LEGO Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi Is Up for Preorder – IGN

This is one of those adult LEGO sets intended for the 18+ age group. That typically means it’s intended more for display than for play. And that’s absolutely the case with this Mario & Yoshi set. It’s made to be set on a shelf or a desk and shown off to whoever comes by.

To that end, it’s basically a one-sided display piece. The front of it re-creates, pixel by pixel, the sprite of Mario riding Yoshi in the 1990 SNES Super Mario World. Turning a crank makes Yoshi appear to run in place, complete with moving legs and his body rising and lowering with Mario on his back, just like the animation from the game. You can also make Yoshi’s mouth open and tongue pop out.

That’s the front of the set. Turning it around and looking at the rear of the set is like peeking behind the scenes at Disney World: you can see how it all works. The back of the set lays bare all the cranks, wheels, joints, arms, and levers that make the front side’s movement work. It’s a pretty genius design that re-creates the effect of the Super Nintendo sprite animation. I adore it.

Additionally, if you have a LEGO Super Mario, Luigi, or Peach Starter Set, you can tap their figures on an Action Tag included in this new set for “an interactive experience.” I wouldn’t expect too much from this based on a similar feature in the LEGO Super Mario 64 Question Block, but I imagine it’s a fun little Easter egg if you happen to have one of those figures.

For more, check out our picks for the best LEGO Nintendo sets.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Threads.