#681 and #682 of Year 2 Super Mario Bros 1UP and WARP

The Japanese have funny toys sometimes.  I picked these two up on impulse just because they look cool.

I mean I can't even read most of the packaging, but it's Mario and it does look cool, what with the individualised boxes and the clear window to look into the box.  I have no idea what to call them, so I'm just gonna pretend the speech bubbles on the boxes are their names...

1UP, as I'm calling this has a running Mario going up stairs with a turtle shell thing on the steps.  The box is striking red with a running Mario on the front.  The back is boring white and black with some illustration and way too much text... in Japanese script.

It has batteries and it does make a sound each time you press Mario, until you hit the jackpot, I presume.

The sculpt is amazing - the look and feel of the blocks, the cactus, even Mario and the shell looks great.  There is a switch at one side and holes for the speaker on the sides of the steps though.  It's a small little playset and everything is connected together, but it's a good little piece that could be displayed and that will probably start conversations.

Warp on the other hand has a slightly different box.  It's still red, but it has those green vertical sewer pipes as the motif on the front.  Both boxes actually does have a retractable flap with the hanger which is sorta cool.  It's not part of the box per se, but it's designed so that it holds the box on a peg rather well.

The toy is another one piece, but this one has two Marios - one at each end of the pipe.  Like the 1UP, it makes a sound when either of the Marios are pressed into the pipe.

Overall, I like both of these.  Sure, they aren't really action figures, but as display pieces for a popular video game franchise, they are great.