71429: Nabbit At Toad’s Shop Expansion Set Review

It’s time to kick off the 2024 set reviews with a look at the new LEGO® Super Mario Expansion sets. As we enter 2024, the LEGO Super Mario theme moves into its 5th year as the latest wave of expansion sets continues to expand the brick-built Mushroom Kingdom. Unlike other waves, the upcoming sets aren’t inspired by a particular Mario game or location. They also feature brick-built characters previously featured in other Expansion sets or Character Packs. Despite the similarities with past sets, the LEGO Super Mario Expansion Sets do offer something new for 2024. Find out what that is and take a closer look at Nabbit at Toad’s Shop Expansion Set. 

Product Details

Set Name: Nabbit at Toad’s Shop | Set Number: 71429 | Pieces: 230 | Theme: Super Mario | Action Bricks: 2

RRP: £17.99/$19.99/19.99€ | Number of Bags: Bags x 3 | Instructions: Paper booklet + Builder App | Stickers: N/A | Characters: Yellow Toad & Nabbit | Insiders QR: Yes

Availability: LEGO Stores, LEGO Online & General Retail From January 1st, 2024

The LEGO Super Mario theme has done an interesting job of capturing the same ‘gaming’ vibes from the Super Mario gaming series. This has included the use of interactive figures and scannable Action Bricks which both link to a digital builder app. Not only does the app keep a record of the sets you own and the high scores you have achieved from courses you’ve built, but it has also been the primary means to deliver the Expansion Sets building instructions. That’s no longer the case, as traditional paper instructions are now included with the LEGO Super Mario sets. I didn’t have an issue with the digital instructions but I must admit the little animations used to show elements and where they are connected did make using them a little cumbersome. So much so, that for some of the past sets, I’ve used the digital PDFs in the LEGO Builder App. So I welcome the sets finally having physical instructions. The option to use the LEGO Super Mario App to build sets is still possible, although not available at the time of this review.

Toad-run shops have appeared in various Mario games, with many being located in mushroom-shaped buildings. This set takes inspiration from those stores but is not necessarily based on any particular game. This is similar to other Toad-based sets, with an almost facade-like building of a mushroom-roofed hut. As with other Mario sets, a printed element is used for the sign above the shop’s serving window. A couple of smaller island plates are used to house shelves of seemingly random stock. These include a train, plane and toy duck on one, with various pieces of food on the opposite. These all are rather ‘un-Mario-like’ but I guess the fit the concept of a shop.

For some LEGO fans, the draw of the Mario Expansion Sets is the buildable characters they contain. This set features two buildable characters, which have appeared in other sets. Yellow Toad has previously been included in the Princess Peach Starter Pack. Nabbit, who is a rabbit-eared bandit introduced in the New Super Mario Bros. U games, was previously one of the characters featured in the 5th series of LEGO Super Mario Character Packs.

The set features two Action Bricks. One can be found in front of the shop and the other is on Nabbit’s swag sack. As content connected to the 2024 sets hasn’t been added to the LEGO Super Mario app or interactive figures, only Nabbit’s Action Brick currently works and will give you coins or mushrooms when scanned.

It’s another interesting set, with the brick-built characters the most interesting part of the set, it’s also the cheapest way to get both Yellow Toad and Nabbit, especially since the sets they both appeared in are now retired. The new wave of LEGO Super Mario Expansion Sets will be available from January 1st, 2024.

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The LEGO Group provided this set for review purposes. The thoughts within this review are those of BricksFanz.com and do not reflect those of the LEGO Group or Nintendo Co. Ltd. Providing the set for free does not guarantee a favourable opinion of the set.

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