I live these ild sets. They have a good balance between price, detalisation, functuonality and SIZE. Not like today staff pften having a lot of small detailea and being small as a result
I think this theme basically being replaced by Atlantis really hurt it. Like, half of the sets look very similar to Atlantis but just a different color.
Indeed. People don't give Aqua Raiders enough credit, if they even know it existed at all! And don't get me wrong, I love Atlantis too, but there's no denying Atlantis wouldn't be anything without the inspiration it drew from this theme.
I mean, there's room for both. And more. Aqua Raiders really felt like underwater adventures in the Bermuda Triangle, while Atlantis... Well was about Atlantis lol. LEGO didn't really do many multi year themes at the time, the best you usually get are 3 years long theme (unless you're Ninjago, Bionicle, or Monkie Kid), so it's not suprising to see LEGO stop Aqua Raiders after a year, and then 3 yaers later revisit the under water theme.
@@SuperSecretBricks There is definitely room for both, but the two themes were only a year apart. Like Mission Deep Sea was 5 years before Aqua Raiders, but Atlantis only came out a year after that. As a kid they just kind of blurred together for me. Aqua Raiders is still awesome though, like the base is perfect and I love the giant energy crab!
Oddly, I remember hating the Atlantis theme because it was reskinned Aquaraiders, much like how I hated Power Miners for being reskinned Rock Raiders...
Wonder if that was intentional- like anyone who bought Aquaraiders and liked the sea monsters would probably buy a Barraki or two to supplement the Sea Monster count... or give the Raiders an especially Lovecraftian enemy to fight.
I remember visiting a Legoland in Germany as a kid in 2007 or 2008. They had this huge aquarium there and a shop at the end. In that shop they sold the Aqua Raiders pretty much exclusively and I ended up getting the big shark, the hummer, and the angler fish. I spent the entire summer "exploring the ocean."
Same for me! The shop was after you finished the aquarium and in the aquarium was this giant brick built Aqua Raiders Diver. The interesting thing was that I assume it was a hint at the second wave (thats sadly never happened) because the markings were the same but the color was red instead of blue
@@flxd_ You're right, they were red. But I think that was more of a hint towards the old divers, because the submarines had that older look too. Most of them were yellow but not really Aqua Raiders styled (minus some exceptions). Either way, the builds were real nice. The aquarium is one of the things I liked the most as a kid. I have visisted the place again in 2018 and the shop wasn't there anymore. But they had a built miniature of the whole aquarium, which was cool too. They used the (at the time) new City theme divers which had red helmets and suits. Edit: added another paragraph
Also, can we agree that using the atv wheelarches piece as the armored eyes of the lobster has to be one of the most ingenious part usages Lego ever did? The texture has always been such a random design choice and then found its perfect place to shine and add correct detail to a deep sea creature of all things!
It was used in a similar fashion in one of the Creator sets, "Red Creatures", if I remember it correctly. Wheelarches were used as dragon's eyebrows which significantly turned up the overall set look
I had no idea this theme even existed, as I was not paying much attention to LEGO at the time. Looking at it now, Aqua Raiders feels like the platonic ideal of an underwater set-a perfect mix of the bright 90s Aquazone colors with updated details, building techniques and printing.
Heads up, in the Lobster set, the crystals are actually transparent fluorescent blue… not regular blue. I remembered because they’re relatively uncommon crystal pieces, and as a kid, I loved that they were a diff shade of blue than power miners ones I had. Great video as always!! Such a nostalgia trip… I like to show these to my gf lol
The underwater themes were the first sets my parents ever got me, after having played with my brothers castle and pirates for years. So underwater sets hold a special place in my heart. Funnily enough, I have thalassophobia, so I'm actually afraid of deep water, but apparently that didn't apply to my imagination when playing with Lego. The Aquasharks were my favorite, and the Deep Sea Predator was my most cherished set. Trans Neon Orange is still my favorite Lego color because of the Aquasharks and Ice Planet.
I am just in awe of how much these revisiting videos have improved. Not to say the old ones are bad (revisiting dino attack & LoM will always be some of my favourites vids) but you have perfected this concept and created a beautiful format and an excellent format for these videos. Being someone who’s been here for quite a while (before the desert well wow!) it’s truly wonderful to see this channel flourish and Improve. So congratulations Caleb you’ve truly done an excellent job here and have a great thing to be proud of.
Really appreciate it! I love seeing how far this series has come too, and it's by far still my favorite part of this channel. Once Revisiting Mars Mission: Part 2 comes out, I might consider a remake of part 1 :o
I couldn't agree more. Even though sticking to a format can get a little stale maybe for the creator, it works wonders as the whole concept gets improved on and perfected over time. These video's are certainly the content I like most from Cheeseystudios and they are amongst the best LEGO content I have seen so far on youtube. I am relatively new to the hobby (if you discount my childhood) but it is easy to spot quality and the love and dedication that goes into it is noticable.
So excited to see this video! The Crab Crusher submarine was the first set I ever got as a kid, seeing this theme revisted really brings back some good memories.
My brother and I only ever had the 3 smallest sets of the Aqua Raiders line, but I remember loving the sets so much as a kid. I used to look through sets & play the little flash games available on the Lego website, and the Aqua Raiders commercials/videos are ones that I could not get enough of.
Small though they may be, those first three sets are awesome! I wonder if the flash game is archived anywhere. I'm sure I played it as a kid, but I can't remember it...
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS This is my favorite lego theme of all time, and as a kid it felt like it was made with me in mind. Thank you for covering this! The Crab Crusher is my favorite lego ever. Love that thing (especially the mini sub it carries and the little interior area!)
2:09 whenever I see the "Neptune Discovery Lab" I feel a pang of sadness for my inner 5 year old who deeply longed for this set, and yet it was beyond my allowed birthday budget.
@@CheeseyStudios For a used model it's not that bad....but I'm not gonna buy it. I'd much rather have that sad feeling that "something awesome got away" than have it in my hand and say "it was never as awesome as your 5 year old self thought it was."
28:18 I can say from experience with the water gun opened from new in box, is that it's one of my favorite water guns of any brand of all time, even though it's made by BuzzBeeToys, who is notorious for cheap malfunctioning toy blasters nowadays. But back then, this was a powerhouse: easy to fill with water, an indicator on the side to tell when it's full, an easy-to-prime handle up front, and it fires as either one steady stream when held down, or short bursts by letting go of the trigger. I have no shame in making videos years ago blasting minifigures with water from this item.
Aqua Raiders was one of those themes that is SO nostalgic to me as I really grew up on those sets, in a lot of ways more so than Atlantis. Seeing them in all their glory here was so cool!!
Thank you for continuing to make amazing and high quality videos on 2000's Lego! It's so nostalgic for me, I had the Lobster Strike set back in the day.
This was a joy to watch with my aqua raiders sets on the shelf across the room from me. These sets were my childhood and I took time last year to resurrect them from the old bins of Lego. Really appreciate another trip down memory lane here! I think one really cool thing about these sets is that the Crab crusher and Aqua base invasion share a sticker sheet, kinda ingenious thinking by Lego on that part imo.
The smallest Aqua Raiders set was my first Lego set, EVER And because of that, this theme always has a very special place in my heart. The classic original lego themes always seemed to default to "collect-a-thons" for some power supply (Mars Mission, Power Miners, etc), and Aqua Raiders isn't far removed from that, but to me it feels like one of the simplest yet most effective and malleable original Lego themes they've ever done. (Oh, and the web game was amazing, too)
Like all these in depth looks into a theme, showing off all the sets, this is once again an amazing video. You narration is on point and extremely enjoyable, the camera work and editing is superb and even though it is (I would say) medium watch time, it is never dull for a moment. I'm very interested in some of the older lines that LEGO produced. Though I have to say: As most of these that you made in recent times are completely unfamiliar to me, it is a great way to explore what has been done in the period between my childhood and what they do right now. Thank you for the enjoyable video!
There was a Lego Club magazine that gave your instructions on how to make a Mutant Manta Ray from parts of the various monsters that appeared in the sets of this wave!
I love the fact that they used those pieces as giant crab’s antlers and something that really makes this theme stand out is the realism of the submarine, it doesn’t have any transparent windscreens whatsoever, and there is even a screen inside that shows the image of the surroundings like they’re actually using a sonar, love it.
Aye, well deserved. I think this is typically an American product though. I buy a lot of cheese, but this seems a bit outside of anything I'd ever consider buying. It is probably delicious and easy to use though, I'm pretty sure of that.
Appreciate it! It was a match made in heaven. I've turned down a lot of sponsorships in the past, but really wanted to make this one happen since hey, I just like cheese!
You did a great overview of the theme, it was really nice to watch. Thank you. It reminds of when I was a kid spending ages gawking at these stunning models in the catalogue, and playing the flash game. Seeing them again, I think the sea life in these sets might be my favourite brick built Lego creatures! Or at least very high on the list. The only set I actually had was the smallest, the one with the red snakes. A very good model for its size, it's the astro fighter of aqua raiders- and the accessories were amazing for such a small set!
I adored these sets as a kid. I can't believe they came out 2007... this is such a long time ago! Thank you for the trip of nostalgia! Great video as always!
The submarine reminds me of the Galaxy Squad "Bug" set. It has a deployable rover, with the upper section able to be swung down while the rover is deployed. Lego's mechanical design on builds is really incredible and I appreciate the work they put into it!
This was one of my first themes I actively asked for and (mostly) collected as a kid. Remember having a bit of issues putting together the base with it collapsing when I tried to build on the struts but how cool it was with the slide, also remember my childhood dog, who was just a puppy at the time, chewing one of the yellow hose pieces. He passed away a few years ago at almost 16. Thinking about this theme really takes me back to another part of my life
This was such a Masterpiece of a Video, wonderful. The muisc, your voice and the sets in general match so good together. I just love the sets and for me personally, Aquariders is one of the best series that Lego ever made. Thank you!
I used to stare at these sets in the Lego catalogue, I was only 5 while these were out and so didn’t have a lot of Lego yet, but these were definitely something that gave me that passion
If Lego were to do another underwater theme as a stand alone, I'd like to see underwater excavation, different ruins in different locations, not so much things to fight (at first) but lots to explore and more complete underwater environments. Sunken costal towns or places that were built below the flood plains. Mediterranean wrecks and the like. IF Lego wanted there to be bad guys, between Atlantis, aliens, and licensed themes like Indiana Jones, they could do bad guys within the main exploration faction or some otherwoldly influences lurking in the deep, waiting to be unearthed.
I found a big box of assorted lego sets at a charity last year and got the aqua raider base and squid in it. It so cool and its currently on display on my shelf
As someone who also didn't have the base growing up, it was such a pleasure to finally buy it for this video! Sometimes the flagship set disappoints with a theme (Viking Fortress really didn't do it for me, Titanium Command Rig for Power Miners fell a bit flat) but this one checked all the boxes.
As always, a fantastic video! I love how much the background changes by just dimming the lights and having a different camera angle! And man, hanging that squid was a great touch! Ngl though, I kept thinking about the risk of accidently walking into the thing lol
Ahh, the Shipwreck set! I remember getting this one!! It was late 2007 and I was out with my mom at Toy's R us way back in the day, I was hyped when I got this set. I'm really kicking myself in the ass for not holding onto so many of these sets from my childhood.... Thank you so much for revisiting all these sets and the history of the themes that I am and many others grew up with over the years! This has been quite the nostalgia trip.
Aquaraiders is such a great line. I had the Angler Fish set and the big Submarine. Sadly the Big Submarine set had tons of missing pieces and I couldn't build the crab. Nonetheless, such a great line. I still have the Tiger Shark Attack sealed in box that my mom had put in the attic. Such a great line, definitely a childhood favorite.
Wait a minute Was the Creator Sunken Treasure Mission set an homage to Aqua Raiders 2007? I mean, the primary and secondary builds (the octopus/submarine and lobster/smaller submarine, respectively) have the conflict in a box. There’s even a diver who looks like she’d be close with the 2007 raiders and an unfortunate skeleton carried across all three builds!
Even if I only had 2 of the sets, this is still one of my favourite Lego themes (I had Deep Sea Treasure Hunter and Lobster Strike) 5:19 the box art is one of my favourite aspects of the theme as well! I love the greenish blue hue of the water, it contrasts nicely with all the yellow. (the same goes for the black and light blue of the Divers uniforms) 19:40 also I think you may have put the top parts of the robot on backwards.
I love the attention to detail on these deep sea creatures especially - note the cheese slopes on the shark and the crab having little claws on each limb. Lovely.
i love this series, this era of lego deserves more attention. seeing that catalogue really sent me back, i would spend hours reading and rereading them. would love to see Agents and Space Police 2 in the near future!
I've been slowly picking up some Space Police sets for sure! Probably won't happen this year (my Revisiting backlog is INSANE lol) but hopefully in 2025
This theme deserved more attention when it was out and definitely a second wave. The detail in both vehicles and creatures and overall value of the sets were excellent. I had Tiger Shark Attack and Angler Ambush as a kid and now I want to recollect the entire theme, it holds up that well to me.
Thanks for doing these restrospectives dude, they’re very nostalgic. I was very fortunate that my parents got me every single set in this theme. Played with them endlessly as an 11-12 yr old. This theme and the Vikings theme we’re my favorite two Lego original themes.
The fact your first sponsor is Cheese-related is amazing, it might have to be the first sponsored thing on a TH-cam video I buy. Good video as always 👍
The nostalgia in this video brought it all back. I had Angler Ambush and Tiger Shark Attack. I begged my parents for Crab Crusher but never got it haha. My friend got the Aquabase Invasion for Christmas. Such a great line!
Always wanted Aqua Raider sets as a kid back then. In fact, from 2004-2009 was a very interesting time for me, for Lego. Not only was I really into Lego, I was into the Lego website. All the different cool little games they had. Man it was such a wonderful time and I wish I could go back to it.
The crab crusher was the only set I had from this theme, but I have some fond memories of playing with it at my grandparents home. They had a rug with a pattern of concentric squares, and I would sail the sub on them.
This line came out when I was in elementary school. Pretty sure I got them all, but man I LOVED this wave of sets. I wish they would have given this the Power Miners/Ninjago treatment and had a 2nd wave, or became a recurring series
Some well deserved hype for this theme. For years after the retirement of the line I dreamed of having just the two smaller sets because they were all I could've afforded but never got any (as they were retired before I was old enough to receive money to save). Always stared at the full spread given to the theme in the Lego products catalog in my country. It's always been my uttermost desired theme. My little brother, however, got the Lobster Strike for Christmas and I was very jealous of him. Speaking of which, that set actually came with trans medium blue chrystals, and not the regular trans blue ones you featured! Now I have attained sealed copies of the Angler ambush, Lobster Strike, Crab Crusher and Aquabase invasion. Still need the smallest set too, but the Tiger shark and Shipwreck don't mean much to me. The ones I do have will probably remain in their sealed boxes because they feel more special to me then. And the super appealing box art and whole vibe around it, which ultimately is what I am so fond of from my young days, is not worth tainting with actually seeing what would have been.
LEGO really needs to make more original themes. And I don't mean city space... Imagine something like this today. They could really go wild with the creatures. Both builds and new parts. A duel moulded electric eel would be so cool with a transparent colour for the electricity...
Ah, 2007 Lego. I certainly remember it for being underwater a lot. Bionicle had it's dedicated "underwater year" in '07. As far as the Aqua Raiders sets go, they're certainly cool. IDK if I necessarily like the huge reliance on the color yellow for the human constructs, but the overall designs look solid. I definitely like the proper brick-built creatures! They're super cool, and I miss that era of Lego a lot. You could totally use them in conjunction with Pirate sets, too! Even the giant squid! Just swap the Aqua Raiders helmet for a Pirate cap!
Nothing beats a good ol' brick built creature. It's a pity they rely so heavily on specialized parts these days. They don't look as good, and drive up the cost considerably!
The shark set was actually my only LEGO set for most of a decade. I had gotten a giant box of loose bricks from a yard sale around the same time and honestly had a lot more fun with that. I eventually disassembled most of the sub and harpoon turret for parts to use in my own builds.
Thanks for the fun video again! I always wanted the sets with skeletons, any floppy arm skeleton would be a super want by me as a kid!! I had the crab crusher set and loved swooshing it around!
Oh, man, the nostalgia hit hard with this one. I had forgotten all aboit it, but I played so much with the shipwreck set. I still have several of the pieces, including the magnets laying about. Most of it didn't survive my childhood and several moves, but it hits so hard to see it back in its full glory. And I can even remember how I though the minifig with the red hair was the coolest. Like, he was my favorite guy and I switched him out every time I got cooler minifig parts 😂 Oh man, thank you for this blast from the past.
I was obsessed with this series as a kid starting when my Cub Scout leader bought everyone a Deep Sea Treasure Hunter set that we built as a little group activity, even letting us keep our own. I'll never forget how badly I wanted the Aquabase set either. For whatever reason, my Toys R Us never seemed to stock that set. That was until one day when I went and saw just a single one of them on the shelf. I usually had to beg my mother to get me Lego sets outside of Christmas or my birthday, but she knew just how much I wanted one of these, so she bought it for me without any begging (Thanks ma). So I take it home and dump out the bags and I kid you not, it was a COMPLETELY different themed set. I think it was something from EXO Force. We took it back to the store and swapped it out for the Submarine but man, I was devastated.
I only had two out of these sets- the Anglerfish and the Tigershark set, but they stuck with me for a long while, definitely some of my most memorable lego sets.
God, if there is a single LEGO line that is ingrained in my Childhood as much as BIONICLE, it has to be Aqua Raiders. It's the only System LEGO line I had *Every single set* for due to my awesome grandfather bought me every single one for Christmas one year when we traveled from Caroline down to Florida to visit for the holidays. Those sets ended up being the only LEGO I had for a while since complications I don't remember by this point kept us at a hotel for a couple of months, and I honestly am thankful for that in a way since that was the first time I truly saw how fun System LEGO was after just playing with Technic up until then. Bashing the sets together, making new vehicles, making a super-sized base, it was just an absolute blast back then. I loved that line so much, and I seriously wish we'd get more fun lines like it these days. I wish I didn't miss out on Atlantis since that would have been a nice refresher.
22:34: Think I might have mentioned this in a previous Exo-Force vid, but this is one of the most blatant examples of 'Getting Crap Past The Radar' in Lego that wasn’t in Bionicle's storyline.
I’ve never seen The Shipwreck before! I’ve been looking forward to this video, thank u for finally covering it! One of my oldest memories of a Lego shop is seeing this and Bionicle on shelves :)
@@CheeseyStudios I can't wait! The city of Atlantis is definitely in my top 3 favourite sets, I absolutely adore the Neptune Carrier, the little crab is one of the cutest monster (reusing that ratcheted joint design from Aqua Raiders!) and ... Well the list goes on and on and on (the merfolk Minifig, the Atlantis key mechanism, etc etc). That's probably my number one favourite theme 😁.
This wave came out when I was in my dark phase (or whatever it's called). I stopped paying attention to Lego in my final years of high school in 2003, and didn't get back into it until the end of 2014 (it was the Star Destroyer). The set with the giant squid is the only set that I bought during that time. That was just something magical. So many glow in the dark elements!
Just wanted to leave this comment here but I wanted to say thank you for being among some of the youtube channels that consistently produce content that can help distract me from my current health troubles. I always enjoy a minecraft build or a theme retrospective.
I rememeber drooling over these sets as a kid, and over that year's Mahri Nui Bionicle sets. I'd wake up as early as I could to catch the commercials for them that would air on the weekends. Now at 25, I have all of Bionicle 2007 and almost the entire Aqua Raiders line too! (Just missing the tiger shark attack and angler ambush)
This is my favorite childhood theme! Thank you for covering it in a video! I haven't even watched the vid yet, just wanted to thank you straight away lol
@@CheeseyStudios ok, NOW I have seen the video. I strongly agree with your thoughts on the Aquabase set! As a kid, it was definitely my most wanted lego set, even going so far to ask my mom if we could sell all the sets I owned so that I could afford it. Crazy kid thoughts, I know lol. I never ended up getting it as a kid, but I did finally pick up a used copy a couple years ago. I was surprised and delighted that it lived up to my expectations. Great interior and exterior space, a cute little sub, and of course, that awesome squid! I still really love this theme. I know Atlantis is seen as a successor to this theme, but those sets never really hit me the same way. Partially because I was entering into my dark age when it started coming out, but also cause it went a bit to far on the fantasy elements for my tastes. Every now and then we get some nice underwater sets, but I'm hoping we get a full on underwater theme again some day.
I didnt knew this theme existed, and seeing it now, I definitely want to add at least one of these sets to my collection. The vehicles, the sea creatures, the base, everything looks so good.
Glad I could introduce you! I'd highly recommend Angler Ambush. It's quite affordable used, and so much fun. You get a little bit of everything in that set!
It's such a pity LEGO has more or less given up on magnets (even many of their trains have stopped using them). There's so much potential with them, just like this set shows!
Looking at that lobster makes you wonder why they never managed to make a decent Aragog. They had the perfect pieces for the terrifying wandering spider legs with a ton of posability and weird angles...
@@CheeseyStudios Much better than the rather odd looking Viking creatures from just two years before that, which relied entirely on the specialised claw and wing parts. The fish and crustaceans here make a nice bridge between realism from the creator theme and a bit of that "boy's toys" vibe of scary/mutant with tons of teeth and aggressive shapes
this is the only theme i own every set of, got them all during release. these sparked my love for the deep sea. i'm trying to get all of atlantis next!
Hey Cheesy! I know this probably won’t be a popular set theme but it would be amazing to see a revisit of the Speed Racer theme that came out around 2008(?). That theme was super nostalgic for me as I remember signing up for the Lego Club subscription around the same time and always seeing the Speed Racer comics in them.
No joke, that's one of my dream themes to cover lol! My friend just introduced me to the movie for the first time over Christmas, and I've been wanting to make a video on the sets ever since. I'm going to go check prices on Bricklink right now.
@@CheeseyStudios The movie was so amazing to me as a kid growing up and so underrated now a days! I’m going to try watching it again tonight for the first time in almost 15 years. There are only 4 sets that I know of and looks to be a very limited number of reviews. I just started watching your content recently as I’ve had a huge wave of nostalgia come over me in the past months from my lego days as a kid; and it has been so refreshing to see the themes I grew up with getting covered like this in such detail. I absolutely cannot wait to see your take on these sets. Thank you for taking so much time to edit and produce such professional content!
YESSSS can you do an aquazone retrospectiveee i had a couple of those sets as a kid in the 90s and i loooooooved them. would be so nostalgic!!! and you are the man to do that theme (or any other) justice :)
Kinda wonder if the atlantis sets were ever going to release the wreck versions of a few of these sets, considering finding the fate of the trident crew was part of the job
cheesy studios has finally caught up to the themes I grew up with and seeing a set i built as a child in one of these retrospectives is just as surreal as i thought it'd be
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Im poor but if i could i would
Your reaction and presentation of the sponsor made me lol. It looks good!
Doesn't ship to Canada :(
Your ad was absolute priceless GOLD! I was laughing by the end of the segment, I hope you enjoy your sponsorship it feels very on brand lol
I live these ild sets. They have a good balance between price, detalisation, functuonality and SIZE. Not like today staff pften having a lot of small detailea and being small as a result
Chessey should get an academy award for set design -- hanging the giant squid by a string actually makes it look like its floating.
Ha, thank you! I'm so glad I thought of that. I've gotta hang more stuff from the ceiling lol
It's like an underwater, dangling above all 😆
Yea it makes it look slightly more menacing, dangling above to sweep down to catch unsuspecting minifigs.
I think this theme basically being replaced by Atlantis really hurt it. Like, half of the sets look very similar to Atlantis but just a different color.
Indeed. People don't give Aqua Raiders enough credit, if they even know it existed at all! And don't get me wrong, I love Atlantis too, but there's no denying Atlantis wouldn't be anything without the inspiration it drew from this theme.
I mean, there's room for both. And more. Aqua Raiders really felt like underwater adventures in the Bermuda Triangle, while Atlantis... Well was about Atlantis lol.
LEGO didn't really do many multi year themes at the time, the best you usually get are 3 years long theme (unless you're Ninjago, Bionicle, or Monkie Kid), so it's not suprising to see LEGO stop Aqua Raiders after a year, and then 3 yaers later revisit the under water theme.
@@SuperSecretBricks There is definitely room for both, but the two themes were only a year apart. Like Mission Deep Sea was 5 years before Aqua Raiders, but Atlantis only came out a year after that. As a kid they just kind of blurred together for me. Aqua Raiders is still awesome though, like the base is perfect and I love the giant energy crab!
Oddly, I remember hating the Atlantis theme because it was reskinned Aquaraiders, much like how I hated Power Miners for being reskinned Rock Raiders...
@S1gnmypet1t1on the first* LEGO movie ever!
*Maybe
Aquaraiders came out in Januray 2007... Same as Bionicle's Mahri Nui arc. Coincidence? I think not!
What a great underwater year it was! I still think Nocturn is one of the coolest Bionicle sets ever.
@@CheeseyStudios hehe, Gadunka isn't too bad either
@@CheeseyStudios totally agree. the 2007 titans were the coolest!
Nah, Gadunka got nothing on our Lord and Savior Matoro
Wonder if that was intentional- like anyone who bought Aquaraiders and liked the sea monsters would probably buy a Barraki or two to supplement the Sea Monster count... or give the Raiders an especially Lovecraftian enemy to fight.
I remember visiting a Legoland in Germany as a kid in 2007 or 2008. They had this huge aquarium there and a shop at the end.
In that shop they sold the Aqua Raiders pretty much exclusively and I ended up getting the big shark, the hummer, and the angler fish.
I spent the entire summer "exploring the ocean."
That sound like so much fun, some great memories there!
That sounds so epic honestly. These beautiful boxes alongside some real fish would be quite the sight!
Same for me! The shop was after you finished the aquarium and in the aquarium was this giant brick built Aqua Raiders Diver. The interesting thing was that I assume it was a hint at the second wave (thats sadly never happened) because the markings were the same but the color was red instead of blue
@@flxd_ You're right, they were red. But I think that was more of a hint towards the old divers, because the submarines had that older look too. Most of them were yellow but not really Aqua Raiders styled (minus some exceptions).
Either way, the builds were real nice. The aquarium is one of the things I liked the most as a kid. I have visisted the place again in 2018 and the shop wasn't there anymore. But they had a built miniature of the whole aquarium, which was cool too. They used the (at the time) new City theme divers which had red helmets and suits.
Edit: added another paragraph
Also, can we agree that using the atv wheelarches piece as the armored eyes of the lobster has to be one of the most ingenious part usages Lego ever did? The texture has always been such a random design choice and then found its perfect place to shine and add correct detail to a deep sea creature of all things!
Ahhh I know, right??! It's so perfect!
I always thought they looked like eyes as a kid (when used on vehicles) !!
It was used in a similar fashion in one of the Creator sets, "Red Creatures", if I remember it correctly. Wheelarches were used as dragon's eyebrows which significantly turned up the overall set look
I had no idea this theme even existed, as I was not paying much attention to LEGO at the time. Looking at it now, Aqua Raiders feels like the platonic ideal of an underwater set-a perfect mix of the bright 90s Aquazone colors with updated details, building techniques and printing.
Glad I could introduce you! This theme was so short lived unfortunately, but everything it did it did quite well.
Heads up, in the Lobster set, the crystals are actually transparent fluorescent blue… not regular blue. I remembered because they’re relatively uncommon crystal pieces, and as a kid, I loved that they were a diff shade of blue than power miners ones I had. Great video as always!! Such a nostalgia trip… I like to show these to my gf lol
I remember them being trans-medium blue as well. No idea why I grabbed the dark blue ones - sorry about that!
I actually still have my two flourescent blue crystals form this set.
The underwater themes were the first sets my parents ever got me, after having played with my brothers castle and pirates for years. So underwater sets hold a special place in my heart. Funnily enough, I have thalassophobia, so I'm actually afraid of deep water, but apparently that didn't apply to my imagination when playing with Lego. The Aquasharks were my favorite, and the Deep Sea Predator was my most cherished set. Trans Neon Orange is still my favorite Lego color because of the Aquasharks and Ice Planet.
There were so many awesome underwater themes back in the 90s. I'd love to Revisit some of those one day!
I am just in awe of how much these revisiting videos have improved.
Not to say the old ones are bad (revisiting dino attack & LoM will always be some of my favourites vids) but you have perfected this concept and created a beautiful format and an excellent format for these videos. Being someone who’s been here for quite a while (before the desert well wow!) it’s truly wonderful to see this channel flourish and Improve. So congratulations Caleb you’ve truly done an excellent job here and have a great thing to be proud of.
Really appreciate it! I love seeing how far this series has come too, and it's by far still my favorite part of this channel. Once Revisiting Mars Mission: Part 2 comes out, I might consider a remake of part 1 :o
I couldn't agree more. Even though sticking to a format can get a little stale maybe for the creator, it works wonders as the whole concept gets improved on and perfected over time. These video's are certainly the content I like most from Cheeseystudios and they are amongst the best LEGO content I have seen so far on youtube. I am relatively new to the hobby (if you discount my childhood) but it is easy to spot quality and the love and dedication that goes into it is noticable.
So excited to see this video! The Crab Crusher submarine was the first set I ever got as a kid, seeing this theme revisted really brings back some good memories.
Such an epic set! I still think that's the best proper sub LEGO has ever done. Really glad this could bring back some good memories.
Brings back memories for me as well, as they used it to make penguins submarine Boss in the lego batman game.
My brother and I only ever had the 3 smallest sets of the Aqua Raiders line, but I remember loving the sets so much as a kid. I used to look through sets & play the little flash games available on the Lego website, and the Aqua Raiders commercials/videos are ones that I could not get enough of.
Small though they may be, those first three sets are awesome! I wonder if the flash game is archived anywhere. I'm sure I played it as a kid, but I can't remember it...
@CheeseyStudios While Lego surely doesnt have them up anymore, I've found a few online archives with downloads to many of the old Lego flash games 😁
23:42
2007 Lego putting a deceased diver in the squid is metal as heck.
Right!? Man, LEGO was so bold back then 😂
I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
This is my favorite lego theme of all time, and as a kid it felt like it was made with me in mind. Thank you for covering this! The Crab Crusher is my favorite lego ever. Love that thing (especially the mini sub it carries and the little interior area!)
The Crab Crusher is so good! Building that sub back was a delight. I love how many goodies they packed into that interior.
2:09 whenever I see the "Neptune Discovery Lab" I feel a pang of sadness for my inner 5 year old who deeply longed for this set, and yet it was beyond my allowed birthday budget.
Inflation adjusted, the price on that is probably as cursed as can be...
@@CheeseyStudios For a used model it's not that bad....but I'm not gonna buy it. I'd much rather have that sad feeling that "something awesome got away" than have it in my hand and say "it was never as awesome as your 5 year old self thought it was."
An Aquaraider appears in Atlantis.
Dead. It's a skeleton in an Aquaraiders helmet lying in one of the larger sets.
Yeah, that'll be pretty depressing when we cover that set 😭
28:18 I can say from experience with the water gun opened from new in box, is that it's one of my favorite water guns of any brand of all time, even though it's made by BuzzBeeToys, who is notorious for cheap malfunctioning toy blasters nowadays. But back then, this was a powerhouse: easy to fill with water, an indicator on the side to tell when it's full, an easy-to-prime handle up front, and it fires as either one steady stream when held down, or short bursts by letting go of the trigger. I have no shame in making videos years ago blasting minifigures with water from this item.
That's insane! Maybe I should have snagged one after all 😂
These were my first ever (non duplo) lego sets and hold a special place in my heart :)
That's awesome! I think this was a great theme to start out your System journey.
Aqua Raiders was one of those themes that is SO nostalgic to me as I really grew up on those sets, in a lot of ways more so than Atlantis. Seeing them in all their glory here was so cool!!
I honestly feel the same way. These really take me back. And the sea creature designs are unmatched!
Thank you for continuing to make amazing and high quality videos on 2000's Lego!
It's so nostalgic for me, I had the Lobster Strike set back in the day.
It's my pleasure! These videos are such a delight to make ❤️
Aqua raiders was one of my favorites as a kid! It inspired me to build terrain peices to expand the scenes. So glad to see this video!
That's awesome! I'm so glad to see so many people remember it so fondly.
This was a joy to watch with my aqua raiders sets on the shelf across the room from me. These sets were my childhood and I took time last year to resurrect them from the old bins of Lego. Really appreciate another trip down memory lane here!
I think one really cool thing about these sets is that the Crab crusher and Aqua base invasion share a sticker sheet, kinda ingenious thinking by Lego on that part imo.
I hadn't even thought about the shared sticker sheet. That's kind of incredible O_O
I think what I like most about this channel is how I keep being reminded of so many cool sets from my childhood. Really brings back memories
It was a good time to be a kid, that's for sure. I love going back and building these sets again.
The smallest Aqua Raiders set was my first Lego set, EVER
And because of that, this theme always has a very special place in my heart. The classic original lego themes always seemed to default to "collect-a-thons" for some power supply (Mars Mission, Power Miners, etc), and Aqua Raiders isn't far removed from that, but to me it feels like one of the simplest yet most effective and malleable original Lego themes they've ever done.
(Oh, and the web game was amazing, too)
I do miss the simplicity of this time period for sure. Even if themes didn't last long, there was always something new and exciting around the corner.
One of my most nostalgic lines, absolutely adored this line
It's so much fun! Simple done well
Love this theme so much! The flagship set is still a top 10 set for me!
The base is so good! It's got everything a HQ should have.
My Mum bought me a lot of these Aqua Raiders sets as soon as they came out: my all time favourite from the theme is the Crab Crusher!
Crab Crusher is such an awesome set 👌
@@CheeseyStudios I concur.
Like all these in depth looks into a theme, showing off all the sets, this is once again an amazing video. You narration is on point and extremely enjoyable, the camera work and editing is superb and even though it is (I would say) medium watch time, it is never dull for a moment.
I'm very interested in some of the older lines that LEGO produced. Though I have to say: As most of these that you made in recent times are completely unfamiliar to me, it is a great way to explore what has been done in the period between my childhood and what they do right now. Thank you for the enjoyable video!
Really appreciate it! I'm glad you're enjoying these videos. They really are so much fun to make.
There was a Lego Club magazine that gave your instructions on how to make a Mutant Manta Ray from parts of the various monsters that appeared in the sets of this wave!
Oh dang! I'll have to look into that.
I love how they used that Lego Racer piece for the face of the lobster.
Brilliant parts usage!
I love the fact that they used those pieces as giant crab’s antlers and something that really makes this theme stand out is the realism of the submarine, it doesn’t have any transparent windscreens whatsoever, and there is even a screen inside that shows the image of the surroundings like they’re actually using a sonar, love it.
It's so perfect! I'm really impressed by it too.
Congrats on the sponsor man, you definitely deserve it!
Aye, well deserved. I think this is typically an American product though. I buy a lot of cheese, but this seems a bit outside of anything I'd ever consider buying. It is probably delicious and easy to use though, I'm pretty sure of that.
Appreciate it! It was a match made in heaven. I've turned down a lot of sponsorships in the past, but really wanted to make this one happen since hey, I just like cheese!
30:15 they got the chaos emeralds!!!!! they hinted at lego sonic years ago and we didn't notice!!!
lolol
That base is one of my favorite childhood sets of all time such a cool design
I'm so glad I finally got it! I really enjoyed that set and it did not disappoint
You did a great overview of the theme, it was really nice to watch. Thank you. It reminds of when I was a kid spending ages gawking at these stunning models in the catalogue, and playing the flash game. Seeing them again, I think the sea life in these sets might be my favourite brick built Lego creatures! Or at least very high on the list.
The only set I actually had was the smallest, the one with the red snakes. A very good model for its size, it's the astro fighter of aqua raiders- and the accessories were amazing for such a small set!
It's so great when a small boxed set knocks it out of the park! Glad to see another Astro Fighter enjoyer here too 😂
I adored these sets as a kid. I can't believe they came out 2007... this is such a long time ago! Thank you for the trip of nostalgia! Great video as always!
It's insane to think that this theme is going on 20 years old. It's held up so well!
The submarine reminds me of the Galaxy Squad "Bug" set. It has a deployable rover, with the upper section able to be swung down while the rover is deployed. Lego's mechanical design on builds is really incredible and I appreciate the work they put into it!
I've gotta watch some old Jang reviews on Galaxy Squad I think. I'm quite unfamiliar with those sets
This was one of my first themes I actively asked for and (mostly) collected as a kid. Remember having a bit of issues putting together the base with it collapsing when I tried to build on the struts but how cool it was with the slide, also remember my childhood dog, who was just a puppy at the time, chewing one of the yellow hose pieces. He passed away a few years ago at almost 16. Thinking about this theme really takes me back to another part of my life
Crazy how LEGO has a way of doing that, right? This one takes me back too.
I love all the underwater themes! there are so many creative worlds to be explored!
Yes! I totally agree. There's so much to learn about the oceans yet, so I love it when LEGO creatively fills in those gaps!
This was such a Masterpiece of a Video, wonderful. The muisc, your voice and the sets in general match so good together. I just love the sets and for me personally, Aquariders is one of the best series that Lego ever made. Thank you!
Really appreciate it! I'm so glad you enjoyed this.
I used to stare at these sets in the Lego catalogue, I was only 5 while these were out and so didn’t have a lot of Lego yet, but these were definitely something that gave me that passion
I do miss those simpler times of just drooling over the catalogues for hours. It was like Christmas every time one of those came in the mail, ha!
If Lego were to do another underwater theme as a stand alone, I'd like to see underwater excavation, different ruins in different locations, not so much things to fight (at first) but lots to explore and more complete underwater environments. Sunken costal towns or places that were built below the flood plains. Mediterranean wrecks and the like.
IF Lego wanted there to be bad guys, between Atlantis, aliens, and licensed themes like Indiana Jones, they could do bad guys within the main exploration faction or some otherwoldly influences lurking in the deep, waiting to be unearthed.
My favorite builds from Atlantis were the underwater structures, so a theme fully dedicated to them would be awesome!
@@CheeseyStudios they have Lego architecture, there was the likes of Johnny thunder who had archeology and exploration, so why not both?
I found a big box of assorted lego sets at a charity last year and got the aqua raider base and squid in it. It so cool and its currently on display on my shelf
Sweet find! That squid blew my mind lol. The eyes, the transparent stomach... Haunting!
That little scooter was my very first Lego set. I had every set from the line but the seabase. Very nostalgic.
As someone who also didn't have the base growing up, it was such a pleasure to finally buy it for this video! Sometimes the flagship set disappoints with a theme (Viking Fortress really didn't do it for me, Titanium Command Rig for Power Miners fell a bit flat) but this one checked all the boxes.
As always, a fantastic video!
I love how much the background changes by just dimming the lights and having a different camera angle!
And man, hanging that squid was a great touch! Ngl though, I kept thinking about the risk of accidently walking into the thing lol
lol 🤣 Thank you! Really glad you like the setup.
Ahh, the Shipwreck set! I remember getting this one!! It was late 2007 and I was out with my mom at Toy's R us way back in the day, I was hyped when I got this set. I'm really kicking myself in the ass for not holding onto so many of these sets from my childhood.... Thank you so much for revisiting all these sets and the history of the themes that I am and many others grew up with over the years! This has been quite the nostalgia trip.
I'm so glad you enjoyed! Ah, it was such a good time to be a kid.
Aquaraiders is such a great line. I had the Angler Fish set and the big Submarine. Sadly the Big Submarine set had tons of missing pieces and I couldn't build the crab. Nonetheless, such a great line. I still have the Tiger Shark Attack sealed in box that my mom had put in the attic. Such a great line, definitely a childhood favorite.
Sealed? Nice! You can appreciate that lovely box art then too :)
I remember having the Lobster set as a kid and legit thought that was a scorpion.
They're not tooooo dissimilar!
Wait a minute
Was the Creator Sunken Treasure Mission set an homage to Aqua Raiders 2007? I mean, the primary and secondary builds (the octopus/submarine and lobster/smaller submarine, respectively) have the conflict in a box. There’s even a diver who looks like she’d be close with the 2007 raiders and an unfortunate skeleton carried across all three builds!
I bet it is! Too many similarities
9:00 The tail is built different in this catalog than in the set 7771.
This was super fun. Again I learned alot from your videos.
Oh wow, I never realized that! It's missing the tile, isn't it 🤔
I don't think we'll see a lot of these unique lines anymore since licensed properties make LEGO so much money. Especially Star Wars.
It's a pity, because LEGO has lost the heart and soul these original themes inherently have.
Even if I only had 2 of the sets, this is still one of my favourite Lego themes (I had Deep Sea Treasure Hunter and Lobster Strike) 5:19 the box art is one of my favourite aspects of the theme as well! I love the greenish blue hue of the water, it contrasts nicely with all the yellow. (the same goes for the black and light blue of the Divers uniforms) 19:40 also I think you may have put the top parts of the robot on backwards.
Oh yeah, that is all backwards lol! I wonder how I managed that
I love the attention to detail on these deep sea creatures especially - note the cheese slopes on the shark and the crab having little claws on each limb. Lovely.
They're so wonderfully detailed! Way ahead of their time
i love this series, this era of lego deserves more attention. seeing that catalogue really sent me back, i would spend hours reading and rereading them. would love to see Agents and Space Police 2 in the near future!
I've been slowly picking up some Space Police sets for sure! Probably won't happen this year (my Revisiting backlog is INSANE lol) but hopefully in 2025
This theme deserved more attention when it was out and definitely a second wave. The detail in both vehicles and creatures and overall value of the sets were excellent. I had Tiger Shark Attack and Angler Ambush as a kid and now I want to recollect the entire theme, it holds up that well to me.
It's a pity it largely rolled under the radar. I feel the sets have aged tremendously well.
Thanks for doing these restrospectives dude, they’re very nostalgic. I was very fortunate that my parents got me every single set in this theme. Played with them endlessly as an 11-12 yr old. This theme and the Vikings theme we’re my favorite two Lego original themes.
It was such a great time to be a kid. LEGO as a company was at their most imaginative during these years....
The fact your first sponsor is Cheese-related is amazing, it might have to be the first sponsored thing on a TH-cam video I buy. Good video as always 👍
Ha, thank you! 😂 It was too perfect of a sponsorship to pass up lol...
My very first Lego set was the aquariaders set with the sub and the big shark
That's a good one. What a fun start to your LEGO journey!
The Tiger Shark Attack one was the only Aqua Raiders set I owned!!! I still have it!! That just blasted me with nostalgia
It's such a great looking shark!
@@CheeseyStudios I was all about that submarine myself. It was easily the coolest part of the set for me as a kid
The nostalgia in this video brought it all back. I had Angler Ambush and Tiger Shark Attack. I begged my parents for Crab Crusher but never got it haha. My friend got the Aquabase Invasion for Christmas. Such a great line!
It warms my heart that so many people remember this theme so fondly! It was gone too soon, but it really did everything just right.
Always wanted Aqua Raider sets as a kid back then. In fact, from 2004-2009 was a very interesting time for me, for Lego. Not only was I really into Lego, I was into the Lego website. All the different cool little games they had. Man it was such a wonderful time and I wish I could go back to it.
It was such a great time to be a kid. LEGO was at their most imaginative!
The crab crusher was the only set I had from this theme, but I have some fond memories of playing with it at my grandparents home.
They had a rug with a pattern of concentric squares, and I would sail the sub on them.
That's a good set to have from this wave if any - that sub is so much fun!
This line came out when I was in elementary school. Pretty sure I got them all, but man I LOVED this wave of sets. I wish they would have given this the Power Miners/Ninjago treatment and had a 2nd wave, or became a recurring series
I would have loved to have seen what they would have done next with this theme, too...
In my mind, Aquaman is sending all the sea creatures beacuse they keep stealing his treasure
Some well deserved hype for this theme. For years after the retirement of the line I dreamed of having just the two smaller sets because they were all I could've afforded but never got any (as they were retired before I was old enough to receive money to save). Always stared at the full spread given to the theme in the Lego products catalog in my country. It's always been my uttermost desired theme. My little brother, however, got the Lobster Strike for Christmas and I was very jealous of him. Speaking of which, that set actually came with trans medium blue chrystals, and not the regular trans blue ones you featured!
Now I have attained sealed copies of the Angler ambush, Lobster Strike, Crab Crusher and Aquabase invasion. Still need the smallest set too, but the Tiger shark and Shipwreck don't mean much to me. The ones I do have will probably remain in their sealed boxes because they feel more special to me then. And the super appealing box art and whole vibe around it, which ultimately is what I am so fond of from my young days, is not worth tainting with actually seeing what would have been.
That's an impressive collection of sealed sets!
LEGO really needs to make more original themes. And I don't mean city space...
Imagine something like this today. They could really go wild with the creatures. Both builds and new parts.
A duel moulded electric eel would be so cool with a transparent colour for the electricity...
An in-house underwater theme could be amazing. I'm sure they'll take Dreamzzz underwater eventually, but I'd definitely prefer something standalone.
Ah, 2007 Lego. I certainly remember it for being underwater a lot. Bionicle had it's dedicated "underwater year" in '07.
As far as the Aqua Raiders sets go, they're certainly cool. IDK if I necessarily like the huge reliance on the color yellow for the human constructs, but the overall designs look solid. I definitely like the proper brick-built creatures! They're super cool, and I miss that era of Lego a lot. You could totally use them in conjunction with Pirate sets, too! Even the giant squid! Just swap the Aqua Raiders helmet for a Pirate cap!
Nothing beats a good ol' brick built creature. It's a pity they rely so heavily on specialized parts these days. They don't look as good, and drive up the cost considerably!
The shark set was actually my only LEGO set for most of a decade. I had gotten a giant box of loose bricks from a yard sale around the same time and honestly had a lot more fun with that. I eventually disassembled most of the sub and harpoon turret for parts to use in my own builds.
That's the best part of LEGO - random parts and custom builds!
Thanks for the fun video again!
I always wanted the sets with skeletons, any floppy arm skeleton would be a super want by me as a kid!!
I had the crab crusher set and loved swooshing it around!
Floppy armed skeletons are PEAK lego
Oh, man, the nostalgia hit hard with this one. I had forgotten all aboit it, but I played so much with the shipwreck set. I still have several of the pieces, including the magnets laying about. Most of it didn't survive my childhood and several moves, but it hits so hard to see it back in its full glory.
And I can even remember how I though the minifig with the red hair was the coolest. Like, he was my favorite guy and I switched him out every time I got cooler minifig parts 😂
Oh man, thank you for this blast from the past.
So glad you enjoyed! My brother and I were obsessed with the red haired guy too. 😂 That's too funny
I was obsessed with this series as a kid starting when my Cub Scout leader bought everyone a Deep Sea Treasure Hunter set that we built as a little group activity, even letting us keep our own.
I'll never forget how badly I wanted the Aquabase set either. For whatever reason, my Toys R Us never seemed to stock that set. That was until one day when I went and saw just a single one of them on the shelf. I usually had to beg my mother to get me Lego sets outside of Christmas or my birthday, but she knew just how much I wanted one of these, so she bought it for me without any begging (Thanks ma). So I take it home and dump out the bags and I kid you not, it was a COMPLETELY different themed set. I think it was something from EXO Force. We took it back to the store and swapped it out for the Submarine but man, I was devastated.
What were the chances of that? 😭 that's so crazy...
The Tiger shark Attack set is one of the first lego sets I got as a child and it's an awsome set. So cool you made this video on these sets!
I'm glad you had some personal experience with this theme! The creatures are awesome.
I only had two out of these sets- the Anglerfish and the Tigershark set, but they stuck with me for a long while, definitely some of my most memorable lego sets.
The creatures were so good! Way ahead of their time, and some haven't been topped since.
One of my first sets as a kid was an Aqua Raiders set. It's so surreal diving into the history with the memories of EARLY childhood.
That's why I love doing this Revisiting series. It's such a nostalgia trip!
Great video, my favorite Lego sets and so underatted... Brings out the childhood memories. I still have 7771 set sealed!
Ayyy nice! I love the box art on these.
12:43 I vote for a LEGO Atlantis Ninjago Aqua Raiders crossover combined into one
The perfect solution 👌
Amazing recap... The base used to be my dream set
Thank you! I wish I had had this base as a kid too. I had so much fun with it here as an adult!
God, if there is a single LEGO line that is ingrained in my Childhood as much as BIONICLE, it has to be Aqua Raiders. It's the only System LEGO line I had *Every single set* for due to my awesome grandfather bought me every single one for Christmas one year when we traveled from Caroline down to Florida to visit for the holidays. Those sets ended up being the only LEGO I had for a while since complications I don't remember by this point kept us at a hotel for a couple of months, and I honestly am thankful for that in a way since that was the first time I truly saw how fun System LEGO was after just playing with Technic up until then. Bashing the sets together, making new vehicles, making a super-sized base, it was just an absolute blast back then.
I loved that line so much, and I seriously wish we'd get more fun lines like it these days. I wish I didn't miss out on Atlantis since that would have been a nice refresher.
Honestly, what a great introduction to System this must have been! I'm glad you got to experience this theme too, and remember it so fondly
22:34: Think I might have mentioned this in a previous Exo-Force vid, but this is one of the most blatant examples of 'Getting Crap Past The Radar' in Lego that wasn’t in Bionicle's storyline.
ikr? 2000's LEGO was crazy!
I’ve never seen The Shipwreck before!
I’ve been looking forward to this video, thank u for finally covering it! One of my oldest memories of a Lego shop is seeing this and Bionicle on shelves :)
It was a good time to be a kid, that's for sure! Glad I could introduce you to a new set :D
I'm an Atlantis fan, but you have to give Aqua Raider credit for their excellent creatures (I still prefer Atlantis' vehicles and minifig though!)
I'm very excited to Revisit all three waves of Atlantis! There's some incredible sets in that theme.
@@CheeseyStudios I can't wait! The city of Atlantis is definitely in my top 3 favourite sets, I absolutely adore the Neptune Carrier, the little crab is one of the cutest monster (reusing that ratcheted joint design from Aqua Raiders!) and ... Well the list goes on and on and on (the merfolk Minifig, the Atlantis key mechanism, etc etc). That's probably my number one favourite theme 😁.
This wave came out when I was in my dark phase (or whatever it's called). I stopped paying attention to Lego in my final years of high school in 2003, and didn't get back into it until the end of 2014 (it was the Star Destroyer). The set with the giant squid is the only set that I bought during that time. That was just something magical. So many glow in the dark elements!
The glow in the dark stuff always looks so cool. I'm glad it's been showing up in a lot more sets lately!
It’s definitely interesting seeing Lego’s other underwater original themes since I only grew up with Atlantis. Great video!
Thank you! Glad I. could introduce you to this one.
Love these videos. Informative and nostalgic.
Glad you enjoyed!
Just wanted to leave this comment here but I wanted to say thank you for being among some of the youtube channels that consistently produce content that can help distract me from my current health troubles. I always enjoy a minecraft build or a theme retrospective.
Really glad you can find a solace here. Wishing you the best in what you're going through.
I rememeber drooling over these sets as a kid, and over that year's Mahri Nui Bionicle sets. I'd wake up as early as I could to catch the commercials for them that would air on the weekends. Now at 25, I have all of Bionicle 2007 and almost the entire Aqua Raiders line too! (Just missing the tiger shark attack and angler ambush)
Definitely pick up Angler Ambush if you can - that's one of my favorites! It's a great set
This is my favorite childhood theme! Thank you for covering it in a video! I haven't even watched the vid yet, just wanted to thank you straight away lol
Ha! It's my pleasure. Hope you enjoyed :)
@@CheeseyStudios ok, NOW I have seen the video. I strongly agree with your thoughts on the Aquabase set! As a kid, it was definitely my most wanted lego set, even going so far to ask my mom if we could sell all the sets I owned so that I could afford it. Crazy kid thoughts, I know lol. I never ended up getting it as a kid, but I did finally pick up a used copy a couple years ago. I was surprised and delighted that it lived up to my expectations. Great interior and exterior space, a cute little sub, and of course, that awesome squid!
I still really love this theme. I know Atlantis is seen as a successor to this theme, but those sets never really hit me the same way. Partially because I was entering into my dark age when it started coming out, but also cause it went a bit to far on the fantasy elements for my tastes. Every now and then we get some nice underwater sets, but I'm hoping we get a full on underwater theme again some day.
Crab crusher set is legit, might have to grab one
I think you'll quite enjoy it. I don't think LEGO's ever made a better sub! The interior is just so cool
I didnt knew this theme existed, and seeing it now, I definitely want to add at least one of these sets to my collection. The vehicles, the sea creatures, the base, everything looks so good.
Glad I could introduce you! I'd highly recommend Angler Ambush. It's quite affordable used, and so much fun. You get a little bit of everything in that set!
The parts included 7776 are amazing! Many of them I thought didn't make it out of the 90s. Great video!
It's such a pity LEGO has more or less given up on magnets (even many of their trains have stopped using them). There's so much potential with them, just like this set shows!
Looking at that lobster makes you wonder why they never managed to make a decent Aragog. They had the perfect pieces for the terrifying wandering spider legs with a ton of posability and weird angles...
These creatures were fantastic. The parts usage, colors, and prints created such a unique vibe. Love it!
@@CheeseyStudios Much better than the rather odd looking Viking creatures from just two years before that, which relied entirely on the specialised claw and wing parts. The fish and crustaceans here make a nice bridge between realism from the creator theme and a bit of that "boy's toys" vibe of scary/mutant with tons of teeth and aggressive shapes
this is the only theme i own every set of, got them all during release. these sparked my love for the deep sea. i'm trying to get all of atlantis next!
Just finished my Atlantis collection a few days ago! So many great sets. Best of luck in collecting them - I definitely feel it's worth it! :)
Cheesey studio theme retrospective videos are probably my favorite thing to see pop up in my youtube feed, this one’s another certified banger 🤘🏼
They're my favorite videos to make, too! So glad you enjoy them
Hey Cheesy! I know this probably won’t be a popular set theme but it would be amazing to see a revisit of the Speed Racer theme that came out around 2008(?). That theme was super nostalgic for me as I remember signing up for the Lego Club subscription around the same time and always seeing the Speed Racer comics in them.
No joke, that's one of my dream themes to cover lol! My friend just introduced me to the movie for the first time over Christmas, and I've been wanting to make a video on the sets ever since. I'm going to go check prices on Bricklink right now.
@@CheeseyStudios The movie was so amazing to me as a kid growing up and so underrated now a days! I’m going to try watching it again tonight for the first time in almost 15 years. There are only 4 sets that I know of and looks to be a very limited number of reviews. I just started watching your content recently as I’ve had a huge wave of nostalgia come over me in the past months from my lego days as a kid; and it has been so refreshing to see the themes I grew up with getting covered like this in such detail. I absolutely cannot wait to see your take on these sets. Thank you for taking so much time to edit and produce such professional content!
YESSSS can you do an aquazone retrospectiveee
i had a couple of those sets as a kid in the 90s and i loooooooved them. would be so nostalgic!!! and you are the man to do that theme (or any other) justice :)
I would love love love to pick up those old sets! I'll see what I can do. :)
Saw this video pop up while I was at work yesterday! I completely forgot about this Lego era! Thanks for the video.
Glad you enjoyed!
that base set was a Christmas gift I got back when I was a kid. It was and still is one of my all time favorite sets
It's so good! I never had it as a kid, but even building it now was really enjoyable
@@CheeseyStudios I'm glad you at least got to enjoy it now if not back then :)
Kinda wonder if the atlantis sets were ever going to release the wreck versions of a few of these sets, considering finding the fate of the trident crew was part of the job
aqua raiders my beloved. seriously tho, i had everything minus the base as a kid and absolutely loved these sets
They're so good! I wish I had had the base as a kid too. It really does love up to the hype
cheesy studios has finally caught up to the themes I grew up with and seeing a set i built as a child in one of these retrospectives is just as surreal as i thought it'd be
That's awesome, ha! What other themes are you hoping to see covered? I bet I'll be hitting a few more on your list.
Hey Cheesey, your passion and just excitement is always apparent in every single one of your videos. You’re an awesome creator, and I appreciate you💪🏻
Thank you! Really nice to see this