Score: 8.9 out of 10

- Solid design based on a videogame

- Good accessories

Playability: 9.3 out 10

- Great fun to zoom around on any surface

- Kids will go for this one

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Bowser (Mario Kart) by Toy Biz

There aren’t very many action figures based on the Mario license. In fact, I can’t think of any. Thankfully, the good folks at Toy Biz have brought us the Mario Kart line, based on the N64 game of the same name.

The Bowser character has all the right colouring and is in good proportion to his likeness in Mario Kart. Articulation is suited to a figure that spends most of its time

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in a driving position. He fits easily into his vehicle and even comes with a power-up accessory.

Depending on who you listen to there are variants on what power-up is included. Bowser stands easily and is virtually impervious to vibration knock-over when he’s sitting behind the wheel.

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This is obviously a toy aimed at the younger crowd. Pull Bowser back and release to watch him race around the floor. It’s great fun to run Bowser through his paces across the kitchen floor or enact fantasy scenarios such as the Stairway to Hell course. ("Bowser accelerates to take the lead. Now comes the first of many vertical drops that is the signature of the Stairway to Hell track! Bowser’s going for it though, good luck to him! OH MY! Bowser has fallen from his vehicle after hitting the first outcropping. He’s tumbling down, down, down! I can hardly bear to watch. Twenty-four drops! He’s stopping at the bottom. Wait! Oh no, his kart has crashed on top of him! There are flames everywhere. This is the worst catastrophe! OH THE HUMANITY!) This toy exemplifies what fun should be. And Bowser is durable, too. Durability is essential for a toy that is going to be well played with.

Bottomline, if you want to get a figure that’s fun to play with and can easily be glued to the top of your TV, Bowser is a good buy.

Something else: I want a likeness of Bowser from Super Mario 64! He was huge! I think he should be about the size of Kenner’s Rancor (1997). Now that would be a great display piece.

- Omni