Mario Kart 8 Dry Bones/Standard Kart

       
 
 
Hot Wheels Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart
Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart packaging Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart front detail Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart shell detail Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart figure Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart wheel detail Mario Kart Dry Bones Standard Kart rear

 
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NOTE: This is a modified reissue of an existing model, and this review will focus on the changes made between the cars. You can see the original review for more details.

Background

Dry Bones was introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, described as a mummified turtle that would collapse into a pile of bones when stomped but could regenerate indefinitely. The character has gone on to become a mainstay of the franchise, appearing in everything from the DIC cartoons to Mario Superstar Baseball (becoming a playable character for the first time) to the recent Super Mario Bros. Movie. The character has even gone on to appear in franchises outside of the Mario universe, including LEGO and Minecraft games.

 

Packaging

The only difference between this and Toad's packaging is along the right edge of the card: the portrait and name have been changed, and the vertical strip behind the name is now blue instead of yellow.

 

Casting/Paint

The only physical change to the Kart is the wheels, which now represent the Cyber Slick option from the game. They have raised centers, thin lines near the edge between sidewall and tread, and "Mario Motors" printed twice on each sidewall. The paint is a straight palette swap: blue is now purple, and yellow is now turquoise. Dry Bones' symbol is in a white circle at the front of the Kart, and is centered better here than it was on Toad. There are still a few minor edge issues, especially a slightly off-center application of the green on the wheels, but nothing that truly detracts from the overall look.

Dry Bones looks much better than Toad, if only because the steering wheel is a more acceptable light blue as opposed to the fleshy pink. An extra paint app here would have been nice, but less critical. The rest of the figure's paint is outstanding, with multiple shades of gray and excellent black panel lining bringing life to what could be a boring character. Color breaks are perfect, from the eyes and nostrils down to the gloves and boots. There is an unfortunate casting seam going horizontally around the middle of its head, but the light color masks this somewhat. The seat mount is also less noticeable thanks to the darker color and broader shell partially blocking it from view.

 

Features/Accessories

The new wheels don't affect the Kart's abilities on the track, it still rolls smoothly and ought to be a great racer.

 

Accuracy

Dry Bones looks darn near perfect, with the creepy-to-cute ratio trending as it has for the last few games. The new wheels area nice touch, letting this one look a bit different while still staying game accurate.

 

Overall

The Kart still looks fantastic, and the new wheels offers a nice change from the standard look. Add in a well done character with a cool design and it's high marks across the board.

 

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