Space

Set Review - #60441-1: Space Explorers Pack - LEGO CITY - Space Subtheme

I grew up building some of the Classic Space themes so I was excited to see a space like theme return in 2024’s CITY theme. I was able to catch a three pack on sale through LEGO Shop @ Home for $25 so I dove in. But let me back up… #60441-1: Space Explorers Pack was released on 1 May 2024 in the US for $31.99. It contains 426 pieces which works out to $0.075 per piece which isn’t too bad. The pack contains three of the space sets:

-#30663-1: Space Hoverbike polybag with 46 pieces which retails for $4.99

-#60428-1: Space Construction Mech with 140 pieces which retails for $10.99

-#60430-1: Interstellar Spaceship with 240 pieces which retails for $19.99

Here’s the box. The front shows all three sets with a SPACE logo and the CITY logo and it identifies it as a Super Pack. The back shows some of the play features with some graphics showing the minifigures doing their thing.

The set comes with four individually number parts bags, two instruction booklets, and a small sticker sheet.

The first bag starts building the spaceship. It also includes a minifigure which comes with a jet pack. For a CITY set, it includes some interesting build techniques, a new-to-me dark orange color that I haven’t seen before, and some other decent pieces.

The second bag finishes the space ship and I must say it looks pretty sleek. There are some cool play features like when you push in the power back on the top and it opens up the engine area. The cockpit opens up and the minifigure will fit inside (without the jet back and reclined slightly). The modified space logo looks pretty cool too. I like this one!

Bag three builds what would have been a polybag. This one is small with not much to it. For a small build, it’s not bad, but it isn’t my favorite. You get a little speeder type ship and then a section of the planet where the space minifigures are mining. If I understand it correctly, they mine the trans-clear purple sparkly crystals and turn them into power sources which they use to power their vehicles. You get another minifigure so that’s a good part of this polybag I guess.

Bag four builds a mech. I know there are some mech fans out there so be warned that this one is small and not one of those super huge, detailed mechs. For what it is, it’s not bad. The mech has an arm to grab and an arm that punches which I would assume is used to break apart rock to get to the crystals. Besides the mech, you also get a small section of the planet with crystals and then a small mining droid. The stickers are applied to this part of the build.

Here is the final set with all the components. If you can find this set on sale and you were looking to check out this theme, this is a good way to give it a shot. I enjoyed the build, you get some good pieces, it comes with three minifigures, and my kiddo who built it with me enjoyed playing with them too. I will be watching for more sales in this theme to check out some others.

What are your thoughts on this set and theme? Did it stray too far from the original space theme or is it in line with Classic Space?

Happy building!

Set Review: #71046 - Series 26 - Collectible Minifigures

SPACE!!!!!!!!! May 1, 2024 saw the release of Series 26 of the Collectible Minifigure series. Much like the previous sets, these minifigures are $4.99 each. There are 12 minifigures in this series and unlike some of the random minifigures in previous series sets, this one is all space themed. Some are original designs, but others are related to retro space themes which is awesome to see their return to the LEGO world.

In the past, I’ve purchased the boxes of six. Series 26 is no different with #66764 containing the boxes of six. I had a 10% off deal at Target so I picked up some of the individual minifigures in the store. I used the Figure Finder web based tool from falconbricks.com to scan the individual boxes to find each one of the 12. Thankfully it worked and the store I went to had enough in stock so I was able to get all 12. The site isn’t instantaneous so you have to give it a few minutes to find what you’re looking for. One fellow shopper noticed what I was doing and joined in as he was looking for a specific minifigure. He ended up finding what he was looking for too. While I understand the concept of the random bags and that LEGO likes to keep us guessing (and purchasing), I’m glad they’ve allowed the creation of these apps to find what we’re looking for. So thank you to LEGO and the fan community for making this happen.

Onto the review of the minifigures…

Spacewalking Astronaut: This one is in line with the new Space subtheme tied to the CITY theme with similar logos. This minifigure has the most gear to include a space jet pack with controls and a printed tile on the back. You’ll also note that the black base plates are printed with a star pattern which is a nice touch.

Imposter: The head on this one is dual printed with the print in this picture and then a standard minifigure face on the other side. Besides the antenna on its head, it also comes with three small alien microfigures.

Alien Tourist: This one is a fun one with a cool looking hat to go with the alien face. The Hawaiian shirt he has on covers up a white shirt underneath with a red heart and then a picture of Earth. He also has a back pack along with the camera he’s holding.

Retro Space Heroine: This one seems to resemble the Retro Space Guy from Series 17. The difference on this one comes with a dog to go with it.

M-Tron Powerlifter: I was a big fan of the M-Tron theme as a kid and was excited to see this one come back. The torso is the same, but that’s about it. The legs are cool with printing on the front and the sides. The claw is a cool touch. The helmet is different and doesn’t have a visor like back in the day, but it’s good to see the sub-theme return

Nurse Android: Let’s be honest here. No one cares about this minifigure. It’s all about the pink space baby to go with the other ones. We couldn’t get enough of the different colored Classic Space minifigures and now we can collect different colored space babies.

Flying Saucer Costume Fan: I don’t think we’ve ever seen one like this before. The legs and torso have the star pattern and blend in with the base plate quite nicely. Then it looks like it’s just a head in a flying saucer flying through space which is fun.

Ice Planet Explorer: I had a few of these sets as a kid too. The minifigure is similar to the originals, but with a few differences. No translucent orange skis and the helmet doesn’t have the translucent orange visor. The translucent orange chain saw is in line though. Also, the robotic penguin is a nice touch.

Robot Butler: I don’t know where they got the idea for this one, but I think it’s fun. This one has a different base instead of legs, but the torso and head are similar. The translucent green head covering is interesting.

Alien Bettlezoid: The head on this one is interesting. It’s nothing like the normal head. Also, the legs are molded differently from regular minifigure legs so they have a different form.

Orion: Have they made one with translucent parts like this one? I like the references to the constellation and how this one has silver and then the sparkling purple.

Blacktron Mutant: Last one is this Blacktron minifigure. I was excited to hear there would be a return of this sub-theme, but I’m not a big fan of the minifigure. It has the second generation Blacktron logo, but I’m not excited about the mutant aspects. It’s creative, but I was hoping for a minifigure that would go with my old collection of minifigures. I can’t complain too much I guess.

Set Review - #40580-1: Blacktron Cruiser

Well, the LEGO Company got me again. I grew up as a space theme fan (M-Tron rocks!!!!) and was thrilled to see this set come back. I made sure I was right in line to pick up this January 2023 Gift with Purchase (GWP). This one contains 356 pieces and is no longer available from LEGO. At the time of this post, I do have one set available in the Bricks for Bricks Bricklink store if you are looking for one.

The packaging is similar to #21322-1 Pirates of Barracuda Bay and #10305-1: Lion Knights’ Castle. The throwback to the classic yellow packaging is fun to see. The front of the box shows the set with a space like print that we used to see in the old sets. The back gives some of the play functions of the set.

The set comes with six parts bags numbered one through three with two bags for each number. The instructions come in a lighter colored booklet which helps to see the dark pieces, and you get a small sticker sheet. While I’d prefer to have no stickers on any sets, I guess I can’t complain too much about the small sheet included here. Note, the picture has a brick separator from my collection. The set doesn’t come with one.

Here is the sticker sheet. Number two seems to show #10497-1: Galaxy Explorer on the display screen. If you don’t have the Galaxy Explorer, I will tell you that the Cruiser is not on the Galaxy Explorer screens.

The first bag builds the front crew compartment of the cruiser. There is a space for the minifigure and then a space to store a metal detector. The wings fold in and out for atmospheric travel I guess and there are two lasers/blasters on either side of the front of the cruiser.

The minifigure looks exactly like the Blacktron ones from back in the day. It’s cool to get another one in 2023 after not being able to get them since the 1990s. It comes with a metal detector that looks similar to the ones from the 90s, but it doesn’t have the open stud on the detector part.

Bag two builds another section of the cruiser that attaches to the first section with clips. This section is storage and comes with a container with a door and has space for the droid to hang out. On one of the doors is a camera/light or maybe a laser. The doors are held on with clips. They can open, but are a little fragile when you move them.

The third bag builds the back section of the cruiser with the solar panels on wings and a rocket motor. Similar to the last section, this section clips on the to the previous section. The wings are on clips so you can angle them as desired.

Here’s the final build. As a fan of the space themes in the 90s, I am glad I got this one. What a great modern day version. I never had any of the original Blacktron sets, but I did have a few of the minifigures from some of the minifigure packs. If you’re interested and didn’t get one as a GWP, definitely look around on Bricklink or eBay or other secondary marketplace sites.

And I almost forgot the droid. I’m not sure if it’s the same design as one from back in the day, but it fits right in.

As mentioned, I didn’t have any of the original Blacktron sets, but I did have Blacktron 2 or whatever the updated Blacktron theme was known as. So here’s the latest Blacktron Cruiser next to #6832: Super Nova II. It’s a smaller version of the Cruiser with the similar rear wings, engine in the back, a storage compartment, and crew compartment. The wings were a bit dusty so I tried to wash them off. They’re still a bit wet in the picture… sorry. I have a few more of the Blacktron 2 sets. At some point, I’ll pull them out, rebuild, and post about them.

Did anyone else have the Blacktron sets? Do you still have them?

Happy building!

Set Review - #10497-1: Galaxy Explorer - Icons

About a year ago, LEGO ran a vote for the favorite theme to bring back for the 90th anniversary of the company. The votes were tallied and Castle ended up winning. The #10305-1: Lion Knight Castle was the resulting set from the vote. As a bonus to fans, we also got this set which is #10497-1: Galaxy Explorer. This set is a remake of 1979’s set #497: Galaxy Explorer. The original set had 338 pieces and retailed for $32. The new set contains 1,254 pieces and retails for $99.99 in the US. This works out to $0.08 per piece. The set was released on 20 June 2022 in the US and it is still out at the time of this post. I purchased the set on pre-order straight from LEGO Shop @ Home, but Walmart has had the set on sale for $75 for the past week or so. I’m not sure how long that sale will last, but it’s crazy to see a new set discounted so quickly after it’s release. It makes me wonder if the set isn’t selling as well as LEGO had hoped.

The box is designed after the old box style and is similar to #21322-1: Pirates of Barracuda Bay. It has the 90th anniversary logo on the bottom right on the front and a few other changes like the “18 years and up” for the age versus sets from the 1970s and 1980s. The back of the set shows some of the various play features of the set.

The contents of the set are 9 parts bags, an 8x16 black tile, the instructions (in a sealed bag), and a sheet telling you that some day LEGO will switch over to paper parts bags, but in the meantime you can keep throwing out your single use plastic bags.

The build starts with some inner substructure made of mostly Technic elements. You also build what will become the landing legs that extend down and then retract.

I failed to add it in the picture, but you get a space minifigure in a red suit here as well as a brick separator.

The second bag starts to give the ship it’s shape and adds some of the crew compartment. It’s great to see the printed tiles and bricks from the past return. From the bottom view, you can see the three landing legs. Each of them have a piece that is flat on the bottom and then has studs on top to connect with the rest of the ship. I’m not sure if this is a new piece or not, but it’s a cool use of this part.

Builds three and four help to create more of the shape of the ship. The use of LEGO geometry to create the angles is impressive. Not only are plates used, but the various leading and trailing edges of the ship still match the angles with very little gaps. Well done LEGO design team!

I found the build to be a bit fragile as I was putting it together. There were a lot of parts that kept coming off. This was rectified by the end, but just a note to be careful as you assemble the set.

Throughout the instructions, LEGO included various fun tidbits about the set which were nice to include. You’ll notice the use of colors. The designers only used colors available back in 1979 except for the light gray which was slightly different back then.

Bag three adds another space minifigure. This time it is in white.

Build 5 adds more detail to include the “shooters” on the front, some colored tiles on the top, and the start of the crew compartment. Initially, you attach an assembly of parts to the main structure of the ship with a Technic pin. For a while it just looks awkward as it sits at a weird angle and looks out of place. As you go further, you see that it fits right in and matches the angles perfectly. The fifth bag also includes another red colored space minifigure.

The sixth bag adds more detail to include additions to the crew compartment (beds that support leaving your oxygen tank on), storage for gear, the rear storage section for the space buggy with a ramp that folds out, and the start to where the engines connect.

Build 7 includes a white space minifigure and finishes off the crew compartment. You get additional control panels to add into the back compartment. You also add in the two yellow windscreens. I heard numerous complaints about these screens being scratched, but I didn’t have any issues. The set also comes with more printed parts to include the Classic Space logo and the numbers on the side.

Build 8 completes the rear tail, storage compartment, maneuvering thrusters, and the functionality that lets the rear compartment flip open to let the vehicle out.

This set comes with 4 space minifigures. While we didn’t get any new colors from the past, it’s still great to have additional space suited minifigures to add to the crew. Also included is a robot/droid. It wasn’t in the original set, but was in some of the other Classic Space sets. This one can carry coffee mugs which is fun considering they are in space and the coffee wouldn’t actually stay in the cups.

Here’s the final set. The ninth bag adds the engines. Two are on the sides in the back and two are attached to the back. The two on the sides can be removed and you can stick a minifigure on top to ride them. The ninth bag also adds the space buggy. You can open the rear of the ship, pull out the ramp, and it slides out. This is another cool addition to the set.

I highlighted the landing gear earlier and I took a picture of it extended here. The new piece is great and I like how it extends out to land and then folds up and tucks into the ship to allow it to swoosh away.

Overall, it’s a great set. I think it’s priced well and $75 is an even better deal if you grab it from Walmart. As a Classic Space fan as a kid, I was pumped to see space return and I appreciate the addition of this set to the line. Side note, I voted for the M-Tron theme to return…

I recommend this set for fans into the nostalgia of older LEGO sets as well as new fans. My 5 year old enjoyed playing with the space buggy and minifigures and I’m sure others as well. Also, it’s a great way to get into the 90th Anniversary sets without dropping $400 on the Castle.

Happy building!