Pre-orders open for LEGO Super Mario + more sets revealed!

April 8, 2020 | 4

Yesterday, LEGO and Nintendo gave us a more detailed glimpse into LEGO Super Mario with the unveiling of the Starter Course set, and two expansion packs –

Since its unveiling which left more than a few people scratching their heads because of the very unconventional collision of digital and physical play features.

We also have a release date for LEGO Super Mario – it will be available globally on 1 August 2020.

LEGO have also opened pre-orders for the Starter set:

• LEGO 71360 Adventures with Mario Starter Course [US] – US$59.99
• LEGO 71360 Adventures with Mario Starter Course [AU] – AU$89.99
• LEGO 71360 Adventures with Mario Starter Course [UK] – £49.99

Unfortunately, due to demand, the pre-orders have sold out temporarily in the US and UK, but it’s still available in Australia.

In the US and UK, people who pre-ordered could receive the 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set as a gift with purchase.

The offer doesn’t seem to be active in Australia just yet, and I would pull the trigger if it became available, so for now, I’ll wait.

Check out the video from LEGO, where Lead Designer, Jonathan Bennink unveils more of what you can expect from the LEGO Mushroom Kingdom.

First up is the Piranha Plant Power Slide, which seems to incorporate a slider/see saw play mechanism between two Piranha Plants. It makes use of the Roller Coaster rails for smooth sliding action, as demonstrated in the video.

The most interesting reveal in the video was the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set – a boss level where you build a showdown between Mario and his eternal nemesis Bowser.

The build looks really detailed, and I love the presence of Boo and Dry Bones in the castle, as well as the Bowser statue behind him.

I really like what I’ve seen so far, and I’m very encouraged by the price which doesn’t seem too prohibitive considering the technology that’s present in LEGO Mario – LEGO have squeezed in visual sensors, an accelerometer, speakers, and screens into a tiny form factor, and kept it fairly affordable too.

Judging from how quickly the pre-orders sold out, LEGO have definitely got another hit on their hands. Anecdotally, my 3-year old daughter has been OBSESSED with the launch trailer, asking to watch it every day, so I’m pretty confident that this will be massively popular with kids and families.

Did you manage to sneak in a pre-order? Let me know what you think of what’s been shown off so far!