Nintendo and LEGO have an interesting deal worked out to releaseLEGOSuper Mariosets starting this August that will take the popular building block toys above and beyond their usual means by giving Mario interactive digital screens. Today LEGO announced that the$60 Super Mario Starter Course Bundlewill be released alongside four separate $9.99 Power-Up Packs giving the portly plumber abilities from a variety of his popular video games.
The four power-ups featured by LEGO are Fire Mario from the NESSuper Mario Bros., Propeller Mario fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii, Cat Mario fromSuper Mario 3D World, and Builder Mario fromSuper Mario Makerand its sequel that recently received itsfinal DLC update. Each pack includes two snap-on outfit pieces that change LEGO Mario’s sound effects and digital features, allowing him to collect coins in different ways based on the actions they facilitate in those original titles.
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While these Power-Up Packs are set to launch the same day as the main starter course, fans of LEGO andSuper Marioalike may have to try extra hard to get their hands on Mario himself.Pre-orders on the Starter Course Bundle sold outsoon after they were announced in April.
Nintendo’s leading property is undoubtedly the face of video gaming around the world, even as Microsoft and Sony continue to release stellar games and have big plans with their next-generation consoles the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. That global popularity has led to various different media crossovers well before this LEGO series, including work on aSuper MarioAnimated Movie through Illumination.
At the same time there are alwaysMariogames in the pipeline, with one of Nintendo’s most recent announcements beingPaper Mario: The Origami Kingcoming to the Switch. For those who find LEGOSuper Mario’s price tag a little too steep to jump on board — or for those who simply can’t find any sets available online — the new game’s aesthetic has already inspiredDIY origami Princess Peach tutorials.
Between recent tie-ins with LEGO and Levi’s, Nintendo has clearly been eager to capitalize on the success of the Switch console. With characters as iconic as those found in theSuper Marioseries it’s an understandable pursuit, and LEGO Mario certainly seems like a fun, creative way to reimagine the fan-favorite property.
TheLEGOSuper MarioStarter Course Bundle and Power-Up Packs are slated for release on August 1st, 2020.
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