After yesterday’s cryptic teaser, LEGO and Nintendo have officially revealed the new 2021 Nintendo set – 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block, a 2064-piece homage to the one of the THE most influential video games of all time Super Mario 64
This incredible design, which looks like a classic Mario Question Mark Block hides micro-worlds from the Nintendo 64 classic on the inside, opening up to reveal iconic levels such as Peach’s Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land.
The set will be priced at US$169.99 / AU$289.99 and has a release date of 1 October, and will be available exclusively from LEGO.com, or LEGO brand retail stores, ahead of wider availability in 2022.
See below for regional links and pricing:
- LEGO 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block [US] – US$169.99
- LEGO 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block [AUS] – AU$289.99
- LEGO 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block [UK] – £159.99
- LEGO 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block [EU] – €169.99
- LEGO 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block [CAN] – CA$199.99
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Super Mario 64 is a really special game, and for those of us old enough to grow up with the Nintendo 64, I cannot stress just how innovative and influential the game is.
As games were transitioning to the 64-bit era, and polygonal graphics were becoming a thing, Mario 64 was solely responsible for defining an entire generation of games, as for the very first time, Mario went from side-scrolling platformer, to a fully 3D game, where Mario could roam in more than the X and Y axis.
The set, incorporates so much that is iconic about Super Mario – it’s “primary mode” is the classic Question Mark block, measuring about 18cm on each side. Completely smooth, with studs on the question mark.
Like all question mark blocks that contain surprises, or power-ups, the box flaps open up to reveal tiny micro-worlds with pay homage to some of the most iconic levels of Super Mario 64, as well as the “hub world” of Peach’s Castle that connects you to each world through paintings.
Watch it in action in this video
Very, very pleased to see Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land.
Cool Cool Mountain is an especially memorable one…. I mean, who hasn’t thrown the baby penguin into the abyss to piss off the Mother Penguin?
One of the most common requests from LEGO and Nintendo fans are actual LEGO Super Mario minifigures, so this will be slightly disappointing, but to fit with the scale of the world, the set comes with these microfigures instead.
They’re just okay, but I guess it does fit the overall theme.
This is ultimately a fantastic display set that’s a love letter to one of the most important video games of all time, and for LEGO, Nintendo and Mario fans, a brilliant tribute.
In true Nintendo fashion, the concept of the set itself defies expectations, and does showcase a sense of “out of the box” (literally) creativity that you’d expect from a LEGO and Nintendo product.
I can’t wait to share my review soon, but keep an eye out on the blog for when it drops in just over a week away.
Oh and if you’ve read till this far, like any ? block, there’s bound to be surprises in here, and what has officially been revealed isn’t the full extent of the set… there’s a special surprise in the set that isn’t featured anywhere on the box, or official photos 🙂
It’s not for everybody, but if you are the person the set is designed to appeal to, you’re going to absolutely love it.
71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block will be released on 1 October 2021 and will retail for US$169.99 / AU$289.99, available exclusively from LEGO.com.
LEGO Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block Press Release
Today, the LEGO Group has announced the LEGO Super Mario 64 ? Block, a new set packed with nostalgia from the Nintendo® video game that takes Super Mario and LEGO fans on a trip down memory lane. Arriving twenty-five years on from the initial launch of the iconic Super Mario 64 video game, the ? Block set features a large brick-built ? Block that opens to reveal four different, but instantly recognisable levels from the game: Peach’s Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land.
With its unique combination of nostalgic game moments, creative possibilities and surprising functions, the ? Block set is a unique way for fans to rediscover the magic of Super Mario 64.
The introduction of the ? Block is the latest build on the unique partnership between the LEGO Group and Nintendo®, which has introduced an entirely new way to play with LEGO bricks through the popular LEGO® Super Mario™ product line. The LEGO Super Mario universe launched last year with a Starter Course featuring an interactive LEGO® Mario™ figure, which players can use to collect digital coins and enjoy instant responses via LED screens and a speaker. Earlier this year, the LEGO Group launched the LEGO® Adventures with Luigi Starter Course to encourage social play as the two characters can now interact with one another and jointly collect even more coins. The LEGO Super Mario universe also includes a series of Expansion Sets and Power-Up Packs, allowing builders to expand, rebuild and create unique levels in new interactive ways for endless fun.
As well as including levels from the Super Mario 64 game, the ? Block set includes several microfigures of iconic characters that can be placed in the detailed scenes, such as fan-favorites Mario and Princess Peach. For interactive play, fans can also add their LEGO Mario or LEGO® Luigi™ figures for unique music and sounds from the video game, plus seek out the hidden Power Stars that reveal secret reactions from the figures. Hints for how to find the Power Stars can be found in the Building Instructions.
“We know how much Super Mario fans have loved the LEGO Super Mario experience, and wanted to tap into even more elements of the traditional game play capturing the immersive play experience of Super Mario 64,” said Pablo Gonzalez Gonzalez, Senior Designer at the LEGO Group. “It’s difficult to imagine the Super Mario Universe without the classic game’s iconic levels full of discovery and secrets. With this amazing set, we’re building on the exciting play experience of LEGO Super Mario, both to bring a bit of nostalgia for those who played the Super Mario 64 video game, but also to introduce these wonderful levels to a whole new audience of Super Mario fans.”
The full list of items included in the LEGO Super Mario 64 ? Block set announced today are:
- Brick-built ? Block with 2,064-pieces.
- Several LEGO® Super Mario™ microfigures including: Mario, Princess Peach, and King Bob-omb, as well as a Chain Chomp, Big Bully, Mr. I, Lakitu, Mother Penguin, Li’l Penguin and more.
- Four detailed, buildable versions of Super Mario 64 levels: Peach’s Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land.
Fans will be able to get their hands on the LEGO Super Mario 64 ? Block set exclusively from LEGO Retail Stores and LEGO.com.au from October 1, 2021. From 2022 it will become available at other leading retailers around the world. The recommended retail price for the ? Block set is 289.99 AUD.
This does look quite clever – this is one theme that isn’t for me.