MEGA Pokémon Magikarp Building Set Review

The MEGA Magikarp is 1607 pieces and is for only the biggest of kids, 18 and up. This set is a Mattel Creations website exclusive, and it shows, even from the box. This is an unapologetically large box with a mix of matte and semigloss finish, showing off the front, back and profile of Magikarp. The build process will take you several hours, probably over the course of a couple days. Make sure to go slow and steady, as the inner mechanism is precise and requires many small pieces all to be placed in an exact configuration to work. 

Once done, you have a ridiculous scene, the iconic representation of Pokémon’s most inept fighter. Pitiable as Magikarp may be, they look simply stunning here! Criss-crossing curved pieces perfectly approximate Magikarp’s egg-shaped body, and all of the necessary details are here, in the exact correct colors, with the fins cleverly crafted from a slightly flexible card stock. The shock of orange, pink, yellow and white contrasts wonderfully against the muddy brown and multiple blues of the display base. The blue angled pieces are arranged on hinges to convey a dynamic splashing scene. Turn the crank to make Magikarp do what they do best and flail up and down. The body and tail move in opposite directions of each other, which brings the entire illusion together. Magikarp’s whiskers and fin can be posed, and the base includes tiles to replicate the name plaque in English, Spanish, French and Japanese.