Who says you need a Pokéball to catch the best Pokémon? Bandai offers model kits with everything you need to build Eevee, Pikachu, or Mewtwo. Fans can build their favorite Pokémon and then display them or play.
Everybody makes a wrong turn once in a while, according to Ash Ketchum, but be warned: Mistakes made with these models will be permanent. No glue is necessary to put the pieces together, but they stick strongly once snapped into place. That’s a great feature when it comes to being secure in the knowledge that your model will not fall apart, but it means you need to be positive you’re putting the correct pieces where they belong. Mewtwo truly looked like a scientific experiment when I attached its left leg backward. (I do expect retribution at any moment). Check out how it’s supposed to look below.
Choose your Pokémon wisely based on your skill level. Pikachu required the least amount of work, while Mewtwo had a number of small parts and pieces making it more of a challenge. Eevee wasn’t as difficult, but its fur took a little TLC to keep together. Nonetheless, a great trainer can overcome anything.
The pieces are fragile while you are building with them. I went to test out Pikachu’s moving ear and it resulted in an unfortunate Van Gogh situation. Upon rereading the directions, I realized its ear moves when you turn its head — not on its own. My mistakes are easily avoidable because the directions are quite simple (if you follow them). Detailed pictures accompany the written instructions, with each piece of the model assigned a letter and a number to make it easy to find.
Eevee was my favorite character to build because you are able to decide between an inquisitive or a playful face — check out both below. Unfortunately, the faces cannot be switched out once Eevee is built, so make sure you have your heart set before committing. 
The battle may have ended once you’re done building, but the fun never disappears. Pikachu and Eevee are less than 4 inches tall, and Mewtwo is less than 6 inches: Each figure is a great size to display on a desk or reenact your favorite Pokémon scenes and can stand on its own, and Mewtwo comes with a removable stand.
Packaging for the models can be recycled after they are built. Although the animated pictures on top are cute, the boxes don’t seem like they are meant to be displayed as they are just cardboard with no windows.
Pokémon trainers may need a little patience building these models, but the pint-sized collectibles are super affordable, with prices ranging from $17.82-22.95 on Amazon. It’s time to catch ‘em all.
Photo: Bandai
