Well, we've come to the end of Pokémonth and our first theme month. We've seen both the official and unofficial, the minifigures and the Nanoblocks, so how can we close things out? ...By looking at the strangest Pokémon sets I've come across. For Part 1 of this week, let's look at "Pokémon Go" Freely Joint Micro Blocks.
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Name: Pokémon Go Freely Joint Micro Blocks
Distributor: Square Toys(Ping Fang?)
Model: PF801-802
Pcs: 1732/1909
Remember the LOZ Nanoblock Diamond Block Pokémon we looked at? ...Of course you do. It was just the last post. Well, LOZ and Nanoblocks aren't the only companies churning out micro building bricks based on monsters you stuff into tiny red-and-white balls.
While looking for knock-off Lego Pokémon, I've found at least FOUR other companies that also create unlicensed statuettes of these creatures, most of them copying Nanoblock's style and LOZ's box art. We will be looking at more of these in the future, but since I reviewed EIGHT Diamond Block figures in the last post, let's not saturate things too quickly.
But what we are looking at today is possibly the most unique design for micro bricks I've ever seen... and I don't know if that's a good thing or not.
Tracking down information about these sets was a pain to begin with. The boxes say that they were manufactured and/or distributed by "PingFang."
However, a quick search only led me to the Pingfang District in China, where the company isn't even located. And doing an image search brought up some stuff that... I really want to forget I came across...
Looking for PingFang blocks or bricks also didn't lead to anything relevant, but when I searched for "PingFang" followed by the model number, I found, surprisingly enough, a website for the distributor and/or producer: Square Toys.
Judging by the products offered on the site, this is the right place for information about these bricks, but oddly, there's barely any mention of "PingFang" on the site, besides a few listings that list PingFang as a brand.
However, since Square Toys shares a logo with the PingFang on the boxes, I'm pretty sure they either are or were PingFang, they're the main distributor for PingFang, or PingFang is what they call one of their micro brick lines.
Square Toys is a company located in the Chenghai District in China, where, according to their "About" page, they're pretty self-sufficient, boating their own transportation, development, sales, production, and import/export services.
They're also relatively new at the time of this post. According to their "News" section, they, or at the very least their website, have only been up since July of this year, where they proudly proclaim "Congradulations the success of company website opening!"
The strange thing about this company is that I don't know if they knock-off franchises or if they're actually licensed to produce these lines. On their site, they proudly announce the inclusion of Pokémon and Sesame Street figurines to their product offerings with no attempt to hide that that's what they are. So either they do have the license to produce these, or they're just a lot more bold and confident the copyright holders won't find and sue them.
But that's not even the strangest part of their site, as they also offer these One Piece boats and figurines where the main characters have been crossed with Den Den Mushi, the communications snails from that show/manga! There's even a commercial for them on the home page that I DESPERATELY wish I could show here, but it uses a weird Flash-based player that I can't figure out how to embed. ...I might have to get these...
They also sell bags of assorted bricks, and suggest that the best thing to do with them is to build your own QR Code! ...Well, I'll keep that in mind. When I get invited to speak at a convention, I'll just order a Nanoblock QR Code to bring with me!
Today, we're featuring their attempt to capitalize on the Pokémon GO craze: Monster GO! ...Yes, really, that's what they're called.
I'm not sure why they decided to call the box "Monster GO" since they're blatantly called Pokémon on the site, but it's always a joy when bootleggers and knock-off artists try to pass off something as legit, then call it something that only loosely translates into the name they were copying. And they are known as "Pocket Monster" in most Asian countries, so I guess they can be forgiven.
There's not a whole lot to say about the box design. On one side, they just display the completed versions of both sets with the "Monster GO" title
While the other side only displays what you get inside the box, along with the telltale knock-off sign of some stolen artwork of the character.
And to cement the product's status as unofficial Pokémon GO merchandise, they've included the team colors Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno on different sides of the boxes. I'd say which team I'm on, but I am unable to play Pokémon GO, so maybe another day.
And all printed on some of the cheapest packaging I've featured yet on this blog. The cardboard for these boxes is very thick and coarse, and there's a clear "rippling" effect on all sides, so it's much more like packing boxes than display.
And the only thing holding the box together is a thin stream of cheap glue on one side, which, as you can see, has mostly peeled away from one of the boxes.
The side of the box lets you know that Instructions are Included though, as well as the size and shape of the bricks you'll be getting.
The "Freely Joint Micro Blocks" description is just a guess as to what these certain bricks are called, by the way, since nowhere on the box do they name the bricks they've used.
On the site, most of the products, if they care to add a descriptor, are just called Nanoblocks, even though they're clearly not the Nanoblocks we've seen so far.
However, some listings, as well as another set of bricks I have from them, use the phrase "Freely Joint Micro Blocks", so that's what I'm choosing to call them. As far as I can tell, this is the only company that uses this brick shape, so they officially call it "Steve" for all I know.
And once again, the bottom of the box says "0-3"
But "9+" on the front, which they've so kindly printed for our anaglyph 3D-viewing pleasure.
Anyone between those ages who tries to use it receives a visit from the Eevee gang. And you thought the Ionix Eevees were unfriendly...
And here are the two sets that celebrate the freedom given to us by Pokémon GO! ...And the freedom to steal from other companies, but I digress.
Now before we look at the sets proper, let's look at the trademark of Square Toys/PingFang: These "wavy" Nanoblocks.
This has simultaneously the best and worst design for any sort of brick I've ever seen. As you've probably gathered, the ridges on the sides interlock, creating a firm bond between each brick that's pretty difficult to pull apart, so any size flat surface can be created with relative ease with the right amount of bricks.
I was actually really excited when I figured out how these worked. As a Nanoblock collector, I want to keep the structures as solid and permanent as possible, and that means spending a LOT of time with a bottle of Gorilla superglue. So I figured that since these bricks interlock, that meant I could put these together and keep it sturdy without having to use any other kind of bond to connect them. And I was right! ...For surfaces I kept flat.
The major problem with these became obvious when I tried to build three-dimensional shapes with the bricks. What's SUPPOSED to happen is that the pegs on the bricks click into the holes on the bottom of the other bricks to provide a snug, secure fit. ...Which is how all important things in life are supposed to work, come to think of it...
Unfortunately, these being bricks made without any quality control, a LOT of the bricks don't fit as snugly as they're supposed to and they can easily come apart at the slightest provocation. ...This review is becoming very Freudian, isn't it?
This becomes more obvious and frustrating with supports or parts that have a very thin connection to the rest of the model. 9 times out of 10, when I tried to move this structure, no matter how delicately I pushed it, the centerpiece would collapse and come apart, the pillars falling out of the holes like there was no connection at all.
And Pikachu's tail is connected by only two bricks, so just by poking it, I can make it fall off. And it's fallen apart and been put back together so many times, at this point, I don't even know(or care) if I have it on right!
The thinner the construction, the more flimsy it is and the higher chance it has of just not sticking. This tree, for example, REFUSES to stick on the ground and will fall over if I breathe on it.
And since, like other Nanoblocks, these are built in layers, you can easily have one that just doesn't stick to the lower layer, or a layer that sticks too well to the bottom. So by trying to pick up one of these constructions, they can easily come apart.
It got so bad with a few of the pillars that I caved in and superglued them to keep them from crumbling. I'm THINKING of doing the same with the entire thing, but due to the difficulty of supergluing bricks that attach via ridges on their sides and the heightened chance of messing something up and not being able to fix it when compared to other nanoblocks, I'm hesitant. Especially if I end up having to put these into storage and I can't find anything big enough to store them in.
So that's just a problem with keeping the structures intact. Putting them together to begin with is easy, right? ...WRONG!
The biggest design flaw with these bricks is that there are no barriers on the top or bottom, meaning that the ridges can slide freely when clicking these together.
This sounds nice, but it means there's no counter when pressure is applied, allowing the bricks to be pushed out of alignment at the slightest touch. And since most of the three-dimensional structures are hollow, just the slightest amount of pressure can cause layers to collapse, making it VERY easy to squish it just trying to put on the next brick or holding it in the wrong place! ...Which then entails attempting to take several layers off without pushing something else out of alignment and hoping you can remember the shape of each layer while pushing the bricks back VERY carefully, hoping they don't pop out.
I nearly had an ANEURYSM trying to build these Pokéballs with how many times I pushed layers out of alignment. ...In fact, since I just had to do that to show you an example and now I have to fix it for the next shot, I might go ahead and have one...
And let me remind you that, unlike Nanoblocks, every brick is a single stud piece(or "pip" as they're known in the trade.) So before constructing something as simple as a flat surface, I'd recommend clearing your schedule for the rest of the afternoon...
And no, Nanoblocks and these bricks are not compatible with each other, as the studs are too far apart for most of the blocks. These wavy bricks are bigger than Nanoblocks anyway.
The instructions for these aren't terrible, since they just follow the standard Nanoblock "layering" construction, but since you're working with nearly 2000 bricks and the steps require a lot of bricks to be put on at once, it's easy to get confused or lose your place.
Especially with steps that require you to build two things at once...
Also, avoid this confusing trap. With the first steps, they instruct you to create two bases for the Pokéballs using the same steps, indicated by the "2x" multiplier at the top, common with building brick instructions and instructions in general.
But then later down the line, they use the same multiplier symbol with the tree. So I figured that I needed to construct four tree trunks for four trees. ...Except that they didn't give me enough bricks to pull that off! I seriously thought I was missing several pieces and I was about ready to contact the store I bought these from to see if I could send them back... only to realize that those are the number of BRICKS they want me to use for that particular step.
Yeah, for some reason, they will use these multipliers to tell you how many bricks high to layer something, while ALSO using them to indicate how many times you'll need to repeat instructions! ...Why?! You've clearly displayed the bricks included in each stack, so we can just look at the illustration and know how many we need! Or if you REALLY want to do this, then draw a picture of one of the layers, put a multiplier next to it, and place it in a window next to the step! There's no reason to confusingly use this multiplier for two different reasons!
...Still, it's not a major part of the instructions and by the second or third time, it's easy to figure out what they want you to do, so I guess I can't get too mad at them. ...For now...
Alright, I'm done complaining. Let's actually look at these designs.
On the whole, I don't know if I can say these look as "official" as the other things we've seen so far. In fact, they look a lot more "homemade" and "artsy crafty" than most other models I've seen.
I was at a State Fair recently, and in one of the Art Exhibits, there were a bunch of Pokémon crafts made from clay, beads, fabric, etc., some looking amateur and crude, and others looking much more skilled and like the real thing. That's what I'm reminded of when I look at these models: Something made for an art project out of things lying around the house, not something usually sold commercially in bulk.
However, that DOES give these a uniqueness that I can't mistake for something else. I wouldn't be able to look at these and guess they were made by Lego or Nanoblocks or any other major or minor building brick company. And in a market where mainstream and knock-off companies alike rely on maybe 3 major designs, that's actually commendable, especially for a new, underground producer/distributor.
In fact, the wavy texture of the bricks almost gives it a fabric-like pattern, which is surprisingly soothing. I want these to be made of felt or yarn or something so I can use it as a pillow! If these came in a plush form, I would buy it!
I really like how they're designed like a trophy, a multi-layered award for the champion of a Pokémon contest. I could imagine someone being handed one of these for winning a Pokémon GO championship, and I wouldn't mind having one of these on my trophy shelf(when I get one.) I'd gladly parade around with it! ...If it wasn't built so flimsily...
As you've probably noticed by now, the two Pokémon in these sets, Pikachu and Charmander, are based on the Nanoblock models. Same pose, colors, and everything.
They're a little bigger than their Nanoblock counterparts, however. They use the exact same quantity of bricks in their construction, but since the wavy bricks are slightly larger than Nanoblocks, they stand about an inch taller. ...Also, Freely Joint Charmander has black pupils instead of purple. Just thought I'd point that out.
The Pokéballs are also very nicely made, the two smaller ones again based on a previous Nanoblock design that I have, while the bigger one seems to be a blown-up copy of the smaller ones. And they even bothered to give some variety to the Pokéballs, since we have two regular Pokéballs and a Great Ball. A lot more thought than the undetailed red/white Pokéballs they used for the Dargo Pokémon minifigures, don't you think?
Unfortunately, what mars this design, besides the fact that they stole it from a company that probably stole it themselves, is that they took the easy route with the instructions and made the front and back mirror images. That means the clasp is on both sides and the Pokéball is reversible. ...It's too bad they decided to overlook this detail since it would have been a really easy fix. Just replace a few white bricks with black. ...I'd show you what it looks like, but I don't have enough black bricks... But I'm a dirt-poor blogger who only learned about these things 2 months ago. What was their excuse?
They seem to be pretty proud of their ability to design Pokéballs, since the base for Charmander's set is also shaped like a giant Pokéball
There's a sign shaped like a Pokéball.
And they even included a Pokéball in the "GO" on Pikachu's side. ...Well, I guess you can't say the designers didn't have the balls.
...Hey, catch me a break, this set's not giving me much to work with.
And to really hammer in that this is cashing in on the Pokémon GO craze, they of course include the word "Pokémon" on Charmander's side and "GO" on Pikachu's side. ...And with how these are designed, I'm starting to wonder if Square Toys/PingFang originally designed birthday cake toppers. Tell me you couldn't see these on a cake some Pokémon fan club baked for its first annual gathering!
It's more impressive than... a tree... Why is there a tree? Especially since the base doesn't look like something a tree would grow on? I have no idea.
I'm not even sure what Pikachu's base represents. If I had to guess, I think it's a Gym floor layout from the series, but since I haven't watched an episode in a long time, don't take my word for it. Looks nice though.
And that's the "Monster Go" set from Square Toys/PingFang. A very unique, yet frustrating to build creation that I could easily see becoming an official thing if Pokémon GO championships were ever held. Heck, who knows? Maybe these can inspire my avatar to take up Pokémon training, learn some responsibility and dedication, and become a master Pokémon trainer himself!
...Oh. ....Right...
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Quality: I'm a bit torn on the quality. On the one hand, the bricks are nicely made and the ridges fit together nicely and firmly, so these can form stronger bonds than regular Lego or Nanoblocks without the need to glue them together. On the other hand, the fact that they don't stack together very well makes building three-dimensional shapes more difficult than it needs to be, and two-dimensional straight lines are next to impossible to get standing on their own. I was REALLY hesitant to take his set apart since trying to put these things back together is like piecing a shattered window somebody threw a bowling ball at back together. It would REALLY help if they had a bit of runoff plastic or some sort of barrier on either the top or bottom of the bricks so they didn't slide off with the slightest bit of pressure. As they are now, they just make building shapes and keeping them solid infuriatingly difficult.
Design: The trophy design and layout is simplistic, but effective. Like I mentioned, the overall presentation looks much more like an art project someone submitted, where they made a collage out of toys they had lying around the house. A few plastic Pokéballs, some Q-tips and paper plates, add Nanoblock figurines, and toss in last year's birthday cake toppings, and you get something to show off at next year's state fair. But even though it's not very flashy, it works as a gift or centerpiece to commemorate some Pokémon-related event. I guess serious builders might think it too much effort to piece together thousands of bricks to build something relatively plain, but if you want something to celebrate Pokémon, this looks just fine wherever, whenever.
Creativity: The figures and Pokéballs are straight up stolen from Nanoblocks, so no points there. They lazily slapped the Pokéball clasp on both sides of the ball as well, so negative points there. So what does that leave us with? Well, I like how Charmander's base is one large Pokéball for one. For two, the cake topper-style "Pokémon" and "GO" words really stand out and give the set a little depth, especially with the Pokéball in the "O" of "GO". For three, I like that they gave the Pokéballs some variety by creating a Great Ball and by giving it red stripes as opposed to a completely blue top. And for four, once again, the trophy layout took a bit of thought and it's interesting to have a trophy for a Pokémon event. Also, the bricks, despite their flaws, are unique and have potential, so I'd love to see what they do or someone else does with the design.
Readability: The instructions are relatively easy to follow along with, using the standard layering steps other Nanoblocks use, but they are very difficult to hold onto. The sheet, even with instructions printed on both sides, is about 2 feet long and wide! ...Was printing it off that way really less effort than making a small instruction booklet?! ...Probably, but if you like to assemble sets while keeping the instructions and pieces in your lap, as I do, the bulkiness makes it REALLY hard to keep track of where you are. Also, inconsistent multipliers across the steps.
Packaging: They're very coarse cardboard boxes with cheap glue and blurry pictures of the assembled product against a white background. Pretty boring and poor. It gets a point for the "Monster GO" title, especially since it makes no attempt anywhere else to hide the fact it's Pokémon, but since that's an easy mistranslation, it's not exactly funny or mind blowing.
Compatibility: These are incompatible with both Lego and Nanoblocks. That would probably give it a negative rating, but since I don't work with negatives(and how would that work, anyway?)
Overall:
While not the most exciting line we've had so far on this blog, there is a simplicity yet creativeness to the design that makes it stand out among the other Pokémon knock-offs on the market. It tries to pass itself off as something celebratory, something to be awarded for trying to be the very best, like no one ever was, and it pulls it off pretty well in my opinion. If you've ever wanted to award a friend a trophy or create a symbolic award for a contest, then I would recommend giving these a shot. ...Just make sure to superglue as much as possible together before presenting it, or you're going to spend the rest of your life with a Pokéball stuck up your
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