The forums may be offline, but we still have an episode of the BZPowercast for you. It's a bit longer than the last few, but that's just because we have a lot of great content. If you're not already subscribed via RSS or iTunes (links on the right), you can download it right here! The blurb you've all been waiting for:

We're a third of the way through the year, and the end of the month of course means a new BZPowercast. Episode 22 starts out with some speculation on what's coming next in the Hero Factory line, courtesy of Takuma Nuva, Nuju Metru, and Comrade Gato. Then we have our first versus segement between Cyberslam and the Bohrok, hosted by McSmeag and Makaru. Next up Kaiapu, SPIRIT, and I discuss the Hero Factory Recon Recon Hero Builder. Then things get wrapped up with a new Taped Headphones song. I hope you enjoy it!

The aliens are coming, the aliens are coming! We don't have much yet, but a local newscaster is on the scene at the newly-released Alien Conquest teaser website. Besides the breaking news video, the teaser site features a fun game and an ask-a-question feature. Gatanui reports that more games will be released on May 11th and 19th,and more website content is coming our way in June and July. Now then, run to the recruitment center to see if you have the skills to take down the alien invaders! (I nearly washed out, so I hope your scores are better!)

Today and tomorrow only, Toys 'R' Us is having a sale in stores and online. If you buy one Prince of Persia, Bionicle, Space Police, or Power Miners set, you can get a second of equal or lesser value for free! It looks like TRU is still trying to clear out some old stock (hint: it would work better if you were discounting by more than a measly 25% per set).

Lego is having some kind of promotion in observance of Star Wars day. This teaser on Lego.Com features glowing promises of "Exclusive Offers", an artist's rendering of an intriguing minifigure, and even an auspicious "While Supplies Last!". Check that page again on May 3rd or 4th and you can see if it lives up to expectations.

We've reported recently that Toys-R-Us has the new Pirates of the Caribbean sets in stock, but that's not all the new stuff they have. The sets from the new theme Alien Conquest are also available. There are also new toys in the LEGO Kingdom, LEGO City, and Atlantis categories. This is great news for those of you who've been saving up to get some of these summer sets!

The administration is planning some major upgrades to the BZPower forums over the course of the next week or more. While this process is underway, the forums will remain offline to prevent any inconsistencies or errors from being introduced into the database. This downtime will be starting within the next few hours. At this time, we cannot say how long the forums will be down. As the process goes along, I will provide updates so you all know what we are doing and what you can expect when the forums are brought back. Thank you all for your patience and understanding.

The Lego Club is giving away 100 DVD copies of the most recent Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1. All you need to do to enter is head over to the site and answer a single question. The link also has the official rules - remember, if you're under 13, you'll need to get your parents' permission to enter.

There is less than a month to go until the next LEGO KidsFest rolls into Minneapolis and St. Paul. This hands-on LEGO building experience will make its next stop at the Minneapolis Convention Center Friday, May 22, to Sunday, May 24, and offers an "entertainment-packed family event for children of all ages and builders of all skills and interests," according to the website. Be sure to check that out for more info, or the main site for future tour dates and locations.

Bryce, aka Cajun, is easily one of the most talented builders I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He doesn't post his creations nearly often enough, so seeing something from him is always a treat. One of his more recent builds is Splashdown, which makes use of some Bionicle pieces to excellent effect. It's a great MOC - you owe it to yourself to check it out!

We have recently updated our policy on posting pictures with a new precaution. You can read the full topic here or the addition below:

BZPower's forum software will automatically resize very large images so they don't require users to scroll left and right to see them. This does not, however, affect the filesize of the images. Often such images are multiple megabytes (MB) in size, and several of them can cause pages to load slowly, even for people with fast broadband connections.
To prevent these issues - all images posted on BZPower must be 500 kilobytes (kB) in size or smaller. There are many image editors out there that can be used to crop and resize images to reduce filesize. If you absolutely must share an image greater that 500 kB, link to it instead of posting the image.

This is a gorgeous piece of work. A giant, looming, detailed LEGO replica of the USS Intrepid (built by Ed Diment) was put back together last weekend and is sitting pretty in the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum in New York. Besides being twenty-two feet long, this all-LEGO model weighs 550 lbs, consists of 250,000 bricks, and reaches a height of four and a half feet. You can see some former USS Intrepid crew members standing by the replica here, as well as a few other pictures and more information. This awesome model will be on display until the end of September this year 2011. If you're in the area, I highly suggest you go in and take a look!

In an effort to add some more fun to the Powercast and possibly a new recurring segment, we're planning on doing a 'who would win?' piece in our next episode. What does this mean? It means we take two LEGO themes/subthemes and pit them against each other. But how do we pick which themes to face off? That's where you come in! We want you to vote on which matchup you'd like to see.

That's a question that has been on many of our minds since we first heard the sets were going to be discontinued. Check out what BZP's illustrious Reference Master and Forum Leader Bonesiii has to say on the issue in his topic here, as he covers the logic that would lead to Bionicle going back on store shelves. It may be ten years or it may be even more, but one thing's for sure, however long it takes, Bionicle will have old fans to eagerly greet its rejuvenation.

The LEGO video games are known for their brickish twist on all the classic stories and characters everyone loves, but it seems that some games, in particular Indiana Jones 2, are not available to everybody. Fear no more, for on April 28, The Adventure Continues will be released for the Mac. This game, developed by Traveller's Tales, creators of previous LEGO games, adds the action of the fourth Indy movie into a LEGO-style adventure. More game details, system requirements, and info on the release can be found here.

The full line of based on the popular Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is now available for purchase from Lego Shop at Home. Recreate dramatic scenes from the first three moves, like the water-wheel swordfight and the cannibal island. At least one set, the Fountain of Youth, hints at the upcoming fourth movie. Check them all out here.

Target and Toys R Us are going a little crazy with their Lego sales. Most notably Target has 50% off (not a typo) on a few Hero Factory Villains and Ben 10 sets here. Target and Toys R Us are both having Buy One Get One 50% off sales. Target's is limited to basic bricks, Creator and non-spinner Ninjago sets. And Toys R us's sale excludes Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Mindstorms sets. In addition to those deals Toys R Us offers a free Skeleton Chopper set with any Ninjago set or video game purchase of $40 or more. I might be taking advantage of some of these...

Today we wrap up our Hero 2.0 reviews - it took us long enough, I know. Blog Leader DeeVee takes a look at Stormer 2.0, a fearless hero leader. But is his set worth your hard-earned allowance? Read on to find out!  

Last weekend was the grand opening of the LEGO store in Indianapolis, Indiana. BZPower members Whooper Swan and Mayno were there to take part in the festivities and to see what was going on. They were kind enough to write up regarding their experiences and take a whole bunch of pictures. Read on to see what it was like!  

Ninjago is everywhere - but these are the kind of ninjas that you can actually see (or hear!) Our German and German-speaking populace may find this interesting: the upcoming release of a Ninjago Audio Book. Yes, really! An audiobook! As Gatanui told it to us, it will be released "May 6th in Germany with the title LEGO Ninjago - King of Shadows, it tells the first story arch of NINJAGO based directly on the two TV specials." Given the far reach LEGO has taken with Ninjago, it is possible that other language versions could be released, if they don't exist already.

Greetings, rocketeers! Have you ever wondered what to take into account when building a rocket? If not, now's a good time to start, partly because it's an important life skill, and partly because there's a new Lego/Nasa game on LegoSpace.Com. Go check it out and see how high you can fly!

Members have spotted some of this summer's Hero Factory products on a German Toy Site. The most exciting bit about this find is that there are new images of the Summer Villain boxes. You can now check out the images of Waspix, Raw Jaw, Rocka XL, and more.

That's right, BZPower is having its first ever Hero Factory building contest. The challenge, should you choose to accept it, involves building a beast that your Hero Factory Recon hero may encounter on Quatros, the Savage Planet - with at least ten Hero Factory exclusive parts. Winners will receive one of five Hero Factor Recon gift cards donated by LEGO. Full details and contest rules are available here.

The Atlantis theme is close to my heart, being a LEGO underwater theme with a dash of sci-fi, adding some variety and flavor to anyone's LEGO collection. Today I review the Ocean Speeder, a small impulse-buy set that makes use of the new yellow tint for the humans and makes a nice companion set to the theme. Read on for a full review of what makes this set pop.  

Toys 'R' Us currently has an interesting promotion going on - buy $30 worth of LEGO sets and you can get a free collectible minifigure. You can check out a list of eligible sets right here - there's some older Bionicle and Ben 10 sets, as well as Hero Factory on there. A few of the sets are even on sale (which is good, since TRU tends to be expensive).

'Move over Chile,' a recent CNN headline reads. 'Brazil has the world's largest Lego tower.' Lego designers from Denmark traveled to the Southern Hemisphere to assist in the construction of a 102.33-foot tower comprised of those wonderful plastic blocks we all adore. This beats the previous Chilean record by nearly ten inches. Showing great national pride, Brazilian soccer star Cafu even placed the final brick in the vast tower. Perhaps we all can agree that the world would be a better place if all international 'rivalries' were whimsical and harmless as this - especially if they involve Lego.

"The Ninjago 'Spinjitzu Masters' Tour is Coming!" Proclaims the LEGO Inside Scoop story. This tour, for old Bionicle fans, may hearken back to the 2002 Bionicle Van tour, except, of course, that it's a Spinjitzu Masters tour. The summer trip will include training "to become a master of the ancient art of Spinjtizu", chances to "enjoy the thrill of Ninjago spinner battle with your friends," and allow you to "become a Ninjago expert as you learn the secrets of Sensei Wu and Lord Garmadon." Click 'more' or see the LEGO article for the tour dates.  

Owners Of iThings rejoice, for yet another Lego app has come your way. The latest is a Ninjago amusement application, which allegedly contains such delights as Garmadon, Skeletal henchmen, and hand to hand Spinjitsu combat. For more information direct from the Ninjago site click here, and to obtain what this concerns, head over here. Play well...

LEGO has announced the latest set in their LEGO Architecture series. The Farnsworth House, designed by Mies van der Rohe, is now available in ABS form in LEGO Brand retail stores, LEGOLAND stores, and on Shop@Home. For more information on the set, read on for the full press release.  

Earlier today we reported on the new Hero Factory Recon builder going online. As an Ambassador, I've received the official press release and some other info about the project. If you'd like to get the full picture of what's going on, read on!  

A few updates have been deployed on the Hero Factory website, most notably the anticipated Hero Recon feature. Hero Recon incorporates the popular Design by Me concept, which allows customers to design and build their own set and purchase the result. While there isn't a full range of color options (no black?!), heros built this way come with an exclusive chest armor piece. Get started here. If building your own incredible hero isn't your thing, there's also a Hero Factory comic builder here.

LEGO Certified Professional Adam Reed Tucker is one of 11 LCPs in the world, making building famous sky-scrapers and other buildings out of LEGO bricks to a more reasonable size a profession. He recently set up a display of such structures in the National Building Museum in Washington, D. C., for an exhibit lasting more than a year. He will be personally visiting this display and working on his scaled-down version of The White House this weekend, April 9 and 10, from 11-4 and 12-4, respectfully. This is a great chance to see some giant LEGO models and meet a superb builder at the same time. (Exhibit fee is $5.)

The Series 4 Collectible Minifigures have been spotted in stores recently, but they tend to sell out very quick. Now, however, they're available at S@H for $2.99 each. You don't get to pick the ones you want, but if you buy a bunch you should have a decent chance of getting them. In addition, the Maersk Train has shown up on S@H too, although it's backordered until April 22nd. If you've been waiting for either of these and hate leaving your house - go take advantage of this news!

Swert let's us know that BIONICLEsector01, the largest Bionicle wiki on the Internet, has expanded. Go check out HEROsector01 for all your Hero Factory wiki needs.

The Daily Blam reports a new trailer for the upcoming "Lego Pirated of the Caribbean" game, released today. The clip focuses on Dead Man's Chest, one of the four films within the game's purview. Developed by Lego regular Traveler's Tales, the game will be released on May 13th. Check out the trailer here.

Today and tomorrow only, Toys 'R' Us is having the best deal on the Bionicle Stars yet. If you buy one, you get the second 75% off! This deal is available online and in stores, so if you still need these sets or want some pieces, check it out!

In our news story back on March 21st when we first reported on the Hero Recon Team teaser site, we told you to "stay tuned", well here's what you were staying tuned for. Ace news source Gatanui has come up with another gem, that the Hero Factory Recon Team will go live on April 4th. In case you don't know, Hero Recon Team is a Lego branch of Lego Digital Designer where you can design and buy custom Heroes for the somewhat reasonable price of $12.99. Gatanui astutely surmises that this ties into this announcement about new parts coming to LDD.