The year is 1999, ‘The Matrix’ is an international phenomenon, Y2K is terrifying the computer illiterate, ‘Star Wars’ has been rebooted (for the first time), and Santana’s ‘Smooth‘ is doing its best to counteract ‘I’m Blue (Da ba Dee)‘ and ‘Flat Beat‘. It was also the year that LEGO – terrified that children only wanted to play computer games rather than with bricks – launched… a computer game.
Available on Playstation, N64, PC, and Gameboy, ‘LEGO Racers’ took the much-loved kart-racing formula pioneered by Mario Kart, and Legofied it. Weapons crates became floating bricks, karts could be rebuilt and customised, and tracks ventured throughout the LEGO universe, visiting such themes as Pirates, Ice Planet, and Adventurers.
It’s the latter we have here today, courtesy of TLCB debutant Liwnik, and his fabulous ‘Desert Adventure Dragway’ diorama. An enormous build, Liwnik’s recreation of the Racers track includes floating brick power-ups, tunnels, weapons, and of course the appropriately rubbish Racers Karts (it was the late ’90s).
A huge gallery of imagery is available to view via Bricksafe, plus you can also check out Liwnik’s photostream on Flickr. Head back to 1999 to fire a cannon ball at an island chief via the links above, and you can click here to either relive your childhood, or experience someone else’s!
