The World of Nintendo line keeps chugging along, and even though I have recently been scared for its well-being, Jakks Pacific has released the latest series of the 4-inch action figures just in time for the holidays. This is somewhat reassuring; however, the series originally had five figures set to go, but that number was dropped to just three, so I am still a bit anxious about the overall health of line I really enjoy. That lineup reduction has not stopped us, though, and we have a look at the new Luigi, Mario Maker Mario, and Breath of the Wild Link.

I know, anxiety is not the way to start a feature on some action figures that are, for the most part, pretty nice, but I am still not over the fact that Iggy Koopa did not ship with this assortment, and that I am very fearful of not getting him or the rest of the Koopa Kids at this point. I really hope that the WoN line is doing well and we will see many releases on into the future, but the cutting back on the amount of figures in an assortment is usually not a good thing. But maybe I am being paranoid. At any rate, Jakks, baby, PLEASE get ol’ Iggy out, and stay true to this line. I am really enjoying it.

Anyway, the three figures that are included in this set pretty much run the gamut from great to … not great. For me, this is not the most exiting wave that has been released, but seeing as how I have never played the big seller here (Breath of the Wild) since I don’t have a Switch yet, I get that I am behind the times. I am a lifelong Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda fan, so while Iggy got the boot, I was still looking forward to adding these three. Let’s take a look at them individually.

LUIGI

I am starting with Luigi because he is vanilla in this wave, he is not a bad figure at all, but also not really exciting, especially if you have the previous standard Jakks Luigi, or the Bandai version. Like the recent Mario figures, this Luigi does feature open hands instead of fist, but unlike Mario, he still has the same head sculpt as his previous releases. That makes this release a little less involved than what his brother got, but for those who do not have a Luigi yet, it is an easy way to refresh him as a staple character.

While I have no real issue with this figure, even as being someone with the Bandai version, I am going to get a little selfish here and say I wish this release was a different version of Luigi. The Ice Flower version would have been so easy to do in lieu of this, or even the iridescent Star Power to match Mario would have been great for me. I don’t get why they went this way. Heck, they did the same thing with Mario, but I hope we will still get a chance to get some of those other important versions, too.

MARIO MAKER MARIO

Okay, this is easily the best figure in the wave, and even though Mario is far beyond any other character in terms of variants in the World of Nintendo line, this is a really good one. Mario Maker is wildly popular game and Mario’s look is vastly different than any other figure we have gotten thus far, so I am really thrilled to add this figure to my collection. The construction worker motif is blended wonderfully with the traditional Mario outfit, and I love the use of the yellow for the hat and shirt. I don’t believe Mario has even worn yellow before this, at least not with his classic outfit. The hardhat is the defining feature here, and looks very accurate to the control art.

This figure features a removable belt that can hold the included hammer as well. Yes, I know the package boasts the belt as an included accessory and that is a bit of stretch, but I suppose it is nice that it can be removed. The hammer, however, is essential and is serviceable as it fits into Mario’s hand well. The articulation scheme doesn’t really allow for natural posing for anything past just standing with it, but you get the idea. I am actually considering getting another one of these to do a repaint in Wrecking Crew colors because, while it is the antithesis to Mario Maker, the outfits are close enough, and I frikkin love that game.

BREATH OF THE WILD LINK

Like I said, I have not played BotW yet, but as soon as I get a Switch, I am sure this will be the first game I play because I LOVE LoZ so much, and I have heard great things. This series was originally supposed to be released earlier in the year, and that would have coincided perfectly with the release of the game, but since we are in the holiday season now, I suppose this still works as you can buy the game and the figure and have a Merry New Year. Well, it would be if this figure were better.

Yeah, I am going to have to go there and say that this figure, while looking great at the prototype stage, just did not come through production successfully. While the costume and accessories are faithfully rendered, the likeness in the face is definitely off, the proportions are wonky, and the articulation scheme is just plain weird. I think the pictures speak for themselves in terms of the soft feature in the face, and that is especially egregious with Link because he is generally portrayed with very sharp features, and the molding or something took a down turn from the prototype. Link’s arms and legs feel a bit out of whack in terms of proportion and the lower part of the tunic gives Link a bit of a front butt. Finally, the joints are weak and while there are lots of them, they make for some limited movement, and he cannot hold his bow or arrow naturally. I normally don’t say this, but I find this figure to be a pretty substantial failure, and even though Jakks’ Links have never been my favorite, this new one is pretty much a bust.

Well, I can honestly say that for me, this series spans the entire range of success from figure to figure. Mario Make Mario is fantastic, Luigi is fine, if not exciting, and Link is, well, just not good at all. Overall, this is a pretty weak series for World of Nintendo, and I hope the team at Jakks gets it back together in 2018 with some really strong releases because I am pulling for them. I adore classic Nintendo so much, and Jakks has done a great job overall, so I hope it does continue. I REALLY need my Iggy and Koopa Kids, so I will keep my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed for them.

This set is currently available for purchase at Big Bad Toy Store.