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Nintendo's least popular Amiibo toys won't be around long, but Mario will
You know those cute Amiibo NFC-enabled toys/collectibles/game accessories that Nintendo debuted this year? They aren't going anywhere for a while. Well, some of them won't, at least -- and so far, that includes Mario and Link, according to Wired. The outfit says that it intends to have certain characters always available, but wouldn't spill any other details regarding which of the mini-statues would make that cut. We imagine it's pretty likely that those pictured above will likely survive time and again. However, a company rep did explain why Marth, Wii Fit Trainer and Villager have been so scarce: Nintendo deliberately didn't produce many to start and they've since been discontinued. "We will aim for certain Amiibo to always be available. 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."
Double-cannon Samus Amiibo fetches $2,500 on eBay
A defective Samus Amiibo proved this week that double the firepower can translate into many more multiples the cash. After discovering the potentially one-of-its-kind figure with two arm cannons rather than the regular one, a lucky Best Buy customer turned his $13 purchase into a $2,500 golden ticket on eBay. Nintendo's Amiibo range launched last month, providing Wii U users with Skylanders-like toys that are compatible with games including Super Smash Bros. and Mario Kart 8. As GameSpot reports, Adam Truesdale was one of many customers who bought the Samus Amiibo, and he was all ready to rip into the case until a friend pointed out the defect.
Rayman Legends concept video showcases scrapped NFC features
While Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and its Amiibo army are currently dominating store shelves, Ubisoft's Rayman Legends was once slated to be the first Wii U game to offer figure-powered nearfield communication (NFC) features, Unseen 64 reports. The concept trailer above, intended for internal use within Ubisoft, shows players summoning new elements into levels by placing figures (including a Rabbid toy) on the Wii U gamepad. The footage features a prototype Wii U controller that hadn't finalized its NFC technology, so figures are placed on the gamepad's screen, rather than on the NFC badge present in the final version. Ubisoft eventually scrapped its plans for NFC support, and Rayman Legends figures never made it to retail. Unseen 64 additionally shows off concept art for levels that didn't make the cut for the final version of Rayman Legends, including a recently unearthed "Dracula's Castle" world. A concept video showcasing these levels is available here. [Video: Ubisoft / Liam Robertson]
Walmart and Amazon list more Amiibo figures for December 14
We already knew that Amiibo figures for Captain Falcon, Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Luigi, Pit and Zelda would be worming their way into our hearts and onto our shelves sometime in December, but Amazon and Walmart seem to have narrowed that window down to a single day: December 14. When browsing Walmart's website, a release date of 12/14/2014 can be seen next to each of the aforementioned figures, ditto for Amazon. And it's not just online listings - the official Walmart Twitter account has also seemingly confirmed the date. "Yes, the release date for Captain Falcon Amiibo is set for December 14," the "Walmart Elves" tweeted to a prospective Amiibo purchaser after he inquired if the date was official. Of course, numbers on the internet and even Santa's helpers can be wrong from time to time, but it probably wouldn't hurt to stake out your spot in line if there's a particular figure you need to add to your collection. [Image: Nintendo]
Meta Knight Amiibo exclusive to Best Buy, Lucario to Toys R Us
Where's the fun in collecting something if you can just place a one-and-done order for the entire set with an online retailer? Amiibo fans are in for some legwork (or a few extra clicks), as two more retailer-exclusive deals have been announced concerning February's batch of Amiibos: Meta Knight will reside exclusively at Best Buy, whereas Lucario can only be found between the tall shelves of Toys R Us. This pair of exclusives follows news of Xenoblade Chronicles' Shulk continuing his series' GameStop-exclusive legacy when he arrives in the same set of Amiibos as Lucario and Meta Knight. At least existing partnerships are with mostly-easy-to-locate retailer chains – things will get a little more interesting with the announcement of an Ice Climbers Amiibo, which we assume will only be sold at a rickety shack atop Mount Everest. [Image: Nintendo]
Get a closer look at final retail Amiibos
The taxidermy of fictional characters is big business, especially if you have a cast as colorful and as prone to pugilism as Nintendo's bunch. We've toyed with the retail versions of Nintendo's starting Amiibo lineup for our Smash Bros. review (now updated with a score) and took some shots for your scrutinizing pleasure. Does Pikachu fancy himself a leader now?
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U review: Show me your moves
This review has been updated with commentary and a final score following the launch of online play in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. "Who would win in a fight?" is the lighthearted crux of the Super Smash Bros. series, and it's impressive how extensive that conversation has become. Pitting beloved video game characters in unlikely rivalries seems as amusing as it did during the series' 1999 debut, especially when it involves a mix of iconic faces and left-field picks. With fresh contenders, several new competition types and a lite resemblance of Pokemon training in the form of Amiibos, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is a meaty talking point that proves the "Who's the best?" debate is still well worth having. Smash's bouts remain layered – newcomers can focus on throwing basic attacks by combining button presses with tilts of the joystick, learning deep-cut mastery of evasions and timing in-air knockouts as they add matches to their career. Whatever nuances your play style adopts, everyone's victory involves launching opponents from shared platforms, heaping damage on them to make banishing them to the oblivion beyond the screen's edges more feasible.
Nintendo clarifies Hyrule Warriors Amiibo functionality
While it is true that all Amiibo figures are compatible with the Legend of Zelda-themed musou brawler known as Hyrule Warriors, certain Amiibos will have added functionality, according to Nintendo. As you'd expect, the Amiibos that add the most to Hyrule Warriors are the game's stars, Hylian hero Link and Princess Zelda. When connected to the game, the Link Amiibo grants players access to the Spinner weapon first seen in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. The rewards granted by the Zelda Amiibo are less specific, but Nintendo claims that players can link the figure to the game as frequently as once a day to unlock a random weapon of three-star quality or better. All other Amiibo figures can be linked to Hyrule Warriors once a day to unlock a rupee bonus, crafting materials or a weapon below three-star quality. The first wave of Amiibo figures will roll out alongside Super Smash Bros. Wii U on November 21, while Nintendo plans to launch a software update to enable Amiibo functionality in Hyrule Warriors in "late November 2014." [Image: Nintendo]
Loot Crate details pricing for its Amiibo collection
Nintendo revealed a US-only partnership with Loot Crate earlier this week, and while gradually building an Amiibo collection sounds better than an all-at-once purchase, the deal's pricing information wasn't shared with the initial announcement. A Loot Crate update has remedied that problem, outlining what the Amiibo-themed subscription entails and when the related goods will arrive. The promotion involves three weekly shipments for either $55 per crate (shipping included) or for an all-at-once payment of $155. While mini-mags, a cinch bag, a t-shirt and more extras are spread between the three shipments, four Amiibos will arrive in each of the first two shipments, with two more arriving in the third. While the Loot Crate page doesn't explicitly name the Amiibos included in each shipment, Nintendo's announcement of the deal noted that subscribers will "receive 10 pre-selected Amiibo (including Mario, Pikachu, Donkey Kong, Fox and Yoshi)." Given that those Amiibos are shown in Loot Crate's imagery for the promotion, it would make sense if the deal's Amiibo roster will include those in the above image for every subscriber. [Image: Amiibo]
When "It" Became "He": An Amiibo Tale
With Super Smash Bros. for Wii U this month come the Amiibo, Nintendo's little army of figurines that can transport characters like Link, Princess Peach and even the lithe WiiFit Trainer into your game. Having a tiny statue of Mario seems like a goofy way to introduce extra fighters to Smash Bros., but as Anthony John Agnello (@ajohnagnello) explains to Alexander Sliwinski (@sliwinski), actually playing with an Amiibo can be a surprisingly harrowing experience. Listen to the MP3 Credits Chiptune music courtesy of Chipmusic and their respective artists, in order of appearance: SGAK - Chief Otto SGAK - Electrocuted SGAK - The Adventure Begins Chunter - We Make the Future Production Mike Suszek (@mikesuszek)
Foresee a trip to GameStop if you want the Shulk Amiibo
Shulk is the first Amiibo unearthed as retailer-exclusive in the US, according to a listing on GameStop. The figurine of the Xenoblade hero is one of 11 coming to North America in February 2015, and yesterday Nintendo said "some of our retail partners will be releasing a certain number of these as exclusive figures, so stay tuned for details." Nintendo didn't say which Amiibos are exclusive to which retailers, but we're guessing that "certain number" isn't 1. Anyhow, the other ten toys due in February are Rosalina & Luma, Bowser, Lucario, Toon Link, Sheik, Ike, Meta Knight, Sonic, King Dedede and Mega Man.
Nintendo: Pre-orders of Super Smash Bros. surpass Mario Kart 8
Super Smash Bros. pre-orders are at a record high for Wii U, eclipsing those of summer hit Mario Kart 8. In a Bloomberg interview, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said his company expects Smash to give the console a sales boost similar to the one provided by Mario Kart 8. In last month's financial results, Nintendo revealed the racer is at close to 3.5 million sales, with Wii U shipments up to 7.29 million worldwide. "The launch of Mario Kart 8 has essentially doubled our Wii U sales year-on-year," Fils-Aime said. "Our expectation is that the sell-through for Smash is going to be very strong, certainly on par with what we saw with Mario Kart 8. We think the impact on hardware will be similarly dramatic."
Nintendo mega-busts out another batch of Amiibos [update]
Update: As our post went live, Nintendo of America unveiled a trailer pinning the 11 new Amiibo figures for February 2015. In the video, which you'll find below the break, Nintendo notes "some of our retail partners will be releasing a certain number of these as exclusive figures, so stay tuned for details." As for Europe, Nintendo listed Rosalina & Luma, Bowser, Lucario, Toon Link, Sheik and Ike for January 23, 2015. Meta Knight, Sonic, King Dedede, Shulk and Sonic follow on February 20. Original Story: Two more waves of Amiibo figures hit Japan early next year, Nintendo revealed this week. On January 22, 2015, eight of the Smash-compatible figurines roll onto Japanese retail shelves, followed by three more in February. The January octet is Lucario, Rosalina & Luma, Bowser, Toon Link, Sheik, Ike, Meta Knight and King Dedede, while the February triforce is Shulk, Sonic and the blue bomber Mega Man. As Eurogamer notes, Nintendo lists Toon Link as compatible with Mario Kart 8 and Hyrule Warriors, while Sheik is supported by Hyrule Warriors, too. Meanwhile, Nintendo of America announced a new Loot Crate Amiibo subscription service this week. Details such as prices and dates are scant for now, but according to Nintendo, "subscribers will receive 10 pre-selected Amiibo (including Mario, Pikachu, Donkey Kong, Fox, and Yoshi) separated into three special Loot Crate shipments throughout the holiday season without ever having to leave their homes."
Nintendo wants to sell you an NFC figurine subscription
Nintendo is evolving. Confronted with poor Wii U sales, it's slowly been embracing ideas introduced by other manufacturers years ago. Mario Kart's first major DLC (ignoring the Mercedes-Benz pack earlier this year) will arrive this Thursday; Super Smash Bros. will be the first Nintendo game to launch with digital pre-loads; it's said to be actively considering an end to region-locked hardware; and now it's teaming up with startup Loot Crate to try and market its amiibo NFC accessories in a new and fairly innovative way.
Joystiq Weekly: Free Radical's Haze, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Tony Hawk 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. Yes okay, BlizzCon 2014 was full of announcements. A new team-based shooter called Overwatch, a Hearthstone expansion, Warcraft movie details, the next StarCraft 2 expansion ... Blizzard fans have plenty to look forward to. Thanks to an unexpected announcement however, Tony Hawk fans also have something to look forward to (or dread, depending on cynicism) in the form of a 2015 console game. Sure, the Skate series was a cool take on realistic tricks, but we wouldn't mind getting back to the outlandish challenges, yellow-text specials and SKATE letters of the original killer skateboarding series. If you've never enjoyed injury-supplementing planks of wood with wheels, there's still plenty of good stuff from this week. News of Grand Theft Auto 5's first person mode, reviews for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Lords of the Fallen, a feature exploring the development of the unfortunate PS3-exclusive Haze, and more is all waiting for you after the break!
Nintendo considering letting third-party games use Amiibos
We're still learning how Nintendo's line of Amiibo figurines will be used for its own games, but future compatibility announcements might not be limited to first-party titles. Nintendo of America Licensing Manager Damon Baker told IGN that the company is looking into ways for third-party developers, including independent developers, to use Amiibos with their games. Baker said there's a "ton of interest" from third-party studios, adding that "There are some really creative ideas that are coming through and we are working towards some opportunities for next year." So many integration questions! At least we know what Amiibos will do in Hyrule Warriors and Mario Kart 8, but even beyond future third party support, there's still the question of how the compatibility-confirmed Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Mario Party 10 and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse will use Nintendo's line of real-world Smash trophies. [Image: Joystiq]
Nintendo discusses cheaper Amiibo figures, trading cards
Future iterations of Nintendo's Amiibo figure line will include cards, the company revealed during last week's investor Q&A. Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and longtime designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto discussed the company's near-field communications initiatives, Miyamoto stressing that Amiibo "can take forms other than figures." Miyamoto offered Amiibo-style cards as an example, hypothesizing a game that would require players to pass "several cards over the NFC reader/writer" in the Wii U Game Pad. "I cannot discuss any of the details today, but Amiibo has the potential to propose new ways to play card games," Miyamoto said. The designer also brought up Animal Crossing as an example of a brand that could receive Amiibo compatibility in the future. Miyamoto noted that Nintendo plans on launching "smaller and even more affordable Amiibo figures in the future." The first set of Amiibo figures, available for pre-order now, will launch on November 21 alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. All of the initial Amiibo figures will be compatible with Hyrule Warriors, and Nintendo just confirmed that Amiibo support will arrive in Mario Kart 8 soon. [Image: Nintendo]
How 3D printing brings 'Skylanders' to life
Toys for Bob's Skylanders franchise isn't the only "toys to life" game in town anymore and Paul Reiche, co-founder and studio head, is well aware of the deep-pocketed competition. "We recognize that we've got Disney with Infinity and Nintendo with Amiibo and, you know, they have entered into this world with their own products. And it's really our job to make sure that, through innovation, we're leaders," he says. The franchise, which lets players control virtual versions of their RFID-equipped figurines in-game, was the first to successfully merge physical toys and video gaming as part of a new crossover entertainment category. Given that penchant for innovation, it's no surprise that the studio has now fully embraced 3D printing as a means of streamlining its in-house creative process.
All Amiibo figures compatible with Hyrule Warriors
Nintendo revealed that all of its upcoming Amiibo figures are compatible with the Wii U brawler Hyrule Warriors, giving them added features beyond their previously announced Super Smash Bros. for Wii U functionality. Hyrule Warriors players who scan the Link Amiibo will receive the Spinner, a weapon originally featured in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Other scanned figures will unlock randomly chosen weapons, materials, or rupee caches. Amiibo functionality was also announced for Mario Kart 8 and Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. The first wave of Amiibo figures will roll out alongside the launch of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U later this month.
Mario Kart 8 update adds Amiibo support
A downloadable Mario Kart 8 update, meant to steady the game for the initial volley of DLC cars and tracks, will also enable simple support for Nintendo's Amiibo lineup. A select number of characters from Nintendo's new toy army will unlock corresponding outfits for your Mii racer. Tapping the Kirby statue on the Wii U gamepad, for instance, will unlock a pink puffball-themed outfit for your Mario Kart Mii, complete with a helmet designed to resemble Kirby looking back at you, smiling in the face of a blue shell coming up. Mario Kart 8 will also have unlocks for Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Captain Falcon, Samus, and Fox McCloud. The Amiibo update will happen alongside the November 13 release of Mario Kart 8's first DLC - a pack of 8 tracks, 4 vehicles and 3 new characters, including Link and Tanooki Mario. The Amiibo toys, meanwhile, are coming out alongside the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. on November 21. For more on the Amiibo and how they work in Smash, check out my impressions here.
