LEGO 4990 Rock Raiders HQ ~ R.R. Slugger's Rock Raiders Retrospective!

[@thewanderer7307]

I feel like Thanos, having just acquired the last Infinity Stone. It has been an amazing journey, and looking forward to seeing more!

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you for coming along with me since the beginning, my friend! Here's to the next adventure! :)

[@empatheticrambo4890]

That’s a great shoutout to the old Arctic theme - I haven’t thought of it in years I also had ZERO idea about the insides of the Rock Monster

[@ebomb1133]

Same on the innards of the Rock monster. Makes me curious if I have thrown any of those away into a goodwill pile after sifting through a lot 😬 I never would've known that was a Lego piece

[@apostolodipadova2420]

sasme, lego artic just reamppired in my mind ater decades...its nice to relive it.

[@hilariousskullnamedcatzo647]

I like lime and orange, they go really well together, so it's like really bold of you to say "i hate that" while being a slug with a orange and green color palette

[@PhobosDDeimos]

Oh man, you are pushing all the right nostalgia-buttons here! Especially the last segment about the change in pieces. I really enjoy the anesthetic of the 90s sets where there were no round slopes, just straight bevels. These limitations spawned so much creativity, for me as a child as well as for the designers of these sets themselves. Such a good time!

[@RRSlugger]

Totally! Angular Lego is my favourite kind of Lego.

[@davydigger708]

Yep! These standard pieces were so much more usable when building MOCs than all the odd-shaped pieces today.

[@funybrit9376]

Holy crap! I wasn't even born yet when this theme came out. To my surprise I have fond memories of this exact set... well a jumbled dismantled version that is. I never realized that base plate was this set, and that huge 12x24 brick too. I never new what to build with such a huge brick. That light up laser canon I remember too. I loved that piece. Rock Raiders was the theme my older brother loved, and he passed a little down to me... I never new he got most of these sets, considering our financial situation. I never would have guessed he got such an expensive set as the HQ. Most of these pieces are still sitting in bins and storage to this day. I think I should take some time to go through our massive collection of LEGO bricks.

[@christhepotato]

Hey! Did you dig them out yet?!

[@LegoSonicBoy]

I don't even care that only part of the Power Station is represented here, or that most of the space ends up unused, or even that Chief isn't included (I try to rationalize this as Chief staying on the LMS Explorer as opposed to joining the rest in Planet U); this has been my most wanted set of all time, undisputed for 23 years, and with good reason. I always knew there were screws embedded deep within the Rock Monster but never wanted to try and get into it, so I'm glad others did the surgical work for the rest of us. I have my LEGO Arctic display right next to my Rock Raiders display, albeit just the one big set, 6575 Polar Base. Still a pretty substantial display just on its own. With regard to the Mining Laser, the video game seems to agree with the building instructions, so that's what I'll be going with. Maybe someday I'll BrickLink some extra pieces, flesh out the Power Station and make a couple of other structures like the Support Station and Tool Store and vehicles like the Tunnel Scout, but that can wait. I didn't even realize the bucket at the central structure automatically unloads at the end via gravity - I always assumed it had to be unloaded by hand. This though, is super cool. I agree that the set should've included a Hover Scout instead as well, though the variety is as you said welcome. I've watched this deep dive video so many times and the Small Transport Truck soundbite cracks me up every single time, it never gets old. These alternate builds are amazing! Best of all? Today is the last day of my life I don't own the Rock Raiders HQ - tomorrow I'm picking up a sealed box from the only local seller here, and it's in amazing condition (I was *not* going to settle for a used copy as complete sets don't save all that much, and incomplete sets are a pain to finish due to having to source parts from many international sellers - and I really, really wanted nothing short of a complete and proper experience of a brand new set for *the* most important set to me). I actually wrote you on Instagram wanting to ask if you'd think it was worth the asking price but I don't think you've seen it. I went ahead with it as I thought it was a great price given current market rates excluding outliers. I cannot wait. Between this, and getting 21331 Sonic the Hedgehog the day before I turned 30 (my LEGO persona has been going by this handle since club.LEGO.com in 2001), this has already been the most exciting and fulfilling year of my life as a LEGO fan by a mile. This sealed copy has been for sale for a number of years, but I skipped it the first time I saw it to prioritize more essential expenses; thanks to your channel, I'm finally springing for it. Thank you, Slugger! All that's left are the Tunnel Transport and Hover Scout...

[@RRSlugger]

Such a great comment - thank you again for engaging with the channel! I'm so happy to hear that you are finally getting the set of your dreams! Another white whale has been caught. :) I must say that a pit formed in my stomach when I started reading "Today is the last day of my life..." thank goodness for the rest of that sentence, lol! Sorry for missing your message on Instagram - I really do need to check that more frequently... If you do end up taking any pictures during your unboxing, I'd love to see them!

[@LegoSonicBoy]

@@RRSlugger Hahahahaha I had a feeling that was gonna happen but I wanted to be dramatic about it and couldn't think of a better way to phrase it 🤣 I'll be sure to send pics!

[@bricksterstudios1015]

Just subbed and binged this entire series. You have done such an amazing job bringing a much needed change in Lego reviewing. I hope you get more eyes on this channel. BTW are you planning on doing a review of the comic books that came in these sets?

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! There's plenty more to come on the horizon too, so hopefully you'll have more to binge soon! I love the comic books that came with the sets - trouble is, I don't have a scanner nor a complete collection of the books themselves. I would love for them to be preserved in some way, but I actually think there are people better equipped to do so in the Rock Raiders community.

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

Truly is a shame that Chief only released in a polybag that's now super rare and expensive. Rock Raiders came and went while I was still an infant but these videos (and its teal bricks) really have made me come to appreciate it and wish I could get in on collecting, but Chief is way too much. Maybe I'll just make my own "expy" of Chief using some other minifigure parts. Different colour arm, different torso, different old man head, but same general feeling.

[@DrTarte]

Well this was a bittersweet trip down memory lane. Nostalgia is such an odd flavor, but not entirely unpleasant. These were some of the first Lego sets I ever got to build, energy crystals and rock monsters, and I think I remember one of the video games too.

[@nihili4196]

Also, now that i have finally substantial amount of Rock Raiders sets to study, when comparing them with Power Miners sets, the philosophy behind color distribution is seemingly the same. Turquoise and green are primarily used for sets themselves when yellow and Orange are mostly centered around interactive things like tool holders, warning signs, ladders, and such in case of RR, while also serving as secondary primary color, while Orange Is used as play function parts in PM sets. So I would argue that color distribution in PM is more refined version of that used by RR. But where PM fails where RR succeed is implementation of background colors. both use variation of Gray Dark Gray and Black, but where Rock Raiders had vehicles mostly in those neutral colors, PM had them used in places barely visible, which made them look less like heavy duty machines, and more like colorful toys In summary, I believe that even though PM was using colors in more creative way, RR had mastered the usage of background colors, which made primary colors pop better, while limiting them enough to make sure they won't overpower anything.

[@RRSlugger]

Absolutely! I've had it on the backburner for a while, but I've been gearing up to make a MOC that "fixes" the PM colour distribution by making it mirror RR more; not changing the colours, but changing how they were utilized, like you said. 👍

[@EmeraldCoasttt]

Boxes with flaps actually did exist for quite a while after rock raiders (notably, in my childhood police station 7744 from 2008), but the viewing windows did end in the early 2000's

[@RRSlugger]

Cool! I did not know that!

[@davydigger708]

@@RRSlugger My City 7632 Crawler Crane set from 2009 (I got it for my 5th birthday) had a box with a top flap like that.

[@maniac4bricks_more629]

17:03 I may have watched all these episodes in a single day, but it was such a joy to revisit the theme in full and alternate models AND modification tips. This point right here, in the music, always sounded like the game saying "Rock Raiders" to me, and gives a warm ending to the retail set retrospective.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤️ I thought it would be a fitting end to the retail sets aspect of the Retrospective.

[@roddlez]

It seems like the days of LEGO inventing a subtheme (lasting a year or so) within an overarching theme (that spans multiple years) is gone. It's really appealing to collect this sort of theme with several subthemes. RR's underappreciated, unique feature is that it seems to play well with both space and adventure themes. Anyway, as great as Star Wars LEGO has been, TLG's reliance on 3rd party IP (Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Marvel/DC) for sales has really put a dent on excellent LEGO-designed space, fantasy, and adventure themes. (That said, the longevities of the Ninjago and Friends themes are impressive.) Really appreciate all the work you've put into this series. Big kudos on completing it!

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! I agree - there was something so nice about just getting a tiny little subtheme every now and then; it made those sets feel like a unique idea and not just another tumour on the growth of "City", and it also made it easier to collect them. Themes like "Divers" or "Outback" have dedicated collectors; I'm not sure "that City space theme from that one year" is going to have the same sort of legacy.

[@roddlez]

@@RRSlugger Now that you mention City, you're right in that TLG has been doing subthemes for City. Stuntz thing going on nowand then yeah, the space, divers, and wildlife themes. Guess you could even consider trains a subtheme. I suppose I am most interested in imaginative builds or outstanding building experiences, where City is typically simplistic builds of mundane buildings from ... a city (sorry to 💩 on a beloved theme). Like if they could take the best parts of Ninjago DNA and apply that to a space, pirate, or an adventure theme, man that would be amazing. While Ninjago has become a juggernaut (and controversial among collectors), most of the sets are wonderful to build and play with. IDK. There must be a reason beyond nostalgia that so many fans seek out content about retired themes.

[@apostolodipadova2420]

color pattern of Rock Raiders goes crazy...the green transparent fluo was amazing, so were the monsters and the sort of militaristic/engineering theme. Loved the videogame. Great memories, lucky we were able to enjoy this lego era of creativity without these licenced marketing themes....

[@DYrahcaz91]

Throughly enjoyed this series! And not just for the nostalga - great production quality and awesome insights. Looking forward to whatever you do next!

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! There will still be Rock Raiders content here, but I too am looking forward to dipping into other themes as well.

[@PhobosDDeimos]

@@RRSlugger I'm hoping for more 90s sets 💛

[@Aondeug]

This is funnily going to be my first set from the after market. I already know I love the line as I grew up with it and this was like The Set I Wanted Most. My mother never got it for me for obvious reasons. 80 dollars in 1999 money is a lot! But now I can finally get an HQ of my own and have my rock raiders battle off Blacktron and mandalorians.

[@elifdot]

It is an insult that you only got 135 subs, for 9 months of high quality reviews and content, with such a unique and intresting lego line...

[@RRSlugger]

I like a nice close-knit channel, personally. A thousand subscribers is not a goal of mine, though it is probably inevitable eventually, haha. The subscriber count isn't everything - I don't mind this channel being one of KZbin's better kept secrets. :)

[@RRSlugger]

Well this comment didn't age well, haha 😅

[@elifdot]

@@RRSlugger oh man, how much changed in just 10 months, I really wish you the best of luck. I haven't really been able to watch the newer videos, but I always come back to the rock raiders stuff. As it just has such a unique asthetic, that fit's so well with your style and personality

[@RRSlugger]

@@elifdot Thank you! We’ll always have Rock Raiders! 😊

[@realnerdethan]

Today, 25 years since its release, I finally got my own 4990. It has been my white whale since I was 9 years old and I couldn't be happier 😄

[@RRSlugger]

Congratulations!! ❤️

[@narvaliuscore9094]

it would be cool to see something of Spyrius and Ice Planet 2002, those subthemes are so underrated :(

[@RRSlugger]

Eventually! Hopefully this summer!

[@lbricks7631]

I love that baseplate.

[@mr.borken]

I gotta say it: your channel is awesome. Your videos have such a high quality and even the stop motion scenes are well made and probably took a lot of time. I'm glad that I found this channel and always love the long videos

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤️ I’ve got a few more long ones coming up in February - one of which will probably be over 25 minutes long! 😳

[@mr.borken]

@@RRSlugger I'm excited to watch them when they're uploaded 😁

[@BatFlightBuilds]

This has been a great series, I can't wait to see what you do next!

[@l.d.murphy]

The stop motion animations and overall presentation was still excellent this episode. I would've never known about your technical limitations if you didn't admit it, so good job working around them. If the Chief were to have been in any of the sets you'd think it would have been in this one. Seriously, what was up with that? However, it's good that the Rock Monster got into more than one set (even if it is dwarfed the HQ). Cracking one open to see what's on the inside never crossed my mind before, so that was really interesting! Collecting the different colors of fillings is truly next level Rock Raiders fandom, you have my respect (and slight concern lol). You've mentioned DDI's close involvement with the LEGO team during the creation of the Rock Raiders sets many times in past videos. Could you share your sources on that? I'd love to learn more about it. While it's understandable that they couldn't fit it, I still can't shake the feeling that the miniature power station in this set looks a bit pathetic in comparison to the one in the game. Oh and excellent catch on the power laser support piece by the way! Y'know, I wasn't all that interested in this set as a kid (I've always been more into vehicles, ships, and such over building sets), but after watching your video I know I would have had a blast playing with it. The play factor is superb with how much you can do with the HQ. It certainly deserves its place as the centerpiece set of the line. The alt builds are all fascinating for this set too. I really enjoy how they creatively explore the theme in plenty of new directions. This wonderful creativity leads me to believe that the designers were just as passionate about Rock Raiders as we are. Once again I'll bemoan the fact that we don't live in the alternate reality where Rock Raiders was a hit and we got many more waves that took the line even further. Belly aching aside though, I appreciated your thoughts on Rock Raider's place in history, well said.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! DDI's involvement in the LRR design process is a fairly recent revelation - I believe it was September of 2020 where a number of old hard drives that used to belong to DDI were recovered. Most of what we know about the behind the scenes process of creating Rock Raiders comes from those drives. It's tough to share one solid source though, as the people working on this are *still* going through it and redacting personal info and such from the files, but portions have been drip fed into the RRU and Manic Miners Discord servers... if you scroll back to 2020 and move on from there. :P There is a new Discord server called the "Lego Research Realm" that has most/all of this info organized in one place though, so that would be my recommendation on where to go!

[@waterwallets]

Inspirational! Love that UFO satellite dish! :D

[@AClassicBrick]

This video is unsurprisingly a pillar of strenght. Your best one yet and thats really sayin something! I don't own the HQ yet but one day I would like to get my hands on it. I would like to add a labratory or maybe just a crew quarters in the empty space under the middle section of the HQ. Also Im a big fan of the raised baseplates. Fun fact: The same design of raised plate was used in 5986 Amazon Ancient Ruins (among a few other sets) however for the adventurers jungle temple they didn't use the big brick in the middle to stabilize the model, leading to the set being downright scary to pick up and carry. You really feel how the weight is put on the right side of the plate and a bit on the left, but lacking any sort of sttability in the middle. I'm btw also very excited about whatever comes next on this channel. I don't necessarily would care too much about modern day sets, but from what you've shown, it seems like you'll be sticking with 90s and early 2000s for now, which I really like! Honestly with you video quality you could very well at some point match Trikbrix! (which is a high compliment to make, as he makes other LEGO youtubers usually pale in comparison)

[@RRSlugger]

Well that is quite the compliment! Trikbrix is the whole reason this channel exists - Jamie showed the world how it's done! :) I can only imagine hoe wiggly the baseplate would be without that centre brick giving it support - yikes! There will occasionally be the odd modern set mentioned on this channel, but I have zero desire to talk about "leaks and rumours" and that kind of stuff. No thanks.

[@AClassicBrick]

@@RRSlugger Yeah and perhaps he shall return one day. But I think the classic LEGO Set reviews on KZbin are in good hands on your channel! There are only few youtubers that take a close look at these old sets. Hehe yeah, I am so scared that one day I will break the baseplate of my 5986 and given how rare that set is, that is gonna be an expensive day 😀 Which modern themes or sets do you like/collect? I really enjoy Barracuda Bay and the Blacksmith Shop as well as the Treehouse. Other then that it is the occasional new animal mould I like. Yeah there are truly enough other channels covering leaks and rumours.

[@RRSlugger]

@@AClassicBrick For as much as I love these old sets, Barracuda Bay is hands down the best Lego set I’ve ever had the pleasure of building - such a treat! I haven’t really started “collecting” any modern themes, but there have been some cool sets; I’ve snagged a few from Hidden Side, Minecraft, and 18+. Not to mention some of the brilliant 3 in 1s out there!

[@AClassicBrick]

@@RRSlugger Yeah I agree, Barracuda Bay is fantastic. I own most of the classic LEGO Pirates sets from 1989 - 1997 (though the original Black Seas Barracuda is still on my "to get"-list) and Barracuda Bay dwarfes nearly all of them. However for some reason I still prefer my classic asthetic. And when it comes to my favourite LEGO Pirates Set 6286 Skull's Eye Schooner is it, I have to agree with Jamie there 😀 I get the occasional modern 10 bucks set and am lucky enough that I write classic reviews on a LEGO Blog that is part of the LAN, so every now and then LEGO sends me a set to review. So not much modern stuff, but I find Jurassic World interesting... I mean I don't really need any of the sets, but the dinosaurs... I would love to get these. Btw when you do the alternate builds, do you take apart your set or do you own multiple copies to have all the builds at once?

[@RRSlugger]

@@AClassicBrick That's awesome! I don't have any of the old ships sadly, and I don't have any plan on getting them to be honest - I think Barracuda Bay filled the pirate sized hole in my heart nicely, haha. That must be a lot of fun writing for a Lego blog! I have aspirations of doing that one day, but it might be one of those "but when would I find the time" sort of things. For the alternate builds, I usually have one or two extra copies of the set that I use for those segments. I like to keep one original stock model on hand, plus my modified model, just in case I need some pickup shots - I use the rest of my sets/pieces to make the alt builds. I liked some of them so much, that I just kept them together after the episode!

[@dweep9546]

Been binging your videos - the production quality is insanely high, definitely the best lego-related channel I have ever seen. Would love to see you expand into other vintage Lego themes.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤️️ I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the back catalogue!

[@empatheticrambo4890]

Where did you get the ice monster? Painted? 3D printed?

[@RRSlugger]

Disassembled and spray painted! The monster we see disassembled in the video is the same one that later got painted. :)

[@empatheticrambo4890]

@@RRSlugger you should makea guide!

[@empatheticrambo4890]

@@RRSlugger 6 Months later and I bought a dinged up Rock Monster that I think would make a good Ice Monster. Do you have any advice about shades of white to make an Ice Monster? How many coats did you use? (i'm not much of a Spray Painter myself...thought I'd try to pick your brain)

[@RRSlugger]

@@empatheticrambo4890 Awesome! I posted all the details of my attempt over on my Instagram: instagram.com/p/CVI14jrJkRw/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= Let me know if the link doesn’t work and I can copy and paste here. 😊

[@YourFoxFriendYT]

I miss the old stuff, I hate how they have stopped making these amazing themes, I think the new icon sets are showing they’re willing to do this.

[@christianschiener8483]

Thank you, just thank you for your amazing work. This is so amazingly inspiring and I am just sitting here smiling over your awesome videos. I haven't felt this much joy in a long time. Greetings and thank you once again. You are amazing :)

[@RRSlugger]

Thank YOU! I’m happy to share my love of Lego with so many people. Thank you for checking out the videos! ❤️

[@Tomarrak]

Just got this and the tunnel transport, using these videos to piece them together, thank you 🎉

[@Tomarrak]

I love your videos!! This one was especially hard as a rock for me to watch, because I used to stare for hours on end in the lego magazines, fantasizing about having so many cool adventures with these toys. Sadly I never did get any 😭😭😭 But it is so nice going down memory lane with this vid, thank you.

[@modman287]

4:23 I've been trying to find a better image or even instructions on how to build this base, but so far no luck. This is the best picture I've seen of it

[@RRSlugger]

Someone in RRU rebuilt it in Studio - I’ll send you the images over Discord. 👍

[@n_ex13]

2:53 the modular system actually did make something of a return. The Modular Hogwart sets from 2021-2023 were designed to work with the old hogwarts system from 2001/02 and by extension the base plates

[@RRSlugger]

Were they actually?? That's awesome!

[@empatheticrambo4890]

I absolutely agree with your take on Power Miners. I got a number of those sets out of desire to relive Rock Raiders but it definitely does NOT work as well Very excited to see you expand on other themes!

[@Cronp_]

(Video idea) what if you made a tutorial to make those rock designs that you use in the stop motions

[@RRSlugger]

Definitely something I could look at doing over the summer! 😊

[@EmeraldCoasttt]

This was worth the wait, excellent video as always That block raiders gag at the final thoughts was the cherry on top

[@Frog_Anarchy]

man sparks and jet was my favorite minfigs to play with as a kid.

[@hulaj__dusza]

I can't describe how much of a fantastic feeling it was discovering your channel, I adore obscure and forgotten Lego themes, to be honest I never really was fan of Rock Raiders until I saw your videos, I found the builds too messy and the color palette was too chaotic, but now, I just love the industrial feel of the veichles in this theme and the colors feel extremly appealing, especially the teal accents. Your videos are terrific, the amount of detail and effort put into them is top-notch, the stop motion segments are my favorite, you have a lot of talent and the atmosphere of these videos is extremly nostalgic and fascinating, the music you add is really nice, is it from the Rock Raiders video game? Anyway, I can't wait to get into your next videos, thank you, they really mean a lot to me as a Lego maniac.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! I’m glad I could inspire some appreciation for the theme! 😊 I create all the music on my channel for my videos, actually. You can listen to or download it all for free on my Bandcamp page! (If it’s not linked in this video description, it’ll be in one of my more recent videos!)

[@arealhumanbeing4651]

You really did went deep with that Rock Monster!

[@bugfighter5949]

Your music goes hard

[@googleuser3163]

Awesome video as always. It's an interesting set. What we do get is phenomenal but I can't help but feel it's a little... empty. The addition of a control/coms centre and maybe a small mess area, as well as the Chief minifig would have made this a top 10 all-time set for me, but even as-is it still gets a solid 8/10 from me!

[@gmont28]

It was such an awesome game, i hope the remake will be on mac someday

[@WarpigA23]

Rock Raiders is one of my favorite Lego themes, and I've been building since 1973- no Dark Age. I never disassembled my rock monsters because I was afraid I might not he able to reassemble them. Now I have to do it! I have all the regular RR sets except the minifig set, because I had all the minifigs- why buy more? (facepalm IDIOT!) I never noticed the shorter studs on the monorail stanchion parts- and I have all the monorail sets! I'd love a RR reboot with the new red-brown and greys.I'd use the new Vibrant Yellow in place of Bright Yellow. 4980 Tunnel Transport is tied with 6989 Mega Core Magnetizer as my favorite LEGO sets. Thank you for your videos!!!

[@RRSlugger]

That’s awesome Kurt! Thanks for checking out the channel! 😊

[@elifdot]

Great video, I'm excited for the future of this channel

[@Autisticguywithacamera]

16:12 that radar dish looks exactly like the one from the intro to the game, awesome. Any plans for making video compilations of the stop-motion segments or just showing off your mocs like this?

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! I don't really have plans for that, but I could maybe see that happening on my second channel one day.

[@Indianadixon]

It’s been a great series! Can’t wait for what’s next!

[@imahaloguy]

Both hype and bittersweet. I have really enjoyed this series, truly takes me back 23 years to my childhood. I must say, seeing that the Upgrade Station was originally going to feature magnets gets me thinking. What if more sets/PC builds we’re modified to be compatible with magnets like the TT and SD… are the magnets strong enough to lift other vehicles? Like the SMLC or RR?

[@RRSlugger]

Ice Planet and M-Tron definitely show us that there is a lot of potential in integrating a magnet system, so who knows! RR might be another place where magnets could be used to good effect.

[@nick11crafter]

SMLC = Small Magnetic Laser Cutter Could've been interesting

[@davydigger708]

After 10 years of wanting it - I FINALLY ordered my RR HQ - and get this - IT HAS THE ORIGINAL BOX!!!!!! it's missing like 3 pieces, but it still can be built, and I may try to source those parts later. I can't wait for it to arrive... 😆😆😆😁😁😁😂😂😂

[@RRSlugger]

Excited for you!! ❤️

[@maniac4bricks_more629]

2:22 I had no idea there were that many colors inside Rock Monsters! Is there any risk damaging parts while opening them?

[@RRSlugger]

Stripping the screws would be my only worry - they’re in there tight!

[@WackoMcGoose]

16:21 I don't know why, but I suddenly want to have my next Minecraft build be something Rock Raidery. Also I still have my 4990 box somewhere, it's packed to the brim with all my instruction manuals! Surprisingly heavy, actually.

[@maniac4bricks_more629]

6:48 I was expecting an "ACTION STATIONS!" sound effect here, or even "A LANDSLIDE HAS OCCURRED" when the laser topples over.

[@RRSlugger]

That would have been a good idea! Haha, wish I’d thought of that.

[@Arcaxon]

Yuuuppp dollarama really doesn't make those cardboard things big enough for this massive set! ;w; But I have been LOVING your episodes, I'm watching all your videos from bottom to top right now! Fantastic work

[@eveadam9710]

One of the best sets until today!

[@OrbitalLizardStudios]

your stop motion is always a treat

[@arminxvs3372]

Remember when LEGO had alternate builds in every set? *Pepperidge Farm remembers

[@MommyMilkerMotorBoater]

I got this set for my seventh birthday. I was over the moon.

[@n_ex13]

I would love a reintroduction of the raised baseplate or maybe something similar maybe with the surface of the big rock pieces ,split into four equal pieces and raised to modern standards of baseplates Would be slightly more consistent with all other lego

[@arcblooper2699]

Just parted this set out on Bricklink, so excited! Granite Grinder and Tunnel Transport are next (and last)

[@RRSlugger]

Awesome! That’s the way to do it, to be honest. 😊

[@arcblooper2699]

@@RRSlugger Maybe, but unfortunately shipping has added up. I’m still new to this though, this is the first set I parted out, I used to just buy them used but in recent years the cost has just gotten so bad.

[@craigbikes8831]

Your videos are incredible bro

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤️

[@maniac4bricks_more629]

3:50 and such good set dressings they are 😍

[@theChain120]

13:47 I remember quite well that later sets, for instance 2001s Life on Mars Alien HQ, still used these sloped beam supports, still in old dark gray, so it can't be a final appearance, can it? Or was it another slight mould variation?

[@RRSlugger]

Ah, but this piece is in old *light* grey! You're not wrong about Life on Mars using a ton of these in old dark grey though - I think there's something like 22 of them in the Aero Tube Hangar set! 😮

[@theChain120]

I guess the lighting made it seem darker to me. Thanks for clearing that up! 👍

[@viktorjakobsson]

I´ve truly enjoyed this series to the fullest, Rock Raiders will always be one of (if not my absolute) favorite theme from Lego. If you had the chance to make videos of models made from the game that didn´t make it into production it would be really cool. P.S 10 years ago I made a lego-version of the in-game "Large Mobile Laser Cutter" and still have it stored intact.

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! Videos for the in game models (vehicles + buildings) are definitely coming, but there are a few things happening first before I get there. Plenty of Rock Raiders stuff to come!

[@viktorjakobsson]

@@RRSlugger Some other classic space-themes would be really cool as well. If I may throw in a wish it would fun to see some Ice Planet stuff for sure!

[@Fake-xe6vs]

Hey! Where can I find more renders of older designs like in 4:14? Thanks!

[@RRSlugger]

You'll need to check out the links featured within the LEGO Research Realm Discord server - there should be a link to it in the description!

[@Chocoboranger]

Man i want a new rock raider reboot. The lost underground mining theme was just too cool

[@Crazy-Drokon]

The Ice monster did appear in the lego world, but only in the videogame Lego Racers 2. Berg, white-recolored rock monster is a boss in the arctic world.

[@RRSlugger]

Yessss! Love playing Lego Racers 2 when I was young though I'm almost certain it won't hold up to my memory of it, haha 😅

[@nyx_jupiter-trash]

Ultra rare clear green rock monster internals 👌

[@MegaIorex]

What are those trans bright green pentagonal tiles in the background at 9:41? They look like something that came nexo knights originally and it looks like you're using them as signs?

[@RRSlugger]

Yup, you nailed it! They’re NEXO Knight shield powers and I picked two that were relevant to Rock Raiders - the dynamite and slug ones. 😊 I use them as signs to show where to get equipment to deal with slugs and to blow up rock walls.

[@Lordodragonss]

Hey thanks to randomg guy in Jang's video I stumbled across your reviews! JEEZ How much love you put in them! I ADORE IT! I really hope you will continue and dig deeper reviewing other underground/mining themeslike that! SUB for you!

[@RRSlugger]

A random guy on Jang's video was talking about Slugger?? Cool! Thank you for the compliment and the sub! Lot's of Rock Raiders stuff still to come and then... who knows! :)

[@Lordodragonss]

@@RRSlugger Keep up good work!

[@ItsMotionTime2]

I had this set, and it was the only large baseplate that ever broke for me. The canyon bit ripped at the corner all the way through. Granted, I wasn’t careful with it. As a kid I wasn’t careful with any of my Lego stuff, but nothing else had ever broken lol

[@RRSlugger]

Honestly, I totally get it; this must have been a common fate for these baseplates. 💀

[@TH3HY3N4]

This series has been an absolute joy, you made me fall in love with the theme and I'm afraid how much money I will be spending on bricklink soon. :D Really hope you will make more of this for different lego themes! Also I absolutely LOVE your music, it reminds me a lot of Frank Klepacki and mainly his work on Command and Conquer games, do you know of his work or perhaps were you even inspired by it? :)

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you for the kind words, though I do fear for your wallet now! I feel like I may have missed my calling making music for 90's computer games, haha, oh well - again, thank you for the compliment!

[@mikepro3566]

How did you get the white rock monster?

[@RRSlugger]

Disassembled it and spray painted it!

[@nocontextlol]

Its so sad to look back and see that only three of the Rock Raiders colors remain. It feels like it's going extinct in A sad sort of way.

[@eddierools]

Still super stoked that I managed to pick up this set. I have ALWAYS been a fan of Rock Raiders ever since getting the PC game back in 1999, but never had a chance to get any of the sets as they never seemed to be available in my area in stores, and by the time I could've convinced my parents to get me any (was 8-9 years old at the time) the series had already been retired. Only in recent times have I actually thought about trying to collect the series and the Rock Raiders HQ definitely does not disappoint. There are times that I do wish I hadn't waited so long to start collecting with how expensive these sets have gotten, but I do not regret beginning to fulfill a childhood dream of mine, thanks for the video Slugger! On a separate note, here's an interesting thing to think about. Do you think some of the Power Miners sets have the potential to be re-worked to fit more in line with the Rock Raiders? Like sets that could have been if Rock Raiders received more waves.

[@RRSlugger]

Hey Eddie! I’m glad you were finally able to get your hands on the Rock Raiders HQ! ❤️ I definitely think that a few vehicles in the first wave of Power Miners have play functions that would have been right at home in Rock Raiders, such as the Claw Digger and Thunder Driller. The aesthetic however is another story - besides significant recolouring, all the curvy pieces on Power Miners sets would stick out like a sore thumb in the world of Rock Raiders where everything was angular. I think it could be done, but it would take some work. 😊

[@davydigger708]

@@RRSlugger I think the Cave Crusher from Power Miners would be VERY cool to see in Rock Raiders form - I think the six large black wheels from the M:Tron Mega Core Magnetizer would make great wheels for it!

[@Average_Communist]

It’s wild that he says he won’t be able to do the box slide and then promptly does the box slide.

[@RRSlugger]

Haha, with some difficulty though! 😅

[@Average_Communist]

@@RRSlugger actual legend

[@Froggy_Shade]

I'm guessing this has already been pointed out, but trans neon orange is also now a retired color unfortunately :( Great video though, just found your channel and am loving your content so far!

[@RRSlugger]

Thank you! ❤ Yes, sadly I made a video on that topic too... It's always tough to see a legacy colour culled like that. 😟

[@Froggy_Shade]

@@RRSlugger Yeah, it's really sad, especially because it was a really good color that we got some of the coolest color schemes out of.

[@Lavender_Fox]

I do wonder if you plan to eventually do a retrospective on power miners itself. Maybe it's my bias, but I feel it's a lot more then you see it as, and possibly one of the last feature over flatter styles of sets, using less pieces to make fun play features.

[@RRSlugger]

I have three of the sets from the first wave - I do plan on talking about them in more detail at some point, but I don’t have any plans of buying more sets from that theme. 😊

[@Lavender_Fox]

@@RRSlugger unfortunate, but understandable. they ask a high price on the aftermarket. if you have any questions i'd be happy to help!

[@nihili4196]

I just got that set. And I feel like the only customisation it really needs is... Brick built base. I've already ordered bunch of different BURPs, and I'll most likely just put bunch of slopes on them to give them some variety in looks As much as I like base plate, it looks flat, and personally I feel like it flattens overall neat set. At least to me. That and well... I want to expand modules to make them look like they look in game, which is hard to do with original plate

[@RRSlugger]

I'd love to see what you come up with! A BURP base sounds very intriguing. Feel free to send pictures to my email when you've got it made! [e-mail]

[@nihili4196]

@@RRSlugger it'll most likely take a while since since not only few of my orders will take a bit longer since it's still vacation time (absolutely understandable and I have no problem with that) but also it seems like I've kinda miscalculated how big I wanted it to be since.... It's HQ, so it would be nice if at least most of the vehicle were able to fit through the entrance. But when I'll be done I'll surely send you some pictures! I could send you few parts that are more or less finished, but it doesn't exactly look pretty on its own.

[@12...]

well obviously the laser would flop around if it doesn't have batteries in it, it doesn't have any power ! realistic play feature !

[@SixArmedSweater]

After Time Cruisers, I’d love to see your take on the Adventurers theme.

[@RRSlugger]

There have been a lot of requests for Adventurers! 😊 Adventurers is a tough one though because I don’t have a ton of them and they are much more expensive to collect than one might think… if I were to do it, it would probably just be for the Orient Expedition wave as a friend of mine and I had *all* of the sets.

[@SixArmedSweater]

@@RRSlugger Entirely fair. 💕

[@Azrel00]

If I had this set back in the day. I would've played the living studs out of it.

[@wesleymarkhardwick8530]

ROCK RAIDERS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ POWER MINERS ⭐

[@jonaszprzybycien6545]

lookin at the current prices, this set held its value the most out of the RR series

[@bluestargaming161]

Nice video

[@JamesOliverLindsey]

as someone a little younger or didnt have access to. is the music thats been playing throughout this series from the game?

[@RRSlugger]

The music in my videos is actually stuff that I write and record. It’s all available for free on my band camp page which is usually linked in the video description. 😊

[@JamesOliverLindsey]

@@RRSlugger I think a video on that would be pretty awesome! thats super cool! Ive played around with 1BitDragon a bit and plan to upgrade once other projects settle down :)

[@RRSlugger]

@@JamesOliverLindsey I actually did one on all of the Rock Raiders music I made a while back and plan to do the same for the Time Cruisers/Adventurers music too!

[@GLADIATORBRICKSPRODUCTIONS]

some of the first big figs were from this same theme

[@AnUnearthlyGay]

Cool video but now I have to collect every Rock Monster filling.

[@Oscar-ek2jx]

Im confused at the lego brick stylised with the minecraft grass at the end. Is it a jab at lego minecraft?

[@RRSlugger]

It is a very real (almost) thing called Rock Raiders 2: The BLock Raiders. 😅 Maybe a video topic for another day…

[@ozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Omg i have that Mountain base plate or at least one of them I always thought it was fake wonder if it's worth anything

[@ozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Not a thing its snaped in half

[@ozzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Heart woooo

[@ElkProductionGaming]

Magikarps peak gameplay in the Pokémon series: 6:48

[@YourFoxFriendYT]

What’s weird is that data design interactive was a shovelware company so it was odd they designed this set with Lego.

[@RRSlugger]

Granted, this was *before* they were a shovelware company. 😉

[@hylje]

Shovelware developers are often perfectly serious, creative companies with great people working there. There’s not really enough money around for everyone in the industry to make big budget big games.

[@Yonatan_Max]

Please can you do a videp make a brick built scale version of the rock monster? Maybe this way you can have a white one! I always wanted a crossover with Ice Planet and Rock Raiders. Maybe they're underground in an ice cave and breakthrough a wall to find the Ice Planet people behind it?

[@RRSlugger]

I would love to take on a challenge like that; however, I feel like the pieces needed are not available in the old Brown colour and I have very little (nearly none) of the new Reddish Brown colour. Mixing the two is completely out of the question, for me. You do raise a good point about making it an *ice* monster - that way I could use modern white bricks, no problem. I wonder if Mixel joints would be needed for the limbs? 🤔

[@Jkrocsko]

15:48. OH NO I JUST CAME FROM THE TRANSNEON GREEN VIDEO AHH

[@beartraptree]

The new greys + brown just don't, um, rock the same, and I think Rock Raiders shows this perhaps more than any other line.

[@matanuistoryteller3414]

An idea for another series: Vehicle upgrades from the videogame

[@RRSlugger]

A whole other can of worms! 😅 Eventually, yes. 👍

[@Slaymisi]

someone should remake rock raiders in modern lego style

[@RoninCatholic]

Too bad we didn't get molded rock planet slugs, given the game was being developed concurrently with the sets. Or a simple brick-built creature, like a 2x4 dark turquoise brick, a 2x2 dark turquoise slope, and a pair of white levers with dark turquoise bases to act as the eyestalks.

[@VestedUTuber]

"Rather than dredged up for a sequel" _Shows 'Block Raiders' Minecraft Dirt Block LEGO Brick_ Yeah, that was... a thing...

[@RRSlugger]

It certainly was… 😅

[@Thecompanioncrate]

LETS FUCCCCKKKINNGGGG GOOOOOOOOO

[@Thecompanioncrate]

Aww the ending got a little bittersweet there, im glad you have more content, thanks my slugga!

[@RRSlugger]

@@Thecompanioncrate You got it! New stuff coming very soon!

[@ElkProductionGaming]

Bro why is 6:48 so dang funny to me

[@sebastianthomsen2225]

👍🙂

[@sebastianthomsen2225]

@R.R. Slugger thanks for the heart! ❤ :D