30344 Mini Monkey King Warrior Mech LEGO Review - Monkie Kid, 2021

A good dancer...if you can catch him!

TL;DR:

• Original Price:  free "promotion item in LEGO stores and LEGO.com online with qualified purchases in China, Australia and New Zealand"
• Pieces: 65
• Minifigure(s): No
• Sticker Sheet: No
  
• Pros: Good poseability, easy to build with other pieces (e.g. for a recolor)
• Cons: Non-US release, no special pieces

Assembly: 

 Leftover Pieces

• Interesting Pieces:
• None, this set could easily be built using parts in most builders' collections.
• Pain Points:
• Two different golds are used in this model: metallic gold (the weapon hilts, 1x1 slopes, and pentagonal tile) and pearl gold (2x2 round tile). According to Bricklink, the 2x2 round tile doesn't come in any metallic gold. I would have rather had a second pentagonal tile (perhaps raised up on a 2x2 red plate) for the chestpiece instead, so that the color palette is uniform across the whole build (which is particularly crucial for such a small set).

• The use of SNOT brackets on the limbs does help bring the color around the limbs without adding a bunch of extra pieces, but the hollow studs are visually distracting. I recognize that it we wouldn't want to thicken the limbs to the point that they lose their simian slimness, but I think that adding 1x2 tiles would have improved this texture without adding too much bulk.

• Play Features:  
• This is one of the most flexible mechs I've built. Even though the feet are narrow and a bit short, it's easy to balance a variety of poses. You can also have it hold the staff with both hands.

• Overall:  I really enjoyed this little build. Even though there are no minifigs nor any scenery (for example, a little micro building or some tiny trees to give a sense of scale) it's still a great design and a lot of fun. The pieces don't get knocked off too easily, and it looks impressive.

Sadly, this was only a regional release—apparently it even came with a promotional (and super nice looking) box that had named spots on which to place each of the minifigures that came with The Legendary Flower Fruit Mountain set—which is a shame. I know I'm not alone in lamenting the tendency to have some sets available only in certain parts of the globe. Especially with a line like Monkie Kid, the more people who are exposed to it, the more people who are likely to like it. Given that Journey to the West isn't as commonly known in America as it is in China, I can understand that LEGO might think there wouldn't be much of a market for such sets, but that's all the more reason to make these sets—as well as the show they're based on—available to more regions.

Thankfully there are many resellers who are making this set available world-wide, and many for under $10. This is a great price for this set, and I could see this being about $5 if it were sold like other polybags. I'd recommend this set to pretty much everyone: younger builders wanting to get started with mechs, or anyone who's a fan of Monkie Kid or wanting to get into the series; I could also see this being great as a stocking stuffer, travel gift, or desktop toy.

Score (out of 5 🧱):

• Price: 🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱
• Process: 🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱
• Presentation: 🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱
• Play: 🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱
• Pieces: 🧱🧱🧱🧱

• Total: 🧱🧱🧱🧱🧱

Lego Instructions: here