A leaked photograph circulating on Reddit suggests that the classic Donkey Kong arcade cabinet will be the next subject of the Lego x Nintendo collaboration. The purported set is expected to launch in August with a price tag of $200.
Based on the leaked image of the box, the Donkey Kong set appears to be a straightforward Lego interpretation of the 1981 arcade cabinet. Builders will reportedly be able to construct a movable joystick and functional buttons. The majority of the game's iconic screen, complete with ladders, barrel hazards, and hammer power-ups, will be rendered in plastic bricks. It remains unclear if this Donkey Kong set will feature the same level of intricate detail found in the Lego Pac-Man arcade cabinet, which was released in 2023 for $270.
The Pac-Man set allowed players to turn a crank to move Pac-Man and ghosts on the screen, and larger versions of characters could rotate and change colors. While the Donkey Kong set may allow a Lego Mario figure to move across the screen via its joystick and buttons, it does not appear to be designed for complex mechanical gameplay beyond this.
Reports indicate the Donkey Kong set will consist of 1,367 pieces, a significantly lower count than the 2,651 pieces in the Pac-Man cabinet. This suggests that the Donkey Kong set is likely intended more as a display piece rather than an interactive gaming model.