Nintendo's iconic "Super Mario 64," originally released in 1996, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021. Naturally, LEGO and Nintendo, partners on the hit LEGO Super Mario series, couldn't miss this milestone. The result is their latest collaboration: the "71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block"! We're diving deep into this awesome set for this hands-on review.
While the main LEGO Super Mario line focuses on recreating the video game experience in the real world, the "71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block" shifts its focus to bringing the game's iconic levels to life in brick form. It masterfully injects brilliant design and engineering into a faithful recreation of the block, allowing builders to enjoy a hands-on, surprising, and fun model long after assembly is complete. The set boasts 2064 pieces and builds into a cube measuring approximately 18cm (7 in.) on all sides, packed with hidden secrets. Let's jump in and start playing!
▼ The front of the box features a deep blue gradient background that makes the Question Mark Block pop. The bottom right corner sports the official Super Mario 64 logo, while the very bottom has a gray-toned LEGO brick motif.
▼ The back showcases the block with its hidden worlds unfolded, along with the set's detailed specifications.
▼ Here's a look at the contents: 20 bags of parts numbered up to 13, plus one instruction manual. And best of all, absolutely no stickers.
▼ The instruction manual explains the features of each scene, supplementing the build steps with screenshots from the game to enhance the experience. Even builders less familiar with "Super Mario 64" can quickly get up to speed and might even find themselves wanting to play the game.
▼ This set is also compatible with the interactive LEGO Mario figure (from the Starter Course). You can collect 10 hidden Power Stars, just like in the "Super Mario 64" game. The manual even details how to find each star.
▼ Let's get building! Here we gooooo!
▼ Assembly complete! In hand, the block feels a bit smaller than I initially expected, perhaps because I knew how many scenes were packed inside. However, as the model came together step-by-step, I was blown away by the ingenious use of space. The designers deserve a standing ovation. The exterior is an incredibly accurate recreation; aside from the white question mark sections, the yellow surfaces and the four corner circles are completely smooth and studless, making it a fantastic display piece on its own.
▼ The bottom is open, revealing the folded-up scenes and a key component of the design: rubber bands.
▼ Just like hitting a Question Mark Block in the games makes an item pop out, this LEGO version perfectly recreates that element. A gentle press on one of the top corners instantly causes the hidden scenes to flip out and reveal themselves!
▼ Because everything has to be stored within the block's cubic space, the micro-scale scenes are designed with structures that act as locking points. This is the state after it flips out, but before it's fully opened.
▼ This is a perfect example of meticulously designed spatial stacking.
▼ Just open the two side panels, and "Princess Peach's Castle" at the center pops out, also powered by the elasticity of rubber bands.
▼ Before we dive into the levels, I have to point out this incredible design feature—the curved edges with smooth tiles. This ensures that whether you're unfolding the scenes or folding them back in, the motion is incredibly fluid. The mechanism feels great to operate, and parts rarely fall off. It's seriously impressive.
Now let's check out the maps! Levels, deploy!
▼ Since the "Super Mario 64" game starts with Mario being invited to Princess Peach's Castle, let's start there! This micro-scale build features a beautifully structured castle, a moat, a bridge, and the surrounding green landscape. The stained-glass window of Princess Peach on the front of the castle is represented by a finely printed tile. The characters include microfigures of "Mario," "Peach," and "Lakitu," with a "Yoshi" hidden behind the castle.
▼ Open up the front of the castle, and you'll see 1x1 printed tiles on the interior walls. This represents the gameplay mechanic where Mario has to jump into paintings to enter the game's courses. The paintings here correspond to the other three scenes: "Bob-omb Battlefield," "Cool, Cool Mountain," and "Lethal Lava Land."
▼ The round, yellow-bordered printed tile is a scannable action brick for the interactive LEGO Mario figure.
● Course 1: Bob-omb Battlefield
This section captures the level's terrain, including the gently sloping mountain, the aggressive Chain Chomp that charges at you, and the level's boss, "King Bob-omb," whom you have to pick up and throw.
● Course 4: Cool, Cool Mountain
Next up is the snowy world of Cool, Cool Mountain, recreating elements like the ski lift and the ice slide. The characters here are a brick-built mother penguin and her lost baby penguin.
▼ This part opens up as well.
● Course 7: Lethal Lava Land
In this fiery landscape filled with lava, elements like the flame-spewing volcano, the horned enemy "Big Bully," the eyeball foe "Mr. I," and a tile printed with Bowser's face have all been recreated. The level of detail is amazing!
▼ Think the pop-out levels are all there is? Think again! A panel on the front of the Question Mark Block can be opened to reveal the big boss himself, "Bowser"! There's another mechanism here: press down on the purple slope piece, and a round, rotatable platform pops out. For those who haven't played the game, this represents the iconic boss battle where Mario grabs Bowser by the tail and swings him around.
▼ Just like this!
Finally, there's a fun fact for all you collectors. Although this LEGO set is centered around the Question Mark Block and reveals "Super Mario 64" levels from within, not a single Question Mark Block actually appears in the "Super Mario 64" game—a point mentioned in the instruction manual. However, the Question Mark Block is an iconic element throughout the "Super Mario" series, always carrying a sense of surprise and the unknown. We're confident that this LEGO set, with its faithful scene recreations and brilliant transforming design, will deliver that same level of wonder and amazement to fans everywhere.
LEGO 71395 LEGO Super Mario 64™ Question Mark Block
MSRP: $169.99 USD, Total Pieces: 2064, Release Date: October 1, 2021