LEGO Star Wars #9493 X-wing Starfighter Review

Theme: Star Wars

Name: X-wing Starfighter

S/N: #9493

Year: 2012

Pieces: 560

Minifig: 4

Price: RM389.90*, USD59.99, GBP49.99

Box

Starting with the front box, on the left, there are serial number and name of the set printed together with the parts number while the right have all the minifigs from this set introduced. The top side of the box shows all four minifigs in their actual size while that back shows us the functionality that this X-wing has.

  

Content

There was five bags of bricks that are separated by numbers and each bags of bags assemble the different parts of the starfighter. An instruction book was given together with a piece of dreaded sticker sheet which you might need it to add details onto the starfighter. The are not separately packed an as such they can be easily damaged.

  

Accessories

Since the set does not have much character that needed a blaster, we are only given a blaster for Jek and a lightsaber that comes in blue for Luke.

Minifigs

There are two new character here but I believe Luke are somehow quite new at that point of time (newly printed pattern on helmet and outfit). Luke and Jek shares the same torso which is new release (during the time of AT-AT were released) that have both side of the torso printed. Also with the new head mold for R5-D8 it makes just add the variety of astromech droid which all this while seems wrong. Definitely is a new astromech droid head that were introduced at the point of time.

 

X-wing Starfighter

This ship looks really special back where we are still young and out of all vehicle during that time, this was my favorite. The designer are trying to get it as accurate as possible and this one do looks better than the previous version as well.

 

Now going to the feature, which is the first feature is the retractable landing gear. The landing gear is useful when you are planning to display it with the wing close. The support works very well and you can keep it when you plan to swoosh your X-wing around.

The windscreen are the same old windscreen that is used in all previous X-wing and Y-wing and they are printed just like the old one. The windscreen can be open and close to place or remove the pilot from the cockpit. The cockpit is a little small, it just fit the pilot perfectly and there is a printed monitor screen right inside.

  

Right at the back of the cockpit are an empty slot for the astromech droid. Due to the size that is the limitation here, the astromech droid have to be placed side way and you have to remove and reattached the head to make it look to the front. They are trying to add on details as well at the rear top part which is after the astromech droid slot with those tiny parts.

 

Now onto the wing details, the only thing we can clearly noticed that it has changed to look better are the two turret cannon on both top and bottom of the wings. It looks better than the previous version. While downside of it are the markings on the wing which now use sticker sheet instead of printed tile.

 

Just like how the previous version works to open and close the wing, we need to turn the axle behind the starfighter, but this time they are tighter and it open straight away instead of slow and steady like the previous version. Turning the axle too hard might makes the wing open and close and it might snap your hand. Kids might feel the pain if their little finger were snap by this wing. We have translucent orange part right at the back to signify the flame from the thruster as well.

  

I cannot find a transparent stand to hold this ship so, I just put it vertically and snap a picture of it in attack mode. Maybe you might want to consider using string to hang them when you display them.

Extra pieces

Here's the extras that I have with me after the assembling process.

Completed model

Can I consider this as an iconic piece for the original trilogy? The new version definitely have some improvement in design but compare to the previous version this one is lacking two more minifigs. But the fighter is great so do the new character that were introduced by LEGO. Recommended to those that have not owned any X-wing.

Playability: 6/10 Open and close wing and windscreen, and retractable landing gear.

Building experience: 6/10 A little different way of building compare to the previous version.

Parts: 5/10 Quite a number of parts for a $60 playset.

Value for money: 3/10 The price here is not worth your spending on this set.

Overall: 5/10 Nice minifigs and nice fighter, bad pricing. 

* Just an estimation, I cannot recall the exact price but is around there.