The luxury Stubbins line is no stranger to officially licensed Capcom products. One Mega Man appeared in the past, as well as Monster Hunter World Palico. So it makes sense that Monster Hunter Rise Stubbins will also make an appearance, with both Palamute and Palico getting their moments. Both entries in the Stubbins Deluxe and Smoosh Stubbins series appear as Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak coming soon. While they all offer the right look and feel, it seems that each luxury item has its own niche to fill.
With Stubbins Deluxe Monster Hunter Rise Deluxe luxury, it’s definitely about the details. These plush toys are soft, but there are some that give them softness and smoothness rather than fur. Sure, you can cuddle them. But they really feel more like showcase pieces.
That’s not a bad thing. They are certainly designed with precision in mind. Both Palamute and Palico include multiple layers of fabric, all of which nail the game’s details. Everyone wears the Kamura Armor from Monster Hunter Rise. Their eyes, nose and mouth are all embroidered. Fabrics have armor accents printed on them. Palico’s hood has an extra piece of fabric to make “headbands”. The bell on the clasp is its own piece of fabric. There are red tassel accents on both the Palico and Palamute. While Palico’s “laces” and “boots” are details printed onto the fabric itself, the Palamute is separate pieces of fabric sewn together. Additionally, both have weighted “pea” bottoms, to ensure they always sit on a shelf or couch.
For comparison, here’s how Stubbins Deluxe Palamute looks compared to official concept art for the character.
And this is how the luxurious Stubbins Deluxe Palico looks next to it concept art from the game.
For Smoosh Stubbins Monster Hunter Rise luxury, they have more functions. 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 is also the potential to show them. They resemble classic Palico designs. But they lend more to regular use.
I was able to test two different sizes of Monster Hunter Rise Smoosh Stubbins Palico plush toy. One is a 10″ Classic Palico, and the other is an 18″ Chocolate Palico. Each one is made of velvet fabric much softer than Stubbins Deluxe toys. They also have more filling for them. The result is something like a softer pillow. In fact, I’ve been inclined to use Chocolate Palico as a pillow on my couch, due to the amount of material inside and the size. The smaller classic Palico has a more huggable design. But in either case, these seem more like items you’ve laid out on your bed or couch and used, rather than on a shelf.
As you would expect from a brand and its affiliates, it feels like Monster Hunter Rise Luxury Stubbins and Smoosh Stubbins are designed for a purpose. Stubbins Deluxe is very well made and quite intricate. They capture all the details about the design and armor of the characters. Each is also made in such a way that you can place them somewhere, knowing they will be in the right place and will be instantly recognizable. With Smoosh Stubbins, they’re basically pillow pets. They definitely have the right style. You will immediately know Palicos Classic and Chocolate as Palicos. But they’re also about coziness. They cover the two ends of a spectrum, and I appreciate that.
The Monster Hunter Rise Stubbins Deluxe Palamute and Palico plush toys and Smoosh Stubbins Palico are available at places like Amazon and IGN Store. Retail price for the Stubbins Deluxe line is $24.99. The classic 10″ Palico Smoosh Stubbins are $19.99, while the 18″ ones are $29.99. Monster Hunter Rise Now out on Nintendo Switch and PC, with Sunshine extended to June 30, 2022.
