The Nintendo and LEGO ride isn’t ending anytime soon, with the iconic brands announcing the latest addition to their Super Mario set: Mario & Yoshi (71438) in all their pixelated ’90s glory.
The new 1215-piece set is designed to appear as though a moment has been taken directly from the 16-bit Super Nintendo classic, 1990’s Super Mario World – and blown up to over 40cm tall.
⚡ Flashback: As I’m sure a lot of you did, I owned Super Mario World thanks to it being bundled in with the Super Nintendo. It’s an icon to me and an all-time favourite game that, I must confess, I still think about often. Funnily enough, I’ve always remembered myself being 10 when I got my SNES, as that’s how old I was in 1990, but the console didn’t actually launch in Australia until 1992 – the year before I started high school!
It gets better: the new Mario & Yoshi set is no mere static statuette. Thanks to a host of cogs and arms behind the scenes, the world’s most famous plumber and his generous dino steed are animated!
Well, Yoshi is, but that’s plenty. With the help of a little crank, Yoshi’s feet move to simulate walking as his body moves subtly up and down.
A second knob causes his super sticky tongue to shoot out of his mouth – but, alas, his favourite apples and koopa shells aren’t included…
See it in action with the videos below!
Introduced in time for the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con, the new Mario & Yoshi kit is the fifth addition to the series, and Super Mario World was chosen as the source in honour of it being Yoshi’s first appearance.
Yoshi has already appeared in the wider LEGO Nintendo set, including the other colour forms of his species, but this is his first appearance in ‘2D’ LEGO guise.
“In this model, we wanted to capture the original sprite animation from Super Mario World,” said Carl Merriam, a Senior Designer on LEGO Super Mario.
“This meant re-creating the pixel art in LEGO bricks and then adding a mechanism to make Yoshi run with Caped Mario riding on his back. AND if that wasn’t enough fun, we also added a dial to make Yoshi’s tongue pop in and out – just like in the game!”
Along with The Mighty Bowser and Piranha Plant, the new Mario & Yoshi set is part of LEGO’s Adults Welcome series, “designed to bring fond memories to all LEGO fans who remember Super Mario as an essential part of their childhood”.
Nintendo sez: The new LEGO® Super Mario™ Super Mario World™: Mario & Yoshi set is available for preorder starting today via LEGO.com/mario_yoshi and available to buy from October 1st, 2024, via LEGO stores, LEGO.com and from select leading retailers around the world.
How much does the LEGO Mario & Yoshi set cost?
Available for pre-order now ahead of its October 1 launch, Lego Mario & Yoshi is priced at AU$199 in Australia, €129.99 in Europe, US$129.99 in the US and £114.99 in the UK.
Details
- Age: 18+
- Pieces: 1215
- Product Number: 71438
- Dimensions: Over 15.5 in. (40 cm) high, 10 in. (26 cm) wide and 4 in. (11 cm) deep
- Available: October 1st, 2024
And just in case you need any proof of my Super Mario World credentials…
By the way… have you ever seen the Japan-market box for the SNES, known there as the Super Famicom?
Super cool design.
Mike Stevens
Founder
Mike is a designer and journalist with nearly 20 years’ experience in automotive and consumer technology, editing and leading titles like The Motor Report, CarAdvice, Drive, and WhichCar. He is the co-founder of The Motor Report, and the founder of DadBase.
He’s also a photographer, gadgethead and erstwhile cyclist, and the proud ADHD dad to two ADHD kiddos.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Mike relocated to Berlin in 2024 with his wife and kids for travel and culture adventures.
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