Thwomp Drop

The mechanics of making the Thwomp Drop are quite clever, although I found if you don't guide the Thwomp up correctly, it will drop on two passes of the skull raft platform instead of two. Which will see LEGO Mario topple quite easily. But you have to admire the way the edging of the platform's movement slowly makes the Thwomp tumble to the ground. It may look like a simple grinning cube, but the innards combined with the tower rail is quite complex. I also love the simple action of the Thwomp's drop flipping one of the raised platforms. Especially as it flings a Lava Bubble Sprite as it would in the games. On first appearances, the set looks fairly simplistic, but once you build it, you'll appreciate how much has been poured into the set to ape the motions from the Mario games. more less

Thwomps have a particular way of attacking Mario in the games, with them dropping down on the hero in their original Super Mario Bros. 3 appearance and pretty much ever since. That the LEGO design team has managed to recreate that feel in this set is impressive and those who are buying into this theme will find something unique in this set. As ever though, the big question mark is over whether this offers the same level of play and display that a £34.99 LEGO set does. more less

I probably feel that for this set, the 39,99 USD/EUR $AUD59.99 pricetag is probably a little more than I think I would want to pay for it. As fun as the mechanism is, I think I would have more fun with the Piranha power slide for repeated play. I appreciate the different music used, compared to the other slider platforms seen in this wave of sets, as well as the mechanism. It just seems to feel a little over priced for a section of the game which will only take about 45 seconds to play through, compared with Toad's treasure hunt or the Guarded Fortress. more less