Review: 72167 Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle
Posted by SetToBuild,
Charizard has always been a sought-after Pokémon, so it’s no surprise to get a second LEGO appearance soon after its debut in the gigantic 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise earlier in the year. This one, complete with electric Eeveelution companion, is a little more in reach at a mere fifth of the price, but still has a three-figure price tag in every currency. Read on to find out if this double SMART Brick set is fire, as the youth say.
Summary
72167 Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle, 751 pieces.
£109.99 / $119.99 / €119.99 | 14.6p, 16.0c, 16.0c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Prepare your Pokémon for battle with this double SMART Brick bonanza
- Essentials for extensive SMART play
- Easier way to get Charizard
- Training build could be better
- Charizard flying sounds obnoxious
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Box & Contents
The boxes in the LEGO SMART Play Pokémon theme all dedicate large areas to the associated branding. This one includes the “all-in-one” subtitle and glowing SMART Brick edge graphic to indicate that it contains the device.
Inside the tray-style box there are 7 paper bags, a paper sleeve containing Charizard’s wings, 3 instruction books, 2 SMART Bricks and their manual, a folded electronic waste leaflet, and a yellow SMART Brick charging dock with a USB A to C power cable. There are no stickers.
The back of the box is heavily focused on SMART Play, showing Charizard and Jolteon’s interactions with their environment and highlighting the training, healing, and attacking actions. There is also substantial text in multiple languages clarifying the electronics included.
The SMART Brick is packaged by itself in a bridge-like yellow cardboard assembly that sits over the tray-style box. This is a really clever packaging solution to showcase the new technology. It may also be intended to reduce customer service calls about lost SMART Bricks—LEGO’s ‘benefit of the doubt' brick replacement approach probably doesn’t extend this far!
A brief manual that you should take a moment to read, instructs how to use and update the SMART Bricks. I discovered here that, through the SMART Play app, you can change the volume of the bricks—something that many will do after they play with Charizard for a bit!
Completed Model
As with the rest of the SMART Pokémon, we shouldn’t think too much about the scale comparisons as they’re nowhere near accurate. The stylised creatures typically follow either a cute little cuboid or larger free-form style, with Jolteon and the other Eevee forms filling a slightly odd middle ground.
Even though the first LEGO Pokémon sets included Charizard, it’s such a popular one that it's included again in the SMART Play range. It shares a nose print with 72153 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise, but this time includes a new piece to solve the gappy forehead problem from that first, much bigger and parts-intensive, iteration.
Charizard’s wings are a bit different from the ones found in 72153 at this scale. Thankfully, these are also beautifully printed on orange fabric. The fire at the end of the tail looks great and doesn’t rely on any special flame elements.
A new claw/tooth element has been introduced that is a shorter, smooth variant of the Unikitty horn.
This new piece fits well in the established family and provides a slightly shorter solution that was only previously achieved by exposing the end of the Unikitty horn piece.
Charizard can also be positioned in a flying manner. The lightness and posability of this model make for some excellent display stances, although playing in these positions can be disastrous as the model is not as sturdy as Mewtwo.
Jolteon looks just as spiky and electric as its illustrated form. Some may not like the amount of anti-studs or hollow studs showing, but it doesn’t bother me too much.
The exposed stud aesthetic carried over from Eevee’s ears in 72151 Eevee works well to remind us that this is LEGO, avoiding over-smoothing.
Smaller Pokémon in the theme, like Bulbasaur and Eevee, interpret this cylinder-like cuboid structure much better than more slender and agile Pokémon, leaving Jolteon looking very rigid. Understandably, this sturdy structure is meant to hold up during play, but it still looks a bit funny.
Another new element is useful to strengthen compact models, in a similar way to how the 2x4 Technic brick and 2x2 round brick have served in the past. The piece is also used in Umbreon. What are we dubbing this one? The potato waffle plate? It just needs some ketchup!
The potion looks a bit different to the alternative one in 30730 Trainer Supplies due to the incorporation of the SMART Tag, allowing you to heal a SMART Brick-enabled Pokémon. Besides the Poké Ball, the other accessory is much larger: a pair of training targets.
The reverse side of the targets are not decorated. It feels like a bit of an under-invested afterthought, and could have concealed the internals a bit better with more rock pieces. To be honest, this activity doesn’t really seem worth the in parts, and I can imagine it being dismantled while kids focus on imaginative play with two SMART bricks in their creatures, with no need for a prop.
It’s great to see that two of the new claw/tooth pieces are included as extras.
Play Experience
There are four SMART Tags in this set, for the two characters, training activity, and potion healing. This one features a frightful Charizard in what looks like the official Ken Sugimori art style, alongside the Pokédex types and number.
Charizard’s filler construction and SMART Brick can be easily removed using the new 2x2 tan plate with notched edges.
Similar to the likes of Mewtwo and Garchomp, Charizard’s SMART Brick is in a peculiar position.
“My eyes are up here, pal.”
As you’ll notice immediately, Charizard emits a constant flapping wings sound that does not stop until it stops moving or is set down. The sound makes more sense when Charizard is positioned in ‘flight mode.’ However, unfortunately, the SMART Brick isn’t smart enough to know when it’s being tilted on its face to make this distinction. I could definitely have gone without this sound and find the novelty quickly wears off.
Charizard’s deeper voice sounds surprisingly good through the SMART Brick audio. I particularly enjoy the wheezing sounds as part of what sounds like labored breathing of a snoring dragon.
Jolteon doesn’t utilise the new 2x2 plate since it’s supposed to be a bit slimmer and the filler section is only attached by two studs.
To train your Pokémon, scan the tag on the training apparatus and then move the creature around the various targets. This will level up your attack for your next battle!
First Jolteon and Charizard engage in some trash talking. You’ll see halfway through the fight that you don’t have to make contact to register hits. Don’t forget: During battle you can heal your Pokémon as well! The set should have come with two of these potions, so the kids don’t have to fight over it!
I would imagine that in an actual battle with more than one person that Charizard’s wings might flap around a bit more.
Conclusion
As the largest and costliest set in the wave, this one has a lot to live up to. The fact that two SMART Bricks are included is excellent, and allows these, or indeed any, Pokémon to be SMART-ified for the best play experience.
The side build is not only underwhelming, but also uses large parts which will push up the costs unnecessarily. I suppose that the design brief required some kind of side build and at least this one is interactive, but it is the weakest of the ‘activity’ SMART Tag assemblies.
For Charizard fans without £600 to burn, this is a great opportunity for a nicely sculpted model at a much more reachable price point. It does look a little more cartoonish, but that's totally in keeping with Pokémon aesthetics, so I think it will appeal as a display piece.
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19 comments on this article
I removed the plate that makes Jolteon's snout stick out and I think the result looks a lot better. As designed, that piece just doesn't look right, in my eyes.
They could've use Charizard's hand design on Rayquaza.
Thx for another thorough review. Is there a way to track the hit points on a Smartemon? Do charged attacks seem feasible to attempt during a battle and worth trying for an advantage? It seemed like not a lot of hits were needed to end an encounter.
The new 4x4 waffle plate looks like a White Castle hamburger patty, but in yellow.
(For those who don't know, the White Castle burgers are sliders, steamed on a bed of onions thru the holes in the patty. White Castle is also one of the oldest still-operating fast food chains at 105 years old, and are midwestern USA only.)
The battle video gave me vivid flashbacks to the intense disappointment I felt with the N64 Pokemon Stadium game. Generally speaking I’m happy with the idea that Lego Smart Play is Not For Me, An Adult, and several reviewers have said their kids have got on pretty well with the Star Wars sets… But I *was* a child when Pokemon Stadium came out and if it’s reminding me of that then that probably isn’t a good sign for how a child version of me would feel about these.
Charizard looks good, and I’m glad one of the most popular pokemon is slightly easier to get in Lego form. The music is decent. Jolteon looks significantly less good.
I was really excited about this theme and while I might (MIGHT) still try and get a kit or two, I think I might just get some plushies instead.
Thanks for the comparison of Charizards at the bottom. The one in this set looks basically as good as the larger model, and even isn't that much smaller.
Go figure there's always ONE aspect of Smart Bricks that just doesn't work as it should.
Charizard used FLY!
...
Charizard is still using FLY!
.........
Charizard won't stop using FLY!!
................
ENOUGH WITH THE FLY CHARIZARD!
That is a pretty good Charizard. I'd argue it looks better than the bigger, more expensive version.
As for Jolteon - well, it's certainly one of the things in this set. Hey look, free USB-C cable, nice.
And I will say ALL models look unfinished and (after playing with them) they ARE WAY too fragile for the price.
The shaking and battle gimmick is really dumb. Both in execution and as in play pattern.
@theJANG said:
"Thx for another thorough review. Is there a way to track the hit points on a Smartemon? Do charged attacks seem feasible to attempt during a battle and worth trying for an advantage? It seemed like not a lot of hits were needed to end an encounter."
The brick flashes green, yellow and red as HP gets low. Different pokemon do have different HP stat.
Each lvl of training adds like +1 to damage, and yes there is basic multiplayer if using "super effective" attacks.
Charizard counts as pure fire though. So Jolteon deals normal damage.
Pokemon are great.
Smart brick, price PUKE
why do they sound like droids ? now I expect smart R2D2 must sound like a pokemon
It’s always nice to see ball joint pieces in new colors.
@Murdoch17 said:
"(For those who don't know, the White Castle burgers are sliders, steamed on a bed of onions thru the holes in the patty. White Castle is also one of the oldest still-operating fast food chains at 105 years old, and are midwestern USA only.)"
And apparently you'll have to go through so crazy adventures whenever you want to visit one!
I somehow doubt Lego would ever turn that into a set ;-)
@WizardOfOss said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
"(For those who don't know, the White Castle burgers are sliders, steamed on a bed of onions thru the holes in the patty. White Castle is also one of the oldest still-operating fast food chains at 105 years old, and are midwestern USA only.)"
And apparently you'll have to go through so crazy adventures whenever you want to visit one!
I somehow doubt Lego would ever turn that into a set ;-)"
Yeah, no. The only crazy adventure you'll have is for a few days after eating some... they're basically belly bombers and can really. mess. you. up. (Everything on the menu is like that too, not just the burgers!)
@Hiratha said:
"The battle video gave me vivid flashbacks to the intense disappointment I felt with the N64 Pokemon Stadium game. Generally speaking I’m happy with the idea that Lego Smart Play is Not For Me, An Adult, and several reviewers have said their kids have got on pretty well with the Star Wars sets… But I *was* a child when Pokemon Stadium came out and if it’s reminding me of that then that probably isn’t a good sign for how a child version of me would feel about these."
Huh. I thought Stadium was awesome. Really fun with friends, still fun in single player and the feature that let you play the Gameboy games at triple and quad speed was super neat.
So that's more new pieces produced purely for the Pokemon line, eh? I'm sure they'll be used in other places, but it seems like a lot. And the models still don't quite look right.
You could get the entire Eevee and Charmander lines from Mega (that are still on some store shelves) at the same size and still have $35 leftover.
Interesting that the music doesn't sound like anything from the games. Unfortunately, that continues the Star Wars sets' approach of bootleg-style sound direction. With Star Wars, it was a bit more forgivable to have the lasers not sound right, since the sounds are being synthesized, but with these sets, you'd think Pokemon Gen 1 chiptune music would be a slam dunk for the Smart Brick's capabilities.
@Murdoch17 said:
"The new 4x4 waffle plate looks like a White Castle hamburger patty, but in yellow.
(For those who don't know, the White Castle burgers are sliders, steamed on a bed of onions thru the holes in the patty. White Castle is also one of the oldest still-operating fast food chains at 105 years old, and are midwestern USA only.)"
...so what I'm hearing is, we should call this piece the yellow castle burger.