We have highlighted the wonderful scanning work of @KeshiCorner a couple of times now on Nintendo Life. This is the retro enthusiast who managed to preserve classic Zelda and Mario rubber "Keshi" figurines through the magic of 3D scanning and now they are back with a new collection.
It's a 1993 range of Super Mario Bros. 2 figures that are stealing the spotlight this time, with five new designs featuring Birdo, Shy Guy, Ninji, Mouser and Wart. As was the case with Keshi Corner's previous collections, these figures would be a difficult find today, but their 3D scans are now available on the Internet Archive for home printing or more general preservation.
These figures could be found in Japanese gachapon machine capsules in the '90s, where they were made of semi-firm, unpainted rubber. The 1993 range, which coincided with Super Mario All-Stars' SNES release, consisted of several re-released Keshi figures from previous collections, though the newly-scanned five were completely new — and the Wart and Birdo designs would even get a swanky gold-coloured re-issue three years later.
The Super Mario Bros. 2 additions are just the latest in a long line of preserved designs documented on the Keshi Corner YouTube channel. Aside from the aforementioned Zelda and Mario figures, the scanning aficionado has also captured designs from series like Kirby, Puyo Puyo, Donkey Kong and more.
Which of these newly-scanned figures is your favourite? Let us know in the comments.
[source x.com]
Comments 14
Awesome! 👍
Always nice to see things get archived and not simply fade to obscurity.
This guy is doing the Lords work
While again I hope they'll also find a way to preserve the original figurines themselves it's great that they're continuing the scanning, archiving and sharing of these!
What was that thing where you would fill rubber casts with clay or something and after removing the set figures you'd paint them?
Anyway, I had an original Super Mario Bros. box one of those.
Jakks should get a SMB2 range going. Better enemies in SMB2 than anything in SMBWonder
That's so neat! SMB2 remains one of my favourite entries of the series, because I loved playing with Toad! I never quite understood why Toad and Princess Peach were not playable characters in SMB3, until I found out many years later that SMB2 was just a reskin in the Western world. And many of the enemies in SMB2 are quite unique in the series. My only pet peeve with SMB2 is that it's all just a dream... I hated the ending with a passion for many years.
Memories...
@Pillowpants Well, yes, but it wasn't JUST a dream. They were entering Mario's head in am effort to enter the real world, but failed. So it was a dream, but still real. Some, like the shy guys, eventually found a way out of the Dream World to compete in Mario Kart amd whatnot...
I just made this up, but it sounds plausible enough, no?
I love that this project exists. I have no personal connection to these figures, and you can't preserve everything, but it seems like a good call to preserve these Nintendo-related figurines. I love this particular use of modern technology to preserve these digitally and allow people to make their own via 3D printing.
That rat with sunglass enemy has a doppleganger (we all have one) in Earthbound.
Incredible job btw!
These figures look great, as if they popped right out a drawing! Glad to see these preserved like this.
Still, this makes me want a new Mario game that takes place in Subcon (along with the same SMB2 mechanics). Love that game.
I saw the Game boy cover, and I saw the caption quickly, and I thought this was about super Mario Land 2. I'm disappointed there's no space Mario figure.
@Pillowpants The trick is to never beat the game then you don't know. I didn't know it was supposed to be until now, because of the kid I just played the first level, and then died in the second one. I doubt that's canon though, given that it added turnips, shyguys, and other things into the lexicon.
Better sue these people blind for being fans of your work Nintendo! How dare they?!
@Poodlestargenerica The canon is that Mario and all others are actors in a play. That's why there's curtains in SMB2 and SMB3.
Wow. These are awesome. Now we need custom packaging like they were Amiibos or something. They just don't treat franchises anymore like they did in the 90s. I rarely rarely see kids play with toys and action figures anymore. It's all about expensive tech. You have 3 year olds flawlessly using phones and tablets. Posting YouTube videos and tiktoks. No more going outside and coming in when the street lights come on or having adventures anymore. Imaginations are no longer needed, needless to say.
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