Series: Super Mario
Company: Banpresto
Release: 2004~2012
Size: 5″ / 13cm
Main distribution: Worldwide
These are the large Super Mario figures from Banpresto that you could win in UFO crane machines.
In 2004 Banpresto released 4 5″ Super Mario figures for their UFO crane games, marketed for Mario Party. These were Mario, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Goomba. They proved to be very popular, so they got repackaged as Super Mario Character Figures in blister series and they made more characters. The designs are based on the Gamecube and Wii era. These were only available in Japan, in UFO crane machines.
In 2008 PopCo made a deal with Banpresto and released 5 of these figures worldwide. These were Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad and Donkey Kong. These came in bright red bubble packaging with a jumping Mario on it, and were called the Super Mario Figure Collection.
In 2011 Global Holdings released in the USA more of the 5″ Banpresto figures. They were now packaged in a red box with a different Mario render on it. Apart from the original 5 figures that PopCo had done as well, they added Fire Mario, Wario and 4 new Yoshi colour variants (light blue, red, yellow and pink).
Here I’ll list these figures.
In 2012 Goldie, who was already distributing these figures in Australia as well, decided to make their own figures based of the 5″ Banpresto figures and release them worldwide. These figures included redesigns of the original lineup of 5 (Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad and Donkey Kong) and also added a Koopa Troopa and Princess Peach. These 7 figures were not made by Banpresto, but used the same red packaging all their figures were distributed in worldwide. These will be listed here.
I got 1 figure.
Light Blue Yoshi
Yoshi is light blue coloured, with purple shoes, orange osteoderms and the trademark red saddle. It has articulation in its head, shoulders and legs.
The branding is under its feet. It reads in printed black under the right foot: © Nintendo BP. 2009 CHINA, and under the left foot: BPSO 051211.
Yoshi has always been one of my favourites from the Mario universe, although I prefer the older style. The coloured Yoshi from Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island are nice too of course, despite being simple re-colours.
When I saw these figures in the late noughties I didn’t initially go for them, as I was saving for uni and Australia. But when I found the blue Yoshi in a charity shop, I grabbed him. I love his sofubi feel and qualities. In hindsight I regret not getting more of these, despite being modern designs.
Although I will forever be a fan of Yoshi’s earlier design, this figure is nice to have in my collection and one of my favourite modern Yoshi’s.
I found them better than the Mini figures at the time, and even found variants later. Jakks Pacific has since been running a Super Mario line from 2014 onwards that has clearly outcompeted this line. But if you want some earlier Mario figures, Banpresto and Goldie’s are nice to have. Just be careful looking for them as they’re also severely bootlegged.
If you like Super Mario, you’ll like these figures.
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!