LEGO Reviews Super Mario72042

Prince Florian & Castle Bowser

Name: LEGO Prince Florian & Castle Bowser 72042
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 72042

76 · RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: BBB20251,251 pcsHigh agreement · 96%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

226

BrickScore

Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"With a BrickScore of 75.5 and an owner average of 4.82 out of 5 across 226 buyers, Prince Florian and Castle Bowser earns its Recommended standing as the most mechanically inventive set in its wave, with a flying fortress transformation and debut minifigures that make it the clear pick for Super Mario collectors."

Reviewers across the board treated Prince Florian and Castle Bowser as a standout entry in the 2025 Super Mario wave, praising the engineering of the flying fortress transformation, the interactive fireball-launching mechanism, and the debut of Prince Florian as a minifigure. Owner ratings back this up emphatically: 4.82 out of 5 across 226 ratings, with LEGO's own buyers scoring play experience 4.5 out of 5. The set connects seamlessly with existing Super Mario starter courses, rewarding fans who already own the interactive figures.

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LOVED (7)

01Bowser's castle that lifts off its stand and transforms into a flying fortress
02Fireball-launching mechanism triggered by raising the castle
03Secret passages and hidden prison cell revealed when castle is lowered

+4 more with Collector

CRITICIZED (4)

01Greens on the finished model appear less vibrant than box or digital imagery
02Castle pieces can detach when transported, making it fragile for moving
03Pink Yoshi was seen as a missed opportunity for a more distinctive color variant

+1 more with Collector

Build Facts what critics report

🧩 Difficulty

intermediate

🎯 Audience

all

In Their Words most-used terms across every critic review

yoshiwonderbowserhandsplaypinkcharacterpartsmariogamedualvisibledetailpurplelargecurvedinsteadhiddenbarcodeprincefloriantiledesignmultiplegoodvariantsgreenback

What reviewers are saying

"And now it's time for the epic–yes, the EPIC–Wonder I've been preparing! Feast your eyes on... BOWSER'S RAGE STAGE!"

Brickset Reviews

"This upcoming LEGO Super Mario set is the first to be inspired by Super Mario Bros. Wonder and is one of the biggest of the new sets."

BricksFanz

Ecosystem

71411 The Mighty Bowser 81 — The newer set's sculpting is more seamless and accurate to the newer game despite already being impressed with the prior design

Super MarioInvestment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"And now it's time for the epic–yes, the EPIC–Wonder I've been preparing! Feast your eyes on... BOWSER'S RAGE STAGE!"

Key Pros

✓Great sculpting of Wonder Bowser's face that improves upon prior designs
✓Dual play-and-display approach feels unrivalled
✓Smooth finish with no visible studs, consistent with Nintendo LEGO aesthetic

Key Cons

✕Pink Yoshi is repetitive choice rather than rare variants like Red Yoshi or Light-Blue Yoshi
✕Prince Florian has an unfortunate mold mark on his green leaf-like hair tile

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BricksFanz 🇬🇧

Expert Video Source

BUY

"This upcoming LEGO Super Mario set is the first to be inspired by Super Mario Bros. Wonder and is one of the biggest of the new sets."

Key Pros

✓Well-detailed, colourful build
✓Fun to play around with
✓Looks cool as a display piece

Key Cons

✕Price is somewhat high/expensive
✕Pink Yoshi doesn't match Super Mario Bros. Wonder (no pink Yoshis in the game)

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Critics discussed this set's investment case

Buy-now vs wait consensus, value drivers, exclusivity and resale outlook

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Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (4)

Prince Florian

Wonder Bowser Jr.

Fiery Note Piranha

Pink Yoshi - White Tile, Round 2 x 2 Half Circle Extended on Front

Standout parts (per reviewers)

New-in-orange flower element
A new color variant of the flower element, complementing Prince Florian's crown
Printed 2x2 jumper tile
Used for Prince Florian's cheery expression; jumper tiles with prints are sophisticated character design elements
Curved macaroni 'ledge' elements in dark green
Appears for the first time in dark green, though the element has been available since 2024; used for decorative flaming base
Trans-orange elements
Used to make Fire Piranhas appear extra spicy
Large macaroni tubes
Used for sculpting Wonder Bowser's hands; now characteristic of large-scale LEGO Super Mario models
Printed curved dish element
Green graphic on curved dish representing Wonder Bowser's swirling black and neon green striped hair; avoids problematic stickers on curved surfaces