This week, I continue my quest to acquire all the commemorative 10th anniversary Golden Ninja Minifigures. Consequently, the review of the week is the January 2021 Ninjago Legacy set, the X-1 Ninja Charger (71737). The set draws inspiration from season three of the series. Consequently, the villainous minfigs included are Nindroids. The LEGO® Group offered me this set for review, and I gladly accepted. However, prior to that, my interest in the kit was low. I am not one for oversized vehicles targeted towards children’s play. All the same, let us see how it holds up.
NOTE: The LEGO® Group provided this set for review. However, the provision of products does not guarantee a favorable review. I will use my usual rating system (click here to learn more) and provide my honest opinion.
X-1 NINJA CHARGER SUMMARY
- NAME: X-1 Ninja Charger
- SET #: 71737
- THEME: Ninjago
- COST: $69.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 599
- MINIFIGURES: 5
- RELEASE DATE: January 1, 2021
X-1 NINJA CHARGER QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 88% (Good value-per-brick and excellent build time for the price.)
- BUILD: 80% (Relies heavily on stickers for details and chassis is a bit unstable.)
- MINIFIGURES: 92% (You get a good number of detailed characters.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 70% (This set probably only interests KFOL Ninjago fans.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 83%
X-1 NINJA CHARGER (71737) REVIEW
VALUE: 88%
The X-1 Ninja Charger costs $69.99 in Canada. Additionally, the kit consists of 599 pieces. Therefore, the cost-per-brick for this set is $0.117. By comparison, my overall average cost-per-brick is $0.140. However, Ninjago sets tend to come at a better-than-average value. For the theme, my average cost-per-brick is $0.114. Therefore, compared to all LEGO® sets I have reviewed, the value of the X-1 Ninja Charger is good, earning 88%. Compared only to other Ninjago sets, the value is average, earning 79%. Combined, this set has a value-per-brick of 84%.
In terms of build time, I got two hours and 11 minutes (131 minutes total). At full price, that equates to a cost-per-minute of $0.53. Comparatively, my average for all sets is $0.83/minute. For Ninjago alone, it is $0.65/minute. Consequently, the X-1 Ninja Charger earns 95% and 88% respectively in those comparisons. No matter how you look at it, this gives you a lot of build time for the price. The value-per-minute of build time overall is 92%. Taken with the value-per-brick score, the X-1 Ninja Charger earns a total value grade of 92%.
BUILD: 80%
One aspect I really like about this set is that it does not waste bricks on many undetailed side-builds. One of the Nindroids has an odd backpack I could do without. However, it only consists of 15 bricks, which is not a huge waste. Otherwise, the bricks use is as it should be, in detailing the main car build.
The X-1 Ninja Charger has some sleek curves to it. Additionally, it uses ninja swords and blades for interesting detail. The play feature is also nice. You flip a switch which triggers the hood of the car to rise. Simultaneously, a spring mechanism launches a motorcycle right out from under the hood. The whole thing works nicely. The final play feature is a firing canon on the back.
Ultimately, the car looks nice in a childish sort of way. It is a toy, plain and simple. Additionally, there are a lot of stickers added for detail and the play features compromise structure a little. Because the whole central portion of the chassis raises up for the motorcycle to exit, it is not very stable. The front chassis comprises three different sections linked together only by the rear chassis. I doubt it will fall apart easily, but it does wobble. A heavy reliance on stickers and the wobbly chassis results in a build score of 8/10 (80%).
MINIFIGURES: 92%
The X-1 Ninja Charger comes with five minifigs. One of the Nindroids has stumpy, un-poseable legs though. Otherwise, all characters have double-sided faces, front and back torso printing, and some form of head covering. Additionally, all three ninjas have leg printing, but the Nindroids do not. In fact, apart from the stumpy legs on one, the Nindroids are identical. In terms of accessories, the set comes with eight katanas, a couple of bandanas, and Golden Cole has some armor for his shoulders. Also, one of the Nindroids has a should/back piece that you can attack bricks to, which is kind of neat. In terms of design and accessories, I rate these characters at 73/75 (97%).
Five Minifigures in a kit containing 599 pieces is good. The brick-to-fig ratio is 120:1. Comparatively, my average across all themes is 144:1. Meanwhile, my average for Ninjago alone is 150:1. As such, you get a good number of characters for a set of this size. Compared to all sets, I rate the ratio score at 87%. Compared to just Ninjago, this set earns 86%. Therefore, overall, the X-1 Ninja Charger gets a ratio score of 87%. Averaging this with the design score equates to a total Minifigure grade of 92%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 70%
I am an AFOL who dabbles in Ninjago sets. I like the buildings. Consequently, I do not generally buy the vehicles. The only draw this set hold for me is the collectible Minifigure. Like Zane’s Titan Mech Battle, this set comes with a golden commemorative ninja. In this case, it is Cole. Additionally, the set has a buildable base for Cole. I now have two of the reported six ninjas released to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Ninjago. However, I do not know if the Minifigure alone is enough to make me want to buy this set. You can get the character from Bricklink. The car is oversized for an AFOL city layout. Additionally, it looks too childish for me to want it on display. The collectability of the golden Minifigures is the reason I give it a passing AFOL score. I rate it at 3/5 (60%).
The X-1 Ninja Charger is a KFOL set. I can see young Ninjago fans having fun with this car and the neat play features it contains. However, the key words there are “Ninjago fans”. This set does not offer much to LEGO enthusiasts outside of the Ninjago subset of fans. As with AFOLs, the car is too big for young city builders. For that reason, I rate it at 4/5 (80%). Averaging this with the AFOL score gives an overall entertainment rating of 70%.
OVERALL SCORE: 83%
Sadly, I do not really like this set. Ultimately, I have no use for an oversized car. The design does not look bad. However, it looks childish and not display worthy. Consequently, I will not put it in my city, and I will not put it on my shelves. The pieces in this kit will be straight repurposed. I am happy that I got another of the golden ninjas, but I am equally happy I did not have to pay for this set to get it. With that said, the set is not bad. It is just not for me. The value is good, the design has great play features, and you get a decent number of detailed Minifigures. What are your thoughts on the X-1 Ninja Charger (71737)? Feel free to comment below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
What do others think?
Brick Insights is an awesome site that aggregates LEGO® set review scores from around the web. Based on their statistics, you can see what other reviewers think of the X-1 Ninja Charger (71737) below.
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Great to see some different up close shots and angles. I can’t see myself how this is an improvement on the old x1 charger set. I’d be like you, it’s too big and too ugly to warrant space in displays. And collectable golden Cole is the only draw. I love your value for money by brick count. That is a useful metric for buying decisions. Some sets seem well over priced. But when you look at it this way it seems way more reasonable.
Thanks! The value per brick certainly helps me pick sets when I’m stuck between two at the store. It also often decides if I pay full price or wait for a sale.