The Stubbins line of plush are no stranger to officially licensed Capcom products. A Mega Man appeared in the past, as did a Monster Hunter World Palico. So it makes sense that Monster Hunter Rise Stubbins would also appear, with both the Palamute and Palico getting their moment. Both entries in the Stubbins Deluxe line and Smoosh Stubbins are appearing as Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak is about to debut. While all capture the right look, it feels like each sort of plush has its own niche to fill.
With the Stubbins Deluxe Monster Hunter Rise Deluxe plush, it is definitely about the details. These plush toys are soft, but it is more about having some give to them and being more silky and smooth than fuzzy. Sure, you could cuddle them. But they really feel more like display pieces.
Which isn’t a bad thing. They’re definitely designed with accuracy in mind. Both the Palamute and Palico involve many layers of fabric, all of them nailing the details from the game. Each one is dressed in the Kamura Armor from Monster Hunter Rise. Their eyes, noses, and mouths are embroidered. The fabric has armor accents printed onto them. The Palico’s hood has an additional piece of fabric in place for the “headband.” The bell at the clasp is its own fabric part. There are red tassel accents on both the Palico and Palamute. While the Palico’s “bracers” and “boots” are details printed on the fabric itself, the Palamute’s are separate pieces of fabric stitched into place. Also, both have weighted “bean” bottoms, to ensure they stay sitting up on a shelf or couch.
To compare, here’s how the Stubbins Deluxe Palamute looks compared to the official concept art for the character.
And here’s how the Stubbins Deluxe Palico plush looks next to the concept art from the game.
As for the Smoosh Stubbins Monster Hunter Rise plush, they’re much more functional. Have you heard of those Squishmallow stuffed animals? These are similar to those, albeit more complex. The concept here is that you have a toy designed more for hugging or cuddling. Yes, there’s potential for displaying them too. They resemble the classic Palico designs. But they lend themselves more to regular use.
I was able to check out the two different sizes of the Monster Hunter Rise Smoosh Stubbins Palico plush toys. One was a 10” Classic Palico, and the other was the 18” Chocolate Palico. Each one is made of a velvety fabric that’s much softer than the Stubbins Deluxe toys. They also have more filling to them. The result is something that feels more like a velvety pillow. In fact, I did tend to use the Chocolate Palico as a pillow on my couch, due to the amount of stuffing inside and the size. The smaller Classic Palico is more of easily huggable design. But in both cases, these seem like items you’d have displayed on a bed or couch and use, rather than on a shelf.
As you’d expect from a brand and its offshoot, it feels like the Monster Hunter Rise Stubbins Deluxe and Smoosh Stubbins plush are designed for purposes. The Stubbins Deluxe are very well made and quite intricate. They capture all of the details of the characters’ designs and armor. Each one is also created in such a way that you can put them out somewhere, know they’ll stay in the right position, and would be immediately recognizable. With the Smoosh Stubbins, well, they’re essentially pillow pets. They definitely have the right style. You’ll know the Classic and Chocolate Palicos are Palicos at a glance. But they’re also more about being cozy. They cover two ends of a spectrum, and I appreciate that.
The Monster Hunter Rise Stubbins Deluxe Palamute and Palico and Smoosh Stubbins Palico plush toys are available at places like Amazon and IGN Store. The retail price for the Stubbins Deluxe line is $24.99. The 10” Classic Palico Smoosh Stubbins are $19.99, while the 18” ones are $29.99. Monster Hunter Rise is out on the Nintendo Switch and PC now, with the Sunbreak expansion arriving on June 30, 2022.
