This weekend, we received a tip that a LEGO CUUSOO proposal for FTL-inspired ships had reached enough support to be officially considered for production (thanks, Rick). OK. Let's back up a little bit, because this bears some explanation.
I'll assume that you're familiar with LEGO building blocks. The CUUSOO project can best be explained by the introductory video below.
Yes. LEGO allows members of the community to submit their builds, but it's more than a gallery. Other users can choose to "support" projects, and if 10,000 people chime in, the LEGO company will consider turning the builds into complete kits for purchase.
You may have seen news last year of the Minecraft set that worked its way through the CUUSOO process (and is now available for purchase). I decided to check out the FTL set (fingers crossed it gets sent into production) and went down the rabbit hole, finding a number of other video game-focused designs.
Here are three that caught my attention.
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker (King of Red Lions, Link, Island with Chu Chus)
You might be aware that there was another set inspired by The Legend of Zelda that was declined for production because of a need for new molds (as opposed to new printings, which are permitted). You can see pictures of that (and a slightly revamped version in the review phase right now) on designer "Ragaru's" website.
There is a more modest set inspired by Wind Waker that needs support right now. Designer "flailx" has chosen to use only standard pieces (though custom Chu Chus would be great). The kit would include, Link, the King of Red Lions (with posable head), and an island.
For more information and to support this set, click here.
Pokémon Brick Version
Unlike The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker set, Pokémon Brick Version is a collection of different pocket monster builds. In addition to the three pictured above (Venusaur, Charizard, Blastoise), there's also MewTwo, Onix, Geodude, Raquaza, and Garchomp. The pitch is sparse on detail, but the builds are fantastic.
You can see high resolution images of designer "Kevinhink's" work on his Flickr page. For more information and to support this project, click here.
Retro Gaming Transforming Robots
These aren't Transformers per se, but designer "vonbrunk" has combined two of my greatest loves: morphing robots and retro gaming. These three robots all look fantastic, with the Gameboy and Game Gear models offering mini-transforming bots in the form of game cartridges.
If you don't want to wait for an official kit, you can check out the Instructables link to learn how to make Domaster, the transforming Game Boy. For more information on the three different transforming retro bots and to support the project, click here.
1.21 Gigawatts
While the tip about the FTL ships brought me to the CUUSOO site, I would be doing a disservice to the process if I didn't share why I got hooked. The Back to the Future movies are some of my favorites, and the Delorean set featured below (convertible to mirror the machine's appearance in each of the three films) comes with Doc Brown, Marty, and the pink Mattel Hoverboard.
Expect pictures once it arrives and I start assembling it.