Super Mario

Every LEGO Super Mario collection starts here, because it has to: the Adventures with Mario Starter Course 71360 is the only set in the line that contains Mario himself. The 231-piece course is really a delivery vehicle for the little electronic figure - LCD eyes, a colour sensor in his feet and a speaker that plays the coin sound you already have memorised.

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What you actually get

The interactive Mario figure, a start pipe, a goal pole, and a short course between them: a spinning platform, a cloud section, a question-mark block, plus Bowser Jr. and a Goomba to stomp. Mario knows what he is standing on - lava tiles cost him coins, enemies award them, and the free companion app keeps score. It launched in 2020 and is rated for ages 6 and up, which feels exactly right.

How it plays

This is not a display set and does not pretend to be one. The point is rebuilding: the course is designed to be torn apart and reassembled into a new level in minutes, and the sixty-second timer gives every layout a game to play. Children treat it like a video game they are allowed to physically rearrange - which is the whole trick of the line.

Worth knowing first

Mario wants two AAA batteries, which are not in the box. The app is genuinely useful for building instructions and score-keeping, so a tablet or phone nearby helps. And the starter course on its own is a short game - it exists to be expanded, which is where the expansion sets come in.

Verdict

The mandatory first step into LEGO Super Mario, and still a clever piece of toy design years after launch. Once Mario has a course to run, give him an enemy with an engine: the Bowser’s Muscle Car 71431 is the natural second set, and the Mario Kart Yoshi Bike 72031 adds a rideable friend.