For Lego Super Mario, Getting Power-Ups Will Cost You Extra

Power-ups are going to work a bit differently with the upcoming Super Mario Lego sets, which are centered around using an electronic Mario figure for a blend of platforming gameplay with real-life brick swooshing. Just as you'll need some batteries to switch Mario on, his iconic power-ups—at least the fire, propeller, cat, and builder suits—will be sold separately.

Today, Nintendo and Lego revealed these four upcoming "Power-Up Packs" with a short video reel demonstrating the unique abilities associated with each. It looks like the power-ups, which here come as new sets of clothes that can be swapped out with Lego Mario's standard outfit, enable different motion gestures for attacks and coin collecting. For example, it seems the Propeller suit will allow Mario to rack up coins in the air as you wave the figure around. Nothing would stop you from waving your regular figure around, of course, but don't you want more of those invisible coins?

These four individual sets consist of the suit and hat pieces, a stand for both, and little else. They'll launch on August 1 alongside the $59.99 Starter Course set, which is so far the only set Lego has revealed that will include the electronic Mario figure. Prices for the power-up sets have not been listed yet.

From what we've seen so far, it looks like buying these standalone kits will be the only way to acquire power-ups for Lego Mario. The Starter Course and other sets revealed so far don't include power-ups, though it's possible that there are still more sets to be revealed that'll have some as part of the package.

If your ideal version of a Lego Super Mario collaboration looks more like a standard Traveller's Tales title, a toys-to-life game like Lego Dimensions, or just an intricate, detailed Mushroom Kingdom Lego set, then perhaps these electronics-enhanced courses and their add-ons are a bit of a bummer. Then again, until folks are able to get their hands on that Mario figure and get a sense for how its sensors really work, it's hard to say whether or not it's worth the pricey plastic investment.