A Block Full Of Fun!

20 November 2011,
Once upon a time, before games were about throwing round birds against wobbly wooden structures or slicing fruits while avoiding slashing into a virtual bomb, games were challenging, engaging, creative and promoted strategic thinking.

Roughly about 50 years ago, Kawada Co. Ltd. introduce the Diablock. Similar to that of Lego bricks, Diablock consists of colorful plastic bricks with raised studs that allow for interlocking of rows. As the toy grew in popularity amongst children, Toshio Uetake, Executive Managing Director of Kawada Co. Ltd., decided to expand the joys of Diablock to adults. Hence, the concept behind Nano Block-micro building block pieces-was born.

“We didn’t have the technology to mass produce Nano Block twenty years ago, which is why we only introduced it three years ago in Japan. Of course, we had to experience some trial and error before it succeeded,” shares Toshio Uetake.

The Nano Block was initially produced to form challenging shapes, like battleships and aircrafts, with the full intent of appealing to the male market. But that direction quickly proved vain and prompted the company to reassess their target again.

“When we added animal designs to the Nano Block collection, females swarmed to them. Because the product is of such minuscule size, the cute factor of the Nano Block quickly became a trend, which helped to boost its market value,” says Toshio.

And now, Nano Block has arrived in Kuala Lumpur. Stocked in the likes of Kinokuniya and Action City, the many mini structures have already found a home in the hearts of a few local celebrities, namely Jeff Chin from the MyFM Morning Crew and child actress, Koe Yeet, who says the toy is too cute for words.

“The first of the shapes I bought was a pink pig, because it’s adorable and supposedly easy: at only Level 1! I was so excited to begin assembling them but, unfortunately, I lost the instruction manual and took three months till completion,” says Koe Yeet. Her next challenge is to tackle the mini Grand Piano, set at difficulty Level 2. If time avails in the future, Yeet aims to collect the entire animal series so she can have her very own miniature safari.

Jeff Chin, on the other hand, prefers a little bit more of a challenge, completing the NASA Space Station in only three hours. “When your pour the pieces out, it’s actually quite a shock since the pieces are all so tiny,” chimes Chin. “My fingers are not as nimble as Koe’s!” Up to date, Jeff has completed five Nano Block structures and since there are 40 different types, he won’t be stopping any time soon. “It’s quite addictive,” explains Jeff.

Nano Block is designed by level of difficulty: Level 1 being the easiest and Level 5 being the most difficult. With an assortment of animals, automotive, and 7 Wonders of the World in the collection, Nano Block is an ideal collectible and present.

And believe it or not, the Nano Block craze can actually be found donning iPhone cases, watches, clocks, and even Pentax cameras. There are even Nano Block characters gracing Uniqlo t-shirts. So, if you’re wonderful what to do ove the weekend, why not take a knack at a set yourself? Just a word of advice: Make sure your work table is clean, flat and brightly lit. However, if you do happen to lose a piece, don’t fret. Each Nano Block set comes with extra blocks for those just in case ops.

INFO
ACTION CITY THE GARDENS
T205, 3rd Floor, The Gardens
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra
59200 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.
TEL
+603-2282 9998
EMAIL
info@actioncity.my
WEBSITE
www.actioncity.my