Lego announces new Super Mario Character Packs

Nintendo has teamed up with Lego to release a new series of Super Mario-inspired character packs. 

Announced during this weekend's Lego Con, the Series 5 Character Packs include a Red Yoshi, Purple Toad, Blue Shy Guy, Waddlewing, and more, and are slated to go on sale from August 2022 for around $6/£5. 

As mystery packs, you won't be able to pick up your favorite addition directly and will instead have to try your luck every time you buy a new pack.

"Kids can take their Lego Super Mario adventures to another level with collectible toy Character Packs – Series 5," Lego explains. "Each pack contains a mystery buildable character with an Action Tag, plus a small build to use as a display stand or to enhance level play. 

"There are eight Lego Super Mario characters to collect: Nabbit, plus a Purple Toad, Hammer Bro, Waddlewing, Toady, Baby Yoshi, Red Yoshi, and Blue Shy Guy. Each is designed to be used with a Starter Course set (71360, 71387 or 71403), which is required for interactive play.

"Unlimited possibilities Lego Super Mario toy playsets bring Super Mario characters into the real world."

ICYMI, a new Lego Obi-Wan Kenobi set was also recently revealed. Available to pre-order now for $49.99 from the official Lego store (or £44.99 if you're based in the UK), this Lego Obi-Wan Kenobi set features the Jedi as he appears in his new show, Darth Vader himself, unexpected ally Tala Durith, and episode 3's MVP NED-B. They come with a mini-diorama based on the mining planet Ben's hiding out on, including the rocks Vader hurls across the ground and sets on fire. 

Nintendo's not the only games company tapping into our nostalgia, of course; Lego recently announced a brand-new set based upon the iconic Green Hill Zone from 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog. 

"Lots of fun details and easter eggs have been incorporated into 1125-piece set including five Minifigures - an updated version of Sonic, Crabmeat, Moto Bug, Dr. Eggman, and the Phantom Ruby," the product description explained at the time.

Lego Brawls - which, exactly as it says on the tin, is a brawler starring Lego minifigs - supports one to four players, and online play for up to eight people. It was originally released as part of Apple Arcade's ad- and microtransaction-free mobile line-up back in 2019, and is now making the leap to console and Nintendo Switch on September 2, 2022.

You'll get to battle through iconic Lego settings, such as the swashbuckling shores of Barracuda Bay to the waterlogged caverns of Ninjago Seabound as well as the Wild West and the jungle. The more you explore, the more unlockable Minifigures, power-ups, and emotes there are to collect. There's also a royale-style game mode where it’s "every-player-for-themself". 

Check out the best Lego sets and these Lego deals.