Lego’s Mario collaboration has always juked when people have expected it to jive. Ever since the company revealed that its first major Nintendo line would not feature minifigures, but buildable platforming levels and chunky, electronically-enhanced takes on Mario and his pals, Lego has always done the unexpected when it comes to everyone’s favorite gaming plumber. Even the “traditional” Mario-themed sets are less about minifigures and playsets, but buildable interactive display pieces. So it’s perhaps no surprise then that Lego’s take on Mario Kart is a little larger-than-life too.
To celebrate Gamescom, this morning Lego officially unveiled the first wave of its Mario Kart sets. Previously announced earlier this year, the first six sets are due for release in early 2025.
Ranging from $15 to up to $80, there’s not a single traditional minifigure to be found among any of the sets. Instead, Lego Mario Kart is scaled for larger, brick-built characters, similar to the non-electronic figures in Lego’s other Mario sets. You won’t even find Mario, Peach, or Luigi among them either… unless you want their baby versions, that is.
Each set in the line comes with various accessories, from race markers like cones to item boxes and weapons like red and green shells or banana peels to customise your own race track, climaxing in the largest set, the $80 Baby Peach & Grand Prix, which comes with a start line and track barriers. Every set comes with a either a kart or bike and their respective racers, save for two: the Standard Kart set ($20), which is inspired by Mario’s kart from Mario Kart 8 and includes a red Toad mechanic, and Toad’s Garage ($40), which instead comes with Mario’s B Dasher from Mario Kart DS and two blue Toad mechanics. Here’s a full break down of each set and its price:
- Yoshi Bike, $15, comes with a light blue Yoshi, shells, traffic cones, and an item block
- Standard Kart, $20, comes with a red Toad mechanic, shells, and a workstation
- Baby Mario vs. Baby Luigi, $30, comes with Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, shells, and balloons
- Donkey Kong & DK Jumbo, $35, comes with Donkey Kong, shells, a banana peel, and a target
- Toad’s Garage, $40, comes with two red Toad mechanics, shells, and a full garage including swappable wheels
- Baby Peach & Grand Prix, comes with Baby Peach, Toad, Lemmy the Koopaling, a starting gate, podium, and various accessories
Although none of the karts or figures have the electronic features that have come to define the Lego Super Mario line, the Mario Kart sets all carry on in a similar vein–customisable sets that prioritize physical play over simply being small display pieces or traditional playsets. It might not still be to everyone wanting a traditional Lego minifigure of the Mushroom Kingdom’s denizens, but they still look pretty fun. You’ll just have to go to Animal Crossing and The Legend of Zelda for your Lego Nintendo minifigure fix, for now.
The Lego Mario Kart sets are due for release January 1, 2025
Check Lego new releases at Amazon
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