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People love Nintendo's plastic Amiibo figures: 'nearly' 2.6 million sold
Nintendo has announced that sales of its Amiibo figures are "nearly double" that of Super Smash Bros. game sales on the Wii U. (Nintendo sold 1.3 million copies of the title in the tail end of 2014, and so math tells us that figure sales float around the 2.6 million mark, which is pretty incredible.) Last month, Nintendo stated that figure sales were roughly equal to the game sales, meaning people apparently buying more figures now. Nintendo stated that some figures have already been discontinued, much to eBay profiteers' delight. Naturally, a little bit of rarity can help give sales a lift.
Mario Party 10 throws an amiibo get-together on March 20
Mario Party 10 will launch on March 20, Nintendo revealed today. The publisher showed off the new "amiibo Party Mode" for the game during its Nintendo Direct presentation this morning, adding compatibility for Super Smash Bros. and Super Mario series figures. Nintendo noted that the mode requires at least one amiibo, though other players can link their own figures to the game to use their respective characters as game pieces and access game boards inspired by the characters. Nintendo also announced that a limited edition version of Mario Party 10 will arrive on Wii U that same day, packing in a Mario amiibo figure with the party game. The game's latest trailer shows off both the amiibo Party Mode and the game's Bowser Party mode. [Image: Nintendo]
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse slides to February 20
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse will launch on February 20, Nintendo confirmed today. The latest in the platforming series was previously expected to launch on February 13. Additionally, the publisher offered a new gameplay trailer for Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, seen above. Nintendo first unveiled the game during its E3 2014 Nintendo Direct presentation. In it, players trace colorful lines on the Game Pad to guide Kirby and transform the fluffy pink character into a tank, submarine and rocket. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse will receive amiibo support, as Nintendo revealed in December. Players that link up a Kirby, King Dedede or Meta Knight amiibo with the Wii U game will unlock special powers for Kirby. [Image: Nintendo]
New amiibo announced, coming March 2015 [Update]
Nintendo has revealed a new wave of amiibo figures due on store shelves on March 20. The new amiibo were revealed during today's Nintendo Direct, and feature a redesigned Mario, Peach, Luigi, Yoshi and Bowser, as well as a Toad amiibo. You can see the new amiibo above. Redesigns aren't the only new amiibo on their way, though. Nintendo also revealed amiibo of Robin, Lucina, Pac-Man, Ness, Charizard and Wario. These characters will be available sometime this spring. Nintendo also noted that amiibo will be used to unlock game boards and game pieces in Mario Party 10, the publisher's latest party game for Wii U. Update: Check out the galleries below for a closer look at the new amiibo figures slated to arrive in the coming months. Additionally, the Robin, Lucina, Pac-Man, Ness, Charizard and Wario figures will launch this spring; we've updated the post to reflect this information. [Image: Nintendo]
Rumor: Duck Hunt amiibo data on Super Smash Bros. disc
Just because an amiibo figure for the dog-and-duck duo from Duck Hunt hasn't yet been officially announced doesn't mean one isn't coming. That's what a video from YouTube user "Mema Haxx" posted earlier this week would suggest, anyway. As short as it is mysterious, the video shows a player of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U heading to the amiibo options menu and pulling up "Duck Hunt Duo," which is how the characters are labeled in the European version of the game. There's no description for the video, so it's hard to tell just what we're seeing. One explanation is that Haxx triggered code within the game that made it think it had just interacted with an NFC chip inside of a Duck Hunt amiibo. Another is that it's totally fake. Without an official announcement of a Duck Hunt amiibo from Nintendo, there's no way to be 100 percent sure. While we wait for such a reveal, why not speculate on what wondrous defects people will find on a Duck Hunt amiibo (and subsequently try to sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars)? [Image: Nintendo]
Diddy Kong amiibo has no mouth, and he must scream
The craze for defective amiibo reached a fever pitch last month, when bids for a legless Princess Peach amiibo exceeded $25,000. Prior to that absurdly-pricey posting, bids on a Samus amiibo with two arm cannons closed at $2,500. Now however, the dust is settling, and defective amiibo no longer seem to fetch quadruple-digit or higher prices. Case in point: this jawless Diddy Kong amiibo, which closed out bidding at $471.99 Canadian (approx. $403.03 USD) earlier this week. Diddy's high price now seems to be the exception rather than the rule, as a cursory glance through defective amiibo on eBay reveals far more inactive listings than active ones. (It also reveals a very liberal interpretation of the word "defect," as many of the so-called "defective" toys have simply come loose inside their packaging). Of course, just because an item's auction has closed doesn't mean that a bidder will be true to their word - a deal's not done until money has exchanged hands. Still, this is fun reminder that one man's trash is another man's treasure. [Image: Nintendo/bam_fan101]
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse trailer shows 4-player gameplay
Nintendo recently shared a new trailer for Kirby and the Rainbow Curse, and while its voiceover is in Japanese, that doesn't stop anyone from enjoying its gameplay. The trailer grants a few examples of how players can use lines traced on the Wii U GamePad for things other than guiding Kirby, as well as glimpses of transformations like Tank, Rocket and Submarine Kirby. Multiplayer scenes are also shown, with Waddle Dee characters appearing to move freely and having the capability to carry Kirby through stages. According to Serebii translator StreetsAhead, the above trailer also explains the extent of Kirby and the Rainbow Curse's amiibo support. StreetsAhead noted that Kirby amiibo allow players to use the star dash ability at any time, while Meta Knight amiibo dole out a character-themed mask and higher attack power. King Dedede amiibo also lend a mask, in addition to a more resilient health bar. StreetsAhead added that players will be able to use each amiibo once per day on one stage. You can trace a trail from store shelves to your Wii U when Kirby and the Rainbow Curse launches on February 13. [Image: Nintendo]
Toys R Us: Lucario amiibo pre-orders not being canceled
Numerous Toys R Us customers received emails from the retailer this morning, seemingly canceling their pre-orders for the Lucario amiibo figure. As a Toys R Us spokesperson told Joystiq in a phone conversation today, the emails were part of a "technical issue," and pre-orders for the figure will not be canceled. Toys R Us added via email, "we apologize for any inconvenience that may have been caused pertaining to customers' amiibo pre-orders. Please know that we are working on an email communication to all customers effected, which will provide instructions on how we plan to fulfill their order." The Lucario amiibo was revealed in November as a Toys R Us-exclusive figure, though the retailer's listing for the figure is currently missing from its storefront. Toys R Us was unable to offer specific inventory data for amiibo, but assured that the issue was unrelated to its supply of the figures.
Joystiq Weekly: Final Fantasy 15, The Crew review, readers' favorite PS1 games and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. The Final Fantasy series has had a fun couple of weeks lately, but between the PC version of Final Fantasy 7 coming to the PS4 and Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster's incoming port, most of its news is focused on the past. Leave it to the spring release of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, a take on an old PSP game, to bring things into the present – those that grab a copy from Type-0's first run will get an exclusive demo of Final Fantasy 15. So, Final Fantasy fans: Is it going to work? Are you going for Type-0 HD solely because of the demo, or do you kind of want to play the game anyway? Don't worry if it's the former – plenty of people only bought Crackdown to get into the Halo 3 beta before even realizing developer Realtime Worlds' superhero sandbox had its own merits. Demos and ports weren't the only thing that happened this week – The internet seemingly frustrated Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada enough to keep a character out of the North American release, we reviewed The Crew and Never Alone, and we highlighted our readers' favorite PS1 games. Those stories and more are all waiting for you after the break!
Rosalina amiibo exclusive to the Target Galaxy
Lucario, Shulk and Meta Knight aren't the only amiibo figures to sign exclusivity deals with various retailers across the country; now Princess Rosalina and her Luma buddy (which are packaged together as one figure) will also take some extra effort to track down. According to an online listing, the figure - which is due for release in February - will be sold exclusively at Target. Who knows how popular this particular amiibo will end up being or how many units Nintendo will ship, but if it's got your eye, it might behoove you to grab it while you can; Nintendo recently announced that, while the company may return select amiibo to shelves after their first run has sold out, "other [less popular] figures likely will not return to the market once they have sold through their initial shipment." [Image: Nintendo]
ASUS ZenWatch, Sony Pictures hack and other stories you might've missed
It's the weekend, y'all: What better time to sit back, relax and catch up on all the juiciest news from the past seven days? This week, we reviewed the ASUS ZenWatch, investigated the Sony Pictures hack, learned how to handle a loved one's online accounts, and more. All you have to do is click on the gallery below.
Engadget Daily: Alienware Alpha, what to expect from Sony at CES, and more
Interested in Alienware's Alpha Steam Machine? We reviewed it. Wondering what Sony has up its sleeve for CES 2015? We have that too. In fact, we rounded up a whole bunch of today's news highlights in the gallery below, including the latest on Nintendo's Amiibo figurines, Seagate's uber-cheap hard drive and a wearable that shoots fireballs. Enjoy.
Bandai Namco on board with amiibo, One Piece gets Nintendo-themed costumes
Bandai Namco has signed on as the first third-party publisher to offer amiibo support with its recently launched Nintendo 3DS action game One Piece: Super Grand Battle X. Nintendo Everything (via a Shonen Jump magazine magazine scan captured at Arlong Park Forums) reveals that Nintendo's figurines will unlock exclusive costumes within Bandai Namco's manga-based brawler as part of a forthcoming update. Series protagonist Luffy will wear Mario and Luigi costumes after players scan matching amiibo, while Sanji boasts an optional Fox McCloud outfit and Zoro can dress up as Link. Amiibo support is enabled in 3DS games via the NFC-compatible New 3DS hardware revision or a standalone peripheral. North American releases for the New 3DS and One Piece: Super Grand Battle X have not been announced. [Image: Bandai Namco]
What's going on with Nintendo's Amiibo figurines?
When Nintendo first introduced its Amiibo figures, Bill Trinen, senior product marketing manager at Nintendo of America, said that the toys open "a whole range of potential new gameplay experiences" for players on a character-by-character basis. And he's not lying: The toys -- activated by an NFC chip that connects to the Wii U gamepad -- come to life in the latest Smash Bros. game, as well as unlock new characters, levels and other good stuff in various other Nintendo Wii U games. Want a new character or two in Mario Kart 8? Amiibo figures have you covered. But maybe not forever. Why? Because certain Amiibo characters have already been discontinued less than a month after their debut. Or, maybe they haven't? Nintendo's flubbed the messaging here (again), saying one thing about the future of certain figures to one publication, and something fairly different to another. Confused? We are too! Are some Amiibo figures limited edition? Which ones? How about those yet to be released? We asked Nintendo to clear this mess up.
Nintendo: Amiibo sales on par with Smash in the US
Nintendo's amiibo toys are selling 1 for 1 in the US with Super Smash Bros. Wii U, according to the publisher. In November, the console fighter sold "nearly 710,000" units going by NPD data, and Nintendo of America said amiibo sales are "approximately equal" to those of the game. This week's seen Nintendo tiptoe around the subject of some amiibo not returning to market, but the company's kept firm on the most popular toys staying available. Nintendo of America reported the best-sellers to date are, in order, Link, Mario and Pikachu. Sorry, Wii Fit Trainer.
Nintendo makes millions on Amiibos and other companies want in
It turns out that there's another reason for Nintendo's Amiibo character shortage: they're selling like crazy, and now third-party games are using them too. Nintendo said that it's sold over 700,000 of the figurines, as many as its best-selling Super Smash Bros. title. Third-party publisher Bandai Namco is also supporting the NFC-enabled characters for costume unlocks in its One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X on 3DS, making it the first non-Nintendo game to use Amiibo. Nintendo added that Wii U November sales were up 90 percent over last year, and that the console recently had it's biggest week since it launched in 2012.
Bidding tops $25,000 on Peach amiibo with missing legs
The only thing Nintendo fans love more than the highly collectible amiibo are amiibo with massive factory defects. For proof, look no further than eBay, where a Peach amiibo with no legs recently attracted bids as high as $25,100. Described as "factory sealed and in mint condition," the amiibo features the same flowing dress found on normal Peach figures, but in this apparently valuable defect, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom appears to have misplaced her legs within all of that pink fabric. Despite the aesthetic oddity, this defect has no effect on the NFC chip that allows the amiibo to transfer data to and from Wii U games. While all eBay auctions are suspect until money actually changes hands, this is not the first time an oddly constructed amiibo has drawn huge bids on the auction site. Earlier this month, we reported on the auction of a Samus amiibo equipped with an extra arm cannon that reached $2,500. [Image: Nintendo/usmik_72rcplxb]
Nintendo issues further statement on Amiibo shortage
"Certain sold-out Amiibo may return" to store shelves at some point, according to a new Nintendo of America statement provided to Joystiq last night. That may offer hope to those hunting down the rarest toys, but it doesn't necessarily run counter to earlier statements indicating "other [less popular] figures likely will not return to the market once they have sold through their initial shipment." Nintendo of America's full statement reads: "Some Amiibo were very popular at launch, and it is possible that some Amiibo in the United States, Canada and Latin America may not be available right now due to high demand and our efforts to manage shelf space during the launch period. Certain sold-out Amiibo may return to these markets at a later stage. We are continually aiming to always have a regular supply of Amiibo in the marketplace and there are many waves of Amiibo to come."
Nintendo of Europe to keep 'regular supply' of Amiibos
Nintendo of Europe plans on replenishing its sold-out Amiibo stock following word that some of the figurines will be discontinued. The publisher told GameSpot that its "supplies of Amiibo are currently available in the European market." The statement runs slightly counter to that of Nintendo of America yesterday, which acknowledged that "due to shelf space constraints, other figures likely will not return to the market once they have sold through their initial shipment." "We are continually aiming to always have a regular supply of Amiibo brought into the marketplace and there are many waves of Amiibo to come," Nintendo of Europe added. The concerns began with a tweet from Canadian retailer VideoGamesPlus, which said that Nintendo discontinued the Marth, Wii Fit Trainer and Animal Crossing Villager Amiibo toys. Nintendo of Europe noted the popularity of the figures, adding that "it's always possible that a few retailers may have sold out." Regardless, we'll always have our ass-kicking, borderline-sentient Mario Amiibo to toy with. [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo: We'll 'likely' phase out some Amiibo after first run
Nintendo of America confirmed this week some Amiibo toys "likely will not return to market," following a retailer's claim that the publisher had officially discontinued the Marth, Wii Fit Trainer and Villager figures. In a statement provided to several sites including Wired, Kotaku and Destructoid, Nintendo said it'll aim to keep the "most popular" figures available, but that there's only so much shelf space to go around. "We will aim for certain Amiibo to always be available," reads the statement. "These will be for our most popular characters like Mario and Link. Due to shelf space constraints, other figures likely will not return to the market once they have sold through their initial shipment."
