Tag Archives: Super Mario

Is the LEGO 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) more than just a 1-UP of 1980’s Super Mario nostalgia? [Review & Video]

It’s important to understand as you read this review of the new LEGO 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System that I never owned an NES myself as a kid back in the 80’s. But I wanted one. After all, it felt like nearly every one of my friends in the neighborhood in Japan where I lived had a Famicom, or later the true NES launched in 1985. As I went over to my friends’ houses and played Super Mario and the very first Legend of Zelda, I so very desperately wanted one! But I never did, partly because I was told that I had enough toys in the form of all the LEGO underfoot in my bedroom. Now, I can buy my own (US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99) and build it for myself from LEGO, which seems even better. Does this marriage of my favorite little plastic bricks with the big plastic brick of my dreams live up to 35 years of pent-up expectations? Let’s find out…

Read our hands-on review of LEGO 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System

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Your guide to the 113 new LEGO sets now available for August 2020 including the Nintendo NES, Grand Piano, Star Wars and more [News]

August has arrived and that means new LEGO sets! LEGO has launched 108 new sets and items available today. In addition to new sets like the Nintendo NES and Super Mario lineup, Ideas Grand Piano, Star Wars 501st Battle Pack and LEGO Art, fans in the US and Canada can finally celebrate the summer arrival of Harry Potter, Creator 3-in-1, City, and Ninjago waves that you’ve waited so patiently for. Nearly every LEGO theme has some new sets–it can be a lot to process!– so we have your complete guide right here detailing each and every new set and item. [EDIT: It appears that LEGO may have delayed the US & Canada release of some of these sets until September. We’ve asked for clarification.]

LEGO is also offering two free gifts-with-purchases at the start of August. The first is 30385 Super Mushroom Surprise, free with purchases of LEGO Super Mario sets more than US $40 through August 16th or while supplies last.

The second freebie is LEGO is also 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion with in-store purchases of the 71360 Adventures with Mario Starter Course through August 9th or while supplies last.

See the entire August 2020 wave of new LEGO sets now available

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It’s a me, Mario! And all my friends, too!

Now that LEGO has released a line of Super Mario sets, I’m sure we’re not far from a massive uptick in the number of Mario-related custom builds. Anticipating them is Koen Zwanenburg, who has designed a series of cuddly characters from the games. I’m a bad child of the ’80s and don’t know all of them, but I can recognize Mario and Luigi, as well as Peach, Bowser, and Yoshi. Aficionados can no doubt name them all at just a glance since Koen has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of each with just a few parts. I love the jumper plates for mustaches on the brothers, but my favorite detail is the plates with teeth as Bowser’s toes. But they’re all great. Or should I say super?

Cuddly Toys: The Mario Collection

This is not the first set of cute and cuddly creations by Koen; check out some adorable animals and delightful Christmas characters!

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LEGO 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System is a buildable NES console complete with Super Mario Bros. [News]

LEGO and Nintendo have partnered to reveal 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, a buildable NES console and a retro CRT “tube” TV that comes with a Super Mario Bro. cartridge and a scrolling level reminiscent of World 1-1. The instant nostalgia trip is made up of 2,646 pieces and even comes with an 8-bit Mario.

The NES will be sold exclusively by LEGO through the end of 2020 then expand to other retailers starting in 2021. The set will sell for US $229.99 | CAN $299.99 | UK £209.99 beginning August 1st, the same day that the other new LEGO Super Mario sets become available for purchase.

(Edit: LEGO originally listed the purchase price of US $199.99 online and in its press release and then updated the online price to US $299.99 and then updated it again to US $229.99. We have received confirmation from LEGO that US $229.99 will be the final price.)

Take a closer look at the LEGO Nintendo NES

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LEGO Nintendo Super Mario full theme revealed with 16 sets and a collectible blind-bag series [News]

LEGO has revealed what we believe is the complete LEGO Super Mario lineup, which amounts to 16 individual sets and ten blind bags–one of the largest single-theme launches LEGO has ever undertaken. LEGO revealed its partnership with Nintendo back in March and has since been drip-feeding us information about the theme, revealing a few sets at a time.

The theme is focused around the base adventures set–which is the only set to include the electronic Mario “digi-fig”–and is available to pre-order now for US $59.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £49.99. Today’s product reveal includes several previously unseen level expansions featuring Thwomp and King Boo, a LEGO Super Mario app, as well as a collectible bling-bag series of enemies including a Paragoomba, Fuzzy, Spiny, Buzzy Beetle, Bullet Bill, Bob-omb, Eep Cheep, Blooper, Urchin and Peepa. The entire LEGO Super Mario lineup will be available starting August 1st.

We’ve listed every set in the LEGO Super Mario theme along with photos, price and availability.

Click to see more photos of each product in the LEGO Super Mario lineup

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LEGO adds to Super Mario theme, revealing four new Power-Up expansion packs [News]

LEGO has unveiled four small expansion packs for the upcoming LEGO Super Mario theme that integrates a large digital Mario figurine with a buildable game course. These expansions, called Power-Up Packs, are priced at $9.99 USD and will require the base Super Mario Starter Pack set that was developed in conjunction with Nintendo. The new expansions add more costumes for the world’s most famous plumber, adding a cat suit, builder outfit, propeller beanie, and fire suit, but don’t include the actual Mario figurine from the Starter Set. They join three previously announced LEGO Super Mario expansions that are much larger, which along with a small polybag set bring the theme’s total to nine sets revealed so far. All of the sets are slated to be available Aug. 1, and the Starter Pack is available to pre-order now for US $59.99 | CAN $69.99 | UK £49.99.

Click here to check out all the details

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LEGO and Nintendo unveil Super Mario Adventures starter course and Bowser’s Castle expansion set [News]

LEGO and Nintendo have unveiled the first wave of sets in the Super Mario theme, with the core set being 71360 Adventures with Mario. The 231-piece starter course comes with the Mario “digi-fig,” buildable Bowser Jr. and a Goomba, and will retail for US $59.99 | CAD 69.99 with pre-orders beginning today for general availability starting August 1st.

LEGO and Nintendo have also revealed two expansion sets, Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle which will retail for US $99.99 | €59.99 and the Piranha Plant Power Slide which retails for US $29.99 | €29.99.

Click to see close-up views of all three of the LEGO Super Mario sets.

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Double jumps and pipe dreams

If you think about it, the Super Mario universe is one of the only places where you want to go down the tubes. I mean, other than a water slide, where else can you find something fun at the end of a “plumbing” pipe? Perhaps this extra large (64×64 stud) pixleated pipe, built by H.Y. Leung, contains all the extra coins Mario could dream of.

It's Lego Mario time!

And don’t worry, he’s not going to be stuck in mid-air forever. This pipe contains an equally large mechanism inside to move him up and down.

If you’d like to see more of H.Y. Leung’s builds, be sure to check out our previous articles highlighting them.

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The entire world of Mario Kart just got shrunk by lightning

With the exciting news of the forthcoming LEGO and Nintendo Super Mario partnership, we should expect to see a bunch of LEGO creations imagining what some of the forthcoming sets might look like beyond those revealed in the press release. BenBuildsLego is off the starting grid early, with this wonderful idea — an Architecture-style line up of iconic tracks from the classic racing game Mario Kart 64. We’ve got six tracks, each immediately recognizable just from a tiny seven-brick-wide segment: Koopa Troopa Beach, Mario Raceway, Bowser’s Castle, Sherbet Land, Wario Stadium, and of course, Rainbow Road. If you didn’t start humming the tunes for each of those as you read through the list, are you even a real Mario fan?

LEGO Mario Kart Nintendo

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LEGO and Nintendo reveal new Super Mario product line [News]

LEGO and Nintendo have revealed a new Super Mario product line that features an interactive LEGO Mario figure who collects coins in levels created with physical LEGO bricks. The partnership with Nintendo was teased earlier this week and will bring an entirely new kind of game experience based on everyone’s favorite plumber. The oversized Mario figure contains a screen and speaker and reacts to the level built around it.

The press release from LEGO calls the new lineup “neither a video game nor a traditional LEGO brick-based set,”  letting kids create their own gaming environment like Super Mario Maker except with physical bricks. LEGO Super Mario will be available “later this year” with no specific date mentioned. (EDIT: Read our exclusive interview with one of the designers of LEGO Super Mario for more info.)

Click to get a closer look at photos and video of LEGO Super Mario

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LEGO partners with Nintendo to create LEGO Super Mario theme [News]

Teased on the LEGO Twitter account and Facebook page today, a brand new LEGO licensed theme developed in partnership with Nintendo is coming soon. It looks like one of the most famous video game characters, Super Mario is about to get his own lineup of LEGO building sets. The teaser doesn’t reveal much but gives a hint on what Mario minifigure will look like.

Click here to watch the teaser…

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