TheLEGOfranchise has been a mainstay of video games for nearly twenty years, taking beloved film properties and turning them into comedic, puzzle-centric romps through blocky environments. When developer Traveller’s Tales isn’t taking players throughLEGO-themed depictions ofStar WarsorHarry Potter, it’s taking creative leaps with games likeLEGO DimensionsandLEGO Worlds. Now that the franchise is almost a year removed fromLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, its most ambitious release to date, the question in many fans' minds is what could be next for the family-friendly series.
As a franchise built on established properties, theLEGOseries might be wise to capitalize on a property that is about to receive a highly anticipated film adaptation, one the LEGO company itself is already familiar with.Illumination’s upcomingThe Super Mario Bros. Moviehas built a sizable amount of hype thanks to its impressive visuals and extensiveSuper Marioreferences. Anticipation around the film could be the perfect motivation for aLEGOgame based on the adventures of Nintendo’s favorite plumber, giving fans a way to jump through the Mushroom Kingdom like never before.
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LEGO Already Has a Strong Relationship With Mario
IfThe Super Mario Bros. Moviesucceeds in theaters, it would serve as the perfect catalyst for Traveller’s Tales to pursue aLEGO Super Mario Bros.game. Even better, The LEGO Group already has an established relationship with Nintendo and theSuper Mariofranchise thanks to its manySuper MarioLEGO sets. These sets focus on baked-in play features that allow people to build their ownSuper Mariolevels, and then use electronic LEGO figures of Mario, Luigi, or Princess Peach to run through them just like in the video games.
This existing connection between LEGO andSuper Marioopens the door for Traveller’s Tales to get in on the fun. The developer has already shown it’s capable of taking a beloved franchise and faithfully adapting it intotheLEGOformula. A lot of the work transformingSuper Mariocharacters into LEGO form has already been done by these existing sets, and Traveller’s Tales has shown no lack of creativity in creating its own LEGO character models. If the game were to take more inspiration fromThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, it would have a solid baseline to go from.
What a LEGO Super Mario Bros. Game Could Look Like
In terms of gameplay, aLEGO Super Mario Bros.game could be the perfect blend of the existingLEGOformula and Mario’s 3D adventures. Players could travel through various colorful worlds by warp pipe, completing puzzles and hunting down a litany of collectibles. Traveller’s Tales could also borrow fromSuper Mario’s movement systemsto feel more familiar for longtime fans.LEGOgames are known for their massive rosters of playable characters, and theSuper Mariofranchise has provided no shortage of memorable names to choose from.
After the endeavor that wasLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, it’s hard to tell exactly what Traveller’s Tales will do with the franchise next. Some rumors have suggested thata newLEGO Batmanis in development, but it’s hard to ignore how much potential there would be in aLEGOSuper Mario Bros.game. Whether it’s based on the upcoming film or not, Illumination’s efforts onThe Super Mario Bros. Moviecould open opportunities for the coin-collecting plumber to find success in many new forms.
