Tuesday, August 5, 2014

King A'Da Koopas


So, this is a thing!  Jakks Pacific started making these "World of Nintendo" sets with teeny tiny Mario figures that go with these little mini-world playsets of Super Mario levels.  I am staying away from them for reasons.  You know, I buy one set, I'll get 'em all.  This, however, is different!  It's in the same World of Nintendo line, but they're regular action figures.  As you can see...they've made a Bowser!




This Bowser is part of a larger set of two (for now), the other being Donkey Kong.  Down at the bottom you can see a list of upcoming (and already sighted at Targets) figures in a 4 inch scale, so you can be sure Bowser will be much larger than them!  I haven't found them, so all I've got is the S.H. Figuarts version of Mario to go with him....but MAN does he go with him!






I think that sums it up, but lets talk about the figure!  He's touted with having 9 points of articulation.


They give you an idea here, you know: arms move, legs move, etc.  They also tell you that the head moves, or....I assume that's what that first bubble is telling you.  It just DOESN'T.  I have tried turning the head within reason, and it just feels like it's gona break the main body.  A turning head would add a lot more to this guy, but it's not a deal breaker.  Still....they shoulda just put that sucker on a ball joint.

Speaking of ball joints: they should have used those more!  The shoulders and hips are on ball-and-disc type joints, which doesn't give you as much movement as a ball joint.  The legs do what you want, but the arms could have used some ball joints to let them move a bit more.  As they are: one is meant to be moved in higher positions, so it won't go down far.  The other is meant for lower positions, so it's the one that has the most personality.  Also, the wrists do allow the hands to move up and down - which is cool - but they don't turn!  Why?  They're on posts...but the posts aren't molded to turn.  There's literally no reason to do that.  Not a one.  Instead of making the pegs that insert into the wrists square, just make them round!  Then the wrists turn!  Come on guys, look at some other toys!

ADDENDUM:
The wrists DO move!  They're just really, really, REALLY tight.  When you turn them side to side, it feels like they're hitting a stopping point (like the wrist pegs are square) but they certainly turn.  I'd still be careful when doing so, and maybe run some hot water over it before turning.
ADDENDUM END

But hey, let me close up shop on the complaint department.  They could have done more, yes, but what's there works well enough!  As you can see, he just looks fantastic with Mario - and here's the best part - he's HUGE AND CHEAP!  This guy was Fifteen Dollars!  When I saw him I thought he was at least 20, maybe 25.  This guy is totally worth it at 15 - not even a question.  




You really feel it when you lift the figure, too.  The heft is what made me think it would be expensive!  I'm serious man - don't throw this at anyone!  If it meets a face shell-first then someone is losing an eye.  On the other hand, if he does get tossed, he'll probably  survive!  When you shake him, you can hear the arms and legs rattle, but not in a bad way.  He really feels like he'll hold up to rough play, and that makes me happy!  You know how long I've been waiting for a REAL toy of Mario characters?  This is THE Bowser I would have loved!


Now, he isn't going to make all the collectors happy.  There are some paint errors on the face and on the spikes, so you'll probably wana watch out for that.  But hey, I'm a toy fan.  This is a toy!  And that's awesome.  Super Mario Bros (and various Nintendo properties) deserve some real down-and-dirty toys for play.  Don't get me wrong - I love the Figuarts Mario!  That's the collector in me.  This Bowser, though?  This is for the kid in me! 

If you're any sort of Mario fan, then I see no reason to pass this up.  I mean fifteen bucks, man!  Pick this one up, no question.



9 comments:

  1. Bowser looks like wonderful fun in plastic form.

    I did not know they were doing a 4inch Link figure either, time to pay attention me thinks.

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    1. Yes, much attention to be paid! Check here:

      http://thefwoosh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=86808&sid=303b2d8f98a848522ac0a49ebda1793b&p=2699873#p2699873

      Some folks have Link in hand and he's AWESOME. I'm very much looking forward to it!

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    2. Oh man, he's EXACTLY what I want. Hopefully if these don't turn up in NZ at retail, that Amazon of BBTS has them up for shipping to here.

      If not... I... I... go without.

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  2. Excellent trash talk on Mario's part. And screw you for making me want Bowser, which in turn solidifies my yearning for FigureArts Mario!

    What will the Mario from this new series be like?

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    Replies
    1. He is the exact size of the Figuarts Mario, and pretty much the same design. Only thing that's different is paintwork and lesser articulation. If you check this link:

      http://thefwoosh.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=141&t=86808&sid=303b2d8f98a848522ac0a49ebda1793b&p=2699873#p2699873

      They've got pics of them and some demonstration of articulation. They're pretty impressive, for what they are!

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  3. I'll be watching out for this guy, but hopefully the paint apps don't make him hard for me to find. I can handle some paint issues with the bodies of my figures, but I need their faces to be pretty perfect. That's where the focus goes!

    He looks good overall though, and hopefully we get some more cool figures down the road too. I'd like to see some characters that haven't had lots of figures, like Snow Bros, or even other Mario characters like Dry Bones or the other Koopa Kids.

    And even though I'm not a huge fan of the character overall, I like the Donkey Kong in this series. He looks nuts!

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    1. Walnuts, peanuts, pineapple smells / Grapes, melons, oranges, and coconut shells / OH YEAH!!

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  4. There was one other Bowser toy in the distant past that could stand up to this one. It was in a Toy Biz series of figures based on Super Mario Kart 64, and it came with a kart that could launch an item from that game. It had pretty great articulation and design, although it's probably a lot smaller than this new one. Also I'm pretty sure those figures have gotten pretty expensive on the black market.

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    1. I seem to remember the Mario Kart ones, but yeah, nothing in the past really impressed me much, to tell ya the truth. Like you said: not really worth hunting down, due to price. This one covers the look, articulation, and size! And somehow is cheap, to boot! Only thing I would have liked is an articulated mouth and some fire, but I can at least add my own fire.

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