Lego PlayStation 72306 review

I was nine years old when I got my very own PlayStation. After two years of coveting my older brother’s, I had one to call my own, where I could play Rugrats: Search for Reptar, Pandemonium and Final Fantasy VII in my own room, whenever I wanted. It’s an iconic console in many ways, not just bringing disc-based gaming and 3D graphics to our home TVs, but also introducing an entire generation to gaming for for the first time.

That little grey box meant a lot to me, just as it it undoubtedly did to the tens of millions of people who owned one. It’s a key part of my childhood, and a truly iconic piece of tech history. And so, following on from the Lego Nintendo Entertainment System, the Lego Atari and the Lego Game Boy, it seems only right that LEGO has just released a brick-built PlayStation. Made up of 1,911 pieces, it’s a 1:1 replica of Sony’s debut console, and it’s loaded with so much nostalgia that it almost makes me teary.

A stellar build, inside and out

Of all the hundreds of Lego sets I’ve built over the years, I can safely say that the Lego PlayStation is up there with the best of them, being one of my favourite models not only to look at but to put together in the first place. Despite its all-grey exterior, this manages to be a captivating and entertaining build, with very few parts feeling repetitive or boring.

Not only is this a 1:1 model of the console itself, but it comes with a controller – a faithfully recreated model of the very first PlayStation controller, before the DualShock came along and revolutionised gaming with the analogue sticks. Open up the disc drive (yes, the ‘open’ button actually works!) and you’ll find two pull-out dioramas of original PS1 games: one of Gran Turismo and one of Ape Escape. Underneath these you’ll find a brick-built PS1 logo.

The little details that matter

No details have been spared. Look at the back of the console, and you’ll find all the correct ports: an AC in, AV multi out and a serial I/O. The two controller ports on the front look convincing too – with the controller actually plugging in with a smooth and satisfying connection. There are a few concessions, of course. The memory card slots don’t open, and while the power button can be pressed, it’s missing a light brick to really bring it to life. Better yet – imagine a Smart Brick with the PS1 start-up sound! Alas, we can’t have everything.

They aren’t exactly niggles, though. LEGO has done an absolutely incredible job on the design of the PlayStation, and given the restraints of the bricks, some of the ingenuity on display here is incredible. These are just standard LEGO pieces, used in unbelievably clever ways. It shouldn’t be surprising, given how talented the LEGO design team is, but it’s one of those sets that really makes you stand back and truly appreciate just how clever the people behind it actually are.

All the details you can see on the outside of the console – the Sony and PlayStation Logos, the buttons on the controller, and the ‘power’, ‘reset’ and ‘open’ buttons – are all printed bricks, which is very much appreciated. There are some stickers, however, used on the dioramas, but since these are tucked away, it doesn’t matter too much.

The ‘Gran Turismo’ and ‘Ape Escape’ dioramas are delightful

Not that the stickers spoil the dioramas: as long as they’re applied well, they add a nice amount of detail, with stickers providing details to roads and road signs on the Gran Turismo diorama, and the ape’s face on the Ape Escape diorama. Both dioramas are delightfully colourful, and considering they are essentially hidden extras buried inside the console, they pack in a huge amount of detail on a micro scale. They’re certainly worth pulling out to have a gander at once in a while. From the tiny cars going around the track on Gran Turismo to the palm trees on Ape Escape, they’ll both make you grin.

But then, everything on this fantastic set will. It’s amazing how well the controller sits in your hand, for example. It feels so realistic to hold, in fact, that it’s a bit of a shock when you can’t actually press the buttons. Opening and closing the lid on the console feels wonderful too, with the push of the button and the speed at which the lid pops up being eerily realistic. Nothing in the set felt overly technical to build, so when it comes together with moving parts, it feels almost magical.

A build that can be shared

While the LEGO PlayStation only comes with one instruction book, I found it a good set for building with a companion – as long as one of you is happy to build from the app. Both dioramas can be built independently, as can the controller and, randomly enough, the PS1’s lid. With Richard taking care of those parts and me building the body of the console, we were both finished around the same time, making it perfectly balanced. It took the two of us just under four hours to finish this 1,911-piece set, so if you’re tackling it alone, 6-8 hours is a fair estimate.

At £139.99/$179.99, the LEGO PlayStation 72306 feels like an absolute steal, and it’s a set I’ll cherish forever. It’s equal parts a fun build, a brilliantly-designed model and an unforgettable slice of nostalgia, all rolled into one. If you loved your PS1 back in the 90s, or even if you just love video game history, this is hands-down one of the best LEGO sets you can buy. It’s going to take something really special for LEGO to create a gaming-themed set to beat this one, I think.

With thanks to LEGO and PlayStation for providing the set for the purposes of this review. This article was originally published on GameSpew.com.