LEGO 72039 Mario Kart Bowser's Castle Review

Up for review today is LEGO 72039: Mario Kart - Bowser's Castle. While it may be a little overpriced, it is a fun set that kids will love to play with. You can also grab it from the official LEGO product page.

What you get in the box

This is the largest and most expensive Mario Kart playset LEGO has made so far — a 1,068-piece recreation of the Bowser's Castle track from Mario Kart 8, complete with horns, banners, lava, and the Bowser logo. It comes in 10 numbered bags and is aimed at ages 9 and up. Fully built, the castle stands about 10 in. (26 cm) tall, 14 in. (36 cm) wide, and 8 in. (21 cm) deep.

• Set number: 72039
• Theme: LEGO Super Mario (Mario Kart)
• Pieces: 1,068
• Price: $99.99 (£89.99 / €99.99)
• Age: 9+
• Figures: 4 — Bowser, Yoshi, a Thwomp, and a Lava Bubble (plus a printed Banana element)
• Vehicles: 2 buildable karts — the Standard ATV and the Mach 8
• Dimensions: ~26 × 36 × 21 cm

The build

The castle goes together as a central gateway tower flanked by foldout wall panels, so it's a satisfying mix of sturdy structure and fiddly mechanisms. There's a fair amount of grey brick and spiky Koopa detailing, and the play features get built in as you go rather than bolted on at the end.

The figures and karts

You get four LEGO Super Mario figures: Bowser, Yoshi, a Thwomp, and a Lava Bubble, plus a Banana element with a face decoration. Bowser drives the Standard ATV (a heavyweight-class kart in his colors and emblem) while Yoshi takes the Mach 8. Both karts can launch shells, and scanning their barcodes triggers Mario Kart sound effects — but note you need a separate LEGO Mario, Luigi, or Peach figure (from sets 71439, 71440, 71441, or 72043, sold separately) to actually drive them and unlock the interactive effects. That's the catch behind "needs other characters for interactivity" below.

Interactivity

This is where the set earns its keep. The Thwomp can drop down — spin the wheel on the top of the main tower to raise it on its chains and lock it in place, then knock the orange-tipped lever to send it plunging.

The Lava Bubble bad guy can 'jump' off the top of the castle via a lever in the back. On top of those traps, the foldout walls can be smashed through, and the left wall panel hides the castle's iconic spinning Fire Bar — four trans-orange minifigure heads on a spinnable wheel.

Availability and pricing

Right now, LEGO.com says the set will ship in 60 days — but you can find it locally in stock at multiple stores, or on Amazon in a day or so. At $99.99 it's the priciest Mario Kart playset yet, and a few retailers have already started shaving the price, so it's worth watching for a discount. It's also all over eBay, where sealed copies sometimes dip below MSRP — we've spotted them from around $70–$90, so it's often the cheapest place to grab one.

Is the LEGO Mario Kart Bowser's Castle worth it?

It's a confident, display-worthy recreation of a track fans actually recognize, and the built-in traps make it genuinely fun to play with — the design is the standout here. The knocks are the price (the gateway is parts-heavy and the value lags a touch for $100) and the fact that you'll want a separately sold Mario, Luigi, or Peach to get the full interactive experience. If you or your kid love Mario, it's an easy recommend — just buy it on sale if you can. For other big, display-forward LEGO builds, see our LEGO 11389 Project Hail Mary review and the LEGO 10326 Natural History Museum.