Review: 40787 Mario Kart - Spiny Shell
Posted by SetToBuild,
Since its debut in Mario Kart 64, the Spiny Shell (also known as the Blue Shell) has caused countless headaches for gamers the world over. The turtle-shell shaped item is usually given to players near last place in a Mario Kart race. When used, it barrels down the track homing towards the player in first place, taking out anyone in its path before knocking out the race leader with a targeted attack.
Shoppers can now get their hands on this iconic item through the LEGO Insiders Reward Centre for 2500 of their hard-earned points, which is about £15.63.
Summary
40787 Mario Kart - Spiny Shell, 234 pieces.
This well-sculpted model is the perfect companion to your new Mario Kart set
- Insider reward instead of GWP
- Amazing sculpt and fun techniques
- Scaled well with 72037
- Inconvenient for shoppers without spare points to spend
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Box
It is a pleasant surprise that this set has a fully decorated standard box, instead of the yellow generic ‘box with insert’ seen in other rewards centre gifts like the recent Marine Chronometer. The box even bears the Nintendo official licensed product badge.
There are four bags split up into the main components of the shell’s structure: the tan plastron (underside), the white marginal scutes (shell rim sections), and two bags for the blue carapace (upper shell surface).
Construction
The plastron is built using a SNOT structure. All of the curved bows and slopes work together to create a smooth surface. The black tiles represent the holes where the appendages of the shell’s owner would come out if it were occupied.
The white tubes form the marginal scutes around the rim of the carapace, and are built similarly to 71411 The Mighty Bowser. Other than the little gaps created by the cutouts of the 2x2 round plates, this effective technique appears seamless.
The sculpted sides of the carapace are made possible by two sections on either side connected by ball joints.
Between them sit straight sections of sloping shell to the front and back. The corner pieces have a 1x4 bow that nestles nicely against the white rim of the shell. Sadly, all of the curved slopes at the top of each segment or scute have an unsightly mould mark which isn’t fully covered by the final central scute, but many builders won’t mind this too much.
Completed Model
The box art hides the gaps between each section very well. In reality, the gaps are a bit more noticeable from certain angles. If this was deliberate to mimic the dark shaded lines between each piece, it could have been a little more consistent.
The way that the plastron curves up into the shell makes for a pleasing union. The surface of the underneath is impeccably smooth, so of course I immediately went to test its spinning ability.
Success! The shell spins excellently!
Conclusion
Like the Marine Chronometer, the Blue Shell is a companion piece themed to a major set release. It was a disappointment that Mario from 72037 Mario Kart - Mario & Standard Kart cannot hold the shell, but it’s still the perfect object to supplement the larger Mario Kart set.
In the UK, 2500 points is nearly £16. This might seem like a lot in points terms, but a Gift With Purchase of this type and size would probably cost £20+ on the secondary market. Fans who don’t want the larger set will be pleased to get this on its own, and for those that do make the big purchase, currently they’ll also get the adorable GWP, 40767 Up-Scaled Baby Astronaut.
The presentation and quality of the model make it a worthwhile purchase, and the proper box made a big difference to my perception of its value too. As both a Star Wars and Nintendo fan, it easily won out over the equivalently priced Jango Fett’s Firespray-Class Starship Coin! However, the folks who lose out here are those who don’t keep a points balance. They’ll have to spend over £300 to earn those 2500 points, so for people who haven’t got those from past purchases, this is a raw deal compared to a standard GWP.
I hope this stays available for a long time as it’s too good to waste on a limited-time or limited-eligibility release. You don’t need to be in last place to enjoy this wonderful model!
109 likes
37 comments on this article
Are there any unique or uncommon parts in this? It looks like it wouldn't be too hard to source the parts for AFOLS who don't have so many points available.
"You cant hear a image!"
The image:
I'm gonna see that GIF in my nightmares, along with that distinct "fwooshing" sound...
Great review! Goes over each detail thoroughly.
Lego appear to have made a Perpetual Motion Device. Kudos!
@tne328 said:
"Are there any unique or uncommon parts in this? It looks like it wouldn't be too hard to source the parts for AFOLS who don't have so many points available."
Someone on Reddit did a breakdown. All the parts are available on PaB, and the total comes to about $42 if you have to buy each piece. Obviously, that goes down if you already have some of the parts.
@Robot99 said:
"I'm gonna see that GIF in my nightmares, along with that distinct "fwooshing" sound...
Great review! Goes over each detail thoroughly."
Let's try spinning. That's a good trick.
Fantastic review! Thorough, a new word or two, and playful.
I, too, agree this is far superior to another non-brick coin. I'm a Lego collector, not a numismatist. ;)
Does it always take out everyone in its path? I recall in MK8 (at least) it flies overhead and only swoops down and explodes when it gets to the person in first. I think they nerfed it a little, thankfully.
@Yardsale19X said:
"Does it always take out everyone in its path? I recall in MK8 (at least) it flies overhead and only swoops down and explodes when it gets to the person in first. I think they nerfed it a little, thankfully."
I asked this question too! I’ve only ever played MK8 but apparently in earlier games it was even worse…
@crankybricks said:
" @Yardsale19X said:
"Does it always take out everyone in its path? I recall in MK8 (at least) it flies overhead and only swoops down and explodes when it gets to the person in first. I think they nerfed it a little, thankfully."
I asked this question too! I’ve only ever played MK8 but apparently in earlier games it was even worse…
" I believe in Mario Kart 64 if went along the ground targeting the person on first place, but taking out anyone else in the way. Then in later games they made it fly, so only the person in first got hit unless someone else gets caught in the blast. I think in MK8 it’s kind of a mix of both; it starts off on the ground and then becomes airborne as it approaches its target.
Nice review!
I haven't got my copy yet but I built it on Stud.io (along with the larger Mario Kart set). I'm pleased with how well the two sets scale to one another. The design of the Spiny Shell also makes it very easy to modify into a non-spiked red or green shell, which is great and makes me eager to try MOCing other Mario Kart items in this scale like bananas or Bob-ombs.
Appreciate the gif of the spinning shell!
@Yardsale19X said:
"Does it always take out everyone in its path? I recall in MK8 (at least) it flies overhead and only swoops down and explodes when it gets to the person in first. I think they nerfed it a little, thankfully."
It's changed a few times over the years:
- MK64 and the GBA game had it run along the ground and ram into the player in first.
- Double Dash, MKDS, and MK Wii gave it wings and just had it fly over to the guy in first; this is the first version to explode.
- The MK7, MK8, and MK World version is sort of a combination of both previous versions - it runs along the ground hitting everyone in its path, but when it gets near the leader it jumps in the air and explodes on them. This version can also float over chasms if needed, which the earliest version couldn't.
@tne328 said:
"Are there any unique or uncommon parts in this? It looks like it wouldn't be too hard to source the parts for AFOLS who don't have so many points available."
The only exclusive part in the set is the tan 4x4x1 round brick with recessed center (used for the "head hole" in the shell). Hopefully that becomes available through other means soon to make it easier to either part out this set or MOC other shells.
I cannot wait to get my hands on this set and proceed to put it on my desk at work after which I will constantly spin the shell while getting no actual work done!
The spinning shell gif was essential to the review.
Well, thank you for making me spend my VIP points. Thank you very much :)
@SetToBuild:
Do the characters ever hold these in any of the games? I’ve only played a little of the DS game, but all I can recall seeing is that they orbit your kart until you launch them. And another plus could be that they picked this of the three types of shell, since you only collect one of these vs 3-packs of red or green shells.
@tne328:
It’s early enough in the year that any parts that aren’t currently listed should make their way to OPAB, even if only for a few months before being delisted at the new year. And it shouldn’t be too hard to also source the blue parts in red or green, should you want options.
@StyleCounselor:
Are you disparaging the fact that I own twice as many LEGO Mario metal coins as I own Mario video games?
The last video game I played was on an Atari ST so I've never played Mario Kart. I did however recognise it, and had to get the superb 72037 yesterday. However 40787 could be an oversized Christmas Tree bauble for all I know so I was delighted that the actual GWP was 40767! I might still get 40787 if I can find a Christmas Tree big enough to hang it on!
@PurpleDave said:
" @SetToBuild :
Do the characters ever hold these in any of the games? I’ve only played a little of the DS game, but all I can recall seeing is that they orbit your kart until you launch them. And another plus could be that they picked this of the three types of shell, since you only collect one of these vs 3-packs of red or green shells."
In recent Mario Kart games the character is indeed physically shown throwing items when they launch them (even if you had been dragging them behind you in the case of single items or if they had been rotating around you in the case of triple items).
Anyway, regarding the drawback of Mario not being able to hold the shell, I bet someone could probably come up with a modification to Mario here to give his hand a more open shape that could hold an item—one of the benefits to a brick-built character like this is that you're not necessarily stuck with just the poses that the instructions suggest. I also expect somebody to come up with a design to give Mario a standing pose since the set has him fixed in a seated position.
@PurpleDave said:
"SetToBuild:
Do the characters ever hold these in any of the games?"
They do in Double Dash and Mario Kart 8.
@tne328 said:
"Are there any unique or uncommon parts in this? It looks like it wouldn't be too hard to source the parts for AFOLS who don't have so many points available."
The parts list is available on Rebrickable. Looks like mostly common parts, with some being newer and a bit harder to get maybe.
@PurpleDave said:
" @SetToBuild:
Do the characters ever hold these in any of the games? I’ve only played a little of the DS game, but all I can recall seeing is that they orbit your kart until you launch them. And another plus could be that they picked this of the three types of shell, since you only collect one of these vs 3-packs of red or green shells."
Yep, they do! I'm keeping mostly Mario Kart 8 in mind for this particular review since that's what the model is based on. Plus, in some promotional materials for all of the games, you can see characters holding items. It just looks cool and would have been a nice feature for the Mario Kart set :)
@PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor:
Are you disparaging the fact that I own twice as many LEGO Mario metal coins as I own Mario video games?"
Those Mario Day coins were probably the coolest Lego coin made thus far... and they were free!
(Plays "Coconut Mall")
Sadly also unavailable to those unable to redeem for physical rewards requiring delivery by LEGO Online.
@StyleCounselor said:
" @PurpleDave said:
" @StyleCounselor:
Are you disparaging the fact that I own twice as many LEGO Mario metal coins as I own Mario video games?"
Those Mario Day coins were probably the coolest Lego coin made thus far... and they were free!"
I got both, but I much prefer the Classic Space coin (first) and the LEGO coin (second).
BS reviews a BS...
I didn’t claim this reward the last time I purchased something on Lego.com, but seeing the parts now with this review, I’m more interested in it now.
Hmmm I guess another order is needed to claim it and ship it. I wonder if the upscaled baby spaceman is still available as well? ??
But can the Space Baby wear it? Pointless otherwise
@Reventon said:
"But can the Space Baby wear it? Pointless otherwise "
Ah yes, the only important question!
@Reventon said:
"But can the Space Baby wear it? Pointless otherwise "
Might be able to ride it. C’mon, what could possibly go wrong? Alternately, if you replace the large black tile in the neck hole with a plate, it shouldn’t be hard to install Space Baby’s head. Legs might be tricky, but arms can probably be done the same way. And then you got Space Baby doing Gamera cosplay.
@Euffalo956 said:
" @Reventon said:
"But can the Space Baby wear it? Pointless otherwise "
Ah yes, the only important question!"
"Only?" Does this mean we're no longer asking about the shadowbox version?
I'm more and more upset with these unsightly mould marks, popping here and there on otherwise excellent and nice models, and the more because I did not encountered them as often, as big and as ugly a few years ago yet. I don't remember seeing one like this when I was a kid. And I thought that LEGO was a modern company attempting to improve quality of the products along the way, and then solve quality issues quickly. It looks like they don't even care about it.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Euffalo956 said:
" @Reventon said:
"But can the Space Baby wear it? Pointless otherwise "
Ah yes, the only important question!"
"Only?" Does this mean we're no longer asking about the shadowbox version?"
Looks identical to me. I wish it was addressed in the review.
@SetToBuild shoutout for the vocabulary in this!
@tne328 said:
"Are there any unique or uncommon parts in this? It looks like it wouldn't be too hard to source the parts for AFOLS who don't have so many points available."
The only piece that isn't currently available on PAB is the tan warp pipe piece used for the front. This is the first time that element has appeared in tan but I doubt they would only produce it for an Insider's reward. I'm sure it will become available at some point.
@Brick_t_ said:
"I'm more and more upset with these unsightly mould marks, popping here and there on otherwise excellent and nice models, and the more because I did not encountered them as often"
you're correct, this is a more recent issue, and is purely a result of cost-cutting for Lego's precious bottom line. that annual $2,000,000,000 PROFIT just isn't enough, sadly.
this started becoming an issue about 5 years ago. I recently built brand new copies of sets from ~2018, and was so happy to not have to deal with those unsightly, UNNECESSARY mold marks!
be better, Lego! if you want to charge premium prices, you HAVE TO provide premium quality products!