Super Mario

Battle with Roy at Peach's Castle

The Super Mario 64 castle, folded down into a proper little playset with Roy finally showing up.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 71435 · 2024

Pieces738

Minifigs3

Year2024

Set number71435

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The verdict

This one clicked for me the moment I recognized the silhouette, because it is Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64, the grand doors and the central turret and all.

Roy makes his very first appearance in LEGO Super Mario here, and having him crash the castle gives the whole thing a story instead of just being a backdrop. The catch I have to be honest about is that this is an expansion set, so the interactive Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure that makes the Action Tags come alive is not in the box. If you already own one of those figures, this is a joyful add. If you don't, half the magic sits dormant.

Best for: Super Mario 64 fans who already own an interactive Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure

The full review

What it is

The first time I laid the front section out on the table I actually said the word 'oh' out loud, because there it was, the entrance to Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64. The designers went straight for the grand double doors and the round central turret, the exact view that greets you when you first walk up in the game. It is not a scale replica of that castle, it is a play version of it, folded down into something a kid can throw a Chain Chomp at. And honestly that is the right call. The wall panels hinge around the middle so you can spread them wide for a battle scene or fold them in to almost seal the castle shut, which means it reads as a real castle from the front and stores like a sensible box on the shelf.

The catch

Here is the thing about how these Super Mario sets work, because it trips people up. This is an expansion set. The three figures in the box are Roy, Toad, and a Chain Chomp, and none of them are the interactive brains of the system. The digital reactions, the piano music, the coin counting, all of that needs a LEGO Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure, and that figure is sold separately. If you already have one from a starter course, brilliant, you plug straight in and the Action Tags scattered through the castle light up the whole thing. If this is your entry point, you are buying a beautiful, feature packed castle that plays like a static playset until you add the missing piece. I do not think that is a dealbreaker, but you deserve to know it before it arrives.

Who it's for

Once that expectation is set, there is a lot to love. The play features are the good kind of clever, the kind that make a seven year old gasp. There is a wall behind a piano that smashes open, a catapult that flings a bomb, a rotating throne, a fountain in the garden, and a Star Block hidden inside a bookcase. You defeat Roy and then get to command his Chain Chomp, which is a lovely little power reversal that kids adore. I would point this squarely at Super Mario 64 fans, at families already knee deep in the LEGO Mario system, and at anyone who wants that specific castle on display. I would steer you gently away if you are brand new to the theme and expecting one box to do everything, or if you wanted a big architectural centerpiece rather than a compact, playable one.

What works

Roy debuts in LEGO Super Mario here, and he is the standout figure of the three
Genuinely clever play features: collapsing walls, a piano that hides a smashable panel, a catapult, a rotating throne, and a Star Block tucked in a bookcase
The walls fold around the central turret so you can nearly close the castle up, which looks great on a shelf and packs away neatly

Worth knowing

The interactive Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure is sold separately, and without it the Action Tags do nothing
It is more compact than the 71408 castle, so if you pictured a towering build you may feel it is smaller than expected
At the original 64.99 dollars it leans on the figures for value, and a chunk of the fun assumes you are already in the Super Mario ecosystem

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The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

The build itself is friendly and quick, aimed at the 7 and up crowd but perfectly relaxing for an adult who wants something low stress on a weeknight. At 738 pieces it moves along without ever feeling like a slog, and the hinged wall technique is the part I enjoyed most, watching flat panels fold up into a castle that can open and close. The action functions get built in as you go, so there is a satisfying little reward every few bags rather than a wall of repetitive stacking.

The figures are where the real interest sits. Roy is the headline, appearing for the first time in LEGO Super Mario, complete with his sunglasses and shell, and on the secondary market he carries a big share of this set's value all by himself. Toad and the Chain Chomp round out the trio and both are charming, the Chain Chomp especially with its chunky rounded build. Beyond the characters you get a warm palette of tans, reddish browns, and that soft Super Mario pink for the castle accents, plus printed elements like the piano and the stained glass style touches that give the front its game accurate look. It is not a parts pack for a MOC builder, but the color story is lovely and the figures alone justify a lot of the box.

Fun facts

01This set marks the very first time Roy, one of the seven Koopalings, has appeared in LEGO Super Mario.
02The castle is modeled on the entrance to Peach's Castle from Super Mario 64, right down to the grand double doors and central turret.
03The Roy figure alone accounts for roughly a third of the set's total secondary market value, and the three figures together make up more than half of it.
04Like all LEGO Super Mario expansion sets, it has no interactive electronics of its own and needs a separately sold Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure to trigger its Action Tags.