Is 75297 Resistance X-Wing Fun Or Futile?

With the success of the Space (now called Classic Space) theme came a profusion of simplified parts – usually bulkier than the standard bricks and plates many of us remember from the old days – that were specifically produced for a limited number of models to help younger builders.

Back then the inclusion of these juniorized parts (as they later became known) was greeted with positivity, and LEGO were encouraged to include them in increasing numbers in their other themes. While some parents expressed concern that the inclusion of specialized parts would limit kids’ ability to build outside the box. Regardless, LEGO pressed on and in 1997 added the Town Jr subtheme, a limited range of sets that featured especially simplified building styles and designs, to the Town theme.

Juniourization went big in 2001 when Bionicles was released and reached fruition in 2003 with the introduction of 4 Plus (also known as 4 Juniors and later became Juniors in 2014) and incorporated City, Pirates, and Spider-Man sets. The name of the subtheme was revitalized in 2019 when the subtheme was rebranded 4+ and Star Wars was added to the line-up. Over the last two years five sets, including the new 75297 Resistance X-Wing, have been released to mixed (positive from the target audience and negative from the adult community) reviews.

• Star Wars Turns Four Plus
• 75268 Snowspeeder Reviewed

Not being qualified to judge these sets, we turned the new Resistance X-wing over to our official 4+ tester, Master-builder Ben (who is now a camera-shy 6+ but still keenly into LEGO), to give us his feedback.

75297 Resistance X-Wing

Let youngsters learn to build and role-play with this LEGO® Star Wars™ Resistance X-wing (75297) for ages 4 and up. A simple-to-build version of the starfighter from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, this awesome building toy has wings that fold out for flight and in for landing. The Poe Dameron LEGO minifigure, which comes with a blaster pistol, fits in the X-wing’s opening cockpit and there is space behind for the BB-8 droid LEGO figure.

Instructions PLUS
Check out interactive Instructions PLUS, available in the free LEGO Building Instructions app. It has cool zoom and rotate viewing tools to make building this starfighter even more rewarding for kids.

Welcome to 4+
LEGO Star Wars 4+ buildable toy playsets give younger kids aged 4 and up the best introduction to LEGO building and the Star Wars saga. With Starter Brick bases to help them, they can construct vehicles, buildings and more – on their own, or with assistance from an older sibling or adult – and get playing fast.

• Give younger children a great first experience of LEGO® Star Wars™ with this Resistance X-wing (75297) construction toy, featuring a starter brick chassis for a quick build so the action starts fast.
• The buildable starfighter toy comes with a Poe Dameron LEGO® minifigure with a blaster pistol, plus a BB-8 droid LEGO figure to inspire creative role-play fun.
• The X-wing has an opening cockpit for Poe Dameron, space for BB-8 and wings that fold out for flight mode.
• Easy to build and rebuild after playtime battles, this 60-piece LEGO® Star Wars™ starter set makes the best birthday present, holiday gift or surprise treat for creative kids aged 4 and up.
• This awesome starfighter building toy measures over 1.5 in. (5 cm) high, 6 in. (15 cm) long and 7.5 in. (19 cm) wide, so it can fit easily into a child’s backpack ready for play on the go.
• This is an ideal construction model for young children to attempt to build on their own or with the assistance of an older sibling or adult.
• Make building this starfighter extra exciting for children with Instructions PLUS, available in the free LEGO® Building Instructions app, featuring zoom and rotate viewing tools.
• LEGO® Star Wars™ 4+ building toys give kids a fun-packed introduction to the Star Wars universe, helping them learn to build and develop their creativity through play.
• LEGO® components satisfy the highest industry standards to ensure a consistent, secure connection and robust builds – it’s been that way since 1958.
• LEGO® bricks and pieces are tested to the max to make sure they meet some of the most stringent safety standards on planet Earth – and in galaxies far, far away!

4+	60	130	75297

Please to be part of the process, Ben showed his zeal for LEGO and his Star Wars fandom by getting stuck in – not before having his dad carefully open the box with a sharp blade though.

Dumping the instructions and single bag of 60 bricks on to the floor (the most popular place – then and now – for kids to put their LEGO sets together), Ben tackled the build with gusto. Having assembled all the other sets in the 4+ subtheme already, he knew what he was in for and didn’t waste any time.

Putting the Resistance X-Wing together took him far less time than it took for him to build 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run, which he put down to there being far fewer pieces (it came with an extra minifigure and a rotating turret). Noting the difference in piece count, Ben’s parents quickly calculated that this new set has less than 50% of the pieces that 75235 X-Wing Starfighter Trench Run had (60 versus 132 pieces), but was only 30% cheaper ($19.99 against $29.99).

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Included with the Resistance X-wing is its pilot, Poe Dameron (sw0737) in his leather jacket and fitted with a flight helmet instead of a wavy hair piece, and astromech BB-8 (sw1034). Those wondering what the Aurabesh on Dameron’s helmet (Roæhal) means need ponder no longer because the mystery has been solved.

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Looking back at his comments in the earlier reviews, Ben’s additional two orbits around the Sun has seen changes in his interpretational and building skills, such that his ability to comprehend and follow instructions as well as co-ordination, two tasks he struggled with before, had improved markedly.

His parents put this down in part to his age, as well as the learning and development opportunities that playing with LEGO has provided. If you ask Ben, though, he’ll just say they’re fun, and that’s what matters most because the foundation of LEGO is “play well” after all.

This latest 4+ set is available now at LEGO.com, Amazon (USA/Canada/United Kingdom/Germany/Australia), Target (USA/Australia) and Walmart, and has an MSRP of $19.99.