LEGO® Super Mario™ ©Copyright by Gamdise Do not Reproduce. By JoJo

The Lego Super Mario theme was the result of the collaboration between The Lego Group and Nintendo for the 35th anniversary of the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The sets are essentially a mix between a Lego set and a video game, where people can build real-life versions of 2D Super Mario levels, including grasslands, deserts, and Bowser's Castle. The main concept of it is that you can create your own Super Mario levels with LEGO and try to recreate them in the real world. The set has both creative building and gameplay, and the companion app allows for sharing levels and scores among friends. No doubt it's a great creation!

First, you will need to download the LEGO Super Mario Companion App using your smartphone or tablet. The app is a fundamental part of the LEGO Super Mario experience, as this time LEGO has ditched the physical build guide booklet in favor of digital instructions that need to be accessed through the LEGO Super Mario companion app. I especially like how you can scale and rotate the instruction images as you build so you're not trying to decipher where the bricks are. On top of that, it keeps track of what's happening in each level run. Weekly challenges to rebuild and play within creative ways, as well as a safe platform for fans to share inspiration for other builds.

The key part of the theme is the interactive Super Mario figurine. Unlike traditional Lego figurines, the Mario figure is large and electronic, with the eyes, mouth, and chest using an LED display. Another key feature of the figurine is the scanner on the bottom of the Mario figurine, and Bluetooth connectivity. The scanner uses colors or machine-readable codes to operate. The scanner can change the LED display to affect the expressions or actions of Mario. It can display over 100 different instant reactions to the movement. Inside there's also a speaker that plays sounds and music from the classic video game!

With that said you must be wondering how Mario determines what he is doing? Well, this is where we get to the core of how LEGO Super Mario works. At the bottom of LEGO Mario are various sensors that constantly read what he is standing on. These sensors on the bottom of the Mario figure identify different colored terrain, as well as special activity blocks for each group. These movable blocks have readable patterns on them and are all associated with specific things - for example, LEGO Goomba has a movable block on his head that gives Mario a bunch of coins when you put him on and step on him.

The sensors also read the color of the object Mario is standing on, which determines the environment Mario is in. So, for example, if Mario is standing on a blue Lego block, then his little chest screen will show water and have a water sound effect playing as if he were swimming. Similarly, for example, if he is standing on a red square, then this represents lava in LEGO Super Mario, so LEGO Mario's chest screen will show flames, his eyes will be all crossed, and you will hear him yell "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!"! .". Stand on the red square for too long and Mario will hear the sound of death and the game will not end until the next run starts.

To play LEGO Super Mario Bros. you need the LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course (71360) because it is the only set with LEGO Mario figures (and the first course). You need two AAA batteries to insert LEGO Mario, they are not included. And, in my opinion, this blocky version of the Italian plumber is almost worth an introductory price, as he is a great implementation of the virtual character. All other courses are Expansion Sets with different challenges and characters/figurines that you buy separately.

There is no doubt that I am very interested in this game, it has a great concept and amazing gameplay. It allows children (or adults!) to build what they can show, but also to play the thing physically and digitally. Overall, then, I think it is safe to say that any gamer, of almost any age, will have fun with Lego Super Mario. It's one of the most faithful physical recreations of virtual worlds and characters we've ever seen in toy form, cleverly bridging the realms of collecting, gaming, and digital interaction into the realm of the hobby.

With the LEGO® Super Mario™ companion app you can:

· Establish a connection between the app and LEGO® Mario™ and/or LEGO® Luigi™.
· Build your sets, easily add them to your digital collection and expand your personalized LEGO® Super Mario™ world (remember, always begin with the Starter Course!)
· Get easy-to-use 3D building instructions for all of your LEGO® Super Mario™ sets. The instructions are live in the app, so no trees get hurt.
· Keep track of your coins after completing a level in real life with at-a-glance results for collected coins, defeated enemies, and completed obstacles.
· Put your skills to the test with an inspiring collection of fun challenges.
· Remember your favorite LEGO® Super Mario™ moments by saving them to your gallery and sharing your creations in a safe LEGO ecosystem.
· Create or sign in to your LEGO® Account to synchronize your progress across all your devices.
· Tag your friends to let them know when you upload new pictures.
· Pin your favorite creations that others have shared so you can easily find them again.

We don’t do third-party advertising. We only share our own marketing content and communication (such as news about LEGO sets and other LEGO games) to inspire children’s creative play.

Is your device compatible? Check it at LEGO.com/devicecheck. Ask for your parents’ permission before going online.

The LEGO® Super Mario™ sets are sold separately.