Today, Ben Davies continues his thorough examination of the new pieces in the LEGO® Super Mario sets including the barcodes. Buying Super Mario LEGO? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop - for other countries, Change Region | USA Amazon. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.
Following our coverage of the LEGO® Super Mario’s new moulds and recolours, today we’re turning our attention to the many new printed and stickered pieces that have been introduced for the theme.
Wait... Stickers?!?
Here at New Elementary, we normally don’t pay much attention to stickers. In the case of LEGO Super Mario, however, they’re worth talking about for the simple reason that, for the first time, they come pre-applied to parts.
Curious about the reasoning for the sticker situation, earlier this year we asked Jonathan Bennink, Lead Designer on LEGO Super Mario, for an explanation. Here’s what he had to say:
Jonathan: I know AFOLs are really precise at putting stickers on, but kids? Not so much, and this is actually the reason why we're putting [on] pre-applied stickers: normally, a sticker doesn't break the model if you put it on wrong. But here, you can't play the levels so it actually destroys the experience, it breaks the play. So that's why we decided that we apply the stickers, for the juniors.
New Elementary: It didn't work printing them?
Jonathan: No, it didn't work. We have these quality robots that just do this all day. [Hits Mario repeatedly onto a colour barcode.] They hit and they just kind of go from side to side. In the end it turned out that the sticker quality was actually more resistant to the scratching then if you printed directly. This is why we went for the stickers.
New Elementary: It didn't work printing them?
Jonathan: No, it didn't work. We have these quality robots that just do this all day. [Hits Mario repeatedly onto a colour barcode.] They hit and they just kind of go from side to side. In the end it turned out that the sticker quality was actually more resistant to the scratching then if you printed directly. This is why we went for the stickers.
We’ll be posting more of our interview with Jonathan in the future.
With a better understanding of the unique circumstances that called for a mix of pre-applied stickers and printed decorations to be used for LEGO Super Mario, let’s now move on and take a look at the myriad that appear across the line!
71360 Adventures with Mario
Six new printed elements and seven new stickered elements appear in 71360. Here, we can find decorated versions of several new designs introduced for the Super Mario theme, including the 2X4 Round Tile (Design ID 66857) and the Raised Plate with Rounded Corners, in both the reduced-stud (66762) and studless (68869) variations. More information about these designs can be found in Part 1 of our LEGO Super Mario examination.
In terms of printed parts, there are:
- Plate 2X3 W. Holder W. Bowser Logo Deco (6308922) (x1)
- Brick 1X3 W. Bowser Jr. Eyes Deco (6308923) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. '?' Block Deco (6310504) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Goomba Face, Frowning Deco (6308927) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X3 W. Bowser Jr. Chest Deco (6308926) (x1)
- Tile 2X4, Circle W. Bowser Jr. Mouth Deco (6308924) (x1)
In the way of stickered elements, set 71360 features:
- Plate 4x4x2/3, Circle W/ Reduced Knobs, W/ Sticker, Cloud Barcode (6315655) (x1)
- Tile 4x4x2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Cyclical Arrows Barcode (6315523) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Goal Barcode (6315659) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Start Barcode (6315526) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Goomba Barcode (6315663) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Bowser Jr. Barcode (6315659) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, '?' Block Barcode (6315656) (x1)
71362 Guarded Fortress
In 71362, we have seven new printed elements and five stickered parts. It’s worth highlighting the 2X3 Tile with Two-Way Arrow, 2x2 Tile with Bob-omb Eyes, and 2X2 Round Tile with Koopa Troopa Chest Print, which have the most immediate potential for being used by builders.
The full list of printed parts features:
- Brick 2X2 W. POW Text Deco (6308956) (x1)
- Brick 1X2 W. Koopa Troopa Eyes Deco (6309009) (x1)
- Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow W. Koopa Troopa Nostrils Deco (6309099) (x1)
- Plate 2X3 W. Holder W. Mario Logo Deco (6323855) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X3 W. Two-Way Arrow (6323860) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Bob-omb Eyes Deco (6308929) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W. Koopa Troopa Chest Deco (6310506) (x1)
And the list of stickered elements is comprised of:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Coin Barcode (6326730) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Koopa Troopa Barcode (6326734) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Piranha Plant Barcode (6315884) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Bob-omb Barcode (6315680) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, POW Barcode (6315886) (x1)
71363 Desert Pokey
One of the smaller sets in the Super Mario line, 71363 includes two new prints and three new stickered tiles. Unfortunately, all of these prints and stickers are quite specialized.
The two new printed elements are:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Pokey Face Deco (6308986) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Monty Mole Face Deco (6308986) (x1)
In terms of stickered elements, the set features:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Pokey Barcode (6315904) (x)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Hammer Barcode (6315905) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Monty Mole Barcode (6315927) (x1)
71364 Whomp’s Lava Trouble
Three new printed elements and four stickered elements are included in 71364. For builders, the most interesting elements are likely to be the 2X2 Tile with Lava Bubble Eyes and the 2X2 Brick with “P” text, which are generic enough that they should be able to be integrated into MOCs with relative ease.
The printed parts in 71364 are:
- Panel 6x1x5 W. Whomp Face Deco (6308987) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Lava Bubble Eyes Deco (6308990) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. P Text Deco (6309005) (x1)
The list of stickered elements consists of:
- Tile 4x4x2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Bidirectional Arrows Barcode (6320485) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, P Barcode (6317955) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Lava Bubble Barcode (6317953) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Whomp Barcode (6317954) (x1)
71365 Piranha Plant Power Slide
Five printed elements and four stickered elements appear in 71365. Of these, only the 1X2 Tile with Bidirectional Arrow Sticker and 1X2 Tile with Koopa Troopa Sticker are exclusive.
While none are exclusive, the six printed elements in 71365 are:
- Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow W. Koopa Troopa Nostrils Deco (6309099) (x1)
- Brick 1X2 W. Koopa Troopa Eyes Deco (6309009) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Timer Block Deco (6309017) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W. Koopa Troopa Chest Deco (6310506) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Goomba Face, Closed Mouth Deco (6309019) (x1)
As for stickered elements, we have:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Timer Block Barcode (6315958) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Koopa Troopa Barcode (6315991) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Bidirectional Arrow Barcode (6315943) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Goomba Barcode (6315663) (x1)
71366 Boomer Bill Barrage
Four printed elements and four stickered elements appear in 71366. Most notable are the 3X3 Round Tile with Shy Guy Face print and the 2X2 Mushroom Top Plate with the White Dot print, which are both based on new element designs.
In the way of printed elements in 71366, there are:
- Dome Ø32 W. Boomer Bill Face Deco (6309021) (x2)
- Design Plate 2X2, No. 2 (Mushroom Top) W. White Dot (6310501) (x1)
- Tile 3X3 Circle, No. 1 W. Shy Guy Face Deco (6309023) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Super Mushroom Eyes Deco (6310502) (x1)
The list of stickered elements includes:
- Tile 4x4x2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Cyclical Arrows Barcode (6323186) (x1)
- Plate 4x4x2/3, Circle W/ Reduced Knobs, W/ Sticker, Cyclical Arrows Barcode (6317958) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W/ Sticker, Super Mushroom Barcode (6316009) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W/ Sticker, Shy Guy Barcode (6317956) (x1)
71367 Mario’s House & Yoshi
In 71367, there are six printed elements and three stickered elements. While most of these elements are fairly context-specific, the 2X3 Tile with One-Way Arrow can be expected to find uses in builders’ creations.
The six printed elements in 71367 are:
- Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow W. Yoshi Nostrils Deco (6309072) (x1)
- Brick 1X2 W. Yoshi Eyes Deco (6309026) (x1)
- Brick 2x2 W. Yellow Star Deco (6309028) (x1)
- Tile 2X4, Circle W. MARIO Text Deco (6309029) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X3 W. Red One-way Arrow Deco (6309031) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Goomba Face, Open Mouth Deco (6309027) (x1)
The stickered elements included are:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Star Barcode (6315998) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Goomba Barcode (6315663) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Speech Bubble Barcode (6315995) (x1)
71368 Toad’s Treasure Hunt
An incredible twelve printed elements and nine stickered elements come in 71368, the second-largest LEGO Super Mario expansion set. The most interesting elements here are without a doubt the 1X2 Brick With Two Knobs with Toadette Face (6323870) printing and the 2X2 Brick with Toad Face (6323869) printing. In addition to featuring new prints, both of these elements are new recolours in Light Nougat, an elusive colour which rarely appears outside of minifigure and minidoll elements. The 2X2 Round Brick with Pin Holes and Toad Torso printing (6309081) also represents the first appearance of the respective design (17485) in Bright Blue/ Blue.
The printed parts found in 71368 are:
- Design Plate 2X2, No. 2 (Mushroom) W. White Dot in Bright Purple/ Dark Pink (6323867) (x1)
- Design Plate 2X2, No. 2 (Mushroom) W. Red Dot in White (6309077) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 Round With Hole Ø4,85 W. Toadette Torso Deco (6323861) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 Round With Hole Ø4,85 W. Toad Torso Deco (6309081) (x1)
- Brick 1X2 W. 2 Knobs W. Toadette Face Deco (6323870) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Toad Face Deco (6323869) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Block 1 Deco (6309092) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Block 2 Deco (6309094) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Block 3 Deco (6309095) (x1)
- Flat Tile 1X2 W. Cheep Cheep Eyes Deco (6309090) (x2)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Goomba Face, Closed Mouth Deco (6309019) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X3 W. Red One-way Arrow Deco (6309031) (x1)
The nine stickered elements included in the set are:
- Tile 4x4x2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Bidirectional Arrows Barcode (6326767) (x1)
- Tile 4x4x2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Cyclical Arrows Barcode (6326776) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Block 1 Barcode (6317962) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Block 2 Barcode (6317964) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Block 3 Barcode (6317969) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Speech Bubble (Toadette) (6326739) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Speech Bubble (Toad) (6325582) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Cheep Cheep Barcode (6317971) (x2)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Goomba Barcode (6315663) (x1)
71369 Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle
As the largest LEGO Super Mario expansion set, it should come as no surprise that 71369 contains a great number of new decorated elements: thirteen printed and eight stickered, tying with 71368 for total number of new decorations.
The thirteen printed elements consist of:
- Brick 1X3 W. Boo Eyes Deco (6309106) (x1)
- Brick 1X3 W. Boo Mouth Deco (6309107) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. '?' Block Deco (6310504) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Timer Block Deco (6309017) (x1)
- Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow W. Dry Bones Mouth Deco (6310497) (x1)
- Brick 1X2, Outside Half Bow W. Dry Bones Nostrils Deco (6310495) (x1)
- Brick 1X2 W. Dry Bones Eyes Deco (6310493) (x1)
- Plate 2X3 W. Holder W. Bowser Logo Deco (6308922) (x2)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Bowser Inner Mouth Deco (6309105) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Lava Bubble Eyes Deco (6308990) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W. Bowser Nostrils Deco (6310515) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W. Dry Bones Chest Deco (6310499) (x1)
- Flat Tile 1X4 W. Bowser Eyes Deco (6309102) (x1)
The eight stickered elements consist of:
- Plate 4x4x2/3, Circle W/ Reduced Knobs, W/ Sticker, Oscillating Arrows Barcode (6317977) (x1)
- Tile 4X4X2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Cyclical Arrows Barcode (6331722) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Dry Bones Barcode (6317979) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Lava Bubble Barcode (6317953) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Bowser Barcode (6317986) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Timer Block Barcode (6315958) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, '?' Block Barcode (6315656) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Boo Barcode (6317984) (x1)
71376 Thwomp Drop
The next expansion set, 71376 features comparatively fewer new printed and stickered elements, with four of the former and four of the latter. The most interesting element is probably the 2X2 Round Tile with Skull print. While based on the Lava Lift/Skull Raft platforms from Super Mario World, the design of the skull print is generic enough that it can (and surely will be) repurposed by ingenuitive builders.
In the way of printed elements, 71376 has:
- Flat Tile 2X4 W. Thwomp Eyes Deco (6318698) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Lava Bubble Eyes Deco (6308990) (2x)
- Flat Tile 2X4 W. Thwomp Mouth Deco (6318699) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W. Skull Deco (6318700) (4x)
Where stickered elements are concerned, the set contains:
- Plate 4X4X2/3, Circle W/ Reduced Knobs, W/ Sticker, Bidirectional Arrows Barcode (6320484) (x1)
- Tile 4X4X2/3, Circle W/O Knobs, W/ Sticker, Bidirectional Arrows Barcode (6321212) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Thwomp Barcode (6320481) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Lava Bubble Barcode (6317953) (2x)
71377 King Boo and the Haunted Yard
Four printed elements and five stickered elements come in 71377. Of these elements, the most intriguing is the 2X2 Plate with One Knob and Swoop face printing, which is only the second time the 2X2 Jumper (23893/87580) has featured printing.
The four printed elements are:
- Flat Tile 6X6 W. King Boo Face Deco (6318695) (x1 in 71377)
- Brick 2x2 W. Yellow Star Deco (6309028) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W. Goomba Face, Angry Deco (6319790) (x2)
- Plate 2X2 W 1 Knob W. Swoop Eyes (6318696) (x4)
The five stickered elements featured in 71377 are:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, King Boo Barcode (6323470) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Explosion Barcode (6319932) (x4)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Coin Barcode (6316006) (x2)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Goomba Barcode (6315663) (x2)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Star Barcode (6315998) (x1)
40414 Monty Mole & Super Mushroom
A gift with purchase set this month, 40414 features four printed elements and four stickered elements. Of these elements, only the 2X2 Tile W/ Sticker with Stone-Eye Barcode (6321039) is exclusive to the set.
In this set, the printed elements are:
- Brick 2X2 W. Monty Mole Face Deco (6308986) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. POW Text Deco (6308956) (x1)
- Brick 2X2 W. Super Mushroom Eyes Deco (6310502) (x1)
- Design Plate 2X2, No. 2 (Mushroom) W. White Dot in Bright Red/ Red (6310501) (x1)
The stickered parts are:
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, POW Barcode (6315886) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Stone-Eye Barcode (6321039) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2 W/ Sticker, Monty Mole Barcode (6315927) (x1)
- Flat Tile 2X2, Round W/ Sticker, Super Mushroom Barcode (6316009) (x1)
How many printed and stickered parts are there in LEGO Super Mario?
Whew – that’s a lot of decorations! 55 printed parts and 48 stickered, to be exact, for a grand total of 103 across the LEGO Super Mario starter course and expansion sets.Going even further; while we don’t have the sets in hand, from the images we can surmise that an additional 19 elements (10 printed and 9 stickered) are available in the character packs. All of this is in addition to the eight printed Mario suit elements, already reviewed in Part 1 of our analysis.
So, in total by our reckoning, 130 new decorations appear across the LEGO Super Mario theme, quite possibly setting a record for a new play-theme. Remarkably, even after three separate articles, there’s still plenty more to say about LEGO Super Mario, but we’ll save that for another day!
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Massive thanks go to our 'Vibrant Coral' patrons: Iain Adams, Baixo LMmodels, Andy Price, Anthony Wright, Geppy, Chris Cook, London AFOLs, Gerald Lasser, Big B Bricks, Dave Schefcik, David and Breda Fennell, Huw Millington, Neil Crosby, Antonio Serra, Beyond the Brick, Sue Ann Barber & Trevor Clark, and Kevin Gascoigne. You're awesome!
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LEGO still hasn't gotten it together with printing white on darker colors, huh? It's quite a shame, especially on such colorful sets like this.
ReplyDeleteIts waaaay harder than you think.
DeleteOne neat thing about Mario character designs is how comparable they are. For instance, the Yoshi and Koopa Troopa eye bricks and nostrils are more or less interchangeable, which means that it'd be fairly easy to MOC a yellow Yoshi (just by swapping all the lime green parts for yellow and the orange shoes for green). The "belly" tiles of the Koopa Troopa and Dry Bones are also pretty much the same print on differently colored parts. And of course the enemies that are straight recolors of one another, like Cheep Cheep and Eep Cheep, have interchangeable decorations.
ReplyDeleteThe heavy use of basic parts like bricks and tiles for faces also means that, with custom prints or decals, it wouldn't be too hard to come up with additional character designs. For instance, with a BrickHeadz-style construction you can pretty much double the scale of the Goomba in all dimensions to make a Big Goomba/Grand Goomba, and all it would need is a pair of decals for 2x4 tiles to give it that iconic grouchy face!
That's something I also noticed. Which when you think of it, can really be seen as a throwback to the old days when games swapped the color palets to create new enemies (and save memory)
DeleteAm I the only one, who can’t see part 1 of the review? It was weird last time, and thought it was a mistake, but looks like it’s not.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised I haven't seen any shitstorm from the community about preapplied stickers. I have absolutely no problem with stickers on bricks and it always makes me laugh how afols loose their minds when there are stickers in big sets especially.
ReplyDeleteAs a parent I think the stickers are especially difficult because kids get curious or bored and peel them. Ive had to replace 2 of the barcoded pieces already and am thankful the lego company can do so easily.
ReplyDelete