Top LEGO Nintendo Sets for All Ages

It's been several years since LEGO formalized its creative partnership with Nintendo, resulting in some of LEGO's most inspired and accessible sets. Initially, in 2020, LEGO clearly distinguished between sets for children and adults. Children were introduced to Super Mario playsets, which are digital/physical hybrids that allow kids to build their own Super Mario courses. Meanwhile, adults were treated to iconic replicas that evoke waves of Gen-X nostalgia.

However, in recent years, LEGO has intentionally blurred the lines between its child and adult audiences. The newer LEGO sets for kids are more complex and involved, while the adult sets have become more cartoonish and whimsical. This shift aligns well with Nintendo's family-friendly ethos, making the LEGO sets appealing across generations.

Adventures with Interactive LEGO Mario

6 $49.99 at Target Set: #71439 Age Range: 6+ Piece Count: 218 Dimensions: 1.5 inches high, 4 inches wide, 3 inches deep Price: $49.99 The LEGO Super Mario playsets let you build your own Mario courses. Using an LED Mario figurine, you can scan barcodes on enemies and obstacles, triggering audio feedback like music and classic Mario sounds. The coins you collect are tracked in an app that syncs with Mario and records your progress.

This is the latest starter set that includes the Mario LED figure; other expansion sets require it to function. It also comes with essentials like a starting pipe, a Yoshi figure, a flagpole, and a Bowser Jr. figure in a Junior Clown Car.

Mario Kart – Standard Kart

3 $19.99 at Amazon Set: #72032 Age Range: 7+ Piece Count: 174 Dimensions: 1.5 inches high, 5.5 inches long, 3 inches wide Price: $19.99 The Mario Kart sets are designed to work with the Interactive Mario LED figure from the Adventures starter set. This classic Kart build includes a Glider, a Toad pit crew member, and a launching mechanism for Green and Red Shells, making it an excellent starting point for designing race courses. For fans of the Mario Kart games, this set is a great addition at a budget-friendly price of $19.99.

The Bowser Express Train

1 See it at Amazon Set: #71437 Age Range: 9+ Piece Count: 1392 Dimensions: 8.5 inches high, 26.5 inches long, 4.5 inches wide Price: $119.99 The Bowser Express Train is a colorful and quirky set featuring a massive Bowser head on the front of its engine. It includes six baddies: a Hammer Bro, a Boom Boom, two Goombas, and two Para-Biddybuds. All aboard for a fun-filled adventure!

LEGO Piranha Plant

10 $59.99 save 20% $47.95 at Amazon Set: #71426 Age Range: 18+ Piece Count: 540 Dimensions: 9 inches high, 4.5 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep Price: $59.99 We built this set for its launch, and it exceeded expectations. The LEGO Piranha Plant is both charming and adorable, offering great value for its price. It's rare to feel like you're getting a deal with LEGO sets, but this Piranha in a pipe is reasonably priced and highly recommended.

LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone LEGO Set

3 $69.99 at Amazon Set: #21331 Age Range: 18+ Piece Count: 1125 Dimensions: 7 inches high, 14 inches wide, 2.5 inches deep Price: $79.99 While not strictly Nintendo, we include this set due to our love for Sonic games. Once rivals, Sonic and Mario now collaborate, with Sega being a mainstay on Nintendo's online service. This Sonic the Hedgehog set is a delightful diorama of Green Hill Zone 1, complete with a loop and a smirking Sonic minifigure. It's perfect for adult beginners looking to explore a new hobby, with more Sonic LEGO sets available for those interested in building a fun Sonic toy in 2025.

LEGO Animal Crossing Nook’s Cranny & Rosie's House

3 $74.99 save 20% $59.95 at Amazon Set: #77050 Age Range: 7+ Piece Count: 535 Dimensions: 6 inches high, 15 inches wide, 5.5 inches deep Price: $74.99 In 2024, Nintendo expanded its LEGO offerings with Animal Crossing sets. This particular build, the largest at launch, includes Tom Nook's shop and Rosie the Cat's cottage. With more sets like these, Animal Crossing fans can customize their own village, just as they do in the game.

Fly With Dodo Airlines

1 $37.99 See it at Amazon Set: #77051 Age Range: 7+ Piece Count: 292 Dimensions: 5 inches high, 10.5 inches wide, 3.5 inches deep Price: $37.99 Another iconic location from the Animal Crossing franchise, Dodo Airlines lets you travel abroad and visit other players' islands. This set includes a seaplane, a dock/jetty, and minifigures for Wilbur and Tangy, perfect for creating roleplay scenarios.

LEGO Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi

5 Set #71438, includes 1,215 pieces. $129.99 at Amazon Set: #71438 Age Range: 18+ Piece Count: 1215 Dimensions: 15.5 inches high, 10 inches wide, 4 inches deep Price: $129.99 This nostalgic LEGO set features Mario & Yoshi, with movement activated by turning a crank. Not only do Yoshi's feet move, but his head and arm, as well as Mario's cape, also animate. A separate mechanism makes Yoshi open his mouth and stick out his tongue. At nearly 16 inches tall, the vibrant 16-bit colors really stand out.

LEGO Great Deku Tree Set

9 Set #77092, includes 2,500 pieces. This 2-in-1 set lets you build the Great Deku Tree in the style of Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild with the same pieces. $299.99 at LEGO Store Set: #77092 Age Range: 18+ Piece Count: 2500 Dimensions: 13 inches tall Price: $299.99 We covered this set at its launch. As a 2-in-1 build, it allows you to choose between the Ocarina of Time or Breath of the Wild versions. It includes three versions of Link, one Princess Zelda, and accessories like the Master Sword and a Hylian Shield. While fun to assemble, it's one of the pricier LEGO sets available.

LEGO Super Mario The Mighty Bowser

5 See it at Amazon Set: #71411 Age Range: 18+ Piece Count: 2807 Dimensions: 12.5 inches high, 16 inches wide, 11 inches deep Price: $269.99 The Mighty Bowser is one of the finest Nintendo sets LEGO has designed, and one of the best LEGO sets overall. This massive, cartoonish, and adorable build of Mario's ultimate adversary is larger than expected and features a spring-loaded mechanism that allows Bowser to "breathe fire."

How Many LEGO Nintendo Sets Are There?

As of January 2025, there are 34 LEGO Super Mario sets, 18 LEGO Sonic the Hedgehog sets, ten LEGO Animal Crossing sets, and 1 LEGO The Legend of Zelda set available for purchase on the official LEGO store.

What's Does the Future of LEGO Nintendo Look Like?

The Mighty Bowser, though technically an expansion playset, is marketed as a standalone set. It reflects LEGO's new approach for 2024 and beyond, which no longer strictly separates children's and adult sets.

The early, child-oriented LEGO Super Mario playsets were very piecemeal and airy, featuring isolated elements and simple, flat plates. These builds were too rudimentary, even for children, feeling like sets designed for kids who don't enjoy LEGO.

Today, the LEGO Super Mario sets are more substantial and detail-rich, yet still include the barcodes for expansion playsets. The best of these sets, like The Mighty Bowser, prioritize display aesthetics and the joy of building over mobile gameplay. This focus on the build itself is crucial, as the final product is an outgrowth of the building experience, appealing to both kids and adults.

There's an excellent LEGO documentary on Netflix, part of the "The Toys That Made Us" series, which I recommend to anyone interested. My key takeaway is that LEGO has often tried to expand its appeal by creating other toys or reinventing the bricks, such as with augmented reality. However, these efforts rarely succeed, and LEGO always returns to what people love most about it.

The initial Mario playsets leaned too heavily on play over build, but now that LEGO is creating sets that align with their design strengths, the future looks promising.

Also, be sure to check out our lists of the best Star Wars LEGO sets and best Harry Potter LEGO sets. If you're more into superheroes, you can take a look at the best Marvel LEGO sets as well.