Super Mario 2021 - Rumors & Discussion

[RedHoodPug]

8 hours ago, Modal said:

It’s super obvious why they chose the ? Block instead of the ! Block. I really don’t understand anyone who is confused by the change. 

It’s not ? vs !, it’s red vs yellow. Yellow isn’t Mario 64 accurate, but I can see greater appeal in it. I’m sure they went through the options during the early design process, and I’m sure there’s a valid reason for it. They have similar properties in design terms, so it may have been a flip of the coin in the end.

[Lyichir]

9 hours ago, RedHoodPug said:

It’s not ? vs !, it’s red vs yellow. Yellow isn’t Mario 64 accurate, but I can see greater appeal in it. I’m sure they went through the options during the early design process, and I’m sure there’s a valid reason for it. They have similar properties in design terms, so it may have been a flip of the coin in the end.

Technically while all the blocks in the original Super Mario 64 did have exclamation points instead of question marks, yellow ones DID exist in the game. Specifically, while red, blue, and green blocks contained the Wing Cap, Vanish Cap, and Metal Cap respectively, yellow blocks also existed in various levels containing Power Stars (a great early-game example is the block at the end of The Princess's Secret Slide).

In any case, it doesn't make much sense to feud over which is BETTER or more appropriate for this set, since ultimately it's a matter of preference. Lego probably opted for the more iconic modern question mark block design because it'd be more widely known and recognized (even for people who hadn't played Super Mario 64, or hadn't played it in a long time), but it probably wouldn't be too much of a challenge to modify this set to use a more classic block design (especially since for an authentic Super Mario 64 design, you could use regular bricks and tiles in place of the rarer beveled edge and corner pieces). I look forward to seeing what modifications folks come up with for this set once it's released!

[Modal]

10 hours ago, RedHoodPug said:

It’s not ? vs !, it’s red vs yellow. Yellow isn’t Mario 64 accurate, but I can see greater appeal in it. I’m sure they went through the options during the early design process, and I’m sure there’s a valid reason for it. They have similar properties in design terms, so it may have been a flip of the coin in the end.

It’s not even a flip of the coin though, it’s obvious ? Is the only block 80% of Nintendo fans and 100% of non-video game people know, and it’s the only one that would sell well. I wouldn’t buy this set if it was the ! Block because I wouldn’t put a block that literally no one recognizes outside a select few people. I bet LEGO spent about 5 minutes thinking about it.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Modal

[Lyichir]

For people who are interested in converting the set to a Super Mario 64-style ! Block, I sketched up a rough idea of how it could be done on Stud.io:

As tempting as it is for me to turn this into a full conversion, probably best for me to wait until instructions are available so I don't end up tearing my hair out over having to redo a bunch of it.

[Modal]

Have we heard anything about GWP’s on October 1st?

[RedHoodPug]

5 hours ago, Lyichir said:

Technically while all the blocks in the original Super Mario 64 did have exclamation points instead of question marks, yellow ones DID exist in the game. Specifically, while red, blue, and green blocks contained the Wing Cap, Vanish Cap, and Metal Cap respectively, yellow blocks also existed in various levels containing Power Stars (a great early-game example is the block at the end of The Princess's Secret Slide).

In any case, it doesn't make much sense to feud over which is BETTER or more appropriate for this set, since ultimately it's a matter of preference. Lego probably opted for the more iconic modern question mark block design because it'd be more widely known and recognized (even for people who hadn't played Super Mario 64, or hadn't played it in a long time), but it probably wouldn't be too much of a challenge to modify this set to use a more classic block design (especially since for an authentic Super Mario 64 design, you could use regular bricks and tiles in place of the rarer beveled edge and corner pieces). I look forward to seeing what modifications folks come up with for this set once it's released!

I’m not feuding with anyone, I like the set, I understand that it’s colour isn’t entirely right and I’m ok with it.

 

4 hours ago, Modal said:

It’s not even a flip of the coin though, it’s obvious ? Is the only block 80% of Nintendo fans and 100% of non-video game people know, and it’s the only one that would sell well. I wouldn’t buy this set if it was the ! Block because I wouldn’t put a block that literally no one recognizes outside a select few people. I bet LEGO spent about 5 minutes thinking about it.

 When talking about a flip of the coin I was referring to colour, not the image on the side of the box. I’ve not even argued about it, I like the question mark because as you say it’s the more iconic. The colour is what would have been discussed. It had to have been, it was a design meeting.

[TeriXeri]

The inside of the block is N64, the outside of the block is not, but no doubt 100%  based on the "New Super Mario Bros" design , which has been in use since 2006 and has been used in other Mario Games like Mario Maker, Mario Run, Mario 3d Land, Mario 3d World etc, and even LEGO mario has 2x2 versions of the yellow block.

To me it makes sense for LEGO to use a block design that has been in use constantly for 15 years (or even 36 years if you count the older designs going back to 1985 which has the 4 dots in the corners as seen in the LEGO NES set or 1985 game itself).

It's also consistent to the other LEGO mario sets : 

As for the N64 theme around it, choosing the 1st 3D Mario game made into LEGO versions of Mario levels is very logical, LEGO already made a 2D mario game last year with the NES, which happened with the 35th anniversay of Super Mario Bros and Mario on Console in general.

Also I assume this was made for the 25th anniversary of Mario 64 US release date (29 September 1996), close enough to October 1st.

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by TeriXeri

[PGBQW]

15 hours ago, Modal said:

It’s not even a flip of the coin though, it’s obvious ? Is the only block 80% of Nintendo fans and 100% of non-video game people know, and it’s the only one that would sell well. I wouldn’t buy this set if it was the ! Block because I wouldn’t put a block that literally no one recognizes outside a select few people. I bet LEGO spent about 5 minutes thinking about it.

I also like making up stats to prove my points, as it works 43'87% of the time.

On a more serious note, does it really matter which block they picked up to represent?

Like for one, the microbuilds are small enough that you might not notice they're Mario 64 themed at first.

And even if that were not the case, you're most likely going to display the thing closed so what gives.

 

[Fuppylodders]

On 9/17/2021 at 5:36 PM, Modal said:

It’s not even a flip of the coin though, it’s obvious ? Is the only block 80% of Nintendo fans and 100% of non-video game people know, and it’s the only one that would sell well. I wouldn’t buy this set if it was the ! Block because I wouldn’t put a block that literally no one recognizes outside a select few people. I bet LEGO spent about 5 minutes thinking about it.

Your argument is entirely off. 

If that's the case, then all the 80% of Nintendo fans and 100% non Nintendo fans are really going to buy a set that they only understand and recognise the exterior, and not the interior? *Especially* as its microscale, all the details are even harder to understand unless you've actually played those levels. If you haven't, then it looks like a neat little stack of plates and random shaped bricks. Bowser being the only redeeming factor that 102% of people will know about. Given the price range, are you really expecting people to spend that much on a big ? with no care for the interior? They wouldn't care about the bowser battle you can actually replay because, they never did it so wouldn't understand wtf they're meant to do with the lego version. 

Oh, you can put your mario plates on the spinny bit in lethal lava land? Eh OK. What's the big deal? 

Those that played the level would understand the big deal. 

All the people that have an understanding of what the interior-you know, the other 50% of its selling point--is about, will absolutely have a clue and recognise the ! block. 

You're throwing wild numbers around stating your view as fact when it's literally your view. 

Yes, the question mark block is widely known. They should have therefore stuck to insides that better tied in with that than mixing it up for cashgrab purposes because it's like putting an OT star wars exterior on something then offering sequel contents. Can you imagine the outcry at mismatching? 

"The Clone Wars!" 

'Deathstar opens up to reveal Clone Wars mini scenes.'

It is a very reasonable observation and complaint (complaint might be a bit of a harsh description as it's more preference than complaint) for people to bring into question the use of the question mark block when it's stated as a super mario 64 set and the main display of it is something not seen in super mario 64. 

Can I understand why they did it? Yes. Do I agree with it? No. 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Fuppylodders

[jedisquidward]

It's not that serious people

[Fuppylodders]

22 minutes ago, jedisquidward said:

It's not that serious people

We're allowed to state our opinion here, even if it goes against the majority. Its a forum for discussion, not a bum cleaning service for TLG. 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Fuppylodders

[PGBQW]

10 hours ago, jedisquidward said:

It's not that serious people

And 80% of Lego fans know that.

[RedHoodPug]

5 hours ago, PGBQW said:

And 80% of Lego fans know that.

[thebrickhamster]

Looking forward to more Mario/Nintendo themed builds like this outside the collection of the electronic playsets.

Also, played Mario 64 many many times and it never occurred to me that the question block is not in it - it is just a more iconic/recognizable image. Easy to see why they went with it even if it is not game accurate. Would be nice if they officially included an alternate build though to make it an exclamation block.

[BrickBob Studpants]

Price points for the Mario sets, according to brickmerge.de:

• 71396: €9.99 (must be another suit)
• 71397: €24.99
• 71398: €29.99
• 71399: €39.99
• 71400: €59.99
• 71401: €79.99
• 71402: €3.99 (has to be S4)

Looks VERY similar to this year’s 1HY selection, in terms of price points. 71401 could be another expansion-style set, hopefully with a new Koopaling included, or better yet, two. Otherwise we’ll never complete them 

[PGBQW]

I know it's waaaaaaay too early to tell but, fellas, how do we feel about getting a Wario DigFig this summer?

[nolanchen]

Super Mario was the first video game I ever played and was obsessed with. I totally forgot about it, and now, as I can see, it got to the 2021 version. It's so unusual to hear this! Now, I play more active video games, like gta or csgo. They became my source of income as I sell csgo skins online, and in exchange, I get money. It's such a simple and efortless way to make money and the thing I like most is that I don't have to work as everyone, having an eight hour programme and being managed by someone else. 

Edited September 23, 2021 by nolanchen

[Lyichir]

6 hours ago, PGBQW said:

I know it's waaaaaaay too early to tell but, fellas, how do we feel about getting a Wario DigFig this summer?

It's hard to guess whether there will be additional "digi-figs" and if so, what characters they'll be. Mario and Luigi are the easy picks—pretty much every Mario game with multiple playable characters has Luigi as an option. But beyond that it can vary greatly. Super Mario Bros. 2/USA had Peach and Toad, Super Mario 64 DS had Wario and Yoshi, New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U have two differently colored Toads, Super Mario 3D World has Peach, Toad, and Rosalina, and Super Mario Maker 2 has Toad and Toadette.

Peach and Wario would seem like some of the most "likely" choices (since they haven't appeared as NPC characters in the sets yet), but have their own issues. In particular, beyond Luigi, how they'd work with existing power-up packs comes with a lot of issues. For instance, many of Peach's power-ups look different from Mario and Luigi's (since she doesn't wear overalls). Wario's power-ups, in games where he's had them, are completely different from Mario and Luigi's—he's never had most of the forms available in the current Power-Up Packs, some of which (like the Cat Suit) would require entirely new sound effects to be created for him.

Considering all that, plus the fact that physical gameplay with more than two characters might just be too chaotic to be practical, I'm not actually sure whether there will even be any other digi-figs beyond Mario and Luigi. It's possibly more likely that any other characters will instead appear as buildable "allies" like Toad, Toadette, and Yoshi in the current sets.

[Flak Maniak]

That'd be sick if Peach wore overalls! I mean, we gotta have SOME depiction of Peach eventually, right? It baffled me that she wasn't in the first wave, even! You'd think they'd do a big brick-built Peach! (I won't even ask for her to be twice as tall as Mario, but you know I'm right that she should be!)

[The_Fiery_Rooster]

Completely unrelated, but I stumbled onto this new combo pack sold at Sam's Club, and there's the three they're selling at Lego shop at home as well. Isn't it wierd that we're getting so many of these for the theme? And does it say anything about the success of the line as a whole?

https://www.samsclub.com/p/lego-super-mario-starter-course-pack/prod26200287?xid=plp_product_3

[Lyichir]

17 hours ago, NetherCreeper said:

Completely unrelated, but I stumbled onto this new combo pack sold at Sam's Club, and there's the three they're selling at Lego shop at home as well. Isn't it wierd that we're getting so many of these for the theme? And does it say anything about the success of the line as a whole?

https://www.samsclub.com/p/lego-super-mario-starter-course-pack/prod26200287?xid=plp_product_3

I don't think it says a lot, to be honest. Boxed combo packs at big-box stores like the one you linked aren't that unusual, especially as we start to approach the holiday season. Separately-boxed online-only bundles like the ones on Shop at Home are also not uncommon.

For the Lego Mario theme in particular the online bundles might be done because the sets are designed to be linked together into larger levels—sets like the starter sets and "Master Your Adventure" Maker set have more appeal in conjunction with the various other expansion sets than they do individually.

[Anonknee Muss]

The cast has been announced for the Mario Animated film coming December 2022. Chris Pratt will voice Mario.

More importantly, could we have a bigger chance of getting Mario minifigures?

[PGBQW]

The cast of the Mario movie got me totally jokerfied, this looks like the worst thing imaginable and I hate every single choice.

 

Can't wait to see the movie and buy the lego sets tho.

[The Stud]

I think the movie cast is hilarious and honestly makes me more interested in the movie.

Surely Lego sets will coincide with this release since they already have a good relationship with Illumination and Nintendo. Looks like we might be getting yet another Lego Chris Pratt character to add to our collections!

[Brickroll]

1 hour ago, PGBQW said:

The cast of the Mario movie got me totally jokerfied, this looks like the worst thing imaginable and I hate every single choice.

We live in a mushroom kingdom society.

Okay, but seriously, this is bizarre, terrible, and amazing, all at once.