While it is true that I have been reviewing stuff that are not figures per say, I have a new product line that is a figure (with no articulation) but offers something completely different to Nintendo fans. PDP has been making products for Nintendo fans including the Warp Pipe Amiibo Stand and Donkey Kong Amiibo Stand that I reviewed previously. This new figure line has nothing to do with Amiibo though and is actually something that stands on its own. Pixel Pals are 8-Bit designs of characters that light up! This makes them excellent display pieces that offer something different from Amiibo or World of Nintendo. Is this a figure line you should be buying? Read on to find out!
Box, Edition, and Price – One thing that struck me about the box is how clean the design is and how it had a nice retro feel to it. Not only that, but this is a figure where looking into the “window” (what toy collectors call the plastic part you can see through on toy packaging) gets you excited and makes you want to open it. What does Mario look like when he lights up? That is what I was dying to know and am happy to share with you as part of this review. I was able to purchase this Pixel Pal for $15 at Game Stop which I feel is a pretty good value for reasons I will discuss later. I did notice that this Pixel Pal is considered First Edition. I don’t know if that is because it is a first wave release of Pixel Pals or PDP is releasing First Edition figures of each Pixel Pal and then all future reprints are unmarked like Pokemon cards used to be.
Contents – Once I opened up Mario, I really liked the size and design. This figure is a good size, roughly 6 inches and the colors really pop. This Mario looks like it is straight out of Super Mario 3 which as I have said many times on here is my favorite 2D Mario game. Just looking at this figure makes me really nostalgic and want to play Mario 3! Some people might not like that one of the “pixels” is clear so it looks like Mario is jumping but overall, I was really happy with everything. I especially like that PDP provided two double AA batteries (not cheap Chinese brand ones either) as part of the $15 price tag. It means you can open it up right away and use the light up feature. It also makes it feel like the Pixel Pal is worth $15 too.
Light-Up Feature – So obviously, the big question is, how does this thing look when lit? It was hard to take a picture with the lights completely off so instead I took one in low light which I feel like captures the real appearance of Mario. The Pixel Pal really looks great, it is not incredibly bright but also still stands out and would definitely catch your eye if the room has low light. I can see an awesome looking display with Pixel Pals if you have the time and energy to go and turn them all on and dim the lights. That is really what collecting these are all about. If you like the idea of having some light-up 8-bit figures in your collection, then you will most likely enjoy these new figures. The only drawback I found is that having to turn the Pixel Pal on and off on the back could become a chore if you have very many in your collection.
Other Offerings – PDP seems serious about the Pixel Pals because they already have released a Vault Boy (I love the Fallout series but don’t think it looks very good), Mega Man, and Mario. There are a ton of variations coming out, including Fire Mario and Luigi. If PDP will make Frog Suit, Hammer Suit, Raccoon Suit, Tanooki Suit or even characters from Super Mario World then I will probably have to have all of them, especially at the reasonable price of $15.
Closing Thoughts – Pixel Pals are a unique idea and definitely a great display piece. If you’re looking for something different than Amiibo and World of Nintendo then I think you should take a look at this new product. It seems like PDP is going to support it and release quite a few of these figures and the more of them you have, the cooler they will look together. The only minor drawback is the amount of work it will take to actually turn them all on and having some kind of wireless on and off button would have been amazing. As always, if you have purchased one of these, know how the “First Edition” works with PIxel Pals, or just want to share your thoughts, please join the conversation below!
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Reblogged this on NintendoFigures.com and commented:
How would you like a retro figure of Mario that can light up? Check out Kuribo’s latest review for details on an exciting new Nintendo product!
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These look awesome!
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I definitely agree. They are really cool if you’re old enough to remember the 8-bit days 🙂
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Yes they are! I definitely played the 8-bit games when I was a kid haha!
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Glad to hear I’m not the only one! 😀
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Yup!
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Those look really cool! I’ve never heard of these before. I’m definitely interested in the Mario one!
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They are a pretty new product and I just found out about them recently too! If you’re interested, I’d say check online or Game Stop to find them.
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Awesome, I will do that!
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I think I’m in love. I think I’m also going to go broke buying these if I can find them here! So cute!!!
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I hope you can find them in Canada! I would say Game Stop is your best bet for these right now. They may appear at bigger retailers like Amazon at some point too. Good luck in your search and I hope you enjoy them 🙂
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I will have to check EB Games, which is supposed to be the Canadian equivalent to Game Stop. I will keep my eyes peeled though. Thanks for posting about these!
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I knew that it was called something other than Game Stop in Canada (we used to have store that got bought out by Game Stop called Electronic Boutique and was later shortened to EB Games I think so I wonder if they are related?) but I couldn’t remember it! You are very welcome! 🙂
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I think EB Games and Electronic Boutique are the same! If I get back to the States again sometime soonish, I’ll have to check out Game Stop. I’m curious to see how similar they are 🙂
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EB Games closed quite a long time ago (I’m thinking around a decade) and over time it became more and more like Game Stop’s are now. I liked that EB Games didn’t feel like a pawn shop with a “flashy” facade like Game Stop does if that makes sense. EB Games had a more wholesome design with actual games on the shelves too. I bought some of my first video games there too which is probably why I’m so nostalgic for it. I need to visit Canada!
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You really should! At EB Games lately, there has been a shift to plush toys and nerdy houseware items, so unfortunately it’s not just all games anymore. They did have an adorable Kirby plus holding a parasol that I considered, but at $15, I decided against!
I can clearly remember going in there in the early 2000s asking if they were selling any used NES games, and they laughed me out of the store, but I did go back there frequently to buy copies of various Final Fantasy games, as well as other PS2 releases. It’s a nice place! Have you ever heard of Microplay? That was a store I used to adore! They had used games for a long while in my hometown.
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Game Stop has moved more in that direction in the U.S. though they seem to have Blind Bags and more premium figures and not a lot in between. I think if they had $15-30 figures and plush, they would sell more.
Retro video games used to be pretty niche and now it is a very expensive hobby! I think that is why Game Stop suddenly is interested in it after years of ignoring it. I don’t recall there being any stories called Microplay in the U.S. though it might be a regional thing and I have always lived in the Midwest which doesn’t always have the same stores as the East or West Coast. There were some other chains that got bought out (Funcoland being a big one) but it was all EB and Game Stop as best as I can remember growing up.
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This looks so neat! I would have been pleased with the 8-bit pixel design alone, but a light-up feature would look great in a darkened room. I kind of want to collect these now. Thanks for sharing and reviewing this! It was a great read as always!
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I feel the urge to collect them too. They have a neat gimmick and the fact that they make you feel so nostalgic, it just makes it hard to resist. My only criticism is that all of the Mario 3 ones basically just have different colors and that makes getting all of them feel slightly repetitive and unnecessary. If I see more in a store though, I doubt I’ll be able to resist getting more… I hope you’re able to find one and check it out. I think you would like a Pixel Pal!
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