With the Mario Movie well on its way to grossing more than $1 billion (£8.1 bn) at the box office despite lukewarm reviews, Lego has revealed it will be cashing in with more sets for its own Mario universe.
In a tweet on the official Lego account, the company revealed teaser-like shots of members of the Donkey Kong family immortalised in the same chunky plastic-brick form as Mario, Luigi, and Bowser.
We can’t wait to show you the new additions to the world of LEGO Super Mario™! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/sa5XF0LdCo
— LEGO (@LEGO_Group) April 26, 2023
In the short clip, accompanied by a chiptune rendition of the DK Island tune from Donkey Kong Country, we get a brief look at various easily recognisable members of the Kong clan: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Funky Kong, and Cranky Kong.
Like other Mario collaborations, these aren’t minifigures, and are instead chunkier characters built to interact with various other Lego sets from the Mushroom Kingdom. If previous releases are anything to go by, these new additions will be combinable with other sets into larger video game-style obstacle courses.
While the Lego Mario figure is electronic with moving eyes and sound effects, it looks like these Donkey Kong figures will be more akin to the Lego Baby Bowser — static models that trigger a response when placed near their electronic siblings.
Typically, Lego teases new products a couple of days before an official unveiling, so expect pricing and availability announcements imminently. If these are full expansion sets, expect prices to fall somewhere in the £40 to £115 range.
While these Mario kits are clearly aimed at younger fans, there’s some evidence that Lego will be targeting gamers of a certain age, in much the same way the company did with its sets paying homage to the Nintendo Entertainment System and Atari 2600. A grainy image of a possible Lego Pac-Man arcade cabinet emerged earlier this week with a rumoured June release date.
