Here’s one for the kids that grew up with LEGO between the late 70s and early 80s. Recently unveiled is an upscaled and re-imagined version of its original spaceship, the Galaxy Explorer. It is one of two revived playsets announced by the Danish toymaker as part of its 90th anniversary celebration, with the other being the Lion Knights’ Castle.

As you can already tell, the new Galaxy Explorer is a major upgrade over the initial release – coming in roughly 50% larger and consisting of 1,246 LEGO pieces. This version sports a more pronounced and detailed overall design, while still retaining the iconic look of the original. It now features a flip-open canopy for its cockpit, an upgraded rear compartment with a medical bed and storage area, as well as retractable landing gears.

In comparison, the 1979 model was – let’s be honest – basically a flat LEGO plate laid with several bricks and parts on top until it resembled a passable spaceship. Sure, the engineering wasn’t as robust as what we have now, but it was enough to stir the imagination of children from way back when. And that imagination encouraged the countless possible spaceship creations with whatever LEGO bricks lying around – a point that’s portrayed perfectly by Benny, the vintage spaceman in The LEGO Movie.

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Speaking of which, also included in the set are two red and two white suited spacemen (complete with vintage visorless helmets), a buggy, and a robot assistant. The latter two can be stored in the ship’s rear, which can also open up and deploy a ramp leading to its cargo bay. Sadly, the landing pad and communications tower that’s part of the original Galaxy Explorer is not included in this new set.

As mentioned earlier, also announced alongside the Galaxy Explorer is the LEGO Lion Knights’ Castle set. Basically a modern spin on the toy company’s classic Castles line by adding extra layers of construction, greenery and numerous details. All of this while also retaining the classic hinge mechanic that flips the castle open to reveal all of its rooms for added playability. As a bonus, one of which also contains a miniature tribute to the first LEGO castle playset from 1978. Being a larger set consisting a whopping 4,514 pieces, also included are an assortment of medieval-themed minifigures and animals.

Both the new Galaxy Explorer and Lion Knights’ Castle sets are available for pre-order via the official LEGO online store via its website. The former is priced at US$ 100 (~RM 440), whereas the latter will cost at US$ 400 (~RM 1,760). Both are expected to ship in early August, though it is not known for now whether they’ll also be available in Malaysia around the same time.

(Source: Brother Bricks)