User:Peter Drake/Rock Raiders products

This is about many of the Lego Rock Raiders products that have been created by the Lego company.

PC and PlayStation game
Lego Rock Raiders is a video game developed by Data Design Interactive and published by Lego Media for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation. The Microsoft Windows version was released on November 15, 1999 with the PlayStation version following just under a year later.

Interactive comic
The interactive comic was an online game featured on the official Rock Raiders site. The game starred Bandit who sailed the Rapid Rider through various caverns. At certain scenes, the game would pause for a short amount of time and allow you to search for Energy Crystals. At a certain point of the game, Bandit would fall asleep and a timed slider puzzle would begin. If the player finished in time the Rapid Rider would safely make it to Rock Raiders HQ, if not the Rapid Rider would fall down a waterfall and Bandit would be forced to travel through a Rock Monster cavern. The more Energy Crystals found, the higher the player's score.

The interactive comic was a digitized version of the promotional comic included with the Rapid Rider.

High Adventure, Deep Underground
High Adventure, Deep Underground was a Rock Raiders graphic novel, released in 2000. The novel told, in Jet’s point-of-view and in greater detail, the events on Planet U. Many fans consider it non-canon, but that mostly due to the fact that the Rock Raiders are portrayed out of character. Outside of a few minor inconsistencies, there is nothing in the games that proves it is non-canon. For the book’s plot, see below.
 * Writer: Alan Grant
 * Illustrators: Robin Smith, Lego Media
 * Publisher: Lego Systems Inc.

There are a few puzzles on certain pages. At the back of the book are inspiration models for the Granite Grinder, LMS Explorer (Which is mistakenly labeled as "HMS Explorer"), Rapid Rider, Rock Monster, Rock Raiders HQ, and Small Transport Truck.

Save the Spaceship
Save the Spaceship is an interactive puzzle storybook released in 1999, every scene in the book is accompanied by a puzzle relating to something a character said or saw. The book is considered non-canon, due the absence and altering of major events, only the ending is considered canon. Though the book is mostly non-canon, it has been praised for giving more shots from inside the LMS Explorer.
 * Writer: Anna Knight
 * Illustrators: Roger Harris
 * Publisher: Dorling Kindersley

The Rock Raiders are returning home after a long mission. While at the outer edges of a solar system, an asteroid crashes into the LMS Explorer, the ship is cast into orbit around an unknown, earth-like planet.

Chief gathers everyone into the engine room for a mission briefing, stating that they will need to collect much Lego Ore and Energy Crystals. Docs volunteers to command a team to gather the crystals and ore.

The five Rock Raiders are teleported down the planet’s surface, everyone gathers into the Tunnel Transport and flies to the nearest cavern. While examining the nearby rocks, a Rock Monster smashes the cavern wall and pulls out an Energy Crystal.

Bandit takes a Rapid Rider, which is known as a Cat in the book, and travels down an icy lake. While he is sailing, an Ice Monster rises out of the water and attempts to smash the sailor with a stalactite, Bandit is forced to go through the rapids to escape.

Meanwhile Docs and Jet are riding a Hoverboard, searching for an appropriate area for Rock Raiders HQ. Docs uses his GeoScanner and finds the right spot.

Axle and Sparks gathered a few Energy Crystals, but doing so got the attention of four hungry Rock Monsters. Axle tells Sparks to throw the Crystals and that the Rock Monsters will follow them.

Docs and Jet have entered an ice cavern and encountered an Ice Monster and a Lava Monster battling. The Lava Monster attempts to burn the two Rock Raiders, but fails.

Later everyone has gathered at the spot Docs and Jet found for Rock Raiders HQ. Docs, using his GeoScanner finds a cache of Lego Ore and Energy Crystals, buried deep underground.

Axle begins drilling with the Chrome Crusher but is quickly stopped by Docs. There is a pocket of explosive gas in-between the cache and the cavern wall. The Rock Raiders stabilize the gas using water from the nearby lake.

Jet went searching for Energy Crystals while the Rock Raiders HQ was being constructed. She had managed to collect four Energy Crystals, but before she could get back a small volcano erupted and knocked her unconscious and out of the Tunnel Transport.

After Jet makes it back to Rock Raiders HQ with the Energy Crystals, she and the other Rock Raiders use dynamite to blast through the last layer of rock blocking the Energy Crystal and Lego Ore cache.

Once the cache is unveiled, a Rock Monster and Lava Monster attack and destroy the Rock Raiders HQ. Using parts of the base, the Rock Raiders construct a temporary Teleport Pad.

The Teleport Pad works and the Rock Raiders made it back on board the LMS Explorer. However the Rock Monster that attacked managed to get aboard too. Docs eventually found the Rock Monster and fed it some Energy Crystals.

Race for Survival
Race For Survival is a short novel released in 2000, aimed at kids in Grades 2-4. At the side of each page is a small article on Geology. Race For Survival takes place six months after the events in High Adventure, Deep Underground. It is, for the most part, canon, however there are two minor inconsitencies:
 * Writer: Marie Birkinshaw
 * Illustrators: Roger Harris
 * Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
 * Planet U is located at the farthest reaches of the Milky Way, instead of being in another galaxy.
 * Slimy Slugs are giant and swallow Energy Crystals, but in the games they are really the size of Rock Raiders and they drain the crystals of their power instead.

Besides those, the book is canon. For its plot, see below.

Interestingly, the cover shows Jet and Axle escaping a lava flow on a Hoverboard, though this scene never appears. The Hoverboard does not even appear in the book.

Promotional Comics
The promotional comics were small comics included with specially marked, first edition sets. There are nine comics total, one with each 1999 Rock Raiders set, however the Chrome Crusher set is believed to have had two.

Hover Scout Comic
The Hover Scout comic starts off with Jet and a few other unknown Rock Raiders mining. Jet wanders off on the Hover Scout and discovers an enormous Energy Crystal cache. She goes to grab a few Crystals, but a few Rock Monsters rise out from under them. Jet attempts to flee, but the Rock Monsters have blocked her path, she distracts them and flies under them.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Hover Scout sets.

Rapid Rider Comic
The Rapid Rider comic starts with Bandit finding a piece of Lego Ore, he begins to bring it to Rock Raiders HQ with the Rapid Rider. As he is cruising down he meets a dead end and takes apart the Rapid Rider, he brings its parts over to the other side to rebuild it and then continues cruising. Along the way, he falls asleep and his vehicle cruises past a huge Energy Crystal cavern, and some Rock Monsters making statues. He then approaches a waterfall and falls down the edge, bumping all over and finally back into the water which wakes him up, he then arrives at Rock Raiders HQ.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Rapid Rider sets and was also digitized and put onto the official Rock Raiders site as a game.

"Rock Raiders" Comic
The "Rock Raiders" comic starts off with Rock Raiders driving a Chrome Crusher down a tunnel. Bandit sneezes and causes a cave-in that crushes the Chrome Crusher. While the Rock Raiders are repairing the Chrome Crusher with the portable Tool Store, Bandit sneezes again and causes another cave-in, this time he gets separated from the other Rock Raiders. Docs drills through the cave-in and finds Bandit and the five Rock Raiders get in the Chrome Crusher. Bandit sneezes one last time and causes yet another cave-in, luckily this time it does not damage the Chrome Crusher.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition “Rock Raiders” sets.

Granite Grinder Comic
The Granite Grinder comic starts with Bandit in the Granite Grinder along with Axle. The two spot an Energy Crystal, Axle starts drilling the rock to get it, the drilling wakes up a snoozing Rock Monster. Axle manages to hide from it, but Bandit is spotted. The Rock Monster alerts other Rock Monsters, they destroy the Granite Grinder and take Bandit hostage. Axle rebuilds the Granite Grinder and tries to locate Bandit, soon he finds the helmsman at a cliff's edge with a Rock Monster questioning him, about the whereabouts of the other Rock Raiders and Rock Raiders HQ. Axle calls for the Tunnel Transport for help, Bandit then gives the Rock Monsters a raspberry and jumps off the cliff and onto the Tunnel Transport.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Granite Grinder sets.

Loader Dozer Comic
The Loader Dozer comic details a race between Axle, Jet and Sparks with the Loader Dozer, Granite Grinder and Hover Scout respectively. Docs throws the flag that signals the start of the race. Sparks steps on Axle’s Loader Dozer and gets ahead, Axle speeds up and trips the Granite Grinder with the Loader Dozer’s scoop. Jet blinds Axle with the Hover Scout’s thrusters and Axle drives into a wall. The Granite Grinder steps on the Hover Scout and destroys it. The Loader Dozer speeds up to the Granite Grinder and the two crash into each other. Bandit walks into the cavern where the race was held and sees the destroyed vehicles, he yells at the three Rock Raiders. Axle, Jet and Sparks rebuild the three vehicles and start the race over.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Loader Dozer sets.

Chrome Crusher Comic
The Chrome Crusher comic starts with a Chrome Crusher and Jet on her Hover Scout in a cavern. Jet flies off to find some Energy Crystals and finds a big cavern full of them. While examining one, a Rock Monster jumps out and destroys her Hover Scout, Jet hides and the Rock Monster tries to find her. She then goes to repair her Hover Scout and throws a dynamite at the Rock Monster, which opens a crevice that lava pours out of, the lava floods the cavern. The Chrome Crusher tries to flee but gets stuck on a cliff's edge with lava all around it. The Tunnel Transport is called in to airlift it to safety, while the Rock Monster is floating on a piece of rock on the lava shouting insults.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Chrome Crusher sets.

Tunnel Transport Comic
The Tunnel Transport comic starts with a Tunnel Transport and 2 Hover Scouts looking for Energy Crystal caverns. They find a huge load in a cavern and as they are harvesting, a Rock Monster jumps out and attacks the crew. They managed to flee but the Rock Monster jumps onto the Tunnel Transport and gets a ride back to the HQ. Once at the HQ, the Rock Monsters go on a rampage and destroys the Tunnel Transport. Docs makes a plan, he sends Axle to lure the Rock Monster towards the Chrome Crusher. Once in range, the Chrome Crusher fires a beam and the Rock Monster disappears. The crew then start to rebuild the Tunnel Transport, while elsewhere the Rock Monster is teleported onto a small rock that is surrounded by lava.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Tunnel Transport sets.

Rock Raiders HQ Comic
The Rock Raiders HQ comic starts with everything going smoothly at the HQ, the Energy Crystals are processed in the Power Station and the Lego Ore is sent to be taken away via the Rapid Rider, Bandit manages to dump the Ore on Docs. Jet is operating the Upgrade Station when a irritating fly bothers her, she tries to whack it away but accidentally knocks the controls, the Ore being carried knocks Sparks off his flying vehicle and lands in the Power Station and gets a black face from the Power Station's beam. The Ore then knocks the Ore Refinery apart and Axle is dumped onto a Small Transport Truck, the Ore falls off the crane and smashes onto the Power Station laser which turns around and fires at one of the Upgrade Station supports. The Upgrade Station falls apart and Jet jumps out, but she is rescued by a Loader Dozer as the whole base falls apart. The crew is dismayed but starts to rebuild the base. The fly is unharmed and starts to irritate Bandit.

This comic was included with specially marked, first edition Rock Raiders HQ sets.

Ninth Comic
The Ninth Comic begins with Sparks and Axle escaping a lava flow in a Chrome Crusher, the vehicles falls off a cliff and is shattered. Axle discovers Energy Crystals nearby and Sparks recovers the parts of the Chrome Crusher, with the parts they build two new vehicles, a drilling vehicle and a boat resistant to lava. This comic is the first known appearance of the alternate set models in the story.

It is unknown whether this comic was included with a specific set, or released in Lego Magazine; however, since the comic revolves around the Chrome Crusher and includes the set's number, it was likely included with the Chrome Crusher set.