LEGO is one of the finest learning tools out there.
With simple building blocks in tow, you build structures and other creations from the ground
up.
There are some that find it daunting, but the act of building something from zero is
oddly relaxing to me.
LEGO Super Mario tries to bring these building tools to a younger audience with simple guidelines
at its forefront.
None of the things you build are massive, nor will they take longer than an hour or
two of your time.
Throw some interactivity in there for good measure, and you got something that hits very
different.
For the sake of this video, we got two sets to get us on the right path: the Starter Set
and the Piranha Power Slide.
With the Starter Set, you will get 231 stones to start building a basic course with a number
of enemies including Bowser Jr. and a Goomba.
In addition, it includes LEGO Super Mario himself, which is why you would purchase the
set in the first place.
LEGO Super Mario is a fantastic piece of engineering.
The little guy has over 100 reactions that he can do based on certain sensors and movements.
These sensors are placed on top of certain building blocks and, combined with the specific
movements, LEGO Super Mario will react to his surroundings.
Along the way, he collects virtual coins and plays familiar Super Mario sound effects to
really bring that Nintendo feel home.
It is easy to see the character as a gimmick, but even if that is the case, the gimmick
is incredibly sound and smartly put together.
I wouldn't have the same reaction if LEGO Super Mario didn't have his expressive LCD
eyes, nor that window into the physical things you build.
LEGO Super Mario makes the entire thing work.
The character forced me to push on, see more and try out specific course concepts.
Even now, I kind of want to purchase more and see what kind of reactions he has in store
for me.
Even after spending over a week, I feel like I'm just scratching the surface of what he
can do as I don't have specific costumes for example.
Time will tell if I can get a hold of more, and exploit the little guy.
With two AAA batteries and a bluetooth connection, they managed to pack a lot in a small package.
It is simple but it works incredibly well.
That brings me to the other side of LEGO Super Mario: the building aspect.
By downloading a special application, players can follow digital instructions on how to
build the various sets.
Similarly to Nintendo Labo products, players can drag, zoom and spin around to get a good
look at the next steps.
Sometimes you will be left in the dark, and will have to find specific pieces yourself,
but the process is something you quickly get the hang of.
The projects never reached the point of harsh difficulty, but it is easy to mess up a piece
or put something in the wrong place.
Even at those instances, it was never hard to remove bricks and retrace my steps.
This is all part of the process.
Everything in the Starter Set can be built up fairly fast.
In fact, the hardest projects will likely end up being Bowser Jr. and the seesaw.
You do get a lot out of value from the Starter Course pack with a cloud platform, a tower,
the ?-block and the oh so important Starter Pipe and Goal Pole.
There are even blue, red, and green pieces to try out the various environments that LEGO
Super Mario virtually will experience.
It is easy to set up, build and start playing around with your initial course.
At maximum, these first projects will take you roughly 90 minutes, depending on age and
building experience.
That being said, there are various LEGO Super Mario packs that feature singular and bigger
gimmicks.
With the Piranha Power Slide, LEGO Super Mario can be placed inside a minecart and continuously
be moved left and right to earn coins.
Along the way, Mario must avoid the Piranha Plants on either end to keep earning that
dollar.
This specific project took me as long as the entire Starter Set, and that doesn't take
the extra parts into account.
You will get access to the desert flooring, time extension brick, a Koopa Troopa and another
Goomba.
At its 217 stones, you get a lot of value for money, mostly compared to other LEGO sets.
In this particular instance, I feel that the Power Slide is worth the effort as it adds
an additional interactive element to your course.
Honestly, I think that is how people will decide on these sets.
How will this fit in the course I want to build?
Does it add another playful element I can enjoy?
And above all, will it be fun to build and maintain?
For me personally, not every set will fulfill that purpose.
With the Power Slide, I think it is incredibly adorable to take a break from running and
play around with a slide for a number of seconds.
I make sure that Mario has a time boost beforehand and I go to town.
Similarly, many elements from the basic set are great fun to use.
The cloud platform can go forever, toppling Bowser Jr. from his tower is a great set piece
and the surprises from the ?-block are worth seeing.
Other elements, like the moving platform, don't keep LEGO Super Mario in place as it
probably should, but they are things in a bigger wheel.
That bigger wheel is creativity.
The application allows you to share your creations, and see what other people are doing.
For me, this is the driving force behind LEGO Super Mario.
When I see the inventive stuff done with the simple building blocks, I become interested
in putting more of an effort in.
The younger audience will get a kick out of rearranging things constantly, and mixing
things for a completely different approach.
I loved being part of that figuring out process, and kept trying an array of different things.
And this is the most important thing to keep in mind: this is made with a younger public.
There are LEGO sets that will give you far bigger challenges than this one, there are
LEGO sets that give you more satisfaction on completion.
But on the basis of interactivity and ease of use alone, I can easily say that I had
a good time putting everything together.
The whimsical world of Super Mario is perfect for an unique building experience like this.
In addition, it is just good fun to put everything you made to good use.
There is something inherently cute about hopping on a Goomba and hear LEGO Super Mario make
some fitting sounds.
I liked my initial time with LEGO Super Mario a lot.
If you have been searching for the perfect moment to step into building with LEGO bricks,
I think that these sets are your best shot.
You are building some familiar, yet totally unique in its execution.
Thank you for watching.
Keep it locked to GameXplain for more on LEGO Super Mario and other things Nintendo.