Lego Pokemon Smart Play demo leaves fans baffled by “authentic” sounds

Lego Pokemon Smart Play sets are already dividing fans again after demo footage showed the figures battling and making noises that players say sound nothing like the Pokemon games.

Lego and The Pokemon Company recently unveiled a full Smart Play range built around interactive bricks, lights, sounds, and motion-based play.

The official Lego store lists several upcoming sets for preorder, including Training House with Pikachu, Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle, Cubone and Gengar’s Spooky Showdown, Jigglypuff Concert, Mewtwo’s Lab Break, and more.

The main gimmick is the Smart Brick, which reacts to movement, Smart Tags, and play scenarios with dynamic lights and sounds. Lego says the system can detect turns, twists, taps, and other motion inputs, while compatible sets can unlock extra features when paired with an All-in-One set.

Fans mock Lego Pokemon Smart Play battle sounds

In videos shared on X, several Lego Pokemon figures can be heard “talking” with the Smart Brick installed. The post claimed Lego refers to the sounds as “authentic,” but argued that some do not come from the games and others sound like they were reused from the Lego Star Wars Smart Play line.

A second demo showed a battle using the Smart Play figures, with the player shaking the builds to trigger attacks. The system appeared to require some setup before the battle started, with PenPlays saying it seemed “just as forgiving” as the Lego Star Wars Smart Play dogfights.

That quickly became the main complaint from fans, as many expected Pokemon characters to at least make recognizable cries from the games or anime. Instead, the figures use more generic electronic creature noises and attack effects.

“They sound like various death and hero sounds from Lego Star Wars the complete trilogy,” one user wrote.

Another added: “Surely the smart brick can produce sounds that a f***ing Game Boy can make.”

Others focused specifically on Pikachu, with one fan saying, “If a 70$ smart Pikachu cannot say ‘Pika’, then it is not smart.” Another asked how a “SMART” brick could fail to produce audio achievable on the 1989 Game Boy.

The Verge also noted in its hands-on impressions that none of the Lego Pokemon say their own names or use specific, recognizable noises from the games or anime. Lego’s Sam Coates explained that the Smart Brick uses a runtime synthesizer with limited memory and that localization was also a concern because Pokemon names and sounds differ worldwide.

While some fans remain interested in the idea of physical Pokemon battles, the latest demo has left others questioning whether the Smart Brick feature is worth the added cost, especially after earlier backlash over how visibly the brick changes the look of some figures.