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 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.
nanoblocks are small building blocks. When I am telling people about them the best way I have found to describe them is tiny LEGOs. They come in a ton of different colors and in general, I find the colors to be more vibrant than LEGO. The photo above shows a pink LEGO next to a red nanoblock.
nanoblock primarily com in kits instead of boxes of loose bricks. These kits have a ton of different themes including Pokemon, historic buildings, and anime characters. I am regularly impressed with how much detail they can get into a build that can normally fit into the palm of your hand. While Lego has been a household name for decades for their building kits, nanoblocks are much smaller and relatively new since they were only created in 2008. The company puts its own description on each package. For example, some of the packages read,
nanoblock is an extremely micro-sized building block born in JAPAN. The smallest part is a mere 4x4x5mm! “Fun to make, Fun to display and Fun to collect.” nanoblock is a stimulating and entertaining hobby material for everybody, especially for grown-ups.
Back of nanoblock packages
A description similar to this can be found in English on both Japanese and American Packaging.
I know it can be hard to compare with just measurements, so here is a picture of a quarter, a 2×2 pink LEGO, and a 2×2 red nanoblock.
As you can see, the nanoblock is much smaller than the LEGO. This means that your final builds are much smaller, making it easier to have a large collection. One of my biggest problems with LEGO is every building takes up so much space it is hard to keep them all out and display them all. On the other hand, I can easily store 50 or more in a display cabinet or Kallex from Ikea. One of the other advantages is that they can be much less expensive. Most small kits can be purchased new for $10-$25. There are deluxe kits that can cost much more but overall there is a much lower barrier to entry than with LEGO when it comes to cost.
Generally, I have only been able to get the bricks that come in a kit that comes with exactly what is needed to build that one kit. I have had a hard time getting the nanoblocks sets that are just collections of colors like NB-023. There are a number of sets like NB-023 but they are rarely in stock when I try to purchase from Plaza Japan or Amazon JP. These variety packs are similar to the LEGO classic packs, where there are a set number of each size and color that you can build.
My general findings with working with nanoblock over LEGO:
They can be very slippery when you lay out a base layer on a table. This means that it can be hard to get the second layer lined up properly. To help this I bought a nanoblock pad to get everything lined up when I am building. There are still occasions when I can’t use the pad because sometimes the base layer has bricks on angles
It can be difficult to pick up and place the 1×1 bricks exactly when you are sliding them into the brick right next to another; I have a pair of Japanese nanoblock tweezers for these
The smaller kits, even the buildings, normally fit into an area of 3in x 3in x 3in. The Deluxe sets are much larger.
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 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.
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
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 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.
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.
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 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.
Things I liked:
It’s cute and the dark pink adds a nice detail to make it reconizable
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
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.
Things I liked:
I like the used of solid nanoblock bricks over the use of clears in the normal build
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.
The above image shows what exactly comes with the set.
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 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.
This post is a review of the nanoblock Gyarados build. Gyarados is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Number: NBPM_023
Number of Pieces: 170
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
To me, Gyarados appears to be the fan-favorite generation 1 dragon Pokemon. It is also famous as the first shiny pokemon as the red Gyarados in generation 2, though as far as I’m aware, nanoblock hasn’t made a red version yet.
Gyarados is a more challenging build. It is built up from a small base, significantly affecting the build. When I was building the head, I found the figure kept tipping forward. It did get better when I added the tail, but it still likes to tip forward if you don’t place it on the table just so. Another thing that makes this build challenging is there are several points where you build a chain of brick to make details which can be a challenge to line up.
Overall, Gyarados is very recognizable as the pokemon is meant to represent. I think they use many uncommon techniques in the Pokemon builds, such as the use of negative space to create the inside of his mouth.
Things I liked:
How the eyes are inset is cool
Things I didn’t like:
The final build is tippy and likes to fall over if you don’t place it down just right
There is a second version of this build that was released as NBPM_055 known as Crystal Gyarados.
