Review: 71395 Question Mark Block
Posted by Huw,
71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block is the second Nintendo set aimed at adults and its unveiling last week generated a lot of interest and discussion.
It's certainly an unusual and unexpected model, and one that should delight fans of the Italian plumber's exploits in his first 3D adventure.
Let's discover all its secrets...
Note: this article contains spoilers and reveals features that are not evident in official images.
New parts
67810 BRICK W/ BOW 2X2X1 1/3, below left, was introduced last year and has since been produced in five colours. It's new in yellow here and the only reason I am pointing it out among the dozens of other recolours in the set is that there is now a plate to match: 6365891, a 2x2 curved corner, which is the only new-shaped piece in the set.
There are no stickers at all: all the decorated pieces are printed.
The completed model
The block is about 17cm / 22 studs square. Externally it looks symmetrical and featureless, and at first glance the secrets it holds inside, or how to open it, are not evident at all.
Pressing down on the edge of the top face causes one of the sides to pop open, pushed outwards by the assembly inside.
The assembly has curved corners which ensures it can be pushed further round smoothly while elastic bands attached to the hinged side stop it from opening too far.
When the movement is complete, the elastic bands pull the side in to shut it, leaving the assembly sitting on top of the cube.
Pulling the sides down causes the top of the centre section to spring open to reveal four detailed vignettes representing levels from Super Mario 64: Peach’s Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Trouble. They are populated by a number of microfigures, including Mario, who's outside Peach's Castle.
That's not all: There's another secret on the front face that is not shown in the official images, or mentioned in the set's description at LEGO.com.
So, **Spoiler alert**, a door slides upwards to reveal Bowser!
Pushing Bowser down, or removing him first then pushing down on his pedestal, causes a flap to open underneath.
On the back of the flap there's a turntable operated by two splat gears upon which Mario and his archenemy can battle it out.
The antagonist is about 4cm tall and cleverly constructed using a hinge brick to attach his shell which, unlike those of similar creatures in the Super Mario play sets, is brick-built.
Construction
The cube hides a lot of hidden complexity, as you might expect for such ingenious opening mechanisms.
It's interesting how seemingly random large pieces like window frames and half-cylinders have been used to simplify construction and keep the piece count down.
At this point the exterior of the cube is complete, apart from the two side faces which are added at the end.
The vignette assembly inside the cube is built in four stages, one for each of the scenes. Its base is covered in 64 yellow 11203 FLAT TILE 2X2 INV. which, when the cube is closed, form the top face of it.
Peach's Castle is spring-loaded with the help of elastic bands. When it's pushed forwards and sides folded in, they hold it in place. When they are folded back down, it automatically pops up to reveal the lava level underneath.
The assembly is then mounted onto the cube via small ball joints hidden in the sides which allow it to rotate.
Finally, the question-mark side panels are added to complete the cube.
Vignettes
If you have the Mario or Luigi interactive figures they can be used to scan a barcode hidden under the castle. The press release states that "Fans can also add their LEGO Mario or LEGO Luigi figures for unique music and sounds from the video game, plus seek out the hidden Power Stars that reveal secret reactions from the figures. Hints for how to find the Power Stars can be found in the Building Instructions."
I've not yet done that but will do, and post a follow-up article if it's worthwhile doing so.
Those with fond memories of Super Mario 64 will enjoy all the printed tiles, characters, small details and hidden areas within the vignettes. Unfortunately, I have never played it, so they don't mean much to me.
There are ten micro-figures scatted around the scenes: Mario, Yoshi, Princess Peach, King Bob-omb, a Chain Chomp, Big Bully, Mr. I, Lakitu, penguin and baby penguin.
Verdict
I think it's fair to say that there's never been a LEGO set like this and I applaud the company for continuing to innovate and produce models that are unexpected and out of the ordinary.
The concept is clever, and the mechanisms ingenious and flawlessly implemented. Fans of Super Mario will enjoy the detailed vignettes and micro-figures, and recalling how they relate to the game.
The thing that puzzles me slightly, though, is that it seems yellow ? blocks did not even appear in Super Mario 64, and as much is admitted in the preface to the instructions, so it's odd that the set is being associated with that particular game.
Nevertheless, if you're a fan of the Italian plumber you probably won't worry about that: once you've enjoyed the build and admired the vignettes and mechanisms yourself, you'll be having too much fun asking those who are not familiar with it whether they can discover all of its secrets!
If you're not a fan, it probably won't hold that much appeal and, let's face it, there are dozens of big sets vying for our attention this year, so you'll probably want to spend your money elsewhere.
71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block will be available at LEGO.com from 1st October priced at £159.99, $169.99, €169.99, CA$199.99, AU$289.99.
Thanks to LEGO for providing the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
178 likes
91 comments on this article
Different from how I thought it would be built (I thought it would be built around a frame via 75308-1 UCS R2-D2 style). I still feel like it would have been better and made more sense if the vignettes were replaced with models of the power ups. It looks like there is room for them, so it makes me wonder why the vignettes were chosen instead.
Still on the fence for this one, but it's growing on me more and more every time I see it. That Bowser scene is a really cool addition
I never played Mario so don't have that connection either like Huw, but I'm *so* close to buying this just to see how the mechanisms work so seamlessly. It's unlike anything else I've seen in Lego and my curiosity has gone into overdrive.
(It also makes me want to go back and play Super Mario 64 somehow but that may be more cus my son is watching similar YouTube videos atm)
"Its base is covered in 64 yellow 11203 FLAT TILE 2X2 INV. which, when the cube is closed, form the top face of it."
Exactly 64 tiles! I wonder if that's just a happy accident or if they scaled the set specifically to get 64.
I'm so excited for this set. I think I've played and beaten Mario 64 more than any other game; I basically have it memorized. It's a real thrill to see all the little details captured in this set.
Absolutely brilliant model. But just a little bonkers.
"Lethal Lava Trouble" is called "Lethal Lava Land" in the game and pretty much everywhere else, and I've never heard LEGO's erroneous name for it before because SM64 is such a well-known game. The extra scenes are nice, and the castle interior is fun.
@mojomarm said:
"I never played Mario so don't have that connection either like Huw, but I'm *so* close to buying this just to see how the mechanisms work so seamlessly. It's unlike anything else I've seen in Lego and my curiosity has gone into overdrive.
(It also makes me want to go back and play Super Mario 64 somehow but that may be more cus my son is watching similar YouTube videos atm)"
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
@8BrickMario said:
""Lethal Lava Trouble" is called "Lethal Lava Land" in the game and pretty much everywhere else, and I've never heard LEGO's erroneous name for it before because SM64 is such a well-known game. The extra scenes are nice, and the castle interior is fun."
Probably the set designers aren't into video games, or Nintendo didn't see this big error.
I still like this. It's a cool piece to display.
After seeing the details up close in this review, I do like this set a lot more. Lots of fun stuff in it.
I'm absolutely all over this. I'm quite pleased it's not TOO big, and I really like the mini-vignettes.
Not remotely bothered that the ? block doesn't appear in SM64. It's obviously closely associated with the whole series, and I suspect that they started with the block and then decided which mini-levels to put in afterwards. The N64 levels are arguably the most recognisable, compact and blocky of the 3D Mario games, hence why they were chosen to go in.
Feel an urge to go chuck a penguin into the abyss now...
I dont know how to describe this, other than: "odd"
I'm glad I can pass on this one. Yeah, it's cool, looks different, it just doesn't do anything for me especially at that price point. Does it even interact with the other Mario sets?
What a great set!
I ain't buying it... because budget, but if I didn't need to eat for a few weeks I'd be all over this.
Finally a LEGO set that stores itself. If I get it someday it will be so easy to keep dust-free.
The lack of eyes for the microfigs is still kind of bothersome but I suppose better than creepy or soulless ones.
Is it correct that the vignettes actually depict the full levels?
Thanks for showing how it works. I think this set is pretty cool.
The cubes bottom side is not covered?
The official pictures actually show the hidden room in the cube and it was rumered it would have something to do with bowser, so I don't think there were a lot of spoiler problems :)
Mechanism is sweet. The theme however is outside of my interests...
Love Mario though I should get the NES set first
I love the box contraption and its hidden opening panels, but I did not have Mario games growing up so that part is lost on me. So I hope one day they come out with a similar box concept with a different theme.
Ingenious set. I might buy it just for the fun of building the mechanisms.
I hope this isn't the only set like this that they make. It's easy to imagine the same concept being applied to lots of different themes.
Thanks for the review, I was wondering how it was built and I love the secret panels.
Would be fun to build and see the various mechanics, but... money. And the vignettes just aren't appealing at all to me.
Would've been way better to have one large scene with details instead of 4 tiny ones.
@jhs8swd:
I have very little experience playing Mario games, and the yellow “?” block is something I immediately associate with the entire series. But Super Mario 64 was the first to feature 3D environments, yes? I imagine they considered using levels from an earlier game, but realized this format really isn’t suitable for depicting 2D platformer levels. 3D, on the other hand, works pretty well. Not enough to entice me to buy this, but maybe I can get a demo of the mechanics at the local LEGO Store someday.
@mojomarm said:
(It also makes me want to go back and play Super Mario 64 somehow but that may be more cus my son is watching similar YouTube videos atm)
@gabri_ves said:
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
You most certainly CAN play Super Mario 64 in a 100% legal way if you have a Nintendo Switch. It's included as part of "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" (which also includes "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Mario Galaxy" to boot!)
How I envy Huw & co. at Brickset Towers.. I mean I grew up with Nintendo consoles, and can still remember the WOW factor playing Super Mario 64 that first time. However I don't feel the need to own this set, but I would love the chance to build it. This set raises the bar in my opinion of what can be achieved with LEGO, and fair play to the designers.
I'm not sure on this one, it feels really pricy for what is essentially 4 microscale vignettes on a box. As boring as it might be to some people, I'd have much preferred a large castle with some nice minifigures for the current price point.
This is a must have for me. I recently built a sculpture from one of the better known custom instructions makers out there, and it has me really amped up about Mario and Nintendo builds. Can't wait to add this to my collection!
So long, gay Bowser!
But in all seriousness, thanks for showing us what it looks like on the inside! I've never played SM64 proper, but I do recognize many of the iconic locations and objects here, most notably the entirety of Bob-omb Battlefield, which I did play through.
Not a Mario fan, but this one looks really nice!
Not really interested in the set, but I think I'll grab the instructions and see if I can convert it into some other micro-scale cosmos. Maybe a castle with a dungeon in place of Bowser.
Now edit it to make it based on the legendary beta from Super Mario 64.
Loved it, very nice to see they included Bowser in the Dark World's arena too. Would be amazing to see the other stages too, like Whomp's Fortress, Tick Tock Clock or Wet-Dry World. Super Mario 64 was the first Mario game I played and I still love it a lot (I can't consider it as the best no more because Odyssey, Galaxy and 3D World are fantastic, but still it is part of my top 5). Despite SM64 having Exclamation Mark Blocks, and not Question Mark Blocks, it is obvious they chose the latter due to it being more famous and associated to the franchise in general. I'm fine with this change.
But I simply can't stand the Lethal Lava TROUBLE mistake. It is LAND! LAND!
It looks like a really cool build but the internal structures look like being created from a dumpster find with as much ugly colors as possible.
@MrClassic said:
"Is it correct that the vignettes actually depict the full levels? "
The Lego depictions are pretty squished in some places, but pretty much yeah
I want this.
By the way this set has a trans-clear lightsaber blade in it. Thats right, thats not the antenna piece with an anti-stud on one end, its an actual plain 4L rod in trans-clear. (Source: New Elementary).
This *has* appeared once before, as a mistake in some harry potter set, but its extremely rare and expensive now. So its very exciting to have the part in normal production.
Amazing model! I really want it now!
It's a lovely model, but it's ironic that this will be a little easier to acquire than the game which inspired it in the first place.
@ASchvan said:
" @gabri_ves said:
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
You most certainly CAN play Super Mario 64 in a 100% legal way if you have a Nintendo Switch. It's included as part of "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" (which also includes "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Mario Galaxy" to boot!)"
Thank you for answering me. I get it, someone who already has a Switch can buy a copy of the collection, but not everyone is willing to spend €300 for a Switch and €60 for a copy of Mario 3D All Stars (since with €300 you can buy a ~3000 Lego set. And I'm sure most people here would prefer the bigger Lego set rather than the Nintendo console. Even considering the Switch Lite model, it costs the same as the NES set 71374 (€230), games excluded - and they cost €60 average.)
I was just suggesting that if you don't want to spend such a big amount of money on the Nintendo Switch, there are some alternative ways to play Mario 64.
(also if you have a Nintendo DS or 3DS you can play the better Mario 64 DS)
Interesting building techniques for sure, but this set just isn't for me.
Doesn't need to though. Just bought Seinfeld and the new Winter Village Santa Visit set today, so again plenty to build soon.
Happy for everyone who likes this set and is able to get it.
This set is awesome. I've never played Super Mario 64 but I love a bunch of other Mario games, so while the vignettes don't really mean anything to me, they're still great details to include. I'll definitely be buying this and I would have even if it was just a ? block with no features (although the price would've had to been lower). The functions are super interesting and I want to experience how they're built. The only gripe I have here is the microfigures, since I think they all look weird (and in Mario's case, just downright bad) without eyes.
This set is really cool. I have no connection to the game but the set is one of the most unique I've seen Lego produce.
@MainBricker said:
"Another strange set from Lego, a set that is meant to be a display piece that centres around play features. An awkward one to display due the height of the cube with the levels on top.
I will be avoiding this set. Another case of Lego giving people what they don't want. If this had minifigures it would be a different matter, but Lego would rather give you a minifigure of someone's music teacher rather than Mario."
From what I've gathered about Lego, and making moulds of stuff like minifigures, the teacher would be easier since it's mostly preexisting moulds with new printing, whereas Mario would be more expensive...
Now a mario CMF line that can also interact with them, or a series of racers that you could build like with mario and the others, (it's been a while since I played) would be interesting, and prehaps more to your liking.
I LOVE how they did the bowser level! It’s hidden away perfectly, and the way you have to interact with the bowser to open it is kind of like the painting! Great, unique set!
I'm more interested in the PDF instruction from the website than the set itself. It's an interesting build, but as a set itself - not for me. I'm sure I can enjoy and learn some techniques by going over the instructions.
In really don't get why everyone is going wild about this set. I really dislike the fact that I'll have to spend another €180-200
With how the question mark is constructed, it would have be easy to have an exclamation mark instead and be accurate to Mario 64...
The review didn't make me want to buy it but I appreciate the design and overall idea of the set. It's undeniable that it's very well thought out and that alone is commendable. I think the price is pretty decent too in terms of what you get.
Nah, I simply don't think it displays well (with the vignettes outside), too much bulk for too little. At that point I'd rather just buy actual authentic SM64 ''!'' box
@besch64 said:
""Its base is covered in 64 yellow 11203 FLAT TILE 2X2 INV. which, when the cube is closed, form the top face of it."
Exactly 64 tiles! I wonder if that's just a happy accident or if they scaled the set specifically to get 64."
And 2064 parts overall, very cool :)
Having owned the NES set for a while now, I just can't imagine this being more than $119 or so, the NES is just one of those 'holy smokes' sets, and seemed like a bargain when I was also building the Disney Castle and Hogwarts around the same time. NES was one to earn a spot in one of the glass cases, next to the mighty WALL-E.
There's just so much goodness in this price range I just can't see buying it. And I've thrown down at least $3k this year and still have the Tumbler, the HP Icons, Pickup truck and half a dozen more to go before the end of this year. Just can come to a $160 conclusion so many more ways. Rather come home with the pickup and Santa's Sleigh or a Fender and another Ninjago-anything where you get 2-for-1 pricing per piece.
This is one of those set's they REALLY should of 'cheated' and went ahead with exclusive precision-molded characters in micro-fig scale. I'd rather spend the $ buying 5 of those outstanding Disney micro-castles for Christmas gifts.
I imagine the "Lethal Lava Trouble" mistake came about because 71364 is called Whomp's Lava Trouble
@eldomtom2 said:
"With how the question mark is constructed, it would have be easy to have an exclamation mark instead and be accurate to Mario 64..."
With the "?" we've got about 10 people calling it out as inaccurate. If they changed it to a "!" I'd imagine we'd have 100 calling it out for not being the iconic version
Great review!
Never played the game, but I nevertheless really like this set. Yes, the big cube and mechanisme obviously add a lot of parts and make it much mure expensive as just the vignettes on their own, but as such I wouldn't have cared one bit. The clever way how they are hidden inside the cube is what does it for me. And it seems like they did a pretty good job on that.
I also love that it's all prints, as it should be in an expensive display set aimed at adults. If I buy a set like this I want it to still look just as great in 20 years from now.
Having recently played the game on the N64 we have lying around at my work, my son and I are super hyped about this one. He is 8 and loves Mario, and all the details he has seen so far. I'm keeping the Bowser reveal a secret but we look forward to building this one together.
it looks ingenious so I can't wait!!
Day X purchase for me, where X = the first day that there is a good GWP available for purchases over $150.
Pointless. Lego seems to be losing its way.
Much rather a new Space theme.
@Tynansd said:
"Pointless. Lego seems to be losing its way.
Much rather a new Space theme. "
Such an innovative comment!
I am very impressed with this set even though I have no desire to own it. Of course, Lego would go out of business if they only catered to my interests. I bet the creator(s) had a blast designing it though.
@CCC:
I’ve not heard of that being a problem for the colored Technic bands. That was more a problem with the black bands that were formed by cutting slices off a tube. They did that around 20 years ago with the first few waves of Bionicle sets, which appears to have resulted in them ending use of that style in favor of this type, which are molded as you see them. These are less stretchy than the black ones, and if you try to force them to stretch too far you will reach the “elastic limit”, at which point you’ll feel a slight pop and they won’t return to their original shape anymore. The funny thing is, I ran across my old Sea Claw 7 from Aquazone, and it had the same style of black bands that I’d applied when the set was still being produced. Still stretchy, still a bit shiny, and no sign of degradation. On the other hand, I could take a black band out of a 2001 Bionicle set, and even though it looked identical, one stretch caused it to turn flat black, and by the end of the week it would be crumbling to dust. Either something contaminated the material, or they forgot to perform a step (maybe vulcanizing?) during manufacture, because that type of rubber band used to be capable of lasting decades.
@magmafrost:
Sounds like I’m getting guitar strings and glass wands on LUGBulk next year...
@ASchvan said:
" @mojomarm said:
(It also makes me want to go back and play Super Mario 64 somehow but that may be more cus my son is watching similar YouTube videos atm)
@gabri_ves said:
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
You most certainly CAN play Super Mario 64 in a 100% legal way if you have a Nintendo Switch. It's included as part of "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" (which also includes "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Mario Galaxy" to boot!)
"
That was a limited time release sadly, it’s no longer available.
I love brick-built elements, but I would rather have had microfigures (a al LEGO Games) for Mario and Peach.
Phew, no control+. It’ll work forever.
@fakespacesquid said:
" @eldomtom2 said:
"With how the question mark is constructed, it would have be easy to have an exclamation mark instead and be accurate to Mario 64..."
With the "?" we've got about 10 people calling it out as inaccurate. If they changed it to a "!" I'd imagine we'd have 100 calling it out for not being the iconic version"
This was my thought exactly, the question mark block was a smart choice.
@Legonk said:
" @ASchvan said:
" @mojomarm said:
(It also makes me want to go back and play Super Mario 64 somehow but that may be more cus my son is watching similar YouTube videos atm)
@gabri_ves said:
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
You most certainly CAN play Super Mario 64 in a 100% legal way if you have a Nintendo Switch. It's included as part of "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" (which also includes "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Mario Galaxy" to boot!)
"
That was a limited time release sadly, it’s no longer available. "
Nope. It's very much available: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G3MN6KP/?coliid=I19X49MFXKT3GO&colid=2LZ9CU0B40PS0&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it
@Tynansd said:
"Pointless. Lego seems to be losing its way.
Much rather a new Space theme. "
I can assure you, even if they didn’t make this set they wouldn’t have made a new space theme in its place. Or a new castle theme or a new pirates theme for that matter.
All LEGO sets are space themed... they all take up space.
I love Lego. I love Nintendo. I love the review. I love the clever design. Mario 64 was the first video game to really blow my mind.
However, I just can't bring myself to say "Yes" to it at that price. It has the 'wow' factor yet it's a cube.
I'm so torn!
LEGO can be a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and I think some folks are struggling to realize that
Hmmm... I take it that it wasn't possible to get someone who actually played the game to review this? I mean, this is a Lego site, not a Nintendo one, so that's expected, but there's a lot of intricate details here that only fans of the game would really appreciate - such as the impressively specific and accurate geometry on the Cool Cool Mountain vignette.
Understandable if that wasn't possible though, good review otherwise!
For me, this is a hard pass. Nintendo has no appeal to me and it never will. It is just not my demographic having missed that era of gaming due to college and eventually getting into PC gaming.
@darkstonegrey:
All sets are Batman themed. He has a Batsuit for every occasion.
@gabri_ves said:
" @ASchvan said:
" @gabri_ves said:
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
You most certainly CAN play Super Mario 64 in a 100% legal way if you have a Nintendo Switch. It's included as part of "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" (which also includes "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Mario Galaxy" to boot!)"
Thank you for answering me. I get it, someone who already has a Switch can buy a copy of the collection, but not everyone is willing to spend €300 for a Switch and €60 for a copy of Mario 3D All Stars (since with €300 you can buy a ~3000 Lego set. And I'm sure most people here would prefer the bigger Lego set rather than the Nintendo console. Even considering the Switch Lite model, it costs the same as the NES set 71374 (€230), games excluded - and they cost €60 average.)
I was just suggesting that if you don't want to spend such a big amount of money on the Nintendo Switch, there are some alternative ways to play Mario 64.
(also if you have a Nintendo DS or 3DS you can play the better Mario 64 DS)"
However, if you own a cartridge then you are legally allowed to own the rom. I imagine that a used Mario 64 cartridge in poor condition would be fairly easy to find at a reasonable price, it was the most popular game for the N64.
So the only legal issue would be the emulator, but certainly the patents on the N64 hardware would have expired by now so that too may be a non-issue.
@alfred_the_buttler said:
"However, if you own a cartridge then you are legally allowed to own the rom."
Wait, really? I thought that it's just that you can rip your own ROM for your own non-redistributable use.
It’s an interesting mechanism, but a hinge built and a rounded inside certainly isn’t anything revolutionary. The rubber bands to snap the side back in place is creative, but we all know what happens to them over time. I think I was expecting something more complex, like one simple motion causing everything to pop into place. Preferably you’d punch the bottom and everything would pop out. This requires several very interesting-Mario-like actions to fully expand it.
The vignettes do make sense now however, this block would need to be at an insane scale to do anything minifigure scaled. But sadly it seems like such a waste, a Star Wars set of these proportions would fully create something that can hold many minifigures. I feel like you are simply paying for a gimmick of this stuff popping out of a box.
I admit I’m not much into Mario 64 or the N64, but I think it’s the vignettes rather than the choice of games that has turned me off. Had this box allowed you to pop out a mushroom, star, and fire flower I probably would have gone for it. Vignettes simply seem like a GWP to me.
Anyways, glad to see another Nintendo set targeted at adults. I loved the NES, and while I won’t be getting this one, hopefully the next one will be more up my alley.
@Chang9081 said:
"Does it even interact with the other Mario sets? "
Huw mentioned that the large scale characters from the rest of the line can scan one of those barcodes under the castle, so yeah it's a different scale but does feature a digital connection.
@Robot99 said:
" @alfred_the_buttler said:
"However, if you own a cartridge then you are legally allowed to own the rom."
Wait, really? I thought that it's just that you can rip your own ROM for your own non-redistributable use."
Yes, if you rip it then you own it. I would imagine that playing it on an emulator would be no different than ripping a CD I own and listening to the mp3s on my computer or phone. So long as I don’t share a mp3 with you, I’ve not broken any laws. For that matter, I can even listen to mp3s I’ve recorded off of vinyl (and I do frequently).
Of course you probably want to download the rom instead of buying hardware to rip it. Many websites with roms clearly state that you may only download them if you own a copy of the game. But of course I’m not a copyright lawyer so I don’t know if what they say is true.
@ASchvan said:
" @Legonk said:
" @ASchvan said:
" @mojomarm said:
(It also makes me want to go back and play Super Mario 64 somehow but that may be more cus my son is watching similar YouTube videos atm)
@gabri_ves said:
You can still play Super Mario 64, albeit in not very legal ways... (something something emulation via PC)
You most certainly CAN play Super Mario 64 in a 100% legal way if you have a Nintendo Switch. It's included as part of "Super Mario 3D All-Stars" (which also includes "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Super Mario Galaxy" to boot!)
"
That was a limited time release sadly, it’s no longer available. "
Nope. It's very much available: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G3MN6KP/?coliid=I19X49MFXKT3GO&colid=2LZ9CU0B40PS0&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it"
Huh, my bad. The digital version is unavailable though, and as far as i’ve understood it, no more physical copies are being made. Happy to see there are copies left anyway!
Strange thing, when that Adidas shoe came on, I was like: WTF?! And now, seeing ppl complaining that this set is expensive or doesn't have his customers, I'm thinking: This is a genius set! (and I'n not even a Mario or Nintendo fan)
Well, maybe it's nor strange, it's just Lego, and everybody can find something that he likes in it)
@Robot99 said:
"Hmmm... I take it that it wasn't possible to get someone who actually played the game to review this? I mean, this is a Lego site, not a Nintendo one, so that's expected, but there's a lot of intricate details here that only fans of the game would really appreciate - such as the impressively specific and accurate geometry on the Cool Cool Mountain vignette.
Understandable if that wasn't possible though, good review otherwise!"
When LEGO offers us sets to review it does not tell us what they are other than a set number and sometimes a theme. Therefore it can be impossible to get them sent to the most appropriate reviewer, and posting them on to someone else once we do know what they are makes no sense given the cost of doing so, and the delay it would cause.
Did my lack of knowledge of SM64 really affect the review? Other than describing what's on the vignettes, what would such knowledge have added? Fans of the game can see the intricate details for themselves, they don't need me to point them out.
I enjoyed your review. You were quite transparent and honest with what you didn't know. Like you said, real fans will be able to spot the intricate details anyway.
At the end of the day you were reviewing a Lego set, in which you are clearly an expert.
@Huw said:
"When LEGO offers us sets to review it does not tell us what they are other than a set number and sometimes a theme. Therefore it can be impossible to get them sent to the most appropriate reviewer, and posting them on to someone else once we do know what they are makes no sense given the cost of doing so, and the delay it would cause."
Got it, thanks for the info!
I'd gladly pay half the price for just the box and its mechanisms without the vignettes - so that I could build something relevant to my interests in their stead.
I haven't played Super Mario 64 nearly as much as my brother has but I recognize all of these. I love how "So long, gay Bowser!/Bye-bye!" is a play feature and I'm impressed by the little details and the sculpting of the ? Block. I don't have any complaints with the set other than the fact that I'm more of a Minifigure-scale/playset guy (call me a player, I guess :P) so I'm not as interested as I would be otherwise. I think my brother would love it since he plays 64 a lot but the price point is way too steep for either of us, I think a lot of people might have this issue, even if it's a great value for what you get.
P.s. Where is the Baby Penguin in that pic? Is it just the one without feet? Either way, with the way the Slippy Slidey Ice World is placed, you could probably have Mario throw him off of the edge.
P.p.s. I would've loved it if they had the haunted house with the carnivorous piano abomination.
Great review and a a great set - much better than I expected. (Not a set for me - have to limit my genres, but that doesn't detract from how good this set really is).
@Huw said:
" Did my lack of knowledge of SM64 really affect the review? Other than describing what's on the vignettes, what would such knowledge have added? Fans of the game can see the intricate details for themselves, they don't need me to point them out."
now on the to-do list there's playing some Super Mario XD
jokes aside, I don't mind if there are any errors or missed details, since I think it's gonna be a well-selling set.
@Trigger_:
The one on the base uses seven pieces that I can identify. The one at the peak only uses four. I missed that they were different sizes at first glance, too, but going back and checking the pic quickly revealed the difference.
I like the set, but I think I would have liked it even more if it were a celebration of multiple Mario games and not just SM64.
Wouldn't it be cool if it had 4 vignettes of 4 different 3D Mario games (like SM64, Sunshine, Galaxy, and Odyssey)?
And then the sides of the cube could flip to reveal 2D representations of SMB1, SMB2, and SMB3.
I'd buy that in a heartbeat.
Did anyone notice how a failure this set is? I mean, this yellow question mark block doesn't even exist in Super Mario 64!!! What a shame.... T_T
@Perfectneo said:
"Did anyone notice how a failure this set is? I mean, this yellow question mark block doesn't even exist in Super Mario 64!!! What a shame.... T_T"
With the "?" we've got about 10 people calling it out as inaccurate. If they changed it to a "!" I'd imagine we'd have 100 calling it out for not being the iconic version
The choice of the “?” for this set makes a lot more sense after this week’s reveal of the promotional material for the upcoming Mario movie.
@fakespacesquid said:
" @Perfectneo said:
"Did anyone notice how a failure this set is? I mean, this yellow question mark block doesn't even exist in Super Mario 64!!! What a shame.... T_T"
With the "?" we've got about 10 people calling it out as inaccurate. If they changed it to a "!" I'd imagine we'd have 100 calling it out for not being the iconic version"
It's not because less people call it inaccurate that it's more accurate.....I'm just sad to see how people don't pay attention to such important details. Here I'm talking about the designers AND the so called "hardcore fans". For me, it makes it a no go (and it sucks because in itself, I love the idea).