There’s good news for fans of the Lego Super Mario sets hope for more: Donkey Kong joins the blocky cast of characters in four new Lego expansion sets. He arrives alongside his usual entourage (Kongtourage?), which includes Funky, Dixie, and Diddy Kong.
It’s worth noting that only Donkey Kong isn’t a standalone tech-filled character like Mario, Luigi, or Peach. In other words, you need one of those three characters to get the most out of these DK kits. Each of them can saddle up DK Yoshi style to ride through any of the courses you’ve built.
The $59.99 Donkey Kong tree house expansion set contains 555 pieces and includes a buildable TV and radio, conga drums, hammock and a secret compartment. Diddy Kong’s Minecart Ride is the most involved and interesting of the bunch, costing $109.99 and consisting of 1,157 pieces.
Include some smaller but still cool sounding kits Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam ($26.99), a 174-piece set, and the Rambi the rhinoceros expansion set ($10.99), which is 106 pieces. All four Donkey Kong-themed expansion sets are available for pre-order now and will ship from August 1.
How lego SuperMario kits work?
I originally did this brief explanation of how Lego Super Mario was when the Dry Bowser’s Castle expansion set first went up for pre-order (it’s also due out August 1), but I’ve also included it here for convenience.
Lego’s Super Mario playsets combine the customizability of Lego and combine it with smart technology. Mario, Luigi and Peach figures include a code reader, an accelerometer to detect movement, a small screen and a speaker. When they use a code (by stomping on Goombas, going in big, green pipes – you know, Mario stuff), you’re treated to familiar sights and sounds from the Mario universe. You get an engaging build and play experience that feels a bit like a real life version of the Super Mario Maker game.
While you can tinker with each set to build unique courses, certain elements of each course require you to follow specific instructions through the Lego Super Mario app. The app also allows you to share your specific course with others and see what others have created as well.
Lego Super Mario starter sets and expansions
If you want to dive into the world of Lego Super Mario, there are several modestly sized starter sets, each with its own character and everything you need to build your first level.