A Lego Donkey Kong set is on the way, along with "new worlds" for the Super Mario range

A Lego Donkey Kong figure, being ridden by Lego Mario — (Image credit: Lego)

A Lego Donkey Kong set is on the way as part of "more adventures, exciting characters, and new worlds."

Teased throughout the week on Lego's social channels and announced via its MAR10 stream, Lego Donkey Kong is roughly the same size as Lego Mario himself. However, and unlike other Lego Super Mario sets, he can carry figures around in a piggy-back.

Although nothing else was revealed for Lego Donkey Kong, it'd be fair to assume he'll come in a starter set of his own (like Lego Mario, Luigi, or Peach) with modular terrain to scamper across, items to collect, and enemies to battle. And that's certainly possible. However, it's noteworthy that this isn't an electronic figure like the ones included in previous starter sets, at least not from initial inspection- the eyes seem painted on rather than digital. With that in mind, it could end up being more like an expansion along the lines of Peach's Castle or Yoshi's House, designed specifically for use with Lego Super Mario rather than as its own distinct thing. That certainly tracks with the official press release calling it the "newest character welcomed to the Lego Super Mario Universe."

A fully-constructed Lego Dry Bowser Castle Battle set — (Image credit: Lego)

Speaking of expansions, another one was unveiled at the beginning of Lego's MAR10 stream - Lego Dry Bowser Castle Battle. It weighs in at $109.99 direct from Lego or £94.99 in the UK, and is 1,321 pieces strong. This seems to be replacing the old Bowser's Castle that is now retired.

This new set has plenty of hidden secrets (including a chance for Mario to 'work out' on the dumbbells) and features five figures in total: Dry Bowser, Magmaargh, Bone Piranha Plant, Bone Goomba, and a Purple Toad.

This kit is due to join the best Lego sets as of August 1.

If you want to catch up on the series to date, you can save a bit of cash along the way in Best Buy's MAR10 sale - you can currently save up to $50 across the range. Just make sure you're quick; many sets are already selling out.

For more brick-based antics, be sure to check out the best Lego Star Wars sets. Besides being full of Lego deals, it offers some great Star Wars gifts for fans of a galaxy far, far away. Don't miss the new Lego Sonic sets, either!

I've been writing about games in one form or another since 2012, and now manage GamesRadar+'s tabletop gaming and toy coverage. You'll find my grubby paws on everything from board game reviews to the latest Lego news.