It’s safe to assume that most people are well-acquainted with the concept of LEGO®, and the concept of Super Mario™, but what about the two combined?
How does a game originally designed to be played on a console translate into a traditional block-building hobby/activity/lifestyle? After taking a look at the LEGO Super Mario starter kit, it appears the team over at LEGO have thought long and hard about this, too.
First, the basics. Each starter kit comes with the following: an interactive LEGO Mario; LEGO Bowser Jr, and 231 pieces including Goomba, the warp pipe and a tonne of blocks for LEGO Mario to conquer as you guide him through the custom course.
Have a look at the walkthrough video below which also includes an unboxing – the favourite element of any new purchase.
The aim of LEGO Super Mario parallels the OG console game in that the timer kicks into action when you place LEGO Mario in the warp pipe, before steering him through the various levels you create to collect coins, vanquish enemies, and smash special boxes and question mark bricks that give LEGO Mario power-ups and extra time.
LEGO Mario himself is equipped with special sensors and an accelerometer that give him the ability to register what he’s doing — he knows when he triple-jumps, smashes boxes or jumps on his adversaries.
The sensors underneath also scan different barcodes on the LEGO pieces to indicate whether he’s misstepped into a lava zone — which puts him into a “no-coin state” for a short time — or whether he’s safe on water, land or platform bricks.
The Bluetooth function also connects to an app on your phone which can be used to share your own custom courses or check out others to try for yourself and more.
Honestly, the tech in this tiny LEGO Mario is nuts.
The team at Kotaku also filmed a Battle of the Builds with YouTubers Camelworks and Lara6683 which you can check out on the Kotaku Facebook page in the coming month, so hopefully that will tide you over until you get your hands on your own set.
The starter kit goes for $89.99 and there are also a tonne of expansion packs if you burn through your current kit in record time, so don’t feel like you have to pace yourselves.