6199 Hydro Crystallization Station- hmmm...?

gelkster

So I just built this as my birthday gift (Im 44 today!) & my 2nd grade son asked "so what does it do?" & I really didnt have an answer. It's an interesting build to say the least & it complements my AquaZone collection, but really what is its purpose? It seems kinda hodge-podge with ideas that don't all go together. The other large AquaZone set is obviously a crystal processing facility, but in this one I dont get the hose element, single crystal in front presented almost as a sacrificial altar, & the small enemy device that I think is a bomb(?) is the base just generally a holding facility for bad guys?

I understand imagination figures greatly into this, but admittedly mine's waned over the decades, & usually I can figure out a set's purpose...but Im having difficulty with this one. Any ideas? How did you use this set?

paul_merton

I hadn't heard of this set before, but the name on its own conjured up images of Breaking Bad!

gelkster

Is there a plot or storyline I missed, where the Aquanauts transform potable freshwater into the silver crystals, or vice-versa? Then I could see where the name "hydro crystallization" comes from. Its main feature seems to be the collapsible panel to bust the bad guy out of "jail".  But the stuff up top suggests another function.

I guess what Im asking is, anyone who had this set, what are your thoughts on this station/base/prison facility? Maybe Im just looking too deep into it...

oldtodd33

I didn't have the set either, I'm a bit old for that but I can understand the lack of imagination as you get older. Try giving it to your son for a while and see what he comes up with. After all, he is young and probably plays a little better than you. 

Aanchir

gelkster said:

Is there a plot or storyline I missed, where the Aquanauts transform potable freshwater into the silver crystals, or vice-versa? Then I could see where the name "hydro crystallization" comes from. Its main feature seems to be the collapsible panel to bust the bad guy out of "jail".  But the stuff up top suggests another function.

I guess what Im asking is, anyone who had this set, what are your thoughts on this station/base/prison facility? Maybe Im just looking too deep into it...

Actually, I believe the Aquazone characters use the crystals as a source for oxygen, not potable water. The "Hydro" in the title is just because it is a Hydronauts set rather than an Aquanauts set. The name in the U.S. was "Hydro Crystalation Station", and "Crystalation" isn't even a word.

Here's a catalog page if that helps clear anything up. And here's a magazine featuring a comic and two-page spread about that particular set. Overall, while I loved Aquazone, I was not too impressed with the Hydronauts sets and only ever got one or two of them. So while I never had to puzzle over just what all the features of this particular set represent, it doesn't surprise me to find out that it's a bit of a mess. The late 90s were not a great time for LEGO design.

Fauch

that was a weird theme cause both sides looked like bad guys.

gelkster

Thanks for those interesting links Aanchir, they do help a bit! I've never seen them before, nor knew they existed.

Funny I had the name wrong all this time- just misread it I guess. & I never thought to use the suction hose to collect the crystal boxes.

gelkster

Well I see bricklink uses "Crystalization". & I didnt know the collection hose element/concept was in a few other sets of the theme.

gelkster

I shortened the link to find the Archive of all those LEGO Mania magazines from the mid '90s. Missed those during my dark age. Great stuff! Thanks!

Aanchir

gelkster said:

I shortened the link to find the Archive of all those LEGO Mania magazines from the mid '90s. Missed those during my dark age. Great stuff! Thanks!

No problem! I was thrilled when I found that site myself. I didn't miss out on most of these issues, but they came out when I was a kid so needless to say many of my personal copies are lost or damaged. It's great to look through the history books at the stories that were assigned to the themes I enjoyed and how ridiculous some of them could be.

It's also interesting to compare these stories with the ones that appeared in some catalogs from other countries, since most of those 90s themes came out before LEGO started standardizing character names and backstories from country to country. For instance, the Insectoids issue gives very different names, ranks, and lore for the Insectoids characters than the 1998 UK catalog, which is in turn different than this Dutch catalog. It wasn't until 1999 or 2000 that these kinds of story details became more standardized from region to region.

gelkster

Turns out I have the free poster from LEGO Mania magazine (Jul/Aug 96) but dont know how I got it. I gave my collection to my nephew at one point (when I thought I wouldnt want it back), maybe it got mixed in then. I always regretted that, as some key/expensive pieces went missing.

thelegochronicler

I both have this set and remember the storyline at the time. This round of Aquazone pitted the Hydronauts vs the Stingrays. The premises was previous inhabitants of the Aquazone (read Aquanauts and Aquasharks) had collected all the easy to find crystals which were used for breathing and the sparse few left were being sought by these opposing factions. Due to scarcity the opposing sides had moved beyond simply stealing from each other to more aggressive opposition. The primary purpose of this station was a detention center. The removable jail pod from the sub was meant to be slid off the sub onto the track on the back of the station. The prisoner was then removed and put through the trap door into the cell below to be broken out by his comrades later.