Today, I will be writing about Lego’s new Donkey Kong / Mario set: Donkey Kong’s Tree House Expansion Set 71424. I will be discussing the pros, cons, minifigures, and model of this set all below!
What’s in the box?
First off, what’s in the box? The set includes 555 pieces that form Donkey Kong’s tree house and two Donkey Kong piece-built minifigures. All patterned pieces, such as Donkey Kong’s eyes and the ‘Kong’ sign are printed pieces—so no stickers are included in the entire set! As with any Mario Lego set, this one does not include physical instructions and instead digital instructions must be found on the Lego Mario app.
The set can be found for $59.99 on Lego.com.
The treehouse is fun and includes a lot of details—more details than the usual Mario set. On the outside of DK’s house, we have a bouncy tire, bananas (the banana bushel reacts to the un-included Lego Mario Figure—which can be used to give the bananas to Donkey Kong and make his voice sounds), drums (which if used with the Mario figure can play drumbeats), and a hammock for Donkey Kong or Cranky Kong to sit on.
Both Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong come with scan tiles that react to the Lego Mario figure.
The interior of the treehouse is one of my favorite parts. We can see a TV, a radio, a bowl and a banana, and a tire—all things that show DK’s personality and character. Also inside is a trapdoor/catapult looking thing that pops open using a lever. For some reason, I was unsure of the purpose of this and couldn’t seem to figure out why a small flower was supposed to be loaded into it—maybe it launches things like the flower or maybe it’s just a place to safely keep Donkey Kong’s banana hoard.
Minifigures
The two members of the Kong crew we receive with this set are Cranky Kong and Donkey Kong.
Cranky Kong has moveable arms that allow him to swing his cane up and down as he lectures everyone. I like his model, though I did notice one thing that made his minifigure difficult. Even with his cane extended in any direction, this minifigure really seemed to struggle to stay standing when not placed on a Lego plate. Eventually, you can get him to stand if you try hard enough, but one small bump is enough to send the poor guy falling down. Maybe he needs a rocking chair?
Donkey Kong is perfect. He is sturdy and poseable. His arms move up and down, his hands rotate, his feet bend, and his head can look in different directions. His tie is made of printed fabric too—which I think is really cool. He also includes a separate carrier that attaches to his back and allows Mario to ride him. Sure, this doesn’t seem to be based on any Mario or Donkey Kong game, but this allows for fun Donkey Kong play. When Mario is riding DK, he plays the Donkey Kong Country theme, makes stomping sounds when moved, and emits Donkey Kong’s voice when you jump or make other movements. I love that this toy set has the ability to play Donkey Kong music!
My Thoughts?
Although I still hold onto hope for minifigure-scale Donkey Kong sets someday, this is definitely one of the best Lego Mario sets out there—especially for Donkey Kong fans. The Donkey Kong figure looks amazing, though I think the Cranky Kong minifigure could have been better. At least give the guy a rocking chair—like the one he uses in the Donkey Kong Country game.
I really like that Mario sets do not include stickers and instead rely on printed pieces. I also like that this set includes tons of great details and even scan tiles that create fun Donkey Kong sounds and nostalgic music.
Unfortunately though, in order to make this set’s Donkey Kong sounds, a Lego Mario Figure is needed to be purchased separately. This can be the Lego Mario figure, the Luigi figure, or the Peach figure—all of which you can see and/or purchase below!
Adventures with Mario Starter Course
Adventures with Luigi Starter Course
Adventures with Peach Starter Course
I would definitely recommend this set to kids—as it would be super fun to play with, but I also recommend it for all Donkey Kong fans, as this might be the only version of Donkey Kong we get in Lego form.
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think! Comment and subscribe, this would really help me out. Also check out the set for yourself below!
Donkey Kong’s Tree House Expansion Set
Also see Lego’s other Donkey Kong themed sets!
Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam Expansion Set
Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride Expansion Set
Or see my post about all these sets here: LEGO Donkey Kong Coming Soon!