As the latest gaming franchises to join the FiGPiN lineup, Dark Souls and Kingdom Hearts bring fan-favorite characters to eager collectors, including Solaire of Astora, Dragonslayer Ornstein, and Siegmeyer of Catarina from Dark Souls, and the team of Sora, King Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy from Kingdom Hearts. I was able to check out the Solaire, Sora, and King Mickey pins, in addition to ones from Half-Life 2 and Ni no Kuni II that I purchased on my own previously.
For those of you who may still be unfamiliar with what a FiGPiN is, well, as the name suggests, it is a cross between two popular geek collectibles: a figure and an enamel pin. They are even numbered like trading cards, and come in varying levels of rarity. I don’t own an Android or iOS device so I haven’t been able to use it, but a companion app is available which allows you to input a pin’s serial number to track the rarity and earn points.
Each FiGPiN stands around three inches tall (but this can vary since some characters are posed in different ways), which is much larger than a regular pin yet not as big as a full-size figure or statue. The quality and level of detail that goes into each FiGPiN is immaculate. Compared to the average enamel pin, a FiGPiN is noticeably thicker and weightier–it just feels like a high-end collector’s item when you hold one.
Equally pristine are the paintjobs, which capture King Mickey’s expressive eyes and smile, Sora’s elaborately spikey hair, Solaire’s iconic “Praise the Sun” pose, and the finer touches on all their costumes. The extra thickness along with a slight beveled edge makes each character pop out with added three-dimensionality, whereas most traditional pins tend to look pretty much flat. Fittingly, the Solaire pin is outlined in a silver coating that gives him a brighter sheen the others don’t have, like he’s the only one that’s been kissed by the sun’s love.
Beyond the exquisitely detailed paintjobs and high-quality hardware, what’s great about a FiGPiN is its versatility when it comes to the many ways one can be displayed. While they are, in my opinion, too big and bulky for a lapel like a normally sized pin, they’re still great for larger articles like backpacks and jackets, as well as display boards and shadow boxes.
Unlike a lapel pin, FiGPiNs can be shown off like collectible figures. Each pin comes inside its own poly-carbonate display box, secured to a vertical post inside by a soft rubber backer that holds the pin upright like a statue in front of a background art card. True collectors are also free to keep the pin and its display box stored inside its packaging, which is clear on all sides, shows the pin’s character name and number, and even has four feet on the bottom for added stability should you choose to display as is.
Given the size, premium construction and detail, and the inclusion of a display box, FiGPiNs outclass other pins in both quality and value. (Not that they’re in any way a replacement of course, because traditional pins are right-sized for other settings and applications.) It’s honestly hard to believe they’re comparably priced at $15 and under and not sold at a higher premium. FiGPiN characters are available in a wide range of licenses spanning many known brands of geek and popular culture, from gaming franchises and DC and Marvel superheroes to rock bands and anime series like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto.
Buy From: Amazon.com
Disclosure: Dark Souls and Kingdom Hearts characters were provided to VGBlogger.com for coverage consideration by FiGPiN.
Matt Litten is the full-time editor and owner of VGBlogger.com. He is responsible for maintaining the day to day operation of the site, editing all staff content before it is published, and contributing regular news, reviews, previews and other articles.
Matt landed his first gig in the video game review business writing for the now-defunct website BonusStage.com. After the sad and untimely close of BonusStage, the former staff went on to found VGBlogger.com. After a short stint as US Site Manager for AceGamez, Matt assumed full ownership over VGBlogger, and to this day he is dedicated to making it one of the top video game blogs in all the blogosphere.
Matt is a fair-minded reviewer and lover of games of all platforms and types, big or small, hyped or niche, big-budget or indie. But that doesn't mean he will let poor games slide without a good thrashing when necessary! 
