Remember Super Hero Mashers? This is them now. Feel old yet?
While I was out doing errands a few days ago, I made a detour to my local toy store to see if there was anything new. As luck would have it, they had exactly that: Marvel MixMashers. A line of toys whose gimmick is interchangeable parts? Where have I heard that before?
Marvel MixMashers is Hasbro's latest attempt at Super Hero Mashers, their once popular toyline where you can mix and match limbs and heads and accessories to create new superheroes or power up existing ones. This time, it's at a smaller, slightly more affordable scale. Will this spiritual successor surpass the nostalgia and expectations? Let's find out!
Unlike Super Hero Mashers, Marvel MixMashers looks like its smaller, sleeker, more utilitarian cousin. It's more focused on the character than the play feature, with nice sculpts that still work as an action figure even if you didn't know you could pull these apart.
Standing at 5 inches tall, Marvel MixMashers figures are that sweet spot where it's small enough to be easier on the wallet, and big enough that details still pop in hand.
Super Hero Mashers had pretty good articulation for a kid's line back in the day, but not so with the new Marvel MixMashers. Swivel shoulders mean these heroes can only move their arms in front of them, not to the side. No wrist and ankle articulation either (Super Hero Mashers had hinged feet with pivot!).
That said, the rest of the joints have surprising range and are ratcheted so they can hold poses very well. Even better, they can look up and down thanks to a neck hinge!
A lot of love has obviously been poured into Marvel MixMashers. with great sculpting and detail, neat paint jobs, and heroic proportions. These look the part of superheroes in the palm of your hand!
Just like its predecessor, Marvel MixMashers' gimmick is interchangeable parts, and it does it well. Neon green joints denote where the parts are supposed to go, and everything pegs and pulls apart with ease. The joints themselves are pretty sturdy and will survive even the zestiest kid's hands.
Some though are bit too sturdy. There were many times I was afraid I'd break a joint trying some poses out. Hopefully, kids would find that a welcome challenge!
Be warned: mixing and matching parts are too much fun. Even as an adult, I admit I spent way too much time trying out different configurations from the figures I got! Ever wondered how Cap would look like with Spider-Man's powers and Iron Man rocket boots? This is the perfect toyline to find out.
Aside from the Basic figures, Marvel MixMashers also released Deluxe figures, which are often bigger and/or packed with more plastic accessories. I got myself a Thanos (because of course, it's Thanos!) and he comes with a lot more stuff than I expected.
Standing at around 6 inches tall, Thanos here feels like a holdover from the Super Hero Mashers design aesthetic. His little legs end in hilariously chunky feet, likely to give his upper body some stability. But I imagine he's likely designed this way, so his parts don't feel that disparate when mixed with smaller figures in the line.
In consolation, the Infinity Gauntlet part is a welcome addition and may or may not be the reason I got Thanos in the first place. Even in a kid's toyline, Thanos still wants to snap away half of all life!
Speaking of additions, I have a love-hate relationship with the accessories that come with Marvel MixMashers. On one hand, it's always a good thing when action figures are packed with extra stuff! On the other hand, it kind of blows that some cool extra parts for one figure can only be found in some other figure.
For example, Thanos comes packed with a Gladiator Hulk's hand, sword, and head. Iron Spider comes with a giant Venom hand. To dress up your Hulk (that's also in the line) as his gladiator self, you have to buy Thanos to build it. It's kind of like Marvel Legends Build-A-Figures done in a roundabout way.
But thankfully, all the figures so far are self-contained, with the extra parts being just fun additions yet entirely optional.
And they are indeed a ton of fun. Some of the accessories have play gimmicks I love. The sword-holding hand spins freely so you can whack enemies in style, and the Venom arm's huge hand is made of jelly-like plastic to simulate what a symbiote's skin might feel like! Kids and weird, gooey things are a match made in heaven, so it'll be no surprise if MixMashers becomes popular on the tactile possibilities alone.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from a kid's toyline. But Marvel MixMashers gets a pass by being just really fun and well-made figures at a more affordable price point. With Marvel Legends already pushing the $30 mark, it's refreshing to bring that much cash to the toy store and get more bang for your buck!
I have a feeling these could be your kids' new favorite toys in the foreseeable future. Get these for the little kids in your life or buy them for yourself and have a fun pocket toy to bring out when existential dread creeps in during the day. Win-win!
I hope you found this review helpful. Stay safe out there and thanks for reading!
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