LEGO Super Mario starter set with Luigi is available starting August 1

Luigi is getting his debut in a new starter pack for LEGO Super Mario. Pre-orders have gone live on LEGO’s site for $59.99 with a release date of August 1.

Initially released last year, LEGO Super Mario is an interactive game in which minifigs of the game’s iconic characters collect coins in real life levels players create using themed bricks — everything from pipes to platforms and even Goombas. Embedded screens on Mario, and now Luigi, bring the characters to life with expressions as they jump on enemies and blocks to collect coins on the way to reaching the highest score possible.

Analog meets digital — The idea behind LEGO Super Mario is to combine two types of play — one where you freely build LEGO environments, and the other where you actually play as Mario in a level you created. Young children (or adults?) are introduced to the world of Mario in a way that requires them to use their creative thinking skills to dream up unique, fun levels.

The new Luigi starter pack includes Mario’s brother in his signature green outfit. This starter pack has 280 total pieces — more than the original’s 231 — including new characters like a Pink Yoshi that will help you defeat enemies en route to the goal pole.

A connected app allows players to share their level designs with friends and gain inspiration for new ones. If you run out of designs to make with the starter set, LEGO sells expansion sets for $30-40 that include more challenging obstacles like rotating platforms and rafts to avoid a poison swamp. LEGO says that LEGO Super Mario is intended for ages six and up. We hope very, very up.