Review: 71404 Goomba's Shoe
Posted by benbacardi,
71404 Goomba's Shoe is one of the smallest of the Super Mario expansion sets to be released, with fewer than 80 pieces, and as such it's the cheapest you can buy; just $9.99/£8.99/9.99€.
The point of the expansion sets is to add additional gameplay and value to the starter sets - to expand your Mario courses to prevent the game becoming stale. So what does this little set add?
Summary
71404 Goomba's Shoe, 76 pieces.
£8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 | 11.8p / 13.1c / 13.1c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
The cheapest addition to your Super Mario course which could provide a little bit of fun.
- Quick and easy to build
- Fun to bounce around
- Cheapest of the expansion sets
- Not much to the set
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
The title of the set is pretty descriptive - we have a Goomba, and we have a large, oversized shoe! The Goomba is the same design we've seen before, with its expression also appearing in 71391 Bowser's Airship. Bomping him on the head yields the usual coin. He comes standing on a brick on a yellow desert tile.
Of more interest is the clockwork shoe - it's large enough to stand your character inside, and has a dedicated barcode tile that gets scanned as Mario, Luigi, or Peach jumps in. Goomba's shoe originally appeared in the late eighties in Super Mario Bros. 3, in which the protagonist could defeat the Goomba hopping around in the shoe and ride in it themselves. I like the detail of the clockwork key on the side.
Scanning the tile, an exclamation mark appears on the character's screen, and music starts playing. Bouncing around in the shoe will earn a coin for each bounce. The bounce mechanism is provided by a tile attached to a clip pushing a rubber damper down inside the shoe.
There's really not that much to this set, but that makes sense given how few parts there are and its low price point. A handful of basic parts are new in bright green, which is always nice to see, but I doubt many people are buying the Super Mario sets as parts packs. The box is small, and it's unlikely to attract attention on the shelf, but I can see children having fun bouncing Mario around inside the large boot.
If you already have some of the basic Mario sets, this can add a little bit of fun to the course that even younger children can grasp the mechanics of.
It's available at LEGO.com for $9.99/£8.99/9.99€.
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23 comments on this article
Can the goomba actually ride in the shoe? If so, this would be one of the few Super Mario sets that actually has a complete package in that there's an enemy and their vehicle.
If it doesn't... fail!
^ If you put it in the shoe on the yellow stand it comes with, yes. Otherwise, the scanning tile in the shoe won't allow for a stud connection.
Why is this not called Kuribo’s Shoe?
That’s the name we all knew it by.
This looks like a polybag price range, not 10 bucks.
@peterlmorris said:
"Why is this not called Kuribo’s Shoe?
That’s the name we all knew it by. "
Kuribo is the name for Goomba in Japan, and when SMB3 was localized for English audiences, “Kuribo’s Shoe” appears to not have been properly translated. What’s weird is that I believe the name has carried on into the 2000’s with some localized games referring to the power-up as “Kuribo’s Shoe.” I’m not an expert on this, so hopefully someone can provide some more info.
@peterlmorris said:
"Why is this not called Kuribo’s Shoe?
That’s the name we all knew it by. "
According to the wiki it was only called Kuribo's Shoe in the initial English release of SMB3. Later versions and other games since call it Goomba's Shoe.
@CinnamonRobin said:
" @peterlmorris said:
"Why is this not called Kuribo’s Shoe?
That’s the name we all knew it by. "
According to the wiki it was only called Kuribo's Shoe in the initial English release of SMB3. Later versions and other games since call it Goomba's Shoe. "
Well no one ever sent me the memo.
Those slackers at Nintendo. I guess it makes sense, though. You have to knock a Goomba out to use it. We just always figured the Goombas stole it from some creature named Kuribo.
In my mind, it was a kind of giant, so I figured the Goombas sneaked in at night when the giant was sleeping. But I always wondered why it was wind up. Was the giant injured in sone way? Was he a cyborg? Would he aid us in defeating Bowser?
It’s been over 30 years and I still have no answers.
I swear there was some lore in the SMB3 English manual hinting that Kuribo was an actual guy and the Goombas stole his shoe.
I need to make a giant kuribo shoe for halloween
@ResIpsaLoquitur said:
"I swear there was some lore in the SMB3 English manual hinting that Kuribo was an actual guy and the Goombas stole his shoe."
Nintendo Power had a SMB3 Strategy Guide that discussed the mystery, IIRC.
They also forgot to localize the name of Jugem's Cloud. (I don't know why they changed Jugem to Lakitu for SMB1.)
(And don't get me started on Peach/Toadstool!)
You're heard of 40486-1 Shoe, you've heard of 10282-1 Shoe, you're looking up 10282-2 Other Shoe right now, but if you were afraid Lego was gonna kick footwear-related sets to the curb, fear no longer! The sole purpose of this set is to re-boot your Super Mario sets, tread new ground, and lace your layout with brand new challenges on your course run. If you don't like @benbacardi 's review of this, well, just walk a mile in his shoes - and if it fits, wear it.
Maybe the Goomba who owned the show was named Kuribo and you mug him for his shoe.
I was so happy when I saw this set was coming out. And it is a great little build. My children find it highly entertaining as well even though they aren't familiar with the lore just yet.
@peterlmorris said:
" @CinnamonRobin said:
" @peterlmorris said:
"Why is this not called Kuribo’s Shoe?
That’s the name we all knew it by. "
According to the wiki it was only called Kuribo's Shoe in the initial English release of SMB3. Later versions and other games since call it Goomba's Shoe. "
Well no one ever sent me the memo.
Those slackers at Nintendo. I guess it makes sense, though. You have to knock a Goomba out to use it. We just always figured the Goombas stole it from some creature named Kuribo.
In my mind, it was a kind of giant, so I figured the Goombas sneaked in at night when the giant was sleeping. But I always wondered why it was wind up. Was the giant injured in sone way? Was he a cyborg? Would he aid us in defeating Bowser?
It’s been over 30 years and I still have no answers.
"
You just gave Nintendo their next Mario Quest. I want to play that game!
Super Mario - The Quest Of Giant Kuribo
I haven't picked up any Super Mario sets in a while (unless you count 71405 for a nephew's Christmas present), but I might have to get this one, it's pretty darn cute! And I like that they found another way to use the warp pipe piece.
All I see is a green toilet with an angry looking poo next to it.
I read that as “Geonosis Showdown” for some reason.
@Trigger_: That'd be an interesting crossover.
I think calling this a "set" is being more than generous.
The shoe was designed to fit the digital figures of Mario, Luigi and Peach but by comparison the provided Goomba is much too small. The Big Goomba in set 71412 is a much better fit.
A perfect gift for anyone in your life who is a big fan of Slay the Spire.
@Brickodillo said:
"You just gave Nintendo their next Mario Quest. I want to play that game!
Super Mario - The Quest Of Giant Kuribo"
Sounds like a great subtitle for a proper sequel to Super Mario RPG.
@GBP_Chris:
You deserve a tongue-lashing for that, but an upper-cut would probably be too extreme. You know what, though? Eyelet it slide, this time.