Lego has unveiled 12 new Pokémon sets and these ones are cheaper and simpler than before, and they use new smart bricks to make noises and interact with each other.
As soon as a team-up between Lego and Pokémon was announced, it was obvious the collaboration was going to be massively popular. That was confirmed when one of the sets started going for almost £2,500 on eBay.
So far, there have only been three sets, but they’ve all been aimed at adult collectors, with the prices ranging from £54.99 to £579.99. Even if a kid could afford that, some of the sets are huge and they’re all display pieces rather than actual toys.
But that is set to change with a second wave aimed squarely at a younger audience and using Lego’s new Smart Play technology, that makes noises and reacts to Lego being moved and played with. There are 12 new sets in total, with the cheapest being £12.99 and the most expensive a relatively modest £109.99.
As you can see, the style of the designs is closer to the Super Mario line than the ultra-detailed adult sets, which makes sense given the game’s origins and the fact that it makes them less delicate to play with.
We got to play around with them this morning and Lego explained that the squatter designs also ensure they can be held in one hand by a child.
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The smart bricks are optional – the cheaper sets don’t come with one, so you have to use one from a more expensive set, or from the range of Star Wars ones that are already out. Once a brick is inserted into a model it interacts with various special tiles, much like the Super Mario Bluetooth minifigures.
Since the smart brick is able to make MIDI style sounds, and also has motion and colour sensors built in, it means you can do things like pretend to feed a pokémon, and have it respond. Or you can tickle it to get it to laugh or lay it down and have it fall asleep and snore.
The idea is that you mimic the process of training and creating a bond with a pokémon, not just by feeding and playing with it but training it up via the various training tools included in many of the sets.
Battles can be simulated to be closer to the games than you’d expect, with each critter having a normal and charged attack, and a dash move so they can get out of the way or pull back in defence. Even the types matter, so that electric-based Pikachu is better against water-based Squirtle.
The sounds as they fight are particularly fun, as they sound like a halfway house between the cries from the original video games and repeating their names as they do in the anime. Likewise, music plays while you battle but while it sounds like 8-bit Game Boy music it’s actually all original tunes.
Also similar to the Super Mario line is that there are two starter sets that give you all the basics, including at least one smart brick, while the other sets all require you to use a smart brick that you’ve got from elsewhere.
Training House with Pikachu (72164) – £59.99
This All-in-One set is the obvious place to start, as it’s relatively inexpensive and yet includes a smart brick, a smart brick charger, and 4 smart tags (the special tiles that the smart brick interacts with). All that and it features series mascot Pikachu, with a little treehouse model, and a training dummy. Living in a giant Pikachu head may be intended as a reference to Pokémon Mystery Dungeon, although it wasn’t a treehouse in that, as far as we remember.
Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle (72167) – £109.99
The other all-in-one set is considerably more expensive, as it includes two smart bricks and two large figures, as well some targets for training, that the smart bricks can recognise has been hit. The Charizard figure is 18cm tall and the Jolteon is 12 cm, so they’re quite tall. The set has an 8+ age rating, so it’s a little more complicated than some of the others, but still much more manageable than any of the adult sets.
Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof (72155) – £17.99
From here on in none of the sets come with a smart brick, although they do all have at least one or two smart tags that work with one. We actually think this Bidoof might be our favourite design of the lot, although the Bulbasaur is also pretty neat, as is the berry juicer that comes with it.
Trainer’s Buggy Adventure with Squirtle (72156) – £24.99
Some of these sets come with vehicles, but unless we’re forgetting something they seem to be made-up. Which is a bit odd as the Zero-One from Pokémon Snap would’ve been a neat inclusion, especially as you wouldn’t have thought Squirtle needs a buggy. Still, Squirtle and the pokéball are cool and you do get some stud shooters with it.
Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash (72157) – £17.99
Although some of these match-ups seem pretty random there is a theme to it all, with the Gen I starters all appearing in low cost sets and each of them having background themed accessories. In this case you get a Geodude and a section of cave to explore, along with some crystals and a lamp.
Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly Battle (72158) – £29.99
Although the majority of the pokémon featured in these sets are from Gen I, aka the original Pokémon Red and Blue, there’s also this set which stars the three starters from Pokémon Scarlet and Violet – the most recent of the video games. As usual for starters you get a grass, fire, and water type and in the set a little brick-built wheel you can spin to see who the next opponent is.
Jigglypuff Concert (72159) – £12.99
The cheapest of all the sets includes Jigglypuff, a microphone stand, and a set of speakers… and that’s it. You still get a smart tag though, so if you insert a smart brick into him, he can react to stimuli just the same as any of the expensive sets.
Drone Search for Mythical Mew (72161) – £44.99
We’re not sure if this drone is from the anime or something but it can interact with Mew too, and there’s a Great Ball, as well as some ancient ruins to hide Mew in. This is where you can really see the aim is to make a set that kids can play with, rather than just a display piece for adults.
Eevee and Lapras’s Treasure Hunt (72162) – £54.99
The organic shapes of pokémon do not lend themselves naturally to the angular bricks of Lego but this set has some of the best smart brick designs, especially when you compare the Eevee with the adult-orientated one released earlier in the year (which is the same price as this set). The Lapras is cool too, with a shipwreck motif going on as well as hidden treasure and a map.
Mewtwo’s Lab Break (72163) – £59.99
It’s up to you whether this counts as a reference to the Detective Pikachu movie or the anime, but Mewtwo in a science lab setting is definitely an iconic Pokémon image. The containment capsule he’s in breaks apart and you get a Master Ball to try and catch him again.
Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship (72165) – £69.99
All of these sets are suitable for ages ranging from 6+ to 10+ but this is one of the latter, with slightly more complex builds for dark type Eevee evolution Umbreon and Gen IV pseudo-legendary Garchomp, from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. You also get a trophy and a giant pokéball.
Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown (72166) – £79.99
The Gengar here is larger than many of the other pokémon and has a moving tongue that you can slide left and right. The playset is also more complex than the other sets, with targets to aim at (and an Ultra Ball to throw), so you can try and knock him off his perch and get to the treasure underneath.
All these Lego Pokémon sets are available for pre-order from today, from the Lego website, but they won’t be released until August 1. They’ll also be available at Lego stores, which will be running smart brick demos to show how the sets work.
Some stores will also become PokéStops and Gyms in Pokémon Go, with exclusive rewards – including an extra smart tag – between August and September (or while stocks last, which probably won’t be very long).
Also, likely to run out quickly is a gift with purchase that features a Poké Ball-shaped TV and Ditto from Pokémon Pokopia, but transformed into a Squirtle. It’s not clear how you get it yet, but usually it’s after spending a set amount of money on related sets.
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