I buy almost as many import anime toys as I do Marvel toys, so I’m pretty familiar with Japanese manufacturer Banpresto. In fact, they make some of my favorite static One Piece figures, including the detailed Grandline Men and Master Stars Piece lines. Banpresto is perhaps most famous, though, for their game center prize figures, including the World Collectible Figures (WCF). Usually the WCF line is reserved for anime and Japanese characters, but this fall Banpresto will bring Marvel into the WCF world–the Iron Man World Collectable Figures are now up for order!

When I see something like the Japanese Banpresto Iron Man World Collectible Figures and know exactly what they are at a glance, it sometimes makes me feel like I know too much about toys. Basically, the Banpresto WCF figurine line consists of little non-poseable PVC figures that are about 7cm (just under 3″) tall, which have slightly more realistic proportions (ie smaller heads) than your standard super-deformed figure line. The figures can be removed from their bases, but most of them (obviously) can’t stand up on their own.

For the most part, you can’t just buy the Banpresto World Collectable Figures in stores in Asia, though–you have to win them. As in, from game center games like the much-despised-in-America “crane game” and such. This is an instance where I’m so thankful that I just sit at my computer and pay import prices for toys, because those types of arcade games make my blood boil and having to play them constantly to get figures would likely send me to an early grave.

I took this comparison photo of a 6″ Marvel Legends Ultimate Beetle figure and a One Piece WCF Coby figure to show off the size disparity between World Collectible Figures and Hasbro Marvel Legends. WCF figures are pricy for their size, but they sure are cute!

Anyway, Banpresto has acquired the license from Disney/Marvel to produce Iron Man WCF figures (the first-ever Banpresto Iron Man figures), and will be releasing two sets of six figures each in fall 2014.

Iron Man WCF Vol. 1 will contain:

• Iron Man Mark I
• Iron Man Mark II
• Iron Man Mark III
• Red Snapper Iron Man
• Starboost Iron Man
• Iron Man Mark XLII (Mark 42)

Iron Man WCF Volume 2 will include:

• Iron Monger
• Iron Patriot
• War Machine
• Heartbreaker Iron Man
• Iron Man Mark IV
• Iron Man Mark VI

Banpresto typically does not produce equal numbers of the figures in these sets, so certain figures are much harder to win/obtain than others. The WCF Iron Man Mark I and Iron Man Mark II figures will be produced in only about half the quantity of the other WCF Iron Man figures (which is a real shame, because I love those armors).

The Banpresto Iron Man World Collectible Figures Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are now available for pre-order, and are scheduled to be released in September/October 2014.

Now that you’ve all heard more than you ever wanted to know about these Japanese game center Iron Man World Collectible Figures, is anyone besides me on-board for snagging a few (or all) of Banpresto’s first stab at Iron Man toys?