I am not going to lie, Capital City (60200) was not high on my list of sets to buy. However, that does not mean that the set did not interest me. I was intrigued by the signage included in the kit, as well as some of the builds. It was the price tag that set me off. When the opportunity came to review this set for free, I jumped at the chance. I have bought these types of city-building sets in the past. While the builds never remain as designed in my custom city, I preserve some of the facades and designs that appeal to me. This set has some highlights that I do really like. As I write this, Capital City is nearing retirement. So, let’s look at it while you still have time to pick one up.
Disclaimer:
This set was provided to me by The LEGO® Group for review. However, the provision of sets does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use my usual rating system (click here to learn more), and provide my honest opinion.
Capital City (60200) Summary
- SET NAME: Capital City
- SET #: 60200
- THEME: City
- COST: $179.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 1211
- MINIFIGURES: 13
- RELEASE DATE: August 1, 2018
Capital City (60200) Quick Review
- VALUE: 81% (Ok cost-per-brick for a City set, good build-time value.)
- BUILD: 80% (Lots to build, but none of it is very detailed.)
- MINIFIGURES: 80% (Lots of Minifigures, but most are generic.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 70% (Great for KFOL city-building, AFOLs may not feel the same.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 78%
Capital City (60200) Full Review
VALUE: 81%
At full price, Capital City clocks in at a whopping $179.99 in Canada. With 1211 pieces, the set costs $0.15 per brick. That is a touch over my current average of $0.14/brick, meaning it is not a terrible value. Additionally, as far as the City theme sets go, it is actually a good value. On average, City sets have cost me $0.17/brick. I rate the value-per-brick of Capital City at 77%.
This kit took me an even four hours (240 minutes) to assemble from start to finish. As such, the set gives you a lot of build time. In fact, each minute breaks down to $0.75. Given that my current average cost-per-minute is $0.82, Capital City is a decent value. I rate the cost-per-minute at 84%. Averaging this with the cost-per-brick score yields an overall value rating of 81%.
BUILD: 80%
Several small builds make up the Capital City set. As with many sets of this nature, detail is not the focus of the builds. This set is about quantity over quality in my mind. That is not to say that you do not get some nice things. However, each one of the city scenes in this kit could have been a set unto itself, which most likely would have given each more detail.
The first build is a little electric car and charging station. The car is a recycle for me. It is rather tiny, and I do not find it particularly well designed, or aesthetically pleasing. On the plus side, the car does have opening doors. Conversely, the charging station is simple, but nice. I might add the design a street corner somewhere in my city. Some tile work on the back would make it look nicer as a standalone piece though. As an individual set, I rate this build at 7/10.
Second, the set includes an ice cream car. Again, I am not particularly fond of this design. It is not bad, but it lacks substance. It serves as a sort of open-air, mobile ice cream bar. There is a little fridge with an ice cream cone dispenser on the side. I am not a fan of the little dish included behind the fridge. It contains loose studs as ice cream balls. They are perpetually falling out, and I have already lost one. The signage on the side of the car will certainly find a good use in a MOC project though. As an individual set, I rate this car at 8/10.
Rarely good in a LEGO® set, the ice cream truck contains loose studs.
Third, you build a skateboard halfpipe. A ladder of sorts leads up to the top on one side. An oversized basketball net adorns the other. This build is an interesting concept, but it would have been better as a standalone set with more detail. A skate park set, perhaps. This way, the halfpipe could have had actual platforms at the top on either side. A separate basketball net off to the side would have made a nice detail. I do like the skateboard included, and again, the idea for this build is a good one. As an individual set, I rate the halfpipe at 8/10.
The fourth build is a blue sports car. While not at the caliber of a Speed Champions set, I do like this car. Compared to the cars from older sets of a similar nature (such as City Square – 60097), the car is nicely detailed. This one is a keeper. However, my main point of contention with it is the lack of opening doors. As an individual set, I rate this car at 9/10.
Fifth is a construction crane. A boom that raises and lowers using gears in addition to an arm with an adjustable length add realistic details. I already added this to the construction site corner of my custom city. I do not have any complaints about this build, and rate it at 10/10.
The construction crane is a highlight of this set.
One of the main reasons that I wanted Capital City is the sightseeing bus. It is a double-decker, with an open upper level so that tourists can sit and take pictures. The second level easily lifts off to allow interior access. There is also a door for Minifigures to use when boarding the vehicle. Inside the bus, there is a little lounge-like area to sit and sip coffee. One of the highlights of the bus is, however, the signage all around the outside. The seat placement could be better though. There is not much space for Minifigures to navigate in the bus, which takes away from the realism of the build. I rate the bus at 9/10.
The bus departs from a little fast food stand. I like the exterior design of this stand and will find a home for it somewhere in my city. I do not particularly like the open back concept. Additionally, there is only one seat provided for the tourists waiting for the bus. The seat awkwardly sticks out into the sidewalk on top of that. Once again, providing the tour bus and this stand as a set by themselves would have allowed the incorporation of more detail. I rate this build at 8/10.
The eighth build is the shell of a museum. While lacking any actual substance, this build was oddly one of the reasons that I wanted this set. Primarily, I wanted the museum signs for a custom creation that I have dreamed of starting for some time. I want to build a natural history museum for my city. Otherwise, this build is rather lack-luster. It is composed mostly of large, blue windows.
The museum comes with an interesting link to other sets.
However, the museum includes an interesting storyline. There is one exhibit inside featuring a caveman. The information plaque for the caveman features diagrams of a woolly mammoth and sabre-toothed cat. Additionally, the ads for the museum included in this kit all feature the caveman with a sabre-tooth cat in the background. Capital City came out shortly after the last wave of arctic exploration sets in the City theme. These featured Minifigures scouring the arctic for frozen body fossils, including mammoths and saber-tooth cats. I like the inclusion of little details like that which provide continuity through sets. Unfortunately, the signs and story do not make up for lack of substance in this case. I rate this build at 5/10.
The final build included is a hotel. While not incredibly detailed, at the very least it does have some interiors to play with. The exterior has the look of a small boutique hotel. There is an interesting design for a revolving door that leads into the lobby. The second-floor houses two rooms, one with a double bed and the other with a single. The façade of this building is one that I can see myself adapting for use in my city. However, the interiors are not very detailed and need work. Again, I am happy to get the signage. My main issue with the build is that the sides are largely unfinished. Again, this build would have done better as a standalone set. I rate it at 8/10. Averaging the scores of each individual build in this set gives an overall build score of 80%.
MINIFIGURES: 80%
Capital City contains a whopping 13 Minifigures. Consequently, the set has a brick-to-Minifigure ratio of 93-to-1. That is good, earning 91% as a ratio score. In general, they are generic townsfolk. However, there is one very interesting and novel addition to the kit. More specifically, you get a caveman with a new torso print. Additionally, I have not seen the bellhop uniform before. Already, those are two big bonuses.
Looking at the characters in general, all the Minifigures come with the standard parts. There are no stumpy legs here. Additionally, each one comes with front and back torso printing. However, only one of them has a double-sided face, while none have any leg printing. As previously mentioned, they are generic townsfolk. There is not as much detail as in the Minifigure Series characters, or a theme like Super Heroes. Based on what you get here, I rate these figurines at 113/195 (58%). However, there are still loads of accessories to account for.
In terms of Minifigure accessories, you get a walkie-talkie, a spear, a jackhammer, a crowbar, a wheelbarrow, a motorcycle, a motorcycle helmet, a camera, a chain, a purse, a skateboard, a ball, a microphone, a guitar, a scarf, two hotdogs, a pizza, a newspaper tile, a mug, a briefcase, and a garbage can. These 22 accessories bring the design score up to 135/195 (69%). Averaging this with the ratio score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 80%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 70%
As an adult collector, I do not see much display value in most of the builds in this set. I will keep the sports car, the crane, and the bus in my city. The car-charging station will also find a place, with some modifications. I do like the general look of the hotel and the fast food stand as well. However, each will need some work before I include them in my city as a MOC. Otherwise, this set is good for the signage you get. I will have fun re-purposing the pieces in my own builds, however here I rate sets on how ready they are to simply insert into my city. This is not a set like that. From an AFOL perspective, I rate Capital City at 3/5 (60%).
As a kid, I would have loved this set. I did not have nearly the number of sets or pieces that I have today. However, the sets I did have lined a small city street. The open back concept did not bother me as much back then. I remember wanting to build up my city, and this set would have done just that. It provides more cityscape for play if nothing else. I am reluctant to give it a perfect score here, because it is still not the most exciting or elaborate set that I have seen. However, if your child is into city building, this is a good kit for it. As a KFOL score, I rate Capital City at 4/5 (80%). Averaging this with the AFOL score gives an overall entertainment rating of 70%.
Overall Score: 78%
In the end, Capital City (60200) is not a bad set, but it is not a great one either. I wanted this set because it comes with some interesting signage, and a few basic builds that have inspired me to do more on the customization front. It comes at a decent value too, however like many other City sets, it suffers from a lack of detail. Too many small builds mean no individual build can have too many bricks. The set includes a lot of Minifigures though, and two of them (the caveman and bellhop) are unique. Unique characters in a set like this are a good thing. I probably would have liked this set more for what it is at a younger age. Now I just see MOC-potential in the pieces (which is not a bad thing either).
As always, I would love to know what you think in the comments below, or through social media. Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the Capital City (60200) set below.
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