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The nineties were the best.
I say this as the ultimate authority: a child from the late eighties who grew up in the nineties.
Despite being the best, the nineties were a terrible time for many things. Music was up and down during the decade, as we got some great hits and terrible songs that plague us today.
It was also the decade of the Extreme. Creativity had flourished in the neon glow of the eighties. By the nineties, however, that glow needed to be more flashy. It was too subtle, and “subtle” was a dirty word in the nineties.
Movies couldn’t just have action anymore; they had to be “action-packed.” Music couldn’t just rock anymore; it had to melt your face. Comic Books couldn’t be nuanced; they had to be dark, edgy, and full of angst.
LEGO didn’t escape the nineties unscathed, unfortunately. During this period, the company went through one of the worst economic situations of its existence. Production slowed during this period, but the products that hit shelves were some of my absolute favorites. It was the end of an era, as many old designers were released, and new designers who were unfamiliar with the brand were brought in.
Bottom Line Up Front
It’s hard to beat the straightforward nature of a big ol’ bucket of LEGO! The Blue Value Tub has a massive 1200 bricks in the full range of LEGO colors. If you had this back in the day, you could build almost anything your LEGO-loving heart could imagine.
Criteria
Now, a subject like this is going to be a bit subjective. I’m laying down some ground rules to try to make it a little more objective. First off, this is about LEGO specifically. I won’t include Duplos or any other LEGO spinoff products on this list (though I might be persuaded in the future.) I’ll be ranking this best 90s LEGO sets list on five factors:
- Imagination: LEGO is a brand about releasing your creativity. If the product takes more creativity to conjure, it will be placed higher on the list.
- Timelessness: The Nineties were great! However, in some places, they could be a little cringe-inducing. If something is “painfully” nineties, it’s gonna get put lower on the list.
- Complexity: This isn’t about how many pieces are in a set. Instead, this refers to the number of things that can be done with a set. While LEGO can be put together in many ways, if a set offers more ways of playing within the scene, it will get rated higher.
- Value: I’m a big fan of getting more for your dollar. If a particular set came with more pieces, it might get a higher place on the list.
- Nostalgia: I’m writing the list, so I get to make the rules. It also means I can break them if some of my happy memories contradict the points above. I’ll try to be objective, but I’m human.
21.) Enchanted Island
- Line: LEGO Pirates
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 428
- Year Released: 1994
I’m starting with the Enchanted Island set because it encapsulates a problem LEGO has since resolved. Remember what I said about the nineties occasionally being pretty cringe?
This set lets a prospective LEGO master create an Island Paradise for the included pirate minifig to explore. The island is home to monkeys, birds, and, unfortunately, stereotypically-insensitive islanders.
LEGO has always done its best to be socially aware, but this was so acceptable then that it wasn’t even a consideration. The company has done much better in the years since this set’s release, although, as we’ll see in a moment, they had a few more missteps along the way.
20.) Rapid River Village
- Line: LEGO Western (Indians subdivision)
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 343
- Year Released: 1997
This one hit a little closer to home for me. I’m pretty proud of my Native American heritage (Apsaalooke tribe!), and my grandfather did everything he could to encourage that. This set was one of a number on this list that I personally had, and it was one of my favorites!
Now, I said that LEGO tries to be socially conscious, and I meant it. The Natives portrayed here aren’t particularly realistic, but they’re not full caricatures like the Islanders above. It’s clear that there was some attempt to make them accurate and respectful to life. Even if it got some things wrong. (Native cultures with tipis didn’t have totem poles.)
This set depicts a Native American village, complete with several minifigs, horses, specially-molded teepees, ceremonial shields, and the pieces to create a totem pole.
19.) Castle and Pirate Value Pack
- Line: LEGO Knights and Pirates
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 72
- Year Released: 1994
LEGO has always been keen to give you the ability to design your own worlds. This set demonstrates that better than most.
This basic beginner set includes a minifig from both the Castle line and the LEGO Pirates line. Each of them also comes with its own accessories, weapons, and accouterments.
The knight has a horse and carriage to haul him around, while the pirate has established his own hideout complete with cannon. This was perfect if you wanted a set that let you have and run a pre-designed scenario.
18.) Planetary Prowler
- Line: Space Insectoids
- Approximate Skill Level: Advanced
- Piece Count: 250
- Year Released: 1998
LEGO has never been afraid to get weird and daring with its designs, and this one is proof of that.
The company had been creating space-related LEGO bricks for decades and was starting to expand on that concept. You could only make realistic space shuttles for so long before you had to branch out. One of the ways the company chose to do that was to get more science-fiction into their products. In the nineties, this concept absolutely exploded.
In fact, you could even say that it got EXTREME!
The Insectoids were vehicles that were shaped like insects. They included a ton of bricks and accessories that were unique to this line. The planetary Prowler here is designed to look like a grasshopper and has a robotic pilot minifig and a ton of nifty translucent pieces.
17.) Shark’s Crystal Cave
- Line: Aquazone
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 258
- Year Released: 1996
LEGO has explored places that many people never think about. It has gone not only into outer space but also deep beneath the waves.
The Aquazone line is an expansion on their previous Underwater sets. It’s another example of the extremes that many LEGO themes went to at this point.
The set doesn’t just include a diver minifig and a shark, but it also consists of a grate and the pieces to create a submarine as well. Of course, it couldn’t just be a typical submarine. This was the nineties, after all. This is an extreme submarine with posable grappler arms, transparent orange cockpit pieces, and a stylized shark emblem on the front.
16.) Mummy’s Tomb
- Line: LEGO Adventurers
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 260
- Year Released: 1998
Does anyone else remember the huge Egyptology craze in the late nineties?
Many people remember the hit film, The Mummy, released in 1999. What may be less known, however, is that the zenith of a big trend in media focused on pyramids, mummies, and everything else to do with ancient Egypt.
This was released just before that movie, but it could easily have been created to capitalize on that media trend. A few explorer minifigs have set out to explore an old tomb, but many surprises await them, including a unique mummy minifig.
This set had many unique pieces emblazoned with hieroglyphics, but the real draw was the number of bricks that allowed movement. A turn table and a plastic chain helped pull an obelisk down. It included pieces you could steal to make LEGO booby traps of your own!
15.) Magic Mountain Time Lab
- Line: Time Cruisers
- Approximate Skill Level: Advanced
- Piece Count: 504
- Year Released: 1995
I was a weird kid. Other kids may have let their LEGO knights hang out with their LEGO astronauts, but I wouldn’t have it! I liked my LEGO creations to have diegetic reasons to interact with each other.
At least until I got this set as a gift for Christmas one year.
This set included many pieces from other LEGO sets, so it may have been a way to just use up old stock. I didn’t care. It gave me more ways to use my little minifigs for more cohesive play!
Swords, flames, and scientists hang around with a small child in a laboratory made up of pieces from the Castle, Pirates, and Space lines.
14.) Explorien Starship
- Line: LEGO Space
- Approximate Skill Level: Advanced
- Piece Count: 662
- Year Released: 1996
The Explorien Starship design came about between the relatively grounded Space Shuttle phase and the far more outlandish Insectoids line, which split the difference.
This is a starship that could conceivably get made by people. It included a couple of minifigs, enough white LEGO pieces to make a snow-covered village, and some hinge pieces to allow for articulated movement for parts of the ship.
This set also had some of what I considered the rarest and most valuable lego pieces as a child: transparent “luminous” pieces. There was no end to what you could do with these things! They could be buttons on Creations, Magic Jewels, Blinking lights, and other things!
13.) Robo Raptor
- Line: Roboforce
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 221
- Year Released: 1997
In the same vein as the Insectoid line, the Roboforce sets. They had pieces that let a builder make robotic representations of different animals used as vehicles by the heroic Roboforce minifigs.
The Robo Raptor is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a relatively simple set with everything you need to make a robotic dinosaur, complete with his rider. There were hinge pieces that let the tail move, claws that snapped together to let them open and close, and slidey parts that allowed the arms to extend and retract.
It even included more transparent luminous pieces!
12.) V-Wing Fighter
- Line: LEGO UFO
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 40
- Year Released: 1997
A modern audience would likely be surprised to hear that LEGO didn’t always make licensed merchandise. The company made IP-agnostic pieces that could fit generically into almost any role or setting with some imagination for a long time.
Of course, some sets did wear their inspiration on their sleeve.
An android minifig would sit front and center in the vehicle this set allowed you to create. It was a small, manned fighter craft with a custom-printed wing piece and enough luminous, transparent pieces to make even an obsessed goblin like me happy!
11.) Lightsaber Duel
- Line: LEGO Star Wars
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 52
- Year Released: 1999
Of course, all good things must come to an end.
Or, if you’re less cynical, a new beginning.
Behold the very first licensed LEGO set to ever be released. Darth Maul sits atop a LEGO speeder bike, ready to do battle with Qui-Gon Jin, while a moisture evaporator sits nearby.
It’s strange to see the humble beginnings of LEGO’s licensed properties. This simple set would lead to a decades-long spiral of licensing deals. Today, licensed sets make up the bulk of LEGO products released.
10.) Alien Avenger
- Line: LEGO UFO
- Approximate Skill Level: Advanced
- Piece Count: 369
- Year Released: 1997
The Explorien Spaceship was pretty clearly meant to be the “protagonist” of that particular LEGO line. A group of explorers set out to chart the vastness of space.
However, it would be pretty boring if there was nothing for them to find.
Enter the Alien Avenger. This build is designed to look like the classic UFO. It had several custom-molded Alien minifigs and robotic henchmen for them.
What’s unique about this design is that the saucer comprises different crafts that can separate into smaller, complete vehicles. There’s a small command module on top of the saucer section, several wheeled rover vehicles, and even posable grappler arms!
9.) Rock Island Refuge
- Line: LEGO Pirates
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 381
- Year Released: 1991
This is LEGO’s version of a pirate hideaway. Five pirate minifigs have either built or taken over an old island fortress. They’re just sitting there, minding their business and counting their ill-gotten gains when a detachment of her majesty’s navy attacks!
This set includes the pirates and their fortress, a unique lego treasure chest, and a shark to patrol the waters around the island. There are solid bridge pieces and a solid plastic piece for bonus points molded to look like rigging.
8.) Deep Sea Predator
- Line: Aquazone
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 103
- Year Released: 1995
Now we’re getting into some of my favorite LEGO sets of all time! I can not tell you how many hours I spent with this submarine toy.
The posable arms alone fascinated me. They end in unique pincer claws, one of which was equipped with a magnet. The magnet attracted a little transparent box that could fit a molded silver piece designed to look like a crystal.
This absolutely blew my mind as a child!
I changed my mind every day about whether it was a vehicle or a ship, and almost every minifig I had ended up in its clutches. The little harpoon bolts mounted to the side were just an added bonus.
7.) Galactic Mediator
- Line: Space Police
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 406
- Year Released: 1992
This is a much earlier attempt at a science-fiction spaceship. It looks much more plausible and more aesthetic. It’s much more straightforward than other examples on this list, but I don’t consider that to be a bad thing.
In other words, I think it looks really cool.
There are only so many points of articulation besides cockpit pieces that open and some transparent pieces for windows. There’s also a little rover for the minifig explorers to use.
6.) Shuttle Launch Pad
- Line: LEGO Town, “Launch Command”
- Approximate Skill Level: Advanced
- Piece Count: 564
- Year Released: 1995
This absolutely massive set is a much more grounded attempt at a space theme. It didn’t just stop at having some minifigs and the space shuttle. No, it included the gantry way and the entire launch area necessary for a shuttle launch.
I considered swapping this with the Explorien ship above, but ultimately, I decided this deserved the higher spot.
LEGO is all about inspiration and imagination. Space travel is one of the purest expressions of those values, and this set is practically a monument to the men and women who are making it possible.
5.) Dark Forest Fortress
- Line: LEGO Castle
- Approximate Skill Level: Advanced
- Piece Count: 464
- Year Released: 1995
LEGO may not have licensed products for a long time, but that didn’t stop them from creating sets based on public-domain properties.
Robin Hood and his merry men sit safely in their “hidden” forest fastness, waiting for the arrival of the king’s treasure cart.
This build doesn’t have many individualized bricks (the most unique thing about it is some of the leaf pieces). However, it allows one of the trees to fall over for a more dynamic battle sequence.
4.) Fire-Breathing Fortress
- Line: LEGO Castle
- Approximate Skill Level: Moderate
- Piece Count: 397
- Year Released: 1993
I have a hyper-fixation with knights and the middle-ages. (It was so hard not to make this whole list exclusively Castle and Knight-themed items!) This isn’t the first LEGO Castle set. It’s not the biggest. It’s honestly not even my favorite LEGO Castle.
But it was MY first LEGO Castle set.
It had just about everything I could have wanted in a LEGO set at the time. It had a castle that was simple enough that I could put it together. It had knights to play with and a horse for their leader. It had a wizard for wizard things.
Oh, and it had a MOTHER-EFFING DRAGON!
I LOVED the Dragon Minifigs. I still have one on my desk. Society may have caught up and realized how cool Dragons are, but I was ahead of the curve with my love for them.
3.) Black Knight’s Castle
- Line: LEGO Castle
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 588
- Year Released: 1992
So, if I love Dragons so much, why did this castle beat the other one out?
It’s because I love knights more than dragons, and this set had about a dozen of them (nine unique to this set).
The castle is deceptively simple to put together and even has a ghost minifig haunting a part of it. There’s a drawbridge that opens and some unique flag pieces.
Interestingly, it also looks like this is one of the first places we see this design on the LEGO Knights shields, and it can be found throughout the rest of the LEGO Castle line.
2.) Oasis Ambush
- Line: LEGO Adventurers
- Approximate Skill Level: Beginner
- Piece Count: 77
- Year Released: 1998
This is my favorite LEGO set, Bar None.
I spent so much time adding to this, taking it apart, and putting it back together. I lost the adventurer minifigs early on, but I didn’t care about them. I was far more worried about the skeleton minifig.
The skeletons were some of my favorite LEGO pieces; this set is where I realized that. I would ask for any LEGO set that had any of them. I would swap out other minifig heads for skeletons to make undead versions. I would take the legs off the bottom and put other skeleton arms there to make these dangly abominations.
The Anubis statue on top inspired me to research the topic more, and it was a big part of why most of my middle school research topics were Egypt-themed. I was so enthralled by the openable tomb with the pull chain that I started using it in other lego designs. (So many of my own LEGO creations had this specific trapdoor piece in it).
This set inspired the first Module I wrote for a TTRPG. That Module led me to write as more than a hobby.
In a weird way, this LEGO set is why I’m writing not just this article but every article I’ve ever written.
1.) Special Value Blue Tub
- Line: LEGO Basic
- Approximate Skill Level: Literally Any
- Piece Count: 1200(!)
- Year Released: 1998
LEGO sets are lovely. They give you themed pieces and a design to work towards. They can be a great starting point for a LEGO builder’s inspiration.
But that’s not what LEGO is all about to me.
LEGO is about giving you the bricks to build whatever your imagination can conjure. The different sets can come with some great individual pieces like the chains and the rigging and the bridges. However, while those are helpful tools, they don’t compare to the power that LEGO puts into your hand.
The power of your own imagination.
This tub contains 1200 bricks of various standard sizes and shapes. Those 1200 bricks are powerful enough to help you build anything you want.
Conclusion
The Nineties were a tumultuous time. Everything was dialed up to eleven, including the humble LEGO. It was the end of an era for LEGO.
This was really the last gasp of their own themed sets. Although they would release more after this decade, many were LEGO versions of other properties.
LEGOs are a powerful tool and the perfect toy. With LEGO, you can build almost anything your heart desires with enough time and dedication. LEGO teaches children that few things in the world are as powerful as their own imagination.
In other words: The nineties showed us that our imagination was at its best when it was allowed to be extreme.