Review : LEGO Super Mario 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System

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.