Guarded Fortress

This was a fantastic gift for my son as he already owns a super Mario starter course. It was quite easier to build and provided hours of fun to my son. My son could choose his own route from Mario to reach the guarded fortress. There is a free Lego super Mario app available, which helped in constricting and gives a lot of creative ideas. Over all its hours of fun and keeps my son engaged. more less

I like the idea of the set but there are a few niggles. The build process was very confusing, I assume it could be a mistake in the digital instructions as technically the app is still in an unreleased state. At one point I had a bag of elements left and it jumped ahead three bags for no reason to build something minor. With no mention at any step about returning to those leftover elements. The set all comes together in the end but I can see it confusing younger builders. The action of flipping the Piranha Plant back into the warp pipe is rather hit or miss, although once you do manage it, it feels even more of an achievement. Finally, the end flag is an amazing way of capturing the motion from the game and should have been included in the starter Course set. Landing LEGO Mario on the platform to raise the goal pole flag is very satisfying but loses a little magic as there is no Action Brick to provide that iconic end jingle. However, the joy of these sets is being able to mix and match elements from each set to create the perfect Mario Course. more less

Pretty much every set in the LEGO Super Mario theme feels overpriced for what it is, not offering enough in the way of a game and not being as satisfying as a model as a regular LEGO set to justify the cost. It's the case here again with 71362 Guarded Fortress Expansion Set, although for those who are sold on the theme, it will fit in well with established aesthetic. more less

With 468 pieces has a similar part count as Toads Treasure hunt, and King Boo and the Haunted Yard. Each have different things to commend them, and I think this will be a difficult personal choice for some. that said, this is the mid priced set of these three – priced at AU79.99, 49.99€/USD. It feels tightly packed, compared to Toad's village, and offers a little more action, in my mind, than the haunted Yard. more less