Tomy of Japan is on a roll with their quality Nintendo blind bagged toys. I was impressed with their mini controller replicas (read my review HERE), but Tomy’s newest batch of Mario Kart Pull-Back Racers takes the cake.
Distributed in the U.S. exclusively via UCC Distributing, this capsule series features ten (10) different Mario Kart characters to collect. Eight of these are core Racers, including Mario and his brother Luigi, Princess Peach, loveable Toad and Yoshi, big bad Bowser, evil Wario, and even a crossover cameo by Donkey Kong. The remaining two racers are chase figures of Mario and Princess Peach, the two done up in a solid metallic deco to simulate the duo powered up.
Each counter display contains 24 capsule toys. Out of the 24, I received two complete sets of 10 (including the chase figures), along with four random extras (Bowser, Luigi, Donkey Kong and another Princess Peach chase!). In other words, your odds of getting a desirable character and not a duplicate at the beginning are pretty good.
Each racer comes packaged in a nifty grey capsule container. Where most capsules simply twist part like a plastic Easter egg, these Mario Kart Racer capsules have a clever latch lock holding them together. To open, pop the latch and squeeze the sides. Inside you’ll find you Racer toy polybagged for further protection, along with a mini character check list. Each Racer also comes with a mini character logo sticker that you apply to the front of their car. Just grab yourself a pair of tweezers and stick away.
The “pull-back” in their name initially gave me the impression that these Racers would be much larger, like a McDonald’s Happy Meal Toy. I know, a toy that size would be hard to blind bag, but that was the image I had in my mind. However, once I opened one up , I was blown away at how cute and tiny these are, each Mario Kart Racer measuring 2 inches long. I LOVE this small collectible scale, and the detail packed into each tiny Racer just makes them that more attractive.
While all the Mario Kart Racers share the same auto body, each car is made unique by the sculpted character driving it and the vehicle’s color. Toad is my favorite, as I’m a huge fan of the little guy, and he looks absolutely adorable barely peeking over the front of his car.
The flip side of tiny Toad are the big bruisers, Bowser and Donkey Kong. I find it amusing to see these over-sized characters stuffed into their small cars ( I feel a clown car joke coming on).
Great character selection aside, each Racer stands out with the ability to actually race! Featuring real rubber tires, each vehicle speeds off when pulled back on a flat surface. Fun stuff!
My wife and I are massive Mario fans, but it is getting harder and harder to find unique Mario collectibles. We have the mini figures, vinyl figures, Amiibos, high-end S.H.Figuarts and towering JAKKS Pacific Jumbo Figures. Tomy’s Mario Kart Racers are just what our collection needed: something small and collectible, fresh and fun.
Tomy/UCC’s Mario Kart Pull-Back Racers are in stores now priced at a MSRP of $7.99 each. Collect them all!
Scroll on for more photos!
Review and Photos by Jeff Saylor
Review Samples Courtesy of UCC Distributing
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