Maybe it was Jakks Pacific open call for figure ideas or maybe it is just my realization that I’m most drawn to collecting Mario figures in World of Nintendo.  Whatever the cause of inspiration, in this new article series, I’m going to try and come up with a new figure idea for every platforming (2D and 3D game) up to Mario Odyssey.  The only rule is that I cannot pick a character that has already been represented in World of Nintendo.

Super Mario Brothers – NES – 8-Bit Bowser – This game is a pretty tough one to come up with new ideas for because there have already been 8-Bit Mario, Toad, and the Princess figures.  When I think about what is left, I immediately think of Bowser and those iconic castle levels.  Bowser’s design is pretty cool in this game and would look awesome in the 8-Bit style too.  While he should be taller than the other 2.5″ inch figures Jakks has released and be a little more expensive as a result, I think this version of Bowser would be a big hit with Mario fans.

Super Mario Brothers 2 – NES – Birdo – This game has long been the black sheep of Mario games and there probably are less figures made of this game than most other in the Mario series.  Part of the reason for this is that many of the characters in the game, never appeared in any other Mario games.  While I don’t enjoy the gameplay as much as other Mario games, the enemies are unique and there are some cool ideas in this game like the levels where you have to dig through them and the mask that chases you.  While many enemies could be turned into 2.5″ inch figures, what I would prefer to see is a 4″ Inch Birdo!  Birdo is one of the stranger characters Nintendo has come up with (especially if you read his/her old backstory from when this game came out) but when I think of Super Mario Brothers 2, I think of Birdo as much as anyone and I think Birdo and an egg accessory would make for a great 4″ inch figure!  If nothing else, Birdo has made appearances in many of the Mario sports games so it is a character that most Nintendo fans know and like.

Super Mario Brothers 3 – NES – Frog Suit Mario – Without a doubt, my favorite video game of all time so picking something from it is always hard.  When you consider that Raccoon Mario and Koopalings are on their way and Tanooki Mario has already been made, you’ve checked off a few big ones on my list already.  Spike and Hammer Mario are two that I’d love to see and mentioned in a Most Wanted Mario Brothers 3 article previously but one that I think would make for a fun and unique figure is Frog Mario.  From Mario on land hops around in a similar way to how Cat Toad looks in the 2.5″ inch line so I think Jakks Pacific would have any trouble creating this figure and it is one of the more fun power-ups in Mario history!

Super Mario World – SNES – Chuck – This is a game where Jakks Pacific would be spoiled for choice!  Cape Mario and Reznor would be popular choices but for me, I think of Chargin’ Chuck the football pads-wearing nuisance from Super Mario World.  Not only would this bulky character stand out in the 4″ inch line but if he had a detachable helmet, that would just be icing on the cake.  If Jakks Pacific couldn’t design this, I think a good alternative would be the Sumo Bro. who was also a fearsome enemy in Mario World that hasn’t been seen in many games since.

Yoshi’s Island – SNES – Kamek (or Magikoopa) – The final game in this article is one that absolutely deserves more figure love.  Yoshi’s Island has a very unique style that would be hard to replicate in figure form but one character that became famous in this game and is now in lots of Mario games is Kamek/Magikoopa.  Not only does Kamek create the bosses in Yoshi’s Island but he/she also throws out all kinds of entertaining insults at Yoshi and Baby Mario along the way!  Because Kamek is such an unforgettable character from this game, this figure would be a great one to make, especially when you consider the accessory options. A broom for Kamek to fly on would look awesome but potentially limit Kamek’s poseability.  A Kamek that is standing and has a magic wand would be awesome and be fun to play around with too.

These are just my ideas (though feel free to steal them Jakks Pacific!) and I’d love to hear yours.  What Mario figures do you want to see made in World of Nintendo from these games?  Let us know in the comments below.  If you want to brush up on what has been released, go to the World of Nintendo Figure Release Guide and see pictures and details of everything that has been released thus far!  Thank you for reading and I look forward to sharing part two with you in the near future!