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 Lego Rock Raiders is a 1999 PC game based on the popular Rock Raiders franchise. The game is aimed at children who like the actual Rock Raiders Lego but can also entertain teenagers or adults looking for a way to spend a couple of hours.
Story of the game is simple: While cruisin' in their Lego Spaceship, the Rock Raiders get trapped in a space storm and have to make an emergency stop at the nearest planet. Only way to make it back home is by digging into the planet's caves for energy crystals to repair their ship.
Each of the 33 missions starts out with Chief briefing you in about what needs to be done. This can range from gathering X amounts of energy crystals to saving a group of stranded Raiders. Although the missions seem to embody enough variaty, the actual gameplay does not.
Rock Raiders is a Real Time Strategy (RTS) game where you spend most of your time looking for resources. What differentiates Rock Raiders from a typical RTS like Warcraft III is that gathering resources is all you do.
Like in any RTS game, building up your base is one of your primary concerns. Each building has its specific function like processing crystals, supplying your cave with air or for teleporting Rock Raiders and vehicles. Building one of these usually takes a number of ores and one or two (of the rarer) crystals.
To find ores and crystals, your Raiders need to drill in the walls surrounding them. This will not only reveal the resources inside but also expand your playable area further and further, when you discover more caves, underground lakes or even lava streams.
Occassionally, you'll run into a Rock monster that can destroy your base if you're not careful. However, placing some electrical fences or giving a couple of your Raiders lightguns will solve the problem easily.
Biggest problem of the game is that the Rock Raiders don't listen to your commands directly. You can, for example, click on a wall and request it to be drilled. Sure enough, some moments later a Raider will do so. This has probably been done to make the game easier for children (so they don't have to select a Raider individually and give him an action), but it can make the game very frustrating in the later levels. Especially when requesting a wall to be dynamited (this is required for stronger walls) it can take several minutes for it to actually happen. Also sad is that you can't save during a mission, so you need to finish missions in one go if you want to make progress.
Good thing is that graphics & sound for this game are good. Especially the graphics will appeal to the younger audience with sharp and colorful textures. Buildings and Raiders look exactly like you would expect and animations of buildings being build, raiders running around and monsters scaring your Raiders are generally good. Music is limited to some forgettable techno beats, but the sound effects and voices of the Rock Raiders are funny and informative.
Graphical variation is being offered in the form of three different cave types: normal, ice and lava. Walls and monsters also come in these three variaties.
All in all Lego Rock Raiders is an average game which could've been much better if the gameplay wasn't so repetitive and frustrating. Although the Lego fan might enjoy this, I can't reccomend it for regular RTS players, looking for a diversion. 6.5/10
 You know, 10 years ago a post like this would have been considered ridiculous. But then again 10 years ago no one was aggressive about game collecting. Not just the collectors, nostalgic gamers and bargain hunters, but resellers, pawn shop owners and other people who see game collecting as a business to exploit and abuse.
Everyone has their methods, be it honest or not, of getting games at thrift stores and other places. Some are considerably more successful at it than others. Also new collectors to the scene may find it a bit overwhelming when they read these "find" threads and wonder how the hell they do it. And with it being a highly competitive hobby, let me share with you the 5 best tips for scoring great finds for used games:
- Find out the best times of day/week to go hunting. Every store has a routine or schedule as to how they display their items. Chances are your fellow collectors know it as well, so it's always a matter of first come first serve.
- Memorize paths and locations. Some people may find this a bit crazy, but knowing the quickest way to the games in each store makes all the difference. That extra 10-15 seconds you save gives you extra time to pick things out. If you have really competitive collectors in your area, they park outside the store 10 minutes before closing, so it's a rush to get in first, especially on weekends.
- Grab everything you can whether you want it or not. Don't look at prices, check for manuals or anything, just grab everything you may be interested in and walk away. Chances are someone may follow you in a inconspicuous way to see if you put anything back. The bonus of grabbing everything is that you can examine it as you walk around the store. Better that than picking one off the shelf while someone grabs something else you didn't get to look at yet.
- Check other areas of the store. You wouldn't believe the games you can sometimes find in the music CD, VHS or DVD movie section. The same can be said for strategy guides in the magazine/book sections. Not every employee can/will/cares about the difference between "Craft lover" and "Game Informer".
- Pretend you know nothing about games. This may be the most important one of all. Unless someone knows for sure your a collector/gamer, you should always hide the fact. Some sellers in flea markets/thrift stores get edgy when you know more than they do and they'll feel threatened. Sometimes they may refuse to sell something to you or budge on the listed price. Pretending to be naive also makes other customers let their guard down, they may put a game back on the shelf while they think about buying it because they don't see you as a threat. You also may find store owners wil knock a bit off the price you may have haggled over just because they think they can sell you on something and take advantage of your lack of expertise. Never underestimate the usefulness of this tactic.
So you may read this and think I skirt the edges of proper decorum and manners, well your absolutely right. Joe Collector who picks up a R8 2600 game from the Salvation Army sure isn't going to feel bad about getting it before you did. With sites like eBay negatively affecting the collecting market, as collectors we need every advantage and dollar saved we can get.
Oh and one more thing, besides your want lists/check lists and wallet, bring a few batteries as well. You might want to check a handheld before you buy it regardless of it's condition. Feel free to add more tips in the comment section, those down on their luck and those new to the "sport" will appreciate it.
Happy Hunting 
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