COOL CAPSULES: Sqwishland Sqwarrot

Sqwishland is a new line of capsule toys, similar to the Squinkies line of collectable mini-figures (such as the Marvel Universe Squinkies Reviewed here.) The major conceptual difference - licensing aside - is that the Sqwishland capsules feature Sqwishland Codes, which can be used in the Sqwishland online game. More on that later.

Today we're looking at the Sqwarrot, a common figure in this colourway (according to the Sqwishlander Gallery.) 

As you can see, each Sqwishland toy comes in a small capsule, almost identical to those used by Squinkies. The capsule pops open with a squeeze and - once opened - you'll find your toy and Sqwishland Code within.

Sqwishlanders use the same kind of soft, rubbery plastic we've seen used on the Squinkies. Indeed, were it not for the poorer finish and less-detailed sculpts, you'd easily believe they were the same toy line, given their size and consistency. It's pretty obvious which market the Sqwishlanders are aimed at.

The basic sculpt is, well, basic. There's little in the way of detail and what there is isn't particularly intricate or fancy. But you can see it's a parrot. It's just a shame the finish is so poor, with little ''chips'' hanging from the figure and some very hard mold lines.

The paintwork isn't much of an improvement, either. The yellow details are splodgily applied, covering either too much or too little of the toy and - worst of all - his eyes are two different sizes.

Sqwishlanders come in a variety of shapes and colourways, with different ''Sqwash'' (Sqwash+Cash) values being assigned to each, thanks to a code included within each capsule. The rarer the colourway and figure combo, the more Sqwash points you earn to use in the online game. I haven't personally played the game but it looks like it could be fun for kids wanting to play an MMO-style game but without the complexity of a more ''grown-up'' game.

I've tried to look at the Sqwishland toys in their own right but I can't do anything but compare them to Squinkies. Whilst they're only a Quarter (at least from the vending machine I found them in) they're nowhere near the quality of Squinkies. But at the end of the day, you get what you pay for and if you want a funky little pencil-topper or you're buying for a younger kid then these are a fun alternative to the more expensive Squinkies.

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