LEGO® Monkie Kid parts review + MOCs: 80035 Monkie Kid's Galactic Explorer

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.

80035 Monkie Kid's Galactic Explorer - with 1356 parts and a price range of 169.99 AUD / 169.99 CAD / 99.99 EUR(DE)/ 129.95 EUR(FI) / 89.99 GBD / 129.99 USD - is one of 8 playsets of the LEGO® Monkie Kid January 2022 line-up. It is also one of the coolest spaceships currently available. However, I'll leave the spaceship aspect to the Benny-heads while I dive deep into the interesting parts of this set, and then reveal two original character builds inspired by its contents.

Minifigs

The printed legs and dual-molded helmets are unique to this set. The torso print also appears on 80032 Chang'e Moon Cake Factory.

• 4x Minifigure, Headgear Helmet Space, City Astronaut with Molded Dark Turquoise Neck Base Pattern in White (6377942 | 49663)
• 4x Hips and Legs with Space Suit, Dark Turquoise Knee Pads Pattern in White (6366653 | 81250)
• 4x Torso Space Suit Dark Turquoise Straps and Belt, Planet with White Cloud Symbol Pattern / White Arms / Dark Turquoise Hands in White (6375626 | 76382)

Sandy's minifig scale version with the head print and the recoloured orange mohawk are new for this wave. They appear also in 80033 Evil Macaque's Mech. The beard has only appeared before in CMF Viking in 2020, making it a welcome return.

• 1x Minifigure, Head Orange Bushy Eyebrows and Full Beard, Black Eyes with White Pupils Pattern - Hollow Stud in Medium Azure (6366633 | 81159)
• 2x Minifigure, Hair Mohawk in Orange (6373902 | 79914)
• 1x Minifigure Beard, Medium Short in Bright Orange (6301424 | 93223) - plus 1 extra

The monkeys are identical except for the pauldron, and their new parts are also available in 3 other sets of 2022 January wave. The black tail makes a return from the CMF cat costume girl from 2018.

• 2x Minifigure, Head Red and Black Fur, Long Curved Eyebrows, and Yellow Eyes Pattern - Hollow Stud in Black (6366624 | 81095)
• 2x Minifigure, Hair and Sideburns, Swept Back with Red Ears Pattern in Black (6375748 | 53094)
• 2x Torso Red Smoke, Black and Silver Collar and Strap, Black and Red Monkey Head with White Pointed Teeth Pattern / Red Arms / Red Hands in Black (6375834 | 76382)
  
• 2x Minifigure Costume Tail Cat in Black (6337932 | 15504) - plus 1 extra

An extra tail, beard and mohawk are also included: the tail and the beard are true extras, white the mohawk is used on a brick-built cat automaton.

Parts of Interest

New molds of the January 2022 wave

• 4x Tile, Round Corner 3 x 3 Macaroni in Red (6375825 | 79393) - unique in this set
• 4x Brick, Round 1 x 2 with Hollow Studs and Open Center with Bars in Dark Turquoise (6377824 | 77808) - also in 80030 Monkie Kid's Staff Creations
• 2x Minifigure, Utensil Chopsticks in Dark Tan (6361361 | 79735) - in 5 other sets
  

Tom Loftus already analysed the new 3x3 macaroni tile in his 80109 Lunar New Year Ice Festival review. It's always nice to see a family of parts completed. The 1x2 round brick with bars is another curious new piece. I believe a single bar/clip connection would be too weak in friction for larger character models, but the part is a nice tool for opening buildings. It's also a cool greeble element. The chopstick is a more specialised one, having only one 3.18 mm bar connection on side. I think a bunch could make a neat array of toggles on a coat.

• 3x Wave Rounded Straight Small with Clip End (Flame) in Trans-Purple (6375783 | 80519) - in 3 other sets
• 1x Wave Rounded Straight Small with Clip End (Flame) in Trans-Bright Green (6375785 | 80519) - also in 80033 Evil Macaque's Mech
  

The new energy effect pieces - Trans-Purple ones for baddies and a Trans-Bright Green one for goodies -  are pretty. My first idea was some earrings.

Unique and New Recolours

• 8x Vehicle, Tipper End Flat without Pins in Dark Turquoise (6364998 | 30022)

Ah, the tipper end. I dig these pieces - actually the first thing I ever wrote for New Elementary was an article on the exciting tipper end exciting piece family. Dark Turquoise is an excellent colour for them, too - so I definitely earmarked them for my MOCs. The set also includes 5 yellow ones.

• 2x Windscreen 6 x 6 x 2 Canopy in Dark Turquoise (6365000 | 35332)
  

As on 80008 Monkie Kid’s Cloud Jet, the tipper ends are accompanied by this polygonal windscreen piece - only this time in Dark Turquoise, a fan-favourite colour. I like opaque windshields, as such thin pieces make it possible to build plenty of stuff inside. This enables their usage as skirts, coats, pauldrons and the like.

• 12x Brick, Round 3 x 3 x 2 with Recessed Center and Axle Hole in Dark Turquoise (6365001 | 73111)
  

However, the most eye-catching parts to me are the 12 new-ish 3 x 3 x 2 round bricks in Dark Turquoise. These pieces tickle the character-builder part of my brain, but they also have plenty of architectural potential. They look like sawed-off Cylinder 3 x 6 x 2 2/3 Horizontal - Round Connections Between Interior Studs (30360) from the late 1990s, aka the Star Wars engine piece. Kev Levell wrote an insightful analysis on this part in a LEGO Star Wars review back in June 2021.

• 2x Cylinder Half 3 x 6 x 6 with 1 x 2 Cutout in Red (6345325 | 35347)
• 1x Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) - Solid Studs in Trans-Orange (6372114 | 35327)
• 4x Windscreen 3 x 4 x 3 in Trans-Red (6365003 | 35193)
• 2x Windscreen 10 x 6 x 2 Curved in Trans-Red (6376786 | 35269)
• 2x Wave Rounded Straight Swirls with Bar End (Cloud / Wind Gusts) in Trans-Purple (6375972 | 68547) - also in 80034 Nezha's Fire Ring
  

Space Police I fans should be happy with these trans-red windscreens, and so am I. New colours for dishes are always nice, too. The red cylinders are not as exciting, though; they remind me of the Atlantis theme from 2010. (12 years have gone by so fast.) The swirly cloud part in Trans-Purple debuted in this January 2022 wave, but was not unique to this set.

• 1x Train, Track Roller Coaster Straight 8L in Dark Turquoise (6372726 | 26022) - also in 80036 The City of Lanterns
• 2x Train, Track Roller Coaster Straight 16L in Dark Turquoise (6372727 | 25059) - also in 80036 The City of Lanterns

The roller coaster tracks have been proven popular in playset design since their introduction in 2017. They appear in two sets of January line-up.

The Gold Hoard

This set sports a nice array of Metallic Gold (drum-lacquered) pieces. Not all of them are especially rare, but there's a certain aura of exclusivity on them. The drum-lacquered parts have different Design IDs - these are marked between the Element IDs and usual Design IDs; Bricklink, for example, does not make this difference.

From the rarest to the most common:

• 4x Tile, Round Corner 4 x 4 Macaroni Wide (6348197 | 78885 | 27507) - also in 76191 Infinity Gauntlet
• 4x Tile 1 x 6 (6332144 | 75702 | 6366) - also in 80106 Story of Nian
• 2x Vehicle, Spoiler with Bar Handle (6294519 | 67120 | 98834) - in 4 other sets
• 2x Tile, Round Corner 2 x 2 Macaroni (6294524 | 67124 | 27925) - in 4 other sets
• 5x Tile, Modified 2 x 3 Pentagonal (6294551 | 67130 | 22385) - in 6 other sets
• 4x Minifigure, Utensil Ingot / Bar (6294492 | 67117 | 99563) - in 8 other sets
• 1x Tile 1 x 2 with Groove (6265247 | 54285 | 3069b) - in 9 other sets
• 4x Tile, Round 1 x 1 Quarter (6251591 | 48410 | 25269) - in 12 other sets
• 8x Slope 30 1 x 1 x 2/3 (6191668 | 33847 | 54200) - in 16 other sets
• 2x Minifigure, Weapon Hilt Smooth Extended (6294553 | 67131 | 66909) - in whopping 25 other sets

Rare or noteworthy parts

• 4x Bar 2L with Stop Ring in Black (6371584 | 78258) - plus one extra. Available in 4 other sets.
• 1x Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) - Solid Studs in Yellow (6310994 | 44375) - also in 4 other sets
• 2x Slope 33 2 x 4 Double in Dark Bluish Grey (6189120 | 3299) - also in 2 other sets
• 1x Panel 2 x 6 x 6 with Gothic Arch in Dark Bluish Grey (6330092 | 35565) - also in 43187 Rapunzel's Tower
• 1x Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Bar Handles - Flat Ends, Low Attachment in Bright Light Orange (6331205 | 3839b) - also in 3 other sets
• 2x Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 1 in Bright Light Orange (6359040 | 36841) - also in 71388 Boss Sumo Bro Topple
• 2x Support 2 x 4 x 5 Stanchion Inclined, 5mm Wide Posts in Pearl Dark Gray (6263550 | 4476b) - in 3 other sets. I did not expect this part  - it feels very 90s, though this recolour has been around since 2019
• 2x Plate, Modified 1 x 1 with Tooth Horizontal in Trans-Light Blue (6292200 | 35162) - in 4 other sets
• 4x Minifigure, Utensil Book Cover in Trans-Light Blue (6311467 | 29167) - in 4 other sets
• 2x Antenna Whip 8H in Trans-Red (6350507 | 47094) - also in 76192 Avengers: Endgame Final Battle, should be welcome to SP1 builders
• 2x Bar 1 x 4 x 2 in White (6343601 | 6187) - in 2 other sets
• 3x Tile 1 x 2 with Groove with Red and Yellow Controls and Two White Squares on Left Pattern in White (6304928 | 68418) - new version of classic Blacktron print, in 3 other sets since 2020
• 1x Tile, Round 2 x 2 with Hole in Dark Red (6315199 | 15535) - also in 71360 Adventures with Mario
  

• 4x Plate, Round Half 3 x 6 with 1 x 2 Cutout in Red (6295298 | 18646) - also in 80012 Monkey King Warrior Mech
• 2x Wedge 4 x 4 Triple with Stud Notches in Red (6331852 | 48933) - a common colour and common piece, but a surprisingly rare combination; also in only 3 other sets
• 3x Plate, Round 6 x 6 with Hole in Dark Red (6208726 | 11213) - in 3 other sets
• 1x Wedge, Plate 4 x 6 in Dark Tan (6324174 | 29172) - in 2 other sets
• 1x Plate, Round 4 x 4 with Hole in Green (6353423 | 60474) - also in 3 other sets
  

• 3x Wedge 10 x 3 Left in Yellow (6306741 | 50955) - also in 41433 Party Boat
• 3x Wedge 10 x 3 Right in Yellow (6306742 | 50956) - also in 41433 Party Boat
• 10x Tile, Modified 2 x 2 Triangular in Yellow (6329868 | 35787) - also in 4 other sets
• 2x Wedge, Plate 6 x 4 Right in Yellow (6337302 | 48205) - also in 80023 Monkie Kid's Team Dronecopter
• 2x Wedge, Plate 6 x 4 Left in Yellow (6337303 | 48208) - also in 80023 Monkie Kid's Team Dronecopter

 

• 1x Turntable 2 x 2 Plate, Base in Dark Turquoise (6293265 | 3680) - available in 4 other sets
• 1x Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) - Solid Studs in Dark Turquoise (6313560 | 44375b) - also in 80015 Monkie Kid's Cloud Roadster
• 4x Wedge, Plate 2 x 4 in Dark Turquoise (6325430 | 51739) - also in 2 other sets
• 1x Arch 1 x 8 x 2 Raised in Dark Turquoise (6326000 | 40296) also in Andrea's Family House
• 3x Plate, Modified 1 x 4 Offset in Dark Turquoise (6331855 | 42505) - also in 2 other sets
• 1x Dish 3 x 3 Inverted (Radar) in Dark Turquoise (6333162 | 43898) - also in 3 other sets
• 9x Technic, Brick 1 x 2 with Hole in Dark Turquoise (6345402 | 3700) - also in 4 other sets

• 1x Flag 2 x 2 Trapezoid with Flared Edge in Red (6365503 | 80324) - new "flared" variant, unique in Red
• 5x Vehicle, Tipper End Flat without Pins in Yellow (6293858 | 30022) - in 5 other sets, a pleasant piece always worth pointing out
• 2x Plate, Modified 1 x 2 with Clip on End (Vertical Grip) in Light Bluish Grey (6354568 | 78256) - introduced in late 2021
• 4x Technic, Pin 3L without Friction Ridges with Stop in Light Bluish Grey (6338962 | 77765) - introduced in late 2021
• 2x Bracket 1 x 1 - 1 x 2 in Light Bluish Grey (6362975 | 79389) - introduced in late 2021
• 6x Bar 1L with 1 x 1 Round Plate with Hollow Stud in Warm Gold (6335111 | 32828) - available in 14 other sets since 2021 but included here as I think it's the most important part of last 10 years.

 

The stickers are printed on transparent background, which was a pleasant surprise. I did not apply them but these are some interesting ones for future uses on MOCs.

Eero Okkonen's MOCs inspired by the pieces of set 80035

Polymer Samurai

Sometimes a MOC completely abandons its original idea.

Here I wanted to use Trans-Red Windscreen 10 x 6 x 2 Curved (6376786 | 35269) as hair. In the end, it didn't work out, as the piece was too big - it would have blocked the shoulders. The second idea used the same pieces for the side panels of a samurai helmet (kabuto). They were angled more horizontally than on the hair idea, and it didn't look bad; but in the end, I was not able to fit a decent pair or pauldrons underneath, and all the connections were fragile at best.

After dumping the seed part I turned into other exciting pieces of Monkie Kid's rocket and based the helmet on the Dark Turquoise tipper end recolours, with the Metallic Gold spoiler piece forming the peak. The Trans-Red preserved in the way of knee pads using the another recolour from this set - Windscreen 3 x 4 x 3 (6365003 | 35193) - and levitating shoulder pad shields. I want to give a shout-out to LEGO System builders about this interesting part: it is 98566 Hero Factory Hexagon Shield and this MOC uses 4 of them.



I mentioned the potential of opaque windscreen parts as skirts earlier, and naturally the Dark Turquoise windscreens (6365000 | 35332) ended up covering the hips, leaving plenty of room for the legs to move. The belt above features some more hardcore building - it was not easy to squeeze the rubbery harness part through the flags' pin holes. The Dark Turquoise Brick, Round 3 x 3 x 2 with Recessed Center and Axle Hole (6365001 | 73111) is used on both the legs and the arms to give my futuristic samurai some clear-cut, almost toy-like shapes. I think their simple Euclidean geometry has a nice contrast with the more natural or streamlined parts of this character.

Agra Sunstriker

The second character was going to be a wizard at first. The first seed part was the monkey tail, and it formed a long thin beard quite painlessly. I also made a version that used the two other tails as a moustache, but it had a bit too much of "evil vizier" look in it and didn't fit. I ended up ditching the wizard concept, though. I tried to build a robe that used the roller coaster rails as embroidery, but their geometry was very challenging; I could not make anything that wasn't too blocky or unfocused. It was like running into a stone wall, metaphorically, and I ended up ditching the big robe. 

I turned into the pleasant geometry of the completed macaroni tile set and made a collar. It was inspired by Tutankhamun's golden collar; Dark Turquoise, Metallic Gold and Red made a convincing colour scheme.

This turn made the process much more enjoyable. I complemented the fun facial hair with a mohawk and sideburns to compose a wild rock'n'roll feel with ancient Egypt vibes. I used two more Dark Turquoise tipper ends (6364998 | 30022) to make the kilt, or a loincloth; the technique is the same that I used on the samurai's helmet. They had enough room inside to give a decent amount of movement to the hip joint (there are actually four ball joints in there). Also much of the Metallic Gold included in the set went to the shin guards. I'm particularly happy with the sandals.



After completing the figure I still felt it needed something more - and I still wanted to use at least one of the rail parts. The solution was to make a futuristic radio, maybe a some sort of cassette player with the small rail (6372726 | 26022) as the deck. I was rather pleased with the combination of 1x2 round bricks with inner bars (6377824 | 77808) and the 3x3x2 round bricks (6365001 | 73111) so they ended up being the speakers. Couple of neo-space printed tiles (6304928 | 68418) ice the cake.

Conclusion

80035 is a happy, delightful set with a striking colour scheme and plenty of exciting recolours. I did not build the set, but the design looks good, too. Anyway, one does not have to build the model to enjoy this set; the parts inspire plenty of MOCs in their own right, and those MOCs won't suffer from Boring Grey Walls! It is nice to see recolours of parts like tipper ends and opaque windscreens, not to mention the 12 Dark Turquoise 3x3x2 round bricks. Metallic Gold lovers get their share, too.

One could think that the minifigs as the weak part - there are only two different torsos, for example - but their uniformity stands a reason; and on the other hand, isn't this what Army Builders want? I did not have a huge interest in minifigs here, but I'm always happy to have a couple of rare beards and versatile double-printed heads. 

Dark Turquoise, Yellow, Red and Metallic Gold? Nothing to be frowned upon here. I can truly say it's a galactic adventure, despite never swooshing the set itself!

With a price of 169.99 AUD / 169.99 CAD / 99.99 EUR(DE)/ 129.95 EUR(FI) / 89.99 GBD / 129.99 USD and 1356 parts, the set has good value. If you're buying it, please consider using our affiliate links, New Elementary may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop/for Europe 'Change region'.

READ MORE: LEGO® Marvel review & MOCs by Caz Mockett: 76156 Rise Of The Domo

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