10 New Smart Play Pokemon Sets Revealed!

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The First LEGO Pokemon sets to have been released were large playsets, Primarily aimed at adult collectors (probably those who specifically grew up with Pokemon in the 90s and early 00s. Today, the LEGO Group have revealed 10 sets for release in August (preorder now!).

These are very much play sets, aimed at kids from 6 years and up. The sets incorporate Smart Play – Two sets include smart bricks and tags, while the rest of the sets are equipped with the smart tage. Great news: Already have a Smart Brick from Star Wars? They are the same as the Smartbricks included in 72164 and 72167. You can use them to bring any of the other pokemon ‘Smart Play Compatible ‘sets to life.

I have been enjoying my own experience with Smart Play – not relying on Star Wars sets, but rather putting the Tags into my old (Classic) spaceships and the like.

This new roll out does raise the question, however: When will Smart Play roll out to countries that are not USA, UK, Australia, France, Germany and Poland? For now, these sets will only be available where Smart Play has been rolled out. Is this for Supply chain or Customer service reasons? Unfortunately, at this stage, we havenot had that information available to us on the Ambassadors Network.

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LEGO Botanicals: 11512 Cosmos Flowers – an emotional roller coaster (hands on review)

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A colourful display of plastic Cosmos flowers in a clear blue vase, with text highlighting their inspiring, challenging, and potentially frustrating nature.

The Cosmos Flowers riff on LEGO Botanicals Daisy bouquet released earlier this year. With a few flowers and some lavender like blooms, you could almost suspect it of trying to be a copy of this earlier set. I suspect we will learn that this is not the case.

The set is aimed at builders aged 9 and up, has 177 pieces and will be priced at $AUD24.99 / 14.99€ / $USD14.99 /£12.99. The LEGO Group sent this set over for an early review.Let’s take a closer look.

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LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight [Hands-on Review]

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LEGO Batman figure in a dynamic pose against a night city backdrop with a large moon, promoting a hands-on review of 'LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight'.

It’s been a while since we have had a game to review here on the Rambling Brick. Thanks to the LEGO Group for organising a digital copy of TT Games’ LEGO® Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight to review. I passed it onto our in-house games reviewer, Harry. Read on for more…

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11505 Woodland Mushrooms: Could this be the most satisfying Botanical Set yet?

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A display of the LEGO 11505 Woodland Mushrooms set featuring colourful mushrooms, plants, and a natural earthy base, showcasing the botanical theme.

The Botanicals range continues to diversify in 2026 and 11505 Woodland Mushrooms is one of their most original display pieces yet. In the past we have seen bouquets, large and small potted plants, hanging arrangements, dried flower arrangements and bonsai trees. This set is a little different: imagine digging up an improbably diverse patch of soil from the woods. On it grows a collection of mushrooms, on a mossy bed, along with some Autumn Crocus, moss and bracken. This is the first botanical set to explore a biome rather than something manicured for domestic display.

The LEGO Group sent a copy over for early review ahead of its release on the 1st June, 2026. The set has 806 pieces and has a RRP at $AUD129.99/ £69.99 / $USD79.99 / €79.99. 

Could this be the most satisfying Botanical set to date? Let’s take a closer look…

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Build up your Magical Kingdom with 43302 Disney Main St, U.S.A.

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A vibrant display of LEGO buildings representing Disney Main Street, U.S.A., featuring colourful structures and characters, set against a textured backdrop.

Every so often, we get a set or two that lines up specifically with sights from Disneyland Parks: the iconic Castle (at least twice so far), a railway, the occasional random ride (Haunted Mansion, I’m looking at you). Today, the LEGO group has revealed the latest in this series: LEGO®|Disney Main Street, U.S.A.

LEGO set showcasing Main Street, USA from Disney, featuring detailed buildings and a variety of minifigures, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The packaging for a Disney-themed LEGO set, showcasing a detailed building with multiple sections, colourful minifigures, and accessories.

This set has 3899 pieces and features 16 minfigures. It will be priced at $AUD549.99 / £319.99 / €349.99 / $399.99 and will go on sale in June 2026, in time to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the park’s landmark locale.

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What’s up with white? Part 2: Comparing the effects of twelve months of environmental exposure on pigment 426 White and 1 White.

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An image showing a label on a black surface with the title 'What's up with white?' and details on comparing the effects of twelve months of environmental exposure on two white pigments, alongside a cautionary note 'do not touch, science in progress'.
A close-up of a light switch covered with black tape, featuring a label that reads 'do not touch science in progress'. The switch is mounted on a yellow wall.

It is a property of ABS and other plastics that they will undergo photooxidative degradation – the materials will yellow with age, particularly in response to ultraviolet light.

In 2025, the LEGO Group introduced a new white pigment in selected sets. This colour, referred to as 426 White V3 is more opaque than the 1 White that has otherwise been in use since LEGO® Bricks started to be coloured by adding pigment to raw ABS stock in the early 2000s. Given the relative opacity to 1White, I wondered if there might be a difference in the yellowing exhibited by these elements after prolonged exposure to sunlight. So I masked off some tiles,

I will apologize for drifting back into high school science practice write-ups and the lack an a priori power analysis, and subsequent dodgy statistics, as we set out to answer the question “Is the new LEGO pigment 426 White V3 less susceptible to yellowing when exposed to sunlight?”

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Happiness is… 21368 LEGO Ideas PEANUTS: Snoopy’s Doghouse [Early review]

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A LEGO Ideas 21368 Peanuts Snoopy's doghouse set featuring Snoopy and Woodstock.

Snoopy and the Peanuts gang have been around for over 75 years now. I probably first met his special brand of homespun philosophy, and flights of imagination through the comic strips in the newspapers in the mid 70s. Towards the end of the decade, we started to pick up the books (paperback, novel format) containing collected strips anytime we went on holiday.

There have been many Snoopy submissions to LEGO Ideas, but Snoopy – Campfire by @bossofdos64 reach the full 10000 supporters. He has submitted multiple Snoopy MOCs based on many of the characters Snoopy has adopted over the years: the Novelist, sleeping on the doghouse, hockey player, Joe Cool and surfer. Fortunately, two additional versions: Asleep on the doghouse and the Novelist were able to be included in the final model.

The LEGO Group sent 21368 LEGO Ideas PEANUTS: Snoopy’s Doghouse over for early review, but all opinions are my own. I also had the chance to join a conversation with the design team, and fan designed

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11377 LEGO® Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith™ revealed: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of The Lord of the Rings

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It was December 27, 2001. The Knoller in Chief and I went to the movies to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary, as well as to enjoy a quiet night out with our two young children. It is hard to believe that this is now 25 years ago. Over the next few years, our wedding anniversary would be recognised as a chance to get out of the house together and catch up with the latest cinematic sage being released in the post Christmas period. We had both grown up with the Lord of the Rings and seeing the story translated into film was a defining moment in popculture for us both.

After the original run of sets based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit from over a decade ago, we have been getting a steady drip feed of related sets over the past few years: Starting with Rivendell, we have seen Barad-Dur and Bag End as ‘regular’ display sets, while we have also seen a selection of Brick Headz, a book nook, and more recently, Sauron’s Helmet. While our display spaces rapidly diminish, today, the LEGO Group are revealing their latest model: 11377 LEGO Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith.

This latest set will be available at the start of June (1st for LEGO Insiders, 4th for everyone else). It comes with 8278 pieces – measures over 23.5 in. (59cm) high, 24.5 in. (62 cm) wide, and 14.5 in. (37 cm) deep, and comes with 10 minfigures. It will be priced at $AUD 999.99 / £579.99 / €649.99 / $649.99.

LEGO set box for Minas Tirith from The Lord of the Rings, featuring detailed depiction of the iconic white city with intricate architecture, showcasing various towers and gates.
LEGO set box featuring the Lord of the Rings model, showing architectural details and mini-figures, including illustrations of its features on the sides.

Let’s find out more…

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11506 Rocking Plants still keep us Happy.

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Two cheerful, colourful LEGO plant models: one in pink with a happy face and a single green sprout, and another in yellow with vibrant flowers, both titled '11506 Rocking Plants'.

Last year, the LEGO® Botanical theme gave us 10349 Happy Plants, anthropomorphic potplants with a whimsical grin and a green hairstyle. Botanicals has been one of the big successes in the LEGO portfolio over the past few years, bringing new people to LEGO building, and bringing others back after a many-year gap. Happy Plants was one of those sets that was relatively inexpensive, simple to build, and brought a delightful end result to the display space.

Knowing that when you are on a good thing, stick to it, it would appear that “Plants in small, whimsical smiling pots” is becoming a subtheme of Botanicals with the upcoming release of 11506 Rocking Plants. Adding to last year’s pale yellow and baby blue pots are bright pink and spring yellowish green versions, this new set brings some new gimmicks. But at what expense?

This set has 253 pieces and a RRP of $AUD 29.99 / $USD22.99 / £GBP17.99 / 19.99€. It is aimed at builders aged 9 and up and set to be released on May 1st, 2026. The LEGO Group sent these over to take an early look…

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75442 UCS The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter Revealed in Time for May the Fourth

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LEGO model of the UCS The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter, showcased on a desk with various items, with a caption celebrating its reveal for May the Fourth.

With the cinematic release of The Mandalorian and Grogu just around the corner, this year’s May the Fourth release brings us The Mandalorian’s Naboo N1 Star Fighter, with the Ultimate Collector Series Treatment.

With a load of Silver laquer elements, The LEGO Star Wars™ The Mandalorian’s N-1 Starfighter™ (75442) set will be available for LEGO Insiders* Early Access from 1 May 2026, and available for all from 4 May, priced at $AUD429.99 / £229.99 / €249.99 / $249.99.

LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian's N-1 Starfighter Ultimate Collector Series box featuring a detailed image of the starfighter, showing its unique design and parts.
LEGO Star Wars set featuring a detailed model of The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter with a display stand and informational plaque.
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