10497 Galaxy Explorer 90th anniversary set

[Alegrispa]

Just noticed something; the set may be labeled 18+ (for no other reason than to pander to adults who are insecure about buying toys), but the boxart isn't a black void!

It looks like a proper set in every way!!!

[CP5670]

29 minutes ago, TeriXeri said:

I showed this to someone who got the original as a gift back when the first Classic Space sets were in stores, instantly recognized it.

I'm glad LEGO didn't go too far with making it too "neo", it's scaled up and more sleek but it still has the crucial details, and some possibly some new features (landing feet look retractable).

All those computer screens in both cockpit sections really finish the style as well, and are gems for MOCcing.

 

No Landing pad or Radar base, but I'm 100% okay with that in this case.

Yes, this has just the right level of detail. The exo suit was good but didn't feel like a classic space set, but this one really does.

I would have liked to see the ground base though, even if they don't have baseplates.

[icm]

https://www.theverge.com/23173235/lego-galaxy-explorer-90th-anniversary-birthday-price-release-date

This article has a picture of the ship partially built and a picture of the small and medium sized spaceship alt builds (the 918 and 924 to the set's 928).  I hope we get instructions for those!

I bet those pictures and the interview in The Verge's article will show up on Brickset in a day or two.

[Lord Insanity]

Wow!  After getting an obvious tribute set in the form of Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! I would have bet this was just wishful thinking.  I am super happy to be proven wrong.  This looks superior to the original while maintaining the originals design language.  Most modern MOC versions are way over detailed, but this strikes that perfect balance between classic styling with modern building techniques.  This is one of the few sets I actually want multiples for the main build and as parts packs.  I will definitely be getting at least two of these.  If it sticks around for the normal 2+ years I could see myself getting half a dozen. 

[GeoBrick]

Well, this is pretty weird.

Appearantly one can preorder this beauty in the US, but not in my region.

[ReplicaOfLife]

Gorgeous set.

Love the shape & building techniques, and am I dreaming or does it look like all the decorated pieces are actually printed? The awful sticker sheet was one of the main letdowns on Benny's SSS.

Only detail I don't like about 10497 is the back wing - looks too bulgy and plain just using those two big ramp pieces. Will most likely mod that on my copy. And of course, the unnecessary colors on the inside - though at least they limited themselves to the clasic Lego colors that were around back in the 70ies & 80ies. Which is a nice touch in a way, but I'd still prefer they'd use only the colors actually needed... but that goes for literally all sets they make nowadays.

 

Oh yeah, and I demand we get an identical version numbered 10928 in Europe!

 

Edited June 19, 2022 by ReplicaOfLife

[Merlo]

This is ok, but eh... it's like the many MOC's we've seen of the same ship but worse. It's funny how Lego is recently taking sets that were kinda imaginative and cool despite the limitations and makes them exactly the same, even though the limitations are now gone.
I'm not sure what to hope for really. Maybe someone makes something more interesting on rebrickable because I love classic space colors.

Edited June 19, 2022 by Merlo

[Lyichir]

14 hours ago, icm said:

https://www.theverge.com/23173235/lego-galaxy-explorer-90th-anniversary-birthday-price-release-date

This article has a picture of the ship partially built and a picture of the small and medium sized spaceship alt builds (the 918 and 924 to the set's 928).  I hope we get instructions for those!

I bet those pictures and the interview in The Verge's article will show up on Brickset in a day or two.

Wow... even beyond the photos, that's a pretty fantastic article—much better and more in-depth than I'm used to seeing from non-AFOL press!

[astral brick]

The Return of the King.

[CP5670]

7 hours ago, ReplicaOfLife said:

Gorgeous set.

Love the shape & building techniques, and am I dreaming or does it look like all the decorated pieces are actually printed? The awful sticker sheet was one of the main letdowns on Benny's SSS. 

Only detail I don't like about 10497 is the back wing - looks too bulgy and plain just using those two big ramp pieces. Will most likely mod that on my copy. And of course, the unnecessary colors on the inside - though at least they limited themselves to the clasic Lego colors that were around back in the 70ies & 80ies. Which is a nice touch in a way, but I'd still prefer they'd use only the colors actually needed... but that goes for literally all sets they make nowadays.

 

Oh yeah, and I demand we get an identical version numbered 10928 in Europe!

 

They do appear to be printed. That 2x4 tile looks awesome.

I agree about the tail wing, something about it looks out of place. It's too flat compared to the rest of the ship.

[spongebrickpl]

Every LEGO  Space fan should buy 4 copies of this set! Why?

1. For keeping it in mint and sealed box

2. For the main spaceship

3. For smaller spaceship

4. For the smallest spaceship

Yes, there are 2 smaller alternative builds...

[Akbalder]

Has it been confirmed that there will be instructions for the alternative builds? The Lego shop page says nothing about it.

[spongebrickpl]

In American market it would be very risky to release a set with alternate build but without instructions...

This is still unknown but we have amazing picture with 3 of them together so I guess it makes sense to expect instructions...

[danth]

I have my two pre-ordered!

Thoughts:

1. At $100 US, this is a steal. 1200+ parts, all the printed pieces, and red Space minifigs? Yes please.
2. As a tribute to 928/497, I don't see how this could be much better. Other than including the ground base. But the ship itself is amazing.
3. I do kinda wish there had been at least one windscreen new in trans-yellow. Even if it was just a medium flat panel. We are getting the small trans-yellow panel in this set though, which is cool. Also we did get a brand new trans-yellow wind screen this year in the Lightyear set.
4. The printed Classic Space tile? The printed computer panels? The brick-built arrows? The LL928 print? *chef's kiss*

On 6/18/2022 at 7:52 PM, Lord Insanity said:

After getting an obvious tribute set in the form of Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! I would have bet this was just wishful thinking.

Well, to be fair, Benny's Spaceship was 8 years ago.

55 minutes ago, spongebrickpl said:

In American market it would be very risky to release a set with alternate build but without instructions... 

Why is that? This set is a tribute to the time when all sets had alt builds without instructions on the back, so I think alt builds are pretty fitting. 

[Lyichir]

Given that they've shown off the alt builds at the reveal and in the Verge article, I wouldn't be surprised if the instructions to those will be published—maybe not in the set itself (hence the alt builds not being shown on the packaging), but possibly online like Technic "B-model" instructions tend to be these days.

[technicfanatic]

I preordered it. I see it as a second chance. First, like a lot of you, I absolutely love classic space. More importantly, I absolutely wanted 928, but it was too expensive, so my parents didn't get it for me (or it was not available in the country I was in, at that time). Looking forward to building it with my child.

[Lord Insanity]

9 hours ago, danth said:

Well, to be fair, Benny's Spaceship was 8 years ago.

We are basically in uncharted waters space here.  Lego has never made a second modern remake of a classic set before.  For whatever reason Lego doesn't seem to embrace their own brand legacies without two separate movie producers (The Lego Movie and LIghtyear) smacking them upside the head with it.  Up till now I would have insisted that anyone who skipped Benny's Spaceship because is was a movie tie in set had completely missed the boat ship and was never going to see the likes of an LL series ship again.  I am super happy to be wrong.

Anyone that claims to want blue,gray, and trans yellow classic space back and doesn't save up a buy at least one of these just can't be taken seriously anymore.  If this thing isn't everything we ever hoped for in blue,gray, and trans yellow classic space I have no idea what could possibly be.

[Wonderpants]

One thing I am disappointed about with this set is that they didn’t give us bricks with “918” and “924” printed on them for the alt builds. I can see those parts from the original versions jumping because of this, so may be best to buy them asap if you were thinking of doing this

[Merlo]

6 hours ago, Lord Insanity said:

 If this thing isn't everything we ever hoped for in blue,gray, and trans yellow classic space I have no idea what could possibly be.

Something more imaginative than putting make up on an old set. Any huge classic space fan probably made a version of this ship from the internet and maybe even made their own.

[RichardGoring]

6 hours ago, Lord Insanity said:

We are basically in uncharted waters space here.  Lego has never made a second modern remake of a classic set before.  For whatever reason Lego doesn't seem to embrace their own brand legacies without two separate movie producers (The Lego Movie and LIghtyear) smacking them upside the head with it.  Up till now I would have insisted that anyone who skipped Benny's Spaceship because is was a movie tie in set had completely missed the boat ship and was never going to see the likes of an LL series ship again.  I am super happy to be wrong.

Anyone that claims to want blue,gray, and trans yellow classic space back and doesn't save up a buy at least one of these just can't be taken seriously anymore.  If this thing isn't everything we ever hoped for in blue,gray, and trans yellow classic space I have no idea what could possibly be.

I suspect the reason they don't do 'greatest hits' sets typically is that those will appeal most to AFOLs, which are a small fraction of their total sales. Whereas with a movie tie-in, they can broaden the appeal much more easily, as the movie does all the marketing for them.

But who knows, maybe kids will see this and think it's super cool and it launches more sets in the future.

[icm]

50 minutes ago, Merlo said:

Something more imaginative than putting make up on an old set. Any huge classic space fan probably made a version of this ship from the internet and maybe even made their own.

Which is precisely what makes this set so cool, because it’s a set that the fans have been begging for for years through Ideas and fan builds. Like, we’ve been building this all these years and FINALLY this is the OFFICIAL VERSION! It’s like the difference between building your own fan model of the X-wing in 1980 and upgrading it over the years and then finally getting the official set in 1999. Unless you’re a killjoy who thinks that anything that’s not a 100% original never-seen-before, never-thought-of-before, idea is boring, derivative, and uninteresting. You can bet there would be more complaining from the fans if the super special 90th anniversary Classic Space set WASN’T a remake of something like the 497. In the interview on The Verge, Mike Psiaki says they actually considered going down that route, building a ship that was merely inspired by the 497 instead of a direct remake, but it ended up looking like another Space Shuttle so they didn’t go ahead with it. Personally I think that no matter how neat a different spaceship might have been on its own merits, it would have been a real facepalm moment for Lego to release such a ship when the 497 remake has been fondly anticipated/dreamt of for so many years. You can’t please everybody, but I think they pleased a whole lot more people this way than they would have the other way.

[Polarlicht]

Where do people see alternate builds or B and C models of this already?

[JaBaCaDaBra]

WOE is this set labeled 18+ ????????

[RichardGoring]

13 minutes ago, JaBaCaDaBra said:

WOE is this set labeled 18+ ????????

Marketing. Because, just like their at building instructions, LEGO needs to be very clear that it's OK for adults to get LEGO sets.

[Lion King]

Last night, I pre-ordered Galaxy Explorer with a few more sets to get Forest Hideout GWP. I’m quite excited about Galaxy Explorer!

1 hour ago, JaBaCaDaBra said:

WOE is this set labeled 18+ ????????

WOE?