Review: 71799 NINJAGO City Markets
Posted by CapnRex101,71799 NINJAGO City Markets was released a few months ago, continuing the acclaimed NINJAGO City series. This model includes 6163 pieces and is therefore even bigger than the three previous sets in the range, which clearly bodes well, given their outstanding quality.
However, this addition to NINJAGO City presents an unusual silhouette because much of the area in the middle is dedicated to a functional cable car! In fact, the creative functions are arguably the markets' most distinctive feature, separating this model from its precursors. Similarly, our review takes a slightly different approach to normal, as you will see below.
Summary
71799 NINJAGO City Markets, 6,163 pieces.
£319.99 / $369.99 / €369.99 | 5.2p/6.0c/6.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
71799 NINJAGO City Markets is spectacular, in both overall appearance and function
- Beautiful mix of architectural styles
- Clever building techniques
- Exceptional functions
- Countless fun references
- Appealing minifigure selection
- Slightly awkward layout
- Marketplace could be busier
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
In addition to 51 numbered bags and three instruction manuals, this set contains a total of 72 stickers across three sheets. They seem like an intimidating prospect, although the stickers in NINJAGO City models are always packed with referential details and this is no exception. A few of my favourites include the posters for movies inspired by Monster Fighters and Pirates, with 6253 Shipwreck Hideout in the background, as well as one advertising Starfarer, a comic and film franchise within the NINJAGO universe.
Lots of the included stickers are fun, but by far the most important is this intriguing poster. The famous LEGO goat only appeared in 7189 Mill Village Raid and there is continued demand for its return, as highlighted on this sticker, which reads 'missing'. Thankfully, this set also includes Detective Zane, who has taken up the case to find the missing goat, somewhere in NINJAGO City Markets!
Detective Zane is brand new and very welcome, as Zane's stereotypical sleuth persona is well-known from the NINJAGO animated series, despite only appearing in one episode. His search starts on the ground level of the city, where the buildings are oldest. The architectural variation throughout the model is lovely and matches previous NINJAGO City sets, as does the walkway around its base.
Unique column designs are another common feature of NINJAGO City sets. This example is ingeniously constructed using reddish brown roller coaster track elements and their texture is impressive, in combination with some pearl gold pieces. A mural behind this column displays a stylised dragon, with Master Wu climbing onto its back and the word 'art' in the corner.
A bakery occupies the ground level of this building and makes clever use of a door, which is attached sideways to form a large serving hatch. The books comprising the awning are even better, below a golden sign with a hot dog bun drawing attention to the bakery. Furthermore, a poster outside advertises Arin's snowberry pie, featured in NINJAGO's most recent season.
The baker invites Zane inside to search for the missing goat, through a door on the back. This provides ample access for minifigures, although not for play. Fortunately, both the bakery and the bedroom upstairs are removable, revealing plenty more detail inside! I love the dough for rolling in the bakery, while the bedroom contains a portrait of Nya, a lamp and a duvet with the word 'relax' written in Ninjargon.
Kai's blacksmith shop is found next door, with Kai on the balcony above. This minifigure pays homage to the character's first appearance in the animated series, although I think he needed an exclusive torso because this apron does not really match his onscreen design. Similarly, the blacksmith shop seems simpler than the adjoining bakery, but its irregular shape is effective.
I imagine the relatively simple walls were necessary because this section of the city supports substantial weight on top. Even so, there is plenty of room for a forge, an anvil and a barrel of water to quench newly-forged weapons inside. There is no space for a staircase though, so the upper floor is accessed via a hatch in the ceiling, complete with a folding ladder.
Though tiny, this room is packed with furniture, including Kai's bed on top of the hatch, a desk and a bookcase against the wall. A stickered 1x2 tile on the desk takes inspiration from one of Kai's collectable cards, while the red roller skate visible on a shelf presumably depicts 70727 X-1 Ninja Charger, given its association with Kai. There are no goats to be found though.
Moving back outside, Zane encounters another shopkeeper, whose boat would normally be docked here, but has apparently gone missing. Sadly, this shopkeeper knows nothing about where the goat might be, although his market stall could be useful to tempt the goat. The sign reads 'C, B&B Pet Food', which alludes to Creatures, Beasts and Beyond from the television series.
A second NINJAGO card is located in a postbox outside the next shop, which the instruction manual identifies as belonging to Chamille, the Elemental Master of Form. This card actually depicts Zane and the postbox is outstanding, making use of an animal head element from the Minecraft theme. The roof of the shop looks fantastic too, comprising a row of black candles.
The back wall of this shop can be removed and a variety of items are available to buy, most notably including a Cole nanofigure. This figure represents the Earth Ninja's Core attire from several recent sets and is a fun means of acknowledging the character, who is not included in minifigure form. Hopefully the other ninja will appear as nanofigures over time.
The aforementioned notice about the missing goat is placed outside the back door, so perhaps the upstairs resident will know something about its location. Fortunately, this happens to be the latest additions to the ninja team, Arin and Sora. Their ninja skills may be required because this apartment is only accessible via a rudimentary ladder on the back, although the ladder suffices and I love the foliage growing up the wall.
Admittedly, there is very little space in Arin and Sora's apartment, with nowhere near enough room for a goat! A larger area would have been nice, but the designer has packed in as much detail as possible. The bunk beds for the characters are excellent and Sora's top bunk is easily removable to reach Arin's. This room also contains posters depicting 71766 Lloyd's Legendary Dragon and 71792 Sora's Transforming Mech Bike Racer, with the latter in blueprint form.
Considering the name of this set, the actual market is surprisingly underwhelming. There are only two stalls, the second of which is named Steeper Wisdom and sells tea. The name of the shop makes reference to Wu's shop from the animated series, Steep Wisdom. A new torso has been created for the owner of the shop and a couple of printed tea boxes are supplied as well.
A beautiful footbridge occupies the centre of the marketplace. This structure incorporates red 5x13x2 Technic wheel arches on either side, combined with shields and flexible hoses. I think the result looks marvellous and the calm water beneath is equally detailed, featuring scattered plants on the surface. Moreover, news reporter Gayle Gossip and her colleague Vinny Folson are included, both making their debut as physical minifigures.
For a brief moment, Zane thought he spotted the goat departing the marketplace. In fact, this is Chamille showing off her powers and proving as troublesome as always. While not what we are seeking, Chamille is among the most appealing minifigures in this set, finally finishing the known roster of Elemental Masters! Her design corresponds with the animated series perfectly, as one would expect for the shape-shifting Master of Form.
4002021 The Temple of Celebrations is advertised on a poster behind Chamille and this ramp leads to perhaps the most pivotal feature of this whole set: the cable car! The columns outside the cable car station look nice and yet another method for building a roof is employed, this time consisting of black gates. These are attractive, although the roof extends slightly further than I would like and conflicts with any NINJAGO City models attached on this side.
The cable car mechanism is quite simple, as a hook is attached on top of the cabin, hauling it along the rail above. This works brilliantly though and I think the car itself looks impressive, as flame yellowish orange curved slopes form its smooth exterior. The stickered logo on the outside looks nice and there is room for a couple of minifigures inside, accessed by lowering the ramp and lifting the 4x2 curved brick above the window.
A more complex mechanism is needed to open the walkway and allow the cable car to pass through, before entering its station on this level. This method of transportation seems slightly impractical, especially given the regular disruption to pedestrian traffic on the walkway, but this is unlike anything seen in LEGO sets before and the whole cable car assembly is ingenious.
However, the cabin does not line up faultlessly when docked inside the cable car station, as shown below. The ramp works well enough for minifigures to disembark though, reaching an elegant and compact spiral staircase. 1x2 ingots provide lovely stone texture on the steps and the flower in the corner is also a welcome addition.
Alternatively, characters can use a lift between the cable car station and the walkway, which is neatly situated beside the staircase. Once again, the function works well and I like the medium nougat wall in front of the station, as well as the vibrant planters outside. In addition, a stickered notice shows opening times for the cable car, complete with the same branding as the vehicle.
The lift mechanism is controlled using a dial on the side of the walkway, disguised as a record among the various signs and simply reading 'turn'. The other signage includes advertisements for Steeper Wisdom tea shop in the marketplace, the Ice Planet ice cream shop found in 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens and the Fur Mart pet shop featured in the animated series. The fourth sticker on these railings mentions the Mindstorms NXT 2.0, but the yellow brick shown here is actually the NXT 1.0.
While the lift control is hidden on the front of the model, gears for the opening walkway and the cable car are placed on the side. The large gear in the middle moves the walkway and the two sections open in unison, thanks to a superb mechanism underneath the cable car station. The cable car, meanwhile, is controlled by turning a four-knob gear near the top of the station. This works quite well, but a winding handle would be even better.
The cable car station stands out among structures on the higher levels of NINJAGO City sets, as most are more modern in style. However, I think more traditional architecture is effective in this situation, as maybe this section of walkway was a high point in the city when the cable car was originally installed, before the surrounding taller buildings were constructed.
Lovely though the cable car station is, there are still no leads regarding the missing goat. The towering Borg Store may provide some information though, either from Cyrus Borg himself, or by looking across the city from the top of this building. I love how wheel arches are used on the front, appearing for the first time outside 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 1969.
Of course, entering the Borg Store entails listening to the staff member's extensive description of the new products available. Zane has little need for such technology, but the decorated 1x2 tiles look good and several more items are displayed on the wall. The entire window assembly on the back can be removed to reach the interior, so minifigures can be posed easily inside the shop.
Another lift is accessible through the back of the Borg Store, leading to an office on the upper floor. This lift is extremely basic, without any mechanism to control its movement, but it slides smoothly between levels and occupies little space. On the other hand, I think a railing around the lift platform would have been useful, as it seems rather dangerous in its current state!
Cyrus Borg is perhaps the most eagerly anticipated minifigure in this set, alongside Chamille. The inventor has appeared throughout the NINJAGO series, but has only been depicted as a minifigure in his cyborg form until now. Additionally, most of the set is accessible for wheelchair users like Cyrus, although his office is actually a tight squeeze for a wheelchair.
Sadly, even Cyrus Borg's advanced technology is insufficient to find the goat, so Zane climbs onto the roof above Borg's office. There is still no sign of that elusive goat, although this angle does provide a brilliant view of a cherry blossom tree growing atop the cable car station. 70620 NINJAGO City includes a similar cherry blossom tree, but the trunk of this tree captures more detail.
The walkway between the Borg Store and the other side of the marketplace is unusually bland, including only an ornate torii and some stylish trans-bright green barriers. I expect the walkway would look better with some buildings as a backdrop, but without them, this is the weakest area of the model. However, this is where Zane encounters Racer Seven, who has become a fan of BIONICLE since escaping the Prime Empire video game, based on her attire.
When asked about the missing goat, Racer Seven says something about Pahrak Va, so Zane moves on to visit Dareth's karaoke club, Laughy's. This building's purple colour is very striking, complete with distinctive trans-purple windows on this side. The stone bridge outside is a stark contrast and here we find Nya, chasing one of the lesser NINJAGO rogues, Miss Demeanor.
I am always happy to see minor characters from the animated series in NINJAGO City sets, so Miss Demeanor is a nice addition. Fortunately, it seems the villain has been captured, so Zane approaches Dareth for assistance in finding the missing goat. After all, Laughy's Karaoke Club tends to be a hive of activity, so somebody is bound to have heard something.
It seems the club is closed though, with no customers inside. This allows a good view of the internal detail, including the karaoke stage in the corner and a photograph on the wall, which alludes to the animated series. The photo features Dareth with Tony, a bartender who appears briefly in Prime Empire, in the same episode as Zane's detective garb, incidentally!
A stickered dart board is placed on the wall, but my favourite features are the jukebox and the pool table. The latter is particularly complex, making excellent use of 1x1 double arch bricks to create pockets. This assembly is rather fragile, but the pool table looks incredibly realistic, given its scale. Additionally, I like the golden sausage adorning the jukebox.
These furnishings are lovely, but bring Zane no closer to finding the goat. The uppermost level of NINJAGO City Markets is thus the final place to search, although a couple more interesting details are found along the way. Another poster advertises the Mech Master 5000 competition, which Sora participates in during the most recent season of the show, while Jay is represented as another nanofigure, like Cole.
The aforementioned Starfarer poster is displayed on the upper level, alongside a sign with the trident emblem from the Atlantis theme in the centre. Hounddog McBrag is also found up here and seems certain to prove helpful, as the apparent toughest sheriff in all of NINJAGO. This is another character unlikely to appear in a standard retail set, so he is ideal for 71799 NINJAGO City Markets.
Hounddog was, in fact, typically useless, so Zane approaches the Sushimi shop instead. This structure is smaller and simpler than those below, although I like the shape of the roof and the serving window works well, with a functioning flap. Sora can also be found on this level and her coral hair element is new, although it also appeared in Build-a-Minifigure bars earlier this year.
A stylised octopus stands on top of the sushi outlet and a lime green roller coaster track piece forms the shop's sign, reading 'Sushimi's' in Ninjargon. These features certainly catch the eye, so they serve as effective promotion for the shop. I like the octopus' saucepan in particular, as this incorporates the helmet worn by Imperium Guards in several Dragons Rising sets.
The terrace includes a small bathroom too, which was probably the most talked-about feature when this set was announced. Not only does the bathroom contain a sink and a toilet, but the toilet actually includes a flushing mechanism! The white 2M Technic beam serves as a handle and pressing this flushes away anything in the toilet bowl, such as a couple of dubious reddish brown 1x1 round tiles!
Reaching inside to press the handle is difficult because the bathroom is relatively small, but the mechanism is also accessible by lifting the Starfarer poster. Once released, the 1x1 round tiles drop into a channel hidden beneath the central walkway, before passing through a column and into the water. I was concerned the tiles might get stuck en route, but the mechanism has never failed and is a lot of fun to play with!
While this mechanism is impressive, it brings Zane no closer to finding the missing goat. Lloyd has an idea though, as teetering on a billboard overlooking the marketplace should provide an impressive view of the whole area. This poster displays 71765 Jay's Titan Mech, while another reference is attached to the antenna under Lloyd's minifigure, where a circular sign features the Drome Racers logo.
In typical fashion, the goat was never in NINJAGO City Markets to be found! Instead, it seems the animal had taken up piracy and stolen a boat from the marketplace, but has since returned to raid the pet food stall instead. Presumably the vegetables on board the vessel were not to the goat's liking, although these items do provide some additional colour in the marketplace.
(Note: Piratical goat not included in this set, although there is not long to wait).
Overall
NINJAGO City sets evidently allow LEGO designers incredible freedom, using some amazing building techniques to create attractive architecture and intricate details. 71799 NINJAGO City Markets certainly matches the standard of its predecessors in that regard, while the functions in this set are superior to those we have seen in the series before. The cable car is fantastic, but my favourite is actually the working toilet!
The minifigure selection is wonderful as well, while the requisite range of references are very satisfying. Even so, I do find the layout of this model slightly underwhelming. Despite needing two 32x32 baseplates and containing more pieces, the presence of NINJAGO City Markets on display is not as strong as 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens. Adding some market stalls to the central walkway would improve this area, I suspect.
Despite this criticism, 71799 NINJAGO City Markets remains a magnificent set, second only to 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell among those produced in 2023, in my opinion. I think the price of £319.99, $369.99 or €369.99 represents fair value too, so I have no hesitation in recommending this set, albeit not quite as highly as 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens.
167 likes
35 comments on this article
These large Ninjago sets are bright, colourful, attractive, inventive and packed with imaginative and clever details. Easily the most LEGO of LEGO sets! I think anyone lucky enough to receive this one as a gift is in for a treat! Well done to the designers for another fun and inspiring creation!
@CapnRex101 great review! I couldn’t decide whether or not to get this on 71741 next year. I’ll probably end up getting 71741 since all of the references from the 2011-2017 show mean a lot to me because I grew up on the show.
Can you possibly do a review on 76261 Spider-Man Final Battle next? Thank you!
I quite like this style of review, very fun, my only complaint is that we don't get as good of a look at the figures.
No pirate goats? Darn!
While I don't really care for Ninjago as a theme, I always loved these big sets, and more than once considered buying them. Probably still better not, as A) the old ones will sure have gotten pretty darn expensive by now, and B) I simply don't have the room to properly display them. But the style and attention to detail are just on another level from everything else Lego does. Wonderful.
Also loved the way this was reviewed, made for a fun read!
That flushing toilet feature is hilarious, especially as it includes 1x1 brown round tile!
@Cinnamonbricks said:
"I quite like this style of review, very fun, my only complaint is that we don't get as good of a look at the figures."
I second this, exactly my thoughts!
My toilet mechanism hasn't been flawless. Have lost one piece inside somewhere so far. Fortunately, it hasn't blocked it, as it remains flushable : )
I love this review, very entertaining and good for when you don't have a lot of time. I would love to see this style for others sets of this scale, due to the sheer amount being released all of the time
It really, REALLY shines when you group it among the rest of the Ninjago City sets, and then all the alleys, signs, and shop locations make perfect sense. This set is spectacular.
@mr_Fikou said:
" @Cinnamonbricks said:
"I quite like this style of review, very fun, my only complaint is that we don't get as good of a look at the figures."
I second this, exactly my thoughts!
"
Luckily, pics of the figures are only a click away via any of the handy hyperlinks for 71799. If in-review pics were the sacrifice for such a refreshing and enjoyable new take on the review structure I'm all for it. Well done @CapnRex101
Outstanding review of a very enjoyable set and great build. Great fun to read. Also kudos for translating all Ninjargon so we actually understand what the beautiful images say.
I have been so looking forward to this review, so thanks for posting!
@CapnRex101, will there be a separate review of the minifigures included?
Anyone else find it strange that the only hairpiece for Sora is the one from her flashbacks only? I hope we get her mainstream hairpiece soon, because that figure is really annoying me.
Aside from that, these sets always are phenomenal, and I love the way the review told a story around Detective Zane! Very nicely done!
One of the most entertaining reviews I’ve read in a long time. Outstanding.
Good review and entertaining. Fits very well to tour a large building complex while following a character around. Nice one.
People might be excited to be getting more goats.....personally I've been waiting for a goat farmer for decades!
Running with scissors? Chamile truly is a "bad girl!"
Very cool set not bad price for such a big set with so many mini figs. I’d probably never be able to get it though the price is a bit much for me
I hate the middle section. It’s just looks like they gave up.
What a lovely review.
I still don't understand Lego's obsession with toilet humour, but it seems that it's here to stay.
Wonderful review, the right format for such a set. A small mistake: in Arin‘s and Sora‘s room the dragon on the poster is 71766: Lloyd's Legendary Dragon
Well, this set DID complete the current generation of Elemental Masters…until Dragons Rising threw a few more into the mix. I’d still like to see the rest of the Serpentine War era masters get figures.
The review is really a nice, fun change. Strong work. I do miss the minifig close-ups, however.
An image from the back (and sides) as well as nestled amongst its fellow NC modulars would also be much appreciated.
Lovely review. I wanted to skim over it because I've seen plenty of reviews of it before... but this one was too fun of a read to not read it! Excellent work!
Guys, am I tripping, or had this been released before? I swear I'd already read the Brickset review of this set, and then this came out. (all things considered, it was probably another Ninjago city review, but I feel like this one had already been made earlier).
As much as I’m in love with the city series and it’s great to see it expand, it’s a shame that the pricing has drifted so far from City and Docks to the £300+. Given the used prices now, only option is to buy the new ones lol.
Splendid review! It was an enjoyable read! I love that the designers use the Ninjago Modulars for deep cut Minifigs. This set has the best minifig lineup, but I still think the build isn't as good as Ninjago City Gardens.
I loved how this review was done. It makes perfect sense given the nature of the set.
As for the set itself, it's pretty great. I especially like all the functions like the cable car and elevators. I think the middle section feels a little sparse though. It could've benefited from a couple more stalls on the ground level and a little extra detail on the bridge.
I've never really had any interest in the Ninjago City sets, but quite enjoyed this review. And I want that Detective Zane minifigure.
@ComfySofa said:
" @mr_Fikou said:
" @Cinnamonbricks said:
"I quite like this style of review, very fun, my only complaint is that we don't get as good of a look at the figures."
I second this, exactly my thoughts!
"
Luckily, pics of the figures are only a click away via any of the handy hyperlinks for 71799. If in-review pics were the sacrifice for such a refreshing and enjoyable new take on the review structure I'm all for it. Well done @CapnRex101"
Of course, that won't show you any back printing.
I love the more story-based review style; but honestly the part I'm most interested in from this set is the Bionicle fan minifigure. Why did they have to make her exclusive to such a large set? xD
Based on the accessories she's holding in her photo, looks like she has a sealed-in-canister 8568 Pohatu Nuva - the only round canister set to have a standard brown lid (actually old brown, but you know) - and a built 8601 Vakama Metru, judging by the dark red colour of the trophy figure. Nice, nice.
The Pahrak Va reference stumped me at first; just remembered now that the matoran sometimes referred to them as "goatdogs", and suddenly the reference in regards to goats makes perfect sense! Definitely confused me for a while there though!
Awesome set and review!
The colours and features are amazing!
Even the stickers are great!
But the market stalls are underwhelming in number, the middle section looks empty and unfinished, and this doesn’t look like 6,000+ pieces at all!
I much prefer the visual impact & height of Ninjago City and Gardens!
@ThatBionicleGuy said:
"I love the more story-based review style; but honestly the part I'm most interested in from this set is the Bionicle fan minifigure. Why did they have to make her exclusive to such a large set? xD
Based on the accessories she's holding in her photo, looks like she has a sealed-in-canister 8568 Pohatu Nuva - the only round canister set to have a standard brown lid (actually old brown, but you know) - and a built 8601 Vakama Metru, judging by the dark red colour of the trophy figure. Nice, nice.
The Pahrak Va reference stumped me at first; just remembered now that the matoran sometimes referred to them as "goatdogs", and suddenly the reference in regards to goats makes perfect sense! Definitely confused me for a while there though!"
Fortunately I did manage to get her (and many others in this set) through Pick a Brick. Saved me the hassle of having to constantly think about getting this rather expensive set.
@ThatBionicleGuy said:
"I love the more story-based review style; but honestly the part I'm most interested in from this set is the Bionicle fan minifigure. Why did they have to make her exclusive to such a large set? xD
Based on the accessories she's holding in her photo, looks like she has a sealed-in-canister 8568 Pohatu Nuva - the only round canister set to have a standard brown lid (actually old brown, but you know) - and a built 8601 Vakama Metru, judging by the dark red colour of the trophy figure. Nice, nice.
The Pahrak Va reference stumped me at first; just remembered now that the matoran sometimes referred to them as "goatdogs", and suddenly the reference in regards to goats makes perfect sense! Definitely confused me for a while there though!"
I am so pleased that somebody spotted that reference! I have to confess, I am not a huge BIONICLE fan or an expert by any means, but I came across that little detail when we were considering a goat-themed April Fools article a few years ago and finally got to use it here.
I liked how Detective Zane found the goat in the end and went for a karaoke session together... XD
@bluejazz said:
"I liked how Detective Zane found the goat in the end and went for a karaoke session together... XD"
Found it: https://brickset.com/sets/71045-5/Goatherd