Category: nanoblock Review - Page 13 - Shy Gal's Building Blog

Review of nanoblock Brilliant Shining ver Pokemon builds NBPM_082 to NBPM_088

May 16, 2023March 10, 2023shygal

Collection of Brillian Shining ver Pokemon builds

This post is a review of the nanoblock Brilliant Shining ver Pokemon builds. These builds are numbers NBPM_082 to NBPM_088. Each of these builds is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

With the release of the Brillant Diamond and Shining Pearl video games, nanoblock released Pokemon from generation 4 as Brilliant Shining versions. These builds are identical to the original builds but are built using clear glitter bricks. The Pokemon in this rerelease are Lucario, Leafeon, Glaceon, Garchomp, Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup.

I’m reviewing the Brilliant Shining ver as a group because these builds are the same as the original builds, except each build is built with glitter bricks. Each build will have photos of the glitter builds and a link to the review of the original builds.

Overall I really liked building these. The clear glitter bricks fit together very nicely and tightly. In general, I find clear bricks hard to use because they seem to be tighter fitting, so I had been avoiding building the Brilliant Shining ver builds. I didn’t have this problem with the glitter version of the clear bricks, which was a pleasant surprise.

NBPM_082 – Lucario

Original Lucario Review

I really liked the cream bricks that were created for this build to make the main section of the body. It was also easy to tell the difference between the white and cream bricks. It was harder to tell which bricks were white in some of the later builds.

While building this build, I noticed some errors I had made in the original Lucario build, so I was able to fix my original build. I’m not sure what the difference is, but the glitter Lucario can stand on its own, while the original build isn’t able to even after making the corrections. The Brilliant Shining ver stands, but it is still a little tippy, so you want to ensure that the surface you put the finished build on is flat.

NBPM_083 – Leafeon

Original Leafeon Review

I found the Leafeon build super easy to put together. The only real difficulty I had building Leafeon was that the clear glitter white bricks got lost in all the clear glitter beige bricks.

I like the finished build, but many details are lost because of the clear bricks. I feel that the white in the eyes gets lost. It is also hard to see all the details in the ears because of how the light flows through the bricks.

NBPM_084 – Glaceon

Original Glaceon Review

Glaceon is very similar to Leafeon for a building process, so it was also easy to put together. However, it was really hard to tell the clear glitter blue and the clear glitter light blue apart, so I kept needing to recheck the color and take bits apart because I had picked the wrong color.

Overall I like the original build significantly more. This is because I can’t see the details in the build because the blues are similar.

NBPM_085 – Garchomp

Original Garchomp Review

Garchomp is generally a tricky build. This is because so many sections are built unattached to the body and attached once the section is completed. The arms are also easy to pop off as the layers that create the head.

Overall I feel that most of the details of Garchomp are lost with the clear glitter blocks. This is because the body is so dark it seems that all the yellow bricks are much darker, so the color isn’t clear. It is even hard to tell the clear black glitter from the clear dark blue glitter bricks in the actual build.

NBPM_086 – Turtwig

Original Turtwig Review

There was no real noticeable difference between building the original Turtwig and the Brilliant Shining ver.

I personally don’t really like the color of the Light Clear Green Glitter bricks. These bricks make up the main body of Turtwig. The color of the bricks is very close to the color from Leafeon, which is supposed to be more yellow.

NBPM_087 – Chimchar

Original Chimchar Review

There was no real noticeable difference between building the original Chimchar and the Brilliant Shining ver. The hands are still very fragile.

I don’t really like how the final Chimchar looks. The only way I can describe the final build is fuzzy. There are few places where the clear bricks are backed by a dark color, making the edges and color changes unclear. This makes the entire build seem fuzzy and unclear, which is an effect I don’t care for.

NBPM_088 – Piplup

Original Piplup Review

Like Chimchar, I can only really describe the finished Piplup build as fuzzy. This is because of the see-through nature of the bricks. I also think it’s a shame that Piplup’s eyes get lost in the dark blue that makes up most of the head.

Review of nanoblock Nobita NBCC_037

May 11, 2023March 16, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Nobita build. Nobita is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number: NBCC_037

Number of Pieces: 190

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Nobita is the protagonist of the Doraemon series. He is lazy, which really bothers Doraemon. For more information about Nobita, check out the Doraemon wiki page about him here. This is the original nanoblock kit for Nobita and has him standing up like a normal nanoblock build. The second model is one where Nobita lying down on his back.

This build is made of 2 parts the head and the body.

The body is a simple build that begins with a base layer of navy bricks. The layers are added to the base to create the pants. Once the pants are made, you add layers of yellow to create the body. The top of the torso also has the details of a white collar. The final step of the body is to add the arms and legs. When I added the legs, the build became tippy, so it is important to make sure it is stable before adding the head.

The second part of the build is to build the head. It begins with a base of skin tone and black bricks. You then build up the head in layers creating Nobita’s glasses and eyes along with the rest of the head. Once you closed up the head, you add the mouth and the neck. The final step of the main build is to attach the head to the body.

This build, like several of the Doraemon builds, has a miniature build. This build comes with take-copter which attaches to Nobita’s head. There is also a take-copter with the Dokodemo Door build.

Things I liked:

The details of the glasses and the copter in the build

Things I didn’t like:

The feet aren’t super stable, so the build doesn’t still flat if you aren’t careful.

Review of nanoblock Metagross NBPM_098

May 9, 2023March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Metagross build. Metagross is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_098

Number of Pieces: 230

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Metagross was introduced in generation 3. It is the final evolution of Beldum, and the evolutions are all triggered by leveling up.

This build is made up of the main body section and Metagross’s 4 legs that are attached to the main body.

To build the main body section, I began by laying the base layer out on my nanoblock pad. The body went up in straightforward layers. I really like the depth of the grey X that makes up the front of the face. I also really like how the eyes peak out of build depending on the angle you look at the build.

The next step is to add the 4 legs. They are similar, with there being differences between the front and back legs. While building, I noticed it was easier to build the top and bottom half of the legs and connect the sections. After building the entire leg, I would attach the legs. I found this made the legs more sturdy.

Things I liked:

I really like the detail in the face and how it changes depending on how you look at the build

Things I didn’t like:

The legs aren’t pinned in via the top, so the legs can easily fall off while building or moving Metagross

Review of nanoblock Standing Doraemon NBCC_036

May 4, 2023March 16, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Doraemon build. Doraemon is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number: NBCC_036

Number of Pieces: 270

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

This is the second version of Doraemon I have built. The other is the sitting version which you can read the review here.

This build is broken up into the body and the head. There is also a mini build for the cream doughnut.

You begin this nanoblock build by building the body. The body is a pretty straightforward build that goes up in layers. I was worried about the second layer because the ring of bricks on the outside of the build wasn’t complete so I was worried there would be a gap. As layers are added to the body, details like the hands, bell, tail and collar are all added. Once you have built the main segment of the body, you add the feet. I was pleasantly surprised that the legs covered the gap created in layer 2.

Once the body is built, it’s time to make the head. You begin the head by building 2 pieces for the front and back of the head. These pieces are combined to create the first few layers of the head. You add on layers by adding to the outer ring of the head. Be careful adding the layers just over the mouth because they stick out and aren’t flush. Keep adding layers with the rings getting smaller. There is an odd step to add the bricks that become the space between the eyes, but it looks a little funny while building the head layer. Once you have closed up the head, it’s time to add the final details of the eyes, nose, and whiskers.

The final step is to build to connect the head to the body. There is also a mini build that is very straightforward to make your Doraemon a sweet treat.

Things I liked:

The fact that the gap was filled in, so I didn’t need to figure out how to fill the gap
The number of details that create Doraemon

Things I didn’t like:

There is a gap in the eyes that I don’t really like, and I feel is noticeable
I feel like the feet are blocky and aren’t rounded like Doraemon’s actual feet

Review of nanoblock Milotic NBPM_097

May 2, 2023March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Milotic build. Milotic is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_097

Number of Pieces: 200

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Milotic is a pokemon introduced in generation 3. It is the evolution of Feebas, which doesn’t have a nanoblock build at this point. While Milotic appears to be a dragon, it is only a water type.

When I originally looked at the build, the snake shape reminded me of the Rayquaza build, so I was worried the build would very fragile. While I was building, however, I noticed that the overlapping layers were deeper, so I knew the build would be much more solid.

Then building the first 8 or so steps is creating the base of the pokemon. Each step either adds bricks to the base or locks the base layer in place. This was a build where I was glad to have my nanoblock pad because it made keeping each base layer lined up a piece of cake.

After building the base, the top of the body is rounded out. I liked the use of various colors in the back section to create the patterning on its tail.

The next step is to build Milotic’s neck. While building the neck, the long head decoration that comes off the right side of the head is also built in pink. These steps are fairly straightforward.

The next step is to build and attach the head. I had some issues when adding the bricks to top off the head, with the main section of the head falling off. I think this is because the head is so front-heavy.

The final steps are to add the details that make Milotic recognizable. The first is to add the long head decoration on the left side of Milotic’s head. The antenna on both sides of the head is also added. The final addition is the tail. Each detail is very simple to build but has a lot of impact on the final build.

Things I liked:

I like that the build is solid and that I can easily move the build as needed instead of feeling that it needs to sit in 1 place for forever.

Things I didn’t like:

In my head, Milotic is a really smooth pokemon. This build is a bit blocky and not as smooth as it could be if they kept it more snakelike

Review of nanoblock Lying Nobita NBCC_075

April 27, 2023March 14, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Nobita build. Nobita is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number: NBCC_075

Number of Pieces: 220

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Nobita is the protagonist of the Doraemon series. He is lazy, which really bothers Doraemon. For more information about Nobita, check out the Doraemon wiki page about him here. This is the second nanoblock kit for Nobita and has him lying down instead of standing up like a normal nanoblock build.

This is an unusual build because instead of the final model standing, the final build is lying down on his back. This is created using the bricks that I call the steps. They are the bricks that are 1×2, but one stud is a brick higher with a slanted connection.

This nanoblock build is made up of the body, the head, and a little pillow.

The body begins by building a base layer. It begins using step bricks to create Nobita’s back. You make the body in layers. You eventually add the leg that crosses over the body. You keep adding onto the body with each layer, adding a step brick to create Nobita’s back that finished build will lie on. The body ends with completing the arms that go around the back of the head.

The other major piece of the build is the head. Like the body, the head is built in layers. The head is very straightforward. There are nice details to create the mouth and glasses. I also like how the eyes are a little inset which adds to the various details of the build.

The final build is a pillow for Nobita to lie on. It is simply a stack of rounded blue bricks that you curl around to make a triangular pillow.

Things I liked:

The positioning of Nobita is very unique for the nanoblock characters

Things I didn’t like:

That the navy and the black bricks were in the same bag

Review of nanoblock Gardevoir NBPM_096

April 25, 2023March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Gardevoir build. Gardevoir is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBPM_096

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Gardevoir is the original final evolution of Ralts. It was initially only a psychic type but became a psychic / fairy type when the fairy type was introduced.

Unlike most pokemon builds, I feel that Gardevoir isn’t really recognizable. This is for 2 major reasons.

First, the head is misshapen and doesn’t appear like the head in video games. The head in video games is much smoother and rounder than the head. Also, Gardevoir has redder eyes, so it might be slightly better if red bricks had been used for the eyes.

Secondly, I also feel that the body isn’t correct. The nanoblock Gardevoir appears to wear a skirt with visible legs. The build simply has the skirt without the legs.

The first few steps of the build create the base of Gardevoir’s skirt. Laying out the entire skirt took about half of my larger nanoblock pad.

After creating the base, the body goes up in layers of white. Then the arms are added along with the detail coming out of Gardevoir’s chest.

The head begins with creating a base layer over a few steps. The head goes up in straightforward layers adding details to the face. I feel that the head isn’t shaped in a recognizable way.

The final step is to attach the head to the body, and the build is done.

Things I liked:

I really like the detail in the skirt and how it creates Gardevoir’s hips.

Things I didn’t like:

I feel that this build isn’t very recognizable as the Pokemon Gardevoir. The head isn’t really appropriately shaped, which I find disappointing since, normally, Pokemon builds are very recognizable.

Review of nanoblock Kirby Dream Land NBH_230

April 20, 2023March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Kirby Dream Land build. Kirby Dream Land is part of the nanoblock Sights to See collection. Wondering what else is part of the Sights to See collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBH_230

Number of Pieces: 400

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Please note that while several characters are on the box, the only characters that are actually part of the build are Kirby and Whispy Woods (the tree). The other characters shown are part of volume 2 of the Kirby mininano collection.

This build has 4 sections. There is Whispy Woods, the base, Kirby on a star, and a tree.

I think it is worth noting there are 2 shades of green (one used for each tree), but they are very similar in poor lighting, so be careful.

Whispy Woods is basically a semicircle of nanoblock. Until you add leaves, the build goes up in layers, with each layer covering the brick gaps from the previous layer. I was a little surprised that the mouth didn’t have anything behind it, but it is really just an opening that you can see through.

When adding the leaves to Whispy Woods, you need to be careful because there are several places where bricks are overhanging. This is tricky because if you push too hard, the bricks might collapse. After building the overhanging sections, the rest of the leaves are straightforward layers.

The final step for Whispy Woods is to add the details. This includes apples in the leaves. There are also the nose and arms added. The final step is to add the root details.

The second section in the instructions is the base. There is a misprint in the instructions. In step 27, the brick between the 2 10×10 plates is green. In step 28, the same brick is shown as clear. Based on extra brick counts and how it appears in steps 30 and 42, I determined the brick should be green. Other than the color typo setting up the base for Whispy Woods is very straightforward.

The third step in the instructions is the small tree in the background. The tree is very straightforward.

Next, you attach the smaller tree and Whispy Woods to the base. The studs for Whispy Woods are nicely lined up, so it was easy to attach him, which was nice and unexpected. I expected to need to turn the roots to attach Whispy Woods.

The final step is to build Kirby on the star. I built Kirby on my nanoblock pad. At some point, I picked up the build, which was very flexible, so I made sure to do the building on the pad.

First, you build Kirby. It begins with building the base couple of layers that create the entirety of Kirby’s base. The build then goes up in layers using slanted pieces to the arms and to create Kirby’s round shape.

The second step to building Kirby is to build the star he sits on. The star is 2 layers tall and very straightforward to put together.

The final step is to connect Kirby to the star. Then attaching Kirby to the base.

Things I liked:

That the build is the same scale as the mininano collection and it even comes with parts to attach those characters to the base

Things I didn’t like:

Kirby was really flexible while building him, so I was super glad that I had my pad

Review of nanoblock Rowlett NBPM_051

April 18, 2023March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Rowlett build. Rowlett is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.

Names:

English: Rowlett
Japanese: Mokuroh

Number: NBPM_051

Number of Pieces: 170

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Rowlett is the grass starter from generation 7. Initially released under NBPM_27, it was only available at Japanese Pokemon Centers.

Overall this is a straightforward build. It is building the outer shell of a sphere from the base. The first step is to create the base by putting two smaller builds together. From there, you add the Pokemon’s sweet little bow tie. Next, you build the Pokemon by adding rings of bricks for several layers.

As you reach the top of the Pokemon, you begin to close up the head. At this point, you need to be careful to make sure that bricks are extra carefully lined up. As you close up the head bricks, you can push bricks into the cavity and create indents so that you can’t build the next layer.

Once you have closed up the sphere, it’s time for the final details. Attach the tail and the feet, and viola, the build is done.

Overall, I really liked this build. I liked the color that was selected for the green details. I had some difficulty getting the head to close up because I wasn’t super tight on my connections.

Things I liked:

The color of the green details

Review of nanoblock Kirby 30th NBCC_140

April 13, 2023March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Kirby 30th build. Kirby is part of the nanoblock Character collection. Wondering what else is part of the Character collection? Click here for a list.

Number: NBCC_140

Number of Pieces: 220

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

This build is made up of 3 sections. There is Kirby, the star, and the stand.

Kirby begins by making a base in pink bricks. Then the feet are added to the base. After that, Kirby begins going up in layers. Overall, things are fairly straightforward. In the step that adds Kirby’s mouth, I didn’t understand from the instructions that there was a custom piece with the mouth printed. Once I found the piece, the only other concern was the slanted pieces.

Kirby has 2 different slanted pieces. I appreciated that the colors in the instructions were different enough that it was very clear when to use which slanted piece.

The final step to building Kirby is to finish his hand and smooth out the top of his head.

Kirby comes with a big 30th sticker to put on his back. I didn’t use the sticker on this build because it would have meant that I wouldn’t be able to take Kirby apart.

The star is created by several layers of yellow bricks with a width of 2, so the final build is 2 bricks tall. The first step creates a gap in the 2 depth. I wasn’t sure why there was a gap, but it became clear when I put the sections together. The second step adds the socket of the ball joint, which is needed to connect the star to the stand.

After adding the socket, the rest of the star is fairly straightforward until the final step. There are 2 notable things about the final step. First, there is a custom-printed brick. I think it is for copyright, but I’m not sure for what exactly. Secondly, it wasn’t clear that it mattered what order sections were added. It was pretty easy to fix when I realized the order did matter.

Kirby sits on studs that point out the star, so he is very stable.

The stand is fairly straightforward. It begins by building up several layers of clear bricks. After building the layers, some additional bricks are added to the bottom layer. The stand is then laid on its side so the ball joint is up in the air.

Kirby’s star attaches to the ball joint on the stand. The part sticking up above the joint goes into the hole in the star to all the star to sit at an angle.

Things I liked:

The custom brick for Kirby’s mouth because it means there isn’t a sticker for the mouth
How Kirby sits at an angle on his star ride

Things I didn’t like:

It was really hard to tell about the special brick that had Kirby’s mouth was a special brick