Birdo is easily my favorite villain in the entire Mario Bros franchise. It's not just because she's the most notable female character, either (and, yes, I'm aware her gender is a matter of debate and speculation, but I have always assumed she was female and will keep doing so until there is some official statement otherwise). Rather, I think she was the first villain that had an interesting presence in the games. The fact that she hopped around protecting an egg, while confusingly spitting other eggs at you - and the only way to defeat her was to catch her own eggs mid-flight and toss them back at her - was twisted and weird. I loved it. And the noise that accompanied her egg-launching was oddly haunting. Jakks has been nailing it with their Nintendo (and Sonic) figures. There hasn't been a single one that has been poorly sculpted or problematic in any way. I've been waiting several years for this upscaled Birdo in the 4" Jakks line but she was worth the wait. She looks amazing. Let's check out Birdo below!
UNITING ALL WOMEN OF PLASTIC
Showing posts with label Nintendo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nintendo. Show all posts
Friday, April 3, 2026
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Super Mario Galaxy Movie - ROSALINA!
I might be the only person in the world who didn't enjoy the first Super Mario Bros Movie back in 2023. All my friends were singing its praises, but I was just bored by it. There's something about the super-popular CGI-centric movies in recent years like Minecraft, Pokemon, and all the Sonic movies that I just don't relate to. I always eagerly watch them with an open mind, but I usually am left unmoved. That said, I'm super appreciative of these same movies because they typically give us a nice merchandising blitz and I get to add some great pieces to my collection. The upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie stars the most neglected of the Mario "princesses", Rosalina. I've always really liked her design so it's very exciting to get a new figure of her (even if it's in this bizarre movie scale with the creepy glass eyes). I only hope she gets the same treatment as Peach from the first movie and we get some additional figures in different scales. Only time will tell though. Let's check out Rosalina below!
Friday, November 21, 2025
Nintendo - BABY DAISY!
I never expected to love last year's Baby Peach figure as much as I did. Overly "cute" toys often turn me off. Especially when it's actually an SD baby-fied character with a pacifier and diaper-looking pants. But when I picked up that Peach, something about her bright colors, surprising articulation (just because it looks like there would be none), and recognizable character traits drew me in. I was surprised that she had been around for 20 years and 13 games. I can only assume Baby Daisy has the same provenance. As the first 2025 female in the World of Nintendo line, I was especially excited to find this new Baby Daisy figure at Gamestop a couple weeks ago. She's adorable and fun. Now I'm on the hunt for the new 4" Birdo (she's showing up on eBay and oos store listings all over the internet). And also hoping for an announcement of a Baby Rosalina to round out the Princess trio. Rosalina's role in the next Mario movie should increase the likelihood of seeing her on the shelves. Let's check out Baby Daisy below!
Monday, November 11, 2024
Super Mario Bros - POM POM!
I've been collecting the Jakks Pacific World of Nintendo line for almost ten years now, but 2024 marks the first year that I was exposed to a new character that I had never seen before (and there's a new-to-me Sonic character coming, too). Pom Pom is a "new" Koopa Kid introduced in 2011's Super Mario 3D Land as a counterpart to Boom Boom. She has a face and body design very similar to Boom Boom, but with more proportional arms, pink skin, and feminizing details (like eyelashes, a ponytail, bows, and her namesake pom-poms). Since 2011, she has appeared in ten different games, but somehow I had never seem her image before. I stumbled across solicitation images of this figure on a foreign website back in June and have been eagerly awaiting her ever since. Her entire wave has been showing up at GameStop for a few months now, but Pom Pom seems to be excluded. I luckily picked mine up from a toy seller at NYCC in October and I think she's awesome. Let's check out Pom Pom below!
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
Super Mario Bros - DAISY!
I've been buying Nintendo figures from Jakks Pacific for nine years now and the line somehow still manages to be really exciting for me. In fact, they definitely seem to be playing the long game. Because the first figure I bought was a 4" Princess Peach figure way back in 2015 and I was openly excited about a Rosalina and Daisy in the same scale to complete the Mario Princess trifecta. I was certain these two figures would be unveiled any day. But it took nine years and 13 other female Mario figures along the way to get the next 4" Princess made. I don't mind the wait. Considering the action figure industry is actively giving us figures that have been on my wishlist for 40 years, you just have to suck it up and be patient. (But if it takes another nine years to see Rosalina in this scale I may have a minor meltdown). This Daisy figure is pretty perfect and worth the long wait. There's something so appealing about her un-princessey color palette and her tomboy demeanor. I think she's great. Let's check out Daisy below!
Saturday, August 17, 2024
Nintendo - BABY PEACH!
One nice thing about my lack of video game knowledge is that I can be surprised by a new version of a legacy character when they make an appearance in the toy aisles. Such is the case with this Baby Peach figure. I had never heard of this version of Peach before the toy. But she has been around since 2005's Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and has appeared in a whopping thirteen games since. In preparation for this post, I watched a lot of gameplay videos (she's big in the Mario Kart series) and honestly the constant cooing and baby gurgles would have driven me crazy if I had been familiar with her. Super cutesy stuff doesn't really appeal to me. And honestly I assumed I would skip this figure for those same reasons. But when I saw her in person I thought she looked very well made and fun. Plus I have been a completist with Jakks Nintendo (and Sonic) females, so I couldn't bring myself to walk away. So now this grumpy collector has a baby on his Nintendo shelf (and I'm pretty happy about it).
Sunday, April 14, 2024
Nintendo - 8-BIT PRINCESS PEACH!
In the late 80s and early 90s, Nintendo was a ridiculously huge part of my life. The main reason I don't play any video games today is because I realized at a young age how all-consuming my gaming habits become when unchecked (and it scared me). Like most of my peers, the game that started it all was Super Mario Bros on the NES. There are parts of that game that are so imprinted into my memory that I still dream about them 35 years later. And one of the most iconic visuals is that of Princess Toadstool in the final screen of the game. Seeing her was the culmination of hours of concentration and adrenaline, and holding this today today still gives me a whisper of that same feeling. I wish the packaging called her Princess Toadstool instead of Peach. I know they are retroactively supposed to be the same person, but to me this red-headed princess is always a unique character. (The name Peach (in English) wasn't used until Super Mario 64 (1996)). Let's check out the 8-Bit Princess below!
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Nintendo - TOADETTE!
I read recently that Jakks Pacific made a statement years ago that their intention was to release every Super Mario character in both their 2.5" and 4" scale lines. This thrills me. I can never decide which scale I like better with the Nintendo line, but currently the 2.5" line has significantly more female characters. Rosalina, Birdo, Princess Toadstool, Daisy, and until this release, Toadette, have been missing from the 4" line. The only 4" figure not in the 2.5" line so far is Cat Peach. (Note: Daisy will be in the next 4" wave supposedly. There are blurry pics). This is also amusing because Jakks does the exact opposite with the Sonic lines. The 4" Sonic line is robust with female characters, but the 2.5" is lacking. Toadette was created in 2003 to be a teammate for Toad in Mario Kart: Double Dash wherein every character has another rider teamed with them. Since those simple beginnings she has appeared in more than 40 games and has become quite the icon. Let's check out this 4" Toadette figure below!
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Super Mario Bros Movie 5" - PEACH!
It's amazing to think that it took 38 years to produce a Super Mario Bros movie (that actually resembled Super Mario Bros - I don't count the 1993 movie). With such a strong collection of characters and an environment custom-made for adventures, it seems like an obvious money-maker. There have been several animated series produced over the years, but the full movie treatment didn't happen until 2023 - and, not surprisingly, it was a big hit. My favorite things about the movie was that all the characters looked video game accurate, and that Princess Peach was such a boss. With her origins firmly rooted in the damsel-in-distress role, it was great to see her take on a more independent persona. This deluxe toy line is a new scale for Jakks video game figures. Previously the largest ones were 4", but this line (and the new Sonic Prime figures) are now 5". The eyes have a glass effect that is both interesting and creepy, but it is a cool new feature that I haven't seen before. Let's check out Peach below!
Sunday, July 23, 2023
World of Nintendo - SAMUS!
Samus Aran is a very interesting character. She was introduced in 1986's Metroid on the Nintendo Entertainment System as the sole playable character, a kickass bounty hunter defeating Space Pirates, Mother Brain, X Parasites, and (duh) Metroids throughout the course of the game. Her gender is deliberately concealed until the end of the game when she loses the Power Suit and is shown in a skimpy bikini. I understand this was a different time and they were trying to make it undeniably clear that character previously presented as a man was without a doubt female, but the message of a powerful courageous woman is somewhat undermined by the pin-up style presentation presented at the end of each game. In what other game is the closing "congratulations" screen an image of the hero in their underwear? But with the exception of those brief cheesecake shots, she is indeed presented well, and a decade before other female protagonists would be leading the main gameplay.
Sunday, May 21, 2023
World of Nintendo - ZELDA!
I haven't played a video game on a console in more than 20 years at this point. But seeing my friends play The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild almost tempted me to fall off the wagon and start playing again. The game looked beautiful and really seemed to transport you into a different world. That is the major appeal of (certain) comics and movies for me; the ability to submerge me in a complex, well-thought-out world. Almost as if the environment of the story is its own character. And Breath of the wild really seemed to fit the bill. With the release last week of Tears of the Kingdom and all my friends and coworkers abuzz talking about it, I thought it was a good time to post on this recent Zelda figure from Jakks. While there is no "World of Nintendo" branding on the packaging, this Walmart wave seems to be a relaunch of the concept with Zelda and Metroid characters offered in the first assortment. Super curious to see which games and characters will be next. Let's check out Zelda below!
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
Nintendo - WENDY O KOOPA!
I just realized that Wendy O Koopa is a turtle. Sure, Bowser and all the Koopa kids have prominent turtle shells on their backs, and they rule over all the Koopas, which quite literally look like turtles, but I for some reason always thought they were dragon-type creatures. I know Koopas aren't technically turtles, same as a tanooki isn't a raccoon, but for my simple analysis, my revelation holds true. This Wendy from the 4" World of Nintendo line is the first figure that looks a little goofy to me. It doesn't help that this character's design is very odd - with potatohead-like feminine details stuck on her like an afterthought. But this larger figure somehow looks more absurd than her previous 2.5" version. I think her head looks more inflated than we are used to and her leg articulation doesn't allow for her signature ballet-like pose. Still, it's very exciting to see her in the 4" line. We still need Daisy, Toadette, Birdo, and Rosalina, but I'm fine promoting Wendy to the front of the line. Let's check out Wendy below!
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Nintendo - BIRDO!
Super Mario Bros II was quite possibly my favorite game of my childhood. It stood out with the softer organic graphics, calliope-type music (mixed with the classic Mario tunes), the varied abilities in the playable characters, and especially the fact that the enemies don't instantly kill you - rather you can jump on them, heave them up, and toss them. My most tangible memories of this are fighting the Birdo bosses. Birdo was presented as a species, rather than the individual character we think of now (similar to Yoshi). The Red Birdos and Pink Birdos spat eggs through their cannon-like mouths, which you had to jump on mid-air to throw back at the boss. I can still hear that hollow "thwoop" noise as the eggs launch. I know there is a lot of discussion of Birdo's gender, but I've always viewed the pronoun inconsistencies as a figment of the Doki-Doki conversion that Nintendo wouldn't correct and instead dug in deep with an elaborate story about "he thinks he is a girl" and would "rather be called Birdetta."
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Nintendo - TOADETTE!
Toadette is one of those characters that I am obsessed with for no reason other than her cute design. She first appeared in 2003's Mario Kart: Double Dash as Toad's sister, or friend, or sweetheart (it's been unclear) and went on to appear in at least nine other games since (mostly in the Mario Party and Mario Kart series) as both playable and non-playable characters. Unfortunately I am horrendously unskilled at those games and hate playing them. Give me a traditional side-scroller any day. But Toadette was created and thrives in those genres. Toad was the token cute character from the Mario Bros franchise, so it makes sense that his design would be co-opted for other characters - most predictably a female version. And I appreciate that the "female" design elements aren't big eyelashes or an hourglass silhouette, but rather these wonderfully nonsensical orb-pigtails. She's grown to become quite a visually iconic member of the Mario franchise and it's exciting that she finally got a toy in the Jakks line.
Sunday, May 22, 2022
Nintendo - ROSALINA!
Rosalina was a non-playable "Princess" character in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy. She was living in the Comet Observatory with her adopted lumas (creatures that look like plump Power Stars). Bowser attacked the observatory stealing all her Power Stars and she pleads with Mario to help retrieve them. I loved her design from that early introduction. She had a unique look but fit right in with Peach and Daisy. Her impact on fans must have been great as well because she has since appeared in more than 20 other games. Her appearances range from a fully playable character to a mere cameo, but her presence has been constant and I knew she would eventually have to be included in the World of Nintendo toyline. What I wasn't expecting was the surprise rapidity of both the long-awaited Daisy and Rosalina released within a couple months of each other. Of course, all these ladies makes the absence of a Pauline figure pretty glaring. I'll bet we see her in the line soon. Let's check out Rosalina below!
Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Nintendo - PRINCESS DAISY!
I've surprisingly never played a single game that featured Princess Daisy as a character. Although I've eschewed the majority of video games as an adult, the late 80s and 90s were a completely different story. Back then I spent nearly every waking moment glued to my Nintendo or SNES. It was my obsessiveness that created the new family rule, "no Nintendo on weekdays." Mario games were always a go-to, but I didn't ever own a GameBoy, so Daisy's sole appearance in the 80s and 90s, Super Mario Land for GameBoy, was unknown to me. It took me a while to research her design and color scheme, because in the gameplay she was grayscale, in the manual all characters were pink and black, even in the later GameBoy Color, she was a nondescript pink coral color. But then I discovered her hiding on the box art of the original 1989 game, a simple orange and brunette recolor of Princess Peach. She finally got her modern/classic look when the GameCube was introduced in 2001. Let's check her out!
Friday, December 3, 2021
Nintendo - WENDY O KOOPA!
Ever since Jakks Pacific started releasing Nintendo figures I have been hoping for a Wendo O Koopa in the line. When we first met the Koopa Kids in Super Mario Bros 3, I actually kind of hated Wendy. Something about her giant bow and rings just didn't align with my adolescent aesthetics. But over the years I really grew to appreciate her as one of the very few female characters in the Mario Universe. And as far as villains go, I'm pretty sure she and Birdo are the only ladies. The 2.5" Nintendo line has been a staple of checkout lines and Target aisles for years, but surprisingly the last female (Samus from Metroid) was released over five years ago. I had pretty much stopped paying attention to the line when I saw a pic of this figure show up in Instagram. I was beyond excited to be on the hunt and found her pretty quickly (and also learned a Daisy is coming soon!) As far as I know this is the first toy of her ever. I couldn't even find a gashapon or PVC. Let's check out the long-awaited Wendy O Koopa below!
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Nintendo - CAT PEACH!
It's been a long time since Jakks Pacific has given us a female character in their World of Nintendo line. My last purchase was a Samus figure back in 2016, and since then it's been crickets with an occasional resissue. While my ideal candidates for the action figure treatment in this line would be Daisy and Rosalina, this Princess Peach in her Cat outfit is a really fun surprise. Cat Peach first appeared in Mario Kart 8 in 2014 with no real backstory or explanation, just a fluffy pink cat costume and matching kart. This figure is is specifically from Nintendo Switch Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury game from 2021. This game is a classic Mario adventure (as opposed to the Kart series) and all the playable characters can don cat costumes and gain cat abilities when they get the Super Bell power-up. Peach Cat can climb walls and perform swipe and dive attacks. She's also referred to as Cat Peach, Gato Peach, and Peach Gato (the packaging is conveniently unlabeled). Let's check out Peach below!
Thursday, July 20, 2017
World of Nintendo 2.5" - SAMUS!
Ahh.. yet another 2.5" lady in my collection. The funny thing is that I kept seeing this figure in stores for the longest time and it just didn't don on me that I would want her for my collection. That's probably because I had no clue Samus was female until relatively recently and I still have to remind myself that fact when I see her in her armor. So by the time I decided I needed this little figure a few months ago, she was already pretty scarce in the stores. I eventually found her hiding in the back of a peg in Target and quickly snagged her. I'm excited for future releases in the World of Nintendo line. I'm hoping that 2017 SDCC Exclusive pixelated Princess Toadstool will see a regular release. And Princess Rosalina, Princess Daisy, and Wendy Koopa seem like obvious choices in the coming years. But of course I also want the less likely ones like Toadette and Krystal from Star Fox. And I know I could never resist a gender-bending Birdo in my collection. Hopefully there will be some cool reveals this week! Let's check out Samus!
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Splatoon's INKLING GIRL!
It takes a lot to get me interested in modern Video Games these days. I've been over first person shooter games since Doom. I don't have the hand coordination for all the new buttons. And all the new legacy games like Mario, Zelda, and Final Fantasy pale in comparison to the originals (imo). So my fascination with Splatoon is pretty special indeed. Splatoon is a 2015 3rd person shooter team game featuring these cool Inkling characters. They're little elf-like creatures that can morph into squids and blast each other with colorful ink (paintball-style). The Inklings have a variety of different appearances, but they all have domino masks, punky clothes, and cool hair. I especially love when their hair has squid tentacles like this Inkling Girl figure. Another cool aspect of the game are the teams. I'm always a sucker for monochromatic themes so seeing a group of blue, green, pink, or oranged-hued characters all together satisfies some deep aesthetic impulse within me. I love it all. Let's check out Inkling Girl below!
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