A bunch of new Lego Pokemon sets have been officially revealed, and while some were leaked ahead of time, it turns out the toy company was holding out on us – the best was yet to come.
Alongside (now-confirmed) Rayquaza, Arcanine, and Munchlax display figures, Lego is also releasing what is essentially a Polly Pocket for fans of the original video games; the Iconic Trainer Moments Poke Ball opens up to reveal Professor Oak's lab and a nostalgia-fuelled battle between Red and a random trainer inside. This will be launching alongside an Up-Scaled Red Minifigure, which brings our first player character from the series to life. All these new Lego Pokemon sets can be pre-ordered now via the Lego store, and they'll launch between August 1 and October 1.
In terms of specifics, here's how they stack up compared to the best Lego sets so far as pricing, pieces, and size go.
At 2,339 pieces, this 18+ kit is the largest and most complex of the new Lego Pokemon sets. Measuring over 9in (22cm) high, it features three minifigures: Professor Oak, Red, and Picknicker. Tiny Pikachu and Eevee figures are also included.
UK: £229.99 at Lego
Lego continues its recent "Up-Scaled Minifigure" range with Red, the player character from the original Pokemon video games. This 10+ set is 930 pieces in total, and towers over the rest at 10in (22cm) high.
UK: £69.99 at Lego
This 18+ model is one of the three kits that leaked ahead of time, but it's nice to now see it properly rather than via low-rez images. It's 15in (38cm) tall and has 1,083 pieces under its belt, not to mention a minifigure of Lorekeeper Zinia.
UK: £119.99 at Lego
Despite being the smallest model of these new Pokemon Lego sets at 757 pieces and a diminutive 5in (13cm) tall, this might be my favorite after the Poke Ball diorama. It really captures what makes Munchlax so beloved, and features a cool mini diorama to place it on.
UK: £59.99 at Lego
The final kit of this drop is Growlithe's evolution, and Lego Arcanine is a big boy at 1,190 pieces. It reminds me a lot of Eevee in terms of the pieces it uses to represent those fluffy fur collars, but it's more imposing at around 6.7in or 17cm high.
UK: £89.99 at Lego
While I'm not sure how to feel about the Up-Scaled Red Minifigure (or should that be Bigifigure?), I'm all in on the Poke Ball display scene. This is like my childhood turned into Lego; it's a nostalgic look back at the opening of Pokemon Red and Blue, with the lid opening to reveal Professor's Oaks lab (complete with three Poke Balls on the bench to choose from) and trainer Red battling a Picknicker's Pikachu with Eevee. These are utterly adorable minifigure-scale Pokemon that remind me of the tiny toys you can get in those gumball machines – you know the ones? Anyway, because they're all-in-one sculpts that don't need constructing so far as I can tell, they look like the real deal rather than approximations. I imagine that'll please fans who've complained about other Lego Pokemon sets looking a bit… off (like Lego Pikachu and Poke Ball).
As for the others, it's nice to see them in all their glory rather than via a pixelated leak shot. As I mentioned in my piece discussing them when they weren't yet confirmed, these are a step in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. Fan response was mixed toward Lego Pikachu from the start and the Smart Play range drew some criticism based on its designs as well (even if they had our inner 10 year-old losing it), but these absolutely nail the assignment. They're also a lot cheaper than previous sets like the Starter Evolutions, bringing them more in line with the excellent Lego Eevee.
Basically, I'm obsessed – and I can't wait to see what's next for the Lego Pokemon range.
For more Poke-goodies, don't miss our guide to the best Pokemon merch. Plus, did you see that Razer has evolved its Pokemon PC accessory lineup with these new celestial Espeon & Umbreon goodies?
