Well this review will certainly bring something new to the table.  An Amiibo that glows-in-the-dark?  That is certainly a new challenge for me as a reviewer.  Boo is certainly an interesting release both for this reason and because he is one of the few regular enemies from any game that Nintendo has released an Amiibo thus far.  Could we see more of the common and beloved characters coming?  Perhaps it depends on the reception that Boo receives from Nintendo fans.  The big question most Nintendo fans have is: how good of a figure is this?

Box – This is perhaps the coolest looking Super Mario Amiibo packaging yet!  The black really looks slick and makes Boo stand out.  The Glows in the Dark message in the corner is also really cool to see.  It reminds me of Gold Mario and the message you see on it.

Rarity – It is hard to know exactly how rare Boo is.  He does seem to be fairly sought after though I had little trouble finding one at my local Best Buy in the evening of release date.  While crazier things have happened, it seems pretty safe to assume that Boo should be easy to get in retail or online for at least the near future.

Details and Paint – Since Boo doesn’t really have a pose per say, we’re going to skip that part of the review and focus on the figure itself.  Boo’s face looks excellent with well-applied decals.  It was also nice that its teeth and mouth are sculpted into the Amiibo.  This makes them look more 3D and “realistic” at the same time.  The worst part of this figure is the large mold line on the back of Boo.  It is very noticeable from the back and while I doubt anyone would want to display this part of the Amiibo, this certainly doesn’t help.

The most surprising element of this Amiibo and for the second Super Mario wave as a whole is that the base actually has an improved design.  Unlike the early Super Mario Amiibo, the block pattern is actually quite noticeable and “pops” the way I imagine Nintendo always wanted.  I think the improved base makes these figures look less plain and I appreciate Nintendo’s attention to detail.  It also worth mentioning that they got the stand Boo rests on right as well.  No pee stands or garish colors here.

Overall, this is a very simple figure and it really only looks good from the front.  Boo as a character is incredibly simple because it has stayed true to its early pixel designs.  While it isn’t an impressive figure, it is well-made, and should make Mario fans happy.

Glow-In-The Dark – The big question is how does it work and how well does it work?  I would have to say that the glowing effect is alright.  I had to put Boo under some direct light for a while to get it to glow very much.  It is hard to take pictures of to accurately show the glow but overall, I would say the brightness is fairly low.  The good news is that Boo looks creepy in the dark and you really have to applaud Nintendo’s creativity here.

Functionality – As I mentioned with Daisy Amiibo Review, Boo has fairly decent functionality but the main draw is undoubtedly unlocking the character and some items in Mario Party: Star Rush.  Boo does work in a lot of other games though many of those games do not have specific skins for you to unlock with Boo, they are more of a generic reward like more lives or an extra item.  A few examples of this are Captain Toad, Hyrule Warriors, and Chibi-Robo.  This should get better with time and you would certainly think Boo will be useful in future Mario games.

Closing Thoughts – Boo is well done and I’m happy to own one but I am also a huge Mario fan.  I don’t think this an Amiibo that is going to really wow because of its simple design but the glow in the dark feature is pretty neat and it is hard to find many faults with this figure too.  This review was a fun challenge to write and I hope you enjoyed reading it!  If you have the Boo Amiibo, what are your thoughts on it?  Is it one of your favorites in this Super Mario wave?  Why or why not?