Pokémon building toys: were they better before LEGO or not?

Before LEGO, there was Mattel and its brands MEGA, MEGA Construx, and MEGA BLOKS, and this isn't the first time a leading construction toy manufacturer has tried its hand at the Pokémon license. The reception of the new products announced today by LEGO, aimed at an adult clientele who can afford them, is mixed, to say the least, and I wanted to quickly remind those who have forgotten that Mattel marketed products based on the franchise for years—products that were admittedly less ambitious but also much cheaper.

It's expected that LEGO will eventually sell products with a smaller inventory aimed at children; this is planned for sometime in 2026 with at least about ten references which will offer real gameplay at a more reasonable price than the products unveiled today, which are pure exhibition models.

Mattel released each character in several formats, with varying inventory sizes; there was an abundance of them in the manufacturer's catalog, catering to all budgets. LEGO will likely follow suit, as they are expected to fully exploit the license across all price ranges.

That being said, the Pikachu of a little over 1000 pieces installed on a display stand with the possibility of putting the creature in motion sold by Mattel in my opinion easily holds its own against the one of more than 2000 pieces unveiled today by LEGO.

The same was true for Eevee, with the 824-piece version sold by Mattel holding its own against the LEGO model. Mattel's Venusaur was slightly more angular than LEGO's, but it only had a little over 600 pieces, and Mattel's Charizard was also quite impressive despite having just over 200 pieces.

Many fans who remember these "pre-LEGO" products now mention their existence and compare the newly announced sets with those still available here and there, but destined to disappear from store shelves for good. This comparison is legitimate, given that both manufacturers inevitably have a similar approach. It remains to be seen how LEGO will release the various characters in sets more accessible to those with a less extensive inventory than the models unveiled today. The comparison will then become much more relevant, with products truly competing in the same market segment.

Should this new LEGO Pokémon range have been launched by announcing sets for adults instead of first unveiling toys for younger children? From a purely marketing perspective, this approach made sense because it generated buzz around the arrival of the range in media outlets that rarely cover announcements of children's toys.

The €650 retail price for one of the three announced sets hardly raises any eyebrows anymore, especially after the €1000 LEGO Star Wars set unveiled a few months ago. As for the rest, children will patiently await their turn with a plethora of products about which little is currently known, but which will be aimed at them.

From what I can see on the affiliate interface that allows me to track sales made through the site, pre-orders for the three sets unveiled today are going very well, with the set being particularly popular. 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise at €649,99, which benefits from the promotional set 40892 Kanto Region Badge Collection offered for the occasion.

Nostalgia is already in full swing, and many will clearly be happy with the model featuring Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise while they wait to see what else LEGO has in store. For the rest, with a little patience, LEGO will soon have products similar to those seen here, with a smaller inventory and, presumably, more reasonable prices. We'll then know if LEGO is truly doing better in this area than Mattel did in its day, and at what cost.