Mega Construx vs. LEGO: A Minifigure Comparison (2024)

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LEGO. Everybody knows it. Everybody recognizes that iconic red logo and blocky minifigure style.

I’ve been a LEGO fan for many years and it was LEGO that got me into toy photography in the first place. My LEGO collection is, ahem, probably too big, and I love it.

But let’s stop for a minute and go where no self-respecting LEGO fan would dare to travel: the world of ‘Bootlegos.’ Mega Construx, formerly Mega Bloks, has been one of the biggest bootleg brands out there, and I always HATED it. Crummy looking figures, cheap bricks. There was nothing good to be found with that brand.

Then something happened. My toy photography exploration took me from LEGO to action figures and I found I quite enjoyed photographing the Halo universe. And then I learned that my nemesis, Mega Construx, had innovated and evolved. They went where LEGO never would, and took up IPs that LEGO couldn’t touch. They went beyond and became something unique.

Still though, the fanbases are usually at odds—each side sure their brand of choice is the best. What if neither brand is the best? What if both can coexist, and even complement each other?

To find answers to these questions, let’s take a closer look at each line.

Star Wars, City, Castle, Ninjas, Mechs, Brickheadz, etc.—LEGO has a ridiculously huge range of themes and sets. There’s something for everyone and a minifigure for every occasion. It’s a toy photographer’s sandbox. With the proper dose of creativity, one can build anything and bring any scene to life.

The simple, clean design of LEGO minifigures makes for fairly easy photo shoots—until you try to get super dynamic with your poses.

LEGO’s quality has been strong for years, which has helped them become one of the biggest toy companies in the world. Fans have come to trust that high standard.

The Mega Construx, or Mega Bloks, brand does not get good reaction when spoken to many LEGO fans. But being a toy photographer means being willing to disregard toy brand names in order to tell stories. Mega Construx caught my eye because they were putting out tiny, fully posable Halo action figures.

They also put out sets from franchises like Masters of the Universe, Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, etc. All lines LEGO would never touch.

Figures in the sets are no longer sad, minifigure wannabes. They’ve become highly articulated micro action figures. Most of them can rival your average Star Wars the Black Series or Marvel Legends figures in terms of posing options.

However, unlike LEGO (and more like an action figure company), quality can be spotty sometimes.

So, to recap:

LEGO Pros:

• Huge selection
• Longstanding charm
• Simple, clean designs
• Quality

LEGO Cons:

• Low posing options
• Somewhat pricey

Mega Construx Pros:

• Goes for themes LEGO won’t try
• Highly posable
• Low price

Mega Construx Cons:

• Spotty quality
• Hard to find

Both brands complement each other quite well. Both sides have pros and cons, but in the end, neither is better. It comes to personal preference when it’s time to decide which to buy. I have shot both LEGO and Mega Construx, and they are equally enjoyable. Writing one off in favor of the other will close the door on many amazing photo opportunities.

So, if you prefer LEGO over Mega Construx, or Mega Construx over LEGO, I encourage you to switch things up and try something new.

Many adventures await.

– Zee Fowler (@demarcation_media)

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1. 

   Rogue StudiosFebruary 28, 2021 at 1:18 pm - Reply

   A very agreeable statement! Although I still prefer Mega over LEGO ?

2. 

   Tomasz LasekFebruary 28, 2021 at 11:09 pm - Reply

   Well, I’m in team LEGO for a long time but Mega Construx catched my attention with MOTU line.
   Maybe it’s only the case of Poland, but they’re far from low price. I checked also Game Of Thrones an Pokemon sets and they’re at least on the same price level as LEGO, or in MOTU case, even more expensive.

   Thanks Zee for this great comparison. I’ll try to catch the opportunity to find and shoot some Mega Construx figures.

3. 

   Dave DeBaeremaekerMarch 1, 2021 at 8:20 am - Reply

   Thanks for the review! I am not familiar with Mega Constux and it was nice to see the comparison.

   Personally, I think limiting oneself to a given system (in this case LEGO vs Mega Construx) is a little short sighted. For the purpose of photography, the toys are just another tool in the toolbox to get the image you need. One should use the best tool available to them to get the job done. (in the case of models, the deciding factor is “does it serve the artistic vision”).

4. 

   MarcoMarch 1, 2021 at 9:05 am - Reply

   I’m one of the haters of Mega. This until they made the MOTU line. Now i’m their biggest fan and i want every master of the universe they can produce.

5. 

   Sabrina PerryMarch 4, 2021 at 4:23 pm - Reply

   Dee, loved the article. I have pegged myself as a Lego Photographer because it’s in my handle @theperrylegoadventures
   and at the time I didn’t think anything of it. I love Playmobil and had more of those growing up than Lego. So, in my adulthood I was trying to make up for it by just getting Lego figures. Recently, I’ve been taking more photos on the side but not posting because well, I have to change the name first. I do like those Mega Construx Dragons. Those are really cool.

6. 

   Filly, From Mega Bloks UniverseSeptember 17, 2021 at 1:02 pm - Reply

   The most difference and importance between Lego and Mega Bloks is that the figures in lego are just a figure with 4 limbs that have 1 limb in each, you know all about it. Mega Bloks Figures come closer representing a real human figure. That’s what I find best about Mega Bloks.

7. 

   cameronFebruary 20, 2024 at 8:10 am - Reply

   lego is not the same as m,c i have both and i like both.

8. 

   Nick PApril 21, 2024 at 9:48 am - Reply

   I still find the quality in lego much better personally

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