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Get ready to lock your s-foils in attack position all over again. It hasn’t been long since LEGO discontinued the last version of the classic starfighter, 6212. That version, originating as the 4502 X-wing Fighter, has been around since 2004, winning the non-existent award for LEGO set longevity. With the anticipated introduction of the 9493 X-wing Starfighter in January 2012, there haven’t been any extended periods since 1999 that some form of X-wing hasn’t been available. Can this new version match the staying power of its predecessor or will it fade away in two years, only to be forgotten until it’s ultimately remade yet again?

That question can be answered by how well 9493 defines itself. 6216 defined itself by being adaptable. It was a set that crossed the entire original Star Wars trilogy. It wasn’t just Luke’s X-wing. While LEGO gives people unprecedented control over the way they can engage with the toy, in this instance the builder was given even more immediate choices. 4502 was adaptable, too, but to a lesser extent. In both cases, these sets allowed the builder to recreate a range of scenes from the films out of the box. Price is also a factor. The first X-wing (7140) was a $29.99, the second (4502), $49.99, and now the third, $59.99 (CA$74.99, £49.99, €69.99). In other words, it’s more expensive and potentially less accessible, which means 9493 has more to prove.

A brief note on the box: I mentioned in the 9432 TIE Fighter review it was packaged in a large box for the contents. It’s the same case with the X-wing. I’m not going to make a big deal about it here, since it’s redundant. What I’m going to say is perceptions need to change. If box sizes don’t change, become smaller and more appropriate for the contents, then their size relative to their price becomes ingrained into the consumers’ consciousness (arguably, this has already occurred). Shrink the boxes and over time, consumers will adapt. I know it’s more complicated than this, controlling retail shelf space in the toy aisle is also a factor (the bigger your boxes, the less room there is for the competitor’s boxes and grabbing consumer attention), but it’s a major aspect in marketing this particular product.

Something I didn’t mention in the TIE Fighter review was the coloring in the instructions. In the past quality of the color, the ability to differentiate colors such as black and grey, has been an issue. The instructions in these newer sets represents the first time I didn’t have to pause at all and study the instructions to be sure what color I was looking at. Also, I thought I’d take this opportunity to point out another minor error (step repetition).

Since 1999, LEGO Star Wars has evolved in the way the sets use inappropriately colored parts, usually blue, yellow, or red. Over the years these colors became either concealed better or substituted for less out-of-place colors. 9493 is a set that harkens back to the early years of the theme with its liberal use of colorful elements and not necessarily in a bad way. Most of the vibrant pieces are well concealed—green, blue, and yellow—but like 4502/6212, red is overused and not welcome. Don’t get me wrong, in the correct places it’s fine and thank the makers, 9493 is not the horrific red blotchy mess 4502 was.

What is welcome is the dark red. Technically, it’s less accurate than regular red (as far as I can tell by watching the films), but LEGO red has always looked to clean, bright, and cheerful. The dark red fixes this, but ends up creating another problem. It doesn’t mix well the bright red. It would have been better to pick a hue and go with it throughout.

The build was more fascinating than I would’ve imagined. By now you’ve seen the slopes forming the hexagonal shape toward the rear of the model. Before I built the X-wing, I thought they were new inverted slopes. Nope, they’re just upside down. Points to LEGO for surprising me. I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen this technique used in an official LEGO set and I always enjoy seeing LEGO incorporating unconventional SNOT into their products.

What I don’t enjoy quite as much is the Technic, or rather the exposed Technic. I understand it’s required for the s-foil mechanism to function, but it’s visually distracting, bulky, and disrupts the flow of the starfighter, inhibiting a sleek fuselage. Thankfully, the mechanism has been refined since 2006 and isn’t the aesthetic nightmare of 4502/6212.

If you’ve handled any of the previous X-wings or ARC-170s using an s-foil mechanism, then you know it can take a quite a few turns to put the ship into attack mode. Not so here. One short turn and the wings pop into attack mode. The trade-off is that “pop.” It isn’t as smooth a transition like the older models, but I’ll take the speed over “turn, turn, turn.” Due to the tension imparted by the rubber bands, the wings tend to snap closed when returning to normal flight mode. It might be a little startling for a younger child and may result in pinched fingers (I’m speaking from experience).

The continued, unfortunate side-effect of the Technic mechanism, besides the bulk, is the placement of the engines. As you can see, they’re still positioned incorrectly with way too much space between the top and bottom sets.

The engines do get a makeover, however, and individually are much, much better than the last version, from the intakes to the thrusters (they are still undersized, of course). The stickers representing the intakes should’ve been printed. In general, stickers aren’t a burden, but on pieces like the round tiles I find them a pain to align properly. LEGO printed the round tiles for the 9492 TIE Fighter, why not here?

While the Technic components offer a fun play-feature in the moving s-foils, I’m in the camp preferring accuracy. I’d take click-hinges, ala 7140, with a sleeker fuselage and accurately placed engines over what’s here. The beauty of LEGO, though, is we can build our own custom X-wings, as many have, with astounding results.

Also getting a makeover: the laser cannons. Not only are they much closer to the correct size for the scale, their overall shape is hugely improved. No more dinky, pathetic laser cannons for us!

The less noticeable makeover is the fuselage. It’s better proportioned, not as long and narrow toward the front, and the cockpit is centered better. It’s much more pleasing to look at than before, but from the side it looks way too flat.

And there’s real greebling detail this time.

I hope you’re not the type of person who chooses LEGO sets based on the amount of interior cargo space a set has. If you are, this set isn’t for you. It takes a step backwards in its design from both 7140 and 4502 (and note, the classic targeting display piece has been replaced. A moment of silence, please). Those sets had considerable cargo space to store lightsabers, helmets, and megaphones. 9493 only has a miniscule space behind the pilot’s seat. Yes, you can fit the included accessories (lightsaber hilt, blade, and blaster), just make sure you’ve place the droid in first.

I’ve always thought LEGO stocked each X-wing with a great selection of figures. The Rebel mechanic, Biggs, Yoda, and Wedge (eh, I liked his helmet). 9493 introduces Jek Porkins and R5-D8, who are exclusive to the set and join Luke Skywalker and R2-D2. I believe up until now, this is the first appearance of this pilot Luke outside of the 8129 AT-AT Walker.

Points off for not including a turkey leg for Porkins’ to munch on before his (spoiler) untimely demise. Points back for including another cool printed helmet, well, two.

It’s a shame the white printing on 9493’s flight suits has some of the worst bleed-through from orange torsos I’ve seen. I’m not sure what can be done about it other than adding an extra layer of grey or white to help neutralize the orange. This may vary from set to set.

On the subject of printing, neither minifigure features a double-sided head. This is especially disappointing in Porkins’ case. He has unique facial features (great beard, pudginess), which would shine without the orange visor. Instead his usefulness is limited. Given how prevalent double-side heads have become, it’s puzzling. Luke’s less of an issue, but I know his helmet had an orange visor in the films.

Since we’ve been given a choice of pilots continuing the trend of 7402 and 6212, LEGO made sure to include the “Red” markings to give the builder options. When Luke’s the pilot, you can adjust to “Red 5.” When Porkins’ in the seat of fate, put on the extra tile (all stickered tiles, by the way) and “Red 6” can be standing by. Or you could defy the box and go out as “Red 1.”

Pros:
+It’s better than the previous X-wing. Better proportions, shape, and color. But…(See Con #1).
+Offers a choice of pilots and droids. Choose Luke and R2 and save the galaxy or choose Porkins and R5 and “have a problem here.”
+New, improved Technic mechanism quickly opens s-foils and takes up less space that previous X-wing allowing for a slightly sleeker look.
+Varied build, designed to be accessible to a large range of fans, both experienced and inexperienced with LEGO.
+No flick-fire missiles.

Cons:
-It’s only an incremental improvement over the previous X-wing (6212), not a leap forward like other sets, such as 7658 Y-wing Fighter or 9492 TIE Fighter.
-Lots of exposed Technic. Unavoidable, but unsightly.
-Stickers on round tiles. Younger fans may need assistance aligning them (older fans may need patience).

Verdict:
After spending time with the 9493 X-wing Starfighter, swooshing it around and popping open the s-foils, it feels like an attempt to create the definitive LEGO X-wing. It’s designed to be accessible to consumers in the way it’s constructed and how it can be interacted with. Like the X-wings before, it offers builders choices and that’s always a win. It’s a fun and solid set, but by being accessible, it makes several compromises. It takes many design cues from the 4502 X-wing—though with refinement—and by doing so recreates many of those shortcomings.

Because of that, it doesn’t feel like it offers something more than the last X-wing, especially for the extra cost, other than a facelift. It does have more pieces (437 vs. 560), but some of those pieces seem unnecessary (see this pic). It certainly doesn’t offer more than 4502 X-wing (3 fewer pieces, no Yoda’s hut). If you don’t yet have a LEGO X-wing, yes, your collection needs an obligatory X-wing, but there really isn’t a compelling reason to jump on this set right away. Wait, get it on sale and you’ll be satisfied. In the end, this seem like another draft in the quest toward the (official) ultimate LEGO X-wing.

@ LEGOshop:

While the official LEGO Captain America doesn’t make his debut for another couple of months, the enterprising ForrestFireFilms couldn’t wait. They decided the world was ready for this kind of hero. Their video is making the rounds across the net and for good reason. I’m going to preface this with a warning: the following video contains some of the most graphic LEGO on LEGO violence I have ever seen.

[Update]
Video Removed.

While the video does showcase talented LEGO film making skills, there was debate whether or not this belong on this website. Being completely unaware of what defines Captain America having never read the comics or paying attention to the 2011 film, I had no way to judge whether or not this was representative of the superhero. Since it is not and the video does depict a high level of stylized, animated violence, I’ve decided to remove the video from the front page. For those who still wish to view this video of a gratuitously violent Captain America, the link remains below.

via io9

If you’ve been collecting LEGO Star Wars since 1999 with any seriousness and/or obsessiveness, then there’s a good chance you have too many TIE Fighters. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, well, at least not from a certain point of view. You may say to yourself, “No more, please, I’m stuffed. I don’t have the room.” I don’t blame you. It’s only been a couple of years since the last TIE Fighter, the TIE Defender, sat on store shelves (and in some cases, may still), but we’re going on about 7 years since the last honest-to-goodness TIE Fighter, the signature fighter of the Imperial Navy and perhaps one of the most iconic Star Wars starfighters second only to the X-wing. You may be stuffed, you may have no room, but 9492 TIE Fighter may very well be a set you loosen your belt for.

Ok, enough metaphor. Don’t eat your LEGO, kids. You can eat the box if you like though, since, as many people have pointed out, it’s big enough to feed a family of 4. There is no logical reason for a box this huge. It may convey on a psychological level to consumers that the contents may be worth the MSRP of $54.99 (or CA$69.99, £49.99, €49.99). It may help illustrate to those of us who have too many TIE Fighters that this is bigger and better than the last version, which retailed for $19.99. Maybe LEGO wanted to show consumers the TIE Fighter’s actual size on the box. It’s very close. It’s also very unnecessary.

It’s not like anyone’s going to swoosh the box around making sorry imitations of the TIE Fighter whine, right? Of course not. They’re going to open it, build it, and then swoosh it around the house, making sorry imitations of the TIE Fighter whine.

Well, let’s back up for a second before we take this out of the hanger bay. Before any sort of swooshing commences, they, you, or anyone, are not going to follow the directions on page 18. Doing so would absolutely tarnish theirs, or your, reputation in the community. I’m sure this has been caught by now and will be fixed in future copies down the line, but it through me off when I found. I questioned my knowledge of the TIE Fighter. I had to look it up to confirm my suspicions. I could have looked on the box, but who was I supposed to trust?

Outside of that one little bump in the road, this set has a lot going for it. For one, as you’ve probably noticed, it’s one good looking hunk of plastic. In terms of remakes and rehashes, 7658 Y-wing Fighter has been one of the gold standards in the sheer contrast between original and remake. 9492 comes very close to setting a new standard. It’s almost something you’d find on a talented builder’s Flickr or MOCpage.

Almost. It’s most glaring shortcoming is in the “ball” cockpit. It’s better than all of the previous versions’ cockpits, but it doesn’t quite advance itself enough to be significantly better. The biggest change is obviously the canopy, which finally ditches the cumbersome old mold in favor of a dome. This helps shape the “ball” better than the previous piece, but the construction around it flat out looks awkward. From a distance, it’s hard to notice this awkwardness, but get close and the slopes are out of place.

And what’s the deal with these red grille “control panels?” There are multiple sets that use the grilles in this manner and I don’t get it. Put in the printed control panels, LEGO. Everyone loves those.

This awkwardness extends to the pylons connecting the body to the wings. As a result, they look bulky. It’s not terrible by any means and it does allow for significant support for the wings, but aesthetically it takes away from the overall model.

I can understand the dilemma, though. With greater accuracy generally comes more pieces and more pieces comes more cost for the consumer. I’ll give the designer(s) credit. At least they tried on this one and we’re finally past the days of what passed for ball cockpits on the previous iterations.

The other shortcoming, which is much less noticeable, are the “Twin Ion Engines” in the rear. They’re basically the same as before, only positioned better. I wasn’t a fan of them then, and I’m not now. I know the engines are supposed to be tiny, but this would have been the perfect opportunity to use some of those new round tiles (facing outward, rather than integrated). This is an easy fix, but more accurate engines should have been there from the beginning. If you’re going to put in the effort for accuracy, why not?

The highlight of this model is undoubtedly the wings and deservedly so. They were a repetitive, yet quick build, but they come out looking fantastic. For one, they aren’t wobbly, and two, the grey border is makes this model pop. They certainly take cues from fan builders and it’s about time. They may need further reinforcement, however. Some of the large black plates aren’t as secure as they should be and during play there is a good chance they may pop out. It’s another easy fix, but a potential concern nevertheless. What isn’t an easy fix is the gap you see between the grey and the black. I don’t believe there is much that can be done about it. It’s unsightly, but only visible when at the angle the picture was taken.

On a side note, I’m hoping LEGO has more TIEs in development that match this style. We’re about due for a TIE Bomber, aren’t we? And another TIE Interceptor? Yes, I think we are and if they manage to look this good, I’ll be very willing to gorge myself.

And look, LEGO was kind enough to print this round tile. Why couldn’t you have done the same on the 9493 X-wing Starfighter as well, huh?

Complementing the TIE Fighter are 4 minifigures, two of which are unique to this set. There wasn’t any reason to include any minifigures other than the TIE pilot, but I’m not complaining. These minifigures are wonderful. If you’re someone who bases their LEGO Star Wars purchases on the minifigures (I’m not judging), this set doesn’t disappoint.

R5-J2 debuts the new R5 dome mold in black and the Death Star Trooper debuts a new helmet mold (which doubles as a colander for when he needs to rinse vegetables). The Death Star Trooper also sports a double-sided head for those sunny days. The other two figures are your standard issue officers. Note the TIE pilot has the same printed face as those found on the stormtroopers from this product wave.

Pros:
+Superior TIE Fighter design, a major leap from previous version.
+Simple enough build for kids, interesting enough for adults.
+Stable wings and solid pylons. Can be displayed or swooshed without worry.
+Excellent assortment of minifigures.
+No stickers

Cons:
-On the expensive side, at about 13 cents per piece. Ultimately doesn’t feel like a $55 set. It is more substantial than the overpriced 8087 TIE Defender, however.
-Though improved, the “ball” cockpit still doesn’t quite capture the accurate TIE look.
-If played with, the large black plates making up the interior of the wings may need additional reinforcement.
-Overly large box. Not a detriment to the set, simply wasteful and unnecessary.

Verdict:
If the opening paragraph of this review doesn’t apply to you and you don’t have many or any LEGO TIE Fighters, this is one set you don’t want to pass up. If you already do, well, it’s time to make room. It’s worth it to do a little looking and find it under MSRP, which, in my experience was a simple task. 9492 TIE Fighter puts all TIE Fighters before it to shame, and that includes the variants, such as Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter and the TIE Defender. This is the definitive LEGO TIE Fighter and deserving of being in any collection, big, small, or not yet in existence.

Tonight Embo returns to the Clone Wars!

The disguised Obi-Wan accompanies Cad Bane and Moralo Eval to Serenno, where they enlist in a brutal competition with other bounty hunters from around the galaxy to determine who will participate in a plot to kidnap the Chancellor.

2012 is sure to be the year of the Superhero with some huge movies ready to blow up the box office and LEGO sets popping up to fuel our MOCs and Hulk-like nerd rage. Set to land smack dab in the center of it all is Issue 20 of Brick Journal due in July with a heavy helping of all things LEGO Superheroes. Joe Meno hopes to have some behind the scenes info on the current Superheroes line as well as articles on fan-built creations, including those who sent pics to him in consideration for the cover. That hounour goes to LegoManiac (featured here before) with the shot pictured above of his revist to Gotham City. Congratulations to LM and thanks for the heads up! With any luck we’ll have this issue available in time for Comic-Con.

The next FBTB Parts Draft will take place on Saturday February 18th at 11 am PST.

We’ll be drafting 10 copies of Toy Story set 9598 Pizza Planet Truck Rescue for $18.50 a pop, more than 50% off MSRP! (shipping charges will be calculated later for each participant.) Our very own Don Solo reviewed it on the site here a year ago, and had high praises for it.

You can see the inventory for this set on Bricklink.

The draft will follow the same rules as the last couple drafts, since we seem to have finally streamlined the process enough.

Draft registration will commence on Monday February 6th at 12 pm PST, which you can do in in this dedicated forum topic by simply posting “PIZZA!” Feel free to post any and all questions or comments in the thread; however, anyone posting “PIZZA!” before the clock hits noon on February 6th will be banned from participating. I will then confirm your registration via private message and give you PayPal payment instructions, and our draft order will be decided by the order of payment received from participants.

And here’s a sneak picture of the Lord Of The Rings sets too … again, quite a small photo, but you can see the scale of the sets.  I should add, the display stands /scenery in the background are not included in the sets!!  This again comes from this website.  Let’s hope there’s more to follow …

The first reports suggested that photos were not allowed, but this website from Slovenia seems to have some photos.  The  only (to date) Star Wars one to appear is above, which gives us a little sneak peak of a few of the sets, including the Malevolence.  I’m sure more photos will follow …

… but they also impose a strict photo ban, so this might be it!!

Photo borrowed from this site (be warned, the site is in German!).

They didn’t have these at the UK Toy Fair last week … shame, cos they look pretty cool.  You’re also getting a bit of a glimpse of the Shelob model there too.  Maybe we’ll get other pictures of the outside of the stall at the Fair too?

I’m starting to wish these mini sets, mostly sold at Target and Toys R Us as seasonal or promotional sets, were widely available. Scratch that, I started wishing these were widely available a long time ago. Mini sets are easy to display, generally inexpensive, and usually do a great job representing whatever they’re supposed to represent for the scale. It pains me that I had to jump through hoops at Toys R Us to get a hold of 30057 Anakin’s Podracer. Yes, it was one hoop and that hoop was a required purchase of a price-inflated LEGO Star Wars set, but I wanted 30057. The question is, was it worth it?

It’s a tough question to answer. Anakin’s Podracer is sold by Toys R Us for $4.99 (online). It’s an inflated and unfair price, but there’s little that can be done since it’s a Toys R Us exclusive. However, since it can be acquired through a promotion, that changes things a bit and in the set’s favor.

It’s a colorful little set. In fact, it’s one of the most colorful mini sets in recent memory. It pops and makes for a more varied and interesting build. I found many of the last few mini sets dull and repetitive in their construction, but this set, even with two identical engine pods, kept my interest during the 3-minute build.

Once I built it, I was off to find the now ancient mini version from 2003 (4485 Anakin’s Podracer & Sebulba’s Podracer). In person it’s a dramatic difference. 30057 is a huge improvement over 4485. The newer version feels bulky and oversized compared to the original, but it looks right. It’s even more swooshable.

The details stand out better and the construction of the air scoops is the highlight of the set. They are spot on, perfect for the scale. They make the air scoops on 4485 look downright sad. Of course the 4485 version is only 23 pieces (compared to 38 in 30057), so it isn’t really a fair comparison.

Pros:
+An excellent rendition of Anakin’s Podracer in the mini format. Great color and appearance.
+Contains a wide variety of parts.

Cons:
-Toys R Us exclusive. May require purchase to obtain or carry an inflated price. It’s availability also may vary once the promotion period ends.
-No extra pieces! This was a first for me, not including the collectable Minifigures. Not too big a deal since I did get the advertised number of pieces, but very odd. I hope this isn’t a start of a trend.

Verdict:
In hindsight, I can honestly say I would have bought this set at $4.99. My advice is to get it during a promotional period, meet the minimum purchase requirement, and go from there. Alternatively, find a contest with this set as a prize and win it. This is one of the best mini sets from the past few years. It should make a fantastic companion for 9675 Sebulba’s Podracer & Tatooine.

When the Cuusoo program launched it’s first crowdsourcing-approved project in Japan, 21100 Shinkai 6500 Submarine, I wondered if the program would ever make it to the states and if it did, what our first product would be. I never thought that the first product would be LEGO Minecraft. Not that I have anything against Minecraft or anything. It just seems like the simplistic nature of the graphics already lends itself to LEGO and making an actual set may result in just a box full of basic bricks. I guess an analogy would be taking paint to paint a picture of paint. Penny Arcade did a strip that pretty much sums up what I’m trying to say. Our strip has a slightly different take on it. Out of all the proposals that could have been approved, Minecraft got the most votes? I could walk into a store, buy a bucket of bricks, slap a Minecraft label on it and call it a day.

Regarding our strip name, we’ve gotten a ton of responses. Thanks to everyone who took the time to come up with a suggestion. We think we’ve settled on one, but are making sure all appropriate channels are cleared. We were intending to reveal the name in the next strip but that may be delayed another week or two. Stay tuned.