As a fan of Nintendo’s Super Mario growing up, I was super excited to find out that LEGO collaborated with Nintendo for a series of Super Mario-themed play sets. This isn’t just your usual building playset, it’s an interactive one with loads of surprises that you’d never thought a LEGO playset could have.

 

Honestly, when the Mario Starter Set launched 2 years ago, I did not know what to expect and I did feel that it was quite expensive. Why is it so expensive? What’s so great about it? Okay, I know Mario can light up and all but is that all? – these were just some of the questions that were in mind when I first saw it on the shelves.

 

Now…. my perception to the price tag and the whole idea of the LEGO Super Mario sets has changed 360 degrees, and let me tell you guys, it’s so WORTH IT!!

 

Okay, so let’s get into the details of why I personally think this set is so freakin awesome!

 

Getting Started

To get started, you can choose from 3 different starter courses:

• Adventures with Mario
• Adventures with Luigi
• Adventures with Peach

 

 

Each starter course includes a brick-built version of the iconic characters complete with integrated displays, sound effects and much more, which brings these LEGO sets to a whole new level. Adventures with Peach Starter Course was just released this August, so players, you are now able to power up your adventures with even more fun options!

 

Inside the box you’ll find different bags with all the different LEGO parts for the course, but it all starts with the characters. With just two AAA batteries, your Mario will come to life. There are two LED displays that give him some interactive eyes, and he also has the ability to display some images on his chest.

 

 

The cool part about the figure is its ability to detect if it’s lying down, walking, jumping, eating, which are also accompanied by some sound effects. At the bottom of the figure there is an integrated scanner that detects various barcode bricks and differentiate colours, example; green – grass, blue – water and red – fire.

 

 

If that isn’t cool enough, get this; The figure can also be connected to the app and be paired with other figures as well, which means you can pair up with a second player and run the course together!

 

Elevating The Whole Experience

 

The best thing about the LEGO Super Mario set is the fact that LEGO actually gamified the whole experience! With the LEGO Super Mario app, you’ll be to find not just step by step instruction in video form (which makes it so much easier for kids to built), but you’ll also be able to connect your figure, detect the course and collect coins as you go through the course you built.

 

 

To start off, simply put Mario down into a warp pipe and the course will begin. By bonking enemies on the head or its back, “walking” along the course and hitting a question mark block, Mario earns coins and items respectively, but the character will also react to the environment he’s in. For example, hanging out on the green grass isn’t an issue, but spending too long on the red “lava” LEGO blocks will cause Mario to lose health – super fun!

 

 

Besides working as a digital manual for the building process, you can also connect to extra challenges and it also acts as a social platform that lets you see how your points compare against other players worldwide. The app is available on both the Google Play Store and the App Store.

 

Add-ons & Expansion Sets

Once you’ve gotten the hang of your starter course set, you’ll definitely want to add on some expansion sets to make the course more challenging and interesting. There are plenty of variety for you to choose from Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle, to Reznor Knockdown, Toad’s Treasure Hunt, Yoshi’s Gift House and many more!

 

 

You can be as creative as you want with the add-ons and expansions sets, but one thing that I notice, is that time is limited. So, even though you can connect and create all sorts of courses, you might not be able to finish the course if it’s too long. I mean, you can cheat your way and fly across the course (no one will know except you anyway.. hehe), but that probably won’t get you much points.

 

So I dug up some info on how we can add-on some time to the duration of the game and found that the Time Bonus Box is only included in the Piranha Plant Power Slide and Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle expansion sets, which is a bit of a bummer. But, there is still a chance for you to earn more time for the game though the Question Mark Box as well.

 

The Verdict

 

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the LEGO Super Mario sets are absolutely worth to get especially if you’re a Super Mario fan! The extra features and connectivity to the app is really what’ll make you hooked on to this experience.

 

Whether you’re a kid just getting to know about Super Mario or an adult who grew up loving Super Mario, the LEGO Super Mario collection are definitely sets that both kids and adults can enjoy together.

 

All of the LEGO Super Mario sets are available across LEGO Certified Stores, LEGO Official Store on Lazada, Shopee, LEGOLAND as well as major retailers and department stores in Malaysia.