After being introduced in 2020, LEGO® Super Mario is a much-established theme. With well over 100 expansion sets, character packs and large-scale sets, the various Nintendo-inspired builds have a running theme – Action Tags. With each new wave of sets, the Action Tags have been used in fun new ways. The introduction of the Princess Peach interactive figure, it’s allowed the LEGO Super Mario Design Team to seek inspiration from new corners of the Mushroom Kingdom. For the first of my LEGO Super Mario 2023 Expansion Pack reviews, here’s a look at Peach’s Garden Ballon Ride.
Product Details
Add extra coin-collecting challenges and role-play fun to kids’ LEGO® Super Mario™ world with the Peach’s Garden Balloon Ride Expansion Set (71419). Players can explore the detailed garden with their interactive LEGO® Peach™, LEGO® Mario™ or LEGO® Luigi™ figure (not included) in the brick-built hot-air balloon. Cool features include a Blue Toad’s house with a Super Star Block in the chimney’s ‘smoke’, a fountain with a Coin Block, and clouds over Pom Pom to part with the balloon. (Note: the 71360, 71387 or 71403 Starter Course is required for interactive play.)
Social fun
An awesome gift for kids aged 7 and over, this toy playset includes 4 Super Mario™ characters – Pom Pom, a Blue Toad, a Pink Yoshi and a Lava Bubble – and is ideal for solo or social play. Download the LEGO Super Mario app for building instructions.
- Set Name: Peach’s Garden Ballon Ride
- Set Number: 71419
- Pieces: 453
- Action Bricks: 8
- RRP: £44.99/$49.99/49.99€
- Number of Bags: Bags x 5 + loose elements
- Instructions: LEGO Super Mario App
- Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & General Retail From January 1st, 2023
With so many expansion sets released since 2020, finding inspiration from the many Super Mario games is becoming a little obscure. This particular Expansion Set appears to take inspiration from various places including Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. 2. Peach Gardens is a track featured in Mario Kart DS. Pom Pom debuted in 3D Land and the Turnip is a power-up from Super Mario Bros. 2 aka Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. This results in a set with mixed appeal, similarities with previous sets and something new.
As with almost all other LEGO Super Mario sets, they are built using the LEGO Super Mario app. This has been tweaked a little in the latest update and now features a line-up of all the sets instead of randomly placing them on the home screen. The digital build instructions are pretty much the same, being able to view them in 3D is quite helpful in places. Another thing I’ve noticed is the digital instructions don’t randomly leave pieces from one back and then get you to use them elsewhere in the build. This was super annoying.
Mario sets are always tricky to review as the build process is quite simple and mainly consists of little builds which combine to create a larger set. The biggest buildable element is the hot air balloon. This uses the large curved fins previously used to create a similar air balloon in the Trolls sets. These are biggest than those used to craft balloons in the Friends and NINJAGO sets. They are all connected to a wooden basket-type build, where you’ll find an Action Tag. Placing any of the interactive figures on this activates a minigame and the ability to gain some extra coins. I do like how the basket is connected to the balloon using plant elements to pin connection points. It also ties the balloon into the garden theme of the set.
The second biggest buildable element of the set is Toad’s House. This matches the style of Toad Houses from previous sets. It sort of blends the building style of other houses, the smaller red-coloured mushroom-cap roof is combined with a bigger doorway, one which Blue Toad can exactly fit through.
The rest of the set comprises smaller buildable sections, which are connected to each other with various different coloured plates. These include a simple cloud-topped vine ladder, a cloud platform for Pom Pom and an odd catapult platform to launch the Turnip. I guess it sort of represents the ability of pulling a vegetable from the ground, but it would have been nice if that feature was developed a little further than simply being able to fling it in the air.
The fountain looks quite ornate considering it doesn’t use that many elements to create. It also hides an Action Tag under the top section. When uncovered, scanning it with Mario, Peach or Luigi offers some bonus coins but little else. If nothing else, this part of the set ties nicely to Peach’s Castle.
Although an interactive figure is needed to get the most out of the Mario sets, many sets have featured various friends and foes from across the Mushroom Kingdom. This set includes 3 of them including a Blue Toad. It’s technically a unique version of Blue Toad as this one features a winky face instead of the scared one Blue Toad had in the Reznor Knockdown set. Just like Toad, Yoshi comes in various colours and this is the second outing for Pink Yoshi. The build is exactly the same as other versions of the character but does use a new round 1/2 tile in place of 2 1/4 tiles.
Finally, the ranks of the Koopa Troopa Army expands with Pom Pom. This character is a recent addition to the Mario universe. She is the female counterpart of Boom Boom and first appeared in Super Mario 3D Land. She’s built in a similar way to other Koopa Troopas and is another great translation of a rounded 3D character into the brick-built foe.
The biggest aspect of the Super Mario sets is the Action Tags, these are pre-applied decals found on various items and characters. Scanning them with any of the interactive figures causes various things to happen during the play of your built levels. This Expansion Set features 8 Action tags including one power-up only found in this set, the Turnip which can be ‘thrown’. Getting into the Hot Air Balloon is also unique for this set but simply offers a mini-game to gain more coins. The other Action Tags link to Yoshi, Toad and Pom Pom as well as a Star Power box and 2 hidden ones.
Overall
I’ve recently had a comment about one of my Mario set reviews asking where the review was and that it was just a detailed description of the set. In all honesty, they offer very little in terms of the build experience. If you want that then these Mario sets aren’t for you. Instead, they are part of an ecosystem of sets which combine to create a physical representation of the Mario games. The skill doesn’t come from building the set but from integrating it with others to create an interesting playscape. It does offer some unique elements such as Pom Pom, the Turnip and Balloon, so if you like picking Mario sets up for the items or character, then this set is a must. But everything else is quite similar to what came before. There aren’t even any wacky contraptions, closely we get to that is the balloon.
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This set was provided to BricksFanz by the LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group. Providing a set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
