Super Mario

Mario Kart, Donkey Kong & DK Jumbo

A chunky little kart that actually launches shells, with a Donkey Kong I did not expect to like this much.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 72033 · 2025

Pieces387

Minifigsn/a

Year2025

Set number72033

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The verdict

I went in expecting a cute side piece for the Mario Kart line and came out genuinely charmed by the DK Jumbo.

It is small, but it has a spring loaded shooter that lobs a banana at a brick built target, and that one mechanism makes the whole thing feel like a toy rather than a display shelf filler. The catch is that none of the interactive sound effects happen unless you already own one of the Mario Kart starter sets with an interactive Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure, so this is a companion piece first and a standalone set a distant second. If you or your kid are already knee deep in the Mario Kart sub theme, it is a fun forty dollar add on. If you are not, the DK figure alone will not justify the price.

Best for: Kids and adults already collecting the LEGO Mario Kart starter sets who want a launcher vehicle and a bigger Donkey Kong

The full review

What it is

This is one of the smaller expansion sets in the Mario Kart wave, built around a brick DK Jumbo kart and a chunky Donkey Kong figure standing next to a banana shaped target. The idea is simple and it works, you load the banana piece into the launcher, aim it at the target, and fire. My first reaction was surprise at how satisfying that little mechanism actually is. It is not a complicated build, you will be done inside an hour, but the payoff at the end is a toy you can keep playing with rather than a model you finish and shelve.

The catch

Here is the honest catch. The DK Jumbo and the Donkey Kong figure are designed to interact with the LEGO Mario, Luigi, or Peach interactive figures from the Mario Kart starter sets 71439, 71440, and 71441, and those are sold separately. Without one of those figures around, you lose the racing sounds, the honking, the drifting effects, and the Donkey Kong game callbacks that make this set click. Buy it on its own and you get a nice little launcher toy. Buy it as an add on to a starter set you already own and it becomes a much richer play experience. At 387 pieces for the retail price, it is also not a heavy value play for piece count collectors, this is a play feature set, not a bulk builder set.

Who it's for

Get this one if you already have a Mario Kart starter set in the house and want to expand the play pattern with a second vehicle and a fun boss style figure. Skip it if you are shopping for parts value, display presence on its own, or a standalone Donkey Kong minifig experience, because none of those are really the strength here.

The parts story

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

The build itself is quick and mechanically driven rather than detail driven. Most of your time goes into assembling the spring loaded shooter mechanism inside the DK Jumbo body and getting the launch arm to seat properly, followed by a short, satisfying build of the Donkey Kong figure and the banana target stand. It plays more like snapping together a functional toy than following an intricate model, which suits the age range LEGO is aiming for here.

The standout piece is obviously the buildable Donkey Kong figure himself, printed and molded elements give him actual personality rather than a generic ape shape, and he is noticeably bigger and more posable than you would expect at this price tier. The banana element with its printed face decoration is a nice, on brand touch that doubles as the ammunition for the launcher. None of this is going to wow a serious part collector looking for rare recolors, the value here is entirely in the play feature and the character piece, not in the parts list.

Fun facts

01The DK Jumbo model measures about 3.5 inches high, 6 inches long, and 3 inches wide once built, a genuinely pocket sized kart.
02The set launched alongside the wider 2025 wave of LEGO Mario Kart sets, all of which are designed to interact with the LEGO Mario, Luigi, and Peach interactive figures rather than standard minifigures.
03It carries a suggested retail price of 34.99 dollars in the US, and secondary market tracking has shown resale prices creeping above that since release.
04Despite the Mario Kart branding, the set leans on the classic Donkey Kong barrel and banana game references rather than kart racing specific details, tying the figure back to his original arcade roots.