Sometimes this job forces me to stumble across some pretty awesome and absurd stuff, and today I want to share with you just that, because I'm a big kid at heart, and this little product right here puts a big smile on my face, so I'm sure you'll find it intriguing too.
A small Instagram page based in Indonesia called Tomindo_ID is exploding in popularity this year, all thanks to their custom-made toy cars that resemble a range of classic retro gaming titles that many of us still love to this day. Recently, Tomindo announced a new product, a Legend of Zelda toy car that folds out to resemble not only an adorable Link but the Deku Tree too.
This "KOKIRI TRANSPORT" toy car will cost approximately $51 and will launch in "early September". Pricey indeed, but it's not mass-produced, it's custom-made, and it's unlike anything in your toy car collection. There's a small bit of playability to it, allowing you to open up the truck to reveal a nostalgic moment in the game, alongside a hidden "Sleepy Link" in the front cabin.
We're all waiting for Hot Wheels to do some cool collaborations in the retro gaming space. They've done some recently with Mario Kart and Disney, but they're not really retro gaming focused, and that's why Tomindo are building their own, with incredibly nostalgic packaging too, and people are buying a lot of them over the last few months.
Ordering these custom cars, though, is no easy task. I made an order with Tomido a couple of weeks back for a range of their custom Pokémon toy cars, and they're still in production, with shipping times taking many weeks due to them being custom-made and produced in Indonesia by a small team of car enthusiasts in numbered batches. Orders are placed on WhatsApp, which admittedly feels a little dodgey but they have continuously responded to my replies within hours, which is very professional of them, seeing as they likely have many international customers awaiting orders too.
I know this will put many off, but it's clear that they're growing in popularity, are executing orders professionally and have a wide range of awesome retro gaming themed toy cars to choose from if Zelda isn't your thing. They've done Pokemon, Street Fighter, Super Mario, Famicom, GAME BOY, Harry Potter, Sonic the Hedgehog and more.
The ordering process is cumbersome, but I guess that's the price we pay for custom-made toy cars using Nintendo IP. I'll let you know when my order arrives. No doubt you'll see a shoutout from us on our socials!
