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N&B Block
N&B Block, also known as Nintendo Block (任天堂 ブロック) is a building toy line manufactured by Nintendo, with the first sets releasing in 1968.[1] The blocks were designed by Nintendo's games department under Gunpei Yokoi.
N&B Block uses a similar stud-locking system to LEGO bricks, though the N&B Block system uses a series of connected, alternating half-tubes, rather than the tube-locking system patented by LEGO.[2] In addition, the N&B Block line uses not only the standard brick pieces but also of a variety of other shapes, including various curved and round shapes; Nintendo would use this uniqueness in its advertisements to market N&B as the superior product compared to the blocky composition of models built using LEGO.[2]
Another Nintendo toyline released during 1968, People House, would use N&B Blocks as well. Each set comes with a box of N&B bricks that can be built into decorations using the plastic front cover for the house, which features N&B studs.[1][3]
In early 1972, Nintendo ceased production of N&B Block.[1]
N&B Block sets
- Aircraft Carrier
- Build a Panda
- Coaster
- Crane Set
- Crater
- Electric Clock ("House", "Rocket", "Books")
- Flower Set
- Garden House
- Gondola
- Jet Plane
- Leisure House
- N&B Block Ringer
- N&B Train
- Playing House Set
- Reception Set
- Rocket
- Zoo
Parts sets
Parts sets came in smaller boxes and provided a singular type of block.
- P-01
- P-10
- P-20
- P-30
- P-35
- P-40
- P-60
- P-70
- P-80
- P-90
Mixed sets
Sets released in the Mixed (ミックス) line provided a variety of blocks, as well as instructions for basic models.
- NB 1400-MX
- NB 800-MXB
- NB 1400-MXB
- NB 1800-MXA
- Universe Set
While not a part of the Mixed series, Nintendo would later release a pair of small sets containing exclusively rectangular parts. These were:
- NB 500-14
- NB 800-14
Tokusatsu sets
In the early 1970's, Nintendo acquired the license to release sets for buildable N&B figures based on the protagonists of popular tokusatsu television series.[4] These sets included
Trivia
- Following their discontinuation, the only reference to N&B Block in a Nintendo video game appears in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The fourth stage of the Mario Zone is built out of N&B Block, as shown by the inscription "N&B" that can be found by looking in a certain corner in the level.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Nintendo N&B Block - Introduction (任天堂 ブロック, 1968-72). beforemario.com (October 15, 2011). Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 N&B Block vs LEGO (任天堂 ブロック vs レゴ). beforemario.com (January 24, 2014). Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ↑ Nintendo People House (ピープルハウス, 1968). beforemario.com (October 29, 2011). Retrieved April 3, 2017.
- ↑ Nintendo N&B Block - Silver Kamen, Kamen Rider and Mirror Man (任天堂 ブロック シルバー仮面, 仮面ライダー,ミラーマン, 1971). beforemario.com (April 24, 2011). Retrieved April 3, 2017.
