6414 - Dolphin Point

Rating:
Pros: A cool lighthouse design at a great price
Cons: If you can get over the pink bricks, you'll like this set
Contents: 198 pieces including 4 mini-figs, 1 parrot, and 1 dolphin
Price: $29.99 - Discontinued
Reviewed: 21-Jan-1997
Reviewed by: Joseph Gonzalez

Sara McDonald's life might be finally taking a turn for the good. After a failed romance and being fired from her job of five years, she has finally had the time to fix up the old family light house. She and her brother, Jeff, have spent the last two weekends fixing up the place, but they still can't decide if it should be a mini-resort or a dance hall. The upstairs kitchen is fixed, the first floor has been totally renovated, and Jeff finally had success lighting up the beacon just yesterday. With Jeff's enthusiasm and the friendly dolphin that seems to stop by every morning to check on their progress, Sara is sure there's something exciting just around the corner.

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I'm not a Paradisa fan at all, but I was attracted by Lego's idea for a lighthouse, and after building the main model, I find I am not disappointed.
The model is a three-story structure with the first floor being doorless and housing a horizontal freezer/refrigerator for goodies (some 1x1 flat-face tiles). Outside there is a table, two chairs and a grill for cooking hamburgers. A winding staircase leads to the second story room which does have a door, inside there is a small cabinet/cupboard with a faucet and coffee maker. The third floor has a short wall of bricks and latticed sections and features the beacon of the lighthouse itself, with a telescope to check out the coastline.
The set comes with two male and two female mini-figs, a dolphin, and a parrot. There are no particularly new parts here (although I can't claim to be an expert with this being my first Paradisa model), but there is the winding staircase in pink (which my four-year-old daughter fell in love with as soon as she saw it), and two 2x2 round tiles with food imprints (one has steak, peas and a carrot, and the other has what looks like french fries and a hotdog) these "plates" are kind of neat, but they each have a pink heart border which I could have done without. There is also a 1x3 brick with a printed radio/jambox on one side which is kind of cool. Also, though these aren't particularly new bricks, I did appreciate getting some 1x2 semicircle (macaroni) bricks: there are eight whites and four reds with the set.
For all around design and variety of bricks, I have no problem giving this set four stars. If you aren't a Paradisa fan, it will still give you a good design for a lighthouse and all pink bricks used in the set can be replaced with pieces from other town sets. The beacon design is not terribly unique, but I really like it.