Lego Unveils Playable $200 Donkey Kong Arcade Set in Latest Nintendo Collaboration

LEGO and Nintendo have announced their latest nostalgia-focused collaboration, a 1,371-piece buildable replica of the classic Donkey Kong arcade machine featuring functional mechanical gameplay.

Priced at $200, the collectible set is scheduled to release on August 1, with advance pre-orders already open through Lego. Designed primarily for adult builders, the model translates the physical structure and interactive mechanics of the iconic 1981 coin-operated cabinet into brick form.

Unlike purely static display models, the Donkey Kong set incorporates working mechanical features that simulate original gameplay. Builders can operate a lever to deploy plastic barrels from the top of the cabinet, while a manual joystick and jump button allow players to maneuver the character Jumpman over oncoming obstacles across the game’s recognizable sloped scaffolding level.

The build recreates the starting stage of the classic title, complete with brick-built renditions of the title gorilla, the protagonist Jumpman—who would later be renamed Mario—and the original damsel character known simply as Lady, later established as Pauline in mainstream Nintendo lore. Turning the unit around reveals an exposed rear view detailing the internal gear mechanisms responsible for loading and releasing the set’s 21 included barrel pieces.

Released in 1981, the original arcade version of Donkey Kong was designed by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. The title served as Nintendo’s breakthrough hit in North America, establishing the platformer genre and laying the financial groundwork for the company’s future dominance in home video game consoles.

The new arcade build builds upon a successful partnership between the Danish toy manufacturer and the Japanese video game publisher that began in 2020. Previous high-end releases resulting from the deal include a replica Nintendo Entertainment System featuring a mechanical scrolling screen, a large-scale Mighty Bowser model, and a dual-build Great Deku Tree set inspired by The Legend of Zelda franchise. The release also follows Lego’s earlier foray into interactive arcade history with its 2023 replica of Namco’s Pac-Man cabinet, which featured similar crank-driven mechanical movement.