The LEGO Super Mario set 77907 Toad's Special Hideaway is a small box of 120 pieces that was initially to be sold during San Diego Comic Con 2020 and which ultimately will only be marketed through the official American online store at a price of $ 19.99.

Nothing exclusive in this small expansion which was to ensure the promotion of the LEGO Super Mario concept during the American convention which was finally canceled, the Toad minifigure is also available in the same form in the set 71368 Toad's Treasure Hunt Expansion Set (€69.99 / CHF109.00).

I think that among all the exclusives of which we are talking today and which will probably be marketed only across the Atlantic, this one should not be missed by many except perhaps those who have made it their mission to bring together all the products of the LEGO Super Mario range.

We continue the tour of the expansion packs that accompany the starter set 71360 Adventures with Mario (59.99 €) in the LEGO Super Mario range with a quick glance at the references 71363 Desert Pokey (180 pieces - 19.99 €), 71364 Whomp's Lava Trouble (133 pieces - 19.99 €) and 71376 Thwomp Drop (393 pieces - 39.99 €).

The and 71363 Desert Pokey Expansion Set (180 pieces - 19.99 €) offers only one real functionality: this is to knock out the Pokey composed of four stacked modules using a hammer attached to the end of a mobile platform to release the barcode to to scan. The sequence of destroying the cactus is fun, with the possibility of obtaining bonus coins thanks to the barcode placed in the base holding the hammer. Is there any for 19.99 €? Nothing is less certain, knowing that the mechanism used here to demolish the Pokey does not seem to me really inspired by the appearances of the character in the various versions of the game Super Mario Bros.

There will be a Topi Taupe (Monty Mole) to keep for your shelves, it is identical to the one seen in the promotional set 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set offered by LEGO for the launch of the range. The two boxes can also be combined to assemble a more consistent "desert" section of the game board.

The and 71364 Whomp's Lava Trouble Expansion Set (133 pieces - 19.99 €) is not much more ambitious than the previous one but it is sold at the same price. In terms of functionality, we are content with a mobile platform that circulates above the lava, a Whomp with the nicely pad-printed front face to be removed to release a P-Switch which allows you to gain some additional coins and a Koopa Trooper shell placed on a rotary axis which allows you to release the Lava bubble.

Bof, nothing to cry genius, even if this small box can come to expand a portion of level on the theme Lava. It will allow the passage to add a nice Whomp available only in this set to your collection of characters. Too bad for the injection point really visible on the pad printed part.

Finally, the set 71376 Thwomp Drop Expansion Set (393 pieces - 39.99 €) offers a little more construction than the two previous boxes and it allows to assemble a relatively elaborate mechanism with a Thwomp which comes as in the game crashing on the ground and causing its share of damage.

The module is rather compact and it will fit perfectly in the middle of a level without taking up too much space and offering a little volume to the whole, that's already taken. The principle is simple, we place Mario on the white platform, we slide the thing several times towards the mechanism integrated in the mast, the Thwomp falls in two distinct sequences, he actuates the red lever on the left and in the process dismisses the Lava bubble placed on the platform.

The whole thing may seem simplistic, but the designers have gone to great lengths to come up with realistic and rather fun action. The 390 pieces in the set are mainly in the central mast built around a Technic axis and in the body of the Thwomp. The product description praises the two difficulty levels available, with only one of the two white platforms equipped with studs for inserting the interactive Mario figure. It's up to the player to choose if he prefers to take the risk of slipping in the lava or not ...

To keep on your shelves: The Thwomp available only in this box and which is unfortunately only pad printed on the front side and the other sides of which are a little empty, two Lava bubbles and the four pieces pad printed with skulls of Dry bones.

In short, as with the majority of the other expansions currently sold by LEGO, these three small boxes bring more or less their share of features and characters to the initial game board, but it is up to everyone to assess the interest of spending the are requested for these additions which may ultimately seem a bit dispensable.

I remind for all intents and purposes that the interactive Mario figure is not provided in these boxes, it is only three extensions of the main game board which do not contain the starting sticker to be scanned to start a game nor that of arrival allowing to validate the progression within the time limit.

Note: The set of three sets presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 28, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

It's time to do a little promotion for the LEGO Stores which are currently offering the small LEGO Super Mario promotional set until August 16. 40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set for any purchase of the starter pack 71360 Adventures with Mario sold for € 59.99.

This little set does not offer anything exceptional or exclusive, but when we see the prices charged for the other expansions of this board game, we are not going to complain about getting a free product that adds some fun possibilities to the game. starter pack.

This 163-piece box also offers a little more interactivity than some of the paid expansions currently sold with a progression that allows you to rock the Stone-Eye seen in the New Super Mario Bros. game. U Deluxe to a mobile platform that ejects the Topi Taupe from its burrow. As usual, you have to hit hard to achieve the desired effect and make the mole fly away.

As with the other extensions of the LEGO Super Mario concept, the instructions for this set are only available through the dedicated application and this level is only an extension delivered without the start and finish stickers necessary to fully enjoy the product .

This small box will eventually allow some of those who want to keep only the different characters and accessories of the range to save some money: The Topi Taupe (or Monty Mole for purists) is also delivered in the set 71363 Desert Pokey sold for 19.99 €, the Super Mushroom is in the set 71366 Boomer Bill Dam sold for € 29.99 and the POW action brick is in the set 71362 Guarded Fortress sold for € 49.99.

I think it is no longer necessary to clarify that the Mario figure is not provided in these expansions, it is only available in the starter pack 71360 Adventures with Mario sold for € 59.99.

The offer that grants this small expansion is only available in the LEGO Stores, but anyone who pre-ordered the Starter Pack when it went live on the Official Store also got it. Too bad for the others.

LEGO having sent two copies of this box to all the blogs of the planet to ensure the promotion of the offer, I put them as usual with a deadline of participation fixed at August 16, 2020 to 23 p.m.

(Special thanks GeekMe3 for the LEGO Store photo)

Update : The winners have been drawn and have been notified by email, their nicknames are indicated below. Without a response from them to my request for contact details within 5 days, new winners will be drawn.

Let's talk one last time about the LEGO Super Mario set 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, a box available since August 1st on which almost everything has already been said and which at least had the merit of leaving almost no one indifferent: tribute to a legendary console for some, a simple model too expensive for others, this reproduction of the NES accompanied by its vintage television is a product aimed at a very specific audience and it is logical that many LEGO fans remain unmoved in front of this large box of 2646 pieces sold for 230 €.

We could discuss the interest of spending 230 € on a simple model of a console still available on the secondary market for around sixty euros: The NES is not a product that has permanently disappeared from the surface of the globe since its launch in 1987 and those who want to take a slice of nostalgia can still do so without breaking the bank. In 2016, Nintendo even offered a miniature version of the console with around thirty games. So you have to be both a very nostalgic player and a fan of LEGO to consider buying this set, belonging to only one of these two categories will probably not be enough.

I think that LEGO could have been content to offer us a simple model of the NES with two controllers and a cartridge for 80 or 90 €. Many would have been satisfied with it, just to have on hand an almost affordable object to display which could occasionally be used to try to trap some friends by trying to make them believe that this NES is not just a simple one. pile of bricks.

But LEGO chose to add a vintage television with a functionality a little less anecdotal than the mechanism of the console. Each of the two constructions in the set is presented separately with its own instruction booklet and there is no interaction between the console and the TV, the two elements are not even connected to each other by a false AV or Scart cable.

The TV to build here is also a bit anachronistic, I remember the time when I played on NES and the TV on which I was wearing my eyes was a little less vintage than this one which seems rather dated from the 60s. It's almost a shame, I have trouble finding the two elements to match and really making the connection with my childhood memories.

The reproduction of the console is almost no surprise. The model is very faithful to the reference product and we find all the details that those who have played for long hours in Super Mario Bros., Metroid or Donkey Kong Jr. know well. The result is stunningly realistic with all the buttons and ports present on the reference model. The ability to insert the game cartridge "like the real one" should easily bring a smile to anyone who has known this console. The fun "experience" obviously ends there with this LEGO model. We will also remember the presence of a easter egg aimed at fans who have really been around Super Mario Bros. under the hood of the console with a reproduction of the game world 1-2 and its Warp Zone.

I was, however, waiting a bit for the simple mixture of colored bricks provided for the bowels of the console and I think the designer could have tried to reproduce even summarily the printed circuits that all those who have one day dismantled their NES to try the clean or repair it well. As it stands, we feel that all efforts have been concentrated on the external appearance of the product, the rest being filling in the service of the mechanism, very realistic moreover, intended to insert the game cartridge.

Note that there are only three stickers in this set, those that dress the game cartridge and the one placed on the back of the TV, and that everything else is pad printed. So much the better, especially for a pure exhibition product whose destiny is to collect dust on a shelf. Using two stickers for the cartridge allows you to at least print your own labels if Super Mario Bros. was not your favorite game and you want to customize this item.

The other construction of the set is therefore the vintage television with its scrolling level. The assembly phase of the model is a little more interesting than that of the console, especially thanks to the installation of the mechanism which drives the game level board. We will also appreciate the attention to detail on the external appearance of the television set. with several pad-printed elements that identify the different adjustment buttons and even a chain change wheel with a notched rotation effect underlined by the snap of the green rod on the gear placed inside the chassis.

To set the level in motion, you have to reel. As the TV is not ballasted enough to hold in place, you will need to hold it with your other hand to prevent it from moving with each turn of the crank. The effect obtained is very successful with a Mario figure in Pixel Art which moves flat on the different elements of the level according to the obstacles symbolized by a layer of additional pieces. The latter obliges the Dish transparent placed at the end of the arm maintaining the figurine to follow the relief of the level. We are not going to lie to each other, we like to reel for a few minutes.

The product is directly associated with the LEGO Super Mario range: It is possible to use the interactive minifigure from the set 71360 Adventures with Mario to add some sound effects to the scrolling level on the TV screen. Mario identifies the different colored pieces placed at the top of the circuit and produces the associated sound and visual events. Even if the result is more than anecdotal, we cannot blame LEGO for proposing a connection between this product for nostalgic adults and the board game intended for the youngest.

In the end, even the most fundamentalist of LEGO and video game fans will have to admit that this product has little else to offer than a big whiff of nostalgia and a few turns of the crank. The debauchery of the efforts of the designers to come up with an impeccably finished package is however to be applauded and the end result should not disappoint those who can afford a fake console and an old TV equipped with a fun feature. .

Remember, if you can't find this particular product appealing, or think it's way overpriced for what it has to offer, then it's not for you. We have to be honest, LEGO has decided to aggressively flirt with adults who are not necessarily fans of the usual ranges and the manufacturer is trying forays into a wide variety of universes to seduce these potential customers. Video games, music, decoration, everything is currently going on and many early fans will perhaps see only products of little interest even if they use the same principle and the same bricks as their favorite toys.

The fact remains that this set is in my opinion a nice demonstration of the manufacturer's know-how with a real attention to detail, a few nods that will be appreciated by the most nostalgic fans of the first versions of the video game. Super Mario Bros. and a simple but successful integration with the LEGO Super Mario range which tries to appeal to the youngest.

As you know that I am eternally dissatisfied, I think that a second controller and a connection cable between the console and the television would not have been too much, especially at 230 € the luxury paperweight accompanied by its carousel manual.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 16, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.

We quickly move on with a new extension of the LEGO Super Mario ecosystem: the set 71362 Guarded Fortress Expansion Set (468 pieces - 49.99 €), a pack in the soft underbelly of the range which, like the other available extensions, allows you to add a few additional steps to the very basic starting level of the set 71360 Adventures with Mario.

If the extensions 71369 Bowser's Castle Boss Battle Expansion Set (1010 pieces - 99.99 €) and 71377 King Boo and the Haunted Yard Expansion Set (431 pieces - 49.99 €) which I have already told you about on the site are already out of stock on the official online store, this one is still available at the time of this writing and it would therefore seem that 'it is a little less interesting for fans who want to try this board game inspired by the famous video game.

However, if we stick exclusively to the features offered by this extension, they largely offer something to expand the game sequences a little with three different courses on which there are a few catapults, water, lava, and more. a piranha plant returned to its pot to release an action brick by tapping on a platform and a final POW block that must be tapped to open the fortress gate. I think we probably get the extension here that offers the most interactivity in a relatively small space.

As usual, the game board will need to be set up where you can let it collect dust between two parts, it is difficult to move without breaking everything and LEGO did not see fit to provide a base plate on it. which to install the different elements of the course. The dislocation of the level during movement is however not dramatic, you can reorganize it as you see fit, it does not change much on arrival.

The "fortress" is here only a simple facade which serves to dress a little the decoration of this level, do not expect a very elaborate construction reusable in another context even if the few elements which constitute the building are sufficient to to give a little volume to the whole and to reassure (a little) those who will have spent 50 € in this box. The fortress gate can, on the other hand, be used as a gateway to another connected expansion pack.

As for the items to keep to build a thematic collection, we will keep the pot with the piranha plant, the green Koopa Troopa, the cubic Bob-omb and the few pieces, all pad printed, which will eventually allow you to decorate your shelves.

at 50 € a box, it's a bit expensive to pay to keep only these few elements, but with a little patience it should be possible to find this set much cheaper at Amazon or on the secondary market. I have not changed my mind, I do not see who will use these products beyond a few parts and the second hand market should quickly expand with second hand products.

Be careful if you plan to buy these sets from a fan who has grown bored with the concept and wants to buy a PS5, they come without instructions in paper format and it is difficult to put together the full inventory without calling a online database.

Each extension contains more elements than those used to assemble the level by following the instructions in digital format including a few plates which allow you to vary the layout of the different interactive islands but which are not mentioned anywhere.

The LEGO Super Mario range is now available and if you've decided to invest in the starter pack with one or more of the expansions on offer right now, feel free to share your first impressions in the comments. There will be as many reviews as there are fans and all the feedback is good to take especially for those wondering if they should spend their money on these products.

I remind for all intents and purposes that the interactive Mario figurine is not provided in this box, it is only an extension of the game board that does not contain the starting sticker to be scanned to start a game nor that of arrival allowing to validate the progression within the time limit.

Note: The set presented here, supplied by LEGO, is as usual in play. Deadline fixed at August 9, 2020 next at 23pm.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.