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LEGO Super Mario Launches on 8/1 - Two New Sets Revealed

by Willem Hilhorst - April 7, 2020, 5:28 am EDT
Total comments: 6 Source: LEGO Group

Destroy Bowser's castle brick by brick.

The LEGO Group and Nintendo revealed more details about the LEGO Super Mario sets today. In a short video presentation Jonathan Bannink of the LEGO Group showed off the LEGO Super Mario starter set, as well as two separate sets coming later this year. The LEGO Super Mario Starter Course includes the new interactive Super Mario figure, which has LCD screens in his eyes, mouth and belly that can display a variety of expressions and that respond to several of the bricks in the sets. As we've seen in the previous trailers, it can play sounds as well. The starter set also includes figures of a Goomba and Bowser Jr and is fully modular and expandable with additional LEGO Super Mario sets.

Speaking of those additional LEGO sets, The LEGO Group also revealed two new sets coming later this year. The Piranha Plant Power Slide Expansion Set (try saying that three times fast) includes a slide for the Super Mario figure and two Piranha Plants. But the real eye-catcher is a new set based on Bowser's Castle called the Boss Battle Expansion Set. Aside from featuring King Koopa himself, that set also includes a Boo and Dry Bones interactive figure.

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Finally the price and release date for the LEGO Super Mario starter set was revealed. The set costs $59.99 and will release on 8/1. Pre-orders are already available at the and if you pre-order from that site, you will receive the Monty Mole and Super Mushroom expansion sets for free (sold at a combined value of $14,99).

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Talkback

ejamerApril 07, 2020

I don't understand these sets. Although an interesting idea in theory... they are really expensive and (outside of Bowser, which I'm actually impressed by) don't have the usual "wow, that looks cool" factor that I expect from LEGO models.  Maybe it will all end up being much better than I expect though.

StratosApril 07, 2020

Still holding out hope for a Lego Mario Game. Maybe a joint effort between TT and Intelligent Systems to make a Lego/Paper Mario crossover?

Ian SaneApril 07, 2020

These seem more like a play set and less focused on building.  My brother is very into Lego and says that there was a point in the early 2000s where sales were down and they determined that the sets were too basic.  They mistakenly assumed that children would need easy-to-build sets and focused more on the play element for the completed sets.  When they switched back to the focus of building and children getting personal satisfaction from completing a complicated set themselves the sales went back up.  This doesn't really fit that philosophy.

My guess is that a lot of this is Nintendo's idea.  It seems to, frankly, miss the whole point of what Lego's appeal is and I can see Nintendo missing that but not Lego themselves.  I would think the real appeal of Lego based on licenced IP is that kids can make their own Star Wars or Marvel Superheroes world.  This seems too abstract for kids to make their own Mario world.  Mario isn't even a mini-fig!

Luigi DudeApril 08, 2020

Quote from: Ian

My guess is that a lot of this is Nintendo's idea.  It seems to, frankly, miss the whole point of what Lego's appeal is and I can see Nintendo missing that but not Lego themselves.  I would think the real appeal of Lego based on licenced IP is that kids can make their own Star Wars or Marvel Superheroes world.  This seems too abstract for kids to make their own Mario world.  Mario isn't even a mini-fig!

Considering Miyamoto is suppose to be in charge of these non-videogame related collaborations, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise.  At least be happy this is what he overlooks at Nintendo instead of the games divisions.  Maybe this is why the rumors say the next Paper Mario will be an RPG again because Miyamoto is too busy yelling at Lego instead of IS. ;D

Ian SaneApril 08, 2020

Quote from: Luigi

Quote from: Ian

My guess is that a lot of this is Nintendo's idea.  It seems to, frankly, miss the whole point of what Lego's appeal is and I can see Nintendo missing that but not Lego themselves.  I would think the real appeal of Lego based on licenced IP is that kids can make their own Star Wars or Marvel Superheroes world.  This seems too abstract for kids to make their own Mario world.  Mario isn't even a mini-fig!

Considering Miyamoto is suppose to be in charge of these non-videogame related collaborations, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise.  At least be happy this is what he overlooks at Nintendo instead of the games divisions.  Maybe this is why the rumors say the next Paper Mario will be an RPG again because Miyamoto is too busy yelling at Lego instead of IS. ;D

This is making me think of Marge Simpson baking a special cake for Homer to ruin.

NES_RPG_NERDApril 09, 2020

Quote from: Stratos

Still holding out hope for a Lego Mario Game. Maybe a joint effort between TT and Intelligent Systems to make a Lego/Paper Mario crossover?

I clicked on this thinking that was what was being reviewed :-/

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