LEGO Super Mario Sets Worth Buying: Interactive Figures
As someone who has been playing since the NES days, my first encounter with the LEGO Super Mario line was genuinely surprising — it puts the video game idea of "clearing a level" into bricks. Three years and a dozen-plus builds later, people still ask me whether these sets are actually fun and whether they're worth the money. This guide covers the mistakes I've made and the sets that genuinely earn their place on the shelf.
Core gameplay: the interactive figure that "collects coins"
Start with the most interesting part of the line — the interactive electronic figures. Mario, Luigi and Peach each have a small screen in the chest and sensors in the belly and the soles of the shoes. Activate one on the green start pipe and the classic Super Mario theme plays. Step it onto color-coded bricks and the screen shows a coin count with scoring sound effects; step on the gray blocks that represent enemies and you lose health, while question-mark blocks let you "bump" out a star bonus. Better still, the figure has a recognition function — build different sets into one layout and it works out whether you've made a castle, a pipe or a volcano course, down to the flagpole finish animation at the end of a level. That blend of sound, light and electronics with hands-on building is something a traditional static set can't offer, and it is the heart of LEGO Super Mario.
Sets worth buying: from starter to expansion
The first tier of my list is the entry-level starter sets, such as the Mario Starter Course (71403). It includes the electronic figure, a small challenge course and roughly 200 pieces, so your first session covers the full loop of start — collect coins — reach the flagpole, and the price is the friendliest in the range. It is the obvious place to test the water. If you want the whole family of figures, add a Luigi or Peach starter set; the three figures interact with each other, which is how two-player co-op works.
The second tier is the expansion courses, and this is where the real difference shows. Sets like Peach's Castle (71408) and Yoshi's Apple House (71405) each unlock new sound effects and dedicated accessories, such as the slide mechanism on the castle tower or a shell that can be launched. My advice is not to buy everything at once. Pick one scene theme you like — desert or snow, for example — and build it into a single course corridor; that is far more satisfying than a pile of scattered purchases. Advanced builders can also go for Bowser's Castle (71411), which is large, mechanically complex and very much a centrepiece model.
Who it suits: families and nostalgic players
To be honest, this line has a very clear audience. Who is it for? First, families — the instant feedback from the electronic figure naturally appeals to children, and the build can be split between parent and child, with the kid placing bricks while the adult explains the level design. Second, nostalgic players like me: the double pull of video games and bricks means finishing a set feels like clearing a level. But if you want high-fidelity static display, or you care a great deal about part density, this may not be the best choice — the parts skew large and the style leans toward "game feel" rather than realism, so go in with the right expectations.
Buying advice
A few practical points. First, prioritise starter sets that include the electronic figure, because the figure is the entry point to the whole experience and buying one separately works out worse value. Second, choose expansion sets by scene theme rather than chasing every new release; the official site updates the interaction sound effects for each set from time to time, and picking a theme you like is how you get the most out of the gameplay. Third, watch the batch — early production runs of the electronic figures occasionally had reported battery-compartment contact issues, so buy through official channels and power the figure up to test it as soon as it arrives. Fourth, if you plan to turn any of this into MOC work, the color-coded bricks are fully compatible with ordinary bricks and pull apart easily to serve as scene parts.
In short: whether this line is "fun" depends on the person, but whether it is "worth buying" is a yes for most people. Want more Super Mario creative rebuilds, course plans and parts lists? Visit brickplan.cn, where breakdowns of the electronic figure gameplay and MOC instructions for whole scenes are updated regularly, so you can build the plumber's adventure your own way.