Last time I took at something related to Nintendo was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when I covered the Figuarts (this obviously doesn't include those video game posts devoted to a week). Now, I doubt we'll ever get any more Nintendo characters, but if we do, I hope they don't end up being grossly undersized and expensive like Bowser was. Still, let's see what we got in terms of Jakks Pacific's Nintendo selection. They consist of Bowser and Donkey Kong, who otherwise need no introduction!
Here we have both of them in-hand, and I should mention that they're of the larger figure variety compared to the norm. While that would normally be something that makes bigger toys require more details, the fact that these two are fairly basic in terms of appearances makes them acceptable in this scale. Plus, they're large characters to begin with, so I feel these are perfectly fine for what they are.
First up, we have Bowser; who checks the list on what a Bowser should have to make themselves look the part. The proportions, the hair, the horns, and those armbands all capture his cartoony yet menacing look. The paint he has does look a little "pastel" given how Jakks Pacific makes their toys, but it fits the way he looks in the games. The eyes are thankfully painted properly along with everything else. In-hand, it feels fairly light but nothing that I'd label as "cheap". In terms of his articulation, his head can move a little bit along with his arms, elbows, his hands (which bend inwards), and his hips. They're not the most poseable joints, but he otherwise looks the part given how he's not the most dynamic in terms of articulation.
For a bit of a comparison with some other versions of himself, which consist of the S.H.Figuart and the ToyBiz Mario Kart 64 figure. Now I know some will easily prefer S.H.Figuarts like the self-absorbed Japanese toy collectors they claim to be because that name would easily make them hooked on that import bandwagon, but I'm going to say right off the bat that Bowser is too small when put next to the other Figuarts. I guess he works for a fake Bowser, but he otherwise isn't quite what you're looking for. The MK64 version of the guy doesn't look like he's the best for a standalone figure, but his details and paintwork make him stand out from the others and show how he looked from a time when the N64 SGI models were prominent before their Gamecube-era revisions. He looks better with the kart, though.
D.K.! Donkey Kong!
He's the leader of the bunch; you know him well!
He looks the part, as you can tell!
He may not have a coconut gun;
But he still is a toy that's fun!
He's bigger, faster, poseable, too!
He's the first member of the D.K. crew!
Setting aside the D.K. rap jokes, I like this guy quite a bit. But how does he compare to the older versions of the character? The ToyBiz version looks very misproportioned and weird, but the articulation does work well for those interested. The Banpresto version looks the best given how it better captures DK's posture, and moreso than the current figure. Still, this one may have received a few knockoffs if you're not lucky finding it from eBay, a flea market, etc.
Here is a comparison with the S.H.Figuarts versions of Mario and Luigi! Despite the quality differences between the two, the two Jakks Pacific guys can still look good next to their friends from a different company. Overall, these two make for a great addition to any video game enthusiast's merchandise collection. Donkey Kong was one I got at Mexico while Bowser was one I got with a Mario that I gave to my brother as well as a Bob-Omb that I forgot to add in this pic (same goes for the Mario, but he will show up elsewhere). All in all, they make for neat toys for kids and for older fans that want to display them, despite Bowser lacking in some points of articulation and sculpting while Donkey Kong a little restricted with his articulation.
Final ranking: ⭐⭐⭐ and a half out of ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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