Our Verdict
This set has a smaller price tag, yet gives you a really cool jungle-based music stage, a Lego version of Squawks, the most prolific Animal Buddy, and most excitingly of all, a Lego version of Dixie Kong - my favourite member of the Kong family and an overall gaming icon. Well worth adding to your collection.
- Lego Dixie Kong is amazing
- Squawks is a nice addition
- Cool rotating stage
- Lights a tiny bit fiddly
- Smaller scale than other sets
Lego Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam is the second smallest of the Donkey Kong sets released as part of the Lego Super Mario line, but this one in particular makes me happy. Dixie Kong made her debut in my favorite game ever (Donkey Kong Country 2) and unlike Diddy or Funky Kong, hasn’t had the chance to appear in the likes of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, so I’m glad she gets her very own Lego set.
Another Lego Donkey Kong set that I’d argue is one of the best Lego sets for adults and kids, because older fans can appreciate the tribute to a retro gaming star, and younger fans can get to know her through a cool new set that connects to the rest of the Lego Super Mario range. It’s also a contender for one of the best cheap Lego sets since it costs a lot less than two of the bigger DK sets.
To review this set, I’ve looked at it from several different perspectives, and you can jump ahead to the various sections of this review below:
Specs
Lego Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam specs:
Design
What sets Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam apart from all of the other three Lego Donkey Kong sets is that it isn’t directly based on anything we’ve ever seen before in the game. While I’m sure that there are some fans who may find this disappointing and would prefer to have a classic location, I think it’s pretty cool that even these Lego sets are introducing new ideas to the Donkey Kong series.
The set is basically a jungle stage for Dixie to perform music on, which seems to take its inspiration from the fact that Dixie would play an electric guitar when she completed a level in Donkey Kong Country 2 (as well as in the ending of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze). It’s nice that this set takes that aspect of her personality and expands it further to show that she even performs actual gigs from time to time.
The stage itself is quite interesting because it’s made up of three different interlocking platforms which can all be rotated. It’s not quite as technically impressive as some of the stuff in the other Donkey Kong sets, but it’s a charming little flourish that I didn’t anticipate just from looking at the pictures. The lights that hang from the two palm trees over the top help feed into the concert atmosphere.
Aside from the Lego Dixe Kong figure herself, who looks fantastic, the set also features a Lego version of Squawks, the most prolific of all the Animal Buddies. He stands on a small perch, and based on the suggested placement for him, he seems to be a singer in Dixie’s band and even has his own microphone.
The layout of the stage suggests that there are three members in Dixie’s band, and based on the fact that to the side of the stage, you’ve got a red guitar hanging on an amp, you could easily read that as implying Diddy is the third. This is almost certainly a reference to his guitar playing in Donkey Kong 64, and I just love that this design gives fans so much to sink their teeth into and think about. (Of course, the box also shows Lego Mario singing along with Dixie and Squawks, which is also cool since these characters have never really interacted before).
There’s another little area to the side of the stage that features what appears to be a djembe drum. Not a bad feature by any means, but certainly the least exciting part of it for me. It didn’t feel like it had quite as much thought behind it as other bits, but, hey, it fits in and it looks nice enough. It’s got some nice little plants on it too (which are also scattered around the set, helping to make it atmospheric).
Ease of assembly
I had a really good time building this and it only took about an hour. Everything fit together pretty well, and it all felt pretty solid. The two small areas to the sides of the stage (the djembe drum and the amp) come off pretty easily, but the modular design means that you can also fit them back into place without any real difficulty. They’re basically extras anyway, with the stage as the main attraction.
I suppose the most fiddly bit was getting the lights attached to both palm trees so that they’d hang in a natural-looking way over the set, but it wasn’t all that difficult. Experienced Lego builders will have no doubt faced much bigger challenges before.
It’s worth mentioning that, as with all Lego Super Mario sets, you don’t actually get an instruction booklet. If you want to know how to build Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam, you will have to download the Lego Super Mario app on Android or iOS. To its credit, this is so much more accessible than printed books ever are, as you can rotate the instructional images, and zoom in too – it makes it much easier to avoid accidentally using the wrong piece.
Having said that, I can imagine that having to download an app will be a bit annoying for some readers. I also worry that in years to come, it will make it a lot harder to buy and build these sets second-hand. Will Lego/Nintendo keep this app available in perpetuity? Will they ensure it remains compatible with future devices? I hope so.
Pricing
Other than the small Rambi set, Dixie Kong’s Jungle Jam is the cheapest Lego Donkey Kong set. At $26.99 (£20.99) I think that it’s actually quite a bargain. For me, one of the biggest appeals of all of these sets is the characters you get, and as Dixie is one of my favorite Kongs, I was excited that it was relatively easy to get her, unlike Diddy and Funky who were trapped behind the expensive Diddy Kong’s Mine Cart Ride set, which costs $109.99 (£94.99).
It’s also important to keep in mind that all the Lego Donkey Kong sets will be discontinued at the end of 2024. Like most retiring Lego sets, their prices will most likely shoot up when this happens, so if you’re interested in getting it, don’t wait and then end up having to pay huge amounts for what isn’t a huge set.
Final verdict
As with all of the other Lego Donkey Kong sets, I love it. Like Princess Peach in Super Mario Bros. 2 and Samus Aran in Metroid, Dixie Kong is a really important female character in gaming history and this set pays tribute to her perfectly. Not only is the Lego Dixie Kong figure really cool, but the focus on music expresses her personality too. I’d argue that this set even gives Dixie a bit of character development, and serves as a perfect example of how non-narrative media can achieve such things.
If this had existed back in the 90s, you can guarantee that I would have snapped it up, because I was obsessed with Lego and Donkey Kong Country. It makes me happy that kids of today have an easy way to get themselves a Lego Dixie Kong and I imagine many older fans will want to get their hands on it too.
If you’re a fan of 90s platformers, our Lego Sonic the Hedgehog review is also worth reading.
For more rambunctious brick-related reading, try our fully updated guides to the biggest Lego sets ever made and the most expensive Lego sets available. If you’re more into the teeny tiny people, check out the rarest Lego minifigures, too.