Mini Toad

The Mini Toads are Toad toys produced and sold by the Mario Toy Company. They first debut in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and have appeared in every installment of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series to date, excluding the platforming-oriented original.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
The success of the Mario Toy Company's earlier toys, the Mini Marios, was so great that it allowed them to expand and sell other mini toys, including Mini Peach, Mini Donkey Kong, and Mini Toad.

Mini Toads are playable characters in this game as well, but only in Special Kit 1 (which is unlocked by completing 3 minigames) for the Construction Zone. If a Mini Toad comes in contact with a Fire Flower, it will become a Fire Mini Toad.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!
Mini Toads appear again in the third installment of the series, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!. After beating Jungle Rumble's DK level, the Rooftop levels become accessible. Mini Toads are found in the first three levels. After beating them, Mini Toads are unlocked to be used in Construction Mode, where they can be used along with other Minis. They can also be selected to replace Mini Marios in most levels (aside from DK, Key and Rooftop levels) in the Showroom section of the option menu, but they act the same as the other mini toys. Selecting "Minis" will make Mini Toads appear alongside other Minis. Since each level has at least two minis, Mini Toads will appear in all levels except for the previously mentioned when this option is chosen.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
The Mini Toads reappear in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!. Here, Mini Toad's spots are blue instead of red possibly to reference Super Mario Bros. 2. In the main worlds, it appears in the fourth level of every world in a capsule that another Mini must walk into to break. It becomes available from the start in the Construction Zone to use in the Multi Door option, and can be unlocked for use outside of that option by submitting a level to the Challenge Mode contest. In plus mode, Mini Toads appear in many levels alongside other minis, and they must be taken to the goal in the right order.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move
Mini Toads once again appear in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move. In this game, the Mini Toads retain their blue coloration from Mini-Land Mayhem!. Mini Toads are unlocked as playable characters by unlocking the Many Mini Mayhem mode in the main game. After this, Mini Toads can be used in any of the game's levels. A Mini Toad is also unlockable as one of the toys in the Toy Collection, earned by collecting 30 stars.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
Mini Toads reappear in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. They function in the same way as in previous games. In the Main Game, they are first found in Runaway Warehouse in Level 3-2. They appear afterwards in many other levels, such as every Multi-Door level after Runaway Warehouse. They are also common in the Bonus Levels.

To use them for the Workshop, the player must buy them in the Winding Ravine section of the Workshop Store for 25 stars.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge
Mini Toad returns in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge. He must be unlocked via a Toad Amiibo. In this appeareance, Mini Toad is now a wind-up toy like the rest of the cast. Similar to the other characters (except for Mini Spec), Mini Toad has an unique ability in which he can reduce his size by inserting his body into his head (and then moving like a Mushroom) so that he can cross narrow passages that other Minis cannot access.

Mario Kart 8
Mini Toads make their first non-Mario vs. Donkey Kong-related appearance in the DLC retro track GBA Ribbon Road as "spectators" to the race. They take on their original, pre-Mini-Land Mayhem! red color scheme, and their bodies appear to be made of wood.

Trivia

 * Mini Toads are currently the only Mini toys to appear outside of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series.