If you’re someone who was immediately put off by the audacity of the MSRP for this year’s LEGO Pokémon sets, you’re not alone.
The new wave of LEGO Pokémon is thankfully more varied and affordable, offering all sorts of “Smart Play” sets with some cheaper alternatives for those who aren’t looking to spend hundreds of dollars on plastic but still want to dabble in the hobby. Yeah, I’m looking at you, $650 set with Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still some pricy ones in this new lineup, like Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle for $119.99 or Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown at $89.99, but several sets roam in the $15 to $60 range, and that’s a bit easier to contend with (at least in my brain), especially if you’re buying for kids.
Unfortunately, none of the sets come with the LEGO Smart Brick, which enables “interactive play” with lights and sounds, so those feel kind of like a necessary add-on for the sets unless you strictly want to display them.
The full lineup of Smart Play sets also includes:
- Jigglypuff Concert – $14.99
- Berry Bash with Bulbasaur & Bidoof – $19.99
- Charmander & Geodude’s Cavern Clash – $19.99
- Trainer’s Buggy Adventure with Squirtle – $29.99
- Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly Battle – $34.99
- Drone Search for Mythical Mew – $49.99
- Eevee and Lapras’s Treasure Hunt – $59.99
- Training House with Pikachu – $69.99
- Mewtwo’s Lab Break – $69.99
- Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle – $79.99
- Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown – $89.99
I personally have a massive backlog of unopened LEGO sets since I currently have nowhere to display them, so I probably won’t be picking any of these up. But the Mewtwo set, Squirtle on a buggy, and the set including all three Paldean starters are definitely speaking to me.
These sets all officially launch on Aug. 1, but pre-orders are available now.
