The new ZENE Light Kit and Power Functions Kit for LEGO Mario & Standard Kart #72037 are add-ons that every LEGO Mario enthusiast should consider. Casual builders will appreciate how easily these kits transform their static display into a dynamic showpiece with minimal effort. Dedicated LEGO fans will marvel at the thoughtful engineering that seamlessly integrates movement and illumination without compromising the original design's integrity.

 

LEGO Mario & Standard Kart #72037

Transform your LEGO Mario Kart with brilliant blue underglow lighting that brings the racing magic to life. Watch as Mario zooms through your display space with authentic anti-gravity effects that capture the thrill of Rainbow Road right in your home collection. Shop Now

 

Power Functions Kit for Mario Kart #72037

Experience the excitement of Mario Kart in motion with dual motors that power your LEGO build across any surface. The adjustable spray module creates interactive racing moments while Mario takes tight corners and speeds ahead, just like in your favorite Nintendo games. Shop Now

These new kits' straightforward names – Light Kit and Power Functions Kit for LEGO Mario Kart #72037 – suggest that ZENE is focusing on enhancing the most popular LEGO Nintendo sets. By that logic, can we hope for similar enhancement kits for other Nintendo-themed LEGO sets? Yes, there are smaller lighting kits available for various Mario sets. But surely, there's an audience for illuminated Bowser's Castle or a motorized Question Block.

The Light Kit: Illuminating Mario's Racing Adventure

 

Divided into several component packages, the Light Kit installation is a methodical process that builds appreciation for the original LEGO design. You begin by identifying key connection points underneath the kart where the LED strips will be secured. The process reveals the ingenious Technic framework that LEGO designers created, which now serves a dual purpose: supporting both the structural integrity of the kart and the lighting elements that enhance it.

 

The wiring system deserves special mention because of how it elegantly conceals itself within the existing build. One main power connection feeds multiple lighting zones throughout the kart, and you thread the thin wires through existing gaps in the LEGO construction. The result is an installation that looks factory-original rather than added-on.

The lighting process is more rewarding and transformation-oriented than you might expect. The installation seems simple in concept, but witnessing the dramatic before-and-after effect creates that big cumulative impact. It's a delightful enhancement that the kit manages to look professionally integrated despite being an aftermarket addition anyone can install.

The Power Functions Kit: Bringing Mario's Kart to Life

 

Once you're done with the Light Kit, installing the Power Functions Kit follows a similar philosophy of respecting the original design while enhancing its capabilities. First, you integrate the dual motor system, with drive connections at strategic points in the kart's chassis. Then you install the control module, which tucks neatly into an unobtrusive section of the build. Finally, you connect the spray module, which adds a playful interactive element reminiscent of item usage in the games.

 

The motors are intriguingly the most complex part of the Power Functions installation; you position them so they deliver optimal performance without disrupting the visual appeal of the kart. The dual motor configuration allows for both forward motion and turning capabilities, creating a surprisingly realistic driving experience for what remains, at its heart, a display piece.

Mario Kart is ubiquitous in gaming culture, but enhancing the LEGO version with movement and lights meant that I also appreciated its smaller, less obvious details – the subtle contours of the chassis, the precise angles of the exhaust pipes, the careful balance of the kart's proportions.

My teenage son and I enjoy building LEGO sets together, and whenever we enhance one with add-ons like these, we notice design elements that we wouldn't otherwise appreciate. That's what it's like to upgrade Mario Kart with ZENE kits – you see little things that contribute to the whole, even if they don't stand out on their own.

 

Importantly, these kits don't compromise any aspect of the original build. The LEGO Mario figure remains securely attached to the kart, and all features of the original set remain functional. It is commendable how ZENE designed these kits to enhance rather than modify the core LEGO experience.

No doubt, thousands of LEGO fans will find creative ways to incorporate these kits into larger displays or custom builds. But even for those who use them exactly as intended, there is an undeniable upgrade to both the visual impact and interactive potential of the set.