Lego is getting experimental. The brick company proved that with the Pinball Machine set that actually lets you play with it after assembly. It was a pretty generic machine, though, and didn’t tie into any specific intellectual property. Lego isn’t letting that opportunity pass up, having just unveiled a new playable Donkey Kong Arcade machine set.
It’s on like Donkey Kong Arcade
Mario: Video for 72051 Donkey Kong Arcade Game (via argos.co.uk)
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It’ll go on sale overseas on 1 August, according to the official landing page. There’s no word from South Africa’s Lego Certified Store, Great Yellow Brick, on when it’ll land locally. Given its history with the plastic bricks, there’s a good chance it’ll be along shortly — likely in August — and likely bearing a similar price to the overseas listing.
That would be $200, or roughly R3,300 converted directly. For what you’re getting, it’s not a bad deal. It’s celebrating the official debut of Donkey Kong from all the way back in 1981. The original arcade game is also the birthplace of Mario Jumpman and Pauline, all of whom have become household names 45 years later.
Read More: Lego’s gloriously retro Pinball Machine lets you build it (and then play it)
It’ll only take 1,371 pieces to get a working version of Donkey Kong on your shelf. Lego is marketing this one to an older fanbase. For one thing, today’s kids didn’t play the original game from the 80s. Then there’s the whole R3,300 price thing, which immediately excludes it from the jobless clientele still stuck in history class right now. Last but not least, the set is a little more complex than we (and likely you) are used to when it comes to Lego.
The set’s gone to great lengths to recreate the original barrel-jumping action, including a set of arcade sticks that move Jumpman along the X and Y axes. Players feed the 21 barrels into the top of the machine, while they dodge ’em. There’s no way to actually rescue the princes up top, sadly, but that’d be nigh impossible with plastic bricks.
