Series: Super Mario
Company: Banpresto (JPN) / PopCo (USA) / Goldie (AUS / UK / EU)
Release: 2007~2013
Size: 2″ / 6cm
Main distribution: Worldwide
These are the small Super Mario figures of Banpresto / PopCo / Goldie.
These figures were distributed in various ways over the years, in blister packs, blind bags, boxes, multipacks, tins etc. I’ll list them per series.
There are 25 minifigures to collect. I got 2/25.
Series 1
Series 1 exists out of 6 figures; Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Bob-omb, Bullet Bill and Paragoomba.
I got 0/6.
Series 2
Series 2 exists out of 6 figures; Daisy, Lakitu, Mario, Luigi, Koopa Troopa and Shyguy.
I got 1/6.
Shyguy
Shyguy stands upright with his right hand up in the air. His expression is his usual o.o face/mask. He wears a red robe. He has no articulation.
The branding is on his back. In raised font it reads: TM & © 2007 Nintendo Made in China.
Series 3
Series 3 exists out of 6 figures; Dixie Kong, Toad, Yoshi, Fire Mario, Donkey Kong and Peach.
I got 1/6.
Yoshi
Yoshi is green and stands upright with his arms spread wide and he has a happy expression on his face. He has no articulation.
The branding is on under his feet. In indented font it reads: TM & © 2007 Nintendo under his left foot and Made in China under his right. There’s also a black printed H13G under his right foot.
Series 4
Series 4 exists out of 7 figures; Mario, Donkey Kong, Waluigi, Diddy Kong, Boo & Goomba and Wario.
I got 0/7.
These figures were everywhere the years around 2010. And although I love video game figures, I wasn’t a big fan of these. I find their size a bit awkward; too big to be cute and tiny, too small to be a proper action figure. They also have no articulation, and are often very particularly posed. And their quality seemed to vary. I suppose it’s nice to have them on your shelf though.
I only bought Shyguy, as I love Shyguy, and I had never seen a figure of him at that time. Shyguys are also little guys, so this seemed right. I found Yoshi later on a market for 50p, so I took him home with a bunch of other figures. We call him Jazzhands Yoshi.
I preferred the bigger figures at the time, although I never went out to collect them. I love the old designs more than these modern variants. And since then Jakks Pacific has made a superior Super Mario line, both in 4″ and 2.5″. Still, at the time these were a great line to collect if you’re a fan of Mario.
If you like Mario, you might like these.
Got any more details / information you think I should add? Or did I get something wrong? Do you own any of these figures? Which one is your fav? Do you agree or disagree with my findings? Let me know in the comments below!