These new LEGO Pokémon sets are so bad I’m choosing cardboard instead

I am a big fan of Pokémon and have been since the 90s. It is genuinely one of my favourite IPs. I have spent more than I care to think about on trading cards, and the amount of time I have spent on Pokopia recently doesn’t seem to add up. I am adding this for context when I say that the recently discovered LEGO Pokémon sets are bad. If you haven’t already seen them, here they are…

72157 Charmander and Geodude’s Cavern Clash

I have no idea what is going on with Charmander’s face here. And it is hard to tell from the glare on the picture but Charmander’s flame also looks odd. Geodude looks far too square.

72166 Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown

I don’t hate Cubone here, but Gengar is almost a cube.

72159 Jigglypuff Concert

Once again the shape and dimensions just seem completely wrong.

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All three of these sets are “Smart Play Compatible” but none of them include a Smart Brick. There may be another set not yet discovered that does include one, but if not you’ll have to grab a Star Wars set too. I have plenty of thoughts about Smart Bricks generally but that’s a topic for another post maybe.

I was really excited when LEGO announced a partnership with Pokémon but so far I haven’t been blown away. If this is where the theme is headed for smaller more affordable sets I don’t see myself picking them up.

So what am I getting instead? This is going to be a controversial take for a LEGO blog but I am going with cardboard.

4D Pokémon models

While out shopping recently I came across these “4D Models”. They are made from a thick cardboard that you can assemble without glue. I am about half way through the Bulbasaur build and I am honestly really impressed. There were a few fiddly bits and it doesn’t have the sturdiness of LEGO but the scale you get for the price is fantastic. You can find each model for $20 – $30 and they have Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Eevee, Pikachu and (as I literally just discovered) Meowth.

I found them at Target.