Not too long before this year’s New York Toy Fair, it was announced that Jakks Pacific acquired the license to manufacture all kinds of toys based on the Nintendo properties. Needless to say, that was big news around the Internets, and many a collector believed that the time had finally come for us to get good, articulated action figures. For the Super Mario Brothers license in particular, we have had to make our way with PVC figurines and the like for a long time, so getting some poseable action figures was going to be a welcome addition.
Well, Toy Fair came, and while Jakks certainly did show off a myriad of new product (including a rideable Kart from Super Mario Kart), action figures were not present. I know, that was really disappointing for me, and judging from the reaction on the forums, it was disappointing for a lot of other people as well. However, one interesting execution that caught my eye was the Micro Land series. Essentially it is a way to recreate famous lands from the Super Mario Bros. Wii U game in tiny fashion. Each set comes with three connectable pieces that can form a larger scene. You can mix and match and add as your imagination sees fit. I picked up the Luigi + Layer Cake Desert set last weekend to give the line a go.
While I will be the first to admit that this is not usually my kind of thing when it comes to things I collect, I do find it fun and I do think that kids will enjoy these a lot. There seems to be a push towards the very small in terms of toy execution for kids. Now, I am not sure if that is coming from a true interest of children or something that companies are pushing as a way to save money, but the “micro” execution is becoming ubiquitous. Mario and his friends are joining the throng, and there are certainly enough worlds to make up an extensive line if it takes off as a success.
Now, when I first saw unofficial pictures of the line, I thought for sure that it was being built around the same scale as those PVC figures we have been getting, but that is not at all true. The “micro” handle is not a misnomer — these figures are TINY. In fact, Luigi stands at about ¾ an inch in height. I know that is pretty small, but I suppose the real stars of these sets will be the buildable worlds. The pictures herein show the Luigi figure blown up several times its actual size, but at actual size that Luigi figure is really pretty nice. Sure, there is not a lot there, but if you want a tiny Mario Brother that can easily fit in a printer’s drawer, this line is going to be for you. This figure has one big paint blotch on his mustache that is a bit distracting, so I would pick a set based on the best Luigi paint job.
I have not played Super Mario Brothers Wii U yet, but the Layer Cake Desert looks to be represented here with some defining structures. You will, of course, recognize the question block, brick, and pipe with Piranha Plant, but the giant tilting idol is new to the Layer Cake world. The brick and question block are held aloft by a clear post, and while they do a fine job representing their game counterparts in terms of looks, I find them to be much too big when compared to Luigi. I might be off here, but they stand overly large to my eyes. I am also disappointed in the Super Mushroom execution, and I would always expect more than just a little printed card with a mushroom on either side. Sure, it can slide into the “?” Block, but it is just a printed piece of cardboard. Jakks, you need to do better than that.
The pipe and Piranha Plant are also large compared to Luigi, unless this is one of those giant plants. There is an action feature to this that allows you to slide the plant up and down the pipe. The leaves fold up and down so it can move well enough, but the plant is very top-heavy and it takes a bit of balance to keep it standing up all the way.
As I said, the idol in the middle can rock back and forth, and I think it is executed well. Honestly, it is the most simple of the three connecting squares, but it is the best executed. I really hope that if Jakks does continue this line, they work out some of the engineering and scale issues going forward.
Honestly, I am not exactly sure how I feel about this line. It has some fun points, and I think the actual figure of Luigi is well done, but the execution of several other parts could be better. Plus, my want for a full line of articulated Super Mario Bros. figures still goes on. The Micro Land series will probably strike a chord with the all-important kid demographic, though, so Jakks might not care one iota what the collectors think. At any rate, I am sure some will take to this, and I might get a few more sets, if for nothing more than for the little figures.
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