Tag: Pokemon TCG

Geekscape Reviews: Build-A-Bear Workshop’s Charmander Plush Set

by Natalie Kipper

It should come as no surprise that many of us here at Geekscape are huge fans of the Pokémon series. I personally love the video games and, of course, the plushes based on the lovable monsters found within said games. Build-A-Bear Workshop released a Charmander version of their personalizable plushes in December of last year. The toy is currently being restocked both in stores and online and I was gifted with the chance to play with/cuddle/man-handle one of the exclusive online bundles. Read on to see my experience!

The plush’s face is lovely, with a perfectly-sculpted snout and detailed embroidery on the eyes. The mouth is lightly lined in a soft fabric. I was slightly disappointed to discover that the teeth were felt but it was at least a higher quality, thick variety. If I had my druthers, the teeth would have been stuffed as well.

This is good size plush, measuring about 15 inches tall with a tail extending about seven inches from base to tip. There is plenty of Charmander to cuddle, that is for sure!

And speaking of Charmander’s flame tail, here it is in all its fluffy glory. As I said in my post when the plush made its debut, I like their choice of using a “flame” puff of fabric rather than the more popular options – a plush silhouette of a flame or, if you are really unlucky, a felt cutout of the flame. I will say that when I first took my Charmander out the box, I noticed some shedding from the tail but it was minimal.

It was comforting to see how much thought Build-A-Bear put into the plush’s body. The detail was most impressive. I liked that the Pokémon’s two-tone color scheme extended to both its feet as well the entire length of the tail’s bottom. They could have cut corners there but the extra effort is much appreciated by fans like myself.

The thick felt previously seen on the teeth made another appearance as the claws on the feet.

Since this Charmander came from the online exclusive set, it is bundled with a soundbox (stuffed under the paw patch on its right hand) that plays the noises Charmander makes. Before gamers get too hyped, they are the sounds from the anime not the game series. I guess the former is easier on the ears. I would have loved that option, though. Nostalgia is a powerful thing.

Besides the soundbox, the other item exclusive to the online set was the Lucario Hoodie. This clothing item gives Charmander the chance to cosplay as the steel/fighting-type. I preferred the Great Ball Hoodie, which you will see next, to this outfit. For the one thing, the Lucario Hoodie covers Charmander’s eyes. I understand that that is part of its purpose but it was bizarre to see Lucario’s smaller eyes on Charmander’s body. Also, unlike the felt found on the plush’s body, the felt used for the costume’s “ears” were rough and not conducive to cuddling.

The Great Ball Hoodie is not exclusive to the online set and can also be purchased in stores. It was a made of a soft jersey fabric that had a bit of a stretch to it, which made it easy to put on the plush. The Great Ball image on the body portion of the piece is printed on while the red stripes on the shoulders are made with a soft vinyl-like material.

The last item will certainly draw the eye of any TCG player, the exclusive Charmander trading card. The card is included with any Charmander purchase, regardless of whether you bought online or in stores. I don’t play the game but I appreciate the artwork and the Build-A-Bear Workshop emblem found on it, denoting its special status.

Build-A-Bear Workshop’s Online Exclusive Charmander Set gets a 4.5 out of 5. The quality of the items included are great, with the exception of the felt used in the hood of the Lucario Hoodie. Plus, it was just a fun plush to play with. The $61 price tag may seem a bit high for some collectors but when you consider the the average price of every item included, it evens out.

And just in case you were wondering (you probably weren’t but I will tell you anyway), I named my Charmander Charlie. He says, “Thanks for reading!”

[This review is based on a sample provided by Build-A-Bear Workshop. All opinions are my own.

Today’s Your Last Chance To Grab Meloetta, The Last Mythical Pokemon To Wrap Up #Pokemon20!

by Josh Jackson

Pokemon trainers, today is the day! After a year of Mythical Pokemon giveaways, which started with Mew back in February, now is your last chance to pick up Meloetta for your X, Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire games. The fourth Mythical Pokemon from the Black and White generation of games is here to entrance you with its song, thanks to its two unique formes.

Multiple formes have been nothing new when it comes to Mythical Pokemon. If you recall from our previous coverage, Shaymin could switch by using an item outside of battle, while others like Arceus and Genesect could change types based on what item it’s holding. Yet, Meloetta is unique as the only one that can change mid battle using a specific move. Continuing the trend that Mew started, Meloetta is a Psychic type, being the first Pokemon in the Mythical line to be both Psychic and Normal. Using its signature move, Relic Song, not only does it have a power of 75 with a 10% chance of putting the opponent to sleep, using it switches the Pokemon from its default Aria Forme to its Psychic/Fighting Pirouette Forme. This versatility helps it keep its opponents on their toes, all while holding the constant threat of sleep. Don’t let its opera theme fool you, this Mon is dangerous.

Also unique to generation five’s last Pokemon, Meloetta isn’t featured in its own movie. Instead, it was the first Mythical Pokemon to have a reoccurring role in the main anime. Following Ash, Iris and Cyan at points across their travels across Unova, it gained plenty of screen time to make up for its lack of a feature film. On the card front, check out Meloetta’s featured pin and card below, complete with two more Pokemon Generations booster packs to fill out your collection.

Now that we’re wrapping up an incredible year for the Pokemon fandom, we’ll hand the final comments over to you. What are your thoughts on Meloetta, and how do you think it compares to the rest of the Mythical line? Did you manage to grab all of them throughout the year, and which ones are your favorites? Comment below, and share your Pokemon highlights with us as we move on past 20 years of Pokemon. Here’s to another 20!