One of our favourite brand collaborations of recent years just has to be the meeting of Nintendo and Lego. Starting out with a range of Mario-themed playsets for youngsters, the collection has grown to see impressive Lego builds for adults, and the pairing shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. But if you’re shopping for a loved one this Christmas or simply want to treat yourself, what are the best Lego Super Mario sets currently available?
If there’s one thing we love almost as much videogames, it’s Lego. And when our two favourite hobbies come together, we get very excited indeed. It’s hard to pick out the best Lego Super Mario sets, because so many of them are wonderful. But we’ve tried our best to narrow them down, picking out not only our favourites but our recommendations depending on who you’re buying for.
Best Lego Super Mario sets: the quick list
- For advanced builders: Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
- For adults on a budget: Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant
- For kids: Lego Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course
- For retro gaming fans: Lego Nintendo Entertainment System
- For displaying: Lego Super Mario The Mighty Bowser
- For Donkey Kong fans: Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong’s Tree House
1. Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
- Best for: Advanced Lego builders who like a challenge
- Specifications: RRP £169.99/$199.99, 2064 pieces, age 18+
Undoubtedly one of the best Lego Super Mario sets around, we simply love the iconic Question Mark Block. Not only does the block itself make a fantastic display piece, but it houses a wealth of secrets. Flip the top and you’ll reveal four mini Super Mario 64 biomes, packed with lots of detail.
Elsewhere, you’ll find another compartment to hide Bowser in – and if you’ve got an electronic Mario, Luigi or Princess Peach from another Lego Mario set, you can use them to interact with this.
That’s just a nice bonus, though: we just love how this set looks. It’s quite a complex build, thanks to the moving parts and hidden compartments, so we wouldn’t recommend picking this one up unless you’re already an expert Lego builder – or if you don’t mind a challenge.
Read our review of Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
Buy Lego Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block
2. Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant
- Best for: Adults on a budget
- Specifications: RRP £57.99/$59.99, 540 pieces, age 18+
The newest Lego set on this list is undoubtedly one of the best Super Mario sets you can buy. It’s the instantly-recognisable Piranha Plant, ready to chomp Mario if he doesn’t successfully bonk it on the head!
The iconic green pipe makes a great pot for the Piranha Plant, making this a great piece to display on a shelf or mantel. We especially love that it’s poseable: the mouth and leaves can be moved into different positions for maximum customisation.
At just £58/$60, this is an adults Lego set that’s not going to break the bank, and one you’re going to have a great time building. Some clever techniques are used to create the rounded shape of the piranha’s head, along with the pipe.
Buy Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant
3. Lego Super Mario Adventures With Mario Starter Course
- Best for: Kids who like to play
- Specifications: RRP £54.99/$59.99, 231 pieces, age 6+
This is the set that kick-started the marriage between Mario and Lego, and three years on we still love it. You’ll need this set (or the equivalent Luigi or Peach set) to make use of the interactive features in any of the Lego Super Mario range.
This isn’t a very technical build. In fact, you won’t even get a traditional set of instructions with the Lego Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course – you’ll need to download an app to guide you through building the main elements of the set. After that, it’s up to you to arrange them however you want.
The idea with the Starter Course is to create your own interactive Mario level, with points of interest for your interactive Mario figure to pass through. If you have more Lego Super Mario sets – even some of the ‘adult’ sets – you can integrate them into the course, making it bigger and bigger.
Buy Lego Super Mario Starter Course
4. Lego Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System
- Best for: Retro gaming fans
- Specifications: RRP £229.99/$269.99, 2646 pieces, ages 18+
The Lego Nintendo Entertainment System is the one of the most expensive of all available Lego Mario sets, but it’s undoubtedly the best. Why? Just look at it! If you’ve ever laid your eyes on a classic NES console before, you’ll know just how beautifully accurate this set is, packed full of gorgeous details that retro gaming fans are going to love.
You’d be forgiven for thinking the Lego NES is the real thing, at a glance. It even has connections at the back and comes with not only a cabled controller, but also games cartridges to slot in! The TV, too, is a thing of beauty: the Mario on-screen actually moves (!) and you’ll also find realistic-looking connections and ports at the back.
It’s a little on the pricey side, sure, but if you have the money to spend, you absolutely won’t be disappointed with this. It’s a gorgeous display piece that you’re going to love for years to come.
Buy Lego Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System
5. Lego Super Mario The Mighty Bowser
- Best for: Adults who want an attractive display piece
- Specifications: RRP £229.99/$269.99, 2807 pieces, age 18+
Lego Super Mario The Mighty Bowser is just as expensive as the Nintendo Entertainment System, but when you see how impressive this model is in the flesh, it’s not hard to see why. This is another complicated build that we’d only recommend seasoned Lego builders tackle, but the resulting model is something any Mario fan will be able to enjoy.
Bowser is big: when built, the model is 32cm/12.5 inches high and 41cm/16 inches high. It’s impressively chunky and has poseable body parts: you can move his arms, legs, head and tail into a number of positions. There’s also a fireball launcher in the set. Because where would Bowser be without deadly fireballs?
Despite being aimed at adults, Lego The Mighty Bowser is still compatible with an interactive Mario figure. Stomp on the set’s action tag to engage in battle with Bowser. It’s the ultimate final boss set.
Buy Lego Super Mario The Mighty Bowser
6. Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong’s Tree House Expansion
- Best for: Donkey Kong fans
- Specifications: RRP £57.99/$59.99, 555 pieces, ages 8+
The last set on our round-up of the best Lego Super Mario sets isn’t so much for Mario fans, but for Donkey Kong fans. After all, Mario wouldn’t even exist if it wasn’t for Donkey Kong! Donkey Kong’s Tree House is going to appeal to fans who fondly remember playing Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo: it’ll be instantly familiar as Donkey Kong’s base.
This is technically an expansion for the Lego Super Mario Starter Course, but we think this looks great on its own as a showpiece, too. The brick-built Donkey Kong looks fantastic – as does Cranky – and the treehouse has lots of nice little details surrounding it. We love the hammock, along with the tyre that can be jumped on – just like in the game.
Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong’s Tree House is a simpler build than some of the other sets on this list, making it a great choice for kids or adults who are new to Lego. Despite its simplicity, it still looks fantastic and it’s bound to raise a smile or two for any Donkey Kong fan.
Buy Lego Super Mario Donkey Kong’s Tree House
