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What the heck are Nintendo and Lego making?

Nintendo + Lego = ?

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
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Scott Stein
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?

 Nintendo

Nintendo is a mysterious company. So is Lego. A tweet this morning from both Nintendo and Lego introduced a Super Mario partnership timed to Mario Day (Mach 10 or "Mar10") that looks like it could be a new brick set, a game or both. In a year where the Nintendo Switch seems like it's not going to get any upgrades, it could be a key time for a few Nintendo surprises. 

There's not a lot to go on, but the tweet shows the chest of a Super Mario minifigure with an LED screen on it, spinning and showing a "?" just like a mystery block.

The Lego and Super Mario logos at the end suggest it's a new Nintendo-branded line of Lego toys. Is it more? Is it a gaming-themed collection like Halo, or maybe something more interactive?

Lego has already experimented with augmented reality-activated sets, and robotics kits. Nintendo, meanwhile, has explored Lego-like construction sets with its Labo kits, and has a real-life interactive theme park at Universal Studios Japan, Super Nintendo World, slated to open this year.

Nintendo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.