Adventures with Interactive LEGO Mario
The LEGO Super Mario playsets allow you to build your own Mario courses. You use an LED Mario figurine to scan barcodes on enemies and obstacles, which creates audio feedback like music and classic Mario sounds. The coins you collect are tallied in an app, which syncs to Mario and documents your progress.
Quick Facts
| Developer | Universal Studios Hollywood Hub |
|---|---|
| Release Date | 2026 |
| Price | $59.99 |
This is the most recent starter set that comes with the Mario LED figure; all the other expansion sets will not "work" without it. It also comes with other essentials: a starting pipe, a Yoshi figure, a flagpole, and a Bowser, Jr. figure that rides inside a Junior Clown Car.
LEGO Piranha Plant
We built this set for its launch, and it managed to over deliver on its promise. The LEGO Piranha Plant has personality and adorability to spare, and its price belies its quality. It's rare to feel like you're ever getting a deal when you buy a LEGO set. But this Piranha in a pipe is reasonably priced and worth every penny. Highly recommended.
LEGO Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi
One of the best, most nostalgic LEGO sets in recent memory, this depiction of Mario & Yoshi moves with the turn of the crank. And it's not just Yoshi's feet – it's his head and arm, as well as Mario's cape. A separate mechanism triggers Yoshi to open his mouth and stick out his tongue. It's also nearly 16 inches tall, so the bright, 16-bit colors really pop. It's a great set that comes straight from our overall favorite Mario game ever made.
LEGO Great Deku Tree Set
We photographed and wrote about this set when it launched. A 2-in-1 build, this set lets you choose between the Ocarina of Time iteration or the Breath of the Wild iteration. You also get three versions of Link, one Princess Zelda, and accessories that include the Master Sword and a Hylian Shield. While it is definitely fun to put together, it is overall one of the more expensive LEGO sets you'll find.
Mario Kart - Mario & Standard Kart
The Mario & Standard Kart set mounts onto a tilted stand, which gives the impression that Mario is performing his signature power slide maneuver. We built and reviewed this set for its launch, and we were impressed by its size and expressiveness.
Prince Florian & Castle Bowser
Typically in Mario games, Bowser is the final boss of the final castle. But in 2023's Super Mario Wonder, he merges with and becomes the castle itself. Prince Florian & Castle Bowser doubles as both a display piece and a playset (compatible with the other LEGO Super Mario sets). Take the castle off its stand, and the head opens up to reveal additional interactive elements inside.
Game Boy
The LEGO Game Boy has a relatively low price of $59.99, along with a low piece count of 421. However, it's a near 1:1 scale replica of the classic gaming handheld, and it comes with two buildable "Game Pak" cartridges, Super Mario Land and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.
What Does the Future of LEGO Nintendo Look Like?
Today, the LEGO Super Mario sets are more substantial and detail-laden, even though they still have the barcodes that designate them as expansion playsets. The best of these sets make the mobile gameplay a secondary concern to how it looks on display, and how fun and engaging it is to build. And that is where the emphasis should always be. Because whether it's for kids or adults, the joy comes from the build itself; the final product is the outgrowth of that.