If there’s any baseball team that knows about fighting, it’s my Oakland A’s. Yes, they were knocked off by Kansas City (and thanks for nothing with that World Series failure, Royals!), but we’re not mentioning that right now. Anyway, when Capcom decided to make a Bobble Budds figure for the A’s, it’s fitting that it decided to draw from its Street Fighter series for inspiration. Enter the Ryu Oakland A’s Bobble Budd, spotlight collectible of this edition of Nintendojo Toy Box!
Bobble Budds aren’t quite bobble heads, instead merely mimicking the shape of those famous wobblers, and coming at a much more diminutive size. This particular Bobble Budd was made in recognition of Street Fighter’s 25th anniversary and was given away at an Oakland A’s Kid’s Day. It’s a small figure, a couple inches tall or so, and is an awesome addition to any baseball or Street Fighter fan’s collection. It’s still available on Capcom’s site, so get one today if you’re a fan of either the team or the game series.
My love for the A’s aside, it’s one of the more obscure video game collectibles I’ve come across. I’ve scoured Capcom’s site to see if it’s produced Bobble Budds based off of other baseball teams, but this is the only one I could find. If not for Capcom’s website, it would be a regional oddity, but the wonders of the Internet have made it available to all. Still, it brings to mind just how fleeting and scarce certain collectibles can be.
Whether it’s a kiosk in a GameStop or a Walmart (which we’ll get to, eventually), or a simple pre-order bauble, there are so many gaming collectibles that by their nature can’t be had by all. For most fans that’s not a big deal– after all, I don’t think many people reading this care much if an Ocarina of Time cardboard floor display is thrown in a recycling bin or not. There are those of us out there, though, who cry inside at the thought of marketing and giveaways heading for the dumps. Being able to snag something like this Ryu Bobble Budd, which was initially a giveaway, is a nice change.
That’s it for this time, folks! More Nintendojo Toy Box will be coming your way soon!