Lego’s latest Mario-themed set is a giant homage to Super Mario 64, a giant question mark block that unfolds to reveal four levels from the Nintendo 64 game: Peach’s Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool Cool Mountain, and Lethal Lava Trouble. The “Lego Super Mario 64 ? Block set,” to use its official title, is made up of over two thousand pieces and will cost $169.99 when it goes on sale in Lego’s stores on October 1st.
From the trailer released today, the set looks great: four blocky dioramas of a game that itself looks pretty blocky by modern standards. But I have to split hairs and point out that, as far as I’m aware, the question mark block never actually appears in Super Mario 64. Seriously, go back and look at screenshots if you don’t believe me! Those blocks have little exclamation marks on them, not question marks!
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22837008/71395_LSM_2HY21_Lifestyle_02__1_.jpg "Lego’s latest Mario collaboration is a big question mark block 2")
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22837009/71395_LSM_2HY21_Lifestyle_15.jpg "Lego’s latest Mario collaboration is a big question mark block 3")
Along with the levels, you also get a few figurines of characters from the original game, including Princess Peach, King Bob-omb, Chain Chomp, and of course, Mario himself. If you’ve been keeping up with Lego’s previous Mario sets, then you’ll be happy to hear that your existing Lego Mario and Luigi figurines will also work with the set and will apparently unlock unique music and sounds when placed in the levels.
The announcement of the new set suggests that Lego has no intention of bringing its collaborations with Nintendo to an end. The Danish toy company released its first Mario set last year and added a Luigi figurine into the mix in 2021, along with other expansion sets. It also produced a blocky replica of the original Nintendo Entertainment System console alongside a miniature retro TV.
Personally, though, I’m crossing my fingers that these sets are popular enough to get Lego to consider some sets based on Nintendo’s other major franchises like The Legend of Zelda or Metroid. Plumber’s are great and all, but I’d find it pretty hard to resist having a small Lego replica of Samus Aran’s spaceship on my shelf. Maybe one day?
