Super Mario

Penguin Family Snow Adventure Expansion Set

A snowy little side quest that turns your Mario course into a proper winter level.

Brick Rated Score

3.8/5

Set 71430 · 2024

Pieces228

Minifigsn/a

Year2024

Set number71430

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The verdict

I love what this little set does for a Mario course, it drops in a snow biome that nothing else in the line really covers, and the baby penguin riding along on mama's back is the kind of detail that makes me grin every time I run the course.

It is not a showpiece on its own, this is connective tissue for people who already have the interactive Mario figure and a shelf of other expansion sets. If you are deep into building out a course and want a fresh biome with a bit of parent-and-baby storytelling, get it. If you only own one or two Mario sets so far, I would spend your money on a bigger expansion first.

Best for: Super Mario course builders who already have several expansion sets and want a snow biome

The full review

What it is

The first time I clipped this into my course I was not expecting to like it as much as I did. It is a small snowy rise with a hidden action built in, and the star of the set is really the penguin family, a brick built mother penguin with a tiny baby penguin perched on her back. Mario can grab a penguin power up here too, and running through in that costume while the little scene plays out is a nice quiet moment in an otherwise fast paced theme. It punches above its size for personality.

The catch

I will be honest about what it is not. This is not a big centerpiece build, and at 228 pieces it is priced like the smaller end of the Mario expansion catalog, so per piece it is not the best value in the line. The interaction itself is simple, you trigger it, Mario reacts, and that is largely the loop. If you are hoping for a complex mechanism or a large standalone display piece, this will feel slight next to sets like the desert pokey or the piranha plant.

Who it's for

Get this one if you are already building out a full Mario course and want a distinct winter section, or if the penguin family figure itself is what is pulling you in, it is a lovely little sculpt. Skip it if you are just starting the theme, your first purchases should go toward the starter set and one or two of the larger expansion sets that give you more course and more play value per dollar.

The parts story

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

Building it is quick and pleasant rather than demanding, this is very much a weeknight build, not a weekend project. Most of the piece count goes into the snowy hill structure and the simple trigger mechanism that sets off the little scene when Mario runs through, so there is not a lot of complex technique here, it is more about getting the shaping of the snow mound right.

The real payoff is the penguin family itself. The mother penguin is built from curved and sloped pieces that give her a properly rounded, waddling silhouette, and the little baby penguin riding on her back is a sweet, distinct micro build in its own right, the kind of small figure that ends up getting displayed separately from the course once you have built it. There is nothing here in the way of rare or printed elements, the value is entirely in the character building rather than the part list.

Fun facts

01The set is part of the LEGO Super Mario line, which uses an electronic interactive Mario or Luigi figure sold separately rather than traditional minifigures.
02Expansion sets like this one are designed to connect directly to other Super Mario course pieces, letting builders assemble a custom level layout across multiple sets.
03The penguin power up references the Ice Mario and penguin suit power ups from the Super Mario video game series, tying the physical build back to in game mechanics.
04LEGO Super Mario expansion sets typically focus on a single biome or gameplay gimmick, and this set is one of the few to introduce a dedicated snow and ice themed course section.