Pac-man, Tetris, Donkey Kong, GoldenEye 007, Pokémon, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Fortnite, are just a handful of games that have helped to change the face of gaming over the years. But in 1996 there was one game that made a massive impact on the games industry. Super Mario 64 defined the 3-D platform experience, which is why it’s no surprise it acted as inspiration for the insides of the new LEGO Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block set. The Question Mark Block features microscale versions of three worlds from Super Mario 64 along with the grounds around Peach’s Castle. As I mentioned in my review of the set, these microscale locations aren’t 1:1 recreations of the levels of the game but include a number of features that are based on iconic areas of them. So for the latest LEGO Set v Source, it’s time to see how each of the brick-built microscale Mario worlds match up with their pixelated counterparts.
Peach’s Castle Grounds
Although the grounds around the Castle don’t have much to do, it’s an iconic area. As players embark on the first 3D Mario adventure, Lakitu zooms around to show off the area and the camera’s ability to move in a three-dimensional space. This is captured in the set with a mini Lakitu sitting atop a cloud, next to the famous green pipe.
The grand Mushroom King castle which is home to Princess Peach and her Toad chums is certainly smaller than it appears in the game but despite not being as grand it hides a couple of nice details. After collecting all the power stars in the game or if you can jump in just the right spot, you’ll be granted access to the roof of the Castle. Here you’ll find Yoshi strolling about.
Inside the castle are the three magic paintings in which Mario can leap to be taken to other worlds. The paintings are all found on uniquely printed 1×1 tiles which represent the other microscale worlds built into the set. The fancy rug found in the Castle has been cleverly used to add a cheeky Action Brick.
Lethal Lava Land
Beneath the Castle platform is the fiery realm of Lethal Lava Land. Unlike Bob-omb Battlefield and Cool, Cool Mountain, this lava-filled level is far flatter. But there’s plenty of things happening here. Much of these have been added to the microscale build.
The Volcano which you have to jump into is flanked by printed tiles that represent the platforms floating in the lava. The moving picture puzzle featuring Bowser is also here in the form of a printed tile. A Big Bully is lurking on a platform towards the back of the build and even the rotating log has been included in this microscale representation of Lethal Lava Land.
Cool, Cool Mountain
Cool, Cool Mountain chills things down a bit. This snow-capped level is centred around a huge mountain. Descending this snowy peak is mainly achieved through slopes. These are dotted around the mountain, but if you pop off one side of it, you even find the slope used to race the penguin. Speaking of which, both mum and her baby penguin are roaming the mountain. Even the bodiless Snowman’s head and the ski lift is included.
Bob-omb Battlefield
Finally, one of the first worlds you visit in the game is the magnificent Bob-omb Battlefield. This is the best of the microscale worlds as it has so many of its iconic elements. King Bob-omb is holding court over the battlefield atop the mountain. At its base, a Chain Chomp keeps guard. The various cannons are dotted around the land, even the two gates you barrel through to scale the mountain are cleverly integrated into the build.
Wherever Mario is, Bowser isn’t far behind and although he’s not included in the microscale worlds, he can be found hidden elsewhere in the set. Inside the hatch, a mini Bowser is sitting on a switch which opens up a minimal recreation of the battle arena.
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This set was provided to BricksFanz.com by The LEGO Group for purposes of review. The thoughts within this review are that of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Nintendo. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.
