A Slug's Opinion on the LEGO Space CMF Series
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- čas přidán 14. 05. 2024
- "Hey Slugger, what are your thoughts on the new LEGO Space CMF Series?"
In this episode of Sluggin' Around, we find out!
Sources used for this video:
• Lego Space CMF Comparison
brickset.com/article/109367/r...
jaysbrickblog.com/news/lego-m...
Original Artwork by Gigamesh
#lego #space - Zábava
The loss of those classic trans neon colours is truly a travesty.
It really was a great colour but I do quite like the explanation of the chainsaw being powered down. Adds another little piece to the scant lore/implied world building that there is on ice planet.
I could not agree more, possibly my most missed lego colour.
The Ice Planet figure looks great with the saw piece swapped for an old neon one
@@OlleMoquistlore thats created because Lego is cutting costs is dumb
@@LL-wc4wn to each his own. I don't really mind.
I love that the CMF figures are weird one-offs that don’t belong to a theme. For me they really inspire me to imagine dioramas or little mocs for them and they really become such a nice flourish in the end
I agree, I enjoy them for the same reason!
Yesss!
Yeah, I think it's also nice that the theme has allowed for modern LEGO characters to form in an era where it felt like we stopped getting peers for the likes of Redbeard and Pepper. Like a lot of LEGO media for the past decade or so utilises characters like the Hot Dog Guy or Demolition Dummy the way those older characters used to be used for.
I kinda thought the point of CMFs is to be a random assortment of characters and motifs? Even themed series like this and the monster series are still an "anthology" so to speak
Yup! And I'm not really a big fan of that concept, I guess. 😅
@@SlugginAround I think that's why they can't do a series of just old factions too I guess. At the end of the day while they're all visually distinct the 20th century Space factions are ultimately mostly variations of the archetype of a vibrantly coloured human space suit and thus if you don't know them it could seem redundant having ~10 versions of that with just a robot and a couple aliens to break it up. And while I'd love that I get that it might be less appealing to a general audience.
Really the unifying theme is more that they all are playing on various sci-fi tropes rather than being united in universe.
Then again in the LEGO lore Galaxy Squad is a sequel to monster fighters so maybe The Alien Tourist could handle out with M-tron
Okay something I havnt seen anyone talk about is that the blind bags SUCK for Lego Store Employees
Lego doesn't advertise this, but we essentially have to help customers feel the bags to find a figure they want
If we don't, we run the risk of upset Karen's and crying kids, or just a huddle of people crowding the bin in the store, which is just difficult to work around
I remember working at the store, and multiple people, including myself developing wrist pain from feeling the bags to find a figure for a customer
Because it's never just one customer
I no longer work at the store, but I bet I would have welcomed the change to boxes
Yes, absolutely! This is a great point to bring up. Wouldn't it just be easier if the figure inside was printed on the bag/box? Or do what MEGA does and put a little clear window on the bag so you can see what you're buying?
@SlugginAround I think its just a sales thing
Yes that would be better for most people
But resellers benefit from the blind system, so they buy more, and then flip them
In that way lego also benefits
Capitalism
@@SlugginAroundThat would end up astwopacks/ singlepacks Playmobil figures. The more sought after are imidiately sold out and often end up online for double the price, where the duds are left.
@SlugginAround Just so you know, as someone who collects a lot of Mega Halo, they don't put a window in their blind bags, they put a code on the back which is how we're able to identify which figures are inside.
@@CloneCommanderCrater1102 Ah, thanks for the correction! I wonder if it was another series or manufacturer I'm thinking of? I distinctly remember seeing it in a Toys R Us recently and thinking "this is what everybody wins looks like!"
My favorite ones are definitely the tourist and the imposter. The concept is very unique and i like that you can easily put them in a city without disturbing the theme. Many others seem to give them a bad score simply for not being a reference from an old theme.
By being a random assortment of characters this series has at least a few figures for every taste, while still having an overall theme.
For sure - while I don't explicitly say it in the video, this is obviously my favourite CMF series so far... it's just that I really didn't have much affection for any of the others that preceded it.
@@SlugginAround i agree. These 2 were the first cmf figures i have picked up in many years. Because I use them mainly as additions to stuff i already have. I dont realy have a use fore the unique one offs. At least with the qr code you don't risk buying figures you are not interested in anymore.
The Imposter is great but I want to get duplicates of his antenna piece. They're MADE for decorating a mad scientist's lair.
First off I’m so honored that you shouted out my space cmf video! Big fan of your content and it was really cool to be surprised by that while watching this video!
Secondly as you know from watching my video on them I am a big fan of this series. Maybe it helps that I didnt grow up during the original era of classic space. But I honestly have had so much fun with these figures and am buying multiple because they are additions to the classic figures not just remakes.
Lastly I am a big fan of cmfs because they give us highly detailed figures. I perfectly understand why you don’t like them. But the thing is cmfs are not part of one world they are apart of many worlds. If you look at the bios that some of the figures have they fit into, diffrent space, castle and other things. And then some are just for fun. As a big castle person I love getting figures that build out that world from the cmf line. I would definitely love to talk to you more about cmfs at some point because I would definitely love to at least help you appreciate them more!
No matter what great video and it was interesting to see this point of view!
Thanks! Your video on the topic is fantastic, so I hope folks pop over to watch it! ❤️
I think the LEGO Movie has significantly impacted LEGO's approach to worldbuilding, and you can see it the most with their Minifigure series (funny, considering the LEGO Movie *did* get its own Minifigure line.) They feel like sight gags built around the general, universal theme of "creativity", rather than a sincere exploration of any one setting.
Classic LEGO Space was a simple setting, built onto over time with new lore and worldbuilding. Modern LEGO Space is just "LEGO, *in Space*"--a thematic element, or aesthetic, that's slapped onto other Themes.
This only really makes sense if you exclusively look at it from the lense of futuron till spyrius, before in classic there was the sudden shift to star wars like ships, but not much else really changed, and afterwards we only got standalone themes. From exploriens to life on mars the only cross over was in sheer creativity things ,similar to what we get now, like Lego Racers or time cruisers or whatever else. In the mid oughts till the early twenty tens all themes were entirely separate barley if at all building on each other.
@@n_ex13Exploriens and UFO fit the same setting. In Exloriens they're looking for aliens and alien fossils. In the backgrounds you can see a wormhole. UFO are aliens. In the background you can see the same kind of wormhole. Space. Insectoids were the least interactive, but their backstory indicates they are refufees from the UFO homeworld.
Eh, i'm not sure. The movie had plenty of direct callbacks and I remember then CMF series being a weird mishmash even beforehand.
I am in awe at the chainsaw explanation, that's a BRILLIANT excuse for it, and fun as well. But also slightly irritating to just suggest to 'swap it out' when it could be a case of the consumer not having one to swap out with. It would have been very interesting and convenient for this CMF to be the final outing for Trans-Neon orange and green, perfect way to send it off.
We were too late!! 😂 😭
I think the biggest thing that we need to know about your thoughts on this CMF wave is... do you think that the penguin with the Ice Planet figure is some kind of robot or an actual penguin they brought from Earth in its own little space suit?
Hahaha, I honestly don't know what to make of that. It's cute, but I don't think it really fits with Ice Planet 2002...
I'm going with actual penguin though! 🙂
Checked mine, and it has its own space suit.
@SlugginAround Yeah, it's a little too cartoony for the theme, but I like penguins, so I can put up with it. Plus, it'll be a good mascot for the space phase of the inevitable Lego cinematic universe that nobody wants! (I really hope that joke doesn't somehow will an LCU into existence)
I was heavily surprised by how much I like the Alien Beetlezoid. The renders dont show it, but the head is a mixed dark-blue/trans-purple at the back!
Although I agree with you about the “gambling” aspect, I have to say how much I love these figs. I have been wanting to create an extended space universe stop motion series spanning multiple decades and these figs are really awesome to accomplish this.
The fact they made a good lore reason for the transparent orange chainsaw is cool enough.
Agreed! Pretty creative thinking. 😊
I don't see why you couldn't build a moc where the M-Tron guy and the space tourist interact. For example, maybe an M-tron mechanic is helping the tourist after his UFO broke during his trip back from Earth. That would be very fun moc to build, and fanfic to write. Isn't the point of Lego, that everything is compatible, and the only limit is our imagination?
Honestly that's the reason why I love CMFs so much. Some of them fit preexisting themes, but most are concepts that we would never get otherwise. And they aren't completely "orphans" either, since they often revisit older CMF ideas. To use your exaple of the roman general, we also got a roman footsoldier, an emperor, two gladiators, battle goddess, and a ton of mitological beasts. Enough stuff to fill a whole diorama.
I agree about the boxes tho. I actually prefer the carton over bags, because scanning codes is a lot more convinient than feeling the pieces. But it is really strange that they are trying to do the whole gambling for kids, but not really, because we can tell what's inside by the codes, and in the age of the internet I'm sure most people inclusing children know about this method. Honestly I'm not even sure if Lego cares if people can tell what's inside.
Anyway, sorry if this comment came off aggressive. The CMF is one of my favorite things that Lego is curently doing, so I wanted to defend them a little.
That's fair - I might not be thinking outside the box enough here.
I wonder how many years it took to fill out those Roman ranks though? When is the right time to start building a MOC for these CMF figures? Is it when they release, or 5 years after the fact when the supporting figures have all come out too? 😅
I'm obviously not the right slug for the CMF series in general, but I'm glad it has fans like yourself! 😊
@@SlugginAround Yeah, I guess that's the biggest downside of the random assortment approach of CMFs, it makes it hard to predict when another minifigure of a specific theme will show up. Though the back assortment of minifigs i so big it's unlikely you will be short on choice. Modern CMFs rarelly introduce completely new themes, they kinda runned out of them, like ten series ago.
To be honest, I think this lack of theming or cohesion in a CMF series is not a bad thing. You get the maximum ammount of tropes, designs and takes in one selection. It would kinda kill the vibe of wanting to collect something if the figures would look the same or similar. Besides...the craziness of having like a roman soldier chilling with a stage performer and an alien bounty hunter is just so Lego-like it's hard to not feel charmed lol
Honestly, just look at what The B3 has been doing with CMF lines.
I usually end up buying two or three minifigures from a CMF series, often for an interesting part or an animal mould, but this is the first one I've completed (and very easily too, thanks to the codes!).
I love the spread of different expressions of what "Lego Space" can be in this series. We've got references to past Lego space themes, to previous space CMFs (the continuity between the MMU astronaut and the astronaut from Series 15 is lovely!), realistic characters, ones that jumped right of pulp sci-fi, a darn personification of a constellation, and solid execution across the board. Some are not quite perfect, but I find them all pretty charming.
It seems to be the general consensus that this CMF series is one of the best ever! 🙂
Every time I see that end card with that goofy looking slug I cackle. The slugging around icon is perfection.
As someone who grew up in the late 2000s, where i went to a small school, lego cmfs were in their heyday. Maybe its nostalgia but i have lots of fond memories trading with friends, feeling the bags, looking at leaflets of older series admiring all the figs. I remember finding some old series (the one with the statue of liberty) in a gamestop and getting really excited. The 'homeless' aspects of the figures was really fun as they provided a minifig catalyst to create an entire experience around. I didnt have a lot of sets but the figures gave so much hours of building specific mocs and scenarios, and they added a lot of vibrancy and possibilities to my collection. Although i havent bought any in years, i can't deny i had a lot of fun with them as a kid. Pokemon cards etc werent big where i lived, cmf's were a big deal.
In person, these are really fantastic. The best, most unique cmf series in ages, and a real treat for fans of space but especially sci-fi in general.
While I empathize with your criticisms, Slug, I couldn't disagree more for the most part with them! As a kid, Space was -the- theme for me. I loved Castle, Pirates, Adventurers, etc too, but if I had to get only one theme of a lot any given year it was Space. I DO agree that the over-dipping into Classic/M-Tron/Blacktron/Ice Planet is a bit stale (mostly Blacktron has SEVERAL CMF figures in previous lines are very clearly meant to be part of Blacktron where as this is the first time we've had new M-Tron and Ice Planet figures; and Classic Space is basically going to cover the whole rainbow at this point so more power to them for that lol) and would love to see Spyrius, Unitron, Exploriens, Space Police and Futuron represented too.... BUT! I like the mix-matched concept of CMFs. I don't collect CMF lines for the sake of having them, mind you - I like to collect them so I can have access to fresh new parts and concepts that probably wouldn't be able to support a full product line. The Roman Soldiers are a great example of this - I doubt LEGO could support a full on Roman Empire based castle theme, as kickass as that would be, so having Roman guys spread through CMFs lets people amass figures for use in their MOCs another way. I do wish they'd do away with Blindpacking and just let us know which figures we're getting, but the CMF lines being wildly varied is fine to me.
As for the Space line, I love most of these guys. The Constellation of Orion is my most favorite of all because it's something right out of classic science fiction. The tourist is cheeky and funny, the Retro Girl pairs nicely with the Retro Man from some years ago, the imposter is a hilarious reference to Men in Black, the Nurse as you said is great, and the Buggoid is a nice unexpected surprise for those who collect them. I'm less hot on the UFO guy and the Robot Chef, and the Normal Astronaut perhaps feels the most "wasted" since City Space is still a thing that goes strong but I like he's this sort of 1980s looking guy with the old school MMU on. As for the throwback figs, I'm ok with the color disparity. I will miss Trans Neon Orange and Green, but Trans Orange is a fine substitute imo. The M-Tron guy should have come with SOME kind of visor though. There's solid opaque lime green visors that would have gotten the point across much better than no visor at all. Capturing the spirit of the idea is what's important, which is why I don't mind exact color mixmatches, but totally neglecting a solution is just frustrating.
Anyway, I hope to collect most of these guys. Some just one of (Orion namely), others a few of to mix and match up with. Thanks for sharing your thoughts all the same!
18:02 I used a spare Transparent visor on M-Tron guy. It looks pretty good. Not as good as Trans Neon Green, but a lot better than no visor.
@@WarpigA23 Yeah I got plenty of old spares too, I'm just saying opaque lime would've been a fine substitute, as it is a current color LEGO produces for visors.
i was looking forward to the Normal Astronaut the least, but the printed parts she comes with are really cool and versatile. the 2x3 tile on the MMU has the classic space logo on it!
i think the new CMF series is pretty intersting, pretty strong lineup compared to other series.
i dont like the random aspect of CMF in general though. the mutated Blacktron 2 is probably my favourite
But you gotta find different legs if you want the fig to even SIT
@@darkmoon5564Does that look like a guy who sits around? 😄
I personally love every figure in this series. First minifig series that I have actually wanted every figure.
Regarding the colors. I get it's a nostalgia thing but honestly, neon trans orange and green are not different enough from regular trans orange and green for me to get up in arms about it. I think they should have given the M-tron guy a trans green visor. The neon isn't so important that it justified leaving it out.
The fun thing about CMFs is that it often helps to pad out themes that were otherwise lacking in characters. Monster Fighters gains a whole fleet of new baddies for Rodney Rathbone and co to fight, the classic Space themes gain new members (especially with this theme), the LEGO Movie worlds can be fleshed out with any of the more theme-specific characters (not just the movie-specific stuff), and some of the gamers from various themes integrate perfectly into the one Hidden Side set I own.
I’d love another DC CMF series, though. Granted, I don’t think the first one sold all that well due to the pandemic, but still. The series we got had a delightful mix of “first appearance” characters and characters LEGO was hesitant to put in sets due to their obscurity, and I’d love to see more of them
What's funny about your sentiment of most of the Collectible Minifigures being orphans without any LEGO Sets, is that it kind of is true.
In _LEGO City Undercover,_ Collectible Minifigures from Series 1-6 (sans the ones with non-standard legs) are used to pad out the civilian roster of characters. (Some characters like the Traffic Cop, Gangster, and Space Villain can be used in other character slots like the Police, Criminal, or Astronaut category.) Additionally, some Collectible Minifigures can be found wandering about in places like Festival Square, with the implication being that they are just cosplayers.
In _The LEGO Movie,_ a majority of Cloud-Cuckoo Land's inhabitants consist of Collectible Minifigures, and when that place gets destroyed, those inhabitants end up on President Business' Minifigure Wall.
On another note, your compliment on how the variety of Minifigures seen with this CMF Series is reminiscent of the days of multiple LEGO Space themes just reminds me of how disillusioned I am with stuff like _LEGO Dimensions._
Back in Nick Anderson's _LEGO Rewind_ Episode for _LEGO Island,_ he mentioned that _LEGO Island_ was born in an era where there were plenty of original LEGO Themes, and that experiences like _LEGO Racers_ felt magical because it was this grand crossover that kids can recreate with their own LEGO Sets, like having Johnny Thunder race against Captain Red Beard across Planet Krysto.
Nowadays, there just aren't many original LEGO Themes for something like that, and it disappoints me how _LEGO Dimensions_ came out in a time when there were still plenty of original themes, yet only used four original themes - _The LEGO Movie,_ _Ninjago,_ _Chima,_ and _LEGO City._
It just makes me wonder if Traveler's Tales saw the poor sales of _LEGO City Undercover_ as a sign that the general audience of gamers just don't about original LEGO themes, only buying licensed stuff they know of like _Star Wars_ or _Harry Potter._
It just makes me wonder, why were a lot of the 2010-era LEGO Themes excluded from _LEGO Dimensions?_
- _LEGO Friends_ and _LEGO Elves_ already tried to cater to a young girl demographic, so those might sell poorly to gamers. (Not to mention the cast of _LEGO Friends_ already being non-combatants.)
- _LEGO Bionicle_ 2015 would have required all of the six Toa to get specialized Minifigures in a style similar to _Hero Factory Invasion From Below._ There was also a lack of world building for _Bionicle 2015,_ so it would be difficult providing the Toa any substantial builds to go with the sets. (Or even make _Bionicle_ content for the game itself.)
- On that note, _LEGO Mixels_ would have been difficult to represent because the Mixels are made of LEGO Bricks, and would tower over any Minifigure.
- _LEGO Ultra Agents_ and _Nexo Knights_ had digital play gimmicks to their sets, so I'm guessing that The LEGO Group didn't want to include those franchises in to prevent cross-contamination.
@@lance2580They just litteraly made Crossover space theme that even got technic in.
CU is a great game, I play it time to time still
4:02 they're not intended to be in the same universe. back when they had bios they'd usually only reference minifgs & themes from the same era as the minifig
It may not have had AS much mass appeal, but imagine filling up the 9 other slots with
another classic space color,
an insectoid,
explorien,
classic space police,
a neo classic space police criminal,
a life on mars martian,
a rock raiders crewmember,
a UFO,
and a galaxy squad-
maybe not galaxy squad and alien conquest out since there's been other CMF figures strongly in their theme/parts usage.
I dont even mind the reimagining given the constraints- as great as the new figures are, they could just as easily be featured in a non-specialty CMF line, the way this one has been themed. Which gives the impression you can't help but shake, that they're taking up slots they shouldn't.
I disagree with a couple of picks
First is the classic space police figure
Not only did we already get one but there really isn't much room to do anything with it. Space police didn't originally have original minifigures just slightly recoloured futuron figures
Secondly the rock raiders crew member.
It isn't obviously spacey in any way shape or form. With context you might say it's a space theme but for example just2good would probably think it's weird as sh*t that a fairly normal miner ended up in the space theme.
M-Tron is still probably my favorite space theme for color scheme and uniform design ENTIRELY because of nostalgia.
So with the disclaimer that I haven't bought one of these in a couple years, I love the CMF series because it gives us a chance to get figures we would otherwise likely never get.
Where else could we get a Samurai, a hot dog man, and a Roman soldier?
I also personally enjoy both the gambling aspect and the fact that you can figure out which one you're getting: the gambling because I know what I'm getting, I'm getting a minifigure! Which one? I'm gonna find out! And the finding out is part of the fun. It's like you don't know what your Christmas presents are going to be. And the fact the more "serious" collectors can figure out which one they're getting so that they can have the entire series is why I like that aspect. To me, it's the best of both worlds: a fun roulette wheel spin if you want it, or a series to collect if you're willing to do the research!
However, I do agree that they also ought to make CMFs that aren't random, and are tied into a theme, like the Chief etc. figures from yesteryear. Like the Luke Skywalker Yavin IV celebration minifigure that only came with that one book. That could've been sold on it's own.
I'm glad there's a second channel now for videos like this that otherwise wouldn't have been posted. Also, I feel like there is more production polish on this second channel than some folks put into their main channel. Slugger impresses even when he's takin' it easy!
Thanks Steve! I’m really enjoying having this second creative outlet. 😊
The interviews with the designers were super insightful. Cool bits of lore like The Blacktron Mutant got his stuff from the Alien Conquest guys hence the back print!
So, I agree with your viewpoint on the cmf's. It's a bad gambling game, however, you mentioned Insectoids... I got hung up on that, because I used to collect the Rock Raiders and Insectoids and played with them together. I didn't care much about the lore from either series, because I made up my own lore. The insectoids lived on a "meteor planet", and the rock raiders were stranded there. I used to have them fight over the crystals. I wish they would remake old sets with modern pieces. I would be all over that.
That's a great bit of storytelling to connect the two series together! I'm somewhat surprised LEGO didn't go for something similar themselves back then, as the two themes released back to back.
Hopefully we see the M-tron figure’s power arm return in actual sets and in more colours. It’s a great part even if it stresses the pieces a little.
The good news is that QR scanners can help find the minifugure you want, but some buy for parts.
I really like them. I have never experienced M Tron so this is a fun way to get acquainted. 😄
I never got any of the many different old space themes, simply because money was very tight back in those days. That said I always loved them from afar, on the other side of the toy store window.
To me this kind of conbination to bring things back while also having new random space stuff is good, simply because not everyone is into space for the same reasons.
For the piece differences I think there has to be a certain line, and there is good room to debate where the line is, for when a color can be retired and how to balance out cost vs nostalgia.
It’s so much cheaper to obtain a Galaxy Squad buggoid by just getting a new/sealed or complete used set from the theme.
I also thought it was going to be City Space like you did. I've always loved the CMF series but there's definitely always two or three amazing ones and a lot of... duds, shall we call them. My least favourite thing about CMFs is that they're often a 'dumping ground' for lines that LEGO doesn't want to acknowledge anymore outside of tiny stickers in big Ninjago City sets. I've always felt that seeing a figure from a certain vintage theme reimagined in a CMF series is the moment that theme is confirmed to be doomed - sort of a "we've given it to fans in some form, now we can move on" stance from LEGO.
You're totally right about that! Alpha Team got a figure years ago... and nothing else since. 💀
Nice cameo from the Star Trek II nebula at 8:46
Good to see him still in work
That's what I thought too! It's actually a screenshot from the credits of LEGO DreamZzz - I guess he found work after the wrath of Khan. 😂
I don't really care for CMF at all, but I really want the Alien Tourist figure, because I'm a sucker for Grey Aliens. But I totally agree with the second-hand buying, blind-bags are such a bummer.
what bothers me most about this series is that it mostly relies on collectible nostalgia bait, something LEGO uses too much on these days. I wish LEGO would make another Space theme that's really out there and different, they haven't for a very long time.
Only 4 figures here count on Nostalgia Bait here... Its like normal ammount for CMFS.
This would have been the perfect time for a one-off Seatron minifig!
Oh dang, you're so right!! Gah, missed opportunity! 😔
I was 11 when CMF came out and it was pretty huge for me. I loved playing with my minifigures and building things for them, so having something I could buy with spare allowance was super sick. These days I just get a couple for fun (mainly my wife who loves blind boxes) but I don't connect as well. That being said I did unbox an Orion minifig and he is pretty sick. I always wanted a translucent minifigure and the sparkles in him just look great. I don't really see myself scanning them trying to collect, it's not my style. But I get it and appreciate that Lego hasn't upped the price on them
it would've been really great if the entire space wave was filled to the brim with callbacks of lesser known factions, but I guess we ended up with only 4 (5-ish) callbacks and the rest being miscellaneous is for the much broader, general audience who'll think it's cute there's a space alien that's a tourist, or a minifigure that's actually piloted by even smaller aliens.
fortunately, it being LEGO, I can army build the M-tron, Ice Planet and Blacktron 2 figures. The latter however will require great lengths to create an Un-mutated Blacktron 2 trooper.
I really like the updated m-tron figure it is updated and modernized. The added mechanized printing provides a story that they are a much more advanced mining faction than I originally thought. It also helps me use more modern pieces in m-tron mocs with out the old figures standing out and contrasting the build.
Oh my gosh! thank you! the robot nurse is the best objective minifig here. finally im not alone. So useable in any setting, the fig tells an actual story and is most importantly an original idea. Thank you slugger
If Lego did switch to boxes because they were tired of people feeling around the bags..... yeah, not a good look. Best case scenario, they WANT you to buy several minifigs you aren't interested in, even a couple duplicates, before you find one of the four or five characters you actually want. I ALWAYS buy CMFs secondhand through bricklink or ebay. At least then I know which ones I'm getting the first time.
Also that adds another problem - People would scalp all the more impresive figs. This already happens in Playmobil community and its awful.
This CMF series totally got me into Ice Planet which ‘happened’ during my dark ages.
That's awesome! Ice Planet 2002 is a killer series!
"Yu-Gi-Mon" LOL!
I think the point of the figures not having a theme or coming from a preexisting theme is to make you imagine and build a world for them.
What I really love about this series is how the redux minifigures provide expanded ideas and designs for their respective themes!
My opinion: I cannot financially recover from this
I'm just Stickin' Around for the background music 😉
Why did lego retire two beloved colors, only to then release a series of sets that could be benefited from those colors? Were some of the executives from 2003 rehired or something?
im glad the algorithm brought me your 2nd channel, had no idea you had one
Honestly I wish we could get a series that had every major space suit in it. Bonus points if they managed to actually make a new mould for an Apollo “fishbowl” helmet that was used for launch/reentry.
14:17 i always listen to grampa slug
4:24 I find it funny that you use those two minifigures as an example because those happen to be the first two characters I got from the series!
Coincidences aside, I loved the video and I liked hearing about your opinions on cmf’s
One thing I dislike about the CMF line in general is that they're all just one-off ideas. They're great ideas, but Lego creates all these great new molds and prints, but never really does anything else with them.
To me they're all just wasted ideas... A box of CMF figures is a box of wasted potential. Whenever I see a new wave of CMF figures I only feel disappointment seeing all these fantastic ideas go to waste. I'd LOOOOVE to see new original themes with some of these figures I've seen coming from the CMF line.
But people always hype each other up for every new release and buy them like candy (looking at the shameful way people try to collect them, ripping up boxes and all) so financially speaking Lego doesn't really have to do anything else with these ideas because the money keeps pouring in........
I really dislike the whole CMF line. (not even speaking about the sales practices from Lego)
Edit: just finished the video, you kinda said the same.
There is when YOU step in. MAKE A THEME with these figs!
On the topic of the practice itself, the reason why you don't like it is because it's the lootbox concept. Maybe you've seen or heard about it in games, or even seen an irl one, but it's basically that idea of "buy this thing with hopes of getting what you want/a rare one, but you get another one you already have, or something that you don't want, so now you have to buy more until you achieve the desired results." It's the exact same exploitative idea behind slot machines, the prospect of trying your chance and winning big, but the house is the one that always wins.
If you changed the head of the android nurse, and maybe the arms, you'd basically have a clone trooper medic from Star Wars, very similar look between the two figures, imo, could definitely be useful for people building all of those Star Wars armies. The hair is also cool for something cyberpunky, reminds me of a character from the Bladerunner point and click adventure game.
Anybody know what figure those white legs with black boots on the Blacktron figure on the right at 11:02 come from? Can't seem to locate them on Bricklink.
Im loving the fact that your youtube name is a Stickin Around reference. And you even include the song 😂
Man th show is underrated.
Holy mackerel!! 😉
I like the stand-alone-ness of individual collectable figures because I like to see the potential of them fitting into other themes. I'm really exited for the buggoid to add more life to my fusion of Insectoids and Buggoids living on the planet with giant bugs from last year's Lego Ideas Insect Collection.
I think one part of whats fun about collecting something is to have a limitation. To not just gather stuff because it's fancy or exclusive, part of pop culture or what have you, but to focus on a theme or an asortment of related themes, because you like it, because it speaks to something within you. I like viking themed lego, and it's quite forgiving to collect it because there simply isnt that much of it. I dont collect sets, I collect parts and figures so that I can make little mocs of my own, or heavily modify or build on sets, and I tend to want to focus on creating distinct characters, which naturally makes me focus on variety a lot. One color of cape or helmet is enough. Expensive parts or bricks isnt that much of a problem for me since there aren't that many viking themed parts anyways. I also like vikings on multiple levels. Historical accounts as well as fairytale depictions from the 1800s, with winged and horned helmets, even cheesy swords and sorcery stuff from the 80s, as well as eras predating and succeeding that era in scandinavia. And then its the fact that I am scandinavian, so there is an ancestral connection. Having limitations also give me guidelines on what parts i like to gather, it limits the bulk of bricks that i have. I don't want a bunch of expensive plastic laying around unless it speaks to something in me, and it becomes very clear as I look for pieces, that there are only so many hairstyles from other themes that fit my idea of my own collection, before there is something within me that goes: "No, this purchase is completely unessecary". As amazing as Rivendale and Barad Dûr looks, as awesome as the new DnD set looks, I won't get them, because I have no deep interest in neither of those sets. They dont speak to me on multiple levels. I'm glad that I don't have the 'collect everything' urge that some people have, but that to me, also seems like consumerism addiction, unheslthy escapism and a whole lot of FOMO.
17:59 -ALRIGHT twist my arm why dont ya!
Another great video as always btw!
im really blown away by the length of this video for a second channel upload, especially with all of the fairly high effort editing. i'm curious, is this a second channel upload because it's less tight/focused compared to an rr slugger vid? it feels like getting two slugger videos for the price of one!!! thanks for a great video :)
Thank you! Frankly, I think the length came about because I tend to ramble when I'm off script. Not terribly so, (at least, I don't think so!), but a little redundant nonetheless. 😅
Sluggin' Around will likely be the home of most unscripted stuff like this going forward. 👍
Even though I tried to get the production time down, it still took about three days of work on this video... which I suppose is better than the 2 - 3 weeks it normally takes me to do an 18 minute video on the main channel, haha!
While I'm also against the business practice of the minifig blind bags... the fact that nowadays you can just go into a local store and just pick up a bunch of brand new ice planet armor to fill out sets and displays is so cool!!! It gives me a sad melancholic feeling to old battle/expansion packs, why can't it be that simple anymore without having to scan a qr code and only getting one fig!!
5:14 people thought the beetle was a reference to insectoids before later deciding it was more likely referencing Galaxy Squad
This is the beauty of the internet, I basically disagree with 100% of your points in the video (other than wanting to see more representation of later Space themes and the color woes), but I get what you mean and respect it. Always like hearing your opinions
Thanks! I appreciate you not writing me off if I have an opinion you disagree with; you'd be surprised how many people inform me that I'm wrong about something and never watch one of my videos again! 😅
@@SlugginAround I don’t mean to sound like “kids these days”… but I think the loss of forums and prevalence of shorts has really led to the next gen of internet commenters avoiding any kind of dialogue or disagreement and swiping on to the next thing
@@CBMX_GAMING I'm right there with you, big time. Sometimes I feel like an old slug yelling at clouds, haha. 😅
Ok The Dark Red bugoid is exclusive to 1 set. 70703 Star Slicer. That was a hard to find/exclusive set. Not sure if it was exclusive to Walmart or target of the like. I got mine at a Lego store explicitly becasue it was exclusive.
That would explain that one! The misquitoid(?) was also pretty pricey online too!
@@SlugginAround Most likely due to its antenna. Very small pieces that fall out with constant play. The best part is the sets did not include them as extra.
love the stickin' around music
I really do wish that when there's been several CMF that thematically go together, they actually sit down and make a theme or even just a set those figures can inhabit...!
I really love this CMF series. I don't generally collect CMFs- I think because I usually like world building like you. I love Space so much, and I'm so relieved to see this line which is fully rooted in sci-fi like the old themes were, even if not purely throwbacks. Yes, I'd prefer some new sets. I agree with you on some of the flaws, but I am so happy to have a few M:Tron, Ice Planet, Blacktron, and Buggoid to add into display. I was especially pleased with how dynamic the Buggoid is in person.
I’ve always been a big fan of cmf as a parts collector but I completely agree about buying them second hang, especially since the switch to boxes. As to what you said about them not having a universe, that has always been a main draw to me, as I use my lego to build my own made up worlds. I will also say though that you expanding the worlds lego made is always inspiring and fun so thanks
As a youngin who lived entirely after the 90s era of lego space, i do find the cmf interesting as a way of kinda getting into some of those older themes. I do wish the whole series had been remade figures as that's so much more interesting.
I share the same uncomfortableness with the kind of gambling-ness of cmf.
i really hope we get a castle cmf in tzhe near future
The m trons alternate face print is colored like the visor. It's subtle.
I get what they were going for, but I'm not sure of I dig the execution. Honestly, I would have been fine with a Trans Bright Green visor - it looks close enough to Trans Neon Green, methinks.
While I understand disliking what is essentially a Lego gacha, I do have fond memories feeling the CMF bags around with my dad to find the exact minifig I wanted :P
Employees at Lego stores open the CMF packs if you ask them to. They let you pick and choose. That's how I got every one I wanted from Series 22.
Depends on the store, but yes!
when the CMF started they costed 2€ each, or 2,44€ with inflation. Cup of coffee price. Made it really easy to say "why not", and I got a bunch. At 4€ it's the price of a polybag, which I do buy, but for a gamble it's horribly expensive
I think the new trans green, whatever it's actually called, might've made an acceptable enough substitution in M-Tron--at least I feel like it looks more like trans neon green than trans orange looks like trans neon orange.
Wow, I didn't even make the connection between that bug and Galaxy Squad. They totally flipped the palette--which I think can be good, and maybe the other classic figures would also benefit from a palette swap if Lego can't produce the original palette anymore.
I must confess I used to buy these blindbags, and had a number of the older attempts at space figures in these series.
I agree! Trans Bright Green, as it's known on Bricklink at least, would have been a worthy substitute in a pinch for that M-Tron figure. 👍
I completely understand the frustration regarding the inaccuracy of these redux figures, but I am still so glad they exist. Crucially, they add a plethora of long retired molds and prints back into circulation for fans to enjoy. For example, the M:Tron figure is going to add thousands of pristine torsos and printed tiles into circulation after three long decades; even though it lacks the iconic trans neon green, this is still a net positive for M:Tron fans. Not to mention that new power lifter claw piece would fit right into any moc. The same goes for many of the elements in the ice planet, blacktron, and even modern astronaut figures.
I am more than okay with these inaccuracies for a couple reasons. The first being the accessible price point. The figures aren’t shoehorned in as easter eggs in expensive sets. They are relatively inexpensive at just five dollars. The second reason is that the alternative is not getting classic figures at all which makes it so much harder to collect and appreciate these iconic themes.
At the end of the day, most Lego products are meant for children and I would hate for their enjoyment to be sacrificed at the altar of adult nostalgia. So I am glad that most of their products and mini figures are new and original. And hey, maybe these redux figures will at least get more young builders interested in the history of these old themes!
I still find the existence of blind boxes/bags completely insidious and deliberately inconvenient.
This sluggin’ around channel is really fantastic. I feel like more consideration and effort goes into this second channel than most CZcamsrs main channels.
These are all really excellent points! Your comment about these sets adding new parts into the LEGO inventory pool at a reasonable price point to boot is well said. 👍
I agree - even if I have a few qualms about the execution, the fact that they exist at all is a positive thing.
And I appreciate your compliment about the second channel! It's still early, but I'm enjoying having this secondary outlet. 😊
What was nice about the blind bags, you could feel them. Now, you are forced to use less obvious tactics to find them.
Also funny thing, Lego has said this was to be more environmentally friendly, However things take a turn when you discover the paper bags used for the magazine figures. So, Lego sells these theme specific magazines, and they tend to come with a figure or a little build of sorts. For a long time they came with foil bags, but not too long before they swapped over to cardboard cmfs, they started using paper bags. This means lego has a good replacement for the foil cmf bags, yet they chose the thing that would make feeling for the figure impossible.
"Now, you are forced to use less obvious tactics to find them." And you can finally get figures you wanted untouched!
7:40 I think it's actually kinda cool for them to do this sort of kayfabe explanation for the difference in colors.
In regards to the blind box, I also really dislike this practice. However, on the bottom of each of these boxes is a QR code that if you scan it, you can look up online and find out that each figure has its own QR code. So you can actually get the ones you want and you’re not forced to buy a bunch at random.
How can one "look it up online" if they are out and don't have wifi? I much rather it had letter and number codes that you can track easier, rather than rely on internet connection that not everyone has the luxury of having all the time.
@@Bionickpunk a fair point. I've grown accustomed to having access to cellular, so I haven't given much thought to that. That's pretty rough!
The only justification I can think of for the blind bag/box system is that it prevents less desirable figures from becoming shelf-warmers. It's not a good look to be stuck with a box full of a figure nobody wants, and it discourages the designers from taking risks instead of playing things as safely as possible. The collectible minifigure series would not be able to support as much variety in creative designs if the box told you which figure was in it. Similarly, it's discouraging for the consumer to see the CMF box and realize all of the figure they want is gone - having blind boxes at least preserves the hope that they might get lucky. That said, I agree with you, I don't like the gamble. Those figures are too expensive to risk getting the one I don't want. What LEGO could do is re-release the most popular and desirable figures in individually labeled boxes after a certain time frame, possibly with people getting to vote on which ones they want most. Or LEGO could let you buy specific minifigures online, and only the boxes in stores are blind.
Totally - the avoidance of shelf warmers is definitely a benefit of the blind box system, though who knows how long that will last. With QR code scanning becoming more and more prevalent, unmarked boxes *will* continue to shelf warm and that will only increase in frequency as more folks catch on to the QR code game.
I think allowing folks to buy specific figures from LEGO's website is a great idea. There are a litany of ways to do the CMF series distribution in a manner that better benefits the customer! 👍
Various collector staples like the CMF series and Modular buildings emerged while I was out of Lego, so while I like to keep track of them, I don't really buy them for some reason.
Also, I can't explain why I was OK with Bionicle Mask Packs in 2001 despite them also being blind boxes. Maybe it was because I was younger and didn't know better.
Good video, as always! I personally loved the idea of the minifig bags when they first came out, but after getting a few (even including the ones I most wanted) I realised they looked and felt much lower quality than most Lego I had. It's like trying to get megablocks or whatever to feel natural next to actual Lego. I did get a Lego minifig display case, but I used it for characters like Pepper Roni, Johnny Thunder, an insectoid fig, etc
OH! I can answer this!, early on in the CMF line they were normally made in a Chinese factory which had lower quality, I think they stopped being made there in like 2014-15.
So a lot of those first 10 series’s might feel off. Though starting in like…2016 (?) the CMFs figures are the most detailed modern lego gets
@@ClassicStudStudios Ahh, that would explain why one of my clown figs came with legs that were partially fused together. That's interesting to know, thanks.
Having said that, to my eye there still isn't a huge amount of design quality to them compared to older figures. Some of this wave don't look bad, but for the most part they look kinda gimmicky. Having said that, I personally much prefer figures from the mid 2000s or earlier compared to *any* of the new figures, so that might just be my preference I guess
@@ClassicStudStudios That makes sense! I remember buying a CMF as a one off back then and being shocked at how far LEGO's standards had slipped. 😅
@@SlugginAround I don’t blame your shop 😅. Just to be sure I’d buy a CMF now and compare that quality to the CMF you bought those years back!, would not only prove what I say, but could be an interesting way to see how Lego’s art design has changed😄
The Ice Planet remake figure really makes me want an ice planet set remake
I like CMFs but what I have found is that I left a store that was filled with the Robot Butler minifigure. I much prefer the bar code than feeling through bags but that means some kid is going to buy two or three of these "blind boxes" and very likely get three of the same figure. I wish they would just sell us directly what we want. If I want ten of one figure I shouldn't have to hunt for it or buy second hand (which doesnt even benefit Lego). Make it like a VIP "exclusive" benefit or something.
I hope they bring back those classic colors. It will happen eventually. An anniversary for like the Galaxy Explorer could easily warrant bringing back the colors.
Yeah, I get your problem with blind bags. I don’t mind them in cheaper stuff like cards & solid unarticulated figures, but they can be a pain if they are done with fairly pricey stuff like LEGO.
The CMF series just doesn’t have a unifying theme for the most part. They are just a bunch of random characters in a series with varying styles or themes. It can either be a positive or a negative depending on the buyer.
The M-Tron guy does have a visor…but it’s printed on a alternate face. Yeah, still not as cool as a trans neon green piece. They really should have bought back those neon colors for this occasion, with Space coming back & those colors being kinda iconic for them.
For me, the diversity of characters is cool because it reminds me of the variety in the stop motion Space Police III shorts. But I agree that several of them stick out like a sore thumb, compared to their classic space comrades
If the barcodes are deliberate then I honestly have no problem with the gambling aspect because it allows those of us who want to opt out to do so and still let's the kids have their fun.
That is the reason, even if you don't believe that there's any value in the surprise kids of a certain age LOVE it. Look at any toy aisle and you will see mountains of blind bags, blind boxes, capsules, etc.
How Lego handle it going forward will tell us a lot about their motivations, I honestly believe the sustainability reason because it's so much easier to switch a small package like the CMFs than to retool the entire company's bagging machines to work with the paper bags but I do agree it was very suspicious to start with them.
As I say if they keep the barcodes I'll continue to buy them, I even buy some at random if I'm in a rush. However if they get rid of the barcodes and go full on gambling then I'm off to eBay for my CMF.
I totally get where you're coming from, and I think for a large portion of kids it *is* just simple, harmless fun.
But gambling addictions can take hold at a young age and I really chafe against the idea of "surprise mechanics" - loot boxes, blind bags, and the like. I wish The LEGO Group wouldn't stoop to that level, especially if they want to pretend they have the best interests of kids at heart.
I kind of dislike how I've turned into such a "save the kids!" stereotype as I get older, but I can't change the way I feel about these things, haha. 😅
I asked you if you would talk about it and you said maybe. Glad you did!
This is one of the few I got most of them in, especially since qr code means 0 gambling
What i think is pretty weird is that there is no figure that really ties in with the new 2024 space theme, and really is part of that little idea.
Yeah, I was surprised by this as well. Maybe they felt that with sets like those on the shelves, folks wouldn't want one of these 12 figure spots to be taken up by someone who looked like they could easily fit into one of these new LEGO Space sets?
Get rid of all the seaweed on the City of Atlantis set, and it's perfect for all the Greco-Roman minifigs!
A shame Lego didn't do anything with M-Tron, Blacktron, & Ice Planet before the stopped making the transparent colors. Maybe they could do Black Tron 3, M-Tron 2, and Ice Planet 2 new color pallets?
Honestly was kinda disappointed that the insect creature wasn't a reference to insectoids. Also no Spyrius or Rock Raider reference? I get this wasn't just all callbacks and knowing corporate Lego they might still do more classic space in another CMF, but still would've made the series more cohesive if they had more classic space figs.
I've never been interested in CMFs until this series, maybe partly because the new boxes allow you to scan them with an app to see what's inside, but mainly because these are the most interesting minifig designs I've seen in a while. I picked up Orion, the alien tourist, and the beetlezoid and they are excellent. Gotta say I'm more of a minifig fan than a set fan nowadays unless its for themes like exo-force or power miners.
I really enjoy random assortments because it allows designers to go all out on every one of them, it's like Star Wars: Visions where each episode was a disconnected but unique experiences exploring different aspects of the Star Wars universe that couldn't otherwise be done. If they were all references to classic space themes it would leave out those that don't care for or never heard of them, myself included, and there would be little freedom in what the designers could create.
Man it was awkward going through every box and scanning the code with my phone in the middle of the shop
An impressive point of view. But a difference in opinion we share here. Granted if you are not one for colleting minifigures, then there is definitely a skewed perspective. I also enjoyed Bricking Up Brad's video. I am glad you highlighted it. Personally I am a big fan of this lineup. The references are well done and add more to the lore than any simple recoloring would do. But It is unfortunate that Lego did away with the trans neon colors right before this issuance though. I would have loved to see some additional takes of alternate figures from the Insectoids or Unitron or Spirius series in this wave. My favorite in the wave is the Beetlezoid from Galaxy Squad. It just fits right in with the lore and series of sets so easily. I do wish the Bugoids were cheaper as well. But it was only offered in one set. Hence the rarity and higher price.
I 1000% agree with CMFs looking orphaned design wise and have felt the same since very early on in the line. There's just something about them to me that makes them look out of place even within the place they're supposed to go. Even when a minifig is supposed to be some generic person that you could put in a city or some common setting, I feel like the amount of detail in their prints and accessories just makes them look out of place compared to the minifigs you'd see in a typical City or Modular Buildings set. Dunno if that's just me, though. I've never been fortunate enough to have the space/funds to build a massive city of my own, so it's just conjecture, maybe they do look great.
I think the marvel boxed CMF without legible QR codes led to rampant theft, numerous stores stopped carrying CMFs as a result. Thank goodness for the QR cheat sheets, I'd never buy blind.
I only have one classic M-tron and ice planet minifig, inherited from my older brother in very poor condition. I was really excited for the opportunity to 'restore' them and I plan to make appropriate mocs.
It sounds callous, but good! I'm glad pushback to the gambling nature of these items led to changes being made in the distribution method, even if I don't think they "solved" the core of the issue. Still, QR codes > no QR codes!