Even though Donkey Kong has been around for as long as Mario, it won’t be until this August that he makes his official Lego debut. On August 1, the Danish toymaker will add four Lego Donkey Kong sets to the ever-expanding Lego Super Mario collection.
These settings, however, are right out of Donkey Kong Country, with the gorilla’s relatives along for the journey. They are not, however, littered with ladders, hammers, and fireballs like the original arcade game.
Pay $60 for a tree home with grandfather Cranky Kong, a hammock, and some conga drums for Donkey to play, if you want Donkey Kong with the recognizable red DK tie around his neck.
The most expensive package is the $110 Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride Expansion, which includes Donkey’s cap-wearing cousin Diddy and mechanic Funky Kong with his aircraft shop, a Mole Miner adversary with a stockpile of hidden bananas, and six sections of the treacherous-looking cart ride track.
Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam, which costs $27, has Squawks the Parrot singing and puts Diddy’s girlfriend on stage with two guitars:
Rambi the Rhino costs $11 and is essentially a single figure, however, Lego claims that when you place a Lego Super Mario figurine on his back, you can hear a sound effect as he moves or charges into other bricks. In the games, I adored crashing through levels with him.
Crocodile from Donkey Kong Country is an enemy Although King K. Rool doesn’t yet have a set, he could always rechallenge Mario.
Along with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, a replica NES, a big question mark block, a huge Bowser set, and as of just last week, Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, the Donkey Kong figures complete the collection. There is still more to be done with the Nintendo license. For example, Lego hasn’t yet debuted its fabled first-ever Legend of Zelda set, Metroid hasn’t been done in brick form, and the early Game Boy is still a prime area for nostalgia.
