At first glance of this building block, a surge of nostalgic emotions instantly took me back to my childhood over twenty years ago. It was around 1996 when we had a 586 computer at home, still running on the DOS system. As a young student at the time, I secretly learned system operations and programming with the help of a book called "Introduction to DOS Commands." However, most of my time was spent playing many captivating and addictive classic games. By the way, back then, buying games even required bringing your own floppy disks to the computer store. If the game was too large, you had to carry a stack of floppy disks back and forth.
Among them, the most memorable were the glorious "Romance of the Three Kingdoms II" and Softstar's "Legend of Sword and Fairy."
It's hard to imagine how much impact a game's storyline, music, characters, and even poetry can have on a young person. Even after completing the game, my emotions remained unsettled for a long time. There were rumors that different choices at certain points in the game would lead to different endings, so I played it repeatedly, hoping to see the reincarnation of Lin Yueru and Zhao Ling'er, to embark on adventures with Li Xiaoyao once again. I even used memory editors, but it was all in vain. At that time, I didn't understand the meaning of eternal tragedy. Moreover, there was no internet, so I couldn't communicate with more people, and there were only a few people around me who played this game. Thus, "Legend of Sword and Fairy." became a buried memory deep in my heart.
As I assembled this Legend of Sword and Fairy 98 Sentimental Edition building block, memories slowly flooded back, as if the mist was gradually dissipating. Various details reminded me of that wuxia era and the time I spent exploring computers with my father.
As they say, "Youth is wasted on the young." I believe this building block product serves as a consolation for all the young people who were fortunate enough to play this game in that era, evoking memories of their youthful days.
"Chinese Paladin:Legend of Sword and Fairy" developed by Softstar Entertainment, is a domestically produced single-player Chinese-language role-playing computer game. It is the first installment in the "Chinese Paladin" series and was released in July 1995, with the theme of "destiny."
The game tells the story of Li Xiaoyao, an ordinary inn attendant who, by chance, meets Zhao Ling'er, the descendant of the Nuwa Clan. When Zhao Ling'er's residence on Xianling Island is unexpectedly attacked, Li Xiaoyao takes on the responsibility of escorting her to Miaojiang in search of her mother. During their journey, Li Xiaoyao also encounters Lin Yueru and Anu. Through Zhao Ling'er's help in praying for rain, punishing evildoers, the mystery of Zhao Ling'er's identity and the whereabouts of her mother are eventually revealed. At this point, the conspiracy of the Moon Worship Sect becomes apparent to everyone, but Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Ling'er, and others are unaware that their battle with the Moon Worship Sect will result in an eternal tragedy.
The game won the "Best Role-Playing Game Award" at the 1995 CEM STAR and the "Golden Bag Award" in the gaming category at the 1995 KING TITLE. In 2004, it was adapted into a television drama of the same name. This game can be considered the pioneer of the Xianxia genre in film and television. Before this, when it came to martial arts, the names that came to mind were Jin Yong, Gu Long, and Wolong Sheng.
Packaging
The front of the outer packaging recreates the overall image as a window design of the ancient computer operating system Windows 98. The central focus is still the final product image of this set. In the top left corner, there is the logo of "Pantasy" and the name of the set, "Chinese Paladin." Below the logo is the set number and the official Chinese name, along with the game icon of "Chinese Paladin" from the Windows 98 system. At the bottom, a Windows 98 taskbar is added as decoration, and above the taskbar, the words "Genuine Authorization" are written. In the bottom right corner is the logo of the game's publisher, Softstar Entertainment.
On the right side of the outer packaging box, the game name "Chinese Paladin" and the four main characters - Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Ling'er, Lin Yueru, and Anu - are printed. The left side is relatively simple, with only the game name "Chinese Paladin," using the font replicated from the original game. The top and right sides have similar printed content, including the game name and the four main characters, but they are transformed from game fan art into brick figure representations. The bottom contains some related product information.
Due to the huge size of the outer packaging, to ensure that the outer packaging box is not damaged during transportation,Pantasy has added two inner packaging boxes to the parts pack. The inner packaging boxes have a black background color, and when the two boxes are combined, they form the line drawing of the final product.
The two inner packaging boxes divide all the parts packs into separate compartments according to the order. The left box contains parts packs 1-4, and the right box contains parts packs 5-10. This method of separating the parts packs is very reasonable.
The covers of the two instruction booklets are the same, featuring the opening game screen of "Chinese Paladin." The only difference is that on the right side of the game title, it says "Volume 1" and "Volume 2." Seeing this game screen truly brings back nostalgic memories, with the selection remaining on the "New Story" option. Let's start from here.
Upon opening the first instruction booklet, it doesn't immediately jump into the assembly steps. Instead, it provides a brief introduction to the game, including original concept art of the four main characters. The following page features a design resembling the Windows 98 system window, with text descriptions in a TXT document style. For us, born in the 80s, it's simply irresistible.
After introducing the game background, accompanied by dialogue from our in-game character,Aunt Li, we embark on the assembly steps. It's worth mentioning that this dialogue from Aunt Li is the first line spoken in the game "Chinese Paladin."
Each numbered parts pack contains more than one piece, and parts packs with the same number are packaged separately according to the size of the pieces. The two instruction booklets provide assembly instructions for the two inner packaging boxes, along with a sticker.
In addition to the parts packs and instruction booklets, other accessories include printed cardboard and flexible tubes. Comparing them with the finished image, these cardboard pieces serve as background panels for several scenes within the set. This is similar to another Pantasy set we reviewed in the summer, Metal Slug.
Among these accessories, the most remarkable one is the small mouse pad. Judging by its material, this mouse pad not only serves as a decoration within the set but can also be used in practical mobile office settings.
The instruction booklet clearly outlines the assembly steps right from the beginning, providing explanations for the length of the parts.
Building
Just like with all building block sets, our assembly starts from the baseplate and gradually stacks bricks upwards. After looking at the finished image on the outer packaging box, it can be inferred that the baseplate starts from the computer case.
As expected, once the baseplate is assembled, the first component to be installed is the motherboard interface of this vintage computer. The different-colored parts serve as distinguishing features for the motherboard interfaces. I wonder if any of you born in the 80s, who have seen desktop computer cases, can still recognize which devices these different-colored interfaces connect to.
Once the mesh part representing the computer's power cooler is installed, all the interfaces become clear. Not only do we have interfaces for various devices, but there are also reserved slots for old computer PCI cards, adding intricate details to the mix.
The first scene in the set takes place in Lin Tianan's Lin Family Manor in Suzhou during the second chapter of the game. It depicts the arena set up by Lin Tianan for his willful daughter Lin Yueru's martial arts matchmaking. However, the assembly sequence here does not follow the progression in the game. In the game, the second female lead actually meets the male protagonist, Li Xiaoyao, outside the city of Suzhou before the martial arts matchmaking takes place. (Voiceover: This is already Lin Yueru's fifth martial arts matchmaking~)
On one side of the arena, there are two weapons prepared for the matchmaking: a wooden stick and a whip.In the game's scene, Lin Yueru wields a sword. However, on the weapon rack here, there is a small whip, possibly to correspond with the scene in the game where Lin Yueru punishes two servants who were planning to elope outside Suzhou. As for the accessories for the figurine, Lin Yueru still holds a sword, which can be seen as a faithful representation of the scene in the game.
The martial arts matchmaking scene is placed at the rear of the computer case, near the location of the motherboard interfaces. It features a pull-out design, allowing it to be displayed even after the entire set is assembled.
This scene is perhaps the classic moment cherished by all of us, 80s enthusiasts, which is the encounter between the game's male protagonist, Li Xiaoyao, and the female lead, Zhao Ling'er, when Li Xiaoyao ascends to the Fairy Island. According to the game's storyline, this scene should occur before the "martial arts matchmaking" event. Li Xiaoyao bravely embarks on a journey to Fairy Island to seek medicine for Li Dama. Upon arriving at Fairy Island, Li Xiaoyao performs a mesmerizing act of the "Fairy Feather Garment." However, to his surprise, his performance attracts not only admiration but also a punishment of thunder and fire. Nevertheless, he earns the sympathy of the young girl and obtains the Purple Gold Pill that can save his aunt. Just as Li Xiaoyao is about to leave, he is beaten by the girl's grandmother without any reason. Although initially forced into a marriage with Zhao Ling'er, they eventually open their hearts to each other on their wedding night and form a deep bond, becoming a loving couple in the fairyland.
In this scene, there is a figurine of Zhao Ling'er without legs, only the upper body, placed in the center of a pond. There is a slight deviation from the original game here, as Zhao Ling'er is depicted wearing a tube top in the scene, whereas in the game, her appearance can be described as very provocative. Additionally, there is another figurine representing Zhao Ling'er's clothes placed by the edge of the pond, symbolizing her bathing attire.
The small scene of Fairy Island is placed at the front of the computer case and also features a pull-out design. During display, we can open the front of the computer case and pull out this small scene for exhibition.
After assembling the two small scenes inside the computer case, we proceed to assemble two hardware components that represent the era - the optical drive and floppy drive. I remember the first computer in my home had a Celeron 533M processor, and back then, having both the optical drive and floppy drive was essential. During leisure time, we could even watch movies using the optical drive, which felt truly magical at that time.
The cover of the computer case also features a quick-detach design, although there is a slight deviation from the actual computer in terms of authenticity. In the past, the side panels and top cover of the desktop computer case were integrated. Here, to accommodate the pull-out design of the internal scenes, only one side panel and top panel connection are made.
Once the cover panel of the computer case is in place, it transforms into its current appearance. Overall, it is a very faithful reproduction in terms of appearance. The buttons for the power switch and restart are printed on, and there are power and hard drive indicator lights. The white color scheme is a bit too bright, considering that back in the day, computer cases were often off-white in color.
After completing the assembly of the computer case, we move on to assembling the monitor. To match the old desktop computer with a horizontal case, we use a CRT monitor, which we used to refer to as a "big-bottom" monitor. The rear panel is connected using mechanical parts and two rubber bands, indicating that it should have an automatic opening and closing design.
Within the monitor, there are hidden scenes as well. The first scene to appear here is Li Xiaoyao's encounter with the hermitage of Bai Miao, a holy maiden in Dali City. The holy maiden discovers that Ling'er is pregnant and sends Li Xiaoyao on a mission to find the Phoenix Egg and Qilin Horn. Just when he finally obtains the egg, it is snatched away by Miao Nu, a Miao woman who appears along the way. It is also in this scene that Li Xiaoyao meets the third female protagonist of the game, Anu.
This small scene includes a bird's nest, the tree stump where Anu resides, and a bamboo grove at a lower level. To enrich the scene, there is also a small rabbit on the ground.
Next, we place this small scene into the upper part of the monitor. Then, we place the background paper behind the scene. With this, the introductory scenes of all three female protagonists in the game are complete.
The fourth scene to appear in this set is the opening scene of "Chinese Paladin," where Aunt Li wakes up dreaming Li Xiaoyao by hitting a frying pan. Legend has it that in a small fishing village in Yuhang County, there was an orphan named Li Xiaoyao. His parents were renowned martial arts heroes, but he had lost contact with them since he was young. He was raised by his Aunt Li and worked as an errand boy in their family store. Here's an interesting fact: many games and TV dramas in the wuxia genre start with an inn.
The small scene of Aunt Li's inn is installed at the top of the monitor and connected using mechanical holes. When opening the back cover of the monitor, this scene can be flipped and hidden inside the monitor.
In front of the monitor, there is one last small scene, which showcases the battle skills of Li Xiaoyao, Zhao Ling'er, and Lin Yueru. This scene represents the final scene of the game where the three protagonists unleash their ultimate abilities together. Lin Yueru performs the "Qian Kun Throw" (using a golden money dart to attack enemies, costing 5000 coins per use), Li Xiaoyao executes the "Thousand Swords Technique" (swords raining down like a storm, attacking all enemies), and Zhao Ling'er casts the "Mystic Ice Curse" (using an intermediate-level ice spell to attack all enemies).
Finally, we place the fifth small scene in front of the monitor, completing 80% of the assembly of this set.
In addition to the corresponding background panels for the five small scenes, the Pantasy set also includes specific backgrounds for the monitor. First, there's the Windows 98 desktop, with its deep green color, which is deeply ingrained in the memories of many people born in the '80s. The most commonly used feature back then was "My Computer," and the desktop icons had a three-dimensional style. Of course, we also have the familiar game icon of "Chinese Paladin."
Flipping the desktop background panel reveals the opening screen of the "Chinese Paladin" game, with two options representing starting a new game and continuing from a saved progress. For players who were fond of the "Save & Load" technique, it's a nostalgic experience.
Here, it's worth mentioning the details of the CRT monitor. Back then, monitors were not as advanced or adjustable as they are today. The available adjustment options were limited, and all adjustments were made using physical knobs, similar to the tuning method of old black-and-white televisions. To achieve the desired brightness and color that suited one's eyes, it was all based on tactile feel and eye adaptation.
The monitor's stand also incorporates rotary parts in its design. Just like in reality, the monitor can be placed on top of the computer case and can be rotated and adjusted horizontally to achieve the desired viewing angle.
With the computer case and monitor in place, it would be incomplete without a keyboard and mouse.The keyboard is designed as an old-style white keyboard, with all the letters printed on the keys, giving it a nostalgic look. However, the base of the keyboard uses large block-shaped parts, resulting in a slightly curved surface after assembly, which can be considered a somewhat flawed design.
The mouse is also an old-style white mouse. Looking at its shape, it resembles the Dual Swallow mouse that I used back in the day. However, at that time, optical mice didn't exist, and they were all mechanical mice with trackballs. Before each use, the mouse ball had to be taken out and cleaned to ensure smooth operation.
The keyboard and mouse, assembled using parts and tubes, along with the monitor connection cables, look remarkably authentic. Especially the VGA video cable that connects the monitor to the computer, it's incredibly lifelike. The only difference is the connector of the mouse, which has a slightly different color. In the past, mice with PS/2 connectors had green-colored connectors, while here, a lake blue color is used.
Finally, the set includes a CD case for genuine games, as well as components for the game CD, which looks very beautiful. This CD can be directly placed in the CD drive of the computer case and can be interacted with and played with by closing and ejecting the CD drive.
Additionally, there are three 3.5-inch floppy disks in three different colors. These floppy disks represent the installation disks for games under the DOS system and have stickers on them. However, it should be noted that the stickers in this set are made of paper and do not have a protective film or plastic coating, so there is a risk of scratching the stickers when inserting the floppy disks into the floppy drive. The floppy disks can also be inserted into the CD drive for play.
Minifigures
In this set, three minifigures of Li Xiaoyao are also included. Following the assembly order, the first one to appear is Li Xiaoyao on the martial arts platform where Lin Yueru was seeking a husband. The minifigure is holding a sword, and the body and legs are printed accordingly. It has a smiling expression and a love-struck double-sided expression after winning the competition.
The second minifigure of Li Xiaoyao is positioned at the location of the monitor, representing the scene where Li Xiaoyao's head is struck by Aunt Li's iron pot. The leg printing is the same as the first minifigure, but there are noticeable differences in the neck area and hairstyle on the body print. The arms are also printed, and it comes with a dazed and crying double-sided expression after being hit on the head.
The third minifigure of Li Xiaoyao appears in the scene where Zhao Ling'e and Lin Yueru are using their ultimate skills. The body, legs, and arms are printed the same as the second one, and there are no changes in the hairstyle. It comes with a double-sided expression of holding dogtail grass and being alert.
In the set, there are two minifigures of Zhao Ling'er. Following the assembly order, the first one to appear is Zhao Ling'er bathing on Xianling Island. The minifigure doesn't have legs and is directly placed in the scene, representing the bathing scenario. It comes with a separate action figure body representing the clothes placed on the shore. It also has a double-sided expression of shyness and a smile when being discovered by Li Xiaoyao while bathing.
The second one appears in the fifth scene where the three characters are using their ultimate skills. The hairstyle is the same as the previous minifigure, and the body, arms, and legs are printed with Zhao Ling'er's usual clothing. It comes with a pair of dual swords as accessories. It also has a smiling expression during battle and a closed-eye expression when using the ultimate skill.
As the second female protagonist of "The Legend of Sword and Fairy," Lin Yueru has two minifigures. The first one appears in the martial arts competition scene, with corresponding printings on the body, arms, and legs, and it comes with two shy expressions of open eyes and closed eyes. It is equipped with a sword as the weapon for the martial arts competition.
The second one appears in the scene where the three characters are using their ultimate skills. The printings on the body, arms, and legs are the same as the other action figure, with only a slightly different hairstyle. The weapon has changed from a sword to a small whip. It comes with expressions of anger and helplessness.
As the third female protagonist in the game, Anu's minifigure comes as a single figure. The body, arms, and legs are all printed. She holds a green bamboo flute and has two smiling expressions, one with open eyes and the other with closed eyes.
As one of the main supporting characters in the game and an important woman in Li Xiaoyao's life, there is only one minifigure for Aunt Li. It appears in the fourth scene, depicting the image of her hitting Li Xiaoyao's head with an iron pot, which is also the opening scene of the game. The body, arms, and legs are all printed accordingly. It comes with an accessory of an iron pot and has double-sided expressions of scolding Li Xiaoyao and frustrated anger.
The final product is this large set consisting of five scenes based on an old-fashioned 486 computer. This design can be considered somewhat innovative and continues the design concept of Pantasy by combining physical scenes with virtual content.
If you don't like the way the last scene is displayed, another good option is to place the background paper inside the computer monitor.
Regarding this set alone, the practice of placing all the scenes in a 486 computer is quite creative.
The accuracy of the appearance and the depiction of each small scene are excellent. Combined with elements such as the keyboard, mouse, floppy disks, and game CDs, the content is rich. However, in terms of specific design, many large plate parts were used, which can lead to loose connections in certain areas. It would be advisable to pay attention to this issue.
All nine minifigures are designed using the Gobricks figure design, allowing free movement of the arms and heads in all directions.
Overall, when I received this set, I understood that Pantasy has grasped the nostalgia of us old folks in the past couple of years. From Astro Boy, Metal Slug, Saint Seiya, Popeye, to the current Legend of Sword and Fairy. Almost all the sets evoke memories of the youth of the 80s, and in terms of nostalgia, they have done their homework well.
