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LEGO Super Mario Super Mushroom Surprise (30385) Polybag Revealed

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After the reveal of the first wave of LEGO Super Mario Expansion sets and the particular introduction of the theme’s first gift-with-purchase (GWP) set in the form of the Monty Mole & Super Mushroom (40414) freebie, the Nintendo-inspired LEGO theme will also have its first polybag offering. The LEGO Super Mario Super Mushroom Surprise (30385) polybag is a free item that will be thrown into your cart once you pre-order the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360) via third-party retailers particularly Zavvi.

Due to an overwhelming response from the LEGO fandom, the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course is now sold out at LEGO Shop@Home. However, if you wish to be one of the first to have their try on this first LEGO Super Mario set, then you may be glad to know that Zavvi has this set currently on sale over at their site. The caveat though is that it seems that both GWPs, set 40414 and the polybag 30385, are different freebies that LEGO opted to offer depending on where you will make your purchase of the Starter Course. The better deal, of course, is what LEGO Shop@Home offers. And since the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course is now sold out from LEGO’s official online shopping portal, those who missed out on that window of opportunity last week when LEGO launched its pre-order, have to settle for what 3rd party retailers have to offer.

Brickfinder also noted the same with LEGO Certified Stores in Singapore when the Super Mushroom Surprise (30385) polybag was advertised as its promotional freebie for the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course. Now I completely understand that it’s just a marketing decision for LEGO to offer a better promotional deal over at their turf, but from a LEGO fan’s perspective, especially if I missed that opportunity and has to settle only for a less attractive deal, then it really sucks. Just to be clear, I’m not against the idea of a polybag promo – LEGO in fact released polybags that even contained exclusive minifigs such as, for example, the LEGO Batman Classic TV Series – Mr. Freeze (30603) polybag from 2016. But again from a fan’s perspective, having two different freebies for one particular set offering, depending on where you will purchase it, sounds a bit odd and disadvantageous for a customer.

There’s no word on when the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course with its free Monty Mole & Super Mushroom (40414) set will be available again at LEGO Shop@Home. But for now, if you want to be assured of your LEGO Super Mario Starter Course when it is released in August, then you may want to check with Zavvi with its free LEGO Super Mario Super Mushroom Surprise (30385), for that matter.

ICYMI: New LEGO Minecraft The Redstone Battle (21163) Now Listed Via Amazon UK

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This piece of news seemed to have fallen off from my radar. And In case you missed it as well, Amazon UK has now listed a new LEGO Minecraft set slated for release this summer. The LEGO Minecraft The Redstone Battle (21163) comes in at 504 pieces and is expected to retail for 54.99 Euro or roughly 60 USD. It features the minifigure versions of Minecraft heroes Hex, Hedwig, Hal, and Valorie. This set is probably the first tie-in set for the upcoming Minecraft Dungeons video game that levels up the world-building game that we all know to a Diablo-style action and adventure game.

The LEGO Minecraft The Redstone Battle (21163) is also the first among LEGO’s summer releases under the Minecraft theme which expected to arrive in June or the later. As of this posting, Amazon UK has temporarily stopped receiving pre-orders for this set until further notice. LEGO’s online store has not yet listed The Redstone Battle (21163) set as of this posting, and I’ll update this post once new info comes in. For the rest of the LEGO Minecraft sets released for the first half of this year, you may want to visit LEGO Shop@Home for more details.

LEGO Minecraft The Redstone Battle (21163)

504 pieces | 54.99 €

Bring all the fun of the online Minecraft Dungeons game into the real world with LEGO Minecraft The Redstone Battle (21163). With posable giants, favourite characters and fun battles, this buildable toy for kids 8+ years old gives Minecraft players an action-packed setting for endless hands-on adventures. Kids create Minecraft action of their own as they take on the giant redstone monstrosity and the redstone golem. They can use cool weapons to role-play battles and adjust the posable redstone monsters to create ever-changing scenes. There are also lots of fun accessories, such as the loot contained inside the Minecraft piggy bank. Looking for the best birthday gift or merchandise toy for a Minecraft fan? LEGO Minecraft playsets put the characters, the construction, the mini toys and the battle action from the online game right into kids’ hands. Bring Minecraft action to life with LEGO brick building toys! The posable redstone monstrosity toy measures over (16cm) tall. Contains 504 pieces.

Features a fearsome Redstone Monstrosity and a Redstone Golem that have been unleashed on the Overworld, plus 4 Minecraft heroes and a piggy
Players create their own hands-on Dungeons adventures with popular characters & posable giants, bringing the online game into the real world
Includes 4 Minecraft heroes: Hex, Hedwig, Hal and Valorie – along with a piggy bank that’s bursting with loot, plus lots of cool weapons
There’s endless action and excitement when kids join Minecraft heroes to overcome the Arch-Illager’s minions from Minecraft Dungeons game
This buildable toy and hands-on play boost kids’ dexterity, creativity and problem-solving skills, whether playing solo or as a group with

A Message Of Hope In LEGO Bricks

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The day is almost done for most of us, but in this part of the world, it has just begun. And though I’m inclined to say that this may not necessarily mean the best time to relax, kick back and just let the noise of the day simply fade out, the troubles that we are currently facing and the uncertainty of a future that lies ahead create a whirlwind of questions and uneasiness that makes it difficult to enjoy this day the way we are accustomed to. The usual excitement for that annual egg-hunting activity every Easter Sunday, and the usual festivities associated with it, are to be brutally honest, dampened in most parts of the Christian world. I’m not in the habit of making our blogsite a forum of religious preferences, but for this Easter Sunday, allow me to share this MOC by Danish builder Lasse Vestergård. Not only does this brick sculpture deserves to be applauded for clearly conveying the most important event in Christianity’s history, but it resonates with a clear and strong message of hope in these trying times. Considering the depth of meaning behind Lasse’s brick-built interpretation of the Easter Story, it surely echoes with joy and hope wherever we are.

Lasse’s MOC is filled with light-hearted, striking contrasts both aesthetically and figuratively – from the color scheme itself to the MOC’s entire concept. It even retains some of the smart humor that LEGO is known for, particularly from the way Jesus’ smiling face was built, and even doing a thumbs-up sign and boldly showing off the nail marks on his hands. The contrast between the defeated figure of death and that of the bed of flowers is a very creative and straightforward way of showing how death and suffering are forever conquered through the resurrection of Jesus. Death simply doesn’t stand a chance in this pivotal wrestling match – even if it comes in the shape and form of a novel coronavirus.

For more of Lasse’s brick interpretation of Jesus’s birth, life, death, and resurrection, check out the rest of his creations right here. For more Easter fun builds that you can try while staying at home, be sure to check out Tyler’s Quarantine Creations and even LEGO’s #LetsBuildTogether campaign.

Let’s all share a message of hope on this day. And on behalf of the rest of the Brick Show Team, HAPPY EASTER everyone!

Photo credit to Kevin Poulton for this LEGO Easter Bunnies image.

Its Building Castles With Tyler In This Week Episode of Quarantine Creations

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If you enjoyed last week’s episodes of Quarantine Creations, with all the planes, jets and hot air balloon mini builds, then I’m sure that you’ll enjoy these next round of building activities with Tyler. Whether you’re new in the LEGO hobby or a veteran builder already, these building activities offer some respite from the quarantine jitters that most of us may be experiencing. And for this week, Tyler brings back those nostalgic feelings of early LEGO fandom while building castles using the most common LEGO pieces around. Watch this.

As typical of Tyler, he takes the extra mile of teaching and explaining some of the building techniques involved in these creations, and detailing the needed parts for this mini builds. Check out the following parts and see if you have them in your collection.

I like how this castle turned out, especially the way on how some of its aesthetics were cleverly built at such a miniature scale. The use of the 1×1 Angular Bricks (I refer to them as ‘washing machine’ bricks) for the windows is a creative workaround in providing windows for the portion of the tower. Likewise, the use of the 1×1 brick with handle, and 1×1 brick with holder to create that cross effect for the window is pretty impressive. Some parts are missing from my collection but I think it can be replaced with other suitable pieces.

Stay tuned this week for more cool and fun builds. Just give us a like over at our Facebook page, and subscribe to our other YouTube channel (the non-extinct one, of course) for updates on our next episodes of Quarantine Creations. And while you are at it, you may also want to check out The Brick Show Shop’s on-going store-wide Quarantine Sale, where ALL products on sale are at a 20% discount.

Stay safe and keep on building!

LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole & Super Mushroom (40414) Set Images Released

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The first set among many from the LEGO Super Mario theme has been revealed already, and with it comes a nice pre-order freebie. LEGO Shop@Home has been updated to include the LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole & Super Mushroom (40414) expansion set as a pre-order gift for those who managed to bag the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360) base set.

This free expansion set comes in at 163 pieces and has a retail value of $14.99. It features a brick version of a Super Mushroom (or Power Mushroom), a Stone Eye from the New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and the cunning Monty Mole. A closer look at some of the pieces of this expansion set reveals several sensor tiles where the LEGO Super Mario figure can interact with. As previously revealed, the said figure is equipped with several sensors that will interact with certain set elements or pieces coming from future expansion sets. The LEGO Super Mario figure is also equipped with LCD screens and speakers for that leveled-up play feature and building experience. LEGO also intends this theme to be modular, so builders and hobbyists can re-arrange all these sets in many different ways possible.

It’s not yet sure when this pre-order bonus will go live once again since the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course is now immediately out of stock. Though LEGO specifically states this promotional item will be made available until July 31, it’s yet to be seen when it will be offered once again. As a side note, you might be interested to know that Walmart also carries the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course and is still currently available. However, the better deal is still with LEGO Shop@Home since it has the LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole & Super Mushroom (40414) expansion as a gift-with-purchase item.

You may want to click on the following link below if you wish to add the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course to your LEGO wishlist and be notified if this set is available once again. Thanks to The Brick Fan for the heads up.

LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole & Super Mushroom (40414)

163 pieces | FREE (retail value worth $14.99)

Fans can enjoy toppling Stone-Eye and launching Monty Mole while creating new challenges with this LEGO® Super Mario™ Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set.

The Adventures with Mario Starter Course (71360), featuring the LEGO® Mario™ figure, is required for play with this Expansion Set.

LEGO® Exclusive Monty Mole & Super Mushroom Expansion Set (item 40414) offer is valid on LEGO.com only. Offer valid from 04/07/20 through 07:00am EST, 07/31/20 or while supplies last only. Qualifying purchase must be on 71360 LEGO Adventures with Mario Starter Course; any applicable taxes, shipping charges, or value of gift cards purchased do not apply to merchandise total. Offer excludes Bricks & Pieces and backorder items. Cannot be applied to previous purchases or combined with any other discount, offer or free gift. One free set per household. Item is valued at approximately a $14.99USD/$19,99CAD retail value and cannot be exchanged or substituted for any other item or cash value. Item is available exclusively through this offer; additional sets cannot be purchased. Offers not valid at LEGOLAND® Parks or LEGOLAND Discovery Centers. The LEGO Group reserves the right to cancel or modify these promotions at any time without advance notice.

More LEGO Super Mario Expansion Sets Introduced and Other Details

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After unveiling the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360) base set, LEGO gives us a glimpse of some of the things to expect from its repertoire of expansion sets. LEGO Lead Designer Jonathan Bennink gives us a tour of this entry set, while at the same time introducing two, new LEGO Super Mario expansion sets, one of which is the largest among the theme. Watch this.

Other than showing the various play features of the Starter Course, Jonathan also gave us a glimpse of the two new LEGO Super Mario expansion sets namely the Piranha Plant Power Slide (71366) and the largest set in the theme, the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle (71369).

The LEGO Super Mario Piranha Plant Power Slide (71366).

The LEGO Super Mario Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle (71369).

Its kind of fun and interesting to see how the LEGO Super Mario figure responds to the play features offered by each of these expansion sets. Since the LEGO Mario figure itself is equipped with several sensors, we can expect it to interact with these sets depending on what they have to offer. And since these sets are basically modular, the entire theme offers plenty of customization depending on how you want the course to be arranged. Think of it as a somewhat physical, brick version of Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker 2 where the challenges are virtually limitless.

Here’s LEGO’s official press release for more details. The LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360) is currently listed at LEGO Shop@Home, though a recent influx of pre-orders seemed to have overwhelmed LEGO that the online shopping portal needed to temporarily suspend the sale of the set. Coming in at 231 pieces and retailing for $59.99, the starter set and the rest of the LEGO Super Mario expansion sets will be available in the market starting August 1st. If you were one of those lucky souls who managed to pre-order the set before it was taken down, you will also be receiving a pre-order bonus: the 163-piece LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole and Super Mushroom (40414) expansion set valued at $14.99. Be sure to visit LEGO Shop@Home for more updates.

The LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole and Super Mushroom (40414) will be added to your cart for FREE when you pre-order or purchase the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360).

LEGO Super Mario Starter Course Officially Revealed!

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LEGO has just unveiled the first set in its LEGO Super Mario theme with the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360). This will be the introductory or base set that can later be expanded to include other sets in the Nintendo Super Mario world which will be introduced in the 2nd half of the year.

The main attraction of the Starter Course is the interactive LEGO Super Mario figure that collects coins in real-life game levels using LEGO bricks. The figure itself uses an LCD screen that gives the many unique expressions in his eyes and mouth. His chest also has a display that varies depending on how he interacts with his environment. Plus the figure also includes a speaker that plays iconic sounds from the classic video games.

The LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360) was available earlier for pre-order, but due to an overwhelming number of requests LEGO needed to halt the orders for the time being. Available over at LEGO Shop@Home, the set is expected to retail for $59.99, clocking in at 231 pieces. It will roll out in stores beginning August 1. Here are more details about this set, and you may want to click on the link below if you wish to add this to your LEGO wishlist.

As an added bonus, LEGO is throwing in a FREE LEGO Super Mario Monty Mole and Super Mushroom Expansion (40414) set if you managed to have a pre-order of the Starter Course. This expansion set comes in at 163 pieces and has a retail value of $14.99. Be sure to check back with LEGO Shop@Home for updates on when the LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360) will go live again.

LEGO Super Mario Starter Course (71360)

231 pieces | $59.99

Kids can team up with their favorite character in the real world with this LEGO® Super Mario™ Adventures with Mario Starter Course (71360). The set features a LEGO Mario™ figure that gives instant expressive responses via the LCD screens and speaker. Players earn virtual coins moving LEGO Mario from the Start Pipe to the Goal Pole via spinning and cloud platforms, the ? Block, and super battles with the Goomba and Bowser Jr. toy figures. Rearrange the bricks to create new levels to master.

Enhanced play
A free LEGO Super Mario app is available for enhanced play with this gift toy for kids. It has zoom and rotate viewing tools to make building easier, suggests other creative ways to build and play, and is a safe forum to share ideas with friends.

Mario unlimited!
Great for solo play or group competitions, LEGO Super Mario sets bring a family-favorite character into the real world. This Starter Course and the Expansion Sets offer unlimited challenges and nurture problem-solving skills.

Fans can begin exploring the fun-packed LEGO® Super Mario™ universe with this Adventures with Mario Starter Course (71360), featuring 7 action bricks for different interactions with the LEGO Mario™ figure.
LEGO® Mario™ has color sensors, plus LCD screens in his eyes, mouth and belly to display over 100 different instant reactions to movement. Also included is a speaker that plays iconic sounds and music from the video game.
In this super toy playset, LEGO® Mario™ collects virtual coins as he runs and jumps from the Start Pipe to the Goal Pole via LEGO bricks, cloud platforms, the ? Block and clashes with the Goomba figure and Bowser Jr.
This 231-piece, collectible LEGO® toy playset makes a cool birthday or holiday gift for kids aged 6+ who can build and play their own way and learn to solve problems while having lots of creative fun.
Rearrange the Starter Course and combine with LEGO® Super Mario™ Expansion Sets to create more challenging levels and games to play with and against friends.
The LEGO® Mario™ figure is powered by 2 x AAA batteries (not included), delivering a highly interactive in-game experience where players get instant feedback and rewards for creativity.
Kids will love the free LEGO® Super Mario™ app, which has building instructions, inspiration for fun, creative ways to play, and more. For a list of compatible Android and iOS devices, visit LEGO.com/devicecheck.
Great for solo or group play, interactive LEGO® Super Mario™ toy building sets bring a family-favorite character to life in a unique way and offer unlimited creative challenges through expansion and rebuilding.

Return to the Upside Down With This Custom LEGO Stranger Things Demogorgon

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If you recall back in July of last year, LEGO launched a building contest to celebrate the release of its Netflix tie-in set the LEGO Stranger Things The Upside Down (75810). Entries were submitted then, and of course, what roster of winners will be there without the titular and monstrous custom LEGO Stranger Things Demogorgon. Thanks to Build Better Bricks, we now have an opportunity to build a brick version of this monstrous creature from the depths of the other world.

Designed by Aaron Newman from LEGO Masters US, this custom LEGO Stranger Things Demogorgon comes in 350 pieces and features a moveable head and mouth and plenty of points of articulation allowing for a more dynamic, and fluid movement. Though this model is not exactly the same as that of the runner-up winner from the contest that I mentioned earlier, I prefer the more detailed features of this creation by Aaron.

If you want to relive those edge-of-your-seat moments in Stranger Things using LEGO bricks, I guess now is the best time to do so especially most of us are staying at home. You may head over to Build Better Bricks to purchase the building instructions for this custom LEGO Stranger Things Demogorgon. Your purchase will include a 135-page building guide in rich, PDF format, a parts list, and a Stud.io file for easy importing of the parts needed via Bricklink.

Additionally, you may want to take advantage of B3’s storewide sale where you can get 1 free building instructions for every 2 instructions purchased. You may want to pair-up your custom LEGO Demogorgon, say with a mean-looking custom LEGO Werewolf, or a brick-built Frankenstein to complete your monster trio.

So what will you be building today? Stay safe and keep on building!

LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (75292) Box Art Hints On A Video Game Secret Code

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After the welcomed arrival of the LEGO Star Wars 501st Legion Clone Troopers (75280) building set a few days ago, LEGO has thrown in another reveal that might interest you as well. To be precise, it’s not an entirely new reveal such as a new LEGO Star Wars set, but more of how probably things might look like in the near future. If you recall, we were given a glimpse of the LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (75292) last February, with official images of this set following later on. And this time around, LEGO Shop@Home was updated once more with additional images of this set showing its respective box art.

The LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest comes in at 1,023 pieces and will retail for $129.99 once it is available on September 1st. Aside from the very first LEGO Star Wars set that will offer an official minifig version of The Child (aka Baby Yoda), it looks like this set will also be instrumental in unlocking a virtual version of this vehicle in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga video game.

Though WB Games made it clear that this video game will include all nine films in the Star Wars franchise, it is mum on whether or not it will include materials coming from several spin-off series such as The Clone Wars or even the latest The Mandalorian series. But this piece of info from the LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest box art shows that this roughneck of a ship will also be available in the LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga video game.

I cannot say for sure if this will mark a new trend of integration among LEGO Star Wars sets and related video games later on. It’s also unclear if a digital brick version of the Razor Crest will be made available in the Skywalker Saga video game as a single playable vehicle, or will it be a part of a larger The Mandalorian DLC later on. With so much material that Disney is throwing into its Star Wars franchise lately including an Obi-Wan Kenobi spin-off, it will be exciting to see what content will future DLCs roll out for this next big LEGO video game.

In the meantime, be sure to check with LEGO Shop@Home if you wish to pre-order the LEGO Star Wars The Razor Crest (75292) ahead of its September 1st release. And while you’re at it, you may also want to add to your cart and pre-order the LEGO BrickHeadz Star Wars The Mandalorian and the Child (75317) slated to be released on August 1.

#LetsBuildTogether is LEGO’s Way of Helping Out During the COVID-19 Crisis

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Allow me to say this outright: these are very anxious times. Even as I type this from my home due to an enforced community quarantine imposed by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19, my mind is still racing with thoughts about the future. My kids are also starting to feel the agitation of being forced to stay at home now that we are entering the fourth week of this quarantine period. As a LEGO fan, one of the lifesavers that we have at home is our collection of LEGO sets that somehow offers a creative break to the mundane cycle of everyday waiting. I’m glad that there are guys like Tyler (from LEGO Masters US and one of the master builders behind Build Better Bricks) who took time to come up with a series of videos such as Quarantine Creations. These fun, how-to videos help children and adults alike to cope through this crisis using LEGO bricks. I guess everyone affected by this pandemic has an understanding of how important it is to develop ways of coping through these troubled times. The LEGO Group also understands this and has launched its #LetsBuildTogether campaign to help us all go through these hard times.

In response, the LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation have launched two specific initiatives to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 among families across the globe. The first is a donation of 50 million USD to support the continuous learning of children even during this time of emergency, and second is its #LetsBuildTogether initiative. The latter aims to somehow alleviate some of the strain and stress brought about of being confined at home while keeping children actively engaged and creative. It’s also a way of staying connected with each other through social media by encouraging builders to share their creation online and adding #LetsBuildTogether. LEGO even came up with a webpage that offers some brick-building activities that families can do at confines of their homes.

Here are #LetsBuildTogether activities that families can try at home, courtesy of LEGO.

Some of the LEGO inspired building activities that you can try at home are these Daily Building Challenges which include building a trophy, a magical unicorn, a penguin, something spooky, a sheep, and a pirate ship. You can even come up with your own tablet and phone stand, a maze, or even a nightstand lamp. You can’t simply run out of ideas playing with LEGO bricks.

#LetsBuildTogether is LEGO’s way of giving back to the LEGO community during these difficult times, and I’m personally glad that LEGO is helping out. For more info about this program, you may read The LEGO Group’s official press release right here.

We just have to keep on building and hope that everything will always turn out to be awesome. Stay safe everyone!