After the introduction of Tails in Sonic 2, Sonic Team needed a new character to appear in the third Sonic game. This led to the introduction of Knuckles the Echidna. The red-coloured monotreme hailed from Angel Island, where he stayed watch as the guardian of the Master Emerald, the foundation of power for the Chaos Emeralds. The once rival of Sonic, soon became an ally and has since gone on to appear in several games, the second Sonic movie and series on Paramount+. Knuckles made his LEGO® debut earlier this year in the Guardian Mech set, which directly links to this newly released set. Is Knuckles’ latest LEGO adventure worth building? Here’s a closer look at the Knuckles and The Master Emerald Shrine set.
Product Details
Set Name: Knuckles and the Master Emerald Shrine | Set Number: 76998 | Pieces: 325 | Theme: Sonic the Hedgehog
Number of Bags: Bags x 3 (paper) | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Knuckles, Amy & Eggrobo Badnik RRP: £29.99/$34.99/34.99€/59.99AUD/44.99CAD
Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online and LEGO Retailer from August 1st
Despite the Chaos Emeralds appearing in the very first Sonic the Hedgehog game, their history wasn’t fleshed out until Knuckles appeared on the scene in Sonic 3. The powerful gems were linked to the Master Emerald which was located in a shrine on Angel Island. This was guarded by the Knuckles Clan, who were an ancient tribe of Echidna. It is that shrine which is the focus of this newly released LEGO Sonic set.
The set features two buildable sections, the first is a small island with a fruit-flinging device. The fruit in question is a favourite of Knuckles, who is partial to the odd grape. Recoloured popcorn elements double as purple bunches of grapes. They can then be launched wayward by a boxy catapult.
The Master Emerald Shrine is just what you’d expect a shrine to look like. So it’s basically a large pedestal upon which the Master Emerald sits. The problem is the set doesn’t actually include the Master Emerald. This is found in the Knuckles set released earlier this year. It does, however, feature four smaller columns, each topped with a smaller green jewel. As Knuckles is the guardian of the Master Emerald, he’s made himself at home and set up a makeshift living space beneath the shrine. This includes a small bed, a punch bag and a supply of grapes from a nearby bush. The shrine isn’t as vast as it is often shown but does take inspiration from previous appearances in the games and other media.
The set features two minifigures, Knuckles the Echidna and Amy Rose the Hedgehog. Amy, who is a pink-coloured hedgehog with a fondness for Sonic has appeared in three other sets, with the version in this set doesn’t offer anything new and includes the same Piko Piko Hammer. Knuckles does offer something slightly unique, with a different expression compared to his previous minifigure appearance. Beyond the more angry face, Knuckles’ torso and legs are the same and it uses the unique spiked fist elements, which clip into the hands.
The set also includes a buildable Badnik called Eggrobo. One of Dr Robotnik’s many robot minions, Eggrobo first appeared in Sonic & Knuckles, tying it neatly to Knuckles. This is my favourite of the various Badniks, it looks cool and uses elements in clever ways. A lot of care has been given to achieving the character’s appearance. Both through its build and printed pieces. As with most Badniks, they are often vessels to imprison little animals. Most of these are recoloured Friends creatures, with a puppy element now becoming the oddly named piglet, Picky.
As mentioned the set links to the Guardian Mech set from earlier this year. The large green emerald included in that set is intended to sit in the section found in the middle of the shrine. Although this provides a nice link between the two sets, it does seem a shame this set is technically incomplete. I would have also liked to have seen a different character in the set instead of Amy. Chief Pachacamac or a Knuckles Clan member comes to mind and could have easily been achieved through a recolour of the Knuckles parts. At the very least Amy could have offered something unique. Apart from that it’s another fun welcomed addition to the LEGO Sonic line-up and one which is authentic to the overall lore of the Sonic universe. The LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog set, Knuckles and the Master Emerald set is available now.
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These sets were provided to BricksFanz.com by the LEGO Group for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or SEGA. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
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