Lego Island (1997) Retrospective & Analysis

A retrospective review and analysis of Lego Island developed by Mindscape.
This video is dedicated to Wes Jenkins
Links mentioned in video:
le717.github.i...
github.com/its...
github.com/le7...
*****************Sources******************
Theme music by jiglr:
Cyberpunk by jiglr | / jiglrmusic
Music promoted by www.free-stock...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License
creativecommon....
Horror Edits
“Confrontation” & “CREEPYTOWN”
by Eric Matyas
www.soundimage.org
"Retro TV" Photo by Diego González on Unsplash
Font used is Lemon Milk by MARSNEV
Visuals:
Lego set photos - Brickipedia
Cut lego ISland ending - Tristan Star 360, KZbin
-Benny photos - u/Sparrownowl, Reddit
-- All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I nor this channel does not claim any right over them. --
*********************************************
#legoisland1997 #legoisland #legogames #legovideogames #mindscape #retrospective #analognightmare #critique #analysis #review #retrospective

[@Analog_Nightmare]

This video has started to blow up in traffic, is there some Lego Island resurgence happening? Where are you all coming from? 😂

[@Urammar]

I think maybe. MattKC has been covering it a bit also, but ive been googling Lego island stuff recently so who knows

[@DavidFostertheFirst]

I'd love to see more old Lego video game content 👀

[@Analog_Nightmare]

@@DavidFostertheFirst been thinking about checking out some of the flash games!

[@mcgoombs]

Nostalgia, in our unstable present and an uncertain future, i suppose many of us come back to these childhood experiences and wonder, where did it all go wrong? A labor of love like Lego Island would not be possible today.

[@fruitlion8]

Personally speaking I made a video about this game too, so I'm just curious about fellow opinions :D

[@Destructerator]

1:49 I would have shat my pants as a kid knowing there was a full scale model of the Island

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Honestly just finding out some of the models existed as real sets blew my mind

[@PolybiusArcadia]

brick by brick is one of those songs that I still to this day, find myself singing to myself out of nowhere

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Haha, literally just reading those words in your comment has it stuck in my head now 🤣

[@StudframeAnimations]

The "pizaz" sign is such a fun detail. Never noticed it. 😆

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I'd kill for some pizaz rn.

[@necrovarius225]

Dude, fantastic breakdown and analysis. I wish I had looked into this more before talking about this absolute Gem of a game. Even to this day, I remember my heart being crushed and getting so angry at the giant skeleton in the race minigame.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Haha thank you. It occupied way too much time as a child for me to not give it it's due :)

[@Mick0Mania]

This game was a big part of my childhood. Singlehandedly hooked me on LEGO which is still a hobby I indulge in. There is such an immersive quality to it that I rarely experience in any game, especially for the demographic. My number one complaint back then, was that the sets it was based on were discontinued by the time the game got out, and LEGO was plunging into their "almost bankrupt" era. The shelves were populated by simplified sets that relied on large ugly pieces that were shells of the brilliant designs of '96. I got the indy car transporter of the late '90s and remember feeling disappointed when I realized the in-game models were much cooler. Luckily, thanks to the nature of LEGO, I was able to collect the right pieces to build a few of the indy cars featured in the game. I was so happy when Speed Champions brought back the specific car base piece!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I had the exact same issue! It wasn't until bricklink when the pieces that seemed so impossible to find became accessible- I remember feeling the same about the Lego Adventures theme.

[@CeolDeamhan]

This game and Lego Racers were my childhood. It's always good to see people bringing it up every so often. I just wish my disk wasn't so scratched that it's unplayable...

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Frame it, then download Lego Island online!!

[@polocatfan]

it's funny that you mention the infomaniac knowing he's in a simulation because Lego island 2 basically says the Infomaniac is the god of Lego Island.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I totally missed that, I need to revisit it 😂😂

[@racer927]

That "warning" about going to MyAbandonWare is like the cheeky leak of the Warhammer 20k fanfilm. The original owners of the copyright couldn't let it be distributed under foreign copyright laws so they stored it on their servers and coincidentally they had a security leak that let people download said fan film. Ah yes, Bill Ding. Which brings to mind Terry McGovern voicing him, the radio announcer and Studs Lincoln in the game, he was *everywhere* in 90s games like Jedi Knight: Mysteries of the Sith, Star Wars DroidWorks, MechWarrior 3(: Pirate's Moon), etc.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Haha I'm about to dig into Mysteries of the Sith so that's insanely good to know!!

[@V-max97]

I remember getting the racetrack that same Christmas. The tow truck was my favorite vehicle. I was devastated why I found out all my old Lego ended up in a yard sale

[@Analog_Nightmare]

GET YOUR COAT WE'RE GONNA GO FIND YOU ANOTHER TOW TRUCK 😡😡 I had the same realization except we gave it all away to some family friends I think- what I wouldn't do to have it back.

[@wesphillips7806]

I found out about this game, and its sets from vintage lego magazines as a kid in the 2000s. Felt like I was unearthing arcane lore. Never got to play bc I didn't have a PC or game system. Or the game. Later in life I did get to play a thrift store cd copy of lego soccer mania, so that's cool. Also a great soundtrack. Great video ❤

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Go back and try it now! It's not that in-depth but it makes for a fun afternoon

[@wesphillips7806]

@@Analog_Nightmare I certainly won't use those free websites to download and live a childhood dream 😈🤘

[@Xegethra]

I liked this game. I only wished there were more buildings and things to do but it was alright. I do wish the actual island was made of LEGO as well. I suppose it's meant to be like the toy sets, brick on real land. But still....a LEGO world should be all LEGO. I also wanted a huge LEGO city like Laura rides around in.

[@Therealravencry]

In your home or in your car, you are never really far from L E G O radio

[@AdonaelHarper]

I cant tell you how many hours I spent on this game when I was 7. Came with our windows 98 computer. This and a Sonic collection. The odd part is I don't really know how much time I spent on it. I just remember when I accidently found out about the story line. Took me a few times to beat it

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Man when I realized there was a storyline it blew my mind. I'm not old enough to have swapped playground rumours about NES and SNES games, but I feel like these late 90's PC games are some of the last remnants of "before you could just look up a guide". I've got more Lego nostalgia in the pipeline, so stay tuned!!

[@slaygadethicide]

Did your family also get a “COMPAQ” with windows 98? Lol 😊

[@AdonaelHarper]

Gateway, but a few years later we ended up with a Compaq with Windows ME 😬Disaster. Had a better time with vista.

[@Joeseph_Mamamoa]

My God the quality was so top-tier that I thought this was a channel with a full staff. This was amazing!!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Thank you so much!! I have an hour long video dropping this Saturday so make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it!! And if you have any suggestions I'm always interested in what people want to see :)

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

Much like everyone else, I grew up thinking LEGO Island was the first LEGO game, completely unaware of the one on the SEGA Pico (a young children's console nobody played or knew about.). I have a soft spot for the series, including the bad ones because I was mostly able to look pass their flaws and saw them as having great potential. Something I wish would become realized in a community made remake of the trilogy, if it ever does become a reality. Though I'd be willing to bet I'll be an old man when (if) that finally happens as I'm already 38 right now.

[@AlonzoTompkins]

I can never forget the crazy jet ski lady.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Been kicking around the idea of building some favourites from this one, I think she's top 5 for sure 😀

[@shaverred1030]

I really enjoyed this. Pitty it got so little views but honestly from my perspective you are doing this retrospective just as well as the bigger channels if not better but its just a lack of visibility in the algorithm

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Yeah and the more niche games never get the same visibility but I'm thankful for every view I do get, especially great comments like this!

[@NinaFelwitch]

I loved this game as a kid and have very fond memories of it. LEGO should make a remaster of it.

[@spacemanspud7073]

I have huge nostolgia for this game, but i've never played it! I watched the Brutalmoose episode about this game a thousand times as a kid

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I didn't even realize brutalmoose had a Lego Island video!

[@guitarcovercentral9466]

Circa 2004, my mom got this gem of a game from a scholastic book order. Lots of fond memories playing this one with my brothers. I loved it so much that I eventually built all the buildings from the game (thankfully with the help of Bricklink). Great retrospective bro!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

THE SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR. Holy shit you just unlocked a memory for me haha. I haven't thought about that in ages!!

[@guitarcovercentral9466]

@@Analog_Nightmare Oh yeah, they were definitely the plug for cd rom games back in the 2000s. We eventually picked up Lego Racers (1&2), Lego Island Xtreme Stunts, Legoland, and Lego Soccer Mania from a book fair. All great games that still hold up today.

[@zeliph]

I like how you can get off a moving vehicle and the vehicle drives itself running over people.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Officer it wasn't me!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Also LOVE the profile picture! Matoro?

[@zeliph]

@@Analog_Nightmare Heck yeah! Bionicle Mata Nui and Metru Nui saga storylines are my most favorite from Gen 1!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Then you're gonna love one of the upcoming videos 😉

[@strawbemmy4341]

having the worst day ever n watching this 2 cheer me up 🥺 another day another slay

[@Analog_Nightmare]

EVER???

[@devinaschenbrenner2683]

I vaguely remember being super excited at a register in a computer store holding my new prized possession. Little did I know I would sink literal months worth of play time out of this tiny little game. Some many found memories and they nailed the wacky chaos the Lego oozed at the time.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

It still holds up! And the chaos and just utter creativity was unreal.

[@hotdoggington6962]

Oh man, this is a GREAT video!! Thanks for all your effort, what a trip. I still wonder tho what took LEGO so long to get into games. Definitely a good point about the crash, but then you had the NES revitalize the industry. By the 16 bit generation the industry was beyond solid, pretty sure even bigger than non-LEGO physical toys by then, and this didn’t come out till the 32/64 bit generation IIRC

[@utmostkibbles9125]

WHAT I never knew that about the "No Pizaz" sign being different for different characters!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Me either! For a game I thought I'd seen everything in there's still something new to find

[@BenKellyMusic92]

Officer Nick Brick was my main man in 1997 👍 awesome retrospective pal

[@ben3129]

this was an incredible video, i never get tired of this game and its weird humour and the great music!

[@Analog_Nightmare]

More Lego videos in the pipeline!

[@tarabelle7716]

The doctors spiral always makes me laugh. Genuinely good writing for a childs game lmao

[@Analog_Nightmare]

That's why I love it, I think if you have a clever writer you don't need to "talk down" to a kid to entertain them. Like cartoons that are written to entertain parents watching with their kids!

[@tarabelle7716]

@@Analog_Nightmare Yes! It's a good way to teach kids vocabulary as well. lots of heart

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Absolutely. Absurdity is one of the best memory tricks, so having kids laugh while they learn is really a win-win.

[@poodabran]

Nubby has always been my favorite character. He's the reason I used to want to work on cars for a living. Sorta abandoned the idea as I got older.

[@Destructerator]

omg that framerate, so ahead of its time

[@reborno-o4498]

You forgot to mention that you can change the time of day on the information center. Playing the final mission during night adds more tension while chasing the Brickster. I still have the copy of the game, glad I stopped my parents from throwing it on the trash a few years back.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I actually didn't notice that!!

[@billyyank1916]

I was born in 2004 which meant I never got the chance to play Lego Island myself. However, I do feel a weird sense of nostalgia for it ever since I watched Brutalmoose's review on the game he made 12 years ago. Even as an adult, I would absolutely love to try this game out for myself on a modern pc.

[@aggrisabernathy8770]

Who knew Lego Island was such a chad classic?

[@derDooFi]

What the hell?? As someone who has the original CD-ROM on his shelf right now, I completely forgot you could play as characters other than Pepper! And the PIZAZ sign is a crazy detail, I wonder if I ever got that as a kid

[@rynobehnke8289]

Funny that you say that the vehicle modifications obviously have no effect on gameplay because its for kids given that just a year latter Lego races released in which the way you build your car actually has an impact on how it drives.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Funny, I didnt think about that!

[@DarthCrust66]

This game should really get an official re-release

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Seeing what happened with Rock Raiders there's not much I don't think the fanbase could do!

[@GeoGoofyGal]

This game is legendary and I'm not even from the time this came out. Also rebuilder contains a fix for the save data issue! The option when ticked saves to %appdata% instead of Program Files which apps could no longer save to in later versions of windows

[@firestarter6488]

I say if Lego has no interest in making a profit on their old classics, then no one should feel any sense of shame downloading them for free! These works of passion don't deserve to be forgotten and left behind, no one does that to their older Lego sets after all, so why should these games be any different?

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Agreed!!

[@madschtz]

I have been hypersifated on this game for like 2 years straight. I love it more than words can describe. You did it justice

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Thank you! This was one of the games that I was super nervous to cover because I wanted to make sure I could do it right, glad to hear you enjoyed!

[@radmilk73]

Loved this! Thank you for the deep dive.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Thank you for watching!! Feel free to share with anyone you think might enjoy :)

[@seanrrr]

Why did this island feel as big as GTA V as a kid lol. I remember spending hours exploring every little nook and cranny, making up stories for every unused building. The underground scared the shit out of me though.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I was so convinced that I'd seen everything there was to see as a kid, lo and behold there's more hiding. I can only imagine what was cut

[@edopronk1303]

The cave! I always tried to unlock the door.

[@Kennephone]

I was born in 2002, so this game is before my time, but I would have loved it as a kid, but until yesterday I didn't even know it existed.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Aw man you just missed out. How'd you discover it?

[@dreworyan5652]

I was born in 96 and I guess inherited this game. Was on our first boot up computer. One of my first dreams I remember as a kid I imagined I was me but raving in a Lego car 😂

[@ShinoKami64]

I wish someone would do a video on the pirate voice from the observatory top room who is also behind the unopenable door in the cave.

[@michaelparkman6134]

Great video!😀

[@Mikko-Maggie-More]

0:28

[@Analog_Nightmare]

There can be a space after the L if you really want there to be 😁

[@Mikko-Maggie-More]

@@Analog_Nightmare NOOOOOOOOOO

[@SunchippStudio]

glad to see i made a blink and you miss it cameo around 4:57 🤣

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I don't know how the hell you spotted that but you did! Your royalties are in the mail ;)

[@SunchippStudio]

@@Analog_Nightmare figured I had to check lol, I'm one of the oldest members of RRU that's still online so it only makes sense I would pop up somewhere 😂funny thing is, the topic I posted that showed in this video was to a remix I made to LEGO Island 2's Whack A Snake I did 5 Months ago

[@Analog_Nightmare]

That's so cool! I have some more Lego content coming up and will definitely be returning to the forums for some source

[@georgestefanou4250]

You are truely one with the force

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Stay tuned for the Lego Star Wars video, it's gonna be an epic. 😎

[@shawbag11]

This wasnt the first video game i play cus i think that was crash 3 but i think it might have been my first pc game. honestly i played this to death as a kid i actuly played it to the point where i knew most of the spawns for the chopper parts. its a shame the series kinda sucked after this game for as flawed as it was i still loved it and they was never able to recapture what made this game soo good.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

That's just it isn't it? "Never able to recapture what made this game so good". I always wonder if it's that, or that I'm older and I don't view things the same way. Atleast we're able to go back and replay!

[@GabeioIDK]

i love your videos i just subscribed to your channel

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Thanks so much Gabe!

[@GabeioIDK]

@@Analog_Nightmare i have a suggestion can you create a video about lego island 2?

[@lostlandmarks8305]

Loved it.

[@truestbluu]

hey the lego island rebuilder was made by the lego island guy

[@strawbemmy4341]

new video WHEN ? rewatching the lego video ain't cuttin it anymore 🥺

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Don't make me turn this car around

[@adampatterson7028]

God damn I love Lego

[@Analog_Nightmare]

It's unreal

[@legosk8er92]

As a kid, was anyone ever able to walk on the grass? I distinctly remember being able to walk and drive on the grass on an old install and then when my parents got a new computer the fresh install of it prevented me from going on the grass. I was always so confused by that.

[@Analog_Nightmare]

You could in 2, but I don't think in 1. I haven't looked much into the actual engine but there might be a debug/noclip option?

[@ryanazevedo1690]

tried it, didnt work lol but the nostalgia of this game man. i want to play it so bad even though im 29

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Honestly it's light enough that, if your PC isn't running it happily, you could pretty easily run an XP virtual machine, they're pretty much plug n play nowadays!

[@ryanazevedo1690]

@@Analog_Nightmare it wouldn't even launch it although it wouldn't launch Swtor so

[@thatcher00]

I remember playing this game on my mums shitty home pc that either crashed out or ran it at like 2fps (genuinely not an exaggeration) but i still loved it because child brain and lego

[@cameronkirk8518]

3:39 well that took a dark turn quick 😐

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Greedy publishers gonna greed 😔

[@WayOutGaming]

Y'know that Chipetts version of Brick by Brick wasn't too bad lol

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Right? Could've been worse haha. According to my stats it's the most replayed section of the video actually.

[@WayOutGaming]

@@Analog_Nightmare Maybe an Alvin and the Chipmunks Lego album is in order lol?

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I'm surprised there hasn't been an Alvin and the Chipmunks Lego Ideas set yet... Atleast if there has been I haven't seen it haha

[@MrMattaiusify]

07:35 As a kid, I had no idea what the fuck pepper was talking about As an adult, I still barely understand it

[@Originalcopy20]

As a six year old. This was my GTA, before GTA

[@Analog_Nightmare]

It's like such a limited amount of freedom in a confined world like Lego Island not only served as a great tutorial as kids, but it made us appreciate the larger open world's waaaay more

[@Originalcopy20]

​@@Analog_Nightmare Very true. Furthermore, to get even more spiritual: Lego Island will forever be my notion of a surrealist afterlife. Some kind of weird utopian limbo, however that may sound. I can't really explain the emotions I get from this game, looking back at it now. It's both beautiful and, yet eerie and offsetting. A bit Truman Show-esque. When it comes to the brickster, they really gave me that Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs thriller vibes. All in all a good mix of the spectrum. But in the end, it's really the soundtrack that stand out and will forever be in my subconsciousness . Considering it was a, what? 3+ PEGI game? They really over-achieved on a kids game. Thinking about that moment on top of the information center + theme song, setting the sky to sun-down orange, looking into the endless sea of nothingness...

[@strawbemmy4341]

another day , another slay pop off king

[@Analog_Nightmare]

I LEARNED IT BY WATCHING YOU, DAD

[@Rian911s]

@0:27 haha, ha. ehehehehehöhöhö. thats funny.

[@tomtom987]

Hey do you know if the korean version rare or not ?

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Hey! If by rare you mean hard to find, I don't think so, they have a link to the localized version on the wiki (legoisland.org). As far as rarity to find and purchase a physical copy I'm not sure! :)

[@tomtom987]

@@Analog_Nightmare oh ok it because i have it and i wonder if i hade somthing rare relly Big thx for your help !

[@Analog_Nightmare]

No problem! Make sure to like and subscribe if you liked the video!

[@tomtom987]

@@Analog_Nightmare ok i will do! Btw sorry for my english

[@Analog_Nightmare]

No worries my friend- you can speak language more than I can! ;)

[@GianfrancoLaRotta]

Cute

[@Analog_Nightmare]

Thank you! Subscribe for more! :)