Lego Pokémon Pikachu review – an electrifying build with a wobbly finish

After the great experience I had with the Lego Eevee model, I was excited to dive in with a Lego Pokémon Pikachu review. Admittedly, from the product shots, this was my least favorite model of the Lego Pokémon launch line-up due to its slightly strange take on the iconic ‘mon’s face. But considering how good the end result looked with Eevee, I was still hopeful.

Fortunately, my hopes weren’t misplaced. Lego Pikachu doesn’t look as jarring in real life as I expected, and with a lengthy build that most should find fun, it’s a solid entry, though one that doesn’t quite reach the brilliance of its smaller sibling (check out my Lego Eevee review here).

Lego Pikachu and Poké Ball is the second-largest Lego Pokémon set at the moment, and still less than a third of the brick count of the colossal Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise set (that’s one big Lego set). It has a total of 2,050 bricks and a $199.99 / £179.99 price tag at the Lego Store. That works out to roughly 9 cents a piece, which is very slightly better than average. However, the building experience and final model are just as important as price, so here are my full thoughts.

Specs

Ease of assembly

The Lego Pikachu model is a relatively time-consuming but easy build. I managed to put all of the 2,050 pieces together without many issues in  roughly six hours split over multiple days. The manual is split into 16 parts, each with its own bag of bricks, making each step a ‘mini build’ that all comes together when you reach the final stages.

While many pieces are quite small and can be fairly fiddly, I actually had no issues using the handy instructions, which offer plenty of detail, highlighting exactly where bricks should go, and even showing which studs fit where, to ensure that you don’t need to go back to previous steps.

Each of the bags feels fairly distinct, and the repetitive sections are so minor when you consider the full build. Each bag ripped open felt like a new task, and despite it taking three times longer than building the Eevee set, the overall lack of repetition during the assembly process made the time go by quickly.

It takes a while before the model actually starts to look anything like a Pikachu. For a couple of days, while I focused on boring old house chores, this Lego set was left a decapitated jumble of rainbow bricks that only somewhat resembled the main body.

Seeing the colorful, chaotic patterns that make up the interior structure coming together, then being covered up by the familiar yellow outer shell, is very satisfying. There are so many little parts that, once the model is done, you’ve been through quite a journey, one that I’d definitely recommend.

This is a fairly clever build. As with Eevee, The Lego Company has managed to make a smooth, rounded Pokémon out of its sharp-edged bricks. There’s some neat customization too. The curved Poké Ball can be displayed open or shut by adding a clever little piece between the two halves, while Pikachu has a small stand jabbed up where the sun doesn’t shine, so it can stand on its own.

That’s not including the two options to have a male or female Pikachu, changing the end of its tail for your preference. You could even swap it round daily #GenderFluidPikachu4Lyfe.

Build quality

After finishing the build and popping the adorable Lego Pikachu onto its stand, the final result is pretty… okay. It’s not as smooth and adorable as Eevee, but it’s not as bumpy and weird-looking as the images on the store listing make it out to be. It’s certainly more noticeable on the face, with a strange section jutting out more than the rest of it, and it does have plenty of visible studs that make the final model less seamless than I had hoped, but the overall quality of the final product is pretty good.

When standing up, Pikachu feels quite wobbly, and its feet seem a little too small to hold up the weight of its body. But on its stand, it feels strong. I wouldn’t start using it as a ball to throw around your home, lest it break into exactly 2,050 pieces, but once completed it feels quite sturdy. While I would’ve preferred to display Pikachu without the stand, the lack of stability makes this far too nerve-racking to attempt.

Though the design isn’t as jarring as I expected, I can certainly understand why some people wouldn’t be happy with it, especially considering the price tag. While I do like Pikachu, my feelings at the end were mixed – it felt like the journey was better than the destination.

However, tastes may differ. For instance my six-year-old son has excitedly decided to take my Lego Pikachu as his own, asking me to pop it on his display unit and adding it to his collection. He doesn’t care about the wonkiness. He loves the Pikachu, he knows it’s Pikachu, and he’s keen to display it as (now) his biggest Lego set. So, in reality, perhaps this shouldn’t be my review, but his.

Verdict

The Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball set is a decent model that, while expensive, delivers an entertaining building experience. I wish the final product were more sturdy and that the face wasn’t as bumpy and misshapen, but the six hours I spent constructing this brilliant display piece were anything but wasted. It’s just not as exciting as the more budget-friendly Eevee set.

Source: Wargamer