Nintendojo Toy Box is dipping into the candy jar this week, as we highlight Klik’s line of Nintendo candy dispensers from 2001. The series consisted of three primary characters: Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong. Similar to Pez dispensers, but with a sliding mechanism, Klik dispensers serve a candy very similar to Smarties. Klik continues to make candy dispensers modeled on Nintendo franchises (most notably a line based off of Mario Kart, featuring Mario on a blue or red dispenser and Yoshi on a green one), but these are some of the earliest examples of its partnership with Nintendo.
It’s always interesting to look at video game collectibles over the years, particularly Nintendo ones, as they tend to reflect the games and series that were popular during a given era. Mario will probably never see a time when he isn’t featured on a variety of Nintendo trinkets, but seeing Young Link and Donkey Kong in this series is of some interest. Donkey Kong was still riding high on the success of the Donkey Kong Country games and Donkey Kong 64, and Link is notably modeled off of Young Link in Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. The take on Link is especially curious, but can probably be chalked up to Majora’s Mask being the last installment in the series, at the time.
Another oddity that’s rather representative of Nintendo as a company is its refusal to go with obvious choices. Nintendo Pez dispensers do exist, but it doesn’t make the decision to license to Klik any less amusing. Nintendo obviously doesn’t decide who approaches it for licensing deals, and there’s no reason I can think of to deny Klik simply for being slightly obscure, but Nintendo tends to lend the likenesses of its characters to quite the variety of manufacturers who lack star power. A great example of this would be the K’Nex line of Mario Kart and Super Mario toys. The seemingly obvious company to go to for building-sets would be Lego, but not if you’re Nintendo, apparently. Hey, competition is healthy in any marketplace, so power to them!
That’s all for this week, folks! Be sure to sound off in the comments with any of your thoughts on video game toys and memorabilia!
Sorry for the oversight, folks, those are Smarties in the dispensers!
I have both the Link and Mario ones, however they are “on card” like an action figure (not in bags like in the above pictures.) I just double checked and they’re Klik: 2002.
I have a Mario PEZ dispenser and when side by side; I believe the Klik are superior in detail and sculpt.
I was never aware a Donkey Kong one existed. Very cool.