The LEGO Mario Minifigure Sets Look Like a Much-Needed ‘Reset’ for the Mario Theme

LEGO has unveiled its inaugural line of Mario minifigure sets, and they are quite impressive. The company has shared images of the packaging, and honestly, I'm quite eager for these sets due to the vibrant and bold designs of the boxes. The boxes are adorned with the same signature red and blue hues that make Mario instantly recognizable. Take a closer look at the box for the Fire Mario & Bower's Castle set; it's simply perfect.

This fresh lineup of Mario sets is essentially a "reset" for the LEGO Mario theme. The two have a long-standing relationship, including numerous delightful LEGO sets inspired by Nintendo's Mario. However, the majority of the Mario sets had traditionally revolved around a large, boxy, non-minifigure version of Mario that could interact with the various environmental elements you constructed.

This interaction was limited to sounds, music, and simple animations displayed on a tiny LED screen built into his chest. When LEGO introduced a boxy Luigi figure, I found these sets to be far from captivating. They were evidently crafted for younger children, but even my young kids lost interest after a couple of minutes. Those Mario sets simply weren't engaging enough. Moreover, due to their design, they didn't appear very appealing either.

However, with these newly announced Mario minifigure-based sets, everything seems set to change. They look significantly more enjoyable, despite still being primarily aimed at children. As indicated by the suggested ages on the packaging, these LEGO sets are not intended for adults. Yet, they are minifigure-scale and incorporate a plethora of regular interactive elements commonly found in numerous LEGO sets.

The key distinction lies in the absence of the peculiar interactivity of the boxy Mario figures. I believe this to be the element that will truly elevate these sets. In essence, they are regular LEGO sets, much like the immensely successful Star Wars and Harry Potter themes, but they are based on the enchanting realm of the Mushroom Kingdom.

This is precisely what LEGO needed to do to make Mario sets truly enjoyable once again. As for the minifigure versions of the Mario gang, they look fantastic. For the very first time, I'm optimistic about the upcoming Mario LEGO sets for children. For more details, refer to our list of all upcoming LEGO sets announced so far. Chris Reed, a senior commerce editor and deals expert for IGN, also handles the board game and LEGO coverage for the platform. You can follow him on Bluesky.