LEGO has just added three bundles grouping sets from the LEGO Super Mario range on its official online store and it is a priori a good idea which should logically allow fans to get a few sets of boxes at a preferential rate.

But I had to pull out the calculator only to find that these bundles are just retailing to the penny, with no discounts whatsoever. There isn't even a small polybag offered with each of these set packs, yet it was the least that had to be done to justify the creation of these high-priced packs.

I put below the detail of each of these packs with the prices of the boxes concerned, it's up to you:

Update : LEGO has clarified its offer with a bonus of VIP points offered for the purchase of each pack of sets, i.e. 4650 points for the pack 5007062 The Ultimate Bundle, 1987 points for the pack 5007061 The Creative Bundle and 1800 points for the pack 5007060 The Team-Up Bundle.

As promised, today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO set 71395 Super Mario 64? Block, a box of 2064 pieces which will be available via the official store at the retail price of €169.99 from October 1st.

This product aims to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Super Mario 64 video game marketed in 1996 and then playable on Nintendo 64. Those who have walked the different levels of this video game that has become cult for a whole generation and who still remember of its content will have quickly noticed that the set makes a significant difference: the Surprise Block ( Block?) to be built here was not present in the game, we had to wait for games like Super Mario Galaxy or New Super Mario Bros to see it appear in this form and in this color.

This is not a mistake on the part of the designers who also assume this large gap in the pages of the instruction booklet. It was necessary to pay tribute to the game launched in 1996 but it was also about wrapping everything in an object immediately recognizable by fans of all ages and this version of the Block? is arguably the most iconic and the most popular.

The rest of the set refers directly to the game Super Mario 64 with five levels rather well interpreted if we take into account the chosen scale. The four "visible" levels are Peach's Castle (game intro), Bob-omb Battlefield (level 1), Cool, Cool Mountain (level 4) and Lethal Lava Troublelevel 7). The fifth level, Bowser in the Dark World, is hidden behind a "secret" hatch. This is the level in which Mario faces off against Bowser on a rotating platform.

The internal structure of the 18 cm cube is quickly assembled, it is satisfied with a few amounts made up of various and varied parts with large elements that save the designer a few bricks. The interior remains empty, it must later accommodate the block of levels which comes to be stored in the available space.

We also install the front door, the return of which is provided by two red rubber bands, and I'm still a little skeptical about the presence of these rubber bands in a high-end product. It is really time for LEGO to innovate a little on this point and replace these consumables with springs or jacks a little more consistent. The surprise of the hidden level does not last long in the assembly process, the flapper with its notched wheels, rotating platform and the Bowser figure are very quickly present in the instruction booklet.

The assembly of the different levels will undoubtedly bring back some memories to all those who have played Super Mario 64 for a long time, others will simply see reproductions of levels as there are in many other games of the license. Many of the elements of these different levels are minimalist but the atmosphere is there and the theme of each space is immediately recognizable: King Bob-omb, a Chain Chomp and some cannons in the Battle of Bob-Omb, the penguins, the snowman headless snow and the slippery slopes of Gla-Gla Mountain, the puzzle, the volcano, the Bullies and Mr I in Fatal Laves and the castle of Princess Peach with its paintings seen in the intro of the game.

No stickers in this box, all decorative elements, even the smallest, are pad printed. We also add a sticker to scan using the Mario or Luigi figurine from the sets 71360 Adventures with Mario et 71387 Adventures with Luigi to take advantage of the relative interactivity offered by the set. In fact, it is simply a matter of walking the figurine on the different levels to provoke some reactions and collect around ten Power Stars: pass over the bridge Bob-omb Battlefield, make jumps, face Bowser, etc ...

The level block also uses two rubber bands that automatically deploy Peach's castle as soon as the two side flaps are removed. Here too, I would have liked to see two springs or in any case a more credible solution than these white rubber bands. The block is then installed on the cube, it is connected via two Ball Seals side which will allow it to perform the rotation necessary for its deployment and storage.

From the first use of the product, a fairly loud squeaking was heard when the level block was rotated. I checked several times that I was not mistaken during the assembly but I finally had to face the facts: this squeak came from the Ball Seals. A few sprays of WD40 later on the two ball joints, everything was back to normal and the friction between the ball joints and their seats had disappeared.

The mechanism works perfectly and every time. Just press the back of the top platen to start the block spinning and it's five minutes fun. Storing the levels in the bowels of the cube is also very easy and the block disappears leaving only a yellow surface. Tilea on the upper area of ​​the object.

Access to level Bowser in the Dark World is done via a hatch hidden in the back face of the cube, just lift it and press on the Bowser figurine to trigger the hatch opening and access the level. Too bad for the black support, a little pad printing would have been appreciable to reinforce the impression of dealing with a real bonus level and not with a somewhat anecdotal functionality.

You already know, we should not rely too much on LEGO to offer us real minifigs of Mario, Luigi, Peach and all the other creatures that inhabit the different levels of the game. As in the other playsets in the range, we must so here assemble the different characters. Mario and Peach are uninteresting nanofigurines that are all the same in keeping with the format of the different levels. Bowser is a bit more plush, but still less convincing than a cast figure. I specify it for all useful purposes, the interactive figurine of Mario present in the photos is not provided in this box.

Personally, I would have gladly contented myself with a simple Bloc? to build without all the additional elements provided here, to put on a shelf and sold for 30 or 40 €. However, we must remain honest and we can not blame the manufacturer for wanting to offer a product that uses the possibilities offered by the LEGO concept by integrating a very convincing mechanical functionality.

Nostalgia for the Super Mario 64 game, considered by many to be the best of the license, will obviously be a trigger that will motivate many fans of the Mario universe to buy this LEGO product. This cube with indisputable decorative potential is therefore aimed at a much larger audience than that of LEGO fans, I have no doubt that it finds its audience very quickly.

Those who would like to acquire the thing only to display the cube in a corner of their office or their room will probably think twice before spending the 170 € requested by LEGO. There are many reproductions of the Bloc? without features but very well made and for much less elsewhere.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at September 30, 2021 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.

Lego set 71395 Super Mario 64? Block which was the subject of a little teasing yesterday is now online on the official store. This large box of 2064 pieces allows you to assemble a mystery block in which we find several levels inspired by the Super Mario 64 video game: Peach's Castle, the Battle of Bob-omb, Gla-Gla Mountain and the Fatal Laves.

Everything comes with a few micro-figurines to build and will be compatible with the interactive figurines delivered in the sets. 71360 Adventures with Mario et 71387 Adventures with Luigi to bring a little interactivity to the construction:

Availability announced for October 1, 2021 on the official online store at the public price of € 169.99. The set will then be available from regular retailers in 2022. We will talk about this box again on the occasion of a "Review ".

73195 LEGO SUPER MARIO 64? BLOCK ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

(The link to the shop redirects to the version of the official shop for your country of connection)

Let's go for the inevitable teasing sequence that precedes the official announcement of a new LEGO product. This time it is a product from the LEGO Super Mario range, judging by the few shots on a mystery cube (Block?) Made from bricks seen in the short sequence currently broadcast on social networks.

The latest rumors to date referred to a D2C product (Direct 2 Consumer) bearing the reference 71395 Super Mario 64? Block with Princess Peach's castle in the box. It will be necessary to wait to know more about this new product to check if the reference is exact and if the castle is well associated in one way or another with this cube ...

The two LEGO Super Mario promotional key chains probably weren't worth talking about in more detail, but since I've received several questions about them, I'm answering everyone at the same time.

It will be remembered that these two key chains can be obtained via two different channels: that of Luigi via the VIP rewards center by redeeming 500 VIP points and then using the code obtained when ordering on the official online store, that of Mario using 400 Platinum points on the Nintendo Store and by paying the shipping costs for this "free" article, ie 6.99 €.

You might as well tell you right away, if you plan to collect all the variants of these key rings, you may miss two of them on arrival: in addition to these two standard versions, two golden key rings are displayed. game by LEGO and Nintendo on their respective platforms and you have to buy participation tickets with your VIP points (50 per ticket / 50 tickets max.) or Platinum (10 per ticket / 3 tickets max.) to hope to be part of the winners.

The two slightly more accessible key rings presented here are not exceptional objects, they are subcontracted to Chinese company RDP like all the other key rings already offered via the VIP program and their finish is far from exemplary. They are simply packaged in paper bags and the manufacturer has contented itself with integrating slightly pixelated photos of the two characters in real size on the metal support which tends to rust on the edges as soon as they are unpacked.

The rendering is far from being the level of a real collector's product with some printing defects more or less visible, spots, more or less dull areas, etc ... It is mass production of low-end promotional items, in my opinion, LEGO does not come out of the distribution of such products.

Too bad also for the screen on the belly of the two characters which is replaced by a simple neutral rectangle whose color does not even match the rest, there was probably a way to furnish with an illustration based on the many reactions displayed on real interactive figurines.

In short, these two derivative products probably do not deserve that we spend too much energy and money to get them, paying 6.99 € to receive Mario's from Nintendo is also a bit annoying. , even if I know that the transport is not free and that we must pay those who deliver our packages.

Note: The two products presented here are in play (the interactive Mario figure is not provided, do not abuse). Deadline set at September 20, 2021 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.