Tag: 2022 Gaming Haul

Holiday Main Street: LEGO’s Winter Village Series Is Still Getting Better

Toy Review · Purchased December 10, 2022 · $130.00 CAD via Lego Store

LEGO Holiday Main Street 10308
Holiday Main Street, 10308. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

The 2022 entry in LEGO’s annual Winter Village holiday collection, set 10308 depicts a 1,514-piece snow-covered city street with a bakery/toy shop building, a subway entrance, string lights, and 6 minifigures, compatible with LEGO’s Powered Up motor and light system for anyone who wants to add motion.

The Review

The Winter Village line has been a genuine highlight of LEGO’s annual lineup for years, and this entry keeps that streak going — the street-level scene with its bakery/toy shop and subway entrance gives it a real sense of place that a lot of holiday sets don’t bother with, and the little string-light details throughout sell the wintry mood convincingly even before it’s actually displayed anywhere near real lights. Compatibility with the Powered Up system is a thoughtful touch for anyone who wants to take it further, even if I haven’t added that myself.

At 1,514 pieces it’s a substantial, well-paced build that never drags, and it displays beautifully as a genuine centerpiece rather than a background piece. Closing out the year’s purchases with this alongside the Rainbow Road track set felt like a fitting way to wrap up a year that swung between giant Vonado builds, bootleg busts, and this kind of confidently well-made official set — and this one’s a clear reminder of what LEGO does best when it’s not trying to be oversized or unofficial about it.

What I Liked

  • Genuine sense of place with the street-level bakery, toy shop, and subway entrance
  • String-light details sell the wintry mood convincingly
  • Compatible with the Powered Up motor and light system for further customization
  • Substantial, well-paced build that displays as a genuine centerpiece

What I Didn’t

  • Powered Up motor and light elements are sold separately if you want them
  • Seasonal-adjacent set, so it may see reduced availability outside the holidays

The Verdict

Rating: 4.5/5

Another strong entry in a consistently excellent annual line — a genuine centerpiece build and a great way to close out the year.

Where to Buy

Hot Wheels Mario Kart Rainbow Road: Closing Out the Year With a Genuinely Fun Track Set

Toy Review · Purchased December 29, 2022 · $150.00 CAD via Amazon.ca

Hot Wheels Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway
Hot Wheels Mario Kart Rainbow Road Raceway. Photo: Mattel

The Setup

An 8-foot translucent Hot Wheels track set styled after Mario Kart’s famous Rainbow Road, with electronic light-and-sound start/finish gates, a spinning “Item Box” randomizer, and two exclusive 1:64 die-cast racers, Mario and King Boo.

The Review

The last purchase of the year closed things out on a genuinely fun note. Assembly took about the promised 15 minutes, and the translucent track pieces with the light-and-sound gates capture the Rainbow Road aesthetic surprisingly well for a physical toy set. Racing up to five cars at once with the spinning Item Box randomizer adds a real element of chaos that makes repeated races stay entertaining rather than becoming predictable.

Individual races are over fast — there’s nothing on the track to slow cars down, so a race is more of a quick burst than a sustained competition — and at $120-140 depending on where you find it, this isn’t a cheap track set, especially once you factor in that extra racer cars are sold separately. It also needs a genuinely large amount of floor or shelf space to set up fully. None of that stopped it from being a great, high-energy way to close out the year’s purchases.

What I Liked

  • Over 8 feet of track with light-and-sound effects that capture the Rainbow Road look
  • Comes with two exclusive die-cast racers not sold separately
  • Spinning Item Box randomizer keeps repeated races entertaining
  • Quick, roughly 15-minute assembly

What I Didn’t

  • Pricey for a track set, especially with extra cars sold separately
  • Individual races finish very quickly with nothing to slow racers down
  • Needs a lot of floor or shelf space to use fully assembled

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A genuinely fun, high-energy way to close out the year’s purchases — pricey, but it delivers on the Rainbow Road fantasy.

Where to Buy

The Dark Pictures: Devil in Me, The Anthology’s Best Character Writing Yet

Game Review · Purchased December 27, 2022 · $80.00 CAD via Gamestop

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me key art
The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me. Photo: Steam

The Setup

The fourth and final entry in Supermassive Games’ first Dark Pictures season, sending a documentary film crew to a museum built as a working replica of real-life serial killer H.H. Holmes’s “Murder Castle,” where the curator traps them in a deadly game.

The Review

This is the best-written entry in the anthology so far by a clear margin — the film-crew characters feel like more than just vehicles for quick-time events, helped considerably by each one carrying a unique gadget that turns into a genuinely clever character-specific puzzle tool rather than a generic interaction prompt. The slasher-movie premise, playing off a real historical serial killer’s methods, gives the environmental storytelling and collectibles a stronger hook than some of the more purely supernatural earlier entries.

The visuals and animation are noticeably behind Supermassive’s own The Quarry from earlier this year, with stiffer, more segmented character movement during routine interactions that occasionally breaks the immersion the writing works hard to build. Still, as a closing chapter for the anthology’s first season, it goes out on its strongest character work, and that’s the part of these games that actually matters most.

What I Liked

  • Best character writing in the Dark Pictures series so far
  • Character-specific puzzle tools are a genuinely clever addition
  • Strong environmental storytelling tied to real historical horror
  • Engaging slasher-movie narrative throughout

What I Didn’t

  • Visuals look noticeably dated next to Supermassive’s own The Quarry
  • Stiff, segmented character animation breaks immersion during routine interactions

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

The anthology’s strongest character writing yet closes out the first season on a genuine high note, dated visuals aside.

Where to Buy

The Mandalorian Helmet: The Best-Looking Piece in My Helmet Collection

Toy Review · Purchased December 5, 2022 · $80.00 CAD via Costco

LEGO The Mandalorian Helmet 75328
The Mandalorian Helmet, 75328. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

A 584-piece display-scale replica of Din Djarin’s Beskar helmet from The Mandalorian, complete with a display stand and nameplate, part of LEGO’s ongoing Helmet Collection line for adult collectors.

The Review

This is the best-looking helmet I’ve built from LEGO’s collection so far, and it’s genuinely not close — the metallic-toned pieces LEGO uses to sell the Beskar steel finish do a fantastic job selling the material at a glance, in a way that plain gray or silver bricks wouldn’t manage. The rounded dome and T-visor shape translate into brick form more cleanly than I expected, and the display stand with its nameplate gives it a proper collector’s-shelf presentation right out of the box.

It’s a mid-length build — substantial enough to be satisfying without demanding a huge time commitment — and it’s clearly one of the stronger entries in a Helmet Collection line that’s had some hits and misses. Given how well the finish sells the Beskar look, this is the helmet set I’d point to first if someone wanted to see what the line is capable of at its best.

What I Liked

  • Metallic-toned pieces genuinely sell the Beskar steel finish
  • Display stand and nameplate give it a proper collector’s presentation
  • Satisfying mid-length build, neither too quick nor overly long
  • One of the strongest entries in LEGO’s Helmet Collection line

What I Didn’t

  • Helmet Collection availability rotates in and out unpredictably

The Verdict

Rating: 4.5/5

The standout of LEGO’s Helmet Collection so far — the metallic Beskar finish alone makes this an easy recommendation.

Where to Buy

Funko’s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Pop: A Nice Tie-In to a Genuinely Fun Special

Collectible Review · Purchased December 17, 2022 · $85.00 CAD via Amazon.co.uk

The Setup

Part of Funko’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday” line, tying into Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+, with each character reimagined in festive attire and sold both individually and as a 5-pack.

The Review

Buying an individual figure rather than the full 5-pack was the right call for a specific favorite character, and it’s a nice, low-commitment way to tie into a special that was genuinely one of the more charming pieces of Marvel content to come out this year. The holiday-costume sculpt is distinct enough from the standard GotG Pops to feel like a real addition to the shelf rather than a redundant duplicate.

The usual Funko caveats apply here too — paint consistency is always a bit of a gamble across the line, and the box arrived with some light shelf wear from shipping internationally. As a specific, affordable way to commemorate a fun holiday special, though, it’s an easy small purchase to feel good about.

What I Liked

  • Ties into a genuinely charming, well-received Disney+ special
  • Distinct holiday-costume sculpt feels like a real addition to the shelf
  • Available individually rather than requiring the full 5-pack

What I Didn’t

  • Usual Funko paint-consistency lottery
  • Some shelf wear from international shipping

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A small, affordable, genuinely charming tie-in to one of the more fun pieces of Marvel content this year.

Where to Buy

The Mighty Bowser (Compatible Version): A Great Design, Sourced From a Less Great Place

Toy Review · Purchased November 11, 2022 · $100.00 CAD via Jooooooy.com

Large Bowser brick figure build
The Mighty Bowser design, compatible build. Photo: Jooooooy

The Setup

LEGO’s own official 71411 “The Mighty Bowser” is a genuinely well-regarded 2,807-piece set with a poseable battle platform base. What I actually bought here, sold through Jooooooy under a different item number, is a piece-for-piece compatible clone of that design rather than genuine LEGO product — same piece count, same overall build, different bricks.

The Review

Whatever the box says, the underlying design here is a genuinely great one — Bowser’s posability is the standout feature, and at this scale he has real screen presence sitting on a shelf. The battle platform base is a clever inclusion that gives the whole piece a sense of place rather than just being a static figure, and the build itself stays engaging across the full 2,807 pieces without ever feeling padded.

Buying a clone of an official set is a different calculation than buying an unofficial MOC design like the mega-figure busts — there’s no ambiguity here about whether this could have been an official set, because it already is one, just not the copy I actually received. The clone bricks carry the same color and clutch-power inconsistencies as my other bootleg purchases this year, and it’s worth being upfront that this was, functionally, a counterfeit of a real LEGO product rather than an unlicensed fan design filling a genuine gap.

What I Liked

  • Genuinely excellent design with real posability and screen presence
  • Battle platform base adds a sense of place to the display
  • Stays engaging across the full piece count without feeling padded

What I Didn’t

  • A direct counterfeit of an existing official LEGO set, not an unlicensed fan design
  • Same clone-brick color and clutch-power inconsistencies as other bootleg purchases
  • The genuine official set exists and would have been the better purchase

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

A great design that deserved to be bought as the genuine official set — the build is a win, the sourcing is the actual problem here.

Where to Buy

LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar: The Character Variety Still Wins

Toy Review · Purchased December 5, 2022 · $60.00 CAD via Costco

LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 75340
LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, 75340. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

The 2022 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar (75340), 329 pieces across 24 doors, with 8 minifigures and characters — including C-3PO and R2-D2 dressed up in “Christmas jumpers” — alongside 16 small vehicle and scene builds.

The Review

This is a genuinely dependable holiday tradition at this point, and the 2022 edition holds up the standard — the character count is the real draw, with eight figures spread across the calendar rather than front-loading them all in the first few doors. The little “Christmas jumper” gag on C-3PO and R2-D2 is a fun, low-key touch that’s become something of a series signature at this point.

Compared to the newer Guardians of the Galaxy calendar I picked up in October, this one benefits from years of the format being refined — the mix of vehicles, gear, and figures feels a little more confidently paced across the 24 days. It’s still fundamentally small, simple builds day to day, but as a Christmas tradition for Star Wars collectors it’s an easy yearly buy.

What I Liked

  • Eight minifigures/characters spread thoughtfully across the calendar
  • Fun “Christmas jumper” gag on C-3PO and R2-D2
  • Well-paced mix of vehicles, gear, and scenes after years of refinement

What I Didn’t

  • Individual daily builds are still necessarily tiny and simple
  • Seasonal-only, so it’s a once-a-year purchase window

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

A dependable, well-paced holiday tradition — the character variety alone makes it worth the yearly buy.

Where to Buy

The Official Tallneck: LEGO’s Own Take, Six Times Smaller and Just as Charming

Toy Review · Purchased November 25, 2022 · $87.99 CAD via Amazon.ca

LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck 76989
Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck, 76989. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

The real deal, finally: LEGO’s official 1,222-piece Tallneck set (76989), licensed directly from the Horizon Forbidden West game, complete with a posable neck and legs and included Aloy and Watcher minifigures.

The Review

Having built the unofficial 7,401-piece “plus-size” version back in June, it’s genuinely interesting to compare notes on the official set. This one is a fraction of the size, but LEGO’s design team clearly put real thought into making the posability and screen accuracy work at this scale — the proportions read correctly, the neck and leg joints move naturally, and including Aloy and a Watcher minifigure gives it a sense of scale and story that the giant unofficial version, with no minifigures at all, couldn’t offer.

It’s also just a better build experience end to end — printed manual, genuine LEGO color consistency, and none of the clutch-power quirks that came with the clone bricks. It’s not going to dominate a shelf the way the giant version does, but as one of LEGO’s first major video-game licensed collectible builds outside Minecraft and Super Mario, it’s a well-executed, faithful little model that I’d recommend over the bootleg version to anyone who just wants a genuine, well-made Tallneck rather than a room centerpiece.

What I Liked

  • Genuinely well-designed posability and screen accuracy for the scale
  • Includes Aloy and Watcher minifigures the unofficial version lacks
  • Better fit, finish, and build experience than the clone-brick version
  • Faithful, well-executed licensed build for the price

What I Didn’t

  • Doesn’t have the scale or shelf presence of the unofficial version
  • Retired, so availability is already inconsistent

The Verdict

Rating: 4.5/5

The version I’d actually recommend to most people — a faithful, well-made official build without the compromises of the clone-brick giant.

Where to Buy

LEGO City Advent Calendar: The Simpler, Kid-Friendly Sibling

Toy Review · Purchased December 5, 2022 · $60.00 CAD via Costco

LEGO City Advent Calendar 60352
LEGO City Advent Calendar, 60352. Photo: LEGO

The Setup

The 2022 LEGO City Advent Calendar (60352), 287 pieces with everyday City vehicles, small scenes, a City-themed playmat, and 5 minifigures spread across 24 doors — picked up on the same Costco trip as the Star Wars calendar.

The Review

Where the Star Wars calendar leans on character variety and licensed nostalgia, this one is a simpler, more straightforward proposition — everyday City vehicles and scenes without any big licensed hook to sell it. The included playmat is a nice bonus that the Star Wars calendar doesn’t have, giving the small vehicle builds somewhere to actually be used rather than just displayed.

It’s clearly the more kid-friendly of the two calendars I picked up this Christmas, with less for an adult collector to get excited about day to day, but it’s a perfectly solid, well-made version of the format for anyone building a City collection or buying for a younger builder. Between the two, the Star Wars calendar is the one I’d recommend first, but this one does its job well.

What I Liked

  • Included playmat gives the small builds somewhere to actually be used
  • Solid, dependable everyday LEGO City design
  • Good for younger builders or City collectors specifically

What I Didn’t

  • Less exciting for adult collectors without a licensed hook
  • Overshadowed by the Star Wars calendar bought the same trip

The Verdict

Rating: 3.5/5

A solid, dependable calendar that does exactly what it’s supposed to — just the less exciting of this year’s two Costco advent calendar buys.

Where to Buy

  • Search “LEGO City Advent Calendar 60352”

LG’s 34″ UltraWide: One Cable to Rule the Whole Desk

Hardware Review · Purchased December 14, 2022 · $769.68 CAD via Amazon.ca

LG 34WQ75C-B UltraWide curved monitor
LG 34WQ75C-B UltraWide. Photo: LG

The Setup

LG’s 34WQ75C-B, a 34″ curved 21:9 IPS panel at 3440×1440 QHD resolution, 60Hz, HDR10, with a 96W USB-C port that handles video, data, and laptop charging over a single cable, plus a built-in KVM switch.

The Review

The single-cable USB-C setup is the feature that sold me, and it delivers exactly as promised — one cable handling video, data, and 96W of charging means my laptop docks and undocks from this monitor in seconds with none of the usual cable juggling. The ultrawide format itself is genuinely useful for side-by-side multitasking in a way that’s easy to underestimate until you’ve actually used one, and the stand’s full range of height, tilt, and swivel adjustment plus VESA mounting covers pretty much any desk setup.

At around 110 PPI, the pixel density is noticeably softer than a 4K display at a similar size, and the panel caps out at 60Hz with no variable refresh rate, so this is squarely a productivity monitor rather than anything built for gaming. 300 nits typical brightness also struggles a bit in a brighter room. For the specific job of getting more usable desktop space with one clean cable to a laptop, though, it’s a genuinely strong, accessible option.

What I Liked

  • 96W USB-C powers most laptops through a single cable
  • Ergonomic stand with full height, tilt, and swivel adjustment plus VESA mounting
  • Ultrawide format is genuinely useful for multitasking at an accessible price
  • Built-in KVM switch is a nice bonus for a multi-device desk

What I Didn’t

  • ~110 PPI is noticeably softer than a comparable 4K display
  • Capped at 60Hz with no variable refresh rate — not built for gaming
  • 300 nits typical brightness struggles in bright rooms

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

An easy pick for anyone wanting genuine multitasking real estate with a single cable to a laptop — just not a gaming monitor.

Where to Buy