Super Mario Crew

This was a big year to be a Mario fan. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opened in the U.S. on April 1 and passed $1 billion worldwide, with Anya Taylor-Joy back as Peach, Jack Black back as Bowser and Brie Larson joining as Rosalina. So if your house has more than one kid, you probably already have a cast. One wants to be Mario, one wants to be Peach, and the youngest wants to be Yoshi because Yoshi gets to eat everything. HalloweenCostumes.com has kids' costumes for the whole Mushroom Kingdom, and this guide starts with the princess: the Girl's Super Mario Deluxe Princess Peach Costume by Disguise, priced at $39.99 to $49.99.

From there, the crew grows. Mario, Luigi and Toad round out the heroes, and Yoshi, Bowser and Rosalina are there for bigger groups. Most of these costumes have real reviews, and a few have quite a lot to say. Here's what's in each bag, how the sizes line up and what a full crew costs.

Princess Peach: the one in charge

The Deluxe Princess Peach costume (item DI10691) is officially licensed and includes three pieces: a dress, a petticoat and a crown headband. The fabrics are polyester satin and organza.

The dress closes with hook-and-loop at the center back. It has short puffed sleeves with elastic cuffs, a plastic faux gem below the neckline and organza overlays at the hips, which give it Peach's layered gown look. The petticoat underneath has an elastic waistband and an organza ruffle, so the skirt stands out a bit. The crown has three plastic faux gems and sits on a clear plastic headband.

It comes in four sizes. The 4/6, 7/8 and 10/12 cost $49.99, and the 14/16 is $10 cheaper at $39.99. The chest runs from 28 to 34 inches, and the dress length from 30 to 37 inches.

What Peach parents said

The costume has 13 reviews and a 4.5-star average, with 62% five stars. Many of the five-star reviews are short. Victor wrote, "Daughter loved it!!!" Quiana, who bought a 14/16, said, "Fast delivery. Costume looked just like the picture." And Jay wrote, "Beautiful dress, my 7 year old loves it and has already worn it twice even though it's not Halloween yet!"

The most useful review came from an anonymous parent who gave it four stars. "I definitely recommend spending the few extra dollars to get the "Deluxe" version, which means the dress is longer," she wrote. "It came super wrinkled in the bag. Hang it up and lightly press it with a towel and iron. Do not direct iron it or you will melt the fabric." She also sized up so her daughter "could wear warm clothes underneath," and her only problem was that "one of the jewels in the crown came unglued."

That's the best care tip on the page, and I'd follow it exactly.

The critical reviews are about quality for the price. Erin Rodriguez said it "felt so cheap that it might rip while taking it off," though she added it "will be fine for one day." Sarah S Stradley, who gave it two stars, wrote, "The crown it came with was an improvement but the way it is made to put on your head with the headband is not functional. Im going to have to rig something up to a higher quality head band. My daughter loves it, this Mom does not for the price." And a reviewer who bought a 4/6 got "a wrinkly dress with a flattened crown!"

So kids love it, and some parents expected more for $50. The wrinkles seem almost guaranteed, so plan a day to hang it up and press it with a towel. And if the crown won't stay put, a few bobby pins or a sturdier headband will fix it.

For a cheaper Peach, there's a Girl's Super Mario Pink Princess Peach Costume for $39.99. But going by that four-star review, the deluxe dress is the longer one, which matters for older girls. Kid's Princess Peach White Gloves cost $15.99 if you want the full look.

Mario: the one on the box

For Mario, the best match for a deluxe Peach is the Super Mario Brothers Boys Mario Deluxe Costume (item DI10772), also by Disguise. It includes a jumpsuit with a padded belly, a red hat with an elastic back, a pair of white gloves and a mustache. The jumpsuit closes with hook-and-loop on the back.

It's on sale right now. The 4/6 is $39.99, and the 7/8 and 10/12 are $49.99. The chest runs from 28 to 30 to 32 inches across the three sizes.

It has nine reviews and a 4.9-star average, the best score in this crew. Sivan wrote, "My son loves it! high quality and perfect fit. Size 7/8 for a 6-year-old fits perfectly." Wendy bought a 4/6 for a kid who's almost 4: "It's a little long on him but that was expected and we will just roll it up for Halloween so I will say it's true to size."

The one four-star review is about the gloves. "The costume is great, but the gloves are small," the parent wrote. "I ordered a 10/12 for my 8 (almost 9) year old son and the glove fingers are so short they don't fit his fingers." And then, "Gloves fit my almost 5-year-old - that's how small these things are." So for older kids, plan on a second pair of white gloves.

Luigi: the one who does all the work

There isn't a deluxe kids' Luigi on the site, other than a premium version at $69.99 to $79.99. So the easy pick is the Boy's Mario Bros Luigi Costume by Disguise, for $34.99 to $39.99. It includes a green-and-blue jumpsuit, a foam hat with an "L" and a stick-on mustache, and it comes in five sizes, from 3T/4T up to 14/16.

It has a 4.6-star average from five reviews. Shiran bobo, who also left a five-star review on the Peach dress, wrote, "Very beautiful and high quality costume." But Luigi doesn't come with gloves, and parents noticed. One two-star review said, "For the price it should've at least included white gloves, but I had to order them separately."

So if you're pairing a deluxe Mario with a classic Luigi, one brother gets gloves and one doesn't. Add a $15.99 pair of kid's white gloves, or a cheap pair from a craft store, and the brothers match again.

Toad: the loyal one

The Boy's Super Mario Bros. Toad Costume (item DI85143) costs $49.99 in every size. It includes a jumpsuit with white velour pants and elastic cuffs, a blue vest with metallic gold trim and a stuffed velour mushroom hat with an elastic band.

It has three reviews and a 4.7-star average. Finnfab wrote, "My 5 year old son wore this costume and it was a hit! Fits perfectly and comfortable." Another buyer, who got a 7/8, said, "Size guide was perfect."

Toad comes in 4/6, 7/8 and 10/12. And Toad is a great pick for a kid who's a little shy about big costumes, since it's mostly a vest and a hat.

Yoshi: the one who eats everything

The Kid's Super Mario Brothers Yoshi Deluxe Costume (item DI85170SP) costs $49.99 to $69.99. It includes a jumpsuit with a sewn-on tail, a hood with an appliquéd face and a chin strap and an inflatable shell that's worn like a backpack, with shoulder straps.

It has two reviews, both five stars. Prescilla Kline, who bought a 4/6 just this September, wrote, "Runs a bit small but very happy with the quality. It's a 2 year age range so I'd say it's better suited for a 4-5 year old not a 6 year old." The other buyer, M b, sized up and said, "My boy is bigger than most his age so i sized up to what he normally wears and it fit perfect."

So size up for Yoshi, especially at the top of an age range. And note the sizes stop at 7/8. Yoshi is for the little ones in this crew.

Bowser: the one everyone chases

The Super Mario Bros. Deluxe Bowser Costume for Kids (item DI157739) is the most detailed costume in the group. It includes a jumpsuit with a tail and back spikes, an inflatable shell about 9 inches across, a headpiece with a chin strap and a pair of spiked wrist cuffs. The shell inflates by mouth or with a pump, which isn't included.

The pricing is unusual. The 4/6 and 7/8 cost $69.99, but the 10/12 is on sale for $54.99. So the biggest size is the cheapest.

Its reviews average 4.2 stars. OPIR wrote, "My kid loves the Super Mario Brothers Kid's Bowser Deluxe Costume. The size was right and it looks great on him." BavtaBouzaglo said it was "just great for Bowser fans." But one parent, lasears0330, titled her review "Comfortable costume but head piece runs small" and wrote, "My son loves this costume but we will need to take out some of the stuffing in the head piece so that he can wear it correctly."

That's an easy fix. Open a seam a little, pull out some fiberfill and stitch it closed. Do it before Halloween, not on the porch.

Rosalina: the one from the new movie

For a bigger crew, or a sister who doesn't want to be Peach, there's the Super Mario Rosalina Girls Deluxe Costume (item DI23167). It includes a turquoise dress with an off-shoulder neckline, clear straps and a star brooch, plus a rigid plastic crown. The product page lists it at $59.99 in every size, though the Mario category page showed $69.99 to $79.99 when I checked, so look at the price in your cart.

It has four reviews. A buyer from 2017 wrote, "The quality and design of the dress is even more beautiful than on the description photo and the crown is really nice and sturdy too!" Ben Jor said, "Great fit and my daughter loves wearing it." But Jessica, who bought a 7/8, gave it one star: "The dress itself is absolutely adorable... But the dress is see through. I had to buy a slip."

So add a white slip or leggings under the dress. And since Rosalina is new to a lot of kids this year, thanks to the movie, expect to explain who she is at a few doors.

How the sizes line up

This is the tricky part of a Mario crew. The costumes don't all come in the same sizes.

Mario, Toad, Bowser and Rosalina come in 4/6, 7/8 and 10/12. Peach adds a 14/16, and Luigi goes from 3T/4T to 14/16. Yoshi goes from 3T/4T to 7/8 only.

So if your oldest is 13 or 14, Peach or Luigi is the easiest assignment. If your youngest is a toddler, Yoshi or Luigi will fit. And everyone in the middle can be anyone.

Also, a couple of these costumes run small. Yoshi's reviewer said so directly, and Bowser's headpiece is tight. Peach's four-star reviewer sized up for layers. When in doubt, go up a size, especially for a cold night.

What the crew costs

Here's a sample for four kids in size 7/8. Peach is $49.99, Mario is $49.99, Luigi is $34.99 and Toad is $49.99. That's $184.96. Add a $15.99 pair of white gloves for Luigi, and you're at $200.95.

For six kids, add Yoshi at $49.99 to $69.99 and Bowser at $69.99 in a 7/8. That brings the crew to about $305 to $325, before gloves.

Some ways to save: the 14/16 Peach is $10 cheaper, Bowser's 10/12 is $15 cheaper, and plain white gloves from a craft store work just as well as licensed ones.

Making it a game

The fun of a Mario crew is acting it out. Bowser should be the one everyone chases. Peach should be the one who's actually in charge. And Yoshi should try to eat everyone's candy.

For props, the site sells a Red Mushroom Purse for $14.99, which makes a great candy bag for Peach or Toad. And if you want to add a grown-up, there are adult Mario and Luigi Accessory Kits for $29.99 each, an Adult Toad Kit for $29.99 and an Adult Yoshi Kit for $44.99.

Summary

The Girl's Super Mario Deluxe Princess Peach Costume from Disguise costs $39.99 to $49.99 and includes a satin and organza dress, a petticoat and a crown. It has a 4.5-star average from 13 reviews, with kids loving it and some parents finding the material thin and the crown flimsy. For a full crew, the Mario Deluxe has a 4.9-star average, Toad and Yoshi get good fit reviews and Bowser's headpiece runs small. A four-kid crew costs about $185, or about $305 to $325 for six.

So, is the Super Mario crew worth it?

Yes, for families with a few Mario fans. Kids clearly love these costumes, and with the movie out this year, they'll be recognized at every door. The Mario Deluxe is the safest buy here, and the Peach dress is a good pick if you're ready to press it and fix the crown.

I'll admit I was hoping for a little more from the Peach reviews. A $50 dress shouldn't need a parent to rig a new headband. But the kids in those reviews didn't care at all, and one of them wore it twice before October even started. That says a lot.

So check sizes for every kid, size up for Yoshi and Bowser, and grab white gloves for Luigi. Iron Peach's dress through a towel. Then line up the crew, let Bowser growl at the first house and send Yoshi in for the candy.