When it rains, it pours, and several new World of Nintendo figures have come into my collection over the past couple of weeks. While Tanooki Mario and Shy Guy were late acquisitions, I seem to be right on the curve with the latest assortment (1-5), as Bowser Jr. arrived from Amazon earlier this week. Jakks Pacific seems to be getting better and better with this line because this little chip off the old Koopa block is one of their best figures yet.
I recently did some rearranging in the toy room, and one of the reasons it was necessary is because I needed more room for my ever-expanding Nintendo figure collection, especially the corner devoted to the Super Mario universe. Between Jakks and Bandai, we are starting to gather an impressive character lineup for the first time ever in action figure form, and since there are so many personalities to get to, I am actually enjoying the fact that SMB is dominating the release roster. Sure, I like getting guys like Link, Samus, and Star Fox as much as anyone, but we need to keep up the pace with the Mario guys if we are going to have any hope of getting all of the essentials, and Jakks is doing a great job thus far.
While Bowser Jr. might not be my favorite character, I REALLY like this new figure because it is very solid on its own merits, but, to me, it is also a nice representation of what I hope to see out this line in the future. See, I MUCH prefer the other Koopa Kids (the ones who have been around since SMB3) over Jr. here because he always seemed like a “Koopa come-lately” in terms of the story and his prominent placement therein. However, I know a well-executed figure when I see one and I am really hoping that he is a harbinger of what is to come in the future, and we might have a shot at getting Lemmy, Iggy, Larry, and the rest of the gang in this line. That would be a dream come true for me.
Anyway, the figure itself is a great representation of the character, and that includes not only the look/sculpt but also the articulation and scale in comparison to other figures in the line. From a design standpoint, there is no mistaking Jr. as the bratty offspring of Bowser, and that unique and sinister look is captured well in the sculpt. I don’t know if Jakks uses in-house sculptors, a design house, or a Chinese factory to produce the sculpts and prototypes for this line, but they have been doing a great job as of late with capturing the looks and personalities.
All of Bowser Jr.’s key traits are captured well here, from his evil grin to his tied puff of hair to his dental-inspired bib. The paint in this line has been a bit shaky from time to time, but I am happy to say that the paint job on the drawn teeth is really, really nice, and since that is one of his signature traits, I am pleased it turned out so well. Granted, it would have been really cool if it was able to be pulled up over his face, but I wasn’t expecting that, so it is not a big loss for me.
Jr.’s overall articulation scheme is really nice, too, and it seems like he has a few more functional points than move of the other figures in the line. His head is the only exception as you do not get much movement at all there due to the aforementioned bib. His shoulders are partial ball joints and his wrist have twists as well as hinges; this makes for some very accessible posing with his included accessory, which I will get to in a moment. Additionally, his legs are nicely articulated with ball-jointed hips, and hinge ankles that have a bit of a pivot to them as well. Again, I was pretty much expecting cut “V-style” hips on him, so having the extra movement is very much appreciated.
Another thing that I really dig about this figure, and it might seem like a minor thing, is that he is pretty much perfectly scaled with the other figures in this line. So often action figure lines are saddled with scale issues across the board, and it was difficult for me judge the overall size of this figure until I actually had it in hand. I honestly thought that the figure would be too big compared to others, but from Mario to the massive Bowser, Jr. here fits in perfectly. I actually really like that he is appropriately small in stature, and since he pairs with the giant Bowser so well, I want to take father and son to Olen Mills for some true family portraits.
Finally, like all WoN figures, Bowser Jr. comes with an accessory, and this might be the best one yet – a Bobomb. His little weapon/sidekick enemy of choice, Bobombs have a rich history in the SMB universe, and I am so glad to finally have this in my collection. The coin accessory has grown pretty stale, so I hope that Jakks looks to this release a great example of a true value-add accessory for the future. Heck, I would not even mind getting a couple more of these over the next few series.
I think I am ready to proclaim that Jr. is my favorite standard release in the WoB 4-inch line. Sure, his pa is still my favorite overall figure, but this little guy has been executed very well, and he adds a ton of personality to the collection. My excitement for this line is running very high right now, and I cannot wait to chat with the Jakks team at Toy Fair, I hope they have big plans. Also, those plans should now include Iggy, Lemmy, Larry, Roy, Wendy, Morton, and Ludwig. Immediately.
