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.
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
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.
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
This post is a review of the nanoblock Pokemon Quest Eevee build. Pokemon Quest Eevee is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Names:
English: Eevee
Japanese: Eievui
Number: NBPM_041
Number of Pieces: 120
Difficulty Rating: 2/5
Inside the primary collection of Pokemon, there have been a couple of subcollections, one being the collection for Pokemon Quest (numbers 36-42). Under the Pokemon Question collection, most Pokemon are simply squares stacked on each other to create a body and head. Each of these also depends on stickers to make a face. Read here for my opinion of nanoblock stickers. So while I own everything in the Pokemon Quest collection, I have only built and will likely only build Eevee. I made Eevee before I knew about the stickers.
The build was really straightforward at the beginning. Starting with a base and building up. This may have been the first time I had seen the ball joint, but it was definitely the first time I had needed to build around the ball. Building Eevee is just building layers to create the Pokemon until you get to the ears.
The ears are my favorite detail but building them took more time and attention since they are slanted. After making the ears, you need to add stickers. My stickers were off-center, so it was a pain to line up; sadly, one of my stickers even ripped even though we were being super careful and using tweezers. The rip isn’t noticeable when you look at the build now that the ears are attached.
You add on Eevee’s tiny feet after building and attaching the ears. The final building step is to connect the tail. Now you have completed the Eevee body! The last step is to add the sticker for its face. Again you need to be careful, so the sticker doesn’t rip and is placed right because you only get one shot.
I think this Eevee is just as cute if not cuter than the original one (NBPM_005). I really like the details of having a moveable tail. However, I had real problems getting the stickers to stick in the right place. Also, even though it has been sitting in a display cabinet for a couple years, the stickers no longer adhere entirely to the build.
This post is a review of the nanoblock Crystal Lapras build. Crystal Lapras is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Names:
English: Lapras
Japanese: Laplace
Number: NBPM_056
Number of Pieces: 130
Difficulty Rating: 2/5
Crystal Lapras is a version of Lapras that uses clear blue bricks instead of solid blue. Since the build is identical to that of the original Lapras, I’m going to direct you there for a review of the building process. I’m only going to review the final build of the Crystal Lapras here.
This kit is only available at Pokemon Centers in Singapore. I got mine from an eBay order.
Overall I don’t notice a lot of difference between the new model and the original. The blue is a little darker, taking it further away from the Pokemon’s actual coloring. I also tend to have a more challenging time working with the clear blocks because they never seem to fit as tightly as regular bricks. I don’t feel that the clear bricks add much, even when it is sitting in the direct light of my lightbox.
Things I liked:
This was a nice simple build after building the first one.
This post is a review of the nanoblock Crystal Gyarados build. Crystal Gyarados is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Number: NBPM_055
Number of Pieces: 170
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Crystal Gyarados is a version that uses clear blue bricks instead of solid blue. Since the build is identical to that of the original, I’m going to direct you there for a review of the building process. I’m only going to review the final build of the Crystal Gyarados here.
This build is only available at Pokemon Centers in Singapore. I got mine from an eBay order.
Overall I like this build better than the original build. You can see the eyes better from any angle versus just the select angles in the original build. I don’t like how the light grey looks with the crystal blue. I wish they had chosen a different clear or maybe a different color. I think the light grey stands out, and the number of solid bricks is a little awkward.
Things I liked:
How you can see some of the details more easily
Things I didn’t like:
How the clear looks with the number of solid bricks
This post is a review of the nanoblock Magikarp build. Magikarp is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Names:
English: Magikarp
Japanese: Koiking
Number: NBPM_035
Number of Pieces: 130
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Magikarp is a useless Pokemon. I remember the days when all he would ever learn was splash before evolving into Gyarados. I know that he now learns other moves, but it really is just about getting it to evolve.
For a Pokemon that is used generally for just killing time, Magikarp has a surprisingly involved build. The body is generally a straightforward rectangle build-up. There are a few places where 1 wide brick sticks out to attach the whiskers and fins. After you build up the body, you need to build fins and whiskers and connect them. The fins and whiskers can be a bit difficult to make and get everything lined up, and in my opinion, this build is a 3/5 difficulty.
This post is a review of the nanoblock Caterpie and Pokeball build. Caterpie and Pokeball is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Names:
English: Caterpie and Pokeball
Japanese: Caterpie and Monster Ball
Number: NBPM_10
Number of Pieces: 170
Difficulty Rating: 2/5
This is a unique build in the NBPM line. There are 2 separate builds; they are smaller and more like what you get in the mini collection. First, you get to build Caterpie, one of the bug pokemon that has been around since generation 1. The other build is a Pokeball, which, if you have played any of the games, you know it’s where your Pokemon are stored.
Caterpie
Caterpie is a cute little build. It is basically building up along a rectangle. A transparent block on the bottom keeps your Caterpie from tipping forward. The build overall is very straightforward and enjoyable. The trickiest part is getting the antenna since it is a chain of blocks that are only connected by a single stud.
Pokeball
The Pokeball build is a straightforward build. It is basically just building a sphere starting with 4 of the nanoblock 3 stud L-blocks. I feel it is recognizable as a Pokeball for sure.
This post is a review of the nanoblock Slowpoke builds. Slowpoke is part of the nanoblock Pokemon collection. Wondering what else is part of the Pokemon Collection? Click Here for a list.
Names:
English: Slowpoke
Japanese: Yadon
Number: NBPM_065
Number of Pieces: 140
Difficulty Rating: 2/5
Slowpoke is a Pokemon that started in Generation 1 as a water/psychic-type. In Kanto and all the regions until generation 8, Slowpoke is a pink pokemon with a white tail. Unlike a lot of other Pokemon, it evolves into 2 different forms. In generation 8 in the downloadable content, Slowpoke is just a psychic-type with a yellow tail and more yellow on its head. It still has the same two evolutions.
The build begins by building 2 separate base pieces and connecting them together. You then build the rest of the Pokemon up from the edges and up and around. Once you close up the top of the Pokemon, you attach the feet. Then you have a choice to make, and you going to make the Kanto variant with more pink and white or the Galar variant with yellow. Once you pick your build, you finish off the head and attach the tail to complete the build.
I was super excited that you got to pick which variant you wanted to build. I really like how both of the Slowpoke look, so I bought 2 kits to have one of each. I think both builds are recognizable and enjoyable.
