Review of nanoblock Moltres NBPM_047

Moltres build and box

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

Names:

  • English: Moltres
  • Japanese: Fire

Number: NBPM_047

Number of Pieces: 190

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Moltres 3/4 front photo

Moltres is one of the legendary Pokemon from generation 1. It has been available in some form in most of the later generations. This build is for the Kanto region bird; there is no build for the Galar region Moltres. The other legendary birds are Zapdos and Articuno.

The build comprises 4 sections the body, the head, and the wings that mirror each other. In general, the builds are pretty straightforward as long as you can tell what color you need. In fact, telling which color was the most challenging part because the directions are similar in the gold, orange, and transparent red. Like Zapdos, Moltres is floating on a stand and is pretty stable.

Moltres 3/4 back view

Things I liked:

  • Use of transparent block in the whole build

Things I didn’t like:

  • The colors are super close to the bricks but it is a little hard to tell in the directions

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Articuno NBPM_048

Articuno build and box

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

Names:

  • English: Articuno
  • Japanese: Freezer

Number: NBPM_048

Number of Pieces: 170

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Articuno front view

Articuno is one of the legendary Pokemon from generation 1. It has been available in some form in most of the later generations. This build is for the Kanto region bird; there is no build for the Galar region Articuno. Articuno is an ice-type bird that is known for having a flowing tail.

This nanoblock build is made of 4 parts, the body and head combination, 2 wings, and the tail. The head body combo is a reasonably usual build. Once you start building out where the wings attach, it gets a bit more complicated. The wings themselves were simple to build but connecting them was challenging.

Then the tail, I’m not sure that I ever got the tail right. Unlike nanoblock directions, I had a lot of difficulties reading the directions. After trying to create the tail, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to rest on the table along with the base or not. It never looked right as you can see in the photo below. The build ended up constantly tipping over, so I needed to put it on a base plate.

Overall until I got to the tail, I enjoyed building Articuno. Once I got to building the tail, I got frustrated and had difficulty lining everything up.

Articuno 3/4 front shot

Things I liked:

  • It looks like the pokemon

Things I didn’t like:

  • The fact it was tippy no matter how I attached the tail
  • Hard to get the tail to attach, I don’t think I’ve gotten it right yet

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Zapdos NBPM_046

Zapdos with box

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

Names:

  • English: Zapdos
  • Japanese: Thunder

Number: NBPM_046

Number of Pieces: 240

Difficulty Rating: 4/5

Zapdos 3/4 front shot

Zapdos is one of the legendary Pokemon from generation 1. It has been available in some form in most of the later generations. This build is for the Kanto region Zapdos, there is no build for the Galar region Zapdos.

The build is made up of 4 major parts along with the small body. The large parts are the head, 2 wings that are mirrored, and the tail. The body is just a basic cube that has open studs to attach the other body pieces. The head is a pretty simple build. The first real challenge I had was the wings because they don’t have a real base to have them stable so instead of using my pad I had to balance the wings on my hand. The tail is tricky as well because there are lots of chains where things are being held on by one stud.

Overall I really enjoyed the build. I think it appears way more impressive than the work that goes into it.

Zapdos 3/4 back shot

Things I liked:

  • The final nanoblock model looks cool

Things I didn’t like:

  • The tail was tricky to attach without it breaking

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Blastoise NBPM_019

Blastoise build and package

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

Number: NBPM_019

Number of Pieces: 220

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Blastoise 3/4 front view

Blastoise is the 3rd evolution of Squirtle from generation 1. His most recognizable attribute is the cannons on his back.

Overall I found the build challenging because this was one of the first builds that was built using a ton of smaller builds. From the beginning, you are connecting smaller builds together, so it takes a while to see how you are making. In particular, I found Blastoise’s arms to be finicky because there was one stud holding up the L-shaped blocks.

Overall I really like the final build. It is solid and clean and highly recognizable as Blastoise. I feel like it has enough details, like the cannons and the white fingertips, to clarify which Pokemon you are dealing with.

Blastoise 3/4 back view

Things I liked:

  • How the cannons look on his back

Things I didn’t like:

  • Getting his hands to hold and building around the hands once you added them

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Mew NBPM_045

Mew build with Package

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

Number: NBPM_045

Number of Pieces: 90

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Mew 3/4 from front

Mew is the first mythical Pokemon from back in generation 1.

The Mew build comprises 3 separate parts, the body, the head (and the tail), and the base. This build is also different from most Pokemon builds because it has clear bricks built into the model instead of the clear bricks being a stand. The body is a typical simple stack of bricks like an average nanoblock build. The head is basically a cube with the tail coming off. It also has the directions to build 2 sections of the head simultaneously. The last part is the stand which allows Mew to float!

Overall I really liked the build. I love that it stands very well and isn’t tippy, which is uncommon with the floating models.

Mew side view

Things I liked:

  • Really well balanced and stands well

Things I didn’t like:

  • I wish the tail was thicker

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Plate Set 20 x 20 NB_025

Plate Set with package and plate to see what it looks like unwrapped

This post is a review of the nanoblock Plate Set that contains 20×20 plates.

Number: NB_025

Number of Pieces: 2

Difficulty Rating: N/A

I have built over 75 nanoblock models over the past couple of years. Most of the time, they have come with bases or have had wide enough bottoms that they have been stable when I place them on the table. However, sometimes the structure is balanced on a pair of 2 x 2 squares. These have been hit and miss as to whether or not the builds can stand alone. I use one of these bases from a plate set to hold up the build in these cases. The most recent build I used a plate for one was on Lucario. Here is a picture of my Lucario on its base.

Lucario build on the plate set base

Sets where I have used a plate set

Things I liked:

  • Very useful when needed.

Things I didn’t like:

  • Limited colors Green and Grey in the 20×20 set

Link to order: Amazon

Review of nanoblock Chansey NBPM_034

Chansey with packaging

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

Names:

  • English: Chansey
  • Japanese: Lucky

Number: NBPM_034

Number of Pieces: 140

Difficulty Rating: 2/5

Chansey front view

Chansey has been around since generation 1. They are best known as the helpers in the Pokemon Centers in both the video game and the tv show. This nanoblock build is made of 2 shades of pink for the body and white for the egg.

The Chansey build is basically a sphere with a flat base. So it is mostly building bricks on the edges of the sphere until you close up the sphere. I like how the model is made of 2 shades of pink (the lighter and the darker). The Pokemon naturally has some shading so the shades of pink adds a nice accent.

Chansey side view

Things I liked:

  • It’s cute and the dark pink adds a nice detail to make it reconizable

Things I didn’t like:

  • It is basiclly a shpeare on feet

Link to order:

Review of nanoblock Metal Slime

Metal Slime build with box

This is a review of the Dragon Quest Metal Slime build. This build doesn’t have a product number. Wondering what else is part of the Dragon Quest Collection? Click Here for a list.

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 1/5

metal slime from front

The Metal Slime build is unique amongst the nanoblock slime builds because it is the only build that uses standard blocks for the slime. I think they did this because the Metal Slime is supposed to be a shiny silver that really stands out from all the other slimes. Metal Slimes are impervious to magic and give a considerable amount of bonus exp if you manage to defeat them before they run away.

Overall the build is highly straightforward, as you would expect from a level 1. You begin with a base and build up. There is a bit of overhang in the first couple of steps, but nothing too difficult if you have done builds before. Next, you build up around the edge of the slime, creating a hollow center. The opening at the top gets smaller and smaller until you close up the top of the slime. Finally, you add the details to the top to create the teardrop shape that slimes are known for.

I like the coloring of the solid nanoblock bricks over the usual clear bricks. I feel like the mouth and eyes match the look and feel better when the bricks are solid compared to clear.

metal slime 3/4

Things I liked:

  • I like the used of solid nanoblock bricks over the use of clears in the normal build
  • It’s a nice clean straightforward build

Review of nanoblock Standard Color Set NB-023

box from nanoblock standard set

Number: NB-023

Number of Pieces: 850

Difficulty Rating: N/A

This is the only set of nanoblock I purchased that was not a kit for a specific build. This is because I wanted to get some bricks to make custom builds.

There are instructions for the builds on the front of a box. These builds can be completed using only the blocks provided in the set. The instructions also tell you which builds can be made simultaneously.

Listing of nanoblocks that come in standard set

The above image shows what exactly comes with the set.

Link to order:

Review of nanoblock Mewtwo NBPM_006

Mewtwo build and packaging

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

Number: NBPM_006

Number of Pieces: 130

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Mewtwo front view

Mewtwo is one of the most popular Pokemon from generation 1. It was also one of, if not the most powerful, Pokemon generation 1. It has remained a favorite over the years while most Pokemon favorites come in waves.

Overall the build was more complicated than the ones I had done before. Getting the arms to line up was the hardest part. This is because you depend on one stud holding things square, which I’ve found can be challenging if you try to go quickly.

Mewtwo stands on 2 2×2 bricks. I expected him to be highly tippy and challenging to get standing up, but he is very well balanced, and as long as you get the feet in the row, he stands up perfectly fine all by himself.

Mewtwo 3/4 front view

Things I liked:

  • The color that they used for the purple detail
  • That he stands nicely

Things I didn’t like:

  • Trying to get his hands to hold up right

Link to order: Amazon