Lego has unveiled a fresh wave of Star Wars sets that are fully compatible with its innovative Smart Play technology, expanding the interactive construction toy line with iconic vehicles and characters. The announcement, made at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, introduces five new sets that leverage the high-tech Smart Bricks, which respond dynamically to play actions and nearby Smart Play toys.
How Smart Play Technology Works
Smart Play bricks are designed to revolutionise the construction toy experience by sensing motion, direction, and colour interactions. When placed inside a model, such as a spaceship, these bricks can generate changing engine noises as the toy is moved. They also react to different coloured Lego bricks; for instance, a red brick activates laser cannons, while a green hammer signals repair attempts and a blue object indicates refuelling.
Additionally, the bricks interact with Smart tags and Smart minifigures, producing character voices, music snippets, or lightsaber sounds. Unlike the initial three Smart Play sets, which included Smart Bricks, this second wave requires players to reuse bricks from earlier purchases, similar to the approach used with Lego Super Mario interactive figures.
New Star Wars Smart Play Sets
The five new sets, all based on the original Star Wars trilogy, were introduced by C-3PO actor Anthony Daniels. They offer a range of play experiences, from vehicle repairs to immersive scenes, and will be released on March 1, with pre-orders available on the Lego website.
Luke’s Landspeeder – £34.99
This budget-friendly set includes the iconic landspeeder, a desert hut, and a Luke Skywalker Smart minifigure. It also features ordinary minifigures of a Jawa and a Gonk droid, focusing on vehicle repair and refuelling activities.
AT-ST Attack on Endor – £44.99
Recreating the battle on Endor, this set comes with a scout walker and a speeder bike. It includes a Smart minifigure for Wicket the Ewok, plus normal minifigures for a scout trooper and AT-ST driver. Two Smart tags provide sounds for the vehicles and their laser cannons.
Yoda’s Hut and Jedi Training – £59.99
Moving away from vehicles, this set allows builders to reconstruct Yoda’s hut on Dagobah. It includes a balancing game where players add objects to a device, simulating Luke’s Force training. The set features Smart minifigures for Luke and Yoda, along with Smart tags for Force training and cooking scenarios.
Mos Eisley Cantina – £69.99
This playset brings the infamous cantina to life with Smart minifigures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Greedo. Three Smart tags enable karaoke, drink mixing, and interactions with a Dewback creature. A lever mechanism makes characters dance, accompanied by ordinary minifigures of two Bith musicians and a sandtrooper.
Millennium Falcon – £89.99
The largest set in the collection faithfully recreates the Millennium Falcon, complete with Smart minifigures of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and C-3PO. Four Smart tags simulate the shooter laser cannon, hyperspace travel, holochess, and Luke’s lightsaber practice.
Future of Smart Play
Lego has hinted at additional Smart Play-compatible sets in the future, though no specific announcements have been made. Star Wars was likely chosen as the initial franchise due to its wealth of memorable sounds, music, and visual effects, which align perfectly with the interactive capabilities of the Smart Play technology.
This expansion underscores Lego’s commitment to blending traditional construction with digital innovation, offering fans new ways to engage with beloved Star Wars narratives through hands-on play.
