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"They all wanted the Pokémon to come to life"
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Yesterday, I spent several hours playing with the brand-new Lego Pokémon Smart Play sets, and it was the most fun I’ve had in ages, and the August 1 launch date cannot come soon enough.
However, for the short period of time when I remembered I’m an adult journalist with a job to do, I had the chance to sit down with some members of the design team to chat about the sets, starting with the most striking improvement: they feel like Lego builds with Smart Play enhancements rather than being dependent on the new technology.
That’s unlike the first-wave of Smart Brick sets, which didn’t feel complete unless you had the brick charged up and in place.
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“We're glad you picked up on that. We’ve been working on these sets for a few years, so for us it doesn’t feel quick. Our challenge is always to find what story we can tell, and also see how children play with these sets, then figuring out how to bring that to physical play and seeing where the Smart Brick can enhance the experience.
“For example, in the Pikachu’s Training House set, you can throw a pokéball at the target to catch him — the grass opens up, and it’s fun on its own — but we can enhance that with a Smart Brick by having the pokémon react and play a celebration effect. It’s good play at its core and we are making it even better.”
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As the team explained, they spent a lot of time watching how kids played with the sets and used that to inspire aspects like how battling should work — you'll notice it's quite similar to children having their action figures interact by crashing into each other. And also using the Smart Brick to answer the one request every kid had, "They all wanted the Pokémon to come to life, so we focused on how we can do that with the Smart Brick."
The designs are also superb. Some of this is helped by the minting of new pieces — such as the eye pieces used by Cubone, Lapras, and Mewtwo — but also the teams working with The Pokémon Company to ensure every ‘mon looks like its in-game counterpart.
Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inboxContact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.“We’d get very detailed feedback. Can you make the neck longer? Can you shorten the arms a bit? Can you make sure it has three claws on each hand? But that means the final models truly capture the essence of the Pokémon.”
This capturing of its essence includes my favorite of the designs — Garchomp. I love the pokémon in the games, but the build is so well done for me because, unlike most of the models which have smoother finishes, Garchomp’s Lego build is very bricky — with rough studs all over — to match his in-game ability: Rough Skin.
It’s a very nice touch, and the sets are full of these — one of the designers pointed out several easter eggs hidden in the builds, including that the Trophy included with Garchomp and Umbreon is made to look like Cynthia’s hair accessories (the Champion of Sinnoh, and one of the series’ most formidable foes).
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Though while all the sets are great, there's undoubtedly a best-in-show, and we want you to help us decide! Which one is your favorite? Let us know in the poll below, and we'll try to make sure it's featured in our Lego Pokémon Smart Play review when that's published.
Can't decide? Scroll down for the full 12-set collection.
The full Pokémon Smart Play collection
Not sure how to vote in our poll? No worries, below I’ve written down some details (and personal thoughts) on all 12 of the builds. I’ve seen them all in person and spent several hours playing with them all, so I have firsthand knowledge of what they look and feel like.
I know which one I think is best, but there’s no one right answer. And whichever you like you’ll also find links to preorder them from Lego.com ahead of their August 1 launch.
All-in-one sets
Lego Training House with Pikachu: at LEGO$69.99 / £59.99 / AU$129.99This all-in-one set comes with a Smart Brick and charger so you can access all of its electronic features — sound effects to accent when you catch, train, feed, and rest your partner Pikachu. The Smart Brick isn’t essential however, as there are several physical play features like tall grass which falls when you throw a pokéball, a bed that folds down for your electric mouse to sleep in, and a rotating target for the pokémon to train against.
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Lego Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle: at LEGO$119.99 / £109.99 / AU$199.99The only other all-in-one set for the Pokémon Smart Play series boasts not one but two Smart Bricks, as its focus is battle. You’ll get a Charizard and Jolteon, plus a small training ground to help them prepare for their upcoming bout. There’s also a potion bottle which can be used to recharge their health before, after, or mid-fight — with LEGO reps telling me that it’s up to you and your friends to decide what the rules are for healing when you compete.
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Lego Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof: at LEGO$19.99 / £17.99 / AU$34.99A simpler Smart Brick-compatible set, this build shows Bulbasaur and Bidoof working together to blend berries into hearty smoothies. It’s one of the most affordable in the lineup despite coming with two fan-favorite ‘mons.
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Lego Trainer's Buggy Adventure with Squirtle: at LEGO$29.99 / £24.99 / AU$54.99Paying homage to the Squirtle Squad, this set sees the water starter roam around on a buggy, putting out fires so he can save a sandwich. Though any ‘mon can ride in the vehicle, and with a Smart Brick (not included), you can hear the critter giggle while the car chugs around. For non-Pokémon fans, the appeal here is the vehicle’s Smart Play tile, which offers some generic vehicle sound effects that would be ideal for custom builds.
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Lego Charmander and Geodude's Cavern Clash: at LEGO$19.99 / £17.99 / AU$34.99A simpler set like the Bulbasaur and Bidoof one, this simple yet effective construction comes with a pair of iconic Gen 1 pokémon, including the much-loved Charmander, plus a thematic battleground for their clash.
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Lego Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly Battle: at LEGO$34.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99For fans of Scarlett and Violet, this build is relatively simple scenery-wise, but does offer you the full trio of Gen 9 starter ‘mons. It’s probably my least favorite, but if the action-figure-play appeal of the models is what excites you most with these builds, this is a strong contender.
View DealLego Jigglypuff Concert: at LEGO$14.99 / £12.99 / AU$24.99The cheapest set in this collection, and also the simplest at just 88 pieces, I see this being popular amongst fans of the Gen 1 popstar wannabe, and as the perfect add-on for the Training House with Pikachu set — or one of the other more affordable builds — as it expands your pokémon collection without breaking the bank.
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Lego Drone Search for Mythical Mew: at LEGO$49.99 / £44.99 / AU$$99.99Simple, yet effective, I love this build as it feels inspired by one of my favorite spinoffs: Pokémon Snap. It also focuses on the exploration and catch ‘em all aspects of the Pokémon franchise rather than the battling, and I can see myself constructing more complex jungle ruins for Mew to hide in. Mew can still battle if you give it a Smart Brick.
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Lego Eevee and Lapras's Treasure Hunt: at LEGO$59.99 / £54.99 / AU$$109.99Another set focused on exploration, this would fit right at home amongst a collection full of pirate sets. This was one of the first sets I saw in the collection, and the designs may be small, but are packed with detail.
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Lego Mewtwo's Lab Break: at LEGO$69.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.99For fans of the first Pokémon movie, and/or other tales focused on this pokémon’s story, this Lab Break set featuring Mewtwo works so well as a display piece, but also as a play set that’ll give your other ‘mons an ultimate final battle to face off in.
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Lego Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle: at LEGO$79.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.99My favorite build in the whole collection is this. Why? I love both Garchomp and Umbreon (with the former being the only one in the 20 so far to rep my favorite generation in Gen 4), but also this seemingly simple build hides two very cool details. The first is that the trophy is intentionally designed to mimic Cynthia’s hair, the other is Garchomp is the only one to have a rough, brickier feel — mimicking its in-game ability Rough Skin. Lego reps explained this was part of the back-and-forth between Lego and The Pokémon Company, making sure details like this are translated into the models to make them feel true to the series.
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Lego Cubone and Gengar's Spooky Showdown: at LEGO$89.99 / £79.99 / AU$159.99Last, but by no means least, this build is, like the Pikachu set above, packed with physical play features that are amplified by the Smart Brick but not exclusive to it. Gengar looks perfectly terrifying, weird, and a bit funny, and Cubone has a kind of intimidating look that fits right into this scene’s ‘Spooky Showdown’ theme.
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Hamish HectorSocial Links NavigationSenior Staff Writer, NewsHamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.
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