It’s a good time to be a Lego Star Wars fan. Not only are there a bunch of Mandalorian movie tie-in sets to look forward to, but there are eight brand new sets out, as part of Lego’s new Smart Play system. Aimed at kids, these new Smart Play sets are designed to make play more interactive than ever before by introducing light and sound effects without the need for app support.
The key element of these Smart Play sets is an interactive, audio- and light-equipped Smart Brick. The Smart Brick responds to printed tags on other bricks and minifigures. If a particular tag is in range, it will interact with it, making the appropriate sounds or light actions that the tag tells it to. So you can have this Lego Smart Play Throne Room Duel & A-Wing set playing the Imperial March.
Sounds cool? It absolutely is, which is why it’s frustrating that Lego has yet to give us any Lego Marvel Smart Play sets. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy alone is packed with quotable lines and effects; who wouldn’t want a tiny Lego Groot that spoke with Vin Diesel’s voice? You could pitch Captain Marvel against Galactus, with Ralph Ineson’s voice booming out of a Smart Brick.
Instead, Lego has pivoted to Pokémon. Where’s the Infinity Gauntlet when you need it? The good news is that the eight currently available Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets offer plenty in the way of fun.
