LEGO Sci-Fi 2014 Pictures and Rumors

[Alpinemaps]

If you look through Mark's post history on Reddit (didn't mean to stalk, but, ya know...), you'll see that he posted a picture of an old prototype of the M-Tron. In that picture, there's a half-Green space minifig.

[Faefrost]

If you look through Mark's post history on Reddit (didn't mean to stalk, but, ya know...), you'll see that he posted a picture of an old prototype of the M-Tron. In that picture, there's a half-Green space minifig.

He also mentioned the "Aquatron" or 'Seatron" underwater space theme that never saw release. I wish I could find the pictures I remember seeing of the proptotypes. That series included a really good looking monorail.

edit: Silly me here it is (buried somewhere on EB)

Edited July 9, 2014 by Faefrost

[Aanchir]

He also mentioned the "Aquatron" underwater space theme that never saw release. I wish I could find the pictures I remember seeing of the proptotypes. That series included a really good looking monorail.

They're available in Brickjournal Volume 2, Issue 6 which I can't recommend enough. Lots of amazing insights into the early days of LEGO Space! This Brickshelf gallery also has the images.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Aanchir

[Sir Walter Maugham]

This Brickshelf gallery

Wow, I've never seen these before. Preliminary/prototype Lego sets are always so interesting to look at.

Seatron seems like it would have been an amazing theme. When were these made?

[Faefrost]

Wow, I've never seen these before. Preliminary/prototype Lego sets are always so interesting to look at.

Seatron seems like it would have been an amazing theme. When were these made?

Back during the early 90's I think. Some of its ideas eventually saw release with Aquanauts or Aquaraders... err one of the Aqua somethings.

[Artanis I]

Aquazone back then. (Aquanauts were one of the factions)

And our brand new green airtanks appear in an old Space Police prototype set...

TLG Y U NO GIVE US BEFORE

[jonwil]

I could swear I saw (and commented on) a review of the Exo-Suit on the front page of Eurobricks yesterday but now it seems to be gone. WTF happened?

[Venkefedo]

I could swear I saw (and commented on) a review of the Exo-Suit on the front page of Eurobricks yesterday but now it seems to be gone. WTF happened?

I commented on it, too! Maybe it was temporarily removed (hopefully not deleted) because it was posted too soon?

[Bob De Quatre]

We had to remove the review of the Exo Suit, but it will be back soon.

[bacem]

We had to remove the review of the Exo Suit, but it will be back soon.

eh? any reason for that?

[WhiteFang]

eh? any reason for that?

There were some technical issues on the links which require some rectification. On behalf of the staff, I do apologies for the inconvenience. Please be patient with us until we are able to rectify it. Thank you.

[bacem]

There were some technical issues on the links which require some rectification. On behalf of the staff, I do apologies for the inconvenience. Please be patient with us until we are able to rectify it. Thank you.

no problem. just curious with the reason. i thought it's some kind of non-technical reason.

[DPrime]

He also mentioned the "Aquatron" or 'Seatron" underwater space theme that never saw release. I wish I could find the pictures I remember seeing of the proptotypes. That series included a really good looking monorail.

edit: Silly me here it is (buried somewhere on EB)

Wow, that looks superb! The M-Tron concept too. Better than final release, imo, but then I am a sucker for anything with the CS logo on it. :)

There were some technical issues on the links which require some rectification. On behalf of the staff, I do apologies for the inconvenience. Please be patient with us until we are able to rectify it. Thank you.

Well, I am glad I read it a couple times before that happened. :)

Edited July 10, 2014 by DPrime

[Cinderbike]

I know what I'm doing August 1st. I really hope TLG offers up the white CS minifig set as the US exclusive at the same time. It's too bad that they didn't use the old helmet design for the green spacemen for people with actual Classic Space minifigs…

[TheLegoDr]

Well, if you read the article from the designer, he specifically states the old mold was too prone to cracking and would never get remade, unless a stronger plastic or something would come along. But as it stands, it HAS to be the new mold for durability. Plus, it doesn't matter considering the newer mold is available in basically every single color anyone could ever need/want.

[Faefrost]

I know what I'm doing August 1st. I really hope TLG offers up the white CS minifig set as the US exclusive at the same time. It's too bad that they didn't use the old helmet design for the green spacemen for people with actual Classic Space minifigs…

If you read through that Redit thread Mark Stafford goes into great detail regarding the classic helmets. In summary (and I am sure I am paraphrasing some. Apologies if I don't get it perfectly right)

- the classic space helmets were a flawed part prone to breaking and are considered unacceptable and a safety hazard by today's standards.

- they were replaced with the new style helmets 30 years ago. (Seriously those old helmets predate the dates of birth for a good chunk of the Lego design team that's how long gone they are.)

- the new style helmets have been made in every classic space color so at this point for those who demand consistency between new and old it is actually easier to retrofit the old.

- even if they were to entertain the idea, they would need to re engineer the part so it did not break. So it still would not match the classic helmets.

- just doing Benny's helmet in green would almost be worse. It's made to look broken.

[Venkefedo]

- just doing Benny's helmet in green would almost be worse. It's made to look broken.

There might be a certain charm to having that in a collection, tho Like having a piece of an alternate history where you got a Classic Space set in 1984 with a green spaceman in it and the ol' chinstrap snapped on you (as they did for so many others)

[Faefrost]

There might be a certain charm to having that in a collection, tho Like having a piece of an alternate history where you got a Classic Space set in 1984 with a green spaceman in it and the ol' chinstrap snapped on you (as they did for so many others)

I can see that as something like a CMF. Which would be hilaious and adorable. Or do a pink or purple female classic space man with broken chin strap. But not so much in a regular play set. Appreciating the joke there requires a certain amount of ummm? life Experience shall we say? Acquired wisdom? Let's put it this way, beyond Benny in the movie to appreciate the broken chinstrap as a gag you almost need to be sporting an AARP card. The kiddies? They would just want to know why their brand new helmet is broken?

[DPrime]

I agree. As much as I'd prefer the classic thin chinstrap, Benny's broken one would be worse!

I hate to sound greedy after just finding out that we're getting a CS in a new colour, but I have to say, I would love to see another in a future CMF series... Pink, not so much (we kind of already got one). Dark blue or grey would be sweet, though.

[Artanis I]

I did try to see what the younger cousins would look like in all the different helmet colours

[Venkefedo]

I did try to see what the younger cousins would look like in all the different helmet colours

Very nice! I'd love darks blue, green, and red spacemen… I wouldn't even mind a resurgence in Futuron as well as Classic! I always liked them as the "next step", and without the helmets & air tanks they're kinda like "Starfleet" uniforms.

I can see that as something like a CMF. Which would be hilaious and adorable. Or do a pink or purple female classic space man with broken chin strap. But not so much in a regular play set. Appreciating the joke there requires a certain amount of ummm? life Experience shall we say? Acquired wisdom? Let's put it this way, beyond Benny in the movie to appreciate the broken chinstrap as a gag you almost need to be sporting an AARP card. The kiddies? They would just want to know why their brand new helmet is broken?

Hadn't thought of doing something like that (or pink/purple) in the CMFs, but I love the idea! A much better way to deliver that than in a set, you're very much correct there.

I've got a ways to go before getting an AARP card, but I remember the old helmets very well; I don't recall if any of my spacemen had broken chinstraps, but for sure I knew someone who had one as I always worried about it happening to more of mine after seeing one.

[Faefrost]

I agree. As much as I'd prefer the classic thin chinstrap, Benny's broken one would be worse!

I hate to sound greedy after just finding out that we're getting a CS in a new colour, but I have to say, I would love to see another in a future CMF series... Pink, not so much (we kind of already got one). Dark blue or grey would be sweet, though.

We have Dark Blue. They're the heavily armored assault troops

[MikroMan]

We have Dark Blue. They're the heavily armored assault troops

As great as Armoured Troops are(and would love to get my hands on a few to make an assault squad), IMHO they just don't really fit into CS despite the logo. Maybe I'm just weird but I want my classic spacemen in plain color with breast logo and a normal helmet

[TheLegoDr]

There is a line between too much detail (as most minifigures are these days) to very basic printing that people love about the classic sets. I'm a fan of a lot of the new stuff LEGO is putting out, but there is always that nostalgia for the old sets/figures since that was my youth.

I don't mind the dark blue trooper, but I only bought one. I didn't army build him like I normally would have. It'd almost be better if there was a different (basic) color to go with the rest of the group. Although again, too much detail OR too many new non-basic molds may not fit too well..

[Venkefedo]

There is a line between too much detail (as most minifigures are these days) to very basic printing that people love about the classic sets. I'm a fan of a lot of the new stuff LEGO is putting out, but there is always that nostalgia for the old sets/figures since that was my youth.

I don't mind the dark blue trooper, but I only bought one. I didn't army build him like I normally would have. It'd almost be better if there was a different (basic) color to go with the rest of the group. Although again, too much detail OR too many new non-basic molds may not fit too well..

I kinda look at it like Star Wars figures… I love a lot of the highly-detailed, highly-posable figures Hasbro's put out over the last 8-10 years, but there's a charm to the classic vintage Kenner figures with (generally) low detail & only 5 points of articulation (fewer, even, than a Lego minifig!). Sometimes 'simple' can be better, but…not always (my first ever minifig was a truck driver--plain red torso, plain red pants, black male hair piece…a little TOO basic). Classic Space is one case where 'simple' works.