LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser review

71411 The Mighty Bowser stomps on to the LEGO Super Mario scene as an almost-home run for the interactive theme – save for one frustrating boss-level glitch.

In a theme packed with unpredictable direct-to-consumer sets – first a retro TV and video game console, then a giant yellow cube hiding all sorts of secrets – 71411 The Mighty Bowser feels pretty pedestrian at first glance. As a concept, anyway: giant character builds are nothing new for the LEGO Group. What’s special about this set, though, is just how well it executes that concept.

One glance at the images of 71411 The Mighty Bowser should tell you everything you need to know about how well the LEGO design team have captured the King of the Koopas’ likeness, and it’s very well indeed, but that’s just one piece of the puzzle. How does the build experience stack up, and is this latest LEGO Super Mario set the Nintendo tie-in we’ve been waiting for?

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— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser set details —

Theme: LEGO Super Mario Set name: 71411 The Mighty Bowser Release date: October 1, 2022

Price: £229.99 / $269.99 / €269.99 Pieces: 2,807 Minifigures: 0

LEGO: Available nowZavvi: Available now

— Where to buy LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser —

Unlike its predecessors 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System and 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block, 71411 The Mighty Bowser has been available from third-party retailers from day one. That means that while it can be had with VIP points from LEGO.com and in LEGO Stores, it’s already available with tempting discounts from other retailers, such as Zavvi, where it’s currently on sale for just £164.99.

Click here to save over 28% on 71411 The Mighty Bowser from Zavvi.

— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser build —

Things start simple with Bowser’s platform, but it quickly requires concentration to create the tiled, ‘cracked’ base – and from there the set really has its claws in you. You’ll need to pay close attention all the way through this varied and complex build to ensure you’re assembling everything correctly, but as we’ll come to, even that might not be enough.

The best LEGO builds – for adults, anyway – are those that place their trust in the builder, not immediately taking them by the hand and offering a genuine challenge to construct. It’s a fine line, though: when does challenging become frustrating? It’s a line 71411 The Mighty Bowser tries to toe throughout its build, occasionally slipping off to one side or the other, for better and worse.

One bag, for instance, includes 1×6 plates in both yellow and cool yellow, and in certain lighting conditions (i.e. ours) those can be difficult to differentiate. It’s a good example of why the LEGO Group typically tries not to include similar parts in the same bag (see 21331 Sonic the Hedgehog – Green Hill Zone eschewing the new 1x1x2 bricks in a sea of 1×1 plates), but at the same time it’s nice that 71411 The Mighty Bowser doesn’t constantly try to hold your hand, and trusts you to figure it out.

When you move on to the big bad himself, it’ll take a while to realise which part of Bowser you’re building first (don’t skip ahead in the instructions to find out – trust us). But right from the off it’s a build that will have you captivated, not only to find out what comes next, but through its completely atypical assembly process.

That’s partly driven by the puppetry baked into Bowser, because it requires unique attachment methods for his limbs. The result is a level of articulation you wouldn’t normally expect at this scale, and is fair compensation for what’s otherwise a distinct lack of poseability (beyond his arms), which probably wouldn’t have been possible anyway given the size and weight – see 76210 Hulkbuster for another example.

Speaking of, it’s a dense and relatively heavy model when all’s said and done. There’s not much space inside, with much of Bowser’s innards handed over to the mechanisms that drive his two primary functions: turning his head, and opening his mouth to activate his fireball launcher. While the bar that juts out either side of Bowser to control his head works just fine, we had serious issues getting the fireball to launch.

The mechanism is controlled by two triggers that sit just under Bowser’s armpits, connected by an axle that runs the width of his body. The idea is that pulling one of these should propel another axle up through Bowser’s throat, with a ball on the end pushing a tile to activate the launcher. Despite much head-scratching, though, that axle could never reach far enough up into Bowser’s mouth to push his head back, open his mouth and launch the fireball.

We’d normally put this down to user error, but even after disassembling and reassembling Bowser’s internal mechanisms and head, we still couldn’t get it to work. And it seems we’re not alone: a quick search shows plenty of other builders facing the same issue. If it’s this widespread, the common denominator then becomes the mechanism, or perhaps the instructions.

Whether you’ll suffer the same technical issue does feel like something of a lottery, with plenty of other reviewers – like Ashnflash below – reporting no such problems, so this frustrating glitch shouldn’t put you off picking up 71411 The Mighty Bowser. You might have no bother at all – and if you do, you can still activate the function by pulling Bowser’s head back manually.

And let’s be honest: it’s probably going to spend most of its time sat on a shelf – how often are you really going to play with those functions? – so it’s not exactly a dealbreaker, even if it does cast a slight cloud over the build (pulling the model apart and redoing it several times over with no success is no fun, we can tell you from experience).

You might have more fun just stomping him around, anyway, and those puppet-like functions work to a tee. This is where the base comes into its own, giving him columns to topple and really helping to embellish the way Bowser moves and acts on-screen. There’s so much personality imbued in this build (see those expressive eyebrows for a start), more than any other character build the LEGO Group has ever put out, and it really makes Bowser shine.

In fact, as a display set, you couldn’t ask for more. The way the designers have captured Bowser’s features, from his uniquely-shaped head to the shell across his back, is unparalleled. He absolutely looks the part, and that’s not always the case for character builds, to the extent that one person we showed it to didn’t believe it was LEGO. For a set like this, there can surely be no higher compliment.

— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser characters —

71411 The Mighty Bowser still isn’t the set to bring us LEGO Super Mario minifigures, but it is compatible with the theme’s existing characters – namely the digital Mario, Luigi and Peach figures. It basically serves as the ultimate boss level in that regard, and after a quick update through the corresponding app, can be interacted with in exactly the same way as the smaller LEGO Super Mario starter courses and expansion sets.

None of that is crucial to the set, and it’s all integrated well enough that it doesn’t suffer for its wider compatibility, either (hello, 76210 Hulkbuster): it’s just a nice added bonus for those firmly invested in the LEGO Group’s wider Super Mario range.

— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser price —

This is where 71411 The Mighty Bowser begins to come unstuck. At full price, it’s not the most egregious set to come out of Billund lately, but for the size of the finished build, £230 feels just a little too high. Fortunately, we’re already seeing sweeping discounts on the 2,807-piece build – you can get it from Zavvi right now for just £164.99, for instance, which instantly moves it into must-have territory.

Honestly, anywhere under £180 would be a very fair price for everything included in 71411 The Mighty Bowser, from the complex and fascinating build right through to the scale and scope of the finished model.

— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser pictures —

— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser pros and cons —

Save for that one frustrating glitch – and it really isn’t a game-changer, or probably won’t be for the majority of builders – 71411 The Mighty Bowser is right up there with 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System for the LEGO Super Mario theme’s best set yet. It’s easily among the best character builds the LEGO Group has ever released, capturing the iconic video game boss through inventive and innovative building techniques that make for a consistently engaging construction experience.

If you only buy one LEGO Super Mario set this year, or even this decade, you won’t go wrong with 71411 The Mighty Bowser.

LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser prosLEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser cons
Engaging, educational and challenging buildFull retail price is a little high
It’s packed with personality, and totally looks the partPotentially frustrating functionality, but YMMV
The puppet-like build is an ingenious approach to articulation

Thanks to Zavvi for providing this LEGO Super Mario set for review.

Support the work that Brick Fanatics does by purchasing your copy of 71411 The Mighty Bowser from Zavvi – where it’s currently available for just £164.99 – using our affiliate links.

— Alternatives to LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser —

If you’re wanting a super Super Mario experience, it’s definitely worth considering 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System and 71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block. They’re both very different sets, and equally great in their own ways, but dig a little more into the nostalgia of Nintendo. If it’s a character model you’re after, 75318 The Child presents a more budget-friendly option, albeit with a less interesting build.

— LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser FAQs —

How long does it take to build LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser?

LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser takes around four hours to put together – if you get it all right the first time round. Run into problems with its functionality, as we did, and you’re looking at an extended process of dismantling and rebuilding.

How many pieces are in LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser?

71411 The Mighty Bowser includes 2,807 pieces, which makes it the largest LEGO Super Mario set so far. 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System now sits in second place with 2,646 elements.

How big is LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser?

LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser’s display stand measures 25cm tall, 40cm wide and 18cm deep, while Bowser himself comes in at a considerable 32cm tall, and – with arms at full extension – 31cm wide and 32cm deep.

How much does LEGO Super Mario 71411 The Mighty Bowser cost?

71411 The Mighty Bowser retails for £229.99 in the UK, $269.99 in the US and €269.99 in Europe, but is already available with a considerable discount. Even still, that makes it the most expensive LEGO Super Mario set to date at RRP.

Author Profile

Chris Wharfe
I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

Chris Wharfe

I like to think of myself as a journalist first, LEGO fan second, but we all know that’s not really the case. Journalism does run through my veins, though, like some kind of weird literary blood – the sort that will no doubt one day lead to a stress-induced heart malfunction. It’s like smoking, only worse. Thankfully, I get to write about LEGO until then.

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