Pokemon’s Lego Smart Play sets couldn’t be more perfect, even if you hate the Smart Brick. I was convinced of this when I first saw them ahead of their launch, and since their public debut, I’ve only grown more in love with the builds now that I have them in my home.
When Lego first debuted its Pokémon sets, it showcased a few display-focused builds — designs aimed at older audiences to be shown off on a shelf more than to be actively played with. This meant relatively high prices to account for the massive brick counts and complex building techniques applied.
At first glance, the dozen Smart Play sets the duo just launched are the exact opposite. They’re built for play — with two of the sets coming with a Smart Brick (or two) to bring the Pokémon models to life — and generally cheaper and simpler build-wise. But like the Smart Brick, they’re so much more than meets the eye.
From a play perspective, thanks to tiles hidden in each Pokémon’s belly, the Smart Brick can know which creature it is and make distinctive sounds when the critter is being fed, training, sleeping, driving a vehicle, or hiding in the tall grass waiting to be captured by a trainer.
Importantly, two pokémon can know when they’re near each other and engage in a battle — which cleverly takes into account if the Pokémon was recently trained, which types it’s weak or strong against, what innate power it has (third-stage and legendary Pokémon will be stronger than first-stage starters), and what health it has (plus if it has been healed by something like a potion).
It’s very sophisticated but also so incredibly intuitive. Moving the Pokémon like action figures — shaking to charge up attacks, lunging forward to strike, moving away to dodge, and lying down to rest after a busy day — enables every single action the Smart Brick is programmed for. I gave my wife the Pikachu to play with without telling her anything, and she instantly knew what to do.
Smart and simple
At the same time, so many play features don’t require a Smart Brick at all.
While the actions will lack sound effects, Pikachu can still lie down in his fold-down bed, emerge from the tall grass when a pokéball hits the target, battle with the spinning target, and be played with in whatever way you can imagine.
So when you’re waiting for the Smart Brick to recharge, or if you simply decide not to pick up one of the All-in-one sets that comes with a Smart Brick in the box and opt for a merely Compatible set instead, you’ll still have a play set that feels complete — something I couldn’t say for Lego’s first Star Wars Smart Play models.
My only caveat is that the battle-focused sets — Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle and Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle — are a little more dependent on the smart brick to create engaging fights between the blocky pocket monsters.
Perfect for play doesn’t mean perfect for everyone, but as a display build, these models again have so much potential.
Not necessarily out of the box — the background scene elements are always the most visually stunning — but with some creativity and time to build your own, these blocky figures could easily be posed as part of beautiful dioramas.
If you prefer minifig scale designs, you’ll be disappointed, but if you don’t mind something that’ll take up more room on your shelf, I think these sets have so much potential — especially as each Pokémon’s design is so distinct and accurate to its in-game version.
Lastly, I can’t round things off without talking about their best aspect: price.
Simpler, play-focused sets come with fewer pieces and therefore a more affordable price. For kids who love Pokémon but for whom you can’t fork out a lot of cash for a set that’ll sit on a shelf, these Smart Play sets are perfect.
Plus, for the same price as the Eevee build, which was previously the most affordable option, you can grab two or three of the cheaper Smart Play compatible sets that just dropped.
Whether you buy one or all twelve of the new sets, I’m certain Pokémon and Lego won’t disappoint. These sets show how Smart Brick integration should be done, and I’m hoping we’ll see dozens more sets just like these down the line.
All-in-one sets
Training House with Pikachu:
$69.99 / £59.99 / AU$129.99
This 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.View Deal
Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle:
$119.99 / £109.99 / AU$199.99
The 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.View Deal
Smart Play compatible
Berry Bash with Bulbasaur and Bidoof:
$19.99 / £17.99 / AU$34.99
A 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.View Deal
Trainer’s Buggy Adventure with Squirtle:
$29.99 / £24.99 / AU$54.99
Paying 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.View Deal
Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash:
$19.99 / £17.99 / AU$34.99
A 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.View Deal
Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly Battle:
$34.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99
For 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 Deal
Jigglypuff Concert:
$14.99 / £12.99 / AU$24.99
The 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.View Deal
Drone Search for Mythical Mew:
$49.99 / £44.99 / AU$$99.99
Simple, yet effective, I love this build as it feels inspired by one of my favorite spinoffs: Pokémon Snap. It also focuses on the exploration and catch ‘em all aspects of the Pokémon franchise rather than the battling, and I can see myself constructing more complex jungle ruins for Mew to hide in. Mew can still battle if you give it a Smart Brick.View Deal
Eevee and Lapras’s Treasure Hunt:
$59.99 / £54.99 / AU$$109.99
Another 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.View Deal
Mewtwo’s Lab Break:
$69.99 / £59.99 / AU$119.99
For 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.View Deal
Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle:
$79.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.99
My 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.View Deal
Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown:
$89.99 / £79.99 / AU$159.99
Last, 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.View Deal
