I strongly (and fondly) remember this set, because it's what my parents got me for being cooperative when getting an MRT on the path to my autism diagnosis. And now more than 20 years later I'm here and if that doesn't confirm they were spot on I don't know what would.
I had something similar when I was 9 with not wetting the bed for 20 days in a row I got a lego set, and I did so successfully and got metalbeard’s duel from the lego movie line! Unfortunately I wasnt diagnosed with autism until I was 16, so no lego sets for me following that process 😂
The discontinuation of the classic palm tree trunk system baffles and haunts me to this day. Those pieces were So Shaped, and so useful. I remember being amazed to see them repurposed as the cannon muzzles on the original UCS snowspeeder, and used as Keetongu’s eyestalk. There’s plenty of palm trees in sets today, yet they use building techniques that look inferior to the classic palm tree system!
As a liscenced balloon and thermal airship pilot I was very pleased that you did your research here! The motor fitted to the balloon is not entirely without historical premise, but it's not something that would be of much use to anyone interested in getting anywhere in particular! Seeing as a conventional gas or hot air balloon has no means of steering and is not shaped to maintain any kind of direction, the most you could hope for with such a motor is to push you a little faster in the direction of the wind.
Hey, thanks for weighing in! I certainly tried my best to get some of the facts straight about balloon design, but it was a topic outside of my wheelhouse, that's for sure. 😅 That's so cool to hear that ballooning is a part of your life! Do you do air tours and such? Or is it more of a solo endeavor? And I never thought about how the motorized propeller would impact the balloons travel without steering - that makes total sense now, thanks! 👍
@@RRSlugger I've got a commercial lta liscence which means I can carry paying passengers, it was a necessary step towards getting licenced for thermal airships which was my end goal. I own a 4 seater Gefa-Flug airship that I fly a couple of times a year, the problem with thermals is they are very weather sensitive compared to your typical non-rigid gas "blimp" or rigid rigid airship. Low temps are preferable and anything above a mild breeze is going to cause significant handling issues.
@@googleuser3163Woah, you own one of those? Fantastic! I've always loved airships, blimps, and their kind. I remember the Goodyear blimp going over our house when I was a child, I couldn't believe I was seeing it in real life!
Man, I know there are some cultural issues that would probably be a nightmare to solve, but I really wish this series had a spiritual successor. With the exception of Monkie Kid and *maybe* Ninjago, Lego has really converged on a very safe Western European/North American setting for almost all of its themes these days. This kind of old-timey globe trotting adventure is so much fun and I wish Lego would take another shot at it. Maybe by inviting guest designers from a bunch of different countries they could avoid it feeling "exploitative" for lack of a better word. Like I'm sure there are some Mexican MOC builders who would love to help design a cool Mayan temple Lego set, you just gotta find them.
I absolutely agree. There's so much potential to teach folks (young & old alike) about various parts of the world through the Adventurers theme! The whole stealing artifacts from tombs and such angle would probably have to be replaced with something else, but I would love to see Adventurers make a proper return one day. ❤
actually since Ninjago is pretty much their largest market aside from Star Wars, I absolutely disagree. And even the city sets are either entirely generic or set in "exotic" locations. the Jungle theme a few years ago, the many safari/national geographic themed bits, the Arctic theme, underwater. That said, I would buy the entire lineup if they redid a proper Adventurers series across the globe. *IF* they stick to the original. with guns that are present but not used. And neither totally pacifist or totally gun crazy like the pharaoh's quest thing
Even those two are set in "a secret realm within the real world". Except for Star Wars Lego has really nothing, that doesn't do this rather limiting setting any more - especially nothing based on a historic world.
Every big company is wary of offending social commentators. The concept of "Cultural Appropriation" has gained astonishing power in recent years. I've even seen arguments that classic operas should be banned if they are set in a country other than the composers' own. Even having Johnny Thunder helping to protect treasures from theft would be seen as "problematic" these days as having a European/North American character helping or protecting indigenous characters is criticised. It's a real shame, as a theme like adventurers has such potential to make education fun. I think I've heard more people say that they learned a fact they quote from a TV show, toy line, or a board game than ones saying they learned it in school. Sorry to ramble on.
As my first ever set and my introduction to the LEGO brand, it will come as no surprise that this particular set means a lot to me. The adventurous spirit of the Orient Expedition theme always struck a deep chord with me and served as the perfect gateway set to opening up my creativity as a designer and storyteller. As a filmmaker now I strive to share that adventurous spirit through my work. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this and every other set in such an amazing LEGO theme!
2:53 It's surprising the bottom half made one last appearance in black in a 2009 Agents set of Dr. Inferno's robot along with a set exclusive dome window, really sells the retro robot style. Also a proud owner of a 1st-hand Aero Nomad.
I only ever saw pictures of this set, but it feels like the quintessential Adventurers set if there ever was one. It's got the whole gang and a quirky transportation method but no real specific destination other than whatever you can think of. You don't even need a villain here. The set's primary play feature is just fly it around your house, yard, the park, anywhere you can go and "explore." I love that. Most Adventurers sets are an adventure in a box, giving you one location and the stuff you'd need and find there. That's all well and good, but this set says the adventure is wherever you imagine the journey could take you.
I had this set as a kid! it was already old at the time I got it and I was gifted it by a familt friend. Even back then I knew it was rare and discontinued. Part of me wishes I never opened it but I remember getting a lot of play out of it and using the balloon pieces in a ton of different builds
The two halves of the balloon are some of my favorite lego pieces ever dared to be molded. At various points I've used them as a the shell of a burger stand and as the dome of a radar dish. They can be really striking if used correctly
I watched the entire documentary you referenced and linked off too, and I got to say, haha, that thing was pretty silly! A lot of competing egotism over a some-what frivolous accomplishment, in my opinion. The scene where the one guy is teaching the others CPR felt like parody! "no ones dead until I say they're dead" - this line cracked me up!
I couldn't agree more! Huge clash of egos there; I'm glad I watched it though, because I was ready to give Chris Dewhirst all the credit in my original script beforehand. Afterwards, no way - that was a team effort and he's freaking lucky that he had a good team to help support him (and his ego haha). Mountaineering in general seems to draw out egotistical folks, if all the Everest/K-2 docs I've watched are to be believed. 😅
The minifigure heads in the old light gray also came in a set (1382) from the "Studios" theme from 2002, which would be their final appearance as well. The faceless yellow ones were introduced with the Orient Expedition theme, but only made sixteen appearances in total before being phased out in 2021. This set also marks the debut of the 2x2 "dome brick" in red, which is still in use today.
I know this comment is coming out a bit late, but I love your videos. The opening music the way you talk about them, not as just display items to collect dust or to be hoarded for resale but really truly as toys is extremely appreciated. These videos show me a time of lego I never got to experience and honestly the Orient Expedition theme seems so exciting when you talk about it. Thank you for all the effort you put in to these great videos!
A very early memory in my life I still have is watching a video on the old brickfilms website that featured this set in it. i could not have been older than 7 or 8. i'm 23 now. used to love watching stuff on that site, as a kid it was so cool to see all of these old and retired sets or pieces i never knew existed.
I have to say, I'm still very impressed by your music for this series. The reviews and commentary is top notch, but the musical composition really brings everything together. Great work as always!
Thanks Luke! Adventurers was a really tough theme for me to capture in music - so much so, that I honestly thought about just giving up and licensing music early on. Luckily, I was able to talk myself into going back and giving it another swing - I'm really happy with a lot of these compositions now!
When I was a kid, this set took part in nearly all my LEGO Adventures. The big strength of it in my opinion is its price point. I always wanted the balloon from the temple of Anubis, but when this came out, I finally was able to get a LEGO hot air balloon.
This is such an iconic set, it's the first thing I think of when I think of LEGO adventurers and emblematic of the theme much like the Thunder Driller is for power miners. I really hope I can get this set one day
I had this set as a kid! I had a ton of fun with it. I had it hanging from the ceiling by a string for quite a long time. It broke my heart when one day the rubber bands just started crumbling to pieces. 😢
I recently dug out this old set when visiting my parents’ house. It was one of my favorites as s kid, though sadly was missing a few pieces (one of which being the one of the black ladder pieces, which was haphazardly replaced with random msc pieces). Still looks good though and holds a lot of fond memories.
A possible inspiration for the model could be the Swedish 1897 expedition aimed to reach the North Pole. They used a balloon filled with hydrogen, which quickly showed to not be suited for the task. It's a fascinating story, I highly recommend anyone to look it up!
I really love that set! The actual balloon element in particular strikes me; it's a big egg! And I really like that B model, myself! It seems really cute! I do love hot air balloons, this makes me wish LEGO would do them more!
the second alternate build (the watch tower one) reminds me of a martian tripod, if you're willing to throw reality to the wind. what really did that idea for me was when you pulled out the 'legs' of it to demonstrate its lack of stability.
There are pictures of 1900s balloons with propellers, buuut since the baskets are on ropes and thus elastic, this would be really unstable and only push the basket, not the balloon itself, and pose the risk of the flame hitting the envelope or other flammable parts instead of having a straight way up into the hull. Like on airships, the propeller should be on the hull itself. Although ballooneering in the stormy Himalayas with zero steering and reliance on the wind is another subject altogether. On top of that, Johnny/Joe already had a previous bad experience with balloon malfunctions
Every time I see your videos about Adventurers set I have to strongly fight my brain..I don't need it...I don't need it...I don't need it...I NEED IT BUT... I NEED IT !
I really feel like this set should be talked about in the same conversation as black seas barracuda or galaxy explorer for the most iconic sets. Legoland windsor has (or at least, had) a high flying ride that incorporated design aspects from this set. Though the experience scared my young self, it's forever engrained in my memory
Had this set, was fun, and can confirm it’s now a water tower in my L-Gauge layout. Which is good, as my city’s citizens need their water supply, and the towers above the Daily Bugle, Fire Brigade, and Detective’s Office aren’t going to cut it. At least it doesn’t have to fill steam locomotive boilers like the one in the Gold City Junction District. Anyways, Rockatoa, Brickticks out! Oh, and P.S. the globe pieces are 10x10, not 8x8.
Honestly, I think it's perfectly valid for Johnny and the gang to do crazy stunts like taking a hot air balloon to the top of Mount Everest, or using any of their other crazy inventions. I mean, why not? Johnny's a daredevil, Dr. Kilroy a genius, and they really need any advantage they can get against Sam Sinister. Plus, it really reminds me of those moments in Indiana Jones when they survive the craziest things, like falling from a plane in a rubber raft.
Yayy! I have this set. Its actually one of the few sets that I have still built up. I liked the baloon in the earlier set with the egyptian temple, but didnt want to buy this huge set (already had the sphinx). This was a good opportunity to have a ballon on its own, especially one thats more detailed, so I had to get this set.
I cannot wait for the china part of the adventure. I've always been fascinated with the 90s to pre color swap of lego because of how interesting the parts were and how exclusive some parts became. Plus the main structure for China looks so cool and I''ve always wanted to see someone review it because I've never seen it before
7:41 its funny you bring up Professor Calculus, because I was just thinking recently about how Orient Expedition has a lot of Tintin vibes, especially the Himalayan sets, which remind me a lot of Tintin In Tibet (which might be my favourite Tintin story). I think that similarity might be part of why I like the Himalayan sets the most out of all the Orient Expedition sub-subthemes (and maybe even all of Adventurers in general!), despite the sets not being as big or extravagant as the others. I think the general aesthetic of the sets is part of why I like them the most as well, all the colours go together really well.
I bought most of these sets as a kid, and have since collected the rest as an adult. Hands down my favorite Lego line. Absolutely loving this series! Wish Lego would make a large tribute set to the Adventurers like they did for Pirates and Castle.
This was my first Orient Expedition set, I remember how difficult it was to tie the rubber bands and zipline as a kid. The science + history research in this was a great inclusion!
Not related to the video, but I was able to piece together the set 6975 Alien Avenger from my brick collection after finally finishing an organization effort! I also got my first Rock Raiders Sets, after being a fan of the game in the early 00’s but never having any of the sets. The play functions are fantastic!
I'm of two minds about old vs new gray. My guess is they changed it because bricks tend to yellow over time, so if those bricks already have a yellowish tint they'll eventually look downright awful (unless you're building a tank or something), and the blueish greys were created to combat that and extend the life of these bricks. That said, there are lines where I think the old grey bricks are preferable, especially ones with a harsh atmosphere like Rock Raiders, or Aquazone's Stingray faction that uses the brownish greys to clash oppressively against the blue setting and cooler colors of other factions. While the old greys work as a MAIN color though, I think the new greys work better as a mid tone to bind cool or neutral colors together, or contrast brighter, warmer ones. in Bionicle's case, earthy greys works for a wild, untamed setting like Mata Nui, while more silvery greys works for a shiny, stainless metropolis like Metru Nui.... or an underwater setting like Mahri Nui. TL-DR I think both greys have their place and I wish lego still produced both. It's all about what story is being told, what the atmosphere or a theme or even just one set is. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing new AND old greys used together to create marbled terrain or weathered ruins.
I share a similar opinion. I think some modern sets would look better with old grey and vice versa - the Crocodile Locomotive comes to mind! The weathered look of an old train *screams* old grey to me; the set as is looks far too polished, to me.
This might be my favourite Orient Expedition set, certainly my favourite of the smaller ones. I always love getting a load of tools and equipment, Johnny and the Doctor in their winter gear are really cool, and it all packs up into a neat vehicle you can fly all around your house and garden! A very strong if slightly unusual Adventurers set, all things considered.
As someone who had the Forbidden Ruins but didn’t have this balloon, I actually think I like the Aero Nomad a little more haha. Even as a kid I often had to disconnect the rigging to manage the figures inside the basket of the Ruins Balloon, so the fact the Nomad can spread open a bit is appealing to me. While the balloon itself may be unrealistically small, I think the compromise for playability offsets it. Also I fully agree the Nomad was used either to get headway into Tibet from India or used to survey where the temple was from the air (or most likely both), because never mind building a temple at the top of Everest, how would you land such a cumbersome thing so accurately nearby it? Haha. I take shopping catalog blurbs with a grain of salt anyway, when you have only so much text to sell an idea, “fly to the top of Mt Everest” is a lot more concise than “survey the Himalayan mountain range for a lost temple” lol. I think also it helps make each set stand alone as a purchase which is good because most kids aren’t going to get the whole line of sets, I know I never did. So by just simplifying it to “top of Everest” it sells the idea that this balloon doesn’t need another larger more expensive set to feel complete, even if the temple set has the ultimate goal of the Golden Sword.
These retrospective series are absolutely amazing, and not at all good for my wallet. Currently bidding on multiple sets I owned as a child but had to sell during lack of space. Being the "least loved" theme back then ( I liked HP, Island Extreme and Studios more ) I regret getting rid of these now as they hold a lot of nostalgia and have a ton of awesome theme and set exclusive pieces. Thanks for making these series, I'm looking forward to the next part!
RIP wallet! 😭 I'm hard at work on the next video in this series - I don't think it will be ready by Friday, but it will be my next video no matter what. 😊
Aside from the usual influx of Lego knowledge you are known for providing, this video gave me a link between Tintin and Star Trek I never knew existed. The more you know!
This is honestly one of my favorite Adventures set, I really have a lot of fond memories of it from all those year ago. Sadly my original one didnt survive until the present day, but I bought a newer one fairly recently. Watching this video reminds me I need to replace its rubber bands. I've already replaced them once, and that was kind of expensive, so like you I think I'm going to not use the official Lego ones this time.
7:21 I always end up learning way more than I expect to in these videos, it gets me even more intrigued by the sets and makes me even prouder to own some of them.
I've got this set (albeit a bit incomplete) as a birthday gift from my friend last year, as it was his first and favourite set when he was young. Since then we both started working with educational lego and robotics, he actually started his job at the school TODAY.
I always love a new Slugger video. I think of myself as quite a LEGO fan and historian among my friends, but they have no idea someone 10x my knowledge is out here!
Another great Orient Expedition video. This set has always fascinated me due to it depicting an airborne vehicle rarely seen in the form of bricks and I believe that it truly does capture the overall atmosphere (no pun intended) of the Adventures theme.
I recently built the new eldorado fortress set, and there was an audible sigh of disappointment when i built the palm trees. Also, these slugbeats absolutely slap!
I understand why they changed to the bluish greys and definitely understand why people were upset that the old greys had the tendency to yellow over time, especially if they were in sunlight, but it just felt like the end of an era. They gutted a LOT of colors at the end of 2003, some I won't miss, some I never knew about, but quite a few that I have a lot of fond memories of. I didn't think I'd miss the old greys as much as I do, heck when I was younger I didn't even notice, but I agree that it feels more sterile. A lot of Lego's colors now feel like they're playing it safe, not rocking the boat. Hopefully they break out of this soulless mode they seem to be in now and we can get some of that old creativity back.
I remember seeing the hot air balloon build from the Pharaoh's Forbidden Ruins set in catalogs back in the day and thinking how cool that was. When the Aero Nomad came out, I scrounged up every penny of allowance money I could to get it! It's one of the sets I hope gets a remake someday - would love to see what could be done with modern building techniques and a general facelift. Fantastic video as always!
There are some old image illustrations showing air balloons with propellers, but actual pictures from the 1920s dont see any air balloon with these designs. One could assume it was only conceptual thing and that propellers were mainly a thing on airships. Perhaps Lego designers were going of a mixture of air balloon and airship design, with a pinch of steampunk aesthetic.
No way. Those circular brown pieces in old brown I found at a pick a brick wall in 2006. I filled an entire container with them for some reason. I’m LOADED with those, I had no idea they were rare.
That's awesome!! They must have been jettisoning old stock as was pretty common throughout 2004-06. Now we know where all the Orient Expedition leftovers ended up! 😉
Maybe they need to ascend over the summit of Everest because the temple is at the other side of it from their starting position, and the safest and most practical way of making this journey is by air. The summit of mount Everest may simply be in the way, as one of the world's most massive obstacles. I love the look of the alternate balloon, I actually like that one more than the main build. Shame about the destructive strain put on it. Maybe a modified version would be the best of both worlds.
Although only featured in period on the classic airship balloon shape (dirigibles), the technology certainly existed in the roaring 20's, so although certainly plausible with a much large balloon it's unlikely to have actually existed. The first airship powered by an electric motor was flown all the way back in 1883. This is known as the Tissandier Electric Airship. The engraving by E.A. Tilly could have inspired the Lego designers to include the propeller in the set in the first place. Google the following for the appropriate image. "This engraving by E.A. Tilly depicts Albert Tissandier (left) and Gaston Tissandier (right) in the gondola of their airship. A an unidentified third man is above. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)"
I had no idea that there was a board game! I-- I think I have some research to do... I do not have this set, but I do have the shorter balloon, and a few of the Adventurers series sets. I am missing everything in the blimp/zeppelin set except the balloon LOL.
I love the Himalayas subtheme of Orient Expedition, It reminds me a lot of Uncharted 2! Trying to currently get the Temple of Mount Everest. Considering that game also deals with the legendary Marco Polo.
Old dark grey looks like a stone, while bluish-dark grey looks more like an asphalt. I would choose older colors over newer ones, but ideally, two colors should exist.
I strongly (and fondly) remember this set, because it's what my parents got me for being cooperative when getting an MRT on the path to my autism diagnosis. And now more than 20 years later I'm here and if that doesn't confirm they were spot on I don't know what would.
god tier comment
Nice comment
I'd wager that a lot of people watching this series will have some sort of autism, I know I do
Nothing attracts us neurodivergents like old lego
I had something similar when I was 9 with not wetting the bed for 20 days in a row I got a lego set, and I did so successfully and got metalbeard’s duel from the lego movie line! Unfortunately I wasnt diagnosed with autism until I was 16, so no lego sets for me following that process 😂
Don't worry, Slugger; you can always get Dark Grey by chronically exposing Dark Bluish Grey to direct sunlight.
💀💀💀
That's what happened to many of my DBG pieces
The discontinuation of the classic palm tree trunk system baffles and haunts me to this day. Those pieces were So Shaped, and so useful. I remember being amazed to see them repurposed as the cannon muzzles on the original UCS snowspeeder, and used as Keetongu’s eyestalk. There’s plenty of palm trees in sets today, yet they use building techniques that look inferior to the classic palm tree system!
Couldn't agree more!
woah I have been wondering what that piece on keetongu is for like 20 years
As a liscenced balloon and thermal airship pilot I was very pleased that you did your research here! The motor fitted to the balloon is not entirely without historical premise, but it's not something that would be of much use to anyone interested in getting anywhere in particular! Seeing as a conventional gas or hot air balloon has no means of steering and is not shaped to maintain any kind of direction, the most you could hope for with such a motor is to push you a little faster in the direction of the wind.
Hey, thanks for weighing in! I certainly tried my best to get some of the facts straight about balloon design, but it was a topic outside of my wheelhouse, that's for sure. 😅
That's so cool to hear that ballooning is a part of your life! Do you do air tours and such? Or is it more of a solo endeavor?
And I never thought about how the motorized propeller would impact the balloons travel without steering - that makes total sense now, thanks! 👍
@@RRSlugger I've got a commercial lta liscence which means I can carry paying passengers, it was a necessary step towards getting licenced for thermal airships which was my end goal. I own a 4 seater Gefa-Flug airship that I fly a couple of times a year, the problem with thermals is they are very weather sensitive compared to your typical non-rigid gas "blimp" or rigid rigid airship. Low temps are preferable and anything above a mild breeze is going to cause significant handling issues.
@@googleuser3163Woah, you own one of those? Fantastic! I've always loved airships, blimps, and their kind. I remember the Goodyear blimp going over our house when I was a child, I couldn't believe I was seeing it in real life!
Man, I know there are some cultural issues that would probably be a nightmare to solve, but I really wish this series had a spiritual successor. With the exception of Monkie Kid and *maybe* Ninjago, Lego has really converged on a very safe Western European/North American setting for almost all of its themes these days. This kind of old-timey globe trotting adventure is so much fun and I wish Lego would take another shot at it. Maybe by inviting guest designers from a bunch of different countries they could avoid it feeling "exploitative" for lack of a better word. Like I'm sure there are some Mexican MOC builders who would love to help design a cool Mayan temple Lego set, you just gotta find them.
I absolutely agree. There's so much potential to teach folks (young & old alike) about various parts of the world through the Adventurers theme! The whole stealing artifacts from tombs and such angle would probably have to be replaced with something else, but I would love to see Adventurers make a proper return one day. ❤
actually since Ninjago is pretty much their largest market aside from Star Wars, I absolutely disagree.
And even the city sets are either entirely generic or set in "exotic" locations. the Jungle theme a few years ago, the many safari/national geographic themed bits, the Arctic theme, underwater.
That said, I would buy the entire lineup if they redid a proper Adventurers series across the globe. *IF* they stick to the original. with guns that are present but not used. And neither totally pacifist or totally gun crazy like the pharaoh's quest thing
Even those two are set in "a secret realm within the real world". Except for Star Wars Lego has really nothing, that doesn't do this rather limiting setting any more - especially nothing based on a historic world.
Every big company is wary of offending social commentators. The concept of "Cultural Appropriation" has gained astonishing power in recent years. I've even seen arguments that classic operas should be banned if they are set in a country other than the composers' own.
Even having Johnny Thunder helping to protect treasures from theft would be seen as "problematic" these days as having a European/North American character helping or protecting indigenous characters is criticised.
It's a real shame, as a theme like adventurers has such potential to make education fun. I think I've heard more people say that they learned a fact they quote from a TV show, toy line, or a board game than ones saying they learned it in school.
Sorry to ramble on.
As my first ever set and my introduction to the LEGO brand, it will come as no surprise that this particular set means a lot to me. The adventurous spirit of the Orient Expedition theme always struck a deep chord with me and served as the perfect gateway set to opening up my creativity as a designer and storyteller. As a filmmaker now I strive to share that adventurous spirit through my work. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this and every other set in such an amazing LEGO theme!
Haha, this one's for you! 😉
2:53 It's surprising the bottom half made one last appearance in black in a 2009 Agents set of Dr. Inferno's robot along with a set exclusive dome window, really sells the retro robot style.
Also a proud owner of a 1st-hand Aero Nomad.
I only ever saw pictures of this set, but it feels like the quintessential Adventurers set if there ever was one. It's got the whole gang and a quirky transportation method but no real specific destination other than whatever you can think of. You don't even need a villain here. The set's primary play feature is just fly it around your house, yard, the park, anywhere you can go and "explore." I love that. Most Adventurers sets are an adventure in a box, giving you one location and the stuff you'd need and find there. That's all well and good, but this set says the adventure is wherever you imagine the journey could take you.
I love your description of the set here! I think you absolutely nailed what sets the Aero Nomad apart from many of its peers. ❤
It's Slugging time!!
I had this set as a kid! it was already old at the time I got it and I was gifted it by a familt friend. Even back then I knew it was rare and discontinued. Part of me wishes I never opened it but I remember getting a lot of play out of it and using the balloon pieces in a ton of different builds
Better to have enjoyed the set as a kid, methinks! 😊
The two halves of the balloon are some of my favorite lego pieces ever dared to be molded. At various points I've used them as a the shell of a burger stand and as the dome of a radar dish. They can be really striking if used correctly
Day off work and sorting 20lbs of Lego while watching a new R.R. Slugger video. Life is good
I still can’t get over how your photography skills outmatches many other CZcamsrs editing. ❤
Another glorious Slugger adventure
new slug content to go with my Friday lunch of leftover spaghetti. love it.
I'm about to have some leftover pasta myself! 😅
6:19 puts me in mind of that in store advertisement for Orient Expedition, I absolutely adore that thing
I was a lucky kid, having been gifted two of these by two separate people. So many wonderful pieces!
I watched the entire documentary you referenced and linked off too, and I got to say, haha, that thing was pretty silly! A lot of competing egotism over a some-what frivolous accomplishment, in my opinion. The scene where the one guy is teaching the others CPR felt like parody! "no ones dead until I say they're dead" - this line cracked me up!
I couldn't agree more! Huge clash of egos there; I'm glad I watched it though, because I was ready to give Chris Dewhirst all the credit in my original script beforehand. Afterwards, no way - that was a team effort and he's freaking lucky that he had a good team to help support him (and his ego haha).
Mountaineering in general seems to draw out egotistical folks, if all the Everest/K-2 docs I've watched are to be believed. 😅
The minifigure heads in the old light gray also came in a set (1382) from the "Studios" theme from 2002, which would be their final appearance as well. The faceless yellow ones were introduced with the Orient Expedition theme, but only made sixteen appearances in total before being phased out in 2021. This set also marks the debut of the 2x2 "dome brick" in red, which is still in use today.
I used to have this set as a kid. It was just great!
I know this comment is coming out a bit late, but I love your videos. The opening music the way you talk about them, not as just display items to collect dust or to be hoarded for resale but really truly as toys is extremely appreciated. These videos show me a time of lego I never got to experience and honestly the Orient Expedition theme seems so exciting when you talk about it. Thank you for all the effort you put in to these great videos!
Better late than never! Thank you so much for your kind words! ❤️
A very early memory in my life I still have is watching a video on the old brickfilms website that featured this set in it. i could not have been older than 7 or 8. i'm 23 now. used to love watching stuff on that site, as a kid it was so cool to see all of these old and retired sets or pieces i never knew existed.
I have to say, I'm still very impressed by your music for this series. The reviews and commentary is top notch, but the musical composition really brings everything together. Great work as always!
Thanks Luke! Adventurers was a really tough theme for me to capture in music - so much so, that I honestly thought about just giving up and licensing music early on.
Luckily, I was able to talk myself into going back and giving it another swing - I'm really happy with a lot of these compositions now!
@@RRSlugger I'm so glad you went through with the hard work to get those tracks made! Bandcamp vinyl campaign when? xD
When I was a kid, this set took part in nearly all my LEGO Adventures. The big strength of it in my opinion is its price point. I always wanted the balloon from the temple of Anubis, but when this came out, I finally was able to get a LEGO hot air balloon.
This one was one of my favorites, man I miss this theme, but I appreciate how much lego has advanced since
This is such an iconic set, it's the first thing I think of when I think of LEGO adventurers and emblematic of the theme much like the Thunder Driller is for power miners. I really hope I can get this set one day
I had this set as a kid! I had a ton of fun with it.
I had it hanging from the ceiling by a string for quite a long time.
It broke my heart when one day the rubber bands just started crumbling to pieces. 😢
I recently dug out this old set when visiting my parents’ house. It was one of my favorites as s kid, though sadly was missing a few pieces (one of which being the one of the black ladder pieces, which was haphazardly replaced with random msc pieces). Still looks good though and holds a lot of fond memories.
Ah yes. One of my favourite lego sets, i remember playing hours with the playfeature where the balloon goes up and down...
Until it broke by accident😅
Talk about the new space minifigures, seems right up your alley!
A possible inspiration for the model could be the Swedish 1897 expedition aimed to reach the North Pole. They used a balloon filled with hydrogen, which quickly showed to not be suited for the task. It's a fascinating story, I highly recommend anyone to look it up!
That does sound fascinating! I'm going to go do some reading on that now - thanks!
I really love that set!
The actual balloon element in particular strikes me; it's a big egg!
And I really like that B model, myself! It seems really cute!
I do love hot air balloons, this makes me wish LEGO would do them more!
the second alternate build (the watch tower one) reminds me of a martian tripod, if you're willing to throw reality to the wind. what really did that idea for me was when you pulled out the 'legs' of it to demonstrate its lack of stability.
we need more hot air balloons in Lego, this one is very fun. love the net over the top holding the balloon together.
I really like this set. I only got it a couple years ago, too, so I don't have any nostalgia artificially inflating my like for it.
There are pictures of 1900s balloons with propellers, buuut since the baskets are on ropes and thus elastic, this would be really unstable and only push the basket, not the balloon itself, and pose the risk of the flame hitting the envelope or other flammable parts instead of having a straight way up into the hull. Like on airships, the propeller should be on the hull itself.
Although ballooneering in the stormy Himalayas with zero steering and reliance on the wind is another subject altogether. On top of that, Johnny/Joe already had a previous bad experience with balloon malfunctions
Hope you had a nice March break Slugger!
My break is actually coming up at the start of April! I'm looking forward to it - going to spend a week traveling within Canada. 😊
@@RRSlugger Awesome! I’ve been to BC, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario (my province). Have a restful break and safe travels!
Every time I see your videos about Adventurers set I have to strongly fight my brain..I don't need it...I don't need it...I don't need it...I NEED IT BUT... I NEED IT !
i salute thee, old light and dark gray-- your gritty and organic hues will be sorely missed-- until someone starts making resin casts.
I really feel like this set should be talked about in the same conversation as black seas barracuda or galaxy explorer for the most iconic sets. Legoland windsor has (or at least, had) a high flying ride that incorporated design aspects from this set. Though the experience scared my young self, it's forever engrained in my memory
Had this set, was fun, and can confirm it’s now a water tower in my L-Gauge layout. Which is good, as my city’s citizens need their water supply, and the towers above the Daily Bugle, Fire Brigade, and Detective’s Office aren’t going to cut it.
At least it doesn’t have to fill steam locomotive boilers like the one in the Gold City Junction District.
Anyways, Rockatoa, Brickticks out!
Oh, and P.S. the globe pieces are 10x10, not 8x8.
They are?? Dang it! It wouldn't be an R.R. Slugger video without an obvious goof in there, right? 😅😭
Honestly, I think it's perfectly valid for Johnny and the gang to do crazy stunts like taking a hot air balloon to the top of Mount Everest, or using any of their other crazy inventions. I mean, why not? Johnny's a daredevil, Dr. Kilroy a genius, and they really need any advantage they can get against Sam Sinister.
Plus, it really reminds me of those moments in Indiana Jones when they survive the craziest things, like falling from a plane in a rubber raft.
Yayy! I have this set. Its actually one of the few sets that I have still built up. I liked the baloon in the earlier set with the egyptian temple, but didnt want to buy this huge set (already had the sphinx). This was a good opportunity to have a ballon on its own, especially one thats more detailed, so I had to get this set.
There's never, ever a wrong time to bring up the perfect tree trunk and branches from lego.
I have fond memories of compeltely forgetting what the rope climbers were for and using them as pizza cutters. Sometimes weaponised pizza cutters.
Excellent! 😆
I loved this as a kid. Must've been one of my earliest sets I ever owned.
I cannot wait for the china part of the adventure. I've always been fascinated with the 90s to pre color swap of lego because of how interesting the parts were and how exclusive some parts became. Plus the main structure for China looks so cool and I''ve always wanted to see someone review it because I've never seen it before
This unlocked a memory way deep in my mind
Oh, that chapter naming caught me by surprise. For once you've birthed an idea I want to forget as soon as possible
😉
7:41 its funny you bring up Professor Calculus, because I was just thinking recently about how Orient Expedition has a lot of Tintin vibes, especially the Himalayan sets, which remind me a lot of Tintin In Tibet (which might be my favourite Tintin story). I think that similarity might be part of why I like the Himalayan sets the most out of all the Orient Expedition sub-subthemes (and maybe even all of Adventurers in general!), despite the sets not being as big or extravagant as the others. I think the general aesthetic of the sets is part of why I like them the most as well, all the colours go together really well.
"Two Balloons, One Slug"
what a chapter title. don't know why I wasn't already subbed, but that's been remedied.
Hahaha 😆 ❤️
When I was a kid, a friend of mine got this for his birthday and 1) it seemed so much bigger than it was and 2) I was incredibly jealous
I bought most of these sets as a kid, and have since collected the rest as an adult. Hands down my favorite Lego line. Absolutely loving this series! Wish Lego would make a large tribute set to the Adventurers like they did for Pirates and Castle.
Ah, Aero Nomad...my #1 regret for not getting as a kid! Such a compact, tight set for play, plenty of use in any adventure! Loved your review
This was my first Orient Expedition set, I remember how difficult it was to tie the rubber bands and zipline as a kid. The science + history research in this was a great inclusion!
Not related to the video, but I was able to piece together the set 6975 Alien Avenger from my brick collection after finally finishing an organization effort!
I also got my first Rock Raiders Sets, after being a fan of the game in the early 00’s but never having any of the sets. The play functions are fantastic!
I'm of two minds about old vs new gray. My guess is they changed it because bricks tend to yellow over time, so if those bricks already have a yellowish tint they'll eventually look downright awful (unless you're building a tank or something), and the blueish greys were created to combat that and extend the life of these bricks. That said, there are lines where I think the old grey bricks are preferable, especially ones with a harsh atmosphere like Rock Raiders, or Aquazone's Stingray faction that uses the brownish greys to clash oppressively against the blue setting and cooler colors of other factions. While the old greys work as a MAIN color though, I think the new greys work better as a mid tone to bind cool or neutral colors together, or contrast brighter, warmer ones. in Bionicle's case, earthy greys works for a wild, untamed setting like Mata Nui, while more silvery greys works for a shiny, stainless metropolis like Metru Nui.... or an underwater setting like Mahri Nui. TL-DR I think both greys have their place and I wish lego still produced both. It's all about what story is being told, what the atmosphere or a theme or even just one set is. Heck, I wouldn't mind seeing new AND old greys used together to create marbled terrain or weathered ruins.
I share a similar opinion. I think some modern sets would look better with old grey and vice versa - the Crocodile Locomotive comes to mind! The weathered look of an old train *screams* old grey to me; the set as is looks far too polished, to me.
This might be my favourite Orient Expedition set, certainly my favourite of the smaller ones. I always love getting a load of tools and equipment, Johnny and the Doctor in their winter gear are really cool, and it all packs up into a neat vehicle you can fly all around your house and garden!
A very strong if slightly unusual Adventurers set, all things considered.
As someone who had the Forbidden Ruins but didn’t have this balloon, I actually think I like the Aero Nomad a little more haha. Even as a kid I often had to disconnect the rigging to manage the figures inside the basket of the Ruins Balloon, so the fact the Nomad can spread open a bit is appealing to me. While the balloon itself may be unrealistically small, I think the compromise for playability offsets it.
Also I fully agree the Nomad was used either to get headway into Tibet from India or used to survey where the temple was from the air (or most likely both), because never mind building a temple at the top of Everest, how would you land such a cumbersome thing so accurately nearby it? Haha. I take shopping catalog blurbs with a grain of salt anyway, when you have only so much text to sell an idea, “fly to the top of Mt Everest” is a lot more concise than “survey the Himalayan mountain range for a lost temple” lol. I think also it helps make each set stand alone as a purchase which is good because most kids aren’t going to get the whole line of sets, I know I never did. So by just simplifying it to “top of Everest” it sells the idea that this balloon doesn’t need another larger more expensive set to feel complete, even if the temple set has the ultimate goal of the Golden Sword.
These retrospective series are absolutely amazing, and not at all good for my wallet. Currently bidding on multiple sets I owned as a child but had to sell during lack of space. Being the "least loved" theme back then ( I liked HP, Island Extreme and Studios more ) I regret getting rid of these now as they hold a lot of nostalgia and have a ton of awesome theme and set exclusive pieces. Thanks for making these series, I'm looking forward to the next part!
RIP wallet! 😭
I'm hard at work on the next video in this series - I don't think it will be ready by Friday, but it will be my next video no matter what. 😊
Aside from the usual influx of Lego knowledge you are known for providing, this video gave me a link between Tintin and Star Trek I never knew existed. The more you know!
This is honestly one of my favorite Adventures set, I really have a lot of fond memories of it from all those year ago. Sadly my original one didnt survive until the present day, but I bought a newer one fairly recently. Watching this video reminds me I need to replace its rubber bands. I've already replaced them once, and that was kind of expensive, so like you I think I'm going to not use the official Lego ones this time.
I think this set is fantastic, I picked it up for $14 USD when KB Toys was going out of business. Lots of accessories and great playability!
Oh, that price would be a steal nowadays!
Love how you're out hear making top tier lego content
Thank you! ❤️
Still have this set from my childhood! Definitely one of my favourites!!
Intriguing at the factoids and name drop of the comic tin tin. I feel like Dr. Cyber seems more like the captain and the doctor in one character.
7:21
I always end up learning way more than I expect to in these videos, it gets me even more intrigued by the sets and makes me even prouder to own some of them.
I think this might have been my first Orient Expedition set
I've got this set (albeit a bit incomplete) as a birthday gift from my friend last year, as it was his first and favourite set when he was young.
Since then we both started working with educational lego and robotics, he actually started his job at the school TODAY.
Hey, that's awesome! Congratulations to you both! 😊
I always love a new Slugger video. I think of myself as quite a LEGO fan and historian among my friends, but they have no idea someone 10x my knowledge is out here!
Another great Orient Expedition video. This set has always fascinated me due to it depicting an airborne vehicle rarely seen in the form of bricks and I believe that it truly does capture the overall atmosphere (no pun intended) of the Adventures theme.
I recently built the new eldorado fortress set, and there was an audible sigh of disappointment when i built the palm trees.
Also, these slugbeats absolutely slap!
I understand why they changed to the bluish greys and definitely understand why people were upset that the old greys had the tendency to yellow over time, especially if they were in sunlight, but it just felt like the end of an era. They gutted a LOT of colors at the end of 2003, some I won't miss, some I never knew about, but quite a few that I have a lot of fond memories of. I didn't think I'd miss the old greys as much as I do, heck when I was younger I didn't even notice, but I agree that it feels more sterile. A lot of Lego's colors now feel like they're playing it safe, not rocking the boat. Hopefully they break out of this soulless mode they seem to be in now and we can get some of that old creativity back.
Ayyyy, I still have all of the sets. Even have one of the boxes still
Cool
I remember seeing the hot air balloon build from the Pharaoh's Forbidden Ruins set in catalogs back in the day and thinking how cool that was. When the Aero Nomad came out, I scrounged up every penny of allowance money I could to get it! It's one of the sets I hope gets a remake someday - would love to see what could be done with modern building techniques and a general facelift. Fantastic video as always!
That's a wonderful story! I'm so happy the Orient Expedition was able to let you own a LEGO hot air balloon - they're certainly a rarity!
There are some old image illustrations showing air balloons with propellers, but actual pictures from the 1920s dont see any air balloon with these designs. One could assume it was only conceptual thing and that propellers were mainly a thing on airships. Perhaps Lego designers were going of a mixture of air balloon and airship design, with a pinch of steampunk aesthetic.
That first alternate build looks like it is prepared to fly Jabba the Hutt to the Sar Lac pit
No way.
Those circular brown pieces in old brown I found at a pick a brick wall in 2006. I filled an entire container with them for some reason. I’m LOADED with those, I had no idea they were rare.
That's awesome!! They must have been jettisoning old stock as was pretty common throughout 2004-06.
Now we know where all the Orient Expedition leftovers ended up! 😉
Maybe they need to ascend over the summit of Everest because the temple is at the other side of it from their starting position, and the safest and most practical way of making this journey is by air. The summit of mount Everest may simply be in the way, as one of the world's most massive obstacles.
I love the look of the alternate balloon, I actually like that one more than the main build. Shame about the destructive strain put on it. Maybe a modified version would be the best of both worlds.
I like this theory! They are, after all, headed northeast into China next - they got to get over that mountain eventually one way or the other!
Great video as always, so well crafted and thoroughly researched!
Thank you! ❤️
I had this one! I loved the massive balloon pieces and the way the net connected.
Although only featured in period on the classic airship balloon shape (dirigibles), the technology certainly existed in the roaring 20's, so although certainly plausible with a much large balloon it's unlikely to have actually existed. The first airship powered by an electric motor was flown all the way back in 1883. This is known as the Tissandier Electric Airship. The engraving by E.A. Tilly could have inspired the Lego designers to include the propeller in the set in the first place. Google the following for the appropriate image. "This engraving by E.A. Tilly depicts Albert Tissandier (left) and Gaston Tissandier (right) in the gondola of their airship. A an unidentified third man is above. (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division)"
I remember getting this set for Christmas when I was a kid.
I hat this set! I loved it!
Ah, the Tibet line was the ones I really wanted as a kid.
I had no idea that there was a board game! I-- I think I have some research to do... I do not have this set, but I do have the shorter balloon, and a few of the Adventurers series sets. I am missing everything in the blimp/zeppelin set except the balloon LOL.
Another great episode! Love this series :)
wooo another sluggg video!
A mediocre day is made better with a little Slugger and Orient Expedition!
Thanks R.R. Slugger for knocking another one out of the park. Great Vid.🤠
Thanks for a good video with good analysis and research
I love the Himalayas subtheme of Orient Expedition, It reminds me a lot of Uncharted 2! Trying to currently get the Temple of Mount Everest. Considering that game also deals with the legendary Marco Polo.
5:06 ah, the reason I'm reluctant to collect the jungle theme
Beautiful set and beautiful review as always Slugg!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks the hues of the old greys are better than the new blueish greys
There are dozens of us! DOZENS!! 😆
I already know that I’m going to love this video
Yessir!
Great video again R.R. keep it up.
(Get it? Keep it up like the balloon... No funny, Oh, okay, i wil let myself out.. 😅😅
Old dark grey looks like a stone, while bluish-dark grey looks more like an asphalt. I would choose older colors over newer ones, but ideally, two colors should exist.