the blocks to the base are very good at what they do, and nothing came loose or fell off during assembly nor gameplay.

Overall, this takes the classic game we all know (and many love) and adds such a huge 'twist' that the strategic piece placement is almost entirely replaced by strategic positioning of the bumpers - after much study of their effects... and as my 'tests' proved, even if you leave the bumpers EXACTLY where they were the last time you dropped a piece, the same drop will not always result in the same final placement! It really is quite random in places - which of course just adds to the fun and suspense. A great classic game made new by hybridisation with another eternal classic toy... kinda. (After all, it's not REALLY Lego, just looks like it.)

I had a suspicion from playing the other U-Build games that this version of connect four wouldn't quite be the same as it's original version, but I wasn't expecting it to be as different as it was.

The strategy part of the game has changed and a rather large element of chance has been introduced as well.

You still have to get 4 in a row, however it's the getting there that has changed. Now in order for your token to end up in a slot, it now has to make it's way through an area that sort of reminded me of a pinball table. You drop your token in and watch it bounce around off some bumpers and then finally settle into a slot.

I did find the instructions pretty straight forward. On each persons turn they are allowed to adjust any/all of the bumpers on the field in order to best improve your chances of getting your token into the slot you want, this is where the chance element comes into play.

In summing up I liked the game, but found it to be a little more drawn out than the original, so a nice quick game was not something you could do with this.