Galaxy Explorer

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Posts posted by Galaxy Explorer

  1. Posted

    Nice and entertaining review! I fully embrace the larger aircraft LEGO has produced for the CITY theme- although I love the classic 4-wide planes of the past, even back then I thought they were a bit small. The only issue I have with the newer planes is space- I could tear down my entire CITY layout and replace it with one airport just to accommodate the large jets. That being said, I will most likely get this set anyway, regardless of space. I can always hang the plane from the ceiling. The plane itself looks pretty good, although I would have liked a side hatch for the pilot to enter through. All of the support vehicles look very nice, too. I guess if I had any issues it would be the control tower. I would have used the pieces for a cargo station, like the Delivery Center from 1985. The tower seems like it would be better suited in a true airport set.

    Your N-scale trains are great- I had many of those years ago!

  3. Posted

    I voted Classic Space, not just out of nostalgia, but for it's longevity- the theme lasted a decade while other space themes ran 2-3 years at best. I would want a new Classic Space styled theme to run for years. I just don't know if LEGO would commit that much time to such a peaceful science fiction theme. But yes, the thought of all new official sets featuring blue and grey spaceships with trans-yellow windscreens makes me giggle.

  4. Posted

    What did the Classic Space and Blacktron lines include? :-) Only got into Lego in 2011. :-P

    Classic Space pretty much covers all the Space sets released from 1978-1987. Most of these sets were spacecraft, land vehicles, and bases centered around peaceful exploration, although most of the spaceships had unmistakable weaponry. There were no named factions other than all the minfigures were five different colors. The first Blacktron sets showed up in 1987, alongside the Futuron theme. Blacktron appeared to be the first true adversary in LEGO Space, even requiring a police force to contain them. The Blacktron theme was "retired" after two waves, then relaunched in 1991 as Blacktron: Future Generation.

    Hope that helps out a bit!

  6. Posted

    When I was a kid, I started collecting Town sets in 1980. Every week I would take my allowance money ($5) and ride my bike over to Target and pick up a small set. Later that summer I saved up and got Engine Co. No. 9, my first "large" set, which also had a much more inclusive catalog instead of the little folded ones I was used to seeing. That year for my birthday I got Main Street, which to this day remains my favorite set ever. The next year I expanded into Space, and got a few small to medium sets. I remember saving up to get the Starfleet Voyager- what a great set that was! I'd say between 1980 and 1986 I collected around 75 sets from Town, Castle, and Space. I never went through a Dark Age, so my collection kept growing as I got older, especially when I got my first job and started to drive. I still have all my sets from my childhood, and frequently build them.

  7. Posted

    I'm not surprised at all about a new Police Theme for 2014, it seems right on schedule. I hope the new HQ set looks good because it is going to be difficult for me to replace the current 2011 set as it is one of my favorites. I'll be interested to see the Bandit's hideout as well. Hopefully it will be a warehouse-type building.

    As for the Great Vehicles I'm looking forward to seeing the Car Transport, and the Airport fire truck sounds good, too.

    Thanks for the info!

  9. Posted

    Picked up a Mines of Moria and Creator Highway Pick-up for $56 each, and a Mirkwood Spider set for $25.48 at Target today, not bad. They had the Uruk Army for $25 as well, but I passed- I already have two, so I'd need a better discount to justify that one.

    I'm going to wait it out and see what's left over when the discounts go 50%. I've had good luck before!

  10. Posted

    A System scale update of the Shuttle would be wonderful! But please, no Endor theme. This would be a nice way to get an Imperial Dignitary and an updated Protocol Droid. And let's not forget about Jerjerrod! I would want this to be a flagship set- 1000-1300 pieces with a $120 price tag. Maybe include a Death Star cargo loader for some playabilty. I would not want automatic wings to take away from the interior, so clicky hinges would be fine with me. I would give this one ten figures: Vader, Palpatine, Jerjerrod, Dignitary, two Royal Guards, two pilots, a Protocol Droid and either a Stormtrooper or Luke.

    I would hate to see the current ROTJ LEGO selection end without a Shuttle.

  11. Posted

    I too would like to see an Invisible Hand in the tradition of the $100-$130 range of ships, but I'm thinking it would get confused with the Malevolence, especially with Greivous featured in both. A nice wave of ROTS sets is fine with me-the last few sets released are still pretty fresh so they'll go good together.

    Not sure if I've said this before, but a "sequel" set to Palpatine's Arrest would be fantastic. Many people here seem to want this, and I think the time is right. My take on this would be a $90-100 set, about the same size as the Arrest. It would include six figures: Yoda, Sidious, Bail Organa, Mas Ameeda, and two Royal Guards. Bail's lovely speeder would also come with the set. The set itself would feature Palpatine's senate office with a raising podium, and launchable senate pods- three would be enough for me, I would also like a feature that would allow Yoda to knock out the guards- one of my favorite scenes in the film.

    Seeing the new Walker coming in 2014 makes me think we'll see some more Kashyyk stuff, too. Since I pretty much stayed away from Clone Wars sets, I would't mind seeing updates of the Droid Gunship and Turbo Tank, although the Tank might be a long shot. Or how about an updated Separatist Shuttle? Greivous, Sidious hologram with light brick- throw in one of the Separatist leaders and I'll take it.

  13. Posted

    Today I went to a "vintage" toy store and found a new Grand Emporium for $80. The box was open, but all the baggies were sealed. This is my first modular set ever- the closest thing I have is last year's Haunted House. I've really wanted this set since it came out, and should look pretty good on its own, as I don't plan on collecting any other modulars. But I'm glad to get the opportunity to build one.

    Super deals like this are becoming harder to find these days. The number of sets that i have paid regular retail are starting to outnumber the ones I found on sale.

  14. Posted

    Very nice review! I just picked this up last week- I got fifty bonus points at the LEGO Store so I couldn't say no. It seems all the larger CITY sets this year are just packed with stuff. You get two boats, a copter, a "lighthouse" six minifigures and five animals- Outstanding!!

    I really like the ship. It looks sleeker and more modern than the 2008 version. I think the all-white hull looks much better than the orange one, and I like the inclusion of a small helicopter. It's perfect for a re-enactment of Jaws 2.

  16. Posted

    Betty White is over 90 and still doing things, so anything is possible. However the plot of tame vs. wild is a bit offensive- if the original goal of Jurassic Park was to present dinosaurs as realistic animals and not monsters, then a story involving people forcing animals to fight, possibly to the death, would not be pleasant to watch. I have no problem with seeing animals, extinct or not, hunting, killing, and eating each other, and I don't have a problem seeing people, innocent or not, being eaten by animals. ( In films ) But I would not enjoy watching two people riding atop elephants that are trying to gore each other to death.

    With the trend of reboots these days I'm surprised the JP franchise hasn't had one. A lot of the theories from 1993 used in the movies has been revised, updated, or even disproven, so continuing the story becomes difficult. I'm sure in a few decades we'll look back at JP and realize how inaccurate the dinosaurs actually were. A reboot could start fresh with current ideas without having to explain the past films. Back in 1993 when the movie came out all my friends wanted to know if I wanted a sequel, and I remember saying that they (Universal) should let this movie be remade, like Kong. Unfortunately they went the sequel route, so we have a classic film directed by Spielberg, followed by mediocre sequels- just like Jaws. I guess the advantage of direct sequels is more money coming in, instead of waiting a whole generation to retell the story.

  17. Posted

    Saw this at Brickworld as well and I couldn't get one of these kits fast enough! This is exactly what I have been looking for. I have been fascinated with model rollercoasters for a long time- I got a Spacewarp set back in 1988 which I loved, and even got the first K-nex coaster in the 90's. Both were a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about physics messing around with them. I am really excited to see what I can come up with using this new system. I might have to build an amusement park!

  18. Posted

    A road plate redesign could be disastrous for me. My city is entirely built up on the current plates, so any size change would require moving everything around. Plus it would be a financial burden as well- I've spent around $300 on my layout and it would cost a fortune to start over.

    One way I could warm up to a redesign is if they introduce a nice system that could be expanded upon- I would like to see a new 16x32 with a straight road cutting horizontally through. Maybe make the plates available in green or tan as well.

  19. Posted

    Road plates generally have a long run- the first Legoland Town System plates were available from 1978-1985. New plates with bike paths came out in 1986 and ran for ten years until the green plates replaced them in 1997. I think the shortest run for a road plate style were the green ones released around the time of World City. They only had a two year run before the current bley plates for CITY.

    Personally I'm fine with the CITY plates, although I wouldn't mind an updated picture for the packaging, and more importantly, TWO of the SAME plates in ONE pack!

  21. Posted

    Thank you for a very eye-opening review. I say this because as a general rule, I collect only film based sets, mostly to save space and money. I follow the EU somewhat, but am by no means an expert. I am also not a big gamer, even though I have a PS3. But I must say, these sets from TOR are very appealing. The Jedi Defender just looks spectacular, and seems like a good build. It really has a strong Star Wars vibe to it. I could easily see this in a film. Since I'm not familiar with the game, I have no idea how accurate it is to the source material. I assume LEGO scaled it down a bit, which is usually the case. I'll have to watch the trailer and see. I'm a sucker for large Star Wars ships with big engines (ISD/Blockade Runners) so I may have to check this one out. If I get one I'm going to want a Sith Fury, too, right?

  22. Posted

    Looking waaaay back I wish I had gotten the Cargo Center from 1984- as a teenager I was a rabid bargain hunter, but never found one of these on sale. I am also kicking myself for never ordering the Town Bank, but fortunately I was able to build one out of my spare parts, minus the stickers. Last year I was lucky enough to find the armored van on eBay, so it is nearly complete.

    More recently I missed out on the Limo and Helicopter set from 2010. I saw it only once, at the LEGO Store.

    A few UCS sets have slipped by me as well- Snowspeeder, Y-Wing and Maul Bust come to mind, and I really, really hate thinking about that Millennium Falcon I will probably never have!

  23. Posted

    Big fan of Classic Pirates here. I remember seeing the BSB on the cover of the 1989 product booklet and asking myself if that was really LEGO! It looked so advanced- almost like a real model ship. Absolutely amazing. And this was a time when new themes didn't pop up every six months. The last new theme before Pirates was the Castle relaunch in 1984, so seeing those images was kind of shocking to me. I picked up all four original sets at once, something I had never done before. What an amazing array of new parts and SHARKS- I couldn't have been more pleased. And the new minifigs were revolutionary, IMO.

    I collected almost everything from 1989 to 1997, missing just a few small sets and minifig packs, and regrettably the 1788 Treasure Chest. I might be able to pull a copy out of my spare parts- that will make a nice little project for later. My absolute favorites from that time were the Skull's Eye Schooner and Imperial Trading Post. El Dorado Fortress and Rock Island Refuge were awesome as well. I guess my least favorites would be the stuff from '96-'97, although I have them, so they're not bad by any means.

    I was sad to see the theme end, but very happy with what had been produced. Since then, I really haven't collected any pirate themes. For some reason I just couldn't get into the 2009 theme or POTC. Maybe because neither of them lasted long, or something- I really don't know. But I'm glad I got to experience Classic Pirates first hand- it's LEGO history!

  24. Posted

    I'm so in. This will be a perfect birthday present to myself. I really love playsets/bases and this one is a winner! The main village looks very similar to the Kenner playset from 1983 which is what I was hoping for back when the rumors started. This looks like it will be a fun build and great display piece. My friends will want to mess around with it- there will be Ewoks all over the floor! I'm glad there is a high amount of detail, like the rope bridges- they could have easily used the one-piece mold, but instead went for realism- very nice! And the levitating mechanism for Threepio's throne! The log trap is hilarious and horrifying at the same time- imagine your head being crushed by two logs hitting you at 20 mph. Pretty brutal those Ewoks. The amount of minifigs is very good, but I think I would have preferred to have Luke in his poncho. He wears that through most of the village scenes. The absence of any ghost characters leads me to believe that the only way we'll ever see them is in a future DK book or if any of them appear in the next Trilogy. I'm happy to see a new Biker Scout included so I can skip over the Advent Calendar this year.

    All in all, from what I've seen so far I'm very impressed! Can't wait to go to The LEGO Store on September 1st!

  25. Posted

    The original Vader from 1999's TIE Fighter & Y-Wing is my sentimental favorite. In those early days LEGO's stylized Star Wars figures were spot-on, and Vader was no exception. When I saw his grey face and scar I was hooked. LEGO had taken a very frightening, murderous character and fit him perfectly into its harmless, playful universe. In short, Vader has never looked so cute!

    The most current Vader I own is from the 2011 Falcon. He looks very good, and I'm glad he's kept his original helmet although I would be interested to see what a re-mold might look like.