Pokémon and LEGO have teamed up (Image: POKEMON / LEGO)
It’s a match made in heaven. One of the biggest franchises on the planet and arguably the most popular toy of all time: Pokémon and LEGO have finally teamed up. Earlier this year the two Goliaths released a string of playsets including Pikachu, Lapras, Eevee, Garchomp and many more. And a recent teaser showed off silhouettes of even more on the horizon.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are currently 1,025 Pokémon across the various games, and more are coming next year. 2027 will see the release of Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves, bringing a new batch of creatures into the fold. But how are the designers from LEGO picking which creatures to make into LEGO toys?
Pokémon and LEGO spoke about their team-up at a panel during Pokémon XP (Image: POKEMON / LEGO)
LEGO Design Director Siddharth Muthyal confirmed: “We have been working in very close collaboration with The Pokémon Company International [TPCi]. So it has been a partnership right from the start. We have made choices, recommendations based on our own play experience, like things we grew up with.
“We have a massive design team who are all Pokémon fans as well. So our LEGO design team is… 30, 40 of us. And we’re all Pokémon fans. But, of course, it’s the choices we’ve made based on what children know and what they gravitate towards, but also with our collaboration partnership with the partner as well.”
Senior Interaction Designer Mike Kirk Andersen agreed: “And I would also say, we do a ton of testing with both the kids, but also hardcore Pokémon fans. And actually, in a lot of them, in the end, we ask ‘what is your favourite Pokémon?’
“Through that, we also get a really good sense of what they want to see. And then in terms of the more interactive play, it’s also about, like, having a good set of lineups. So some of [the Pokémon] are flying, right? Some of them are hovering, some of them are swimming. So we really want to try and represent something for the [favourites] that are out there for everyone.”
Pokémon fans can purchase LEGO products now (Image: POKEMON / LEGO)
Currently, there are a multitude of LEGO Pokémon sets available for purchase. These include entries with fan favourites such as Pikachu, Eevee and Squirtle. And there’s also some heavy-hitters involved, as well; Garchomp and Charizard can face-off using Smart Brick Technology, a system that lets the Pokémon interact in real time. With this, they can battle, sleep, train, and bond with you, the trainers.
But, perhaps the most exciting thing about LEGO is its customisation and accessories. So then, are there going to be new additional options for these Pokémon? Currently, it sounds like no. “I think the beauty of the LEGO brick system is that anyone can do anything in their homes,” Muthyal said. “So, without us having to make accessories and hats, we’ve actually seen children repurpose the sandwich to make their own sandwiches or other food items. And we’ve also seen tiny little hats and things being made by children from the big brick bin that you have.
“I think even from right now, there’s nothing stopping anyone from accessorising their Pokémon already; to give Pikachu a little apron or a hat, add more things to the car, make a shiny version of Pikachu … All of that is already possible. And we want to encourage that. It’s an open ended system.”
What’s the limit on how many Pokémon will be created, though? The original 151? The entire 1,025 collection? “I think nothing’s off the table,” Muthyal smiled sincerely. “We just want to keep making LEGO Pokémon. We are LEGO Pokémon designers, we want to do that forever.”
The LEGO Pokémon collaboration is out now.
