Josh Hendrickson
LEGO and Nintendo are going co-op to bring us LEGO Super Mario sets. It’s a unique take on LEGO, set apart by a Mario figure with built-in LCD screens, speakers, and sensors to interact with the LEGO Mario world sets. Today, LEGO starts pre-orders on the $59 starter course, with more sets to come. And all pre-orders come with extra LEGO Super Mario add-on.
As we expected, the LEGO Super Mario course will be a series of sets and add-ons. To get going, you’ll need the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course, which comes with a LEGO Mario, Goomba figure, Bowser Jr., start pipe, and goal pole.
The battery-powered Mario figure looks different than any LEGO minifig, thanks to his LCD screen eyes and stomach. As you move him around the set a series of sensors, like an accelerometer and color sensor, determine his placement and interact accordingly. You can download a free LEGO Super Mario app (coming later this year) to track scores and find digital building instructions.
LEGO also revealed the first add-on sets, though you can’t pre-order them yet. You’ll be able to pick up a $30 Piranha Plant Power Slide set. As the name suggests, it features two Pirahna Plants and a slide between the two that works a lot like a seesaw.
Additionally, LEGO showed off the $99 Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set, and of the three initial sets, it is by far the largest (and therefore most expensive). That set pits Mario against the titular Bowser in front of a castle, naturally featuring an imposing statue of the baddie himself. You’ll also get a Boo figure, a Koopa Troopa Figure, and a Bowser-themed end goal. All the sets are modular, and you can build and rebuild courses nearly any way you want.
Pre-orders for the Starter Course begin today and include an add-on Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set, and LEGO says the full assortment will be available on August 1st, 2020.
