Mario can ride Donkey Kong in the new Lego Super Mario sets

Four expansion sets for Lego Super Mario are coming on August 1, and you can pre-order now

By Alice Newcome-Beill Apr 28, 2023, 10:00am EDT

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A stock photo of the Donkey Kong Tree House Expansion Set for Lego Super Mario — Donkey Kong and company are ready to join Lego Mario on his adventures

There’s good news for fans of the Lego Super Mario sets hoping for more: Donkey Kong is joining the blocky cast of characters in four new Lego expansion sets. He arrives alongside his usual entourage (Kongtourage?), including Funky, Dixie, and Diddy Kong.

It’s worth noting that only Donkey Kong isn’t a standalone, tech-filled character like Mario, Luigi, or Peach. In other words, you’ll need one of those three characters to get the most out of these DK kits. Each of them can saddle up on DK Yoshi-style to ride through any of the courses that you’ve built.

The $59.99 Donkey Kong Tree House expansion set contains 555 pieces, and it includes a buildable TV and radio, conga drums, a hammock, and a secrete compartment. Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride is the most involved and interesting of the bunch, costing $109.99 and comprised of 1,157 pieces.

Some smaller, but still cool-sounding kits include Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam ($26.99), a 174-piece set, and the Rambi the Rhino expansion set ($10.99), which is 106 pieces. All four Donkey Kong-themed expansion sets are available for pre-order now and will start shipping on August 1.

Donkey Kong’s Tree House Expansion Set

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride

$110

Prices taken at time of publishing.

$110 at Lego

Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam Expansion Set

Prices taken at time of publishing.

$27 at Lego

Rambi the Rhino Expansion Set

Prices taken at time of publishing.

$11 at Lego

How do Lego Super Mario sets work?

I originally provided this brief explanation of how Lego Super Mario when the Dry Bowser’s Castle expansion set first went up for pre-order (it releases August 1, as well), but I’ve included it here, too, for the sake of convenience.

Lego’s Super Mario play sets blend the customizability of Lego and combine it with some clever tech. Mario, Luigi, and Peach figures contain a code reader, an accelerometer to detect movement, a small screen, and a speaker. When they interact with a code (by stomping on Goombas, going into big, green pipes — you know, Mario stuff), you’ll be treated to familiar sights and sounds from the Mario universe. You end up with an engaging build-and-play experience that feels a little like a real-life version of the Super Mario Maker game.

While you can tinker with each set to build unique courses, certain elements of each course require you to follow specific instructions through the Lego Super Mario app. The app also allows you to share your particular course with others and see what others have made as well.

Lego Super Mario starter sets and expansions

If you’re looking to dive into the world of Lego Super Mario, there are several modestly sized starter sets that each come with their own character and everything you need to build your first course.