My largest and most-ambitious project for its time, the Fireflower Airship: a massive replica of a Super Mario Bros. 3 airship boss level, made by me. This gargantuan ship spanned across a 6-foot table and required over 8,000 pieces to build. I began breaking ground for this in the fall of 2011, and completed it by February 2012 after spending every weekend working on it as much as possible. The ship uses “SNOT” (studs not on top) for the bulk of its outer structure; the side panels are riveted on to an internal skeleton via Technic pieces. The stern of the ship contains mosaic tiled sprites, with a stained-glass window of a fire flower that lights up using a 9V battery and a small bulb. This means that this project was in fact my very first creation to integrate electronics into LEGO models. I would use this knowledge to make subsequent electronic LEGO creations.
This was one of the projects that first caught the eye of Nintendo Power in spring 2012, and was prominently featured in the May 2012 issue. Due to the positive feedback and virility of this project, I was inspired to continue making more and more ambitious video game themed LEGO creations in the coming years.
Photos by R. Smith.