Lego fans and retro gamers will soon be able to build their own Donkey Kong arcade cabinet. Lego has announced a new $200 set based on the classic 1981 arcade game, and it has already received praise from the game’s legendary creator, Shigeru Miyamoto.
Designed by Lego veteran Carl Merriam, the set is not just for display. It features a working mechanical game that lets players move Mario (originally known as Jumpman) and make him leap over rolling barrels. A special pump mechanism inside the cabinet loop-feeds 20 plastic barrels, allowing up to six to roll down the ramps at the same time. The designer spent a lot of time testing the mechanism, rolling thousands of barrels to ensure they moved slowly without getting stuck.
Nintendo also helped with the design. During development, Nintendo requested that the "poison barrels" in the game feel heavier than the regular ones. To achieve this, Lego designers placed tiny Lego minifigure heads inside the poison barrels to add weight.
While the Mario character can be detached from the game, the set captures the nostalgia of the original arcade machine. The Lego Donkey Kong arcade cabinet set will launch on August 1st for $200.