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[Algernon]

Theme Review

Well, I was inspired by BerndDasBrot’s excellent M-Tron theme review to do a review of one of my favorite Space subthemes- Ice Planet 2002. My review is even more text-heavy than his, so be warned! Apologies in advance for the occasionally dark/blurry photos.

Ice Planet 2002 seems to be one of the more controversial of the classic Space themes. Mostly, it was the color scheme that bothered people- neon orange, classic blue, and white. In my opinion this color scheme suited the theme very well. The blue and white gave the sets an appropriate “frosty” look, and the orange completes the scheme nicely as a complementary color. It seems much more thought out than the color schemes of recent years. Ice Planet 2002 was very different in a lot of ways, but it worked well, and it brought some variety to the Space sets.

Table of contents:
1. Background information
2. The Ice Planet collection
3. Best set award
4. The minifigs
5. Unusual elements
6. Catalog shots
7. Ice Planet MOCs
8. Trivia
9. Sources and credits
10. Closing comments


1: BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Ice Planet 2002 was released in 1993, replacing M-Tron as the “civilian” faction. However, where M-Tron seemed to be some kind of cargo transport business, Ice Planet 2002 was an exploration/reconnaissance team. Many of the sets featured satellites and rockets that were deployable by certain vehicles and the base. According to a 1994 catalog (rough translation):

“In the icecold cryosphere of IcePlanet, explorers research for new technologies for interstellar communication. Unfortunately their innovative rockets and satellites get stolen continually. Maybe there's a spy from spyrius within their engineers?”

Whatever their purpose, they accompanied the Unitron and Spyrius themes in the same way M-Tron accompanied Space Police II and Blacktron Next Gen. As a theme, it was released right after the end of the Space Police II/Blacktron II conflict (1991-1993), and right before the Unitron/Spyrius conflict (1994-1996), though in terms of storyline it arrives during Space Police II and Spyrius (gathered from numerous catalog shots of all three themes together).

If that was confusing, here’s a chart to help clarify:


After Ice Planet was discontinued in 1994, it was followed by a succession of “good guy” factions (Unitron and RoboForce), “bad guy” factions (UFO and Insectoids) and one neutral faction (Exploriens). Life On Mars was then released in 2001, a theme set rather outside of the typical LEGO Space storyline. Life on Mars marked the end of LEGO Space for a few years until the less popular Mars Mission was released in 2007. Although it wasn’t well received at first, the attempted revival of LEGO Space saw drastic improvement in 2008, and now Space Patrol is poised to continue Space in 2009. Hopefully these new sets will live up to the biggest theme in LEGO history!

(Accuracy note: The moral standings of RoboForce, UFO, and Insectoids isn't abundantly clear, but given how those themes are generally protrayed I think it's safe to make a few assumptions. Also, this image seems to imply a conflict between RoboForce and UFO.)


2: THE ICE PLANET COLLECTION
Ice Planet 2002 consisted of 10 sets, including the polybag and boxed versions of the Snow Scooter as well as it’s re-release as the Space Diver in 1998. This list also includes an unnamed snow plow that was released in the USA as part of a value pack. You could feasibly ignore these throwaways and say that Ice Planet had six main sets.

(click the images to go to the corresponding Brickset page)


6973 Deep Freeze Defender [1] [2] [3] [4]

There are few who can deny that this set is a beast. Any great LEGO Space faction has to have a massive starship, and not only does Ice Planet have one, it has one of the most acclaimed starships in LEGO history! A huge part of this ship’s success is it’s excellent modularity. The two frontal cockpits detach from the body, which can detach from the rear cargo bay. You can also re-attach one cockpit to the center of the body and the other cockpit to the cargo bay to make two more medium-sized cruisers! These cruisers are good enough to be sets themselves. As an interesting note, this is the only Space set to include a garage door from the Town theme. The garage door can open to launch a small scooter, as well! This is one of the best starships in LEGO history, arguably as good as the Galactic Mediator. Includes three minifigs.
Score: 9.4/10 Outstanding

6983 Ice Station Odyssey [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

The Ice Station Odyssey isn’t the best of the bases LEGO Space has brought us, but it’s still very good. It comes with a small sled and a truck that can transport satellites around the base. It also included a nice crane mechanism that can move satellites to the launch pad, docking bay, transport truck, or wherever else you want to put it. The “open” construction of the base may turn some people off, but it’s undeniably detailed and functional. This is one of the better bases! Includes three minfigs.
Score: 7.5/10 Decent

6898 Ice-Sat V [1] [2] [3] [4]

In terms of ground vehicles, the Ice-Sat V isn’t quite as good as other legends such as the Mega-Core Magnetizer or the Solar Snooper, but it’s still a decent small-to-medium size set. It has a crane that can be used to load/unload satellites from the cargo hold that makes up the body of the truck. That’s about it, really- this set is more fun when you have the base to go with it. It includes one minifig.
Score: 8/10 Excellent

6879 Blizzard Baron [1] [2] [3] [4]

The Blizzard Baron is an excellent small stunt fighter with good construction and great parts. Not exactly the stuff of legend, but it’s still a fantastic little set with a good array of features. The biggest flaw with the set is that the open cockpit provides little protection for the pilot. Includes one minifig.
Score: 8.5/10 Excellent

6898 Celestial Sled [1] [2] [3]

Generally speaking, LEGO Space seems to be at it’s best with big bulky sets like the Galactic Mediator, and the smaller sets seem a little lacking. Not so here! The Celestial Sled is a wonderful little set with a surprising amount of detail. Check out that sonar array in the back! This consistent level of quality is what makes Ice Planet 2002 such a great theme. Includes one minifig.
Score: 9/10 Outstanding

6814 Ice Tunnelator [1] [2] [3]

Your typical throw-away ground vehicle. Nothing exactly wrong with this set, but there’s nothing special about it either. At least it’s an easy way to collect the wonderful Ice Planet minifigs. Includes one minifig.
Score: 6/10 Good

1731 Snow Scooter [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

There’s nothing about this set that can’t be gathered from the box image. Just your average, run-of-the-mill impulse. Includes one minifig.
Score: 5/10 Mediocre

1711 Snow Scooter (polybag) [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Same set as 1731, only it comes in a polybag. Includes one minifig.
Score: 5/10 Mediocre

3014 Space Diver [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Ice Planet 2002 officially ended in 1994, but for some reason, in 1998 LEGO saw fit to re-release the worst set of the theme under a different name- the Space Diver. Why? Who knows! Includes one minifig.
Score: 5/10 Mediocre

1704 (unnamed) [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Shame this set wasn’t more widely released! You’d think a winter-based theme would need a snowplow. This set is great, but good luck finding it. Includes one minifig.
Score: 8.5/10 Excellent


3: BEST SET AWARD
And the winner is...

6973 Deep Freeze Defender

If you were to buy a single Ice Planet 2002 set, what should you get? The answer is an easy one- 6973 Deep Freeze Defender, the definitive Ice Planet set. This beauty is a hallmark of LEGO Space and it’s easily the best of it’s theme. Why? Several reasons- for one, it just looks great. The dual-cockpit design is refreshingly new, and the entire thing looks sleek and polished. The color scheme really comes through with this set, as well- the orange is nicely spaced out. And as I mentioned before- it’s modularity is unparalleled! Behold:

The entire set splits into four sections…


All of which can function as their own vehicle. You already have five vehicles in one set!


Each cockpit/pod can attach to the cargo bay and midsection of the ship, forming two new cruisers- now you have seven vehicles in one!


Don’t forget about the deployable mini-scooter. The grand total: Eight vehicles in one set! I can’t think of another Space set with that kind of modularity. And even better, each vehicle looks fantastic!


But wait, that’s not all this beast of a set can do. It can also launch the trademark Ice Planet satellites from the midsection of the ship:


Open up and away it goes!



You get three minifigs with the set- one for each cockpit and an extra to fly the mini-scooter. Fortunately, one of these minifigs is the legendary icebabe! More on that later. Meanwhile, here's the Deep Freeze Defender in all it's glory:


I’ve heard it argued that the DFD doesn’t have much frontal firepower- which is true, but there’s a reason for that. If you read my somewhat lengthy background information section, you’ll remember that Ice Planet 2002 is a “civilian” faction- more specifically, a research team whose primary goal seems to be launching satellites into the atmosphere to collect data. Considering they’re conducting their research on an inhospitable wasteland, I don’t think they’d need a whole lot of firepower out there!

Final grades:

Color scheme: 10/10
Functionality: 10/10
Build: 9/10
Minifigs: 10/10
Execution: 8/10
Overall: 9.4/10 Outstanding


4: THE MINIFIGS
Ice Planet 2002 featured some wonderful minifigs! A nice variety of faces are included, as well as two different bodies.


This is your basic Ice Planet minifig. Standard backpack and legs, but they have a nice helmet with a cool orange visor. The bodies are very nice as well, with a cool decal showing the thermal suit details as well as the Ice Planet logo.


Here’s the less common “commander” minifig. The only difference is a new body and a different face.


You can also equip your Ice Planet minifigs with snowshoes and saws to complete the look.

Another interesting note- Ice Planet 2002 is the first Space theme to introduce female minifigs! Everything before Ice Planet was either male or gender-neutral. Behold the “icebabe”:

You know you want to hit that.


5: UNUSUAL ELEMENTS
A couple of unusual pieces exclusive to Ice Planet 2002.

Ice Planet 2002 was the first theme to introduce trans-orange parts (and I think the only theme to utilize trans-orange successfully):


A garage door piece otherwise exclusive to Town:


An Ice Planet logo printed on a tile:


Cool canopy with Ice Planet decals:



Yes, all Ice Planet parts were printed! No DDSs here!


6: CATALOG SHOTS
Here are some great shots of Ice Planet from some old LEGO catalogs! Click on the images to view the larger versions.

1993:




1994:






A couple of rough translations:

“and again some spyrius guys abducted two satellites and one booster rocket from the explorer-team of IcePlanet to their planet Spyrius. Can the SpacePolice persist?”

“In the icecold cryosphere of IcePlanet, explorers research for new technologies for interstellar communication. Unfortunately their innovative rockets and satellites get stolen continually. Maybe there's a spy from spyrius within their engineers?”

“For galactic chills and thrills check out this awesome group. They live on a frozen planet and their super secret rocket technology is wanted by everyone in the universe.”


7: ICE PLANET MOCS
Here are a few brickshelf links to some fantastic Ice Planet 2002 themed MOCs.

"Ice Planet Protector" by RangerSnow

An Ice Planet submarine by Mutant-Manfred

A "mobile gun" by Mutant-Manfred

An Ice Planet themed Particle Ionizer by Lego-Lord

"Icepick" battle cruiser by jakethesnakeuf

"Ammonia Sea Scout" pirate ship by jjardine

Mega Core Magnetizer in Ice Planet theme (as well as other themes!) by bdarrow

IP2K2 Walker by Don Solo

Ice Planet Special Forces by Don Solo

Icy Interceptor by Captain Redstorm

Ice Babe's Jacuzzi by Sir Nadroj


8: TRIVIA
A couple of little-known facts I mentioned earlier, but they get their own section here.

- Ice Planet 2002 was the first Space theme to include a female minifig.

- According to one of the boxes, Ice Planet 2002 takes place on the planet “Krysto”. Here's the quote: “The ice planet Krysto, with its vast network of frozen tunnels and caves, is the capital of a remote part of the universe known as Ice Planet 2002. It is from this snow covered planet that rocket technicians are conducting top secret research. Their findings are coveted by the Blacktron forces and even renegades within the Space Police.”

- Ice Planet 2002 was the one of the last "civilian" factions in LEGO Space, and most of the themes that followed it had unclear moral standings. Exploriens could be considered the last-ever "civilian" faction.

- Although Ice Planet was officially discontinued in 1994, the Snow Scooter was re-released in 1998 as the Space Diver.

- Ice Planet developed a small following on 4chan. I have not looked deeper into this for fear of that website.

- The commander of the Ice Planet team (the only minifig to have a different body from the rest) has a name: “Commander Cold”.

- Ice Planet is the first Space theme to use a garage door piece from Town. It also used this piece in orange and white, colors it never came in otherwise.

- Ice Planet introduced the first ever transparent orange LEGO elements.


9: SOURCES AND CREDITS:
Many thanks to BerndDasBrot for helping with translation and providing some great photos, as well as inspiring me to do this review! Be sure to check out his reviews of M-Tron and Space Police II.

Sources include Wikipedia (which has a very nice section on LEGO Space), Brickset, Peeron, the Ultimate LEGO Book, and Brickfactory.


10: CLOSING COMMENTS
Ice Planet deviated from traditional LEGO Space in a lot of ways. It was the first to have a distinct elemental setting- most other Space sets are just set in… space. It also had a very intriguing color scheme, though controversial. All of the “main” sets had a very consistent level of quality- you couldn’t really point to one of them and go “yeah, that set sucks”, because none of them did. It’s true that it lacked medium-sized sets, and that LEGO was rather stingy about minifigs at the time, but few can deny that Ice Planet 2002 was one of the most memorable factions in LEGO Space!

Stay tuned for my upcoming Spyrius review!

---

Edited by Algernon, 13 December 2008 - 04:54 AM.

[brickzone]

I enjoyed the review, thanks. I for one really like Ice Planet - we thought it was so cool when it first came out! It was the only theme that we came close to having the whole set of in the house - everything but the Ice Planet base (which my sister and I both now have a set of!) My brother still has his original deep freeze defender (albeit now with nearly "tan" parts in places where there should be white).

It was the catalogue images as well as the new trans-neon orange, minifigs and backstory that captured our imagination I think. Somehow Ice Planet manages to encapsulate the concept of a "theme" far better than just about any of the subsequent efforts (previous ones such as M-Tron, Blacktron and Space Police acheive the same). I sincerely hope "Space Patrol" manages to create a similar setting, something one can get into more even than things like UFO, Insectoid, Mars Mission.

[Algernon]

brickzone, on Dec 13 2008, 01:22 AM, said:

I enjoyed the review, thanks. I for one really like Ice Planet - we thought it was so cool when it first came out! It was the only theme that we came close to having the whole set of in the house - everything but the Ice Planet base (which my sister and I both now have a set of!) My brother still has his original deep freeze defender (albeit now with nearly "tan" parts in places where there should be white).

It was the catalogue images as well as the new trans-neon orange, minifigs and backstory that captured our imagination I think. Somehow Ice Planet manages to encapsulate the concept of a "theme" far better than just about any of the subsequent efforts (previous ones such as M-Tron, Blacktron and Space Police acheive the same). I sincerely hope "Space Patrol" manages to create a similar setting, something one can get into more even than things like UFO, Insectoid, Mars Mission.

I agree with you on all accounts, except that I thought UFO worked pretty well as a "theme". The only problem was it didn't seem to tie in very closely with the rest of LEGO Space, which is what made the SP/BT/MT lines so collectible. Otherwise I think it had some of the best minifigs in LEGO Space as well as one of the best medium-sized starships, the Warp Wing Fighter.

I like Ice Planet because it was really unique, but in such away that tied in nicely with the rest of Space (not like Insectoids or Robo-Force). Spyrius and Ice Planet make awesome opponents.  

Edited by Algernon, 13 December 2008 - 12:28 AM.

[CP5670]

That was a great read. I generally prefer darker colors with space sets but still liked this theme. As you say, the colors fit their "cold" environment well. All of their sets had a nice variety of minifig equipment too, like the skis and ice saws.

The DFD has a lot of unique ideas. What I especially like about its modularity is that the alternate ships actually look very good. There were other space sets with many removable sections but it was rare to be able to make something good out of them. They could have done more with the ship's rear section though, which has a lot of empty space inside even with the small ship stored there. I modified mine to include a small control center. This set was also surprisingly cheap when it came out ($40, as opposed to $60 for the similarly sized 6984).

The base was somewhat underwhelming though. It was decent, but I think almost all of the other themes' bases are better than it.

Quote

Ice Planet 2002 officially ended in 1994, but for some reason, in 1998 LEGO saw fit to re-release the worst set of the theme under a different name- the Space Diver. Why? Who knows! Includes one minifig.

Yes, this was quite a strange release, and it wasn't marketed as an Ice Planet set at all.

Quote

http://www.brickshel...02/catalog6.jpg

I wonder what they're going to do with him. The previous page in this catalog shows him running away from the Space Police into the cave.

Also, I copied the theme description from the US boxes if you're interested:

Quote

The ice planet Krysto, with its vast network of frozen tunnels and caves, is the capital of a remote part of the universe known as Ice Planet 2002. It is from this snow covered planet that rocket technicians are conducting top secret research. Their findings are coveted by the Blacktron forces and even renegades within the Space Police.

And here is a short piece from the US 1993 catalog:

Quote

For galactic chills and thrills check out this awesome group. They live on a frozen planet and their super secret rocket technology is wanted by everyone in the universe.

[Algernon]

CP5670, on Dec 13 2008, 01:57 AM, said:

That was a great read. I generally prefer darker colors with space sets but still liked this theme. As you say, the colors fit their "cold" environment well. All of their sets had a nice variety of minifig equipment too, like the skis and ice saws.

The DFD has a lot of unique ideas. What I especially like about its modularity is that the alternate ships actually look very good. There were other space sets with many removable sections but it was rare to be able to make something good out of them. They could have done more with the ship's rear section though, which has a lot of empty space inside even with the small ship stored there. I modified mine to include a small control center. This set was also surprisingly cheap when it came out ($40, as opposed to $60 for the similarly sized 6984).

The base was somewhat underwhelming though. It was decent, but I think almost all of the other themes' bases are better than it.



Yes, this was quite a strange release, and it wasn't marketed as an Ice Planet set at all.



I wonder what they're going to do with him. The previous page in this catalog shows him running away from the Space Police into the cave.

Also, I copied the theme description from the US boxes if you're interested:



And here is a short piece from the US 1993 catalog:

Thanks for those quotes, I'll put them in. I've also added a poll so feel free to weigh in on your opinion of Ice Planet. I'm very interested in seeing what the general consensus for this theme is.

I know a lot of people don't like orange, but I think Ice Planet felt more thought-out in terms of colors- the orange works, somehow, and I'm not really sure why (orange and white doesn't work so well on Mars Mission).

Thanks for the post. :)

[Sir Dano]

Thanks for this excellent review. IP2K2 is my all-time favourite Space theme, followed by Spyrius.

Algernon, on Dec 12 2008, 07:56 PM, said:

ICE PLANET MOCS

Here are some great ones from Flickr:
IP2K2 Walker by Don Solo
Ice Planet Special Forces by Don Solo
Icy Interceptor by Captain Redstorm
Ice Babe's Jacuzzi by Sir Nadroj

Algernon, on Dec 12 2008, 07:56 PM, said:

- Ice Planet developed a small following on 4chan. I have not looked deeper into this for fear of that website.

We'll have to find someone brave enough to enter that Mega Bloks-hole for us.

Algernon, on Dec 12 2008, 07:56 PM, said:

Stay tuned for my upcoming Spyrius review!

Edited by sir dano, 13 December 2008 - 04:58 AM.

[Legoking]

Great review. I can see you have put a lot of work into this.

[Algernon]

Sir dano,

Thanks for those links; I've added them to the main post. The Spyrius review will come in time. :)

LegoKing, thanks. Yeah it took a few days. XD

[KDog]

Great, thorough review.

But you do carry over the misconception a lot of people have that Ice Planet was a civilian group like M:Tron. Look closer at their logo. They're an extension of the Classic Space Agency, just like Mars Mission is. Unless Space Agency is considered civilian and not the good guys, which I could see as a way to view it.

"You know you want to hit that."

LMAO

Edited by KDog, 13 December 2008 - 06:21 AM.

[Algernon]

KDog, on Dec 13 2008, 07:05 AM, said:

Great, thorough review.

But you do carry over the misconception a lot of people have that Ice Planet was a civilian group like M:Tron. Look closer at their logo. They're an extension of the Classic Space Agency, just like Mars Mission is.

I don't know about that, they might have a similar logo, but they're so blatantly portrayed as the subject of conflicts between good and bad themes that it can't be denied their role is at least similar to M-Tron.

[dj2005]

Thanks for the review(s)! The Ice Planet 2002 sub-theme did indeed do a nice job of successfully integrating translucent orange pieces within the various sets. In fact, I can't imagine this sub-theme with any other color. Shame that a better base was not designed as their current one is mediocre, IMO (more of a baseplate than of a base). Still, the set 6973 makes up for it and is a great spacecraft to have in one's collection. It offers plenty of functionality due to its rare case of extreme modularity that is often not present in many LEGO sets, excluding alternative models. Strangely, I remember its satellite the most from my childhood when I owned the set. I suppose it is a trademark much like you mentioned. Lastly, you can't beat the unique name that their planet is called...

Oh, and long live the Ice Babe!

[KDog]

Here's interesting and somewhat disturbing proof that the Ice Planet team can hold their own against Blacktron II. Or maybe they're actually rescuing them, who knows?

EDIT: Looking up again, I see there's another shot of Ice Planet guys carrying around frozen Blacktron guys in the catalogs shots you included. And one Blacktron agent seems to be hiding! Ice Planet freezes their enemies? Freaky!

Edited by KDog, 13 December 2008 - 06:30 AM.

[Algernon]

dj2005, on Dec 13 2008, 06:18 AM, said:

Thanks for the review(s)! The Ice Planet 2002 sub-theme did indeed do a nice job of successfully integrating translucent orange pieces within the various sets. In fact, I can't imagine this sub-theme with any other color. Shame that a better base was not designed as their current one is mediocre, IMO (more of a baseplate than of a base). Still, the set 6973 makes up for it and is a great spacecraft to have in one's collection. It offers plenty of functionality due to its rare case of extreme modularity that is often not present in many LEGO sets, excluding alternative models. Strangely, I remember its satellite the most from my childhood when I owned the set. I suppose it is a trademark much like you mentioned. Lastly, you can't beat the unique name that their planet is called...

Oh, and long live the Ice Babe!

Good times.  

I agree the base is not fantastic, but it was pretty good on the playability side (because the crane worked with almost every other set in the series). Also you get orange dome windows!

The satellites are fun to chuck at other themes. :P

Quote

KDog, on Dec 13 2008, 06:25 AM, said:

Here's interesting and somewhat disturbing proof that the Ice Planet team can hold their own against Blacktron II. Or maybe they're actually rescuing them, who knows?

Nice image, I'll add that to the main post. And to me, that looks more like the Blacktron guys got frozen and now Ice Planet is just recovering the bodies. Ice Planet models were mildly armed, but I still maintain that their role is civilian, granted a little tougher than M-Tron.

Edited by Algernon, 13 December 2008 - 06:30 AM.

[KDog]

Maybe our ideas can be reconciled if you consider the original Space Agency to be civilian (although they were better-armed). I saw you listed Futuron as civilian, and I think they're pretty clearly a revamped form of the original space explorers. I think LEGO intended Ice Planet to be related to the original astronauts through the logo. By that point, they had already made space explorers without it.

Edited by KDog, 13 December 2008 - 06:49 AM.

[Algernon]

KDog, on Dec 13 2008, 07:47 AM, said:

Maybe our ideas can be reconciled if you consider the original Space Agency to be civilian (although they were better-armed). I saw you listed Futuron as civilian, and I think they're pretty clearly a revamped form of the original space explorers. I think LEGO intended Ice Planet to be related to the original astronauts through the logo. By that point, they had already made space explorers without it.

It's hard to classify Futuron, so I won't disagree that they may be space explorers 2.0.

I did notice that the logo is similar, but I can't help but notice tons of similarity to M-Tron: they have a clear purpose unrelated to Blacktron/Spyrius (IP2002: launching rockets, MT: hauling cargo) Space Police seem to defend them a lot (look at the catalog shots), and given the translations I found, other themes seem to want to steal from them!

But I can't prove anything, so I guess the point is moot.

[Darth Yoda]

I had never even heard about this theme until now...

[Algernon]

Darth Yoda, on Dec 13 2008, 06:59 AM, said:

I had never even heard about this theme until now...

This is definitely a theme for veteran Space fans nowadays. Hopefully you agree with us that it's very good.  

[KDog]

Darth Yoda, it's neat to see that people are still discovering this stuff!

Algernon, I can see the ambiguity with Ice Planet, but I can't agree that Futuron is hard to classify. The uniforms are just updated versions of the originals in the same colors. Even more telling, you can view the transition happening, as the old-style astronauts began to have predominantly white and blue bases and ships, like Futuron had. There's even a couple sets that seem like they should come with Futuron astronauts but include minifigs in classic spacesuits (Polaris-I Space Lab being a prime example). And both styles of astronaut shared the shelves for a period.

But as you suggested, there may be no right answer this, as LEGO was rarely very clear about it.

Anyway, I am currently pining for the Deep Freeze Defender after reading your review! I had no idea it was that modular. I've been needing a place for the Ice Babe to live in my comic...

[Algernon]

KDog, on Dec 13 2008, 08:29 AM, said:

Darth Yoda, it's neat to see that people are still discovering this stuff!

Algernon, I can see the ambiguity with Ice Planet, but I can't agree that Futuron is hard to classify. The uniforms are just updated versions of the originals in the same colors. Even more telling, you can view the transition happening, as the old-style astronauts began to have predominantly white and blue bases and ships, like Futuron had. There's even a couple sets that seem like they should come with Futuron astronauts but include minifigs in classic spacesuits (Polaris-I Space Lab being a prime example). And both styles of astronaut shared the shelves for a period.

But as you suggested, there may be no right answer this, as LEGO was rarely very clear about it.

Anyway, I am currently pining for the Deep Freeze Defender after reading your review! I had no idea it was that modular. I've been needing a place for the Ice Babe to live in my comic...

You might very well be right about Futuron, since that theme came long before my time and has failed to capture my interest since.

I got mine off of Bricklink for about $50, but I'm sure you could find a better deal off of Ebay (a fact I much resent). Make sure it's got the original minifigs with it, since it came with an Icebabe, Commander Cold, and a generic minifig for army building. Great selection there.

Beware of yellowing.

[CP5670]

Quote

EDIT: Looking up again, I see there's another shot of Ice Planet guys carrying around frozen Blacktron guys in the catalogs shots you included. And one Blacktron agent seems to be hiding! Ice Planet freezes their enemies? Freaky!

It looks like he became frozen after running into the cave, where it was presumably very cold. As I said earlier, the previous pane in that catalog shows some Blacktrons running into the cave entrance with the Space Police in pursuit. Maybe they're going to hand him over to them.

[legotrainfan]

I've only got the Blizzard Baron, the Celestial Sled and the Ice Tunnelator; just three of the smaller sets. However, it's an awesome theme. I've voted "above average" because the introduction of elements in new colours (orange) and new visors was a bit too much for me. But hey: it's still a wonderful theme! I'd love to have a brand new Deep Freeze Defender, which offers an amzingly high degree of playability.

[Algernon]

legotrainfan, on Dec 13 2008, 11:16 AM, said:

I've only got the Blizzard Baron, the Celestial Sled and the Ice Tunnelator; just three of the smaller sets. However, it's an awesome theme. I've voted "above average" because the introduction of elements in new colours (orange) and new visors was a bit too much for me. But hey: it's still a wonderful theme! I'd love to have a brand new Deep Freeze Defender, which offers an amzingly high degree of playability.

To each his own. :) Yes, I recommend the Deep Freeze Defender! It's one of the best LEGO starships  available.

[Section8]

4/5, a great theme, though still so less than the best of the theme, like Futuron, M-Tron, BlackTron 1 and 2, and SP1 and 2.  I have the smallest 2 regular release sets, maybe the next one above those (Blizzard Baron, been awhile since the space sets were fully built).  I really liked the new visors, though would have appreciated them being made in other less ostenatious colors.  The skiis were a pretty neat addition to the piece mix and I'm glad those made it into Town sets too.  The interoperability of the ground sats and launched sats made owning more than one or two sets more fun.  

Algernon, on Dec 12 2008, 05:56 PM, said:

1704 (unnamed) [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Shame this set wasn’t more widely released! You’d think a winter-based theme would need a snowplow. This set is great, but good luck finding it. Includes one minifig.

Didn't even know this was a set, but I'd like to own it.

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3: BEST SET AWARD
And the winner is...

6973 Deep Freeze Defender
But wait, that’s not all this beast of a set can do. It can also launch the trademark Ice Planet satellites from the midsection of the ship:

Didn't know that!  The only set I don't have hands-on experience with.  Regardless, it's still worthy of the best set award.

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You know you want to hit that.

Never thought I'd see that written on this site.  Live and learn, I guess...

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5: UNUSUAL ELEMENTS
A couple of unusual pieces exclusive to Ice Planet 2002.

Ice Planet 2002 was the first theme to introduce trans-orange parts (and I think the only theme to utilize trans-orange successfully):

indeed, although limited in other uses I feel (I'm a town guy, trans-blue or trans-yellow have more possible uses in that theme)

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Yes, all Ice Planet parts were printed! No DDSs here!

Some of those were previously unknown to me.  As a sucker for printed parts of any kind, I'll have to check those out.

[CP5670]

Almost everything was printed back then. In fact, I can only think of a handful of different stickers among any of the space themes, some in the Explorien and UFO sets that were made of unusual materials (hologram, heat sensitive, magnetic).

[Legoist]

First of all, thanks to Algernon for another excellent theme review!

I hope it doesn't bother you that I make my comments too extensive... if it feels to you like I'm disturbing your reviews by doing this, please let me know. Normally I would like to write my own reviews separately, but in the case of these space themes I don't think it makes much sense to create a separate review after you make such a detailed one.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

6973 Deep Freeze Defender [1] [2] [3] [4]

One of the best spaceship ever... despite the fact the overall shape doesn't convince me, this is totally overrun by the playability of this set. As you explained very clearly, there are so many great working parts in this ship, from the detaching crafts, the splitting and re-shaping of the ship, to the great use of a garage door and the carried small craft and missile... This ship is truly an excellent design!

My vote: 10/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

6983 Ice Station Odyssey [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

While the overall impression is not bad, this is a primitive design for a space station. Take a colorful raised baseplate (which makes up for most of the "mass" of the set) and slap a few pieces on top of it... there is quite little to build here. At least there isn't an excessive use of oversized pieces, only the dome sections. But there are lots of ideas which seem rushed to me: the dome itself isn't good because it's only half (thus it cannot work as to make an enclosed area with controlled atmosphere) and it has a large opening even in the middle of such half (thus it cannot work as a windshield or sunscreen either): so what it the purpose of the half-dome from the point of view of the minifigs? There are other details which seem to me like they had an idea but then didn't try hard enough to implement it nicely, such as the entrance barrier door on the slope. Even the vehicles are below average. I think that generally speaking, LEGO space stations are almost always disappointing: the look large but they are in fact much less interesting to build than the larger spaceships; but at least the bases of other themes (esp. classic space) still managed to display many good ideas. Not this one, unfortunately.

My vote: 5/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

6898 Ice-Sat V [1] [2] [3] [4]

Quite a good ground vehicle, and the crane idea (uncommon in space vehicles) is really nice. The only parts which could have been better are the windshield (should not be so open) and the wheels (should have some sort of spring or movable part to make the vehicle adapt to the bumps of the terrain, rather than being so rigid). Also I don't like the wheels color, should probably be gray or black, but I guess this is a theme choice and would make the set too colourful.

My vote: 8/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

6879 Blizzard Baron [1] [2] [3] [4]

Not very special but quite a solid design. One point less for the open windshield which in this case is really too open...

My vote: 7/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

6898 Celestial Sled [1] [2] [3]

This is very simple design, but with nice touches. I think it's hard to do much better when constrained to small size.

My vote: 8/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

6814 Ice Tunnelator [1] [2] [3]

Not bad, but this one is really empty of any possible detail. At least it could have had one or maybe two tiny additions. I am undecided whether the wheels are too large or just fine.

My vote: 6/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

1731 Snow Scooter [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

There’s nothing about this set that can’t be gathered from the box image. Just your average, run-of-the-mill impulse. Includes one minifig.
Score: 5/10 Mediocre

This is the obligatory tiny-impulse set... Worse than average in my opinion, but not bad.

My vote: 6/10.

Algernon, on Dec 13 2008, 01:56 AM, said:

1704 (unnamed) [sorry, no out-of-box photos]

Nice small ground vehicle. Despite the cool factor of the front part, I think it would have been better to make it built with a few pieces rather than using one specialized piece.

My vote: 7/10.

CONCLUSIONS:

My average is more than 8. The only set which is bad IMHO is the base station. Everything else is worth it, and the main spaceship is indeed outstanding. I quite like the colour scheme, although the trans-orange is a bit shocking. However it seems to appropriately suggest that the glasses material has some sunscreen properties, as it would be very much needed on an icy-snowy planet!

Overall I think this was a pretty good space theme, so I voted 4/5.