A couple of days ago Lego teased us with the prospect of a Lego Mario theme, but featuring a Mario that is about as far from a traditional minifigure as you can possibly be without being a Bionicle. Now Lego has shown us a video with a better look at what to expect, and we’re actually a little confused.
The whole thing looks to be some sort of game, a build-it-yourself version of a Super Mario level if you will. Like Mario Maker, but with Lego pieces instead of artefacts on a touchscreen. And Mario himself is something particularly special.
According to the press release Lego sent us, the whole thing is designed to “change the way people interact with Super Mario in the physical world and engage in LEGO® experiences.” And it is a blend of a game and a brick set, and I’d wager that it being Lego you have the option to create and customise your own levels with different components and pieces.
I’d guess, at this stage anyway, that the more Mario sets you get the more stuff you unlock. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a base starter kit to play one level, and a bunch of what are essentially expansion packs that let you branch out and enjoy news features and decorations to create your own custom levels. But that’s just speculation right now.
Mario himself is an interactive figure, and the video shows him sporting animated screens on his front and a Bluetooth connectivity button at the back. That means Lego probably has some sort of smartphone integration going on, though it’s keeping the specifics on the down low right now.
Lego Super Mario is set to launch later this year, but right now this is all the information we have.
This post originally appeared on Gizmodo UK, which is gobbling up the news in a different timezone.