When the first LEGO Star Wars video game was released in 2005, one of the game’s most popular play features was the opportunity to assemble a collection of specially crafted mini-scale spaceships, podracers and speeders, which LEGO never released and Tt Games decided against sharing their recipe to build these.
After months of painstaking research and trial-and-error, the original minikits from LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game can now be built in the real world! But first, a history lesson…
In 2002 the first LEGO Star Wars polybag set – 3219 TIE Fighter – was released through a variety of means and quickly saturated the market. Not long after its introduction came the new Mini-Scale subtheme, a range of small-scale, pocket-money sets that became a huge hit due to their low price point and easy displayability.
The sets were easy to assemble using primarily common parts, but a surprisingly large number of special printed elements were created to capture the proper look. Both Prequel Trilogy and Original Trilogy ships got the “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” treatment throughout the next few years.
Picking up on the popularity of the Mini-Scale subtheme, Tt Games incorporated three types of in-game achievements: red power bricks, True Jedi, and the minikit into LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game. The game’s rewards system – especially the minikit – proved to be highly popular and players quickly began to use the minikit milestone as a way to measure their prowess and progress towards the vaunted True Jedi status.
By collecting ten white canisters made from 13 common elements scattered around each level, the player was provided with the virtual pieces to build a Mini-Scale model – dubbed a minikit – of a vehicle that appeared within the level. After finishing the section, all the pieces would be assembled to construct the vehicle, and once it was completed the player was rewarded with a bonus golden brick.
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While some of these speeders and spaceships were rehashes (with minor differences) of ones released in the first two Mini-scale subtheme series, most were (and still are) unique to LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game.
Although sixteen years have passed since the first game was launched, many of the mini-models have still not been released as retail sets and so through this series, we will review each one and provide build notes, an inventory and instructions so that you can rebuild the memories along with us!
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – V wing
The Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter was manufactured for the Republic by the same company that created the Jedi starfighter. This agile ship has been created at System scale with 6205 and 75039…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – ARC Fighter
The Aggressive ReConnaissance-170 starfighter was a multipurpose starfighter used during the Clone Wars and was the predecessor of the X-Wing. Although more commonly called an ARC-170 Starfighter, The Video Game…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Wookiee Cat
The Oevvaor jet catamaran aka Wookiee catamaran was an airspeeder handcrafted from the wood of the wroshyr trees of Kashyyyk. Although it wasn’t built for combat, the Wookiees had to…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Jedi Starfighter (Episode III)
Anakin Skywalker’s yellow Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor was one of his primary vehicles in Revenge of the Sith and was created to replace the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor used during the Clone Wars. This vehicle has…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Emergency Ship
Easily the most obscure minikit of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game is the Emergency Ship. Designed after the emergency firespeeder from Revenge of the Sith, this ship has never…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Drop Ship
The Heavy Missile Platform (HMP) droid gunship was a type of aircraft built by the Geonosians and used throughout the Clone Wars. This ship has been released in System scale…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Solar Sailor
Count Dooku’s Punworcca 116-class interstellar sloop was just one type of solar sailer used during the Clone Wars. These ships were designed to capture stray space energies and convert them…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – AT-TE
The All Terrain Tactical Enforcer (AT-TE) was a six-legged multipurpose military tank that served as one of the Grand Army of the Republic’s main ground vehicles during the Clone Wars….
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Republic Gunship
The Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry (LAAT/i) or simply the Republic Gunship has been under significant focus in the past few months given the release of the 75309 Ultimate Collector Series…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Droideka
The Droideka aka Destroyer Droid was a type of droid used by the Trade Federation during the Prequel Trilogy. This brick-built droid has been made in a variety of minifigure forms which were covered in…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Jedi Starfighter
Obi-wan Kenobi’s Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor was one of his main ships through Attack of the Clones. Commonly referred to as a Jedi starfighter, this model has been included in a…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Zam’s Airspeeder
Zam Wesell – the Clawdite assassin seen in Attack of the Clones – flew a Koro-2 exodrive airspeeder. In its nearly 20 year existence, LEGO has only released the model…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Sith Infiltrator
Although commonly known as the Sith Infiltrator, Darth Maul’s ship was a heavily modified Star Courier called Scimitar. This ship has been realized in numerous forms: System scale – 7151,…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Naboo Starfighter
The Phantom Menace continues to bring us colorful ships, and the N-1 Starfighter aka Naboo Starfighter is one of a few that can boast a LEGO appearance all the way…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Sebulba’s Pod
We could put it to a vote, but I’d wager a bet that the majority would rule podracing as the best part of The Phantom Menace. LEGO has made a…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Royal Starship
Padme’s Nubian starship is one of the most glaring omissions from the LEGO Star Wars universe but for good reason. The first is that the ship is unlikely to be…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Gungan Bongo
Anytime colorful ships are added to the Star Wars universe they are bound to get attention while they stand out from the sea of black and gray that is typical…
Outside Dexter’s Diner: The Video Game Minikits – Republic Cruiser
What better place to start the series off than with the first mission! The Republic Cruiser is the first ship we see from The Phantom Menace, so it is a…
Founder and owner of The Holo-Brick Archives, Kevin Downard maintains and curates the Database Catalog as a collecting resource for all fans and covers new product releases.
Getting in at the ground floor when the LEGO Star Wars theme first launched, Kevin has been collecting ever since. He is a self-proclaimed minifigure guru and has a passion for tracking down and cataloging every minifig variation – no matter how obscure. He has assisted Rebrickable and Bricklink in maintaining their set inventories, helped overhaul the rebelscum.com LEGO forum, and created the LSW Collector mobile app.
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