Month: July 2020

Expanding LEGO® Super Mario with King Boo and The Haunted Yard [71377]

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We are rapidly running out of LEGO Super Mario expansion sets to look at (you will be glad to hear). With only 2 regular sets (as well as the power up suits) to go, today we come to 71377 King Boo and the Haunted Yard. With 431 parts, and costing 49,99 USD/EUR- $AUD 69.99, it offers an interesting play feature, a chance to take on the ghost King Boo, and explore the graveyard. Who knows what treasures are hidden within. Actually, is it a graveyard? I just presumed it was, but looking back at it, I don’t see any actual graves.

This is one if the few sets laid out to be almost an independent cul-de-sac, compared with other expansions. Unlike most of the other sets that we have it runs a little off the grid – with nodes heading off at various angles towards the edges.

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Expanding LEGO Super Mario: 71376 Thwomp Drop

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Its only a couple of days before the final release of LEGO Super Mario on August 1st 2020. As we continue looking at the Expansion sets, we look at Thwomp Drop. With 393 parts, it is very much a set with a couple of linked action features. Set in the dungeon levels, Mario encounters Thwomp! A living stone who would like to do nothing more than slow him down on his way.

On the front of the box, we see all that is included in the set, along with the reminder that LEGO Super Mario is NOT included in this set. We see a platform, lined with cartoon skulls, riding along a rail, crossing a path of lava. An angry Thwomp, some small platforms and a couple of podoboos complete the picture.

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Expanding LEGO Super Mario with 71362 The Guarded Fortress

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As the official release date of LEGO Super Mario approaches, I thought we would take a look at one of several medium-large expansion sets. The guarded fortress feels like the end scene to almost any game level.

With 463 elements, this expansion feels chock full of play value, and adds some new challenges for Mario to face. Challenges that can easily be incorporated into a layout. We also have three enemies to defeat, as well as the opportunity to loot the fortress for the coins hidden inside. As with all LEGO Super Mario Expansion sets, the 71360 Adventures with Mario set is required for full functionality.

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Expanding LEGO Super Mario: 71364 Whomp’s Lava Trouble

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Another in our series of smaller expansion set reviews, Whomp’s Lava Trouble features 133 elements, a sliding bridge, new opponents and a new power up. All on Mario’s least favourite surface to step on: Lava! It will be released on August 1st 2020. A smaller set, with only 133 pieces, and costs $/€19,99 USD/EUR; $AU29.99/$NZ34.99. For a relatively small set, it offers some great features.

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Expanding LEGO® Super Mario – 71363 Desert Pokey

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There are currently eleven expansion sets in LEGO Super Mario. Some sets, such as the Piranha Power Slide are a challenge in themselves – and provide sufficient challenge to be the primary content of a game in its own right. Other levels, such as 71367 Mario’s House, exist primarily as scenery, and for general play value, rather than being a greatly interactive part of game play. And then there are some expansion packs which add a degree of challenge and interactivity, but can typically only be played through once in a level. 71363 Desert Pokey is such an expansion pack: once you have played it in the course of a game, you need to take time to set it back up. Like all other expansion packs, you need 71360 Adventures with Mario to truly enjoy the gaming experience.

In the world of Mario, a Pokey is a cactus like creature, typically living in the desert. They are destroyed segment by segment, and alternate between spiked and non spiked forms.

In 71363 LEGO Super Mario Desert Pokey gives brings us a 4 segmented Pokey, along with some desert landscape, a hammer with which to destroy the Pokey, and a Monty Mole character.

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Expanding LEGO Super Mario: 71367 Mario’s House and Yoshi

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Continuing our survey of LEGO® Super Mario Expansion sets, today we look at one that is a little different: 71367 Mario’s House and Yoshi. Compared to the sets we have otherwise looked at, this one offers a change of pace: it provides not so much a place for action in the game, but rather a place for Mario to rest in-between. Mario’s house adds to the scenery, but does give us a place to conceal a power-up, and comes with a superstar. It also brings us Mario’s friend, Yoshi.

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LEGO®️ Ideas launches fan vote for a new LEGO book aimed at AFOLs

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In this day of online this and streaming that, a lot of us still like to sit down with a good book to entertain and educate ourselves. Regular readers of the Rambling Brick might know that we have a slight nostalgic leaning towards history of LEGO bricks. As such, the latest activity from LEGO Ideas might be of interest for you:

LEGO Publishing, a division of the LEGO Group, is excited to announce a public vote on LEGO Ideas to choose the direction for a new book celebrating the rich history of the iconic LEGO brick, made in collaboration with AFOLs. 

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LEGO Ideas 21323 Grand Piano Announced

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After 18 months in development, the LEGO Ideas 21323 Grand Piano is unveiled today. Appearing on the Ideas platform in 2018, it achieved 10000 supporters in around three months. With over 3600 pieces, this set is aimed predominantly at adult builders. It will be released on August the 1st, 2020 and priced at AUD $529.99 – US $349.99 –CA $449.99 –DE €349.99 –UK £319.99 – FR €349.99– DK 2699.0DKK

The set features a removable 25-key keyboard, authentic hammer action, moving dampers and pedal, and motor. Just like a real grand piano, you can lift the lid, and see the mechanism inside. Hidden beneath the hammer-damper mechanism, there is a motor, which is controlled using the powered up app – which also becomes the source of the music played. The piano measures over 22.5cm high, 30.5cm wide and 35.5cm deep when closed. 

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Expanding LEGO Super Mario: 71368 Toad’s Treasure Hunt

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Today, I want to take a look at one of my favourite Expansion packs. With 464 elements, this set has a number of elements that makes this a great set to display ( at least, as far as LEGO Super Mario is concerned), has a number of great play features, a range of enemies, and even some friends for Mario to engage with.

Compared with the other expansions we have looked at so far, this one is a relatively large box. I’ll follow the same general format for this expansion as I have for the others I have looked at: The elements, and Build, the features of the landscape, Power up/scoring opportunities, Other Characters and action bricks.

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Meeting Jonathan Bennink… Design Lead on LEGO® Super Mario

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A few weeks ago, I took part in a Media Event with several other Recognised LEGO Fan Media: Brickset, Blocks Magazine, Brick Fanatics, Zusammengebaut, Hispabrick Magazine, HothBricks, twitch streamer Between the Bricks. Other similar events took place around the same time, with other LEGO Fan Media, as well as mainstream media.

We met Jonathan Bennink – the LEGO Digital design LEAD on the Super Mario series, and he took us through a couple of the sets that were unveiled the next week. He followed up by showing us some additional aspects of the new theme, gave us some gameplay hints and set us some challenges… At the end of the presentation, we were able to ask some questions. Some were answered on the day. Some were followed up subsequently… Read on for More.

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