LEGO Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment System

Hey everyone, it’s Tanner. The LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System (set 71374) is the LEGO set that made me realise vintage tech was going to be a permanent theme line, not a one-off experiment. As of 2024 it’s retired, and the aftermarket is already pricing it like the grail it is.

What Makes This Set Special

There are two main builds in the box:

The NES console. Front-loading cartridge slot, working power and reset buttons (they actually click), accurate ventilation slots on top. A Super Mario Bros. cartridge is included as a separate sub-build, and you can insert and remove it from the console exactly the way the original did.

The CRT TV. This is the showstopper. The TV is a square-bodied 1980s tube-style design, and inside it there’s a scrolling level of Super Mario Bros. mounted on a hand-crank mechanism. When you turn the crank on the side of the TV, the level scrolls horizontally past a small Mario figure on the screen. Goombas appear, pop up, and disappear. Question blocks pass through. The flagpole at the end of the level scrolls into view.

It’s not a video game. But it’s a stunningly clever LEGO interpretation of what playing Super Mario Bros. felt like — and that’s a higher bar to clear than just rendering the visuals.

The Build

2,646 pieces, roughly 10 hours across three sessions. The build is split into the console + cartridge first, then the controller, then the TV last. The TV is where the engineering complexity lives — the scroll mechanism uses a chain-driven roller hidden behind the screen, and the level art is built up out of small printed tiles attached to the chain.

It’s the kind of build where you finish a section, sit back, and realise LEGO designed an entire mechanical interactive sculpture and tucked it inside what looks like a static TV. The “scroll the level” payoff is one of the best feel-good moments in the LEGO catalogue.

What to Watch For

The scroll mechanism is delicate. The chain that drives the scrolling is small, and over-rotation can pop tiles loose. I’d caution anyone with kids or curious cats: this is a “look but don’t touch” set once it’s built. The crank works beautifully when you treat it gently — and breaks fast if anyone tries to spin it like a coffee grinder.

The other thing: the TV is bigger than it looks in product photos. The total set footprint is around 35cm × 35cm when you stage the console, controller, and TV together. If you’re imagining a small-shelf display you’ll need to upgrade your plan.

Now Retired — Secondary Market Reality

LEGO retired set 71374 in 2024. The aftermarket has been moving fast:

• eBay sold (early 2024 / pre-retirement rumour): $260 sealed
• eBay sold (late 2024 / post-retirement): $385 sealed, $310 opened-built
• eBay sold (mid-2025): $475 sealed, $375 opened-built

That’s roughly 90% over MSRP on sealed copies in 18 months — one of the steepest aftermarket curves of any modern retired LEGO set. The driver is the same crossover-audience effect as the Typewriter and Home Alone: retro gaming nostalgia broadens the buyer base far beyond LEGO collectors.

If you’re shopping now: I’d target a built copy in the $325–$360 range, which is a 30–45% premium over MSRP and roughly fair value for the build experience. Sealed copies above $475 are speculative.

Pairing With the LEGO Super Mario Line

If you also own a LEGO Super Mario starter course (set 71360 or later), the NES TV has a hidden feature: you can place the interactive electronic Mario figure on the TV screen, and it’ll scan the printed level tiles as you crank the level. Mario reacts to Goombas, question blocks, and pipes the same way he does on a starter course. The set ships fully functional without the Mario figure — but if you have one, the integration is a delightful surprise.

Display Notes

Footprint: 35cm × 35cm when fully staged with console + controller + TV. You’ll want a dedicated shelf or low table. The TV has natural display energy — it photographs like a piece of design furniture, not like a LEGO set. Pair it with retro-tech adjacent items (a vintage Walkman, an old controller, etc.) for a curated vibe.

Is It Worth Chasing on the Secondary Market?

Short answer: yes, if you grew up on the NES. The build is genuinely fun, the scroll mechanism is unforgettable, and the cultural value of having a LEGO NES on a shelf is a different kind of trophy than having another Star Wars UCS. At $325–$360 for a built copy you’re paying a fair premium for a true grail.

This is one of my favourite LEGO sets in the entire collection, retired or not. Highly recommend.

For the full retirement context, see my LEGO retired sets buyer’s guide 2026.