The Lego Super Mario range brings together quality products that respect the Nintendo license that it transposes. But the recreational potential remains limited in the face of construction possibilities that have existed since the dawn of time.
The merger between Lego and Nintendo seemed so obvious that one wonders why the wedding did not take place sooner. Lego already has a foothold in the world of video games, thanks to the adaptations signed by Traveler’s Tales in partnership with Warner Bros. There was even a brilliant – but poorly paid – attempt in the toys-to-life (video games associated with toys). For its part, Nintendo has been marketing toys for a long time (we are not talking about amiibo) and it has been decades since it has taken pleasure in finding new ways to have fun. The alliance between the two entertainment giants takes the form of a lineup centered around the mascot Super Mario – anda magnificent reproduction of the NES console.
The idea behind these sets is simple: to allow (older) young people to make Mario levels with Lego bricks and then play with their creations using an interactive minifigure – as cute as it is ingenious. Let’s sweep away the main flaw of this range: the price. To make more and more complex courses, it is necessary to buy extensions costing several tens of euros. Some would say that Nintendo and Lego invented the DLC in real life. And for those who would like to buy everything, it will be necessary to spend nearly 600 euros. It is more expensive than a pack of a Nintendo Switch and Super Mario Maker 2.
The best asset of a Lego product remains the construction
Construction
Lego Super Mario are Lego products like any other, in the sense that they require a passage through the construction box. Those who have not assembled bricks for years should know that Lego has facilitated this step for several years: the bricks are stored in numbered bags for easier navigation. Small feature of this range: the instructions are only accessible via an iOS or Android application.
Said application is very well done: in addition to being clear and colorful, it offers videos showing the usefulness of each of the elements that must then be assembled to create your course. It’s very educational, and even a very young child will know how to navigate it with a parent behind when needed. He will understand without any problem the concept of making the Mario figurine – equipped with a sensor – interact with certain parts by passing over it. The application is also essential to update the figurine each time a set is added, automatically recognized in a 3D modeled environment.
Lego and Nintendo oblige, the quality of manufacture is there and fans will be delighted to learn that no box contains stickers (which do not resist time, let alone physical interactions). Better, the designers managed to recreate with precision the different characters of the Mario mythology. Whether it’s Bowser Jr. or a simple Koopa, you can easily recognize the guys designed by Nintendo. We already imagine that some purists will buy sets to recover the figurines in the name of the simple collection.
It’s pretty and well thought out
Moreover, to best illustrate the Mario heritage, the parts are colored and the assemblies seem harmless despite the traps that can be built. In terms of authenticity and respect for the brand, the range hits the nail on the head and constitutes a successful derivative product. As a bonus, there are some aesthetic elements that recall the levels seen in video games (clouds, plants, pipes, etc.). It’s pretty and well thought out.
The game itself
The Lego Super Mario range therefore takes the form of a board game which consists of a timed race of 60 seconds during which you have to collect a maximum of parts (counted by the application). Lego and Nintendo have opted for simple rules to understand so as not to lose the very young. So much so that after a few parts we can see the limits of the concept: without any real restriction other than the time to manage, the play potential is quickly reached since it is not necessary to respect the milestones of its construction at the letter to validate the end of a level.
Some people will prefer to tap the elements in the order they want and will have fun with the noises made by the Mario figurine, which comes to life according to what it is made to do and reacts to the surface on which it evolves (spoiler : lava burns). We do not encounter any difficulty in reaching the end of the level and we can even decide to avoid the traps installed. The playful success of Lego Super Mario therefore depends on the good faith of those who will play: by respecting the specificities of each course, children will get less tired and have even more fun.
The great interest of the Lego Super Mario range is rather to go to the side of the construction possibilities. Here again, a simple rule is in place: you need a starting point (materialized by a pipe) and an ending point (the flag). Between the two, everyone is free to create what they want among the elements they have. We then place a few platforms to be connected by bricks in the shape of board then you populate your level with enemies who grant some coins when you eliminate them (by tapping on them).
The more sets you have, the more complex levels you’ll be able to design, keeping in mind that they should be able to be completed in 60 seconds – excluding cheats and bonuses that give you time. In the application, we can discover some suggestions and photos taken by sharing users. There is no doubt that the high quality of the product lies in this ‘construction’ part, confirming that Lego will never be really better in another area.
Lego was more inspired with its video game Dimensions, which relied on a well-thought-out physical portal to activate mechanisms in a video game (using minifigures to put on it). Conversely, one could almost believe that all the software overlay is too much with Mario, as it can inhibit the imagination. At least she brings all the little sounds that hit the mark. Some may do without it to live a more classic Lego experience, that is to say one that lets creativity express itself by assembling colored bricks together. The Mario stamp does the rest and Nintendo must see in these sets a way to attract the youngest to the universe that it has refined for so many years.
From Lego to Switch, there is only one step – at worst, a few spokes.
