Weeks after building them, I’m still playing with Lego’s Smart Play Pokémon sets — they’re easily the best of 2026

(Image credit: Future) Pokemon’s Lego Smart Play sets couldn’t be more perfect, even if you hate the Smart Brick. I was convinced of this when I first saw them ahead of their launch, and since their public debut, I’ve only grown more in love with the builds now that I have them in my home.When Lego first debuted its Pokémon sets, it showcased a few display-focused builds — designs aimed at older audiences to be shown off on a shelf more than to be actively played with. This meant relatively high prices to account for the massive brick counts and complex building techniques applied.At first glance, the dozen Smart Play sets the duo just launched are the exact opposite. They’re built for play — with two of the sets coming with a Smart Brick (or two) to bring the Pokémon models to life — and generally cheaper and simpler build-wise. But like the Smart Brick, they’re so much more than meets the eye.From a play perspective, thanks to tiles hidden in each Pokémon’s belly, the Smart Brick can know which creature it is and make distinctive sounds when the critter is being fed, training, sleeping, driving a vehicle, or hiding in the tall grass waiting to be captured by a trainer.Importantly, two pokémon can know when they’re near each other and engage in a battle — which cleverly takes into account if the Pokémon was recently trained, which types it’s weak or strong against, what innate power it has (third-stage and legendary Pokémon will be stronger than first-stage starters), and what health it has (plus if it has been healed by something like a potion).It’s very sophisticated but also so incredibly intuitive. Moving the Pokémon like action figures — shaking to charge up attacks, lunging forward to strike, moving away to dodge, and lying down to rest after a busy day — enables every single action the Smart Brick is programmed for. I gave my wife the Pikachu to play with without telling her anything, and she instantly knew what to do. (Image credit: Future / Hamish hector)Smart and simpleAt the same time, so many play features don’t require a Smart Brick at all.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.While the actions will lack sound effects, Pikachu can still lie down in his fold-down bed, emerge from the tall grass when a pokéball hits the target, battle with the spinning target, and be played with in whatever way you can imagine.So when you’re waiting for the Smart Brick to recharge, or if you simply decide not to pick up one of the All-in-one sets that comes with a Smart Brick in the box and opt for a merely Compatible set instead, you’ll still have a play set that feels complete — something I couldn’t say for Lego’s first Star Wars Smart Play models.My only caveat is that the battle-focused sets — Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle and Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle — are a little more dependent on the smart brick to create engaging fights between the blocky pocket monsters. (Image credit: Future)Perfect for play doesn’t mean perfect for everyone, but as a display build, these models again have so much potential.Not necessarily out of the box — the background scene elements are always the most visually stunning — but with some creativity and time to build your own, these blocky figures could easily be posed as part of beautiful dioramas.If you prefer minifig scale designs, you’ll be disappointed, but if you don’t mind something that’ll take up more room on your shelf, I think these sets have so much potential — especially as each Pokémon’s design is so distinct and accurate to its in-game version. (Image credit: Lego)Lastly, I can’t round things off without talking about their best aspect: price.Simpler, play-focused sets come with fewer pieces and therefore a more affordable price. For kids who love Pokémon but for whom you can’t fork out a lot of cash for a set that’ll sit on a shelf, these Smart Play sets are perfect.Plus, for the same price as the Eevee build, which was previously the most affordable option, you can grab two or three of the cheaper Smart Play compatible sets that just dropped.Whether you buy one or all twelve of the new sets, I’m certain Pokémon and Lego won’t disappoint. These sets show how Smart Brick integration should be done, and I’m hoping we’ll see dozens more sets just like these down the line.All-in-one setsSmart Play compatible Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.