Schleich has changed their typical toy dinosaurs lineup over the past two years. They have added new playsets and sizes for their prehistoric line of toys. The mini sized dinosaurs were introduced in 2015 with eight figures. Due to their low cost, different sculpts, and new paint jobs that differ from their bigger brethren, the minis were quite popular. In 2016 Schleich expanded the line to sixteen mini toys. Some of the minis are sold separately, while others are exclusive and come in a set of four mini figures and a 24 piece puzzle. Today we will look at the Kentrosaurus mini which can be found separately or in the marshland puzzle set.
About the toy: The Kentrosaurus mini figure is sculpted in a different pose than the rather cool 2015 Schleich Kentrosaurus. Often mini figures are sculpted as a mini version of the full size animal toy, so I am glad they decided to use a different sculpt for this mini. When compared to the larger version, the mini is in a straighter pose with the tail and head only slightly veering off to its left. At 3.3 in long (8.4 cm) it size is what you would expect from a mini figure. Despite its small size, there is actually a fair amount of detail on this toy. The plates and spikes are not smooth but have texture lines and grooves on them. The skin on this toy is bumpy. It is actually sculpted with small scales and what would appear to be scutes embedded into the skin. The ribs clearly show up on the sides and there are many little skin folds throughout the body. As with the larger version, the hind feet are sculpted with three toes and the front feet have five visible toes.
The colors are a simple tan with a darker (depends on the lighting) greenish brown brushed over the top. The plates and spikes are red. On the tops of some of the plates and spikes the tan color is showing through. The eyes are a glossy black dot and the inside of the mouth is black.
Playability: It is a good toy. Due to its size it can be used in almost any setting for playtime. For people who have kids and like to travel it can be a nice toy while on the road. Its small size makes it easy to play with during a long car ride. It is a safe toy as well. The spikes are not sharp. It is durable as well. The plastic has some bend in the tail and plates, but overall it maintains its shape. The paint is rather robust so it can handle normal playtime use.
Overall: This toy will not appeal to everyone who collects prehistoric toys. Though the sculpt isn’t bad it does lack the finesse and style of the larger toys and other minis like Kaiyodo. On the other hand, due to its low cost and small size, it can be great for people on a tight budget or have a lack of shelf space. For Younger kids, this is a durable toy that can be played with safely without worries of it breaking. Overall this is a great little toy for the younger dinosaur enthusiasts. As for the adults, it is definitely not a must have toy but it if your a fan of the species, it can easily find a home on your desk or shelf.
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I think Kentrosaurus deserves its own page in the Genera section by now!
It is nice to see that recently, many Kentrosaurus figurines have been reviewed here, on the DinoToyBlog. Nice additions and reviews added to the Thyreophoran category and Kentrosaurus toy collection.