We're back in pretty familiar territory again, as our latest delivery of LEGO was emblazoned with a big ol' Star Wars logo. Surely the greatest combination of anything is when 'LEGO' appears in the same sentence as 'Star Wars', and that has been proven yet again with this awesome new set. We build the LEGO Naboo Starfighter #75092.
We were particularly interested in this new set as way back in 1999, when the first LEGO Star Wars sets were being released (therefore saving what is now the biggest toy maker on the planet), one of the first ever sets we bought was the Naboo Starfighter. We're happy to report that this incarnation of the space fighter from Star Wars Episode I is miles better than the original and any to have been released since. Lets take a look.
Those 438 pieces will make you the starfighter itself, a ladder, a weapons trolley, a crate of pistols, a fuel hose, and two destroyer droids. You also get a fresh-faced Obi-wan Kenobi, a pint-sized Anakin Skywalker, a Naboo Pilot, and (back once again) R2D2. Yes, there are also some crappy battle droids thrown in here - three of them in fact. But we hate them, they're not proper minifigures, and we will never speak of them again. So there.
First up; the bird itself. Look at her. Seriously, we believe this to be LEGO's best crack yet at the gorgeous space ship, which was one of the better designed ships from the prequel films. The overall shape is near to spot-on, and the proportions are good. The rear section still looks a little dodgy however, but the fact that the designers have managed to achieve an approximation what in 'real-life' is a sleek and organic tail, is pretty commendable. Play features include an opening cockpit, a space for R2 to sit (as well as a mechanism to eject him), and spring-loaded missiles at the front.
Those missiles are fired in a very clever way. Previously when we've reviewed LEGO sets which use the relatively new 'spring brick', we've commented about how precarious they can be, and how easy it is to fire them accidentally. With the Naboo Starfighter the designers have used a little concealed flick switch on the underside (the red stud), which not only means that the whole of the garish plastic missiles are hidden from view, but also that kids won't accidentally shoot them into their eyes. Nice one.
We adore the chunky engines, which although being very thick and sturdy (they have one entire Technic rod running along the inside), still fit very nicely onto the ends of those slender wings, which are themselves only one 'plate' thick. There is also wonderful attention to detail in the in-take of the engines - look at how well that cog piece is used.
A STAND! Yes, the Naboo Starfighter comes with it's own stand... ONE THAT ROTATES! Sorry to get so excited, but we love space ships (especially awkwardly shaped ones that don't have landing struts) that have their own stands, and this one is perfect. In the shot above you can also see to the left the push-stud that ejects R2D2 from his cradle.
The opening cockpit also has some nice details, with a brown seat tile representing padding, and a control panel (unfortunately a sticker, but hey...). The unique thing here is that, because the ship must accommodate both the normal minifigures and Anakin (who, as a child figure, does not have bending legs), there is a special arrangement in the seat. The full-sized fig (namely the Naboo Pilot) can fit, although he isn't affixed by studs - he just sits there - and so can Anakin thanks to a shallow hollow that accommodates his legs. Above is the whinging little git himself...
...and here is the pilot. Both look pretty much the same once in, but it was a nice consideration on the part of the designers, and will help a lot with play time for the kids.
On that note, here are the main characters: (L to R) Obi, R2, Naboo Pilot, and Anakin (who also gets a helmet and goggles). Its strange to see Obi looking so young as we're used to seeing the long haired and bearded version from The Clone Wars sets. Oh, and to fit R2 into the starfighter you simply have to turn his head piece ninety degrees.
The two destroyer droids are tonnes of fun and very cleverly designed. On minifigure scale they are probably the best attempt yet, but if we're honest we think they still fall short of capturing the menacing look of the film's droidekas. Still, they look awesome, are massively articulated, and offer a lot of extra value to the set. Certainly more than just throwing a load of battle droids in there does. You listening, LEGO?
These are your 'extras' which no version of the Naboo Starfighter has ever been without. This time however, they're pretty decent. You get a great set of ladders, a fuel hose thing that actually plugs into the craft's engines, a 'hovering' trolley with four more missiles, and a random box of guns. Because. This lot might push up the part count, but at least they are well designed and offer lots of play scope.
And look, the ladder actually works. In fact, the whole ensemble looks awesome with the ladder in place, adding to a more realistic build.
All-in-all, we genuinely do love this set, both in terms of the design and due to all the funky extras which go towards making it worth the cost. Not a taxing build at all, the whole lot took us about 90 minutes, and as ever we really enjoyed ourselves. When we heard that they were attempting yet another go at the Naboo Starfighter, we truly didn't expect much. But thanks to the clever tweaks, the inclusion of the destroyer droids, the minifigures, and THE BRILLIANT STAND this set is a must-have for both Star War and LEGO die-hard fans.
£54.99
Available from www.amazon.co.uk
"Look lads, can we not just talk about this?"