Random set of the day: Dark Side Developer Kit
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 9754 Dark Side Developer Kit, released in 2000. It's one of 5 Mindstorms sets produced that year. It contains 578 pieces, and its retail price was US$100.
It's owned by 1222 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
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27 comments on this article
A Destroyer Droid, A Vulture Droid, an AAT, an AT-AT, or a thingy, and the thingy is the cover for the Instructions. Okay...
@MCLegoboy:
Regardless which model you build, I’m pretty sure it can wipe the floor with 1610 in a fair fight.
Movie accurate to a T
Mindstorms is a pathway to many abilities that some consider to be...unnatural
@Harmonious_Building said:
"Mindstorms is a pathway to many abilities that some consider to be...unnatural "
Is it possible to learn this power?
@MCLegoboy said:
"A Destroyer Droid, A Vulture Droid, an AAT, an AT-AT, or a thingy, and the thingy is the cover for the Instructions. Okay..."
I’m sorry to say that, rather than being the Thingy, that is in fact the Destroyer Droid on the cover. It looks… bad.
Only one photo for this set? Wow.
@Mr__Thrawn said:
" @MCLegoboy said:
I’m sorry to say that, rather than being the Thingy, that is in fact the Destroyer Droid on the cover. It looks… bad." I just looked through the instructions online, and that is in fact a thingy, the Destroyer Droid is the next level up from it. It goes Thingy, Vulture Droid, Destroyer Droid, AT-AT, AAT, and a Swamp Monster. There area few variations on things they also throw in there to inspire you and that you can swap out on the models with instructions, but this is not the Destroyer Droid.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Harmonious_Building said:
"Mindstorms is a pathway to many abilities that some consider to be...unnatural "
Is it possible to learn this power?"
Not from a Jedi . . .
@MCLegoboy:
That is clearly a Destroyer Droid. It’s just wearing a towel wrapped around its waist on the way to take a shower.
@MCLegoboy said:
" @Mr__Thrawn said:
" @MCLegoboy said:
I’m sorry to say that, rather than being the Thingy, that is in fact the Destroyer Droid on the cover. It looks… bad." I just looked through the instructions online, and that is in fact a thingy, the Destroyer Droid is the next level up from it. It goes Thingy, Vulture Droid, Destroyer Droid, AT-AT, AAT, and a Swamp Monster. There area few variations on things they also throw in there to inspire you and that you can swap out on the models with instructions, but this is not the Destroyer Droid.
"
Ah, so it’s the baby Destroyer Droid
Darth Vader: "You don't know the power of the Dark Side!..."
Luke: "I'm guessing 'Double-A's...maybe a Nine-Volt..."
:D
It's funny how TLG seem to equate: Star Wars + 'Power Functions' (or whatever it's going under at that point...) = $$$...Can't quite say they're wrong, but still not my tea...
Wait, that's a Destroyer Droid? looks more like a Xenomorph cross Kreacher if you ask me. Not even Star Wars!
I got this second hand, is it any good? I have no interest in Star Wars although I was hoping I could use the motor for something useful like powering my Fairground rides or making a working bridge or something.
What brilliant graphic designer decided that having the title of the set appear on top of the photo of the build was the best placement? Put it above or below the photo and don't block the object that we want to see!
@Mr__Thrawn said:
" @MCLegoboy said:
"A Destroyer Droid, A Vulture Droid, an AAT, an AT-AT, or a thingy, and the thingy is the cover for the Instructions. Okay..."
I’m sorry to say that, rather than being the Thingy, that is in fact the Destroyer Droid on the cover. It looks… bad."
Actually the model in the picture is what the instructions call an “L-8GO Navigator”. The Destroyer Droid does look fairly like a Destroyer Droid
This screams dark side, all right.
It'd be great if some of these earlier sets in the database could be updated with better images - so many of them are either the instruction or box art image and nothing else. The box art for this set was much better. Either way this set was an interesting curiosity of the theme from that time, when Lego was still clearly trying to find their feet with the license. I got this for a steal from a closing down sale at the time and had a fun time going through the models.
It'd be another 3 years after this set before we got our first proper walkers with the AT-AT and AT-TE, around the same time that the Star Wars theme 'matured' and the models started to look pretty good overall (when interesting curved and angled pieces started to appear). I remember winning the 'custom of the week' on good old FBTB for an AT-TE, just before they came out, which was very tricky without the specialised joint pieces that came later.
And then in 2007 came the odd hybrid of the two with the awkward looking motorised AT-AT 10178.
And yes, that instruction image is NOT the Destroyer Droid...
I missed commenting on Random set of the day: Stardefender 200
I am sad now.
This looks... awkward. But I can't really comment as during this time I was still (just) in my dark ages, couldn't find that amount of money to spend on anything, and didn't 'get' what Mindstorms was about (I'm still bemused by these kinds of sets now, but that's a me problem, not a Lego problem).
I distinctly remember the box art featuring an AT-AT towering over the Destroyer Droid, making the set seem more impressive than it really is. I still think it's cool. Remember that it was a product of its time; LEGO Star Wars was still in its infancy but they were just about ready to go all out. And boy did it pay off.
This set sucks. I really wanted it when I was younger, IDK why
I'm not sure why people are hating on this set, it was excellent, especially if you consider it was only the second year of the theme. The micro scout was very limited as a controller, but the models were brilliant.
IIRC, the set had multiple instruction manuals - why this, the most basic of them, has been used as the product image is beyond me.
I had this back in the day - then sold it. I only ever built the AT-AT which was good and moving at a reasonable pace. That said, 10178 was significantly better - a bit slower but at least it looked the part.
As far as Lego electronic goes I always cringe when they develop these huge boxes with integrated motors in it - it's bulky and the outputs are rarely in the right location for your models. Separate the controller from the motors, it is much better that way. Lego WeDo and Boost still use this configuration which is always a deal breaker for me. I might not be the target customer but you want to develop a system where young adepts can grow with the product instead of abandoning it because it gets awkward outside of the provided models.
@HOBBES said:
"I had this back in the day - then sold it. I only ever built the AT-AT which was good and moving at a reasonable pace. That said, 10178 was significantly better - a bit slower but at least it looked the part.
As far as Lego electronic goes I always cringe when they develop these huge boxes with integrated motors in it - it's bulky and the outputs are rarely in the right location for your models. Separate the controller from the motors, it is much better that way. Lego WeDo and Boost still use this configuration which is always a deal breaker for me. I might not be the target customer but you want to develop a system where young adepts can grow with the product instead of abandoning it because it gets awkward outside of the provided models. "
Has Lego made a system where the motor(s) and the controller are separate?
@brick_r said:
"
It's funny how TLG seem to equate: Star Wars + 'Power Functions' (or whatever it's going under at that point...) = $$$...Can't quite say they're wrong, but still not my tea..."
It worked for me at the time, when I bought the Droid Developer Kit. I think that a motorized trench run or an Artoo would sell well now.
I have, in my brief time as a commenter, talked about things I really don't know much about or am not the audience for, but I know a lot about Belville and 90s Technic compared to Mindstorms. The era (2000) and the theme (Star Wars) ought to be setting off some sort of nostalgia alarm, but... "I have no memory of this place."
@B_Space_Man:
RCX, NXT, I’m thinking probably EV3 as well...