I've been meaning to get to this for a few days now, but I ended up getting sick late last week and didn't feel like doing much over the weekend as I rested and recovered. That's why I haven't posted in a few days, apologies for the inactivity. I'm also still settling into the work flow of this whole blog thing, so some erratic activity is to be expected as I find my footing.
Now, onto the focus of this post.
After being subject to leaks, much like almost every other major LEGO set it seems, the 18+ Donkey Kong Arcade LEGO set that was teased earlier this year has finally been officially announced, and dare I say it looks spectacular. I'd say it's probably among my favorite of the many Nintendo themed 18+ sets we've gotten to this point, which says a lot because there have been some really good ones.
It features a really nice looking, scaled down replica of the original cabinet and 25m, the first stage, complete with Jumpman, Lady, and Donkey Kong, along with the iconic girders, hammers, ladders, a fireball, and an oil barrel to complete the authentic look, along with (checks notes) TWENTY ONE barrels!
Now, why would you possibly need 21 LEGO barrels? Well, it ties into what is easily the coolest part of this particular set. Most of the Nintendo related 18+ LEGO sets have featured some sort of interactivity that elevates the model above a simple display piece, and this DK cabinet is no different, offering what may genuinely be the coolest interactivity we've seen from one of these sets.
The cabinet features three controls: a level, a joystick, and a button, all of which are functional in some way. The lever, fashioned after a barrel, releases barrels that roll down the girders as if being thrown by DK himself. The joystick allows you to move Jumpman, albeit in a limited capacity on the stage's third layer, and the button makes him jump over incoming barrels.
Do I even need to go into how cool this is?
Not only does it look awesome, but features elements where I can't even fathom what kind of contraptions we'll be building to make it all work. The things LEGO bricks are capable of never cease to impress me, and this is one of the most impressive examples yet.
Oh yeah, and the live action trailer formally announcing the thing, which went live last Thursday (I first saw it on the Nintendo Today! app), features an appearance from legendary Donkey Kong player Steve Wiebe. I personally wasn't aware of him prior to this trailer, but I still find this really cool all the same!
The adult-focused set launches very, very soon- later this week, in fact- on August 1st, 2026. It contains 1,367 pieces and will retail for $199.99, which, honestly, considering how nice it looks and how cool its functionality is, I don't think is that bad. Especially when compared to the price points of some of the other 18+ Nintendo sets (looking directly at you $650 Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise set). Still quite pricey, though, as LEGO tends to be.
I've dabbled in a couple of the 18+ sets before, namely the ones on the cheaper side, including the Piranha Plant and the Game Boy. But with how much I love what I'm seeing from this latest set, I might just have to scrounge up the money to buy it.
