A few days ago, LEGO introduced the new LEGO SMART PLAY system, consisting of SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures that activate SMART Bricks for responsive play. The SMART Play system reacts to how you move, play, twist, and turn with LEGO building toys. Another interesting feature of the system is that it is not connected to any app. It’s completely self-contained to encourage screen-free play.
Feedback on the new system has been mixed, with some fans being excited while others are skeptical. However, so far, very few LEGO fans have actually had the chance to try out LEGO SMART Play, and just like with anything new, it will take some time to get used to the system and experiment with its capabilities.
The good news is that the three LEGO Star Wars sets that incorporate the LEGO SMART PLAY technology are now available for pre-order. Each of the sets comes with a LEGO SMART Brick with a charger, and at least one LEGO Smart Minifigure and LEGO SMART Tag. If you’re keen on getting them as soon as possible, you can order them today, and they will ship on March 1st. You can find them at the LEGO SMART PLAY section of the Online LEGO Shop.
To recap from our previous discussion, the #75423 LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-Wing comes with 584 pieces, including two SMART Minifigures (Luke Skywalker, in his iconic pilot suit, and Princess Leia), as well as Luke’s trusty companion, R2-D2, and Rebel Crew and Stormtrooper Minifigures. This set includes an Imperial turret, transporter, and command center, all of which unlock interactive features, such as laser-shooting sounds, engine sounds, and lights, plus refueling and repair sounds, through the use of the included LEGO SMART Brick, two LEGO SMART Minifigures, and five LEGO SMART Tags. Price: $99.99 at the LEGO SMART PLAY section of the Online LEGO Shop.
The #75421 LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter building set features one of the galaxy’s most iconic villains and his fighter ship, allowing fans to replay and redefine the most epic battles on behalf of the Galactic Empire. This 473-piece set features a brick-built Rebel Outpost and an Imperial Fueling Station, as well as a SMART Minifigure featuring Darth Vader and a Rebel Fleet Trooper Minifigure. The roar of the twin ion engines comes to life, among other interactive features, with the LEGO SMART Brick. Price: $69.99 at the LEGO SMART PLAY section of the Online LEGO Shop.
The #75427 LEGO Star Wars SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing building set allows fans to re-enact and re-imagine one of the most memorable moments from the original Star Wars trilogy, the final lightsaber duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. The 962-piece set comes with three SMART Minifigures featuring the characters Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, and Luke Skywalker (Jedi). Additionally, the set comes with a brick-built A-Wing Fighter and Pilot Minifigure, two Royal Guard Minifigures, and a SMART Tag-enabled cannon turret to defend the Emperor’s Throne Room. Price: $159.99 at the LEGO SMART PLAY section of the Online LEGO Shop.
The LEGO SMART PLAY page also includes this frequently asked questions section, which I found helpful.
WHAT IS THE LEGO SMART PLAY SYSTEM?
The SMART Play System is our most revolutionary innovation since the creation of the minifigure in 1978. Using cutting-edge technology, it responds precisely to how kids play. In other words, when you play, the SMART Brick plays back. There are three key pieces that work together:
- The SMART Brick. A 2×4 LEGO brick that recognizes SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures. It also has a built-in accelerometer that knows how it is being moved through the air, and brings play to life in incredible ways.
- The SMART Tags. These clever little tiles tell the SMART Brick what it should become, to help it play back with you.
- The SMART Minifigures. When placed next to a SMART Brick, you’ll discover how each SMART Minifigure reacts differently to its environment with unique sounds, moods, and reactions – all of which are played through the SMART Brick.
The SMART Play System shows what happens when high-powered tech meets the limitless creativity of a child’s imagination. With the help of the SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures, the powerful SMART Brick responds to how you play with it, hold it, twist it, turn it… you name it!
It’s also endlessly replayable, because the SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures help unlock unique reactions, secret minigames, plot twists, and Easter eggs. The fun keeps on going!
This is an evolution of the LEGO System in Play, all SMART Bricks, SMART Minifigures, and SMART Tags also click with your LEGO bricks at home to bring all your LEGO sets to life!
WHAT CAN THE SMART BRICKS DO?
It’s the brains of the operation. The 2×4 SMART Brick is packed with enough tech to launch a rocket to the Moon (… maybe if you have a couple of extra rockets lying around…). It has responsive lights, a color-recognition scanner to sense its surroundings, a sound synthesizer that plays almost any sound, and a built-in accelerometer. This detects the way it is twisted, turned, and tapped during play. All this juicy tech means it can react to how kids play – and then play back!
When placed on top of or close to a SMART Tag, the SMART Brick becomes whatever the SMART Tag tells it to. Meaning it can be a helicopter one second and a car the next. But it can also sense the presence of SMART Minifigures to help bring your stories to life in ways never seen before. The SMART Brick reveals each SMART Minifigure’s unique sounds, moods, and reactions.
WHAT CAN THE SMART MINIFIGURES DO?
The SMART Minifigures activate the SMART Brick and prompt it to reveal their unique personalities. Each SMART Minifigure reacts differently to the world around them. They do that through their own sounds, moods, and reactions, which are played back to you via the SMART Brick.
Through the sounds the SMART Brick makes, you’ll be able to tell which SMART Minifigure might enjoy flying through space in a starship. You’ll notice that a more nervous character might be a bit more… hesitant…
And because every SMART Play Minifigure reacts uniquely to any given play scenario, they provide a perfect reward for kids’ imagination and creativity. Which sparks new ideas for role play, every single playtime.
DO THE SMART MINIFIGURES MAKE SOUNDS?
Not by themselves. Instead, they prompt nearby SMART Bricks to make their sounds for them! Each SMART Minifigure reacts uniquely to the environment around them. They do that through their own sounds, moods, and reactions, which are played back to you via the built-in speaker inside the SMART Brick. Just place SMART Minifigures close to SMART Bricks to unlock that glorious SMART Play action!
WHAT CAN THE SMART TAGS DO?
The role of the SMART Tag is to tell the SMART Brick how it should play back with you. The SMART Tags tell the SMART Brick what kind of object or creature it should become and what sounds to respond with.
Will it be a spaceship? A helicopter? A toilet? If you have the SMART Tags for it, the SMART Brick will have the reactions for it, to help enhance your play.
The SMART Tags help the SMART Brick unlock sounds, mini-games, and even secret missions filled with hilarious Easter eggs to keep players guessing! And because there’s no limit to the potential number of SMART Tags, it makes the SMART Play System endlessly replayable.
DO THE SMART TAGS HAVE A SPEAKER?
No. Instead, their job is to tell nearby SMART Bricks what sounds it should make. SMART Tags make the SMART Bricks behave in a particular way and react using lights and the SMART Brick’s built-in speaker.
HOW DOES THE LEGO SMART PLAY SYSTEM WORK?
The SMART Brick can sense the presence of SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures that are close to it. These activate the SMART Brick and tell it how to behave. Once activated, the high-tech SMART Bricks react to every move, with a built-in play engine that creates limitless reactions with dynamic lights and sounds.
To get started, you’ll need up to three key pieces that work together to create the LEGO® SMART Play system: the SMART Bricks, the SMART Tags and the SMART Minifigures. For example, out of the literally endless potential play possibilities… Build a helicopter and place a helicopter SMART Tag into it. Add a SMART Brick close to the SMART Tag. Now your SMART Brick ‘becomes’ a helicopter and reacts to how you move and play with dynamic lights and sounds! Hear it take off and fly – or fly it upside down and hear the alarm sound. Add a SMART Minifigure pilot and hear them react!
DO I NEED AN APP TO USE THE SMART PLAY SYSTEM?
Short answer: nope. When developing the SMART Play System, we made the conscious decision to exclude screens. This helped us stay true to classic LEGO play and maintain kids’ imaginative control.
We have, however, created a SMART Play app for parents. The LEGO SMART Assist app is the companion app for adults to manage and maximize the potential of LEGO SMART Bricks. It helps you control SMART Brick settings, update new play features, and get quick help when you need it. It’s an app for grown-ups to get the most out of the SMART Play experience, so that kids can keep on playing. The LEGO SMART Assist app will be available for download when the first sets launch.
WHAT IS A SMART PLAY ALL-IN-ONE SET?
SMART Play All-In-One sets contain everything you need to start your SMART Play experience, right out of the box. They contain SMART Minifigures, SMART Tags, a wireless SMART charger and… drumroll please… the SMART Bricks! This brick is the brains of the operation. It responds to how it is being moved through the air, and reacts to how it is being played with. When combined with SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures, they help tell the SMART Brick how it should play back.
What do you think? Are you excited about LEGO SMART Play? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below!
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I wonder if this is going to be compatible with powered up.