Here we go! LEGO pays tribute to Super Mario 64 with a giant ? block & microscale levels

Hot on the heels of the LEGO Super Mario range of interactive playsets, the LEGO Group is back with something a little different, a little more nostalgic and a little more stylised.

The LEGO Super Mario 64 ? Block set is an homage to the Super Mario 64 game developed for the Nintendo 64 console way back in 1996. It was a pretty iconic game

"We know how much Super Mario fans have loved the LEGO Super Mario experience, and wanted to tap into even more elements of the traditional game play capturing the immersive play experience of Super Mario 64," says LEGO Group senior designer Pablo Gonzalez Gonzalez.

So what better way to celebrate than to create a unique set contained all within a giant ? block. This block includes four buildable levels, and microfigures representing Mario, Princess Peach, King Bob-omb, plus a Chain Chomp, Big Bully, Mr. I, Lakitu, Mother Penguin, Li'l Penguin and more. By the look of LEGO's promo images, these microfigures lack the detail that you'd otherwise find in minifigure-scale and larger-scale versions of other characters but we'll reserve our verdict for when the sets are officially released.

In its own way, the Super Mario 64 ? Block supplements the wider LEGO Super Mario collection. (You can also read a few of our stories on the LEGO Super Mario range here, here, and here, and an interview with LEGO's Jonathan Bennink here).

The Super Mario 64 ? Block comes with a couple of compatibiilty features:  The LEGO Mario or Luigi figures can be used for unique music and sounds from the video game. Users can also seek out the hidden Power Stars that reveal secret reactions from the figures. Hints for how to find the Power Stars can be found in the Building Instructions.

"It's difficult to imagine the Super Mario Universe without the classic game's iconic levels full of discovery and secrets. With this amazing set, we're building on the exciting play experience of LEGO Super Mario, both to bring a bit of nostalgia for those who played the Super Mario 64 video game, but also to introduce these wonderful levels to a whole new audience of Super Mario fans," adds Gonzalez Gonzalez.

The Super Mario 64 ? Block also follows on from the LEGO's Nintendo Entertainment System set (71374), which is becoming a bit of a rare collector's item at a price point of around $400.

The LEGO Super Mario 64 ? set will include:

• Brick-built ? Block with 2,064-pieces.
• Several LEGO Super Mario microfigures
• Four buildable versions of Super Mario 64 levels: Peach's Castle, Bob-omb Battlefield, Cool, Cool Mountain and Lethal Lava Land.

The set will initially be priced at NZ$319.99 and exclusive to LEGO retail stores and Lego's website from 1st October. It will then roll out to other retailers next year.