Mario Kart 8 Toad/Sneeker

       

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Made By:
Hot Wheels
Scale:
1/64
MSRP:
US$8.99
Overview:
Packaging (Design):9/10
Packaging (Durability):8/10
Casting (Body):8/10
Casting (Interior):N/A
Casting (Chassis):N/A
Casting (Engine):N/A
Paint (Exterior):8/10
Paint (Interior):8/10
Paint (Trim/Graphics):7/10
Overall Panel Fit:9/10
Total Score:8.1/10

 
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Hot Wheels Mario Kart Toad Sneeker
Mario Kart Toad Sneeker packaging Mario Kart Toad Sneeker front detail Mario Kart Toad Sneeker corner detail Mario Kart Toad Sneeker figure Mario Kart Toad Sneeker collar detail Mario Kart Toad Sneeker rear

 
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Background

When the Sneeker debuted in Mario Kart 8, four versions were available depending on which character was selected: red/blue, pink/white, yellow/purple, or gray/red. It was available as an option in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, trading acceleration and traction for greater speed. Ironically, this gave the Sneeker the worst traction of any vehicle in the game.

 

Packaging

The front of the card is identical to the standard kart other than the kart name in the gold bad has been changed to "Sneeker." The co-sells on the back are different, now listing Baby Peach, Mario, Bowser, Luigi, Yoshi, Toad, and Donkey Kong.

 

Casting/Paint

Sneeker uses a lot more plastic than the other karts, as it makes up the entirety of the body shell. The casting quality is very good, with some nice textures around the sole and an excellent mesh detail on the vamp. Blue plastic is used for the upper, white for the sole, and red for the interior. The laces/exhaust pipes are cast as part of the body shell, but are done well enough that they almost look like separate parts. Mattel even captured the two tiny divots ahead of the wheel arches where the headlights are mounted. The only thing that lets it down somewhat is the paint. There are a few areas where it doesn't quite hit the mark, generally where silver meets blue, and the dark red could have used a second coat as it gets thin in places. The exhaust pipes are only painted on the outsides, so blue plastic can be seen on the insides of the pipes over the rear wheels. The printed graphics are done nicely, though, with a star on the tongue and Toad's symbol on the left flank. Both are sharply applied and have no trouble standing out against the blue.

Toad is the same figure we saw with the Standard Kart, right down to the disturbing fleshy pink steering wheel and column. It looks no better here than it did there, though the rest of the figure is nicely painted.

 

Features/Accessories

As is the case with the rest of Hot Wheels' Mario Kart series, there are no additional features.

 

Accuracy

Most of this is a very faithful representation of the Sneeker. The overall shape is good, the textures and details are spot-on, and the colors look just as they did in the game. The only difference is the same change made to some other karts, with the body being modified to streamline the wheels and make the car better suited for Hot Wheels tracks. The Sneeker fares better than the others, since doing this only affects the rear wheels and the change is tucked up under the exhaust pipes. While this series is most often referred to as "1/64 scale," as with previous releases that really just means that it fits on tracks designed for that scale. Given Toad's size, the Kart is much closer to 1/24 scale.

 

Overall

Certainly not the most famous vehicle in Mario Kart, but its uniqueness makes it a fun addition to the lineup.

 

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