When it comes to big movies, you might expect the official trailers to be the ultimate source of narrative information and plot detail. But when it comes to Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the McDonald's leaks have been one of the most prominent outlets for letting us know what is going down in the Mushroom Kingdom.
From that initial reveal of Mario's appearance to hinting at an unannounced character cameo, we have learnt far more from the fast food retailer about Mario and the gang than we would care to admit. Of course, the biggest source of this information has come in the shape of the famous Happy Meal toys, with the promo leaks gifting us a constant stream of rumour while we wait for the next trailer to drop.
Now, these Happy Meal toys have begun to appear out in the wild and we can finally get a closer look at just how truthful those leaks were. It seems that there are two regional releases for this promo with the US and Japan receiving a more conventional plastic range of toys and Europe getting a buildable cardboard collection.
In the case of the plastic range (the more superior of the two, in our humble opinion) there is a collection of eight toys available, each showing a different character from the movie with it's own gimmick - Mario makes a jumping motion from a pipe, Bowser shoots a flame, Peach spins, you get the picture.
@nintendomerch snapped a picture of the full display and McDonald's Japan provided a trailer with some of the toy's movements in action, both of which can be found below:
The European range, on the other hand, is more about displaying the figures than it is providing something to necessarily play with. This collection of 12 "toys" is comprised of a series of kits where you have to slot together pieces of cardboard to create a small cutout figure from the movie - fun. An image of the full range was shared on Twitter by @RafaelM52985398:
While the cardboard cutouts might not be quite as enjoyable as the toys that we would normally expect from McDonald's, they are certainly more detailed than the plastic ones and a closer look shows them to apparently be pretty good quality. Reddit user u/MissNintendoGirl shared their growing European collection so far consisting of some of the larger builds (Donkey Kong's kart) and individual character pieces alike.
If we were still young'uns then we can only imagine our disappointment at getting one of these instead of the cool US toys, but as an item for display purposes only there's a certain attraction there, we guess.
Which of the above collections is your favourite? Fill out the following poll and then take to the comments to let us know which of the new toys you are after!
Comments 47
Why are Mcdonald's still making plastic toys in the USA and Japan? I thought they had outright banned the use of plastic toys in their Happy Meals everywhere.
Also, why isn't there a range of books about the movie, Mario games, characters etc. They'd be pretty easy to design/write and could be decent.
Given the sole purpose is to display on a dusty shelf or lose in a random toy box for years on end, after approximately 90 seconds of playing in between bites of your burger and fries, I much prefer the cardboard range.
I'm going with neither. Both are weak and not worth the damage they cause.
I really hate the render for Donkey Kong. I get they wanted to go for the more traditional design, but his country look is the look for me.
Regarding the toys themselves, neat I guess?
Much prefer the plastic toys of those countries not enforcing environmental issues.
The EU as ever gets left with the cardboard to deal with.
Environment, it’s the usual have attempt joke from the world.
Had no idea several countries banned plastic toys in Happy Meals. I’m genuinely curious to what extent that ban goes to? Like, I’d be curious how many toys in my local Wal-Mart would be illegal in the EU.
Honestly can’t imagine what it’d feel like to get a cardboard render as a kid over a plastic toy. My mom still has all of the McDonalds toys my sisters and I got as kids and my wife’s grandma has the same. My son still plays with them during the summer time when he goes to grandma’s house and the “garage toys” are available to play and I’m sure my daughter will too, which is sort of great, I suppose. I mean, as a vegetarian-based family, we can’t eat fast food, so they’ll likely never get that experience of getting the toy.
@somnambulance it isn't a Government mandate, the EU or UK haven't, as far as I'm aware banned the production of plastic toys.
McDonalds have taken the decision in some regions to simply not produce plastic toys following public backlash. In general they are now cardboard slot together sets, tinned card games, books or soft toys.
Also - McDonalds in the UK now have the McPlant, so you may get to experience fast food yet -though apparently the trial run in the USA ended in August 2022.
Well if I was forced to pick, um, US, sorry I can make the EU ones at home Lmao.
@plusjkb @somnambulance That's right, although worth adding that I believe there are still a wide range of different plastics that are allowed/banned respectively. For example, a lot of the plastic used to make toys in the 80s is a type that is outright banned today.
I think the cardboard is fine as they are normally rubbish anyway
@WolfyTn that's the instore display stand
As a 34 year old who wants these as a Nintendo and Mario collector, I'd not get much out of the actual plastic toys, though I'd have loved them as a kid. The cardboard ones are much more sturdy than the usual cardboard stuff and they look great for display purposes. Arguably, I'd say the plastic toys are more for younger kids and the cardboard ones are more for grown up Mario fan, even if both are actually aimed at kids
@somnambulance As some above said it's not a ban but as usual the vocal online crowd got their way, woking away the fun for kids.
@nocdaes They still have the plastic toys in Canada as well.
UK got done so unbelievably dirty here
I would enjoy the more environmentally friendly cardborad toys if they didn't feel so poorly designed and underdeveloped.
I got the the Donkey Kong wobble toy, and not only is the weight too low for it to work properly, but his arms don't even reach all the way out to the enemies that come with it, as to be able to knock them over!
Where was the LABO team when we needed them?
@dew12333 Did you mean to type 'working away' or were you being serious in trying to find a use for the word 'woke'?
None of these are nearly as cool as McDonald's toys for Super Mario Bros 3 in the 90s.
The bouncy spring Raccoon Mario and the backflip Goomba were legendary.
@UmbreonsPapa I have assumed that woke was someone that was overly politically correct about issues, am I out of context here?
They all look pretty lame. Especially the large red stand on the plastic ones. Most exciting thing here is reading the comment section.
@dew12333 @nocdaes @plusjkb Very interesting. The cardboard toys would never fly out here in the States. I feel like there would be uproar in certain circles if it was even suggested to move toward cardboard cut-outs, which is sort of odd, considering that it sort of feels like kids at large don’t really play with toys anymore (even the toddlers seem to be more interested in tablets and phones and I don’t quite understand how they figure out how to use them). I sort of feel like toys in the States have turned more into collectibles for adults that are patently NOT designed to be played with, which is a shame, since my kids actually like toys. Just observations, don’t want this comment to spawn political discussion, as I’m just observing and not saying what’s right or wrong.
It’s truly interesting the small ways that things are different in different places around the world. It’d be nice to see all the little things I’d never expect to be different or the things that seem commonplace to others, but seem odd to me as a foreigner.
Also, McPlant!? What!? How strange! Last I checked, McDonalds fries weren’t even considered vegetarian in the States. Lol.
@plusjkb lol I realized it too late and deleted the comment before someone could read it.. or so I thought 😜
Gonna say none I hate the stupid cardboard toys they do in UK what happened to go old days with cool toys now just paper waste.
Already have 3 of them. Mario with the pipe, Luigi with the flashlight and DK
Almost have the USA set just from happy meals, still missing Mario in the kart, Peach, and Lumalee.
I got a few while I was on vacation. Managed to get a Peach, Mario in a pipe, and Luma.
I did love the "cut out and build" type of toy when I was a kid though, so I would honestly consider those as well if they were available here.
@somnambulance
It will be to do with what environmental policies and time duration countries have agreed and signed up to.
Europe normally goes environmentally crazy where I live UK so things like no plastic straws and toys and crappy little car engines with tiny little electric motors.
USA and Asia sometimes go, whatever we not signing that environmental deal or have later dates to implement or not at all.
Most of it is false balls anyway. Yes don’t have plastic straws but it takes more energy and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to make the cardboard straw.
So it ticks the no plastic list that the environment groups are currently watching. But not the extra energy used to make the cardboard straw, which they are not really watching too much.
Most environmental policies that are trendy give back in one hand but take in another.
It’s like a pure electric car, it takes that car to do about 50 thousand miles before it starts to give back to the environment over a 1.5 little petrol car.
Because of the mining of the lithium for the batteries and the less environmental friendly manufacturing process.
It’s all slightly false. Then what do we do with all this dead lithium battery cells in about 7 years, the next environmental issue.
Neither toy line are entirely impressive, but I really do like that Donkey Kong cardboard toy diorama. That just looks awesome!
A bunch of bitter old men trying to ruin the fun for children, all in the name of virtue signaling. My nephew is a big Nintendo fan and you wouldn't believe how much he is enjoying his Mario toys.
none havent ate there in 10 yrs and never will again its frankenfood
If I wanted to play with cardboard, I would just open up the labo vehicle kit I've left sitting in storage for over a year.
@Dezzy70 Yup, environmentalism these days just feels like a joke, something pushed by joyless types that obsess over the news and are too easily persuaded by any sort of idealistic speech.
Sure, Stop plastic toys, but don't give us lame cardboard ones.
They should stick with plush dolls as those from Lion King 2 or Snoopy.
@JayJ
You should live in Europe or UK.
USA seems to do some of its own things
And fair play.
We just obey every environmental tit bit, that turns up from these environmental meetings.
Anyone moaning about them, cook your kids a decent meal instead of council estate slop and just buy proper toys for them. I get McDonald's is cheap and most parents are too lazy these days but these aren't worth it. I got my middle child a pack of 6 figures for £12, they're not even that expensive.
@Dezzy70 I think it's definitely gotten to the point where some people get really ignorant and dug-in on their views, which results in them pushing things they present as "solutions" that aren't fixing anything, only making things worse for people.
@Dezzy70
You should take into consideration that Processes in the whole Chain evolve over Time and get better and better.
Take it as an Opportunity to step away from Oil, as it is a Ressource that will end (even the Arabs know it and are investing everywhere they can).
Also that Calculations that take current Technologies into a brighter Spot Light often ignore Stuff in the whole Chain that would take it more into the dirt or vice versa support the upcoming Technologies.
Be it as it is, there will ever be Companies just lying about their Stuff, just "coloring" it like the Trend is.
I personally am pretty happy that they came up with new Ways to make Plastic, as i couldn't imagine a World without.
Mostly because of Gaming Stuff, but seing Cardbords instead of Toys, also because such Stuff...
Many of these comments are mind-boggling given the current state of the climate and frequent major weather events of the past decade.
I love my collectibles, but it's past time to re-think the long term impact of this kind of thing.
Plastic for us 100%. Have my eye on that Luma. Bet it gets scalped.
I quite like the cardboard toys.
My daughter goes crazy for the cardboard toys, she treats them as puzzles throwing away the instructions (not that it matters much they are colour coordinated)
Plastic would be better for me because then I would give them to my kids, nieces and nephwes, grandchildren and so on if I ever had some, seriously doubt the cardboard ones would last that long (although it's nice to hear they're sturdier than you'd think as @fox_mattcloud said).
I’d totally be ok with Nintendo collaborating with McDonald’s if they’d serve vegetarian Happy Meal options everywhere and they’d only use cardboard.
But at least make the cardboard more sturdy. They could also press some figurines with higher grade paper pulp. I hate McDonald’s but I’m all for supporting the evil when it does some good.
@dew12333 If we are talking about the word with its original, intended meaning. Then no. That is not the correct context of the word
@UmbreonsPapa Cool, I'll be sure to have a closer look before using it in future.
I did have a quick read after you questioned it yesterday and saw it noted towards racism, obviously that was not anything I was referring in my post yesterday.
@somnambulance They should make wooden toys.
@Tandoori This is why going digital for gaming makes so much sense.
@nocdaes As an American.... What?
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