Following the reveal of the first five LEGO Pokémon sets, we've spotted some familiar and clever building techniques, as well as an all-new element.
After a busy day looking through every inch of 72151 Eevee, 72152 Pikachu and Poké Ball, 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, as well as 40892 Kanto Region Badge Collection and 40911 Mini Pokémon Center, a few parts of the models have stood out to us. They feature some uncommon and smart building techniques and even one brand-new element to consider the possibilities of.
While you wait for your pre-ordered LEGO Pokémon sets to arrive, read on for a closer look at the models that make up the first wave of LEGO Pokémon.
Pikachu's similarity to Gizmo
The star of LEGO Pokémon's first wave is 72152 Pikachu and Poké Ball, adapting the iconic creature in a posable LEGO figure, similar to the likes of 21361 Gizmo. That's not where the similarities end with the Gremlins model, though.
21361 Gizmo uses a pair of printed minifigure shield pieces to capture the rounded, slightly bulging nature of his eyes, and 72152 Pikachu and Poké Ball adopts a similar approach with some even simpler printing on minifigure shields. It's a small touch that helps to continue the creature's rounded features.
An all-new slope in 72151 Eevee
72151 Eevee is the smallest of the new LEGO sets up for pre-order, but includes a brand-new piece that may impact all LEGO animal builds going forward. At the back of Eevee's head is a new curved slope similar to pieces introduced relatively recently, but with a gap at the base of the element for an exposed stud to pass through.
That gives this new kind of curved slope a slight angle at the base compared to other slopes, bringing one side of the element a stud back compared to the other. It will be a useful element for designers to have on hand as they adapt animals and other Pokémon for sets in the future.
Charizard's fantastical teeth
Charizard of 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise has quite a few interesting aspects, including those textile wings, but it's his teeth that have caught our attention.
The teeth are made up of unicorn horns, but since these are tall pieces, they are placed into the open back of LEGO headlights to make them short enough to look accurate. It's a small touch that keeps the figure looking accurate, but not too silly compared to the fierce fire-type Pokémon.
Angled slopes for Blastoise's face
Blastoise, also of 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, has another interesting technique to point out. Their face is made up of various slopes, including two roof tile elements angled with their eyes printed on the side to make their face look suitably angled, sharp and fierce.
Curving whitewash
Also worth noting in the Blastoise build is a technique that has nothing to do with the Pokémon itself. The wave structure on the base that holds Blastoise up uses a series of windshield elements to cleverly form curving whitewash, cresting from the top of the wave before splashing back down in the ocean. It's another relatively simple technique, yet the piece is rarely used in water-based builds.
Brilliant badge builds
40892 Kanto Region Badge Collection is exclusively available with orders of 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise while stocks last, consisting of eight gym badges from the Kanto region. The builds for the thunder and rainbow badges have caught our eye for making use of an element introduced only last year, appearing in under 10 sets at the time of writing.
Plate, Modified 2 x 2 with Bar Frame Round is an updated version of the octagonal element with bars, allowing for curvier shaping with more specific placement of clips. That's perfect for these two badges with rounded tiles that need to be placed into specific positions, all while keeping the underside of the small models looking clean. This set is also the only one to include the piece in yellow at the time of writing.
72151 Eevee, 72152 Pikachu and Poké Ball and 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise are all available to pre-order now. 40892 Kanto Region Badge Collection will come free with pre-orders of 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise while stocks last, and the gift will return while stocks last on February 27.
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