LEGO Super Mario heads all the way back to 1981 for its latest retro video game recreation in the shape of 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade.
Despite primarily consisting of interactive figures, playsets and accessories, the LEGO Super Mario theme has welcomed a handful of additional builds over the past few years that pay homage to Nintendo’s video game history. Those have included the long-since-retired 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System and last year’s 72046 Game Boy, with 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade now expanding that exploration into the Japanese company’s past.
The 1,367-piece LEGO Super Mario release recreates the 1981 action platform game as a scaled replica of the blue arcade cabinet that was most commonly used to house Shigeru Miyamoto’s groundbreaking creation (although it was originally red), complete with retro styling and some limited playability.
That approach is similar to 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System, 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade from 2023 and the recently-released 11374 Arcade Pinball Machine, with all three LEGO sets featuring clever internal engineering and mechanics in order to add some much-appreciated functionality.
72051 Donkey Kong Arcade continues that design aesthetic, with the fully-built set including a lever to pull that releases and restocks barrels in a continuous loop, a four-way joystick to move Jumpman (aka Mario in his first-ever appearance) left and right to avoid being hit by the rolling obstacles, plus a ‘Jump’ button to make the proto-plumber leap into the air.
The mechanics responsible for that fun playability are all neatly hidden inside the 18+ LEGO Super Mario set’s base and backdrop, making for an impressive display model, and it's one set that's guaranteed to put a smile on the face of anyone who tries playing with it.
72051 Donkey Kong Arcade comes together from the base up, which contains some suitably banana-coloured elements inside, before adding multiple layers to one of the game’s iconic New York City construction site level screens and topping off the whole model with the eponymous Nintendo character’s name spelt out in red brick-built letters complete with yellow stars.
Along the way, builders will be able to discover just how the LEGO Super Mario set’s gameplay mechanics work, with a total of 21 barrels and oil drums able to be slotted into the top right of the arcade cabinet, which then drop down and are dispensed (sometimes more than one at a time) when the barrel lever is pulled.
That action then adds a barrel to the bottom stack and releases the top barrel, which continues in an endless loop that doesn’t require any refilling whatsoever. However, if a barrel does become stuck at some point, it’s possible to slide out two windowed panels on the back of the build and access the interior, both of which also provide a view into exactly how the magic of 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade happens.
Unlike 71374 Nintendo Entertainment System and 72046 Game Boy, you’ll probably actually want to interact with this LEGO Super Mario set much more often, if only just to remind yourself how smartly the whole brick-built arcade cabinet experience comes together.
Jumpman himself is a printed piece and so too are the tops of the barrels and oil drums, with stickers fleshing out the rest of the arcade cabinet, although the latter do help to really hammer home the retro look of the set.
While 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade will certainly tick plenty of retro gaming fans’ boxes, the model isn’t without some obvious shortcomings. For starters, there aren't many printed pieces included in the build and a fair few stickers should have been prints too, which may well prove to be an issue for those planning on shelling out £149.99 / $199.99 / €169.99 for the Nintendo set.
What’s more, unlike 10323 PAC-MAN Arcade, there’s no extra mini side build or minifigure to accompany the LEGO Super Mario release, so 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade should maybe have been held over until next year to coincide with the arrival of long-awaited Mario minifigures.
In addition, while the LEGO Super Mario set’s standout feature is definitely its impressive playability, there are some limitations to the brick-built retro video game. Jumpman only has a basic range of side-to-side movement and can’t reach the set’s two hammer power-ups or its many ladders, and both Donkey Kong and ‘Lady’ (later known as Pauline) remain static stickers stuck in one specific pose.
Having said that, the LEGO Super Mario design team should still absolutely be applauded for what they’ve been able to accomplish with 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade. The model is a joy to assemble and there’s a definite sense of wonder while you’re building the set, as you patiently wait to see exactly how the actual gameplay mechanics are going to work.
The original Donkey Kong arcade machine was a smash hit when it was released more than 40 years ago, making the latest LEGO Super Mario set a worthy tribute to Nintendo’s legacy. Despite a slightly questionable price point, 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade will still no doubt prove to be a must-have for many fans, with the higher-than-hoped-for cost of entry resulting in one of 2026’s stand-out models.
72051 Donkey Kong Arcade launches on August 1, with the LEGO Super Mario set priced at £149.99 in the UK, $199.99 in the US and €169.99 in Europe.
This set was provided by the LEGO Group for review purposes.
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