Remember the Mario Kart K'Nex? The ones where King Koopa was packed one per case for some god-awful reason? Well, they're back, and they're better.
This time, there are seven characters instead of just four, and the casepacks are more sane. The only downside? They're blind bagged. D'oh! On the plus side, just like the earliest Lego Minifigure blindbags, there's a way to decipher what's inside.
On the back, above the UPC, is a serial number. The number itself doesn't matter - it must refer to different batches or something, because it has no bearing on the figure in the bag. What you want to look for is a thin line beneath one of the numbers: that line tells you which figure is which.
- Mario
- Bowser
- Luigi
- Yoshi
- Donkey Kong
- Toad
- Diddy Kong
Remember, it's not the number that counts, but the position in the order. Here, see if you can puzzle it out: which figure was in this bag?
Here's a mnemonic device to help you remember the order:
"Mom barely loves you? Don't tell Daddy!"
Remember that sentence, count which number the small line is under, and you'll have the figure you want.
Look for the boxes in the same place as the last Mario bags: so TRU and Target, but probably not Walmart.
After a series based on Mario Kart, K'Nex is back with a series of New Super Mario Bros. Wii figures:
The bags are still coded, but this time it's a little more complex:
- Mario – First Number Underlined Once
- Blue Toad – First Number Underlined Twice
- Fire Mario – Second Number Underlined Once
- Princess Peach – Second Number Underlined Twice
- Luigi – Third Number Underlined Once
- Ice Luigi – Fourth Number Underlined Once
- Yellow Yoshi – Fifth Number Underlined Once
- Blue Yoshi – Sixth Number Underlined Once
- Yellow Toad – Last Number Underlined Once
It's been a year since the original blind bags came out, and now there's a Series 2 of the New Super Mario Bros. Wii figures:
- Mario (one line)/Daisy (two lines)
- Wario
- Peach
- Dry Bones
- Koopa Paratrooper
- Shy Guy
- Boo
If you want a mnemonic for this series,
Medium waisted pants, double-knit suede blazer.
Series 3 trades in the tissue paper for clear bags, and the figures are ranked (on the side of the box) by rarity.
- Bullet Bill – First Number Underlined Once
- Cheep Cheep – First Number Underlined Twice
- Mario – Second Number Underlined Once
- Bowser – Third Number Underlined Once
- Pink Yoshi – Fourth Number Underlined Once
- Toad – Fifth Number Underlined Once
- Diddy Kong – Sixth Number Underlined Once
- Hammer Brother – Last Number Underlined Once
Cheep Cheep, Diddy and Bullet Bull are common, Mario, Toad and Yoshi are rare, and the Hammer Bro. and Bowser are elite.
- Mario - first number underlined once
- Waluigi - first number underlined twice
- Luigi - second number underlined once
- Bowser Jr. - third number underlined once
- Green Toad - fifth number underlined once
- Donkey Kong - sixth number underlined once
- Bob-Omb - last number underlined once
Looks like Series 5 doesn't have any double-underline nonsense, just single lines under the following numbers:
- Luigi
- Toad
- White Princess Peach
- Goomba
- White Tanooki Mario
- Cheep Cheep
- Cat Mario
- Gold Mario
- Fire Brother
- Boo
- Daisy
- Tanooki Mario
- Fox Luigi
- Paragoomba
Boo and Paragoomba are common; Fox Luigi, Gold Mario, and Tanooki Mario are rare; and the Fire Brother and Daisy are elite.
- Super Mario
- Fire Mario
- Bowser
- Yoshi
- Dry Bones
- Goomba
- Fox Luigi
Yoshi and Bowser are common; Fox Luigi and Goomba are rare; Dry Bones and the two Marios are elite.
- Ice Luigi
- Donkey Kong
- Princess Peach
- Toad
- Green Yoshi
- Diddy Kong
- Bowser
Toad, Yoshi and Diddy are common; Donkey Kong and Bowser are rare; Ice Luigi and Princess Peach are elite.
- Mario
- Fire Luigi
- Blue Toad
- Bowser Jr.
- Parabones
- Cannon Mario
- Mario Maker
- Mario
- Ghostbuster Luigi
- Purple Toad
- Cat Peach
- Red Yoshi
- Cannon Luigi
- Mario Maker
- Gold Mario
- Vacuum Luigi
- Toad
- Peach
- Yoshi
- Waluigi
- Diddy
i spotted these. neat! i didn't know about the decoder though. toad is easy enough to find, just feel for a large, bulbous head!
... there's no way that doesn't sound dirty.
Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong and Toad?!
I need these.
TRU in North Attleboro had them. Hopefully that means we'll get them around here too --- and they won't snatched up by Scalpor.
I saw these at Toys R Us today. At a glance, it's easy to confuse this box of figures for the ;ast box, so hopefully the scalpers won't realize it's something new...
I';m going to get me a bunch of toads if i can. But i think the better deal is getting them with the vehicles, and i can use my Lego with them. Because I can.
Toad is pretty awesome! I didn't even consider that you could possibly army build him. That and Yoshi too. Anyone with a little customizing skill could easily make them different. Still have yet to pick up Yoshi & Luigi --- considering DK and Diddy. These are easily more fun to play with than the little PVC'ers --- and cheaper too!
I noticed that TRU had a 3-Pack of Diddy, DK, and Dixie for $10 --- which is actually a pretty decent buy considering they're what, like $4-$6 individually? They had 3-pks of Yoshis and Marios too.
Found these today at Walmart. Thanks for the code!
So you're saying that it doesn't matter which number the line is under, but rather what position it holds in the sequence?
For example, a line under the 5 in the picture you posted wouldn't indicate it is Donkey Kong, but since it is under the 2nd digit in the sequence it was a Bowser figure?
exactly Jason!
FYI, this is totally legit; after almost a year of being bitter that people were selling Bowser on ebay at outlandish prices, I grabbed both him and Toad using at the store using the underlined number. Now that I know it works I'll be back for DK and Diddy tomorrow!
Works as advertised 🙂 Get them while you can!
Series 2 is out, with a bunch of repainted Marios, Luigis, Toads and Yoshis. There's also a Princess Toadstool, and she's the only one I was interested in.
Series 2 is in red bags, and if you want the Princess, look for the double underline beneath the second digit in the serial number. Double underline, second digit, red bag...
I found a Series 3 at TRU today! Didn't even know one was coming. This one adds a lot more bad guys to the mix: Koopa Paratroopa, Shy Guy, Princess Daisy, Wario, Boo, Princess Toadstool, Mario and Dry Bones. I only picked up Boo so far, because he's by far the easiest to find. You'll probably be able to pick his bag out by sight: it's the one with a giant round ball in it.
But just for the record, Boo's telltale underline is beneath the last number in the code...
Numbers and mnemonic added to the post.
The first ten or so packs in the box I checked were Boos.
It was weird.
Eventually got my Shy Guy. GOD I LOVE SHY GUY.
odd, because although i found a ton of boos, i also found a huge amount of shy guys. wario was the hardest to pick out, i had to dig deep to get him. dry bones wasn't too plentiful either.
Same here. At first I thought it was an entire box of Boo. Because it is really easy to find Boo!
Same here, I think we have physics to blame. I'm pretty sure Boos ball shape makes all the boos slide to the bottom of those display boxes in transit.
I went back today. Couldn't find a Daisy (mainly because I got tired of looking), but I did get all the villains. It's great the way they handle these bags!
Bowser Jr (in series four) is the third number underlined once. I think, but it's faded. I will post more as I get them
Where did you find series 4?
Found some tonight at Toys R Us!
On series 4 mini figures, Donkey Kong is an underscore on the 6th digit! Just need to buy an underscore on the 2nd or the 4th digit to work out which one is either Mario or Luigi, hope this helps, internet.
Thank you so much for putting the new Series 4 reveal. It's been driving me crazy trying to find it. I ended up getting a Luigi (already had one), he's the second number underlined once.
For series 4. Mario is the first number underlined once. Confirmed.
Want to know how dumb I am? I've been looking for Waluigi, but I thought it was the LAST number underlined twice, not the first one. So I kept digging through boxes looking for it, and I KNOW I passed up several of him because I'd forgotten what the right code was.
Also, Series 5 is out? Series 4 jsust started showing up about a month and a half ago! Gah!
Hey OAFE - any clue as to where to find Series 5? Supposedly they are at Wal-Marts and Targets, but I have visited many and found nothing.
I wonder that, too. Clearly somebody's seen these, but where?
Found Series 6 at Walmart today. Tanooki Mario is the fifth number underlined once...
Found Series 7 at Wal-Mart today. Unfortunately, it's more of the same. No new characters at all! Fox Luigi, Goomba, Dry Bones, Green Yoshi, Bowser, Fire Mario and believe it or not, Regular Mario again!!
Do you happen to know any of the Series 7 codes? My son really wants Fire Mario, and already has regular Mario, but through the packaging they feel the same.
The list is now updated. For Fire Mario, you'll want the second number in the code underlined once.
Is there a list for series 8 I have bought 6/7 with codes and will be opening them soon
There is now.
Hi, thanks for this posting. Helps so much.
I was able to get every one of Series 7 for my son. I was just wondering, his Fire Mario does not have the red M on his hat. Is that how it is for everyone?
Thanks in advance.
Of course Toad is common. Nobody wants Toad! Lol
If a figure is used in a previous set and its re-released in a later set, is it basically the same figure? For example, Is the Daisy from series 2 and 6 the exact same figure?
So far, they've all been identical - it's just a way to get some figures back onto the market and into the hands of fans. So when they re-release Daisy, they don't bother changing her expression or anything; it's only when they do special costumes that the figures have any substantial differences...
Sorry I'm slightly confused. I have been looking at bags online for series 8 and the bag I have had different numbers. How can I know what's it my 8 bag if it had a line under the nine( but the nine is the last number, unlike others I have seen?) thanks!
The numbers themselves shouldn't matter: just the position of the line. So if the last number on a Series 8 is underlined (whether it's a 1, a 2, a 9, or even that symbol Prince named himself for a while), it should be a Bowser...
This is awesome thanks! My two year old is obsessed with these and it saves me having to feel over every bag in an attempt to surprise him with a new figure.
Just a heads up y'all . Series 9 and 10 have been announced and they're going to have some new unreleased figures. It looks like series 9 is coming in March and 10 this summer.
Thank you so much for putting up this information.. It's restarted a whole new love of figurine hunting and collecting. I'm up to about 30 figures (most from just this past April.) Keep up the good work <3
I saw a picture of series 9 with a Parabones being the only "new" figure but what's in wave 10? All the regular Goomba waves seemed to have missed my neck of the woods so I'd take a repack of that, Shy Guy (any color), or an Ice Bro any day.
2nd number underlined in series 9 is fire luigi
4th number underlined in Series 9 is Bowser Jr.
3rd number underlined in Series 9 is Blue Toad
6th number underlined in Series 9 is Cannon Box Mario
2nd number underlined in Series 9 is Fire Luigi
I found Series 9 at Toys R Us.
1. Mario
2. Fire Luigi
3. Blue Toad
4. Bowser Jr.
5. Parabones
6. Cannon Mario
7. Mario Maker Mario
Mario, Blue Toad, and Fire Luigi are common; Bowser Jr. and Cannon Mario are rare; Parabones and Mario Maker Mario are elite.
Anything on Series 10?
Anybody else get a Parabones with 2 left wings and no right or am I that "lucky?"
Series 10 is out, got all the characters at Toys R Us.
1. Mario
2. Ghost Busting Luigi
3. Purple Toad
4. Cat Peach
5. Red Yoshi
6. Box Cannon Luigi
7. Builder Mario
K'Nex Mario Series 11 from WM Canada:
(0)517233 = Gold Mario
0(5)17233 = Vacuum Luigi
05(1)7233 = Toad
051(7)233 = Peach
0517(2)33 = Yoshi
05172(3)3 = Waluigi
051723(3) = Diddy
I got my son the red yoshi from series # 10 but is the backward legs common or did I get a random mistake I'm not sure if I should save it as a collectable or ask for a fixed one.
It's most likely simply a mistake. Though there may be some few people who would be interested in collecting errors like that, you'll be better off getting one that's properly assembled (though shouldn't the legs come off? So you can correct it yourself?)