Review : LEGO 71395 Super Mario 64? Block

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.