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Last Updated: 2/8/98

For 1998, LEGO is treating us to many things that we've been asking for for years, although, of course, it's by coincidence. Two new themes and six new subthemes compliment sets remaining from '97. As started last year, LEGO seems to have almost completely gone to a two-year product cycle - the only sets not discontinued from '96 are some of the original Wild West sets.

As is often the case with the in-box catalogs, only a few Technic sets are shown, and no Trains or Model Team sets are in the catalog (although we know from reports on the Retailers' catalog that one Model Team set will be released for sure). But this doesn't mean there won't be any, as those have been predominantly Shop at Home items in the last few years.

What is missing, however, that is very sad to a lot of people, is Pirates. All Pirates sets have been discontinued for '98. Whether or not this means that there will never be any more Pirates sets remains to be seen (next year), but for now, they're gone.

New Elements for 1998

• Adventurers: Tan bricks; tan rock pieces (tops); "log" pieces in tan and white; pith helmets; Egyptian pharoah's headdresses; fedoras; scorpions; mummy heads; 4 X 6 X 6 high slanted walls; black treasure chests; sarcophagus & lid; ruby crystals; brown bats; new wheels; magnefying glass; sextant; new movie camera; new windshield; new car cockpits; new pilot's helmet; binoculars; tents; red snakes; "cake dome"
• Insectoids: Light and sound element; insectoid wings; transparent half-spheres with "bug eye" facets; insect legs (small and large); insectoid crystals; new transparent helmets; angled 8 X 8 octagon cockpit element; transparent antenna / footpod
• AquaZone: Trans green quarter domes; new helmets; 1/2-dodecagon saucer sections; 1/4 saucer bottoms; metallic blue headgear
• Ninja: New helmets; new hats; new swords; dolphin roof ornaments; glider wings; new ropes with hand grips; new grass / leaves; epaulets / chest plates
• Town Jr.: Three-wheeled cycle base; 8 X 2 X 6 high bay windows; angled arch; new baseplate with "driveway" sections
• Extreme Team: Pulley handle; flexible "H-bar"; grappling hook
• Radio Control: Probably too many to list, but obviously the controller and the RC chassis are new; chromed handled headlights; 2 X 6 X 3 high bricks
• Technic: Flexible accordian tube covers; two new wheel and tire types

LEGOLand Population Increase for 1998

To the best of our knowledge...

• Adventurers: 30

• Insectoids: 12

• Hydronauts: 12

• Stingrays: 9

• Ninja: 27

• Castle: 4

• Town Jr.: 27

• Generic Town: 7

• Extreme Team: 16

• Res Q: 16

• Total Births: 160

Seemingly inspired by the Indiana Jones films, the Adventurers sub-theme represents a line that many LEGO Maniacs have been after for a long time. These sets feature Egyptian pyramids, sphynxes and mummies! The cars and trucks seem to seat two mini-figs side-by-side. From these photos it's hard to tell, but the car and truck doors may not actually open. That would be incredibly unfortunate, since the vehicle designs themselves are quite nice. There are many new elements in these sets.

The introduction of U.F.O. in 1997 only hinted at the hideous race of Insectoids to invade LEGOLand in 1998! These creepy aliens have bulbous helmets and craft shaped like all sorts of nasty crawling and flying critters.

Of the two new AquaZone sub themes for '98, these seem to be the good guys. The best thing about the Hydronauts is that they have a big base that is built on a raised baseplate, then raised further with the use of rock pieces. Both the Hydronauts and the Stingrays feature new pieces that allow the octagonal cockpit elements to be used at an angle.

And then there are the Stingrays, or as some people have called it, "AquaZone meets Blacktron". These sets are very agressive and the largest of the Stingrays sets is downright huge, measuring about 45 by 55 studs (width & length, respectively).

The castle theme welcomes the addition of the Ninja sub-theme this year. There are lots of new pieces used in these sets, and there is also a great variety of pre-existing pieces used to give the buildings an ornate look that hasn't been found in too many sets over the last few years. In particular, roof pieces are used generously, with the biggest Ninja set incorporating no fewer than 65 black roof bricks!

Generic Castle gets a new figure pack for 1998:

Town Jr. is majorly expanded for '98, with ten new sets. Again, these sets are designed for young kids making the transition from free-form building to building by instructions. These sets introduce the new bay windows which are probably one very large piece.

According to the '98 catalog, there are only two new generic town sets: The new City People mini-figure pack, and the Mail Carrier, which is shown in the LEGO Direct mini-catalog...

What happens when the LEGO designers want to do a bunch of radical vehicles and settings and can't think of which sub-theme to put them in? They create Extreme Team! These sets are loaded with outrageous vehicles, and there's even a mountain to climb and dangerous river to traverse via a rickety log bridge.

The most radical rescue-oriented sub-theme, these sets seem to take off where the 1896 - Trauma Team set left off. They also seem to be at least partially inspired by the Thunderbirds, just in terms of the types and style of vehicles included in the sets. Thankfully, there is also a base set. Notice the clever use of a space shuttle baseplate as a pier...

Finally...something LEGO fans have been clamoring for for years...a Radio Control set! The set features what seems to be a one-piece chassis (receiver, chassis, wheels) with a bunch of pieces that let you build various vehicles out of the set. The transmitter uses a two-stick setup rather than a throttle / steering setup. It seems there are instructions to build at least four different vehicles from the set.

While the in-box catalog doesn't distinguish between Tech Play and Tech Build sets, we're assuming that these two sets at least are part of the Tech Play universe.

Too many late nights have been spent by LEGO designers watching reruns of Star Trek: The Next Generation. That is the only way to explain the borgified Picard figure that comes with one of these sets. The Cyber Slam sets are simply weird. Part of the Technic line, they incorporate a bizarre punch arm and target combination so that kids can beat the heck out of eachother. Sort of a do-it-yourself Rockem Sockem Robots thing...

Two new sets are shown that will probably be part of the Tech Build line. The "Super Bike" incorporates some new wheels and tires.

Discontinued Sets

Based on a comparison of the 1997 and 1998 catalogs, the following 46 sets appear to be discontinued for '98...

As you can see from this list, all Pirates sets are being discontinued, which is really a tragedy. Other good sets worth getting before they're gone are 6090, 6195, 6493, 4022, 6599, 6550, 6553, 6581, 6545, 6335 and 6546.

European-Only Sets

We haven't seen a '98 European catalog yet, but this section will be updated once one becomes available.

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