Mixel Madness!!: The Wiztastics Review

We're approaching the end of our Mixel journey with the Wiztastics. And after enjoying the Glorp Corp and being pleasantly surprised with the Spikels, I was hoping that I had left the best for last. Sadly, this was not the case.

So let's get the technical stuff out of the way. The Wiztastics are Mixels that are based around magic, hence the use of purple bricks. For the whole set, you'll be getting 195 pieces, which is a pretty good deal for the $14.97 (or $4.99/Mixel) you'll be spending on this set. As per usual with the Mixels, there are lots of horns and ball joints that can be used in a variety of ways to customize your Mixels or construct your own builds.

Magnifo

Looking at Magnifo, I really love the figure's look: somewhat of a classic wizard look that really looks great in purple. And there are some good ideas here. The use of clear blue bricks throughout the body and purple lightsaber blades as wands really helps sell the "based on magic" feel of this set. The cape also looks pretty cute.

But the look isn't all this figure is about. When it comes to play and poseability, Magnifo is lacking. The ball joints used to make his legs actually limit the way you can pose the figure. There is no back and forward motion; only side to side. And the arms are on a hinge joint, so they also have only one plane of motion. There are two more points of articulation. The cape swings up and down, kinda giving it the illusion of wind flowing through it; and his hat can move slightly, although I feel that's more of a design flaw than something done on purpose.

Even though there's a lot going on with Magnifo, I just feel it's one of the least dynamic Mixels, at least as far as Series 3 goes. He looks great but doesn't quite play great.

Magnifo also comes with this set's Nixel.

Wizwuz

Wizwuz is definitely the goofy one of this bunch. his bulbous eyes and tongue sticking out really sells that. And there's a lot of movement with this figure. Both his upper and lower lips are on hinges, as are each of his six legs. Wizwuz.s tail also consists of two ball joints. 

While the tongue helps his look, I'm actually not a fan of it. I love that the mouth can open so wide, but the tongue jutting out just hurts what you can actually do with it. The legs, on the other hand, are great. I love the large horns Lego used as claws, as it really lets Wizwuz get a good grip on anything he can wrap his legs around. On the other hand, having these claws hurts the way the figure can be posed. It's hard to balance the figure if either the front or the back legs are up because Wizwuz is both front and back heavy. The tail looks great but seems to break apart easily, especially if you're trying to play with it. The two back legs also have this problem, as the rounded tops run along the side of body, causing them to pop off easily.

Mesmo

Finally, we have Mesmo. The wings are a nice addition, and a departure from what we normally see with the Mixels. And in this case, the limited movement works because wings are supposed to flap up and down. I don't much care for short legs, but they work well with this figure. He also has a small tail, with a small range of motion.

Mesmo face is very expressive, thanks to the way the eyes are crafted. The use of witch's hats as eyelids are brilliant, and because they're supposed to fit somewhat slanted, you can make him look as angry or dopey as you like. His mouth is on a hinge, and can open a little more than 90 degrees. I also like the use of a small horn on his bottom lip, giving Mesmo a soul patch. 

The Verdict

After building the Wiztastics, I was ready to rip into the set. My first impression was there just wasn't a lot to like here, and it was one of the worst, if the not the worst, set of Mixels I had come across. But coming back to them for this review has somewhat changed my initial reaction. I still think this is one of the weakest Mixel sets, but it isn't completely worthless. The problem is that Mesmo and Magnifo work best when they're simply standing still, as there isn't much dynamic motion to be found out of these two. My favorite of the three is Wizwuz, but having multiple legs has been done better in the past, specifically by Kraw and Tentro of the of Flexers.

Ultimately, I cannot recommend the Wiztastics if you're planning on following the instructions. I haven't built the Max Mixel, so I can't yet say if my feeling on this set will change. But I'm basing this review on what I see in front of me, and I'm feeling is disappointment.

Next week, I'll be showcasing the Max Mixels for each of the three tribes of Series 3, so be on the look out, and thanks for reading!