Introduction
Building blocks are one of the most popular toys toddlers and kids these days play with. It helps increase their creativity, logical thinking, and hand-eye coordination. Legos are the most popular building blocks in the present day and have been around for decades. Who has not heard about them?
However, Legos face competition from similar building blocks – Mega Blocks – released by Mega Brands Inc. Legos and Mega Bloks are the go-to building blocks when people of any age want to build something. Moreover, the things they can build with it are amazing; people can build anything they imagine. Therefore, the things they build need not conform to the rules of reality.
Lego Vs. Mega Bloks
Lego bricks are much more durable and made of higher-quality materials than Mega Bloks. In the eyes of hardcore Lego fans, Mega Bloks is merely an imitation. However, Mega Bloks has carved itself a spot in the construction toys/building blocks market.
Difference Between Lego And Mega Blocks In Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Lego | Mega Bloks |
| Size | Legos are smaller than Mega Bloks. Duplo bricks are so tiny that one-year-olds may swallow them (eeks! Not good, keep the babies away from these pieces.). | Mega Blocks are significantly larger than Legos. |
| Ease of Construction | Legos are designed to build complex structures. Therefore, they are not suitable for children beginning to learn how to build something. However, the Lego Duplo is suitable for kids aged between one and a half to five years. | The larger size of Mega Bloks makes it perfect for kids starting to build things. |
| Cost | Lego bricks are slightly more expensive than Mega Bloks but are worth the price due to their higher quality (at least, that is what every Lego fan swears). | Mega Bloks are more affordable and worth buying, though they are not durable as Legos. |
| Themes | Apart from the traditional building blocks, Lego introduced themed sets. Some of the prominent Lego themes are the following: Lego Batman, Disney, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, etc. | Some popular Mega Bloks themes are Star Trek, Hello Kitty, Barbie, Despicable Me, Hot Wheels, Teenage Mutant Ninja, etc. |
| Traditional blocks usage | Traditional Lego Bricks may be used to build Lego airports, schools, monuments, and mythical creatures (unicorns, dragons, phoenixes, etc.). | They are similar to Lego bricks. However, they are not the most suitable choice when building a stable structure. (It is time to run if people accidentally topple over something a person spent hours building. Do not stick around and be murdered.) |
What Is Lego?
Frankly, Legos are the light of people’s lives. They are magnificent building blocks that make building anything easy. Need to build fighter jets, ships, or even the evil lairs of iconic power-hungry villains? Legos are the best choice. Moreover, Lego bricks offer unparalleled stability, meaning people never have to worry about their project toppling over and losing all progress.
Older kids can play with their younger siblings, combining their respective sets, as the sets meant for different ages are compatible. (Lego brilliantly came up with Duplo bricks to counter Mega Bloks' toddler targeting tactic.) So, people can mix Lego Duplo with the standard Lego Pieces when building whatever catches their fancy.
Playing together is a memorable bonding experience. However, some siblings never agree on anything and spend most of their time sabotaging each other’s work. In such cases, parents should not let them play together without supervision unless they are ready to deal with hurricane-like tantrums, petty fighting, and non-stop crying (sometimes for hours together).
Legos are fun to play with because they are available in different sizes and colors (some pieces are available in over fifty colors!). These building blocks are made of ABS plastic, making them extremely durable and dependable. Most people never have to find a replacement piece for their set. Those who do search for one do so mostly because they lost a block.
Since a Lego piece is available in varying colors, people often end up with identical pieces that vary only in color. On the bright side, the proud owners of such identical pieces can experiment with the colors to build something unique (unleash the beast and let imagination take over completely, no matter how outlandish it seems).
What Makes Lego So Fun?
Most people respond that Lego bricks are stress-busters when asked why they are obsessed with Lego. They feel excited to open a box of Legos and build awesome things such as Iron Man’s gauntlet, spaceships, the Statue of Liberty, or The Titanic. People may not have a Jarvis to aid them in perfecting their projects, but they have their creative brains filled with out-of-the-world ideas waiting to be used to build.
People wanting to build skyscrapers worthy of being featured in Mission Impossible (Burj Khalifa stunt) or Fast and Furious (cars don’t fly moment) movies have to settle for the miniature versions they made of Lego bricks for now. However, Lego is not always about building fantastic things that outshine work of others.
Sometimes, it is about not having to concentrate too hard. It is about building silly things to distract oneself from the curveballs life keeps throwing. Besides, Lego bricks make people nostalgic for the years that went by, as they feature several popular characters and themes from the 90s. (Never underestimate the power of nostalgia!)
Most Popular Lego Themes
Though Lego's original themes are great, some of the most popular ones are usually those based on TV shows, movies, or books. The following are some beloved Lego themes:
Star Wars
Lego released the Star Wars-themed Legos, making every teenager (and adults) go crazy with joy. They could build iconic locations, collect Minifigures of memorable characters (who does not want a Master or Baby Yoda around?), and reenact all their favorite scenes.
Lego Star Wars is considered the best Lego set ever released. (Ninjago fans do not agree, and duking it out with them will not be a pleasant experience. It may just turn out similar to being in the middle of the Zombie Apocalypse).
Lego Ninjago
Lego Ninjago has garnered a huge fan base with its ninjas, mystical snakes, dragons, and whatnot. It became so popular after its launch in 2011 that it spawned the cartoon series Ninjago. Look at that! Lego’s original theme managed to create a popular series; that is how powerful an original idea can be. No wonder Lego prefers to focus on its original Legos than the movies or books-inspired ones.
Lord of The Rings
The Lord of The Rings books are fantastic, and the movies did an excellent job bringing the book to life. Lego released the Lord of The Rings theme in 2012 and received a massive welcome. Kids and adults alike loved building helms deep, mines of Moria, and the various towers and castles from the movies.
Harry Potter
Want to build the Whomping Willow, Hogwarts, Azkaban, or the Chamber of Secrets with the basilisk? Get the Lego Harry Potter sets and have fun. People can reenact any scene from the Harry Potter series, as Lego released new sets relating to each new movie.
Superheroes
Marvel or DC – which is the best? That cannot be answered without creating a civil war. Fortunately, Lego has Marvel and DC superheroes, meaning people can get whichever set they want. (Fans of both universes benefit the most here because it is double the fun!)
People can build the Avengers Quinjet and complete the scene with the collectible minifigures of Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black Widow, etc. However, Lego Batman is forever etched in the hearts of millions of fans (Lego Spiderman is the only one that can give it a run for its money).
Lego Architecture
Kids can learn about the various famous landmarks in the world by building them. Iconic buildings such as the White House, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Big Ben, and so on are people’s favorites. The kids can learn whether they are interested in architecture. Who knows, this may make them realize they have a knack for architecture and become an architect in the future.
Lego City
People can build the city of their dreams using Lego City sets. Those who felt inspired by Superman’s Metropolis, Batman’s Gotham City, and Megamind’s Metrocity (who else loved hearing him say metrocity instead of metro city?) can have fun building a city that is as fantastic as those. (It may take up most of the day, but who cares? Building cities is much more important.)
What Is Mega Bloks?
Mega Bloks are popular building blocks that were initially meant for small children. Mega Brands Inc. released several other models designed for children of various ages since their first foray into the world of construction set toys. The original Mega Bloks are for preschoolers, the Mega Bloks Intermediate is for junior builders, and the Mega Bloks Micro is meant for kids and adults. The latter two types are compatible with Lego bricks (something that miffs Lego to no end).
Mega Bloks come with a variety of accessories that are highly detailed and realistic-looking. People will have a great time reenacting scenes from their favorite books or TV shows. The main drawback of Mega Bloks is that people cannot mix the blocks of a set with another set. (Truly a tragedy!) Moreover, these building blocks are not as versatile as the Lego bricks.
Despite its flaws, Mega Bloks is still popular because of how easy toddlers find them to use. Mega Bloks fit loosely, meaning kids will never be frustrated with them (an irritated toddler is a nightmare to deal with!). Yes, these building blocks are prone to crack and tear. Moreover, they have a shorter life span than Legos. But that is why they are so affordable. People cannot expect versatile blocks that last decades at a price similar to Mega Bloks (harsh but true).
Main Difference Between Lego And Mega Bloks (In Points)
- Lego bricks do not come apart easily, which can be a blessing (when building intricate structures) and a curse (when people are in a hurry). On the other hand, Mega Bloks are easy to take apart, as they are meant for small children.
- The company Lego manufactures Lego bricks, whereas Mega Brands Inc., formerly known as Ritvik Holdings, manufactures Mega Bloks.
- Lego Bricks have been around since 1949, whereas Mega Bloks came into the market only in the 1980s. Lego has unsuccessfully sued Mega Bloks several times since then. However, as all relevant patents of Lego had expired, Mega Bricks won the lawsuit (Lego must have lost a lot of sleep over its failed lawsuits), ensuring the continued production and sales of Mega Bloks.
- Mega Bloks are the first building blocks designed for toddlers (Victor Bertrand was intelligent enough to find Lego’s service gap and introduce a product to fill that gap). Toddlers did not have Lego Bricks to play with until the launch of Lego Duplex.
- People can mix and match the Lego bricks of different sets of the same theme. However, Mega Bloks are unsuitable for such experiments (meaning they are not half as fun as Legos).
Conclusion
Ultimately, Lego is the King of building block sets, no matter which model or theme one looks at. Lego bricks have not been around all these decades by pure luck; they are the most durable and high-quality blocks out there. They are expensive but last for years, and people can mix and match the different sets if they lose certain pieces (after all, Lego pieces are easy to lose; they are so small).
Therefore, the benefits outweigh the cost. However, if people are looking for a more affordable option for their kids to play with, they cannot go wrong with Mega Bloks. After all, they are the next-best commercially available building blocks. In short, the choice depends on the purpose for which the blocks are bought, the duration for which they are needed, and the budget constraints people face.
References
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lego
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Bloks
- https://theplaceforparents.com/duplo-vs-mega-bloks/
- https://thebrickblogger.com/2014/01/lego-vs-mega-bloks/
- https://www.kidsturncentral.com/mega-bloks-11-things-you-should-know/
- https://gameofbricks.eu/blogs/news/top-10-lego-themes
- https://bricksetgo.com/critical-lego-pieces-guide/
- https://screenrant.com/why-adults-rediscovering-legos/
