World of Nintendo Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach 3-pack review

I feel anyone's going to be told "No shit, Sherlock!" when they say that Mario, Luigi, and Peach are the most iconic trio in video game history. I mean, what's new to be said about them? I already know them, you already know them (presumably), need I say more? One's the guy that is in just about every video game his company tends to make, the other is a slightly less popular but still recognizable brother, and the princess is the typical damsel in distress that still remains in that role even to this day. The Mario brand is undoubtedly evergreen, and while it may have others wish to see a bit more uniqueness in the brand that didn't make it seem to mostly consist of the typical references to the NES days, the New series, or the constant Party and Sports games, I still find the appeal in this series. And of course, that led me in purchasing this three-pack after struggling to find it. The problem is, I really wanted one of the three, but are the other two still good? Let's find out together!

Here are the three icons of Mushroom Kingdom out of the package! They each look like what they should be, though while Peach looks perfectly fine for what it is, Mario and Luigi do look like that one meme where people go "what you get online vs when you get it". The way Jakks Pacific does their figures looks fine for the most part, but the way things like the paint apps for the eyes and hats look does feel a little cheap. Don't get me wrong, they aren't horrendous in terms of how they applied the paint, but it does feel give off that assembly line feel that doesn't make them feel right. It's fine for Luigi, but Mario's eyes could be a little better done.  At least the mouths look nicely done along with the shirt paint apps added to the blue plastics (mostly made for the overalls); the best looking figure in this set is Princess Peach. While I'd love a bit of a cheery expression, this figure captures the look of the character quite well, with their hair, crown, and dress there's even a hot pink to stand out from the rest of the cooler shades of pink. Her crown could use a little more sheen to it, but this figure looks the best. Even her earrings and center jewel are picked out nicely.

The articulation for these figures are a little basic, but while the Mario Brothers have the same points at the necks, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, and knees (with Mario being a little more hindered than Luigi), Peach only has shoulders, elbows, and a waist swivel. While her articulation is a little lacking compared to the boys, it makes sense given that her skirt's a hard plastic that helps her stand.

And now, a comparison with the Figuart versions of the same characters! Specifically, Mario and Luigi getting their comparisons. The Japanese figures are places on the left while the American versions are placed on the right (by that I mean JAP vs US Mario and JAP vs US Luigi). While the quality differences and the joints are different between the two, the Figuarts appear to be based on the Wii era of the characters (first seen in said console's versions of Mario Kart and New Super Mario Bros while) while the Jakks Pacific versions are more based on the Wii U era (first seen in games like Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8). Personally, I like that they're different from one another in terms of the renders that they aim to capture, but I kind of wonder if the Figuarts were meant to be released before the renders were updated. They were revealed two months after Super Mario 3D World came out, so that might explain why these versions of Mario and Luigi aren't the same in terms of renders as the Jakks Pacific versions are. That's especially prominent with the way the eyes look, where they're brighter than before (but not as glossy as the Figuarts ones). Also, While the height differences between Mario and Luigi are not too different with the Figuarts (which makes me think of when Luigi gets a model rigged in Mario's playable proportions in some Wii-era games) while the Jakks Pacific versions have a more prominent height difference. Also, Mario and Luigi have different hands by default while Figuart Luigi comes with open hands as an option.

So while Peach may fit in better with the Mario and Luigi Figuarts, that doesn't mean that the Jakks Pacific figures don't look too bad despite not having the same quality overall. I will say that this pack may be your best shot at getting all three characters if you don't care about the Figuart versions of Mario and Luigi, and Princess Peach herself is scarce as hell online; so all in all, this set is one I most certainly recommend you get if you want to get them in one go, though be prepared to pay 30 bucks for what are essentially good for displays.

Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐