Blocks magazine archive: Creator X-Pods
Posted by Huw,
It’s time for Blocks magazine’s back catalogue to open up! Print subscribers now get free access to the digital library of more than 80 issues – that’s over 9,000 pages – of LEGO features, reviews, build guides and more.
All the information on getting a Blocks subscription, including the extra subscriber benefits, is available here.
Each day this week Brickset is exclusively sharing one feature from the archive. This one goes all the way back to the second issue, when I shared the fascinating story of LEGO Creator X-Pods…
Fifty piece Creator sets might seem an odd choice of subject for this column but for me they are particularly interesting and offered me the opportunity to collaborate with the design team behind them.
Until 2003, LEGO’s System sets for older children were almost entirely focussed around the minifigure: most sets featured them and models were to minifigure-scale: cars, houses, boats, space ships and so on. Then, in 2003, LEGO introduced Designer sets (which later become known as Creator) which were rich in basic bricks, plates and slopes and without a minifigure in sight. They came with thick manuals containing instructions for multiple models and inspiration for many more. The first batch included sets for building fish, insects, wild creatures, robots and micro-scale aircraft and trucks.
Designer sets were a huge success and in 2004 many more were introduced, including four X-Pods, which are the subject of this article. These 50-odd piece sets came with a large pod into which all the parts of the set could be stored. The idea behind them was to encourage kids to take their LEGO with them wherever they went and, while many subsequent sets have been packaged in cans and other plastic boxes, X-Pods are one of the few to come with a container that can be used both to store the pieces and as part of models.
The four sets, each featuring a different colour pod and parts, contained a very versatile selection of pieces that enabled multiple models of a particular type to be made: the red pod contained parts most suited to making small creatures, the yellow one aircraft, the green one robots and the blue one vehicles.
Unlike the larger Designer sets the instruction booklets contained step-by-step instructions for several models, one of which included the pod in it, photographs offering inspiration for many more, and also a combination model that could be made from two X-Pods.
The pod itself consisted of three parts: a transparent canister, a lid and a base. The canister had loops on either side to enable it to be attached to a belt or similar. Interestingly, it had studs on the bottom which, when up-ended, meant it could be used as a display stand for your models. The lid and base could be connected to each other, a characteristic which was often exploited in the models shown in the instructions.
What particularly impressed me about them was their versatility: the red and yellow pods in particular contained a fantastic selection of parts that offered almost endless possibilities, which is exactly what’s needed if you are to take a pod with you on a day trip or holiday. The blue pod was perhaps the weakest in this regard because the bulk of the parts in the set were wheels, tyres and axle plates which are arguably less versatile than the parts in the other pods.
Following their release, there was a flurry of online activity with people sharing their creations made with them on Brickshelf and on LEGO forums. My own enthusiasm was noticed by Jake McKee, who at the time was part of the community team in the LEGO company. He’d been asked by the lead designer working on the Creator line, Paal Smith-Meyer, to find someone who would be interested in building a website to showcase X-Pod creations and in particular to encourage people to take their models outside and photograph them at famous locations around the world.
Jake thought of me and following a couple of days at Billund with the X-Pod team and a few months of programming, a website was born, called X-PodWorld.com.
One of Paal’s ideas, to have models pinned on a map of the world, was way ahead of its time and unfortunately unachievable with the technology – and my limited skills – of the day (Google Maps didn’t arrive until 2005) but nevertheless as a gallery of pictures of X-Pod models in famous places, it was a success.
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Later in 2004 a fifth X-Pod, 4335 Black Robot Pod a recoloured version of the green Robopod, containing black and orange pieces, was released in North America in time for Halloween. Shortly afterwards, a board game, set number 65535 X-Pod Play Off Game Pack, was also made for the North American market. It contained the five X-Pods, a game board and cards, and instructions for playing some sort of strategy game. I’ve never played it, but looking at the lengthy instructions now it would appear to be far too complicated!
Also in 2004, polybag versions of the original four sets – minus the canister – were produced, although I’m not sure where they were available from, they certainly weren’t seen in the UK.
Four more X-Pods were released in 2005 in a new range of colours and with tinted transparent canisters, then four more in 2006 which, unlike earlier sets that came in plastic bubble-packs, were packaged in cardboard sleeves. Although many were excellent, none quite matched the versatility of the first series in my opinion.
Unfortunately that was the last we saw of them. I’m guessing that the canister was an expensive part to produce, which might have led to their demise. One thing I learnt on my trip to Billund was that the design team was not entirely happy with the design of the canister because the lid didn’t lock securely and it was too easy for it to be popped off unintentionally by gently squeezing the sides, but they ran out of time to improve it. However, as the base and lid have an axle hole, and the canister a round hole through the middle, it’s possible to use a Technic axle keep them together more securely.
It’s fairly easy to pick up new X-Pods on eBay and BrickLink for close to their original price. All of them, that is, except one. The red pod is now extremely hard to find thanks entirely to a MOC made by the Arvo Brothers of Kaneda’s Bike from the anime film Akira. Their model was so popular that they published a book of the instructions in 2014. It uses no less than 6 lids from the red X-Pod which, needless to say, have become rarer than hen’s teeth as a result.
So, what became of X-PodWorld.com? Once the X-Pods themselves had been discontinued in 2006 interest in the site waned, so it went offline later that year. You can get a feel for what it was like at the Wayback Machine Internet Archive.
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47 comments on this article
Still rocking my original four X-Pods. I last made MOCs with them in 2018 for LEGO's 60th anniversary when I returned to the hobby.
Still got my Play-Off print-outs, too. Just no one to play the game with. I used to play it against myself.
Like you, Auto Pod was my least favorite, though I always chalked this up to me being bad at making vehicles (which I still am today) more than the parts themselves. Wish I could get the Black Robo Pod, but I see now that it was a regional exclusive.
Interesting to hear that the design of the lids was not up to snuff. I never had a problem with the lids popping off except when dropping the canisters. Then again, I never tried to squeeze the canisters like that.
I had the original four pods in 2004. I lost interest in them after that, though.
Several years ago some relatives gave me a bunch of their old legos their kids had grown out of and in the bin was a sealed blue x-pod. It had probably been in there for over 10 years without being opened. Needless to say, I opened it and now the pieces are strewn across my collection.
Man, X-Pods were the best. Sadly they didn't release the second wave over here (might need to get them if I can find them online). Some old mocs I made: https://imgur.com/a/t5XwCKh
4416 was my favorite release, being color matched for the Exploriens, while 4417 was a phenomenal match for classic Space.
I was fortunate enough to have just recently picked up all four original pods unopened in their original packaging. I was looking for just the creature one and decided it was a fair price to pay for all four just to get the one. I never knew about them. Now I'm excited that I have a rare piece of lego history in my possession.
I had the Orginal ones from my cousin, green,blue and yellow :)
Great article, I never knew these existed, just used to polybags and creater set boxes. As you mention the lids are interesting and have their own potential, keep thinking of yoyi's!
Please can you check the link I just obtain a webpage saying welcome to the home of Calacom with no X-pod in sight?
I got the red one and green one, bugs and robots. I really liked both of them, had great fun trying to use the pods themselves in the little builds
These were fun, creative sets! I have the Auto Pod and Wild Pod from the original line. I think 4338 Monster Pod looks like a Mixels predecessor.
@ambr, sorted.
I loved these when I was younger, though sadly I wasn't able to get as many of them as I would have liked. Getting the black X-Pod felt really special, especially since this was when ordering online wasn't really a thing yet in my house.
The first I ever heard of these was this week - a reviewer of 31203 World Map was using the containers for sorting the parts. And now I understand what an X-Pod was.
I think it's a neat idea: maybe this sort of thing could be a better use for Vidiyo Beatbox containers.
These things were epic.
I used the first yellow X-pod to build a microscale Thunderbird 4 to go with an old mid-90s Thunderbird 2 by Matchbox. Still have both!
I vaguely remember having the blue x-pod as one of my very first sets. I lost it at some point, but it was a great idea.
These things were IT for a while! I recently scrounged the parts for my original four back together after they had been scattered into the collection for years.
As for the polybag versions, I know that here in Germany, they were available from certain supermarkets. Possibly elsewhere as well, though the particular store I got them from is the only place I remember seeing them back in the day.
I got an extra batch of the yellow and red pieces because those were my favourite ones, and with a little careful packing, it was actually possible to get the two sets of parts into one pod.
I took my X-Pods everywhere when I was a kid! There was actually an official X-Pod carrying strap (https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?G=4250480) which I managed to pick up at the Mall of America Lego Store in 2006 or 2007. Never knew it existed until I saw it in one of their random bins of accessories.
They late used one of the robo pod robots in LEGO Universe. Also, the lids were used in 7666 Echo Base from 2007.
I bought a yellow X-pod back in the day too! Still on my bookshelf and usually used as a stand for other models. Hard to believe they came out around 17 years ago!
Why LEGO doesn't make more sets in this style is kind of beyond me. We still have the Friends Cube sets, but I really wish we got something like the X-Pods again with more versatile parts.
It doesn't look as if subscriptions are available for US residents (just checked their website). Is this correct?
My 1st grade and 2nd grade classmates when I was young brought X-Pods to school for Show-and-Tell, and it kind if felt like every kid had them, so I eventually asked my mom to get me X-Pods for my birthday.
Lego's perfect for mechs and robots.
Lots of awesome sets came from Creator after 2003.
I stopped following LEGO after 2000 , and by that time LEGO had not really recovered from the dark times yet ,so I didn't discover many of those sets that existed until 10-15 years later.
I've had at least one of these for 16 years and I never understood what the slots on the side were for. Not only does the belt loop make sense, but @thund3rhead has the link to the obscure official strap as well. I might have to round up the scattered pieces for the six I have now and put a video review together.
I've got Blue, Orange and Lime Green ones.
Fun article! Even though these came out in my dark ages, I saw 4338 Monster Pod in a store and picked it up. Then I grabbed the rest from that wave and 65535 X-Pod Play Off which netted me the original 4, the black robot and the game board and cards (which I still have). So of course, I also bought the final four when they came out.
When I came back into the light, I found them in a box though I was inexplicably missing the pod for 4415 auto pod 2 (had the pieces and instructions, since ebayed a full one) and the instructions for 4418 dino pod (had the pieces and pod). Might be missing another instruction, but I'd have to check and now have scans of them all.
The instructions for the first 8 were booklets, but the last 4 only had little folded sheets. The booklets have a lot more ideas as well as build instructions for combo pod models. The folded sheets have only 3 models, a few pictures ideas and the combo pod models are just pictures, no instructions, and basically all the same. Folded instructions aside I am sort of partial to 4416 robo pod (the white robo) from the last wave.
Overall, I think the second wave is definitely the best (4337 dragon/ 4338 monster/ 4339 aqua/ 4413 arachno). 4339 aqua is probably the best of all.
Note that the chronology and numbering is all sorts of screwy.
A few of these are also great for rare colors (not counting the 3 parts to each pod): The monster pod has 5 parts in dark purple and 2 in lime green that are unique in those colors to it. The dragon pod has 3 or 4 that were pieces that were only in green or medium lime in the pod. The Aqua pod has 1 unique color/part plus 4x glow in the dark teeth that were only in the pod and $4506 Deep Sea Predators (though the later has 20x of them).
They all sit comfortably stacked at the back of my build area and I grab them randomly to fiddle with when my ADHD has kicked back in and I am watching TV at night.
I had no idea why the red dishes were so sought after. Nice throwback - err - Wednesday, Huw.
This wasn't the top article a second ago. What happened to the one about Bricklink? Am I the only one who noticed this?
Thanks for picking this archive article because X-Pods were very popular with my three boys at the time. We have multiples of six of the first sets. The pieces included were so coveted since they were all plates and hinges and bits to make cool robots and animals.
The lids coming off were definitely an issue sometimes so it's good to hear that the Lego design team recognized the deficiency - it's too bad they weren't allowed the time to improve them before production. I'd love for the line to make a comeback but I'm sure Lego would charge $10 now just to justify the transparent pod.
@sideswinger said:
"This wasn't the top article a second ago. What happened to the one about Bricklink? Am I the only one who noticed this?"
I noticed, and I have screenshots proving the article existed. Something is up.
@PixelTheDragon said:
" @sideswinger said:
"This wasn't the top article a second ago. What happened to the one about Bricklink? Am I the only one who noticed this?"
I noticed, and I have screenshots proving the article existed. Something is up."
Its a terrible look from Lego, not surprised the article was pulled.
It appears to have been pulled once the originating stories started to unravel.
@Virgilnz said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
" @sideswinger said:
"This wasn't the top article a second ago. What happened to the one about Bricklink? Am I the only one who noticed this?"
I noticed, and I have screenshots proving the article existed. Something is up."
Its a terrible look from Lego, not surprised the article was pulled.
"
If it was pulled because LEGO told them to take it down, then the owners of this site need to grow a spine. That, or post an update article explaining what happened.
I really hope that this isn’t the case. News like that should be reported BECAUSE it’s a bad look for LEGO. They need to be called out when they do something awful.
@yellowcastle said:
"It appears to have been pulled once the originating stories started to unravel."
Only caught the article once so didnt get a chance to head back and read more comments, the originating story was found out to be false?
I bought all the X-Pods new at retail except the black one (which was never available in Australia) and still have all the pods and bits in my collection :)
Originating story for the disappearing headline turned out to be a hoax. Details in the forum.
@PixelTheDragon said:
" @Virgilnz said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
" @sideswinger said:
"This wasn't the top article a second ago. What happened to the one about Bricklink? Am I the only one who noticed this?"
I noticed, and I have screenshots proving the article existed. Something is up."
Its a terrible look from Lego, not surprised the article was pulled.
"
If it was pulled because LEGO told them to take it down, then the owners of this site need to grow a spine. That, or post an update article explaining what happened.
I really hope that this isn’t the case. News like that should be reported BECAUSE it’s a bad look for LEGO. They need to be called out when they do something awful.
"
Go over to the Forum and read all about it. The story was a fake.
@560heliport said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
" @Virgilnz said:
" @PixelTheDragon said:
" @sideswinger said:
"This wasn't the top article a second ago. What happened to the one about Bricklink? Am I the only one who noticed this?"
I noticed, and I have screenshots proving the article existed. Something is up."
Its a terrible look from Lego, not surprised the article was pulled.
"
If it was pulled because LEGO told them to take it down, then the owners of this site need to grow a spine. That, or post an update article explaining what happened.
I really hope that this isn’t the case. News like that should be reported BECAUSE it’s a bad look for LEGO. They need to be called out when they do something awful.
"
Go over to the Forum and read all about it. The story was a fake."
Thank goodness! I was getting worried there.
But they really may want to post something about it on the main page. I don’t use the forum too often, if at all.
I loved X-Pods! I was quite young at their release, 6 or so (I was 5 when designer sets came out, and they were quite genuinely my childhood Lego sets alongside BIONICLE and Galidor). A few years back I got all the parts back together for them, and I love them to death. Interesting to hear the red pod is rare now though! Definitely a surprise for me. Very cool to hear about the community reception for them, since I wasn't aware at the time, and definitely wasn't online to talk about them. I miss that little wave of creator sets.
I only got into Lego as an adult due to Star Wars and rarely would buy non-SW sets but for some reason I got the red, blue, yellow, and green because I thought they were pretty slick. I still have them up in my numerous bins of Lego stuff. I used to play with them in grad school when I needed a little diversion. I had no idea that they were kind of popular and still sought after.
@Murdoch17 said:
"They late used one of the robo pod robots in LEGO Universe."
I'm happy to see that someone else remembers this. I think I tried making an LU version, but the right colors weren't available at the time.
I have them all except for the Black one. Maybe I should pick one up...
I adored these when I was younger. Still do! I always wanted to try playing the PlayOff game but it would have involved printing dozens and dozens of pages of rules and cards and everything else needed... but I did end up using the instructions to inspire MOCs.
The article says the larger Designer sets did not have instructions for multiple models. As we were discussing this very thing when Wild Collection came up for RSOTD, I know that to be false. About 1/3 of the advertised 60+ models have instructions, and the rest are just presented for ideas.
There are two carry straps. The long one holds all 13 pods, and the short one holds either four or five. The large one is particularly interesting because it suggests they had a set plan for the number of X-Pods they’d release, and then the line would end.
Besides using these straps to hold the lids on, a neat trick I figured out was to use a 6L axle. Just insert it into the base before you fill the pod with parts. Clip the top lid on, which pushes the axle out the bottom. Push it back up flush to lock the lid. To remove it, just twist. There’s enough give to unlock the lid and pull it off.
One other complication that may have spelled the end of the X-Pod is internal storage space. I heard the set designers weren’t thrilled with the interior size of the actual pods. By the time the an X-Pod set was ready for production, you had to be able to take all the non-pod parts, dump them in the transparent center, and lock the lid in place without having to stir the parts around or otherwise rearrange them so they won’t stick up too high.
Curating a good part selection that still fits inside the pod isn’t as easy as it sounds. The few MOC X-Pods I’ve seen usually fit so tight they need a load diagram so you know exactly how the parts fit inside so the lid will actually close. The rumor I heard back in the day is that this resulted in them shifting to pods more like the Tiny Turbos used, which afforded a lot more space at the expense of fitting in the X-Pod subtheme, or being buildable elements like the X-Pod pods.
Even though they were a couple years before my time I always adored X-pods. My favorite was without a doubt 4416, mostly because of how prevalent PRDX units were in LEGO Universe
As far as why TLC stopped making the X-pod pieces, when the line of products was almost done, the guy in our LUG who was our LEGO Ambassador received some insight from someone. He told us that if we wanted X-pods, we should buy them now, because the mold used to make them was almost used up, and they didn't plan to continue the X-pod series.