LEGO Reviews Super Mario71430

Penguin Family Snow Adventure

Name: LEGO Penguin Family Snow Adventure 71430
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 71430
Rating: 4.8 (408 reviews)

77 · RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: BBB2023228 pcsHigh agreement · 95%

Expert reviews

2analyzed

Owner ratings

408

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

Where to Buy

Amazon

Out of stock

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LOVED (8)

01Charming representation of Super Mario 64's Li'l Penguin Lost quest
02Efficient piece usage for convincing cave construction
03First appearance of Mother Penguin character
04Intriguing escort mission play mechanic with barcode interactivity
05Good value for the price
06Adorable character designs with thoughtful part choices
07Removable ramp for display flexibility
08Includes both hatted and hatless Goomba options

CRITICIZED (8)

01The ramp is clunky and unconvincing
02Toboggan has no unique interactive function (plain medium azure tile with no barcode)
03Missed opportunity for additional barcode on toboggan for Slider Race theme song
04Mario doesn't actually ride a toboggan in Super Mario 64, so its inclusion is questioned
05Opportunity for new chilly facial expression for Goomba was missed
06Why no action tag on the sledge?
07The ice rink leaves something to be desired
08Sledge is unsightly when used as an ice rink rather than ramp

What reviewers are saying

"LEGO Super Mario gets festive in 71430 Penguin Family Snow Adventure, which serves up one of the theme's biggest surprises: a small set with fun features and few missed opportunities."

Brick Fanatics

"Super Mario 64 is one of the greatest gaming experiences out there, so having it represented in LEGO is very cool! Brrr!"

Brickset Reviews

Ecosystem

71415 Ice Mario Suit and Frozen World — The 71415 is noted as the best alternative, featuring another penguin character, a Goomba, an ice rink and other snow-based features plus a Power-Up suit, but it is soon-to-retire.

71402 Character Packs – Series 4 — This was the debut of the Baby Penguin figure. 71430 provides another chance to pick up this figure for those who missed it.

71429 Nabbit at Toad's Shop — Comes at the same price but has far less exclusive content compared to 71430.

71395 Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block — Both sets depict levels from Super Mario 64. The 71430 set recreates the Cool Cool Mountain quest in standard scale with interactive barcode features, while 71395 depicts the same level in microscale form.

Super MarioTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Brick Fanatics

Expert Video Source

BUY

"LEGO Super Mario gets festive in 71430 Penguin Family Snow Adventure, which serves up one of the theme's biggest surprises: a small set with fun features and few missed opportunities."

Key Pros

✓Exclusive characters
✓Substantial build that adds height to courses
✓Great value for the price

Key Cons

✕Why no action tag on the sledge?
✕The ice rink leaves something to be desired

JUMP TO REVIEW

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"Super Mario 64 is one of the greatest gaming experiences out there, so having it represented in LEGO is very cool! Brrr!"

Key Pros

✓Charming representation of Super Mario 64's Li'l Penguin Lost quest
✓Efficient piece usage for convincing cave construction
✓First appearance of Mother Penguin character

Key Cons

✕The ramp is clunky and unconvincing
✕Toboggan has no unique interactive function (plain medium azure tile with no barcode)

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (1)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

Brick Fanatics: Parent Penguin - exclusive debut figure that completes the penguin family with the Baby Penguin for Super Mario 64 fans.

Brickset Reviews: Mother Penguin is the first appearance in a set, making it collectible for completionists; Baby Penguin (Tuxie) is a returning character.

Exclusivity

Brick Fanatics: Wide retail release (December 1, 2023 US; January 1, 2024 UK/Europe)

Brickset Reviews: Standard retail release

Resale

Brick Fanatics: Expected to maintain good value given exclusive minifigures and reasonable retail price, though explicit aftermarket growth expectations are not stated.

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (3)

Penguin

Santa Goomba

Baby Penguin

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Penguin snow sculptureValue
Part of the smaller snowy cave section with miniature penguin.
Sledge
Used for motion-based play on the ice rink/ramp feature, though reviewer notes it doesn't have an action tag.
2x2 crown leaf
New for this year, used for evergreen trees. Has been reused in no less than five sets across two themes. Reviewer finds it a happy little tree design.
1x2 triple slope
Classic piece used for Mother Penguin's back feathers and beak, demonstrating thoughtful use of existing parts in character design.
2x2 coupling plates
Used creatively for Mother Penguin's webbed feet (disregarding the holes). Described as a classic piece application.
LURPs/BURPs (Little/Big Ugly Rock Pieces) and CURPs
Efficient use of transparent rock/ice pieces to give the cave transparency and iciness without unnecessary additions to piece count and cost.