LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot review

LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot may just be the ‘boy and his slime-based mech sidekick’ set you never knew you needed.

As one of the core LEGO DREAMZzz cast of characters, Mateo is lucky enough to be represented in six of the new theme’s 12 upcoming sets. However, when it comes to affordability and a visually-striking build, 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot manages to deliver something extra special.

— LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot set details —

Theme: LEGO DREAMZzz Set name: 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot Release: August 1, 2023

Price: £18.99 / $19.99 / €20.99 Pieces: 237 Minifigures: 2

LEGO: Order now

— Where to buy LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot —

LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot will be available to buy from LEGO.com, LEGO Stores and third-party retailers on August 1, 2023.

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— LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot build —

Those who have already binge-watched the full LEGO DREAMZzz animated series will know that Mateo’s slimy pal, Z-Blob, has appeared in every episode of the show to date. The gloopy green character is able to exist in both the Dream Realm and the waking world, with the ability to stretch and transform into a variety of forms as required.

71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot represents one such dream-based version of the character, as a brick-built mech complete with poseable arms, hands and legs, a rotating head and midriff, and a variety of slime-based accessories. In fact there a total of 20 points of articulation on the robot that can be tweaked and repositioned as required, allowing for plenty of play and display options.

As with all of the LEGO DREAMZzz sets, 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot comes with a fun story-led instruction manual, one that details how to make the main build before offering up two additional construction options. The main mech model is relatively quick to assemble, with only 237 pieces in the box, so you’ll soon have built Z-Blob’s torso, waist and limbs, complete with eye-catching trans-green elements.

Fortunately, only a small selection of stickers have to be applied, with various graffiti-style images appearing on the character’s upper body area. When finished, Z-Blob stands over 16cm tall, with jointed and rotating body parts allowing for a wide variety of standing, running, crouching and action poses. Some assistance and patience may be required in order to achieve certain stances, but the effort is well worth it. 

Z-Blob’s three-digit hands are also very satisfying, allowing for a range of movement and the ability to hold one the character’s two sets of accessories, a huge slime blaster. The gun itself comes with a couple of removeable trans-green cartridges and targets to aim at, with the weapon snapping into the mech’s hands with ease. In addition, Z-Blob gains a shoulder-mounted stud-shooter that can be moved up or out of the way, with space for a minifigure to sit on it. 

71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot also allows builders to swap out the blaster for an anime-style helmet and slime-powered jetpack, with the former slotting over the mech’s head and the latter attaching to the back of the figure. Whichever option you go for, the ability to customise the mech and mix and match accessories gives the model all sorts of play and display potential.

— LEGO DREAMZzz LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot minifigures—

71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot comes with two minifigure characters, but strangely there’s no smaller version of Z-Blob included, as with 71469 Nightmare Shark Ship. However, what you do get is the same version of Mateo that appears in numerous other LEGO DREAMZzz sets, with the character boasting a double-sided printed head and torso, plus printed and dual-moulded legs. The minifigure comes with his trusty pencil staff and hourglass accessories, plus a familiar belt piece that has appeared in numerous LEGO Batman builds.

The set also comes with a minifigure of poor Jayden, a hapless kid who seems to spend most of his time in the Dream Realm either being pursued or held captive. He too has a double-sided head and pyjama torso print, but there’s no detailing on his purple legs. The character can also be captured by a brick-built nightmare monster and held in place on his bed.

— LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot price —

Alongside 71453 Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny, 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot is one of the more affordable LEGO DREAMZzz sets, with the build priced at £18.99 / $19.99 / €20.99. That figure gets you plenty for your spend, with the main mech, two minifigures, a nightmare creature and multiple accessories all included in the box.

— LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot pictures —

— LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot pros and cons —

As an entry-level set, 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot provides the perfect jumping-on point into the world of LEGO DREAMZzz. For a very reasonable price you’re looking at a visually-striking and posable slime-based mech figure, complete with a decent minifigure selection and various accessories for play and display purposes.

The only slight niggles we have with 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot involve the inability to place Z-Blob in some specific poses without assistance and the fact that the colour scheme of the TV show version is slightly different, but those are definitely just minor quibbles.

71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot pros	71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot cons
Great entry-level LEGO DREAMZzz set	Some poses may be a little tricky to achieve
Figure is very poseable	Doesn’t quite match the look of Z-Blob’s TV show counterpart
Includes two minifigures and multiple accessories

This set was provided for review by the LEGO Group.

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— Alternatives to LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot —

If you’re looking for a similar LEGO DREAMZzz set to 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot, then 71453 Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny is well worth picking up, with both character-based models offering similar builds for identical price points of £18.99 / $19.99 / €20.99.

Other two-legged options include 76241 Hulk Mech Armour, 76242 Thanos Mech Armour, 76243 Rocket Mech Armour, 71781 Lloyd’s Mech Battle EVO and 80040 Monkie Kid’s Combi Mech.

— LEGO DREAMZzz 71454 Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot FAQs —