LEGO x Super Mario is a combination that's too good to be true. However, still, they surprise us by adding another Super Mario character to the mix with LEGO The Mighty Bowser #71411.
The LEGO The Mighty Bowser #71411 features a fully poseable character with many authentic details. However, the most notable attribute of this character is that it features 100% NEW LEGO elements that consumers will have only seen in October of 2022.
LEGO explains, "This buildable figure uses new-for-October-2022 LEGO elements to recreate the look of Bowser's spikes and has many features, including a fireball launcher and a button to control Bowser's head and neck movements. His arms and fingers move too!"
The king of Koopas set also includes a display stand with two towers and a hidden POW Block for you to display The Mighty Bowser in all his glory.
With 2807 joyful pieces (Mama Mia), the LEGO The Mighty Bowser #71411 consumed quite a few hours of build time, so we definitely understand their recommendation for LEGO builders aged 18+.
The finished Bowser allows LEGO fans to admire the character from his display stand OR if you're feeling playful, LEGO has allowed Bowser's head to move, his jaws to snap, and if that wasn't enough, you could even launch fireballs, just like in the video games!
But let's be honest, we're not even at the fun part yet:
LIGHTING IT UP!
When getting this kit, we were curious about what we would be lighting apart from the flaming pillars on either side of The Mighty Bowser, which was obviously a given. However, we were inspired after having the kit in front of us and seeing its interesting techniques and overall scale; we sought to do much more. In addition, we also wanted to add a layer of theatrics to this genuinely awesome Lego Kit.
Taking inspiration from the many Bowser fight scenes in all the iconic Nintendo games, we started by adding 3 spot lights attached to the kit's base. We chose to opt for Orange Large Bit Lights instead of the typical White bit lights. This was to emulate the light from the ominous lava and fire touches throughout Bowser's Castle. The orange glow from these lights helps to highlight and perfectly capture Bowser's colour and shadows throughout those fight scenes.
After this, we moved on to the obvious... the Large Flame pillars. We started by testing the same Orange Large Bit Lights underneath the flame piece. However, this didn't light up as we had initially envisioned. It was far more on the red side, and we decided we owed it to Bowser to make these pillars truly FLAME-ing. So we decided to mix a few things up and try some new techniques. So, we decided to try Warm White Large Bit Lights, which worked perfectly! The flames became illuminated in the right colour, and we connected them to a Flicker Effects board to give that realistic fire feel.
Moving on from here, we removed Bowser from his base and thought wouldn't it be sweet to light up the Fire Ball inside his mouth? We wanted Bowser to be represented in his most authentic form. However, this presented a problem. This decision meant tethering Bowser to the base through a Connecting Cable. The playability of this LEGO set is crucial, and we were determined to allow LEGO builders to be still able to move Bowser around and pose him as they see fit. This meant that we had to get a little creative... So, we started experimenting with Wireless Power Connectors.
First, we tried underneath his feet. However, this proved difficult due to his feet' angle and inability to mount the connectors in a neat position. So then we had the idea of mounting the Connectors in his Tail! This allowed us to hide the connectors out of sight at the back of the Base Plate. TaDa!! It worked perfectly! Once we knew the connection was strong, we mounted an Orange Large Bit Light inside Bowser's mouth directly above the 'shootable' Fireball. Finally, we connected the other end of the wireless power connectors to the flicker effects board, and WE HAD FIRE!
Overall, we are so happy with the final result of Bowser, and the lighting additions genuinely add a layer of authenticity to this Super Mario Villian!
The LEGO The Mighty Bowser #71411 is one of the most impressive LEGO sets we have reviewed and lit up to date. It was an absolute blast to put together and even more fun to light! We highly recommend this set for any LEGO or Nintendo fan - You will not be disappointed!