LEGO Super Mario launched in 2020 as an interactive system with an electronic Mario figure that responds to codes. Five years on, much of the theme has shifted to Mario Kart: non-interactive vehicles and display models based on the Mario Kart game. In 2026 there are about 27 active sets, most coming from the 2025 Mario Kart wave.
Two separate tracks run in parallel: the Mario Kart display sets for those who want Mario as a build object, and the interactive line for those who want the original experience with codes and sensors. Live prices on the Super Mario theme page.
A quick note: early interactive sets from 2020–2022 have largely retired. The Mario retirement guide has a current list of sets disappearing around 2026.
Buying filter: avoid the impressive wrong set
Do not read this guide as a ranking you follow from top to bottom. Start with the builder: will they act out scenes, collect minifigures, or put the finished model on a shelf? That answer decides whether price per piece, character appeal or display value should carry the most weight.
| Buying goal | Check first | BricksDeal approach |
|---|---|---|
| Gift this week | Recognisable subject, clear age range, stock at reliable retailers | Sort by current lowest price and delivery time |
| Collecting | Unique minifigures, limited availability, retirement risk | Set a price alert well below RRP |
| Display | Build experience, footprint, how well the model stands alone | Wait for 15-20% under RRP instead of chasing a tiny daily price move |
From the sets in this guide, I would track 72037 Mario Kart – Mario & Standard Kart, 72042 Prince Florian & Castle Bowser and 72039 Mario Kart – Bowser’s Castle first. Not because those are automatically the best deals, but because a price move on a larger or more giftable set changes the buying decision fastest.
Mario Kart Standard Kart: the central display piece
72037 Mario Kart Mario & Standard Kart (1,972 pieces, RRP € 169.99) is by far the largest active set. Mario at display scale in a Standard Kart with no interactive element. This is a model set, not a play set. A 10-year-old can build it; the audience for the finished result on the shelf is more like 13+.
The Mario Kart line covers all price ranges:
| Set | Pieces | RRP | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 72039 Mario Kart Bowser’s Castle | 1,068 | € 99.99 | Castle scene with race theme |
| 72036 Mario Kart Baby Peach & Grand Prix Set | 823 | € 79.99 | Race environment with kart |
| 72044 Mario Kart Piranha Plant Power-Up Pursuit | 588 | € 49.99 | Track with Piranha Plant |
| 72038 Mario Kart Wario & King Boo | 512 | € 49.99 | Two karts in dark colour palette |
72039 Bowser’s Castle is the most versatile Mario Kart set under 100 euro. It combines the race element with classic Bowser architecture and has enough detail for display alongside enough room for play scenarios.
Game Boy: for the Nintendo collector
72046 Game Boy (421 pieces, RRP € 59.99) is a 1:1 scale model of the original 1989 Game Boy. The cartridges are removable. There is no working screen — this is purely a display object. For anyone who grew up with the Game Boy and now collects LEGO, this is a unique crossover. Not designed as a play set for children.
Prince Florian & Castle Bowser
72042 Prince Florian & Castle Bowser (1,251 pieces, € 99.99) is based on the Super Mario Bros. Movie. For those who appreciate the film and don’t want a Mario Kart theme, this is the most complete scene set with multiple minifigs. The castle architecture is more elaborate than in the Mario Kart variants.
More compact sets for gifts
- 72035 Mario Kart Toad’s Garage (390 pieces, € 39.99): Toad’s garage as a base scene.
- 72034 Mario Kart Baby Mario vs. Baby Luigi (321 pieces, € 29.99): two baby characters in karts.
- 72043 Mario Kart Interactive LEGO Mario & Standard Kart (278 pieces, € 49.99): entry set with the interactive Mario figure.
- 72041 Party at Toad’s House (276 pieces, € 23.99): scene set around Toad.
- 72045 Mario Kart Shy Guy & P-Wing (249 pieces, € 19.99): smallest Mario Kart set.
For a gift under 25 euro: 72045 Shy Guy & P-Wing. Direct character recognition, complete kart, good value.
Gift per age
| Age | Suggestion | Pieces |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 72045 Shy Guy & P-Wing | 249 |
| 8 | 72041 Toad’s House or 72034 Baby Mario vs. Baby Luigi | 276, 321 |
| 9 | 72035 Toad’s Garage or 72043 Interactive Mario | 390, 278 |
| 10 | 72044 Piranha Plant Pursuit | 588 |
| 11–12 | 72039 Bowser’s Castle or 72036 Baby Peach Grand Prix | 1,068, 823 |
| 13+ | 72037 Mario & Standard Kart or 72046 Game Boy | 1,972, 421 |
When to buy? A warning
LEGO Super Mario has gone through an accelerated retirement cycle. Sets from 2020–2022 have largely gone; many 2025 Mario Kart sets are expected to be active for at most two years. If you want a specific set, don’t wait too long.
For a price alert, 72037 Mario & Standard Kart is the most worthwhile to track: with large sets there is more euro headroom to drop. For sets under 30 euro, waiting for a price drop is rarely worth it.
Which one do I pick?
- First Mario set (child 7–9): 72045 Shy Guy & P-Wing or 72041 Party at Toad’s House.
- For Mario Kart fans wanting a fuller set: 72039 Bowser’s Castle.
- For retro Nintendo collectors: 72046 Game Boy.
- One central Mario display: 72037 Mario & Standard Kart.
- For fans of the film: 72042 Prince Florian & Castle Bowser.
Mario Kart, Game Boy and Castle Bowser
The 2026 Super Mario lineup with Mario Kart wave and the retro Game Boy collector set.
Best Mario set per buying goal
Four picks that settle the display-versus-play-set dilemma and the retro nostalgia question in one glance.
Mario Kart – Bowser's Castle
The castle combines race aesthetics with classic Bowser architecture — enough detail for display, enough scene for a child who wants to re-enact races.
Prince Florian & Castle Bowser
Based on the film the child has probably seen, with multiple minifigs and castle architecture that sells itself on the box without explanation.
Mario Kart – Mario & Standard Kart
Mario at display scale in a Standard Kart — 1,972 pieces, no interactive element, a pure model object that sits on a shelf without loose parts shifting around.
Mario Kart – Baby Peach & Grand Prix Set
Above 80 euro RRP the Grand Prix Set has enough headroom for a meaningful price drop — set an alert before you actually need it.
Display, play set or retro object?
Mario Kart comes in three styles — pick the style first, then the budget.
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Goal
Decide: playing, building or displaying
The Mario Kart line has play sets for children, display models for builders, and the Game Boy for Nintendo nostalgia — those three groups buy different sets.
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Age
Check whether the child can handle the piece count
72037 Mario & Standard Kart has 1,972 pieces and suits a builder of 13+ more than a child of 8; the compact sets under 300 pieces are the right range for ages 7–9.
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Buy now
Don't wait too long on Mario Kart sets
Super Mario has an accelerated retirement cycle — sets from 2020–2022 are already gone; if you want a specific set, buy it while it is in stock rather than holding out for a bigger discount.
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Don't
Don't buy the interactive set as a standalone
72043 Interactive Mario & Standard Kart has a Mario figure that only works if you already own a Starter Course — without one, it is an expensive set with a useless sensor.