Listen, Lego has always been cool, but the big success of The Lego Movie has only reminded us all that the brick-building line is more than just a toy -- it’s a way of life! The bottom line is we at IGN love Lego -- always have, probably always will. And while there are so many awesome Lego sets out there, past and present, the following 10 are the Lego sets that truly rocked our world. Imperial Flagship While Lego has been doing pirates since the 1980s -- as well as Pirates (the Johnny Depp kind) more recently -- this beauty is surely the, ahem, flagship of the theme. Like most of the items on this list, the Imperial Flagship makes for a great display piece (assuming you’ve gotten past the whole “I’m too old to play with Lego publicly” thing). It’s also a nice reminder that not all Lego collections need to be based on franchises. 9 Ultimate Collector's Millennium Falcon Look, there are a lot of excellent Star Wars Lego sets, and there are a lot of excellent Star Wars spaceship Lego sets.
Some would say the Star Destroyer should be on this list, or the Super Star Destroyer, or the Imperial Shuttle (sorry Peer!). But in the end, you gotta go with the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon! There have actually been about seven different Lego takes on the Corellian freighter, but the Ultimate Collector's set from 2007 and its 5100-plus pieces takes the prize. It also cost $500 at that time, which makes it the most expensive Lego set (in retail) ever. 8 The Batcave Lego has given us some really nice superhero sets over the years, with the company creating both Marvel and DC collections. But this Batcave set from 2006 is one of the finest examples of this partnership. Also called The Batcave: The Penguin and Mr. Freeze's Invasion, the set features over a thousand pieces, a chamber for Bruce Wayne to magically switch into his bat-costume, a bat-computer station, a vehicle repair bay, and of course several minifigures (good guys and bad). A different Batcave set was released in 2012, though this one remains a favorite if only because it was a nice preview of what the Lego Batman video game would be like two years later.
7 Technic Grand Prix Racer As part of the Technic Lego theme, the Grand Prix Racer -- which came out just last year -- isn’t simply a building set, but also features moving parts and “realistic functions” like independent all-wheel suspension, moving pistons, and steering capabilities. You can also power it up by adding a motor set (sold separately!) to this two-foot long baby, or convert it into a race truck. As for where you can play with this thing, you might need the Technic Mobile Crane to build some roads… 6 Galaxy Explorer Spaceship! While Benny “the 1980-something space guy” from The Lego Movie finally did get to build his ultimate spaceship during that film’s climax, for those of us who were around way back when, the original version of that vehicle still holds fond memories. The Galaxy Explorer, first released in 1979, was a jewel in Lego’s Space line of the era, though it must be noted that Benny was apparently not a part of that ship’s original crew, who were red and white spacemen.
But for those completists who need the movie version too, Benny’s Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! set is coming this June. Read on for more Lego goodness...To end the celebration of the 50 years of the LEGO brick, here are the best sets in history. Handpicked from Lugnet—the biggest LEGO database—based on their popularity, these 229 sets belong to the most iconic lines—LEGOLAND Space, Town, Castle and Pirates—plus three of the most popular ones—LEGO TECHNIC, Star Wars and Racers. From the most significant to the most amazing and complex, from the late '70s to today. We can't get ourselves to pick the Best of the Best. Jump, see them all and decide for yourself (plus the official LEGO video of 50 years of the brick). I remember the first time I played with LEGO bricks. Shiny, perfectly smooth and with that unique smell of plastic, which back then I imagined was probably captured by magic elves in Denmark. Today it's almost the same—shiny and perfectly smooth, except the elves are now blue-eyed buxom Danish Valkyries in skimpy LEGO swimsuits.
As someone who grew in the Golden Age of LEGO, I just can't decide on any particular model as the Best LEGO Set EVER. I have to confess a soft spot for LEGO Space, yes, but also for TECHNIC. And of course, although this is way later in my LEGO career, Star Wars. But the soft spot for all those old models from the late '70s and early '80s is the key here: even if I sound like a total nerd, seeing some of these give me a warm, fuzzy feeling in my tummy—some even make me teary. It's not like the Galaxy Explorer, the Space Command or the big TECHNIC Helicopter were all that special. It's what happened around them what makes them special, the countless hours I spent with my brothers and father building a thousand combinations of vehicles and weird buildings. It's all that fun, all those days of complete and most absolute happiness which comes back just by looking at the box photos of those sets. And that's what makes them so special, so emotionally charged. They bring back the best in me.
Today I marvelled again at the popularity of that simple LEGO brick timeline, and I guess this, the emotional link, must be the reason why LEGO stories are so popular among all our readers. Not because LEGO bricks are cool, which they are, but because they are inevitably linked to intimate memories, to happy memories, the best memories, shared with family or friends or completely personal.For all that: happy birthday LEGO, and thanks for all the bricks. So what's your favorite set? If you can't find it, what are we missing? Tell us in the comments (and don't forget to check Lugnet for all the LEGO sets in all lines in history. The ones in the post may be the best, but they are just a fraction. Best Lego Sets For Men 10 Awesome Lego Sets Every Grown Man Should Have This article was originally published by AskMen UK. Everyone knows it’s acceptable for us grown-ups to get stuck into some Lego. It's the reason your parents bought it for you as a child and it's also the reason you'll buy it for your own offspring.