Review: LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing 75423
LEGO launched its new SMART Play system this spring, and we managed to get our hands on two of the sets, including LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing, set 75423. We bought it from Amazon Germany at a good discount together with LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-wing, set 75427, which I will build next. We have also ordered two more sets that will arrive soon, LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter, set 75421, and LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Mos Eisley Cantina, set 75425.
SMART Play is currently available in only a limited number of countries, so it is not officially available in Norway, but usually, when I want something, I do everything possible to get it.
There has been quite a lot of negativity surrounding SMART Play, particularly because of the price. We understand that these sets are more expensive because of the new technology, but everyone has their own budget and their own idea of how much they are willing to spend on LEGO. Some of the sets are already appearing with discounts on Amazon, so if you are interested, it is worth keeping an eye on the prices.
We spent around three hours building the X-Wing. I built the entire set myself despite being totally blind, following the step-by-step instructions with the help of my very patient wife, Alina. We started with the X-Wing and then moved on to the additional builds. Building the ship was particularly enjoyable because the wings are constructed in different ways, making the build more varied. The smaller builds were also easy and enjoyable to put together.
The finished X-Wing measures over 6 centimeters high, 22 centimeters long and 19 centimeters wide, and the set contains 581 pieces. The fighter is predominantly white and light grey, with red markings across the fuselage and wings. The four wings spread out into the familiar X shape, with the four engine sections between them and long laser cannons extending toward the front. The cockpit sits at the front underneath a transparent canopy, while the SMART Brick is placed inside the body of the ship.
The X-Wing is quite swooshable and really fun to play with. It feels like a ship that is meant to be picked up and flown around, and we really believe kids will have a blast with it.
The additional builds include an Imperial turret, a transporter, a refueling and repair area, and a communication centre with Princess Leia. The Imperial turret can fire at the X-Wing, while the transporter can be used to deliver supplies. R2-D2 can also be placed in the cockpit.
This is where the SMART Play system really comes alive. The SMART Brick uses SMART Tags to recognize different parts of the set and respond with sounds, lights and other effects. There are five SMART Tags in this set, connected to the X-Wing, Imperial turret, transporter, communication centre and R2-D2.
We can move the SMART Brick from one structure to another and get different reactions. Bring it closer to the refueling station and we hear the appropriate sounds. Move it toward the turret and we can activate its laser effects. Take it to the communication centre with Princess Leia and we get another set of sounds. Moving the X-Wing around also produces engine sounds and other effects.
But we got goosebumps the first time we placed Luke Skywalker in the cockpit alongside the SMART Brick and heard part of Luke’s theme coming from the brick. That was the moment when we really understood what LEGO was trying to achieve with SMART Play.
The set includes SMART Luke Skywalker, SMART Princess Leia, a Stormtrooper, a Rebel Crew member and R2-D2. Luke is dressed in his familiar Rebel pilot suit and helmet, while Leia wears her classic white outfit and distinctive hairstyle. The Stormtrooper has his recognizable white armour and helmet, and the Rebel Crew member is wearing a tan uniform. R2-D2 has his familiar blue-and-white astromech design. I love all the minifigs because even without seeing them, I can easily tell them apart thanks to their completely different and highly tactile hair pieces or helmets.
There are plenty of other interactions, including repairing the X-Wing with the included hammer, delivering supplies with the transporter and activating the Imperial turret. The different sounds and reactions make the LEGO models feel alive.
This was our first experience with a LEGO SMART Play set, and we were completely surprised and thrilled by how fun and enjoyable it is. We both played with it after finishing the build, and we immediately started thinking about what could happen with more SMART Play sets.
I also strongly believe that SMART Play has the potential to make LEGO even more accessible and immersive for blind builders. Being able to hear the X-Wing’s engines, laser fire and character themes, while physically interacting with different parts of the set, can help blind LEGO lovers build a stronger connection with what they are creating and immerse themselves even more in the Star Wars universe. I can’t wait to see what LEGO does with SMART Play across other IPs, especially Harry Potter.
I also think the technology could have huge potential and benefits beyond accessibility for blind builders. It could give children of all ages, but especially to those with cognitive impairments, new ways to express themselves and create opportunities to connect with a parent, family member, guardian or friend through shared play. That is a much bigger discussion, though, and probably deserves an article of its own.
Honestly, I am tired of seeing so many reviewers forget that LEGO is supposed to be colorful and fun. I am tired of endless discussions about price and all the negativity that seems to surround anything new. We purchased the sets ourselves with no support whatsoever from LEGO, and we believe it is worth it.
Trust your reviewers that they can take their own decisions when and if they want to buy a set. Besides a few creators, everyone was just complaining about the price and that the sets are not that interesting. Actually, they are very interesting because they are made to be played with and we can’t wait to combine all of them together.
Dear creators and fellow reviewers, if you have lost the joy and the spark to be happy when you build LEGO, maybe you should do something else with your time. If the only thing that matters for you is how much a set costs, and you just want to complain about that, even a blind journalist like me can tell you that they see that you have lost your way.
Both Alina and I are super happy with this set, and we are already sure that we are going to enjoy the others just as much. I can bet that if you build this set together with your child, they will love it and want to play with it over and over again. And if you don’t have a child, build it for yourself. Your inner child will thank you for the core memories that you will create.
We really believe that the amazing people at LEGO have a winning product on their hands with SMART Play. The technology adds something completely and originally new to the traditional LEGO experience without sacrificing the joy of clicking together LEGO bricks and creating entire universes with just your hands.
For us, Luke’s Red Five X-Wing has been an excellent first experience with SMART Play, and we can’t wait to see what LEGO does with the system for the foreseeable future.
Happy building everyone and play well!
Victor Dima
