Category: nanoblock Review - Page 16 - Shy Gal's Building Blog

Review of nanoblock Chikorita NBPM_030

November 8, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Chikorita
Japanese: Chicorita

Number: NBPM_030

Number of Pieces: 90

Difficulty Rating: 1/5

Chikorita is one of the starter Pokemon for generation 2, and like most grass-type starters, it’s green. Chikorita has 2 notable features that I hoped would be incorporated into the build. First, there is a large leaf hanging off Chikorita’s head. It also has a collar of spikes going around its neck.

Overall the build was fairly simple, which is what I would expect from a level 1 build. I was happy to see that both the collar and the leaf were completely intact. The collar is created by studs sticking out of the main body. Once the main body is built, you build a leaf and attach it to the head.

Things I liked:

How the leaf looks floating of its head

Things I didn’t like:

One Thing

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Slime Tower

November 3, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Slime Tower build. Slime Tower is part of the nanoblock Dragon Quest collection. Wondering what else is part of the Dragon Quest collection? Click Here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 220

Difficulty Rating: 1/5

This is a build for a monster that is a collection of slimes. It is a stack of small slime monsters. After building almost all the Dragon Quest slimes, I think I am finally getting the hang of building with clear bricks.

This build is made up of 3 slimes. There is a blue slime, an orange slime, and a green slime. The builds are identical, except the green slime has some extra details on top. You build each of the slimes separately and then put the slimes together.

Each slime begins with a base layer in the color of the slime. You then build the slime up in rings that get smaller as you approach the top of the slime. Eventually, you close up the slime. If you are building the green slime, add the final details to the top to make it look like a teardrop.

Things I liked:

I’m finally getting the hang of working with the clear blocks
Very simple build

Things I didn’t like:

The slimes look much less round than normal slimes

Review of nanoblock Pichu NBPM_028

November 1, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Number: NBPM_028

Number of Pieces: 90

Difficulty Rating: 1/5

Pichu was the first Pokemon build that had a difficulty level of 1 I built. It is a simple build made up of 2 parts, the head, and body.

The body is a simple few layers of mostly yellow with a little bit of black to make the stripes.

The head is generally a cube that creates a face with black-tipped ears. Overall it was a simple build that took very little time to build.

Things I liked:

Cute simple build

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Squirrel NBC_178

October 27, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Squirrel build. Squirrel is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection series? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_178

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

The Squirrel build starts as a basic build, starting with a base and building the height of the Squirrel. After step 5, you turn the build upside down and add the feet, the acorn it holds, and the base of the tail. Once you flip it back right-side-up, you build and attach the tail and head. 2 extra acorns sit near the Squirrel.

Overall I think the Squirrel is adorable. I like that it looks like its cheeks are full and puffed up.

Things I liked:

The extra acorns

Review of nanoblock Greninja NBPM_070

October 25, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Greninja
Japanese: Gekkouga

Number: NBPM_070

Number of Pieces: 180

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Greninja is the 3rd evolution of the generation 6 starter Froakie. There is a unique form known as Ash-Greninja, with the center fin on its head being red instead of blue. While there is not a model for Ash-Greninja, I think if you have a few red bricks, you can customize the build to create that form.

The build is different from many other Pokemon because it is not based on a sphere on a rectangle Greninja is posed like a ninja. All of the instructions are different and detailed because nothing is mirrored. However, building him was tippy, and he couldn’t stand up reliably until the final hand was attached. It was also hard to use my pad to build, which meant my bricks were shifting more than usual.

Overall I enjoyed the build and liked the final result. I’m not sure how much it looks like Greninja from the games or the anime, but it was a fun build.

Things I liked:

How he is posed means, there was no mirroring in the build

Things I didn’t like:

How it didn’t want to stand up until the final step was completed

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Red Panda NBC_194

October 20, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Red Panda build. The Red Panda is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection series? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_194

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Red Pandas are smaller furry animals that live in China and Nepal. Their habitat is getting cut down significantly due to human activity. They look a little like super fluffy raccoons. They are also prevalent in zoos worldwide.

This build is building chunks of the nanoblock and connecting them together to create the Red Panda.

Since the animal is on a slant, you start with the back of the animal and work forward. The first 5 steps are building the body and preparing the base for the head to attach onto.

In step 6, you make the head with reasonable detail, including round eyes and an additional shade of brown to create the cheeks. Once you attach the head, you build the tail with striped detail.

The final step is to connect the paws so that the build sits flat.

Overall I enjoyed this build. I liked building the individual chunks and seeing the red panda come together in larger pieces. In most of my builds, things come together in layers, so the chunks were a nice change. I really like the detail in the face and tail, which are vital to making this build recognizable.

Things I liked:

The amount of detail in the head
The stripes in the tail

Review of nanoblock Dragonite NBPM_011

October 18, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Names:

English: Dragonite
Japanese: Kairyu

Number: NBPM_011

Number of Pieces: 190

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Dragonite is the original endgame dragon from generation 1. He is a lot rounder and more cartoon-looking than the dragons later in the series. In the Pokemon games and TV show, Dragonite can both transport mail and people.

This build starts with the head. You start with a base and build the dragon up. The head has the tricky part of getting the antenna lined up correctly and keeping them in place for the rest of the build.

Next, you build the body in a matter similar to the head.

Once you have a body and head, you attach them to each other. The next step is to build the wings. These are the most challenging part because of the amount of detail to create the illusion that the tan is all on one side and the teal is on the other.

I think the Dragonite build does an excellent job of capturing the fat round dragon, which is how it appears in the games.

Things I liked:

I think the build captures the round dragon well

Things I didn’t like:

The wings took me a couple tries to get right

Review of nanoblock Sushi NBC_220

October 13, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This post is a review of the nanoblock Sushi build. The Sushi is part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. Wondering what else is part of the Mini Collection series? Click here for a list.

Number: NBC_220

Number of Pieces: 120

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

I bought the sushi kit as a gift for my husband. I’m not really a fan of Sushi, but my husband loves the stuff.

There are 3 pieces of Sushi (tuna, egg, and roe) and a base. The base is a very simple and straightforward build.

I really liked building the tuna; it has colors hanging off-center, creating details that make it look like the tuna is hanging off the rice.

The egg is also a nice build, but it is more symmetrical than the tuna, so it was more straightforward.

The easiest to build was the sushi roe. It is basically creating a basket to hold loose nanoblocks. I don’t like the fact there are loose nanoblocks in the build because it is easier to lose the bricks even moving things carefully.

Things I liked:

The different kinds of Sushi are recognizable

Things I didn’t like:

The loose bricks that make up the roe

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Psyduck NBPM_024

October 11, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

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

Number: NBPM_024

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Psyduck is a generation 1 pokemon that is known for having constant headaches. The headaches give Psyduck access to psychic abilities. Misty had a Psyduck that would always pop out of the Pokeball in the Anime.

Overall the build for Psyduck is building up from the bottom layer. Each layer builds on itself until you get up to the head. You separately make the duck beak and attach it to the head. After connecting the beak, you continue to add layers until you have a sealed-up duck. Then all that is left is to add the little black feathers at the top of its head.

I like the Psyduck build because it is recognizable. However, in my mind, Psyduck is more of a bright crayon yellow, and the color of the bricks used in the build are more of goldenrod. I do think the little feathers on the head are cute.

Things I liked:

The black bricks used to add the feather detail to the head

Things I didn’t like:

I wish he was more yellow

Review of nanoblock Fantasy Collection(Phoenix, Unicorn, and Dragon)

October 6, 2022March 3, 2023shygal

This review is for a collection of nanoblock builds in a box called Fantasy Collection. These builds are called Phoenix, Unicon, and Dragon. All of these builds are part of the nanoblock Mini Collection series. These were the first builds I made that used the ball joints to make moveable parts. Each set is available separately, so I will try to provide links to the individual builds if I can find them.

Phoenix

Phoenix was by far my favorite of these three builds. It looks like the classic phoenix rising from the ashes. It uses the ball joints to create the outstretched wings and the tail. It is made of almost all transparent blocks and appears to float while sitting on a stand as a build. I found working with so many transparent tricky because they seem to stretch more than the standard solid nanoblocks. The hardest part of the build was to get the Phoenix to stand on its base. If things aren’t just layered just right or the tail isn’t centered, the build will just tip over.

Link to order: Amazon

Unicorn

The Unicorn is probably the most straightforward of all the builds. It doesn’t have any ball joints, and it mostly layers up the body of the Unicorn. It is almost all white with a transparent mane and horn. The Unicorn has narrow legs that are stacked 1 stud thick going up. I was worried that the build would have a hard time standing up but was pleasantly surprised when I tried to stand it up. The main thing I don’t like about the Unicorn is I think the horn is too long and wide for the head of the Unicorn.

Link to order: Amazon

Dragon

The dragon build is relatively straightforward. First, you build the body. The hardest part of making the body is getting the arms lined up because it’s a chain held together by one brick. Second, you build the head, which is again relatively simple. The mouth is held together with a ball joint, allowing it to move. The last step is to build and attach wings that contain ball joints so that the wings can move. Overall, I enjoyed the build, and I really like the color of the dragon, which is a reasonably unique color.

Link to order: Amazon