Aqua Raiders: LEGO's Underrated Underwater Theme

[@CheeseyStudios]

Visit thebigmoocheese.com/cheeseystudios and use the code Cheesey10 to get 10% off your first order of The Big Moo Cheese!

[@Wkjw828u3j2u]

Im poor but if i could i would

[@ramseyturner321]

Your reaction and presentation of the sponsor made me lol. It looks good!

[@pharaohmb5706]

Doesn't ship to Canada :(

[@rixithyellas0621]

Your ad was absolute priceless GOLD! I was laughing by the end of the segment, I hope you enjoy your sponsorship it feels very on brand lol

[@priestking8636]

I live these ild sets. They have a good balance between price, detalisation, functuonality and SIZE. Not like today staff pften having a lot of small detailea and being small as a result

[@StoneDomino]

Chessey should get an academy award for set design -- hanging the giant squid by a string actually makes it look like its floating.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Ha, thank you! I'm so glad I thought of that. I've gotta hang more stuff from the ceiling lol

[@SuperSecretBricks]

It's like an underwater, dangling above all 😆

[@sleepy_shivers]

Cheesey and RR Slugger have really elevated the game for Lego videos recently!

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Yea it makes it look slightly more menacing, dangling above to sweep down to catch unsuspecting minifigs.

[@SuperSecretBricks]

Aquaraiders came out in Januray 2007... Same as Bionicle's Mahri Nui arc. Coincidence? I think not!

[@CheeseyStudios]

What a great underwater year it was! I still think Nocturn is one of the coolest Bionicle sets ever.

[@SuperSecretBricks]

@@CheeseyStudios hehe, Gadunka isn't too bad either

[@user-qg1mw5tz1q]

@@CheeseyStudios totally agree. the 2007 titans were the coolest!

[@anamethename3327]

Nah, Gadunka got nothing on our Lord and Savior Matoro

[@Crisis-Comics]

Wonder if that was intentional- like anyone who bought Aquaraiders and liked the sea monsters would probably buy a Barraki or two to supplement the Sea Monster count... or give the Raiders an especially Lovecraftian enemy to fight.

[@honzabalak3462]

I remember visiting a Legoland in Germany as a kid in 2007 or 2008. They had this huge aquarium there and a shop at the end. In that shop they sold the Aqua Raiders pretty much exclusively and I ended up getting the big shark, the hummer, and the angler fish. I spent the entire summer "exploring the ocean."

[@pinobluevogel6458]

That sound like so much fun, some great memories there!

[@CheeseyStudios]

That sounds so epic honestly. These beautiful boxes alongside some real fish would be quite the sight!

[@flxd_]

Same for me! The shop was after you finished the aquarium and in the aquarium was this giant brick built Aqua Raiders Diver. The interesting thing was that I assume it was a hint at the second wave (thats sadly never happened) because the markings were the same but the color was red instead of blue

[@honzabalak3462]

@@flxd_ You're right, they were red. But I think that was more of a hint towards the old divers, because the submarines had that older look too. Most of them were yellow but not really Aqua Raiders styled (minus some exceptions). Either way, the builds were real nice. The aquarium is one of the things I liked the most as a kid. I have visisted the place again in 2018 and the shop wasn't there anymore. But they had a built miniature of the whole aquarium, which was cool too. They used the (at the time) new City theme divers which had red helmets and suits. Edit: added another paragraph

[@dachannelfire7049]

I think this theme basically being replaced by Atlantis really hurt it. Like, half of the sets look very similar to Atlantis but just a different color.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Indeed. People don't give Aqua Raiders enough credit, if they even know it existed at all! And don't get me wrong, I love Atlantis too, but there's no denying Atlantis wouldn't be anything without the inspiration it drew from this theme.

[@SuperSecretBricks]

I mean, there's room for both. And more. Aqua Raiders really felt like underwater adventures in the Bermuda Triangle, while Atlantis... Well was about Atlantis lol. LEGO didn't really do many multi year themes at the time, the best you usually get are 3 years long theme (unless you're Ninjago, Bionicle, or Monkie Kid), so it's not suprising to see LEGO stop Aqua Raiders after a year, and then 3 yaers later revisit the under water theme.

[@dachannelfire7049]

@@SuperSecretBricks There is definitely room for both, but the two themes were only a year apart. Like Mission Deep Sea was 5 years before Aqua Raiders, but Atlantis only came out a year after that. As a kid they just kind of blurred together for me. Aqua Raiders is still awesome though, like the base is perfect and I love the giant energy crab!

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

Oddly, I remember hating the Atlantis theme because it was reskinned Aquaraiders, much like how I hated Power Miners for being reskinned Rock Raiders...

[@SpecimenX-9000]

The Atlantis movie was fire tho

[@Matt..S]

Also, can we agree that using the atv wheelarches piece as the armored eyes of the lobster has to be one of the most ingenious part usages Lego ever did? The texture has always been such a random design choice and then found its perfect place to shine and add correct detail to a deep sea creature of all things!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Ahhh I know, right??! It's so perfect!

[@timthelittlemusicfox]

I always thought they looked like eyes as a kid (when used on vehicles) !!

[@jeantoor7103]

It was used in a similar fashion in one of the Creator sets, "Red Creatures", if I remember it correctly. Wheelarches were used as dragon's eyebrows which significantly turned up the overall set look

[@urzaz]

I had no idea this theme even existed, as I was not paying much attention to LEGO at the time. Looking at it now, Aqua Raiders feels like the platonic ideal of an underwater set-a perfect mix of the bright 90s Aquazone colors with updated details, building techniques and printing.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Glad I could introduce you! This theme was so short lived unfortunately, but everything it did it did quite well.

[@HerCeleryPancakes]

I am just in awe of how much these revisiting videos have improved. Not to say the old ones are bad (revisiting dino attack & LoM will always be some of my favourites vids) but you have perfected this concept and created a beautiful format and an excellent format for these videos. Being someone who’s been here for quite a while (before the desert well wow!) it’s truly wonderful to see this channel flourish and Improve. So congratulations Caleb you’ve truly done an excellent job here and have a great thing to be proud of.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Really appreciate it! I love seeing how far this series has come too, and it's by far still my favorite part of this channel. Once Revisiting Mars Mission: Part 2 comes out, I might consider a remake of part 1 :o

[@pinobluevogel6458]

I couldn't agree more. Even though sticking to a format can get a little stale maybe for the creator, it works wonders as the whole concept gets improved on and perfected over time. These video's are certainly the content I like most from Cheeseystudios and they are amongst the best LEGO content I have seen so far on youtube. I am relatively new to the hobby (if you discount my childhood) but it is easy to spot quality and the love and dedication that goes into it is noticable.

[@geoffreygill5849]

Heads up, in the Lobster set, the crystals are actually transparent fluorescent blue… not regular blue. I remembered because they’re relatively uncommon crystal pieces, and as a kid, I loved that they were a diff shade of blue than power miners ones I had. Great video as always!! Such a nostalgia trip… I like to show these to my gf lol

[@CheeseyStudios]

I remember them being trans-medium blue as well. No idea why I grabbed the dark blue ones - sorry about that!

[@gangsterg1936]

I actually still have my two flourescent blue crystals form this set.

[@rosscalhoun3389]

The underwater themes were the first sets my parents ever got me, after having played with my brothers castle and pirates for years. So underwater sets hold a special place in my heart. Funnily enough, I have thalassophobia, so I'm actually afraid of deep water, but apparently that didn't apply to my imagination when playing with Lego. The Aquasharks were my favorite, and the Deep Sea Predator was my most cherished set. Trans Neon Orange is still my favorite Lego color because of the Aquasharks and Ice Planet.

[@CheeseyStudios]

There were so many awesome underwater themes back in the 90s. I'd love to Revisit some of those one day!

[@NootNToot]

My brother and I only ever had the 3 smallest sets of the Aqua Raiders line, but I remember loving the sets so much as a kid. I used to look through sets & play the little flash games available on the Lego website, and the Aqua Raiders commercials/videos are ones that I could not get enough of.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Small though they may be, those first three sets are awesome! I wonder if the flash game is archived anywhere. I'm sure I played it as a kid, but I can't remember it...

[@NootNToot]

@CheeseyStudios While Lego surely doesnt have them up anymore, I've found a few online archives with downloads to many of the old Lego flash games 😁

[@hayeskohler7755]

So excited to see this video! The Crab Crusher submarine was the first set I ever got as a kid, seeing this theme revisted really brings back some good memories.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Such an epic set! I still think that's the best proper sub LEGO has ever done. Really glad this could bring back some good memories.

[@sandvichspencer6956]

Brings back memories for me as well, as they used it to make penguins submarine Boss in the lego batman game.

[@marvinbange1216]

These were my first ever (non duplo) lego sets and hold a special place in my heart :)

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's awesome! I think this was a great theme to start out your System journey.

[@theflightlessalbatross3415]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS This is my favorite lego theme of all time, and as a kid it felt like it was made with me in mind. Thank you for covering this! The Crab Crusher is my favorite lego ever. Love that thing (especially the mini sub it carries and the little interior area!)

[@CheeseyStudios]

The Crab Crusher is so good! Building that sub back was a delight. I love how many goodies they packed into that interior.

[@ninski2893]

I think what I like most about this channel is how I keep being reminded of so many cool sets from my childhood. Really brings back memories

[@CheeseyStudios]

It was a good time to be a kid, that's for sure. I love going back and building these sets again.

[@7elevenhomelessman310]

One of my most nostalgic lines, absolutely adored this line

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's so much fun! Simple done well

[@MrBOBOCHOCHO]

Aqua raiders was one of my favorites as a kid! It inspired me to build terrain peices to expand the scenes. So glad to see this video!

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's awesome! I'm so glad to see so many people remember it so fondly.

[@DuckBricks]

Aqua Raiders was one of those themes that is SO nostalgic to me as I really grew up on those sets, in a lot of ways more so than Atlantis. Seeing them in all their glory here was so cool!!

[@CheeseyStudios]

I honestly feel the same way. These really take me back. And the sea creature designs are unmatched!

[@AeroNomad]

Love this theme so much! The flagship set is still a top 10 set for me!

[@CheeseyStudios]

The base is so good! It's got everything a HQ should have.

[@EthanLeitch]

Thank you for continuing to make amazing and high quality videos on 2000's Lego! It's so nostalgic for me, I had the Lobster Strike set back in the day.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's my pleasure! These videos are such a delight to make ❤️

[@EchomancerIFH]

This was a joy to watch with my aqua raiders sets on the shelf across the room from me. These sets were my childhood and I took time last year to resurrect them from the old bins of Lego. Really appreciate another trip down memory lane here! I think one really cool thing about these sets is that the Crab crusher and Aqua base invasion share a sticker sheet, kinda ingenious thinking by Lego on that part imo.

[@CheeseyStudios]

I hadn't even thought about the shared sticker sheet. That's kind of incredible O_O

[@Spartan136]

23:42 2007 Lego putting a deceased diver in the squid is metal as heck.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Right!? Man, LEGO was so bold back then 😂

[@landlighterfirestar5550]

The smallest Aqua Raiders set was my first Lego set, EVER And because of that, this theme always has a very special place in my heart. The classic original lego themes always seemed to default to "collect-a-thons" for some power supply (Mars Mission, Power Miners, etc), and Aqua Raiders isn't far removed from that, but to me it feels like one of the simplest yet most effective and malleable original Lego themes they've ever done. (Oh, and the web game was amazing, too)

[@CheeseyStudios]

I do miss the simplicity of this time period for sure. Even if themes didn't last long, there was always something new and exciting around the corner.

[@TheSmart-CasualGamer]

An Aquaraider appears in Atlantis. Dead. It's a skeleton in an Aquaraiders helmet lying in one of the larger sets.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Yeah, that'll be pretty depressing when we cover that set 😭

[@moonamigo9157]

I love the fact that they used those pieces as giant crab’s antlers and something that really makes this theme stand out is the realism of the submarine, it doesn’t have any transparent windscreens whatsoever, and there is even a screen inside that shows the image of the surroundings like they’re actually using a sonar, love it.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's so perfect! I'm really impressed by it too.

[@shotgun-enjoyer]

That base is one of my favorite childhood sets of all time such a cool design

[@sime7170]

I love all the underwater themes! there are so many creative worlds to be explored!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Yes! I totally agree. There's so much to learn about the oceans yet, so I love it when LEGO creatively fills in those gaps!

[@jckistan]

The submarine reminds me of the Galaxy Squad "Bug" set. It has a deployable rover, with the upper section able to be swung down while the rover is deployed. Lego's mechanical design on builds is really incredible and I appreciate the work they put into it!

[@CheeseyStudios]

I've gotta watch some old Jang reviews on Galaxy Squad I think. I'm quite unfamiliar with those sets

[@RollMeAFat1]

I used to stare at these sets in the Lego catalogue, I was only 5 while these were out and so didn’t have a lot of Lego yet, but these were definitely something that gave me that passion

[@CheeseyStudios]

I do miss those simpler times of just drooling over the catalogues for hours. It was like Christmas every time one of those came in the mail, ha!

[@l.seeber9354]

I adored these sets as a kid. I can't believe they came out 2007... this is such a long time ago! Thank you for the trip of nostalgia! Great video as always!

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's insane to think that this theme is going on 20 years old. It's held up so well!

[@alexdimopoulos4684]

I found a big box of assorted lego sets at a charity last year and got the aqua raider base and squid in it. It so cool and its currently on display on my shelf

[@CheeseyStudios]

Sweet find! That squid blew my mind lol. The eyes, the transparent stomach... Haunting!

[@gfrank9772]

This theme deserved more attention when it was out and definitely a second wave. The detail in both vehicles and creatures and overall value of the sets were excellent. I had Tiger Shark Attack and Angler Ambush as a kid and now I want to recollect the entire theme, it holds up that well to me.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's a pity it largely rolled under the radar. I feel the sets have aged tremendously well.

[@davidcranfill3097]

That little scooter was my very first Lego set. I had every set from the line but the seabase. Very nostalgic.

[@CheeseyStudios]

As someone who also didn't have the base growing up, it was such a pleasure to finally buy it for this video! Sometimes the flagship set disappoints with a theme (Viking Fortress really didn't do it for me, Titanium Command Rig for Power Miners fell a bit flat) but this one checked all the boxes.

[@GunnarTobus]

There was a Lego Club magazine that gave your instructions on how to make a Mutant Manta Ray from parts of the various monsters that appeared in the sets of this wave!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Oh dang! I'll have to look into that.

[@NexeL_NKC]

The Tiger Shark Attack one was the only Aqua Raiders set I owned!!! I still have it!! That just blasted me with nostalgia

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's such a great looking shark!

[@NexeL_NKC]

@@CheeseyStudios I was all about that submarine myself. It was easily the coolest part of the set for me as a kid

[@benlam419]

Aquaraiders is such a great line. I had the Angler Fish set and the big Submarine. Sadly the Big Submarine set had tons of missing pieces and I couldn't build the crab. Nonetheless, such a great line. I still have the Tiger Shark Attack sealed in box that my mom had put in the attic. Such a great line, definitely a childhood favorite.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Sealed? Nice! You can appreciate that lovely box art then too :)

[@MrHumbuck]

You did a great overview of the theme, it was really nice to watch. Thank you. It reminds of when I was a kid spending ages gawking at these stunning models in the catalogue, and playing the flash game. Seeing them again, I think the sea life in these sets might be my favourite brick built Lego creatures! Or at least very high on the list. The only set I actually had was the smallest, the one with the red snakes. A very good model for its size, it's the astro fighter of aqua raiders- and the accessories were amazing for such a small set!

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's so great when a small boxed set knocks it out of the park! Glad to see another Astro Fighter enjoyer here too 😂

[@lazydragon2551]

Always wanted Aqua Raider sets as a kid back then. In fact, from 2004-2009 was a very interesting time for me, for Lego. Not only was I really into Lego, I was into the Lego website. All the different cool little games they had. Man it was such a wonderful time and I wish I could go back to it.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It was such a great time to be a kid. LEGO was at their most imaginative!

[@shxdix]

This was such a Masterpiece of a Video, wonderful. The muisc, your voice and the sets in general match so good together. I just love the sets and for me personally, Aquariders is one of the best series that Lego ever made. Thank you!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Really appreciate it! I'm so glad you enjoyed this.

[@Atchfam77]

This line came out when I was in elementary school. Pretty sure I got them all, but man I LOVED this wave of sets. I wish they would have given this the Power Miners/Ninjago treatment and had a 2nd wave, or became a recurring series

[@CheeseyStudios]

I would have loved to have seen what they would have done next with this theme, too...

[@LegendofRelda]

This was one of my first themes I actively asked for and (mostly) collected as a kid. Remember having a bit of issues putting together the base with it collapsing when I tried to build on the struts but how cool it was with the slide, also remember my childhood dog, who was just a puppy at the time, chewing one of the yellow hose pieces. He passed away a few years ago at almost 16. Thinking about this theme really takes me back to another part of my life

[@CheeseyStudios]

Crazy how LEGO has a way of doing that, right? This one takes me back too.

[@Ataliste]

I was obsessed with this series as a kid starting when my Cub Scout leader bought everyone a Deep Sea Treasure Hunter set that we built as a little group activity, even letting us keep our own. I'll never forget how badly I wanted the Aquabase set either. For whatever reason, my Toys R Us never seemed to stock that set. That was until one day when I went and saw just a single one of them on the shelf. I usually had to beg my mother to get me Lego sets outside of Christmas or my birthday, but she knew just how much I wanted one of these, so she bought it for me without any begging (Thanks ma). So I take it home and dump out the bags and I kid you not, it was a COMPLETELY different themed set. I think it was something from EXO Force. We took it back to the store and swapped it out for the Submarine but man, I was devastated.

[@CheeseyStudios]

What were the chances of that? 😭 that's so crazy...

[@jacksonfullmer1270]

The nostalgia in this video brought it all back. I had Angler Ambush and Tiger Shark Attack. I begged my parents for Crab Crusher but never got it haha. My friend got the Aquabase Invasion for Christmas. Such a great line!

[@CheeseyStudios]

It warms my heart that so many people remember this theme so fondly! It was gone too soon, but it really did everything just right.

[@Thunderbirdmovies]

The crab crusher was the only set I had from this theme, but I have some fond memories of playing with it at my grandparents home. They had a rug with a pattern of concentric squares, and I would sail the sub on them.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's a good set to have from this wave if any - that sub is so much fun!

[@xtentasticx]

Amazing recap... The base used to be my dream set

[@CheeseyStudios]

Thank you! I wish I had had this base as a kid too. I had so much fun with it here as an adult!

[@mottmatt7844]

I love how they used that Lego Racer piece for the face of the lobster.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Brilliant parts usage!

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Like all these in depth looks into a theme, showing off all the sets, this is once again an amazing video. You narration is on point and extremely enjoyable, the camera work and editing is superb and even though it is (I would say) medium watch time, it is never dull for a moment. I'm very interested in some of the older lines that LEGO produced. Though I have to say: As most of these that you made in recent times are completely unfamiliar to me, it is a great way to explore what has been done in the period between my childhood and what they do right now. Thank you for the enjoyable video!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Really appreciate it! I'm glad you're enjoying these videos. They really are so much fun to make.

[@Danvus]

Congrats on the sponsor man, you definitely deserve it!

[@pinobluevogel6458]

Aye, well deserved. I think this is typically an American product though. I buy a lot of cheese, but this seems a bit outside of anything I'd ever consider buying. It is probably delicious and easy to use though, I'm pretty sure of that.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Appreciate it! It was a match made in heaven. I've turned down a lot of sponsorships in the past, but really wanted to make this one happen since hey, I just like cheese!

[@libricks]

Love these videos. Informative and nostalgic.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@TheTrueOrion]

I only had two out of these sets- the Anglerfish and the Tigershark set, but they stuck with me for a long while, definitely some of my most memorable lego sets.

[@CheeseyStudios]

The creatures were so good! Way ahead of their time, and some haven't been topped since.

[@kriskrieger9960]

One of my first sets as a kid was an Aqua Raiders set. It's so surreal diving into the history with the memories of EARLY childhood.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's why I love doing this Revisiting series. It's such a nostalgia trip!

[@ToaKoran]

God, if there is a single LEGO line that is ingrained in my Childhood as much as BIONICLE, it has to be Aqua Raiders. It's the only System LEGO line I had *Every single set* for due to my awesome grandfather bought me every single one for Christmas one year when we traveled from Caroline down to Florida to visit for the holidays. Those sets ended up being the only LEGO I had for a while since complications I don't remember by this point kept us at a hotel for a couple of months, and I honestly am thankful for that in a way since that was the first time I truly saw how fun System LEGO was after just playing with Technic up until then. Bashing the sets together, making new vehicles, making a super-sized base, it was just an absolute blast back then. I loved that line so much, and I seriously wish we'd get more fun lines like it these days. I wish I didn't miss out on Atlantis since that would have been a nice refresher.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Honestly, what a great introduction to System this must have been! I'm glad you got to experience this theme too, and remember it so fondly

[@CaptainZaimon]

I love the attention to detail on these deep sea creatures especially - note the cheese slopes on the shark and the crab having little claws on each limb. Lovely.

[@CheeseyStudios]

They're so wonderfully detailed! Way ahead of their time

[@braden_tmoore]

i love this series, this era of lego deserves more attention. seeing that catalogue really sent me back, i would spend hours reading and rereading them. would love to see Agents and Space Police 2 in the near future!

[@CheeseyStudios]

I've been slowly picking up some Space Police sets for sure! Probably won't happen this year (my Revisiting backlog is INSANE lol) but hopefully in 2025

[@Conrad45]

The fact your first sponsor is Cheese-related is amazing, it might have to be the first sponsored thing on a KZbin video I buy. Good video as always 👍

[@CheeseyStudios]

Ha, thank you! 😂 It was too perfect of a sponsorship to pass up lol...

[@timewellspent8137]

that base set was a Christmas gift I got back when I was a kid. It was and still is one of my all time favorite sets

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's so good! I never had it as a kid, but even building it now was really enjoyable

[@timewellspent8137]

@@CheeseyStudios I'm glad you at least got to enjoy it now if not back then :)

[@Year_of_the_Dell]

Kinda wonder if the atlantis sets were ever going to release the wreck versions of a few of these sets, considering finding the fate of the trident crew was part of the job

[@DragonxFlutter]

Ah, 2007 Lego. I certainly remember it for being underwater a lot. Bionicle had it's dedicated "underwater year" in '07. As far as the Aqua Raiders sets go, they're certainly cool. IDK if I necessarily like the huge reliance on the color yellow for the human constructs, but the overall designs look solid. I definitely like the proper brick-built creatures! They're super cool, and I miss that era of Lego a lot. You could totally use them in conjunction with Pirate sets, too! Even the giant squid! Just swap the Aqua Raiders helmet for a Pirate cap!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Nothing beats a good ol' brick built creature. It's a pity they rely so heavily on specialized parts these days. They don't look as good, and drive up the cost considerably!

[@Maniac4Bricks]

From what I recall, the story of Aqua Raiders II was this deep-sea diving team exploring the depths of the Bermuda Triangle for treasure, while also fending off against monstrously-sized sea creatures. There's even references to Aqua Raiders in Atlantis, specifically the portal set, with a helmeted diver skeleton and the similar trident logos. Since Samantha Rhodes persuaded a salvage crew into the story of Atlantis, I'd like to think Aqua Raiders II was part of the reason why.

[@Year_of_the_Dell]

In the old web browser game the atlantis crew was also looking for what happened to them, along with this you find the crab killer sub sunk in that game

[@Shaun_Jones]

The shark set was actually my only LEGO set for most of a decade. I had gotten a giant box of loose bricks from a yard sale around the same time and honestly had a lot more fun with that. I eventually disassembled most of the sub and harpoon turret for parts to use in my own builds.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's the best part of LEGO - random parts and custom builds!

[@undead.rising]

This wave came out when I was in my dark phase (or whatever it's called). I stopped paying attention to Lego in my final years of high school in 2003, and didn't get back into it until the end of 2014 (it was the Star Destroyer). The set with the giant squid is the only set that I bought during that time. That was just something magical. So many glow in the dark elements!

[@CheeseyStudios]

The glow in the dark stuff always looks so cool. I'm glad it's been showing up in a lot more sets lately!

[@edwarddelacruz3923]

Ahh, the Shipwreck set! I remember getting this one!! It was late 2007 and I was out with my mom at Toy's R us way back in the day, I was hyped when I got this set. I'm really kicking myself in the ass for not holding onto so many of these sets from my childhood.... Thank you so much for revisiting all these sets and the history of the themes that I am and many others grew up with over the years! This has been quite the nostalgia trip.

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'm so glad you enjoyed! Ah, it was such a good time to be a kid.

[@ComicBoy750]

It’s definitely interesting seeing Lego’s other underwater original themes since I only grew up with Atlantis. Great video!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Thank you! Glad I. could introduce you to this one.

[@sirhenners204]

aqua raiders my beloved. seriously tho, i had everything minus the base as a kid and absolutely loved these sets

[@CheeseyStudios]

They're so good! I wish I had had the base as a kid too. It really does love up to the hype

[@azeemtravadi6128]

cheesy studios has finally caught up to the themes I grew up with and seeing a set i built as a child in one of these retrospectives is just as surreal as i thought it'd be

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's awesome, ha! What other themes are you hoping to see covered? I bet I'll be hitting a few more on your list.

[@Pedro2371000]

I didnt knew this theme existed, and seeing it now, I definitely want to add at least one of these sets to my collection. The vehicles, the sea creatures, the base, everything looks so good.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Glad I could introduce you! I'd highly recommend Angler Ambush. It's quite affordable used, and so much fun. You get a little bit of everything in that set!

[@insaitYT]

Ahhh, unwrapping the biggest gift on christmas day and being greeted with the Aqua Raiders base.. good memories.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It so lived up to the hype! Glad you got to experience it as a kid

[@IALIFE88]

I had so many of the aqua raiders sets. They were so cool as the idea of deep sea divers vs the monsters of the deep. It was so cool.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It was kinda the perfect blend of fantasy and realism!

[@LagSammiches]

this is the only theme i own every set of, got them all during release. these sparked my love for the deep sea. i'm trying to get all of atlantis next!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Just finished my Atlantis collection a few days ago! So many great sets. Best of luck in collecting them - I definitely feel it's worth it! :)

[@dominicscarlato326]

Thanks for doing these restrospectives dude, they’re very nostalgic. I was very fortunate that my parents got me every single set in this theme. Played with them endlessly as an 11-12 yr old. This theme and the Vikings theme we’re my favorite two Lego original themes.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It was such a great time to be a kid. LEGO as a company was at their most imaginative during these years....

[@Matt..S]

Looking at that lobster makes you wonder why they never managed to make a decent Aragog. They had the perfect pieces for the terrifying wandering spider legs with a ton of posability and weird angles...

[@CheeseyStudios]

These creatures were fantastic. The parts usage, colors, and prints created such a unique vibe. Love it!

[@Matt..S]

@@CheeseyStudios Much better than the rather odd looking Viking creatures from just two years before that, which relied entirely on the specialised claw and wing parts. The fish and crustaceans here make a nice bridge between realism from the creator theme and a bit of that "boy's toys" vibe of scary/mutant with tons of teeth and aggressive shapes

[@catfish552]

I only own the smallest set, but the big submarine always impressed me in the catalogues, and I'm glad it lives up to that on closer inspection.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's a gorgeous model, and I love how much interior room there is! Definitely lives up to the hype, but even the small sets from this theme are great.

[@darthgbc363]

9:00 The tail is built different in this catalog than in the set 7771. This was super fun. Again I learned alot from your videos.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Oh wow, I never realized that! It's missing the tile, isn't it 🤔

[@loganlamoreaux5347]

this was the theme that introduced me to lego. had every set except the crab one, even the limited edition sub

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'd highly recommend Crab Crusher to round out the collection - it's an awesome set! Glad you have the Shipwreck though. That one is tricky to find these days!

[@gonzalofraguasbringas8617]

Oh, man, the nostalgia hit hard with this one. I had forgotten all aboit it, but I played so much with the shipwreck set. I still have several of the pieces, including the magnets laying about. Most of it didn't survive my childhood and several moves, but it hits so hard to see it back in its full glory. And I can even remember how I though the minifig with the red hair was the coolest. Like, he was my favorite guy and I switched him out every time I got cooler minifig parts 😂 Oh man, thank you for this blast from the past.

[@CheeseyStudios]

So glad you enjoyed! My brother and I were obsessed with the red haired guy too. 😂 That's too funny

[@Azel_C]

I got a bin full of random pieces about 5 years ago and it had multiple random pieces from the angler ambush. Glad to finally know where they came from

[@CheeseyStudios]

Ay, awesome! You'll have to see if you can put it together. It's a lovely little vehicle!

[@ebomb1133]

I love these behind the scenes videos!

[@CheeseyStudios]

❤️❤️❤️

[@headcrabking9054]

As always, a fantastic video! I love how much the background changes by just dimming the lights and having a different camera angle! And man, hanging that squid was a great touch! Ngl though, I kept thinking about the risk of accidently walking into the thing lol

[@CheeseyStudios]

lol 🤣 Thank you! Really glad you like the setup.

[@LunarTikOfficial]

*So cool! I had the original 90's version of these! Though I must say these newer versions look a TON better than the originals.*

[@CheeseyStudios]

I will always love those octagonal tubing pieces from the 90s though xD

[@Usernameunknown129]

I got all of my Lego sets back from when I was a kid and I loved aqua raiders I had the angler fish, lobster, and the shipwreck

[@CheeseyStudios]

Great lineup of sets 👌

[@danielwhitman5105]

I loved aqua raiders as a kid I had (and still have) literally every single set from the theme.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's epic! I'm glad you got to experience all these for yourself too.

[@benjaminstreets1912]

Aqua Raiders is one of my favorite LEGO themes! This was the first theme I really got into as a 6 year old back in 2007.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's awesome! Glad so many people still remember this one :)

[@game_projections]

30:15 they got the chaos emeralds!!!!! they hinted at lego sonic years ago and we didn't notice!!!

[@CheeseyStudios]

lolol

[@viperson9818]

Aqua raider divers have to be one of the most killed off figures. I mean guaranteed the ones without a vehicle are the first to go.

[@CheeseyStudios]

ikr... poor dudes....

[@musichead4555]

Man brings me back so much memories, i remember i always go to the lego website to play this and lego dino attack such a really fun game on the lego web back then😊

[@CheeseyStudios]

I do miss all those Flash games. The Mars Mission one was a personal favorite!

[@musichead4555]

Yeah they were really fun xd good times😊 anyway great content man just finish the vid and i enjoyed the memory lane it gave me xd keep it up👍

[@max-mkl]

The angler fish set was one of my first ever lego sets. Opened a world for me

[@CheeseyStudios]

That one is so good. I'm really glad to see other people remember it so fondly too!

[@stormhawkdude]

Imagine combining the building techniques of the Angler Fish's mouth, the crab mandables and legs, and the lobster's body and face to make the most impressive Star Wars Monster build for a MOC. Especially adding in the trans-green seaweed with other newer pieces for a cool Alien Planet effect.

[@CheeseyStudios]

The building techniques used for the sea creatures here are so brilliant! You'd never think they came from a theme going on 20 years old.

[@zh7334]

Good memories of these. Some of my earliest sets. I have lobster strike, crab crusher and tiger shark attack

[@CheeseyStudios]

Very nice! All those creatures look so cool

[@MorganGriffiths-l1c]

The Tiger shark Attack set is one of the first lego sets I got as a child and it's an awsome set. So cool you made this video on these sets!

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'm glad you had some personal experience with this theme! The creatures are awesome.

[@Valkyrie1166]

There's another accessory that wasn't mentioned here (I'm not mad; I certainly wouldn't have known about it): the Aqua Raiders bookmark. I assume these were sent out in LEGO magazines, but I dont remember. I had a few but only one left, I covered it with clear packing tape to preserve it. On one side it has the giant squid and on the other, som fun facts about real squid. Great video!

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'll have to look into that - sounds like I need to add it to the collection, ha!

[@peterkershaw11]

I wanna see Lego do a theme where two competing underwater treasure hunting groups are racing to grab all the treasure. The catch? There are kaiju ("giant monster") all Pacific Rim style guarding them! I'm thinking small, nimble watercraft with big monster builds. The Kaiju are more an obstacle than anything, although one of the big sets would be a dedicated attack vehicle. You could even have a Rock Raiders-esque subtext that the divers are stealing the goodies from the Kaiju!

[@CheeseyStudios]

Ooh, I like it!

[@TERIDAX941]

I really liked this theme, only got the smallest set from the Brickmaster magazine subscription. Did any of you ever play the online game lego made on this theme? You started at the top of the ocean with the smallest set, fighting off the snakes, coming at you in waves (pun intended) until you fight the "boss snake". Once he's defeated your ship upgrades to the next size set ship and you have the option to submerge deeper into the ocean. Each level has waves enemies of each set (angler, lobster, shark, crab, squid) and a boss of the same type, until you reach the very bottom and get the treasure. It was very fun, but sometimes it glitched and you accidentally ended up deeper than you should have gone with a smaller water craft and it's super scary facing off against a giant squid with a very ill-equipped submarine lol

[@CheeseyStudios]

I've gotta find an archived version. Quite a few people have commented on it! I unfortunately don't remember it though. 😭

[@Maniac4Bricks]

28:18 I can say from experience with the water gun opened from new in box, is that it's one of my favorite water guns of any brand of all time, even though it's made by BuzzBeeToys, who is notorious for cheap malfunctioning toy blasters nowadays. But back then, this was a powerhouse: easy to fill with water, an indicator on the side to tell when it's full, an easy-to-prime handle up front, and it fires as either one steady stream when held down, or short bursts by letting go of the trigger. I have no shame in making videos years ago blasting minifigures with water from this item.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That's insane! Maybe I should have snagged one after all 😂

[@noahboat580]

Ive had that deep sea treasure hunter set from a gift in my kindergarden class. I remember building it and installing the fan motors backwards

[@CheeseyStudios]

Love it 😂

[@MythicBricks]

The best thing about Aquaraiders is that amazing Legoland ride they based on it

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'll have to look this up :o

[@gangsterg1936]

Love this theme, the revisiting series is always a pleasure to watch, full of nostalgia for me.

[@CheeseyStudios]

Glad you enjoy these! They're my favorite videos to make, too

[@howmuchmorecanItake]

My email is a reference to the Aqua Raiders shark set! It's still one of my favorite builds, all these years later! I loved that theme!

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'm glad so many people got to experience this! It was such a fun one

[@NBL_USMC]

Hey Cheesy! I know this probably won’t be a popular set theme but it would be amazing to see a revisit of the Speed Racer theme that came out around 2008(?). That theme was super nostalgic for me as I remember signing up for the Lego Club subscription around the same time and always seeing the Speed Racer comics in them.

[@CheeseyStudios]

No joke, that's one of my dream themes to cover lol! My friend just introduced me to the movie for the first time over Christmas, and I've been wanting to make a video on the sets ever since. I'm going to go check prices on Bricklink right now.

[@NBL_USMC]

@@CheeseyStudios The movie was so amazing to me as a kid growing up and so underrated now a days! I’m going to try watching it again tonight for the first time in almost 15 years. There are only 4 sets that I know of and looks to be a very limited number of reviews. I just started watching your content recently as I’ve had a huge wave of nostalgia come over me in the past months from my lego days as a kid; and it has been so refreshing to see the themes I grew up with getting covered like this in such detail. I absolutely cannot wait to see your take on these sets. Thank you for taking so much time to edit and produce such professional content!

[@SlamTF2]

I like to believe that the reason why Lego made these sets with little to no stickers is that they anticipated that kids would try to play with them in the water (bath / pool / etc) and thus they wanted to avoid having kids get upset about their stickers peeling and falling off due to water exposure.

[@CheeseyStudios]

That does make a lot of sense

[@Norlego]

That Tiger Shark set is the one that caught my eye in this theme. Always wanted it! The yellow color is also why I love these as much as Alpha Team: Mission Deep Sea.

[@CheeseyStudios]

I'm glad they carried over the color scheme from Alpha Team - it just works so well for underwater stuff!

[@imstupid880]

I thought this was a theme that I missed, until you pulled out the aqua base--I definitely remember that! Especially the stomach of the giant squid, that used to creep me out so much as a kid.

[@CheeseyStudios]

It's so crazy, right?? These sets were designed for 8-12 year olds! Actual nightmare fuel 😂