‘It’s good play at its core and we are making it even better’ — these 12 Lego Pokémon sets finally get Smart Play right, and I can’t decide which I love most | Tech Radar

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Details

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

‘It’s good play at its core and we are making it even better’ — these 12 Lego Pokémon sets finally get Smart Play right, and I can’t decide which I love most

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

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.

“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.”

I’ve played with Lego’s new Pokémon Smart Play sets

I thought the Lego smart brick was the worst idea ever then I built it

Pokémon Champions first impressions: approachable competitive excellence

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.

“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).

I can genuinely see Pokémon Pokopia being my Game of the Year — but I really wish it didn’t have this one issue

'I'm going to play this with my granddaughter' – Mark Hamill on Lego Star Wars

Pokémon Leaf Green review: my first-ever Pokémon adventure is still superb

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.

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.

$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.

$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.

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for Tech Radar 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.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1 Chinese firm selling stealth 'core technology by the kilogram' to make drones almost invisible to radars — spray-on coating is almost affordable by F-117 standards, slashes reflected radar power by 50%

2 How to watch NBA Finals 2026: Free streams, schedule, TV channels for New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs

3'Significantly advance future Army capabilities': US Army keen on quantum control research that promises to deliver a huge leap in future energy generation and computing

4 Alice and Steve review: Nicola Walker is the best thing about this complicated, feud-filled Hulu comedy series

5AI is getting too much of the blame for graduate hiring prospects, and there could be a job perk that is actually behind it all

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
• Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
• Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards