40786 Micro Command Center LEGO Review - LEGO® Ideas / Space, 2025

While the play is limited, the final result looks stellar.

TL;DR:

• Original Price:  2250 Insiders points / $19.99
• Pieces: 214
• Minifigure(s): Blue Classic Space Baby ("Baby Benny")
• Sticker Sheet: Yes
  
• Pros: Creative size use
• Cons: Limited play

Assembly: 

Bag #1 - Baby Benny, monorail cars

Bag #2 - Track

Bag #3 - Base of station

Bag #4 - Top of station

• Interesting Techniques:
• The use of tiles as tracks and 1x1 round plates as runners is an interesting way to make a "monorail" type track. It's creative, but doesn't run as nice as I'd like (trying with just one plate instead of two underneath works for sliding, but the cars pivot way too much even on straightaways). I wonder if you could invert it, with the middle raised above the sides, and the 1x1 round plates as runners on the outside of the track.

 

• Interesting Pieces:
•  2x4x5 inclined stanchion is a great vintage sci-fi flavored piece, especially in the classic blue.

 

• Pain Points:
• As mentioned above, the wobble of the cars as they drive around is less than optimal, and results in less-than-smooth travel around the loop. The loop itself is also a little lackluster in terms of play feature or display—it's simply too simple. I could see someone combining two of these sets to have a more complex track setup with two stations, for example.
  
• The blue stickers don't really match the brick color, especially with the texture on the sloped faces. Not so much a pain point as a minor frustration, but it's worth noting, regardless. I might end up transferring it to a 2x4 blue tile instead.

 

 

On the whole this was a cute set, and getting it for Insiders points didn't hurt either. I'm not sure I'd have paid $19.99 for it, even with the "Baby Benny" minifig, especially as most of the pieces are pretty standard. In retrospect, it would be pretty easily to re-build it just from the basic pieces in the average fan's collection, or at least use the instructions as inspiration for a build of their own.

 

The differences from the original LEGO Ideas design are also interesting, as the track was originally a roller coaster track with matching cars (for much smoother gliding) and the station was three times the size. The main thing that was kept, apart from the overall profile, was the little control station.

 

Score (out of 5 🧱):

• Price: 🧱🧱🧱🧱 (grading based on retail price)
• Process: 🧱🧱🧱
  
• Presentation: 🧱🧱🧱🧱
• Play: 🧱🧱
• Pieces: 🧱🧱

• Total: 🧱🧱🧱 

Lego Instructions: here