(Written by William)
Nostalgia is a significant factor in the return of adults to the LEGO hobby. It also plays a factor for longtime LEGO fans. But as with most things, nostalgia can warp your memories, and it can be hard to live up to expectations you’ve built up from these memories. This is why I didn’t rush out and pick up the #10355 LEGO Ideas Blacktron Renegade when it initially released. However, I was still interested in it, so I asked for a review copy to check it out.
I think another reason I was able to restrain myself was due to the fact that my experience with LEGO Space sort of bounced around. I played with the original brightly colored space minifigures, like Benny from The LEGO Movie. And I dipped my toes into sets like LEGO Space Police, but I sort of missed the era of Blacktron. Still, the LEGO Blacktron sets looked amazing. So, ultimately, I figured trying out this model wouldn’t disrupt any childhood memories. And although we talked about the set before, I really wanted to see for myself how LEGO handled a set that was originally for kids but is now targeted towards adults.
LEGO BLACKTRON RENEGADE- NOSTALGIA IN THE BUILD
You don’t mess with perfection, right? Well, LEGO designers stuck to this idea with the three minifigures that come with the set. They are all in the traditional Blacktron uniform, and they even feature the original minifigure face. Two dots and a smile are just perfect. And the eyes don’t even have a printed glint like newer minifigures.
As for the rest of the model, LEGO designers did something interesting. Throughout the instructions, they call out classic LEGO Space models to point out changes. For instance, the robot is a reimagined explorer robot, but done in Blacktron style. They also note that the ship has an extended range, which could take it to a different LEGO Space base.
Even though the overall design remains bulky, like the previous version of the ship, the newer elements allow you to get finer details in the model. The ends are modular. There are hidden speeder bikes in the wings. And there are decorative fusion cells for the engines. All in all, it feels like you’re building the original set but with improvements.
LEGO BLACKTRON RENEGADE- RELEASE MECHANISM
Apart from all the decorative elements, the updated Blacktron Renegade comes with an interesting drop release mechanism for its land vehicle. In the back of the unit, there is a control that you can either shift to the right or the left. When you do, the latches open up, releasing the held vehicle.
Going in the other direction, if you want to load the vehicle onto the ship, you hover the ship above, line up the arrows on the ground transport and the latches on the ship, lower the ship onto the transport, and with a soft click, you are good to go. The end result is magical to play with. Check out my video below to see how the latches are able to work in tandem, as well as an example of the drop mechanism in action.
LEGO BLACKTRON RENEGADE- FINAL THOUGHTS
I hate to say it, but I feel that this model is better than similarly sized ships from LEGO Star Wars. I love the size and play features while not giving up any of the decorative elements. Sadly, LEGO has to spend more time making sure the Star Wars sets look right, so they often can’t pack in this much play potential in a single model.
And for $99.99 MSRP, this model feels substantial. I think the Blacktron team is truly evil, since they can revisit my childhood memories and crush them with their new awesomeness! Haha! And as an added bonus, LEGO provides alternate build instructions for other older sets you might want to revisit.
Overall, this set is amazing. The building experience is great, the play potential is high, and the price is more than fair. And if you are just looking for a parts pack with a lot of black and a hint of yellow, it works for that as well. I’m just sort of glad that this is not a full line of sets; if it were, I’d be rather broke. Just prepare yourself for an epic experience. If you want to check it out, it’s available at the LEGO Icons section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? Do you have either the original Blacktron Renegade or the updated version? Or even both? Do you feel it made the transition successfully from a kids’ set to an adult collector’s item? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
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