2020 is turning into an expensive year for gamers. Gaming fans are looking forward to the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X this holiday season, as well as new game releases like Cyberpunk 2077, Ghost of Tsushima, Demon’s Souls Remake and Halo Infinite. Just when you thought your wallet couldn’t take another hit, a must-have new console has leaked online, only this one doesn’t actually play video games.
Based on a recent tweet by industry insider Nibel, Nintendo is teaming up with LEGO to release a replica of its classic NES console.
The Nintendo Entertainment System LEGO set will reportedly launch on August 1, and is said to cost more than £200.
Judging by the leaked images, the set features a NES console and controller, as well as a replica game cartridge and television set, complete with a level from the original Super Mario Bros.
Fans will even be able to make Mario move across the screen by turning a crank found on the side of the LEGO TV set.
Judging by the promotional material seen in the images below, you can even combine the NES with the Mario figure from the Super Mario range.
While it’s usually worth taking leaks with a grain of salt, LEGO has teased the release of a replica NES console on social media.
“Are you ready to play like never before?” reads a LEGO tweet, which is accompanied by a teaser video of the upcoming NES console.
The LEGO Super Mario toys also have a release date of August 1. This includes the starter set, which has a recommended retail price £49.99.
Fans can also order the Piranha Plant Power Slide expansion for £24.99, and the Bowser’s Castle Boss Battle expansion set for £89.99.
Takashi Tezuka, Executive Officer and Game Producer of Nintendo, said: “Super Mario has continued to appear, always in a form adapted to the current hardware of the time.
“I am thankful that in this project with the LEGO Group, Mario is jumping out of the digital world of game consoles and smart devices, and we are able to bring him into the world with a new, physical type of Mario play.
“It’s very exciting to think of LEGO Mario becoming a real friend to children and to picture them playing in their very own Mario world that they imagined themselves.”
The LEGO Super Mario range are much more interactive than regular sets. The Mario figurine plays music and sounds, can recognise different coloured bricks, and even reacts to the environment.
The sets will launch alongside a companion app, which provides building instructions and suggestions for different scenarios.