With Disney Infinity, Skylanders and Lego Dimensions falling by the wayside in recent years, toys-to-life seems to have reached its natural conclusion. Much like the plastic instrument peripherals of a decade ago, consumers have had enough after filling their homes with plastic discs, USB base plate readers and assorted clutter – the novelty just isn’t enough anymore. As much fun as we had with it, Starlink: Battle For Atlas seemed like a foolhardy endeavour even from its initial reveal back at E3 2017, and despite being a very strong game (with Switch owners getting the choicest cut thanks to the excellent Star Fox crossover content), disappointing sales and a speedy price drop only confirmed what seemed self-evident from the start: toys-to-life is well and truly dead.
But is it, though? A quick survey around the Nintendo Life office reveals we’re still picking up amiibo when something catches our eye. Nearly five years on from launch, Nintendo’s reaction to Skylanders and Disney Infinity – wisely branded apart from the struggling Wii U – has somehow bucked the trend and outlived nearly all competition. We’re still buying them even after toys-to-life went off a cliff. The crazy days of shortages and flipping Wii Fit Trainer on eBay for 500% profit are long gone, but last year’s figures remarkably showed growth in amiibo sales. Nintendo is often accused of artificially bottle-necking supply to generate consumer demand – a practice they deny – but shortages certainly drove interest when the platform launched in 2014.
The reasons for toys-to-life’s precipitous decline is tough to pin down to one factor, especially while Nintendo continues to buck the trend. The explanation that brick-and-mortar stores got sick of bulky stock might hold water were it not for all the Funko Pops lining racks at your local gaming emporium. Retailers are happy to clog shelves with plastic so long as it’s shifting, and amiibo are still doing just that. Restocks of some of the rarer figures prior to the arrival of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate helped collectors pick up ones they’d missed, and we’ve seen figures from other series reappear, too. Just the other day we were thrilled to see an Ocarina of Time Link in the wild and fought the urge to snap it up immediately. What started out as ‘okay – just a couple of the ones we really like’ has ballooned into a collection which threatens the structural integrity of our Billy bookcase. Of course we were going to get Chibi-Robo and the squidgy Metroid, and we’d snap Nintendo’s hand off at the wrist to get that Japan-only Qbby amiibo for a sensible price, though did we really need Duck Hunt dog? Our shelf contains several fringe characters purely because they were cheap, or worse, they were rare.
You could argue that other brands don’t enjoy the broad cross-generational appeal of Nintendo’s beloved characters and IP. Skylanders are unlikely to strike a chord with many parents – as the plastic pouches filling second-hand bargain bins at your local GAME will testify – but Nintendo’s roster is recognisable to virtually everyone. It’s a valid point that unfortunately founders when you consider Lego’s timeless charm and Disney’s unimpeachable (and ever-expanding) portfolio. If Mickey Mouse, Buzz, Woody, Darth Vader, Iron Man, et al. aren’t enough to save a sinking ship, what dark magic fuels the success of a platform boasting Captain Falcon, Mii Brawler and, er, Roy? How are amiibo popular enough to justify twelve different versions of the same character? (Link, if you’re wondering – yes, that includes his lycanthropic form.)
One can safely assume that amiibo are surviving – thriving, even – purely as collectables. The wedding-themed Mario, Peach and Bowser figures comprising the Super Mario Odyssey series, for example, were arguably designed as cake-toppers for nerd nuptials in addition to the nominal in-game bonuses they offer. The overall sculpture quality means they look great on display – far better than any run-of-the-mill World of Nintendo figurine – so that’s undoubtedly a factor in their continued success.
In spite of amiibo’s healthy effect on Nintendo’s balance books, it’s harder to argue that in-game implementation has been anything but a disappointment. With no need for a bulky base, the fact that their Near-Field Communication chips interface with the controllers directly is a massive boon, but we’ve yet to see any truly innovative use of them in software. Even notable examples of integration are hardly ground-breaking and anecdotal evidence suggests that many players simply don’t bother scanning them anyway. Smash Bros. – the driving force behind the majority of the amiibo line – is a case in point: training amiibo fighters that ape your fight-style is a diverting little extra and the idea of pitting them against a mate is fun, but the novelty wore off quickly. The handful of bespoke challenge levels they unlocked in the original Splatoon led to some exclusive swag, although we don’t recall if we completed them all, and we’re not digging the Wii U out of the loft to check. In Super Mario Maker they handily gave you immediate access to the corresponding 8-Bit costume, but those could be earned through normal gameplay. Other instances of decent implementation exist, but it’s nothing terribly interesting or game-changing.
In fact, you could say that for space-conscious gamers with families, NFC functionality and gameplay value – however notional it may be – works more as a psychological justification to purchase. It’s an easier sell to yourself and loved ones alike when you can claim these attractive bits of plastic also enhance the games. Their compatibility with multiple titles is another win; even the ones you’re on the fence about might end up on your shelf if they unlock a natty costume in Mario Kart 8. Hardly essential, but neat enough to rationalise throwing down a tenner.
Conversely, there are plenty of examples where amiibo support feels like more trouble than it’s worth. Wii U’s insipid Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival was developed mainly to encourage the company to make amiibo for that series – and for that we’re thankful. The actual game, though, was a turgid snorefest. Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge on Wii U and 3DS was another stab at a bespoke title which fell flat, though at least that was a free downloadable offering.
Perhaps the problem lies in Nintendo’s unwillingness to use amiibo for anything more than cosmetic items or minor rewards. The company’s approach has been sensible for the most part – any variant of a character (Dr Mario or 8-Bit Mario, for example) will unlock character-specific bonuses. Of course, gating significant content behind them (like, say, proper dungeons in a Zelda game) would be a sure-fire way to provoke ire from the fanbase, and Nintendo hasn't taken that road.
Admirable as it is, this approach does hamstring creativity somewhat if designers must constantly work on the basis that players have nothing but the base game. A sensible choice, yes, but it leaves an enormous amount of untapped potential on the drawing board, and after seeing the sheer creativity on display with things like Labo, surely there’s some outrageous, outside-the-box idea that could make use of the millions of amiibo sitting on shelves across the globe. It’s unthinkable that Amiibo Festival and Mario Party are really the best Nintendo can do.
At the very least they should be providing added value to your system. Why don’t they unlock custom themes or skins on your 3DS or Switch? Is a simple colour scheme asking too much? How about a simple chess game? Board games have enjoyed a huge renaissance over the last decade, both digital and physical. Imagine a Dungeons & Dragons-style campaign, for example, where your character stats and choices are stored in your amiibo. What about some sort of Labo tie-in where you can use the figures in your own Toy-Con creations? Remember the oversized Yarn Yoshi or that monstrous Guardian amiibo? Why weren’t they tied into some exclusive DLC – something meatier than a boss-rush challenge dungeon? We’re not promoting the idea of excluding players, but packing amiibo with the software ensures everybody’s on the same page and opens the door to more interesting interactions and gameplay possibilities.
We’re just spitballing – Nintendo’s boffins could surely come up with something that utilised all those latent NFC chips in the wild. The company is adept at finding new and interesting ways to repurpose older tech. Think how some simple motion tech started the Wii revolution, or how Pokémon revitalised the ageing Game Boy. In fact, Pokémon is the perfect vehicle to refresh the amiibo concept. Remember Pokémon Rumble U? Its capsule toy concept died on the vine, but for one hot minute, those tiny pre-amiibo figurines seemed to indicate the direction Nintendo would take with NFC.
The sheer number of monsters in the franchise makes our once-imagined toys-to-life/Pokemon RPG crossover impractical now – obviously, you’re not going to carry all those figures around with you, and the reality of finding the right one and constantly tapping it to the reader would soon become a chore – but the franchise seems ripe for a trading card crossover using the amiibo cards we saw for Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Unlike Animal Crossing, direct control over the Pokémon brand lies with The Pokémon Company (of which Nintendo is joint owner), so there may be a couple more legal hoops to jump through, but if there's one thing The Pokémon Company likes more than Pocket Monsters, it's cold hard cash. Switch sales are incredibly healthy and, unlike the 3DS family, every single console (or more accurately, every right Joy-Con) has an in-built NFC reader, so the player base is primed.
It’ll be interesting to see what amiibo integration Pokémon Switch has in store. At the very least, it seems we’ll be seeing the Gen 1 starters in Smash amiibo form, and once again we’ll snap them up because, at the very least, they’ll be cute little figures. There’s so much untapped potential in them, though, and following Switch’s success, it’s still not too late to unlock it.
Comments 89
I feel like the opportunity was missed a bit. Use them as physical dlc. Preferably offering the actual dlc on the eshop as well. Best of both worlds, but Nintendo makes a tidy profit selling to everyone
Amiibo was only ever created to mitigate losses while the Wii U/3DS were underperforming and hemorrhaging money. Once the Switch took off and brought Nintendo back to Wii/DS-esque profits, their desire to drive Amiibo sales beyond the occasional new figurines/restocks ended.
The first time I went to buy the first generation of amiibos, I only wanted 3 or 4. But come on, I went out of that store with 10 amiibos. Because.. who can buy Mario without Peach... and Peach without Luigi... and that Pikachu looks cute ... that Ness is rare .... Mario without DK? ... Cap Falcon completes the collection ... Marth? Ok why not?
And without knowing it I have spent around $1,500-$2,000 bucks out of amiibos, easily.
I mean, I love Nintendo’s characters. At this point I don’t care about the DLC. I just love the figurines. And Im not the only one
My only issue with Amiibo is that Nintendo hasn't used them MORE. I can't believe there haven't been Amiibo Pokemon cards. Or a Mii-Plaza type adventure game with Amiibo. I think it is a right shame that there isn't Amiibo functionality built into every major game on Switch. While I wouldn't want any pay-to-win features or things like that locked behind Amiibo, I think they could do a lot more with them than they have.
That said, as collectibles they are some of the absolute best you can get for the price. Very high quality figures from a wide range of games.
I have a few amiibo that sit on my shelf and collect dust, but I don’t really care about them that much. My kids have a ton, but they’re all in a bag in a my son’s closet, and we haven’t bought any new ones for years. I don’t see any reason for Nintendo to do anything more with amiibo than they already do. I hate the thought of content being locked behind a certain physical object that may or may not be hard to actually purchase. Just having neat figurines that provide minor bonuses is enough, I think. There’s no reason to do more than that.
I used to buy them when I could walk into a shop and see them on a rack. The thrill has gone since the only way to buy them is on either a split second pre order, or a Japanese seller on Amazon marketplace.
The fact that amiibo is still around and selling is only because they are not being released in massive waves anymore. Selling a couple of them every year, spaced out months at a time makes it so they don’t clutter store shelves or people don’t get fatigued. That’s the biggest reason why I think series like Disney Infinity and LEGO Dimensions died out. They were putting out dozens of figures simultaneously, that required massive shelf space in stores and left tons of unsold inventory. Every time Nintendo releases a new figure, the ones released a few months ago are already gone. They have truly become a collectors item and not a massive slew of figures being crammed down everyone’s throat.
Just give us a polished high quality game in the vein of Skylanders/Disney Infinity that uses amiibo. I figured it would have come by now and I'm sure it would make a mountain of cash. I would probably buy more amiibo if they did something like that
I’ve got about 120 of them. I’ve long said Nintendo should have a massive dungeon DLC for breath of the wild where you need to use all the Link Amiibo to open it for free. Or pay a small DLC fee for those who don’t have them
‘Despite untapped potential’
‘Untapped’
Nice.
Honestly, I don't think I ever thought of them as being DLC or game altering. I've always loved the amiibo for what they are, cool figures from all my favourite games. I've gone too far LOL...I barely collect any nowa days but I love what I have. The BOTW collection are by far the best in my opinion. The build quality now is great.
The Pikachu amiibo has to be the absolute worst one. It just looks so cheap compared to the others. Like something you would get from a coin vending machine at a local laundromat.
I genuinely think that they should have had virtual Amiibo that could be earned and collected in every game that uses them. I don't think it would have stopped people from buying the physical ones they wanted anyway. Locking features off to people who don't want them just makes the majority proportion of customers feel like they are missing out on something which is not a great feeling to instil in someone who has just bought you product.
I can't speak for everyone, but I know that I would have still picked up the Metroid, Bayonetta, Guardian and Dark Souls Amiibo no matter what and I'll do the same with the Solid Snake one too.
I don't know if Amiibo are alive and well but most of the stores around here dont even stock any of them any more. Best Buy has a hand full and I'm sure Gamestop has a few as well but most have gotten rid of them or are online/pre-order only.
One may debate the potential vs actual application, but I still think amiibo survived because they remain good-looking interactive devices - specific unlockables in some games, randomized "free lootbox" unlockables in other games, "toys-to-life" in SMBFor and... er... SMBU. You can squeeze something out of them in a whole wide range of games you may own. Compared to that, Disney Infinity figurines were good-looking physical DRM for one game, further made optional when PC version introduced the digital store and codes.
And personally, I never saw Disney Infinity as a "toys-to-life" game - to me it was always a sort of Disney legacy's own "Super Mario Maker" or "RPG Maker". Only more topical in the light of how sparse Disney's tie-in games were becoming in the console space. I remember a tweet suggesting "just ditch the electronics and keep making figurines themselves!", but I would've preferred the opposite if forced to choose - focusing on the game itself. Of course, with Disney itself bailing out of game publishing at the time, that wasn't going to happen, and some rumours have it that the crossover nature of DI was an issue in itself due to cross-licensing hurdles among several Disney-owned megaproperties.
The Animal Crossing cards were probably a testing bed for Pokemon. I'd be shocked if the new game doesn't incorporate amiibo functionality.
I collected the characters I wanted, but never actually use them in games, I just love the look of them
I want that amiibo-theme idea to be implemented ASAP
I have almost every amiibo. The only ones I don't have, so far, are the unreleased ones (because duh), the Mario cereal box one, a lot of the amiibo cards, as well as the Mega Man 11 one which wasn't released in Europe because apparently there are no Mega Man/Capcom fans here, and need to find a decently priced one for importing (which is nearly impossible especially due to it being GameStop exclusive in the US, THANKS CAPCOM).
Anyway- despite owning almost all amiibo, I think it's dumb that they'd lock unlockables behind them because of how hard it can be to obtain these things. People have to use 3rd party solutions, which I think are probably illegal (not sure, so correct me if I'm wrong there), and it's absolutely ridiculous. They gotta start offering amiibo unlocks in the eShop as well or something like that, or just make the stuff unlockable in-game and just make the amiibo unlock things right away.
Also, fun as an amiibo-only game sounds, that just kind of exclused all the people who are unable to find these stupid things and I'd rather they not do this. ..at least, not again.
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. If they lock non-cosmetic DLC behind amiibo (Splatoon challenge stages, Samus Returns hard mode) they get pay-to-win complaints from haters. If they keep it cosmetic (Yoshi’s Woolly World, MK8) then people complain it’s not worthwhile or amiibo are being underused.
My fave uses thus far were Mario Maker (entirely optional but the costumes really helped support creativity) and using Bowser to help track down purple coins in Mario Odyssey.
As a lot of players here, I have a tone of amiibos who are missing tapped functionalities. Hope Nintendo have a remedy. They can easily release a free or a medium budget game for amiibo with all the profit they made by selling them.
It's a nice idea to lock paid DLC behind NFC but the truth is there is no security to NFC, these can be 'hacked' and manipulated by various software leaving people with easy access to Nintendo's software for free.
It would be cool if the new pokemon game had Amiibo support that linked to Pokemon Go. Most smart phones have the ability to scan NFC, you could take your pokemon with you to raids or level them up in the real world then take them back to totally destory some magikarp.
A great article!
Please, Nintendo, please give me a full-fledged game that makes use of my entire collection in a creative, engaging, and replayable way. While I try to make the most out of my enormous collection (130+!!), I feel like I’m missing out on a bunch of potential usage.
Maybe having, like @Alexface mentioned, amiibo-tied DLC that can be purchased or unlocked separately by non-amiibo owners? For example, what if a Link or Zelda amiibo unlocked a Hyrule Knigdom in Super Mario Odyssey? What about Pokémon amiibo cards that unlock a specially boosted ‘mon? What if amiibo let you unlock different playable characters in games like Mario Tennis Aces, Kirby Star Allies, Super Mario Maker, ARMS, Mario Kart 8 DX, Super Mario Party... Crossover potential is limitless.
While I will keep buying amiibo simply because they’re fun to collect and because I love how well-crafted they are, I hope Nintendo decides to implement them in thoughtful, creative, and off-the-wall way.
Just look at Shovel Knight’s amiibo functionality. It adds “Custom Knight,” which allows you to customize Shovel Knight both cosmetically and gameplay-wise. It’s perfect. Maybe Nintendo should take a page out of Yacht Club’s book...
I only got the Link Ryder Amiibo (alongside my copy of BotW and my Switch), and I have to say, it's incredible as a collectible, and the fact that it works with the game, makes it an easy buy for a die-hard fan. With that being said, I want to get only the ones of my favorite characters, like Captain Falcon, OoT Link, Snake. The rest, I'm not interested.
I have a pretty decent amiibo collection, maybe 40, and I see them entirely as collectables. In-game functionality has never factored into my purchasing decisions, I just like having little figurines my favourite Nintendo characters. Many are obscure characters who you'd never otherwise see in figurine form in my neck of the woods.
My only issue with amiibo now is that no stores around me stock them anymore, they're effectively dead here. Amiibo sections have been either changed to stock unrelated products or removed entirely. Even dedicated gaming/electronics stores don't bother with them anymore. Makes it frustrating when Nintendo regularly releases new ones that I know I'll never be able to get because retailers here have long since moved on.
I wish that Nintendo could put all amiibos into card format like animal crossing. It would be easier to carry with you.
I think the perfect way to do Pokémon amiibo is via amiibo cards. Easier to carry hundreds of those around.
I’m also thinking: pokebox amiibo as a mean of moving Pokémon from a game family to another.
For me the main factor of amiibo's success is that they are figures based on really popular characters. In-game functionality does have been a disappointment.
And I admit having bought some just because some store had a clearance. Those clearances aren't probable anymore, but I can see I'm attracted to Ice Climbers for instance, despite not having played the game even once.
I just hope I can buy a few I really want for its recommended price. But not all have been restocked. Where is Boo, for example? It's been several times its price on Amazon for a while now.
Disney Infinity 3.0 was awesome. It was a great streamlined way to experience Disney licensed properties. Sucks that it was cancelled as it was hitting its stride.
I think they've achieved exactly what they set out to do.
They couldn't make it so they truly added anything to a game, otherwise the amiibo averse that had already bought a full title would feel aggrieved.
They had to interact in some way, otherwise they're just figures.
For me, they're a waste of money, but Nintendo has got the balance right.
Agree with others though that it has been very underused for Pokemon.
I do like the multiple cosmetic uses amiibo has in games that a particular character is in.
Like you can buy a Fire Emblem amiibo and you know that virtually any FE game that comes out in the future will make some use of the FE amiibo you already own. Typical toys to life usually only work for one specific game and then designers are burdened to extend the life of that one specific game in order to sell the toys. Not exactly a sustainable business model if the use of the toys don't live on passed one game.
I have a ton of Amiibos and continue to buy them today. They’re fairly cheap, offer a small but descent amount of interactivity with games, and if you buy yourself some cases, surprisingly easy to store away. I typically have a handful lying around, either for show, because I’m using them or because it’s the characters from the games I’m currently playing. They just add a bit more flavor and interactivity with my gaming. Now where is my Pirahna Plant?
My favorite Amiibo? R.O.B....just because I’m an NES kid.
We all know a gimmick when we see it and Nintendo can see a gimmick as a cash cow.
Today's expensive merchandise is today's must have collectables and tomorrow's junk.
A plastic toy like the McDonald's gave-a-way that has a chip in its base and is sold for £15 and has nothing to do with gaming, other than profit for Nintendo. A gimmick that will have no relevance to future games.
Pokemon amiibo cards. Sandboxed Open world like Breath of the wild, but within the pokemon world regions. Online gameplay and hosted on massive servers. Connected gameplay online like Pokemon GO but if you use peripherals like the pokeball controller, it tracks your real life travel distance and can translate it to the travel distance within game. Pokemon rules. you can take just 6 with you and train and battle with them. actual pokemon in the wild. but if you win, the stats transfer to your actual NFC pokemon. Unique to you.
catching them in the wild allows you to catch them digitally, until you can take it with you via NFC card that you have on your deck. or through the pokeball controller. and send back to your professor. Integrated pokebank. potential is limitless.
I have five or six of them. I'm happy that they are still making them, and I constantly see new ones coming out that I'd like to have, but in the end they're just another little collectable knick-knack that I don't really need.
Unless it was also available digitally, the idea of locking significant game content away behind plastic toys is as anti-consumer as it gets. I’m very glad they didn’t go down that road.
I own 0 and I plan to keep it that way.
Still waiting for a skylanders-esque game where you can actually play as the characters themselves. Two party games where they are nothing but glorified board pieces doesn't quite count. Still, these are quality little collectibles and I adore the ones I have.
I honestly don’t know what else they could do with it. I think Amiibo Festival ruined my hopes and dreams bc honestly I don’t think it’s fun to constantly scan the amiibo to play the game. Maybe it was just a bad game, but scanning the AC character every time it was your turn left me wishing that I could just use the standard controller to press A instead.
I was surprised when using one on Smash Ultimate did not unlocked the character.
Seemed like the perfect opportunity to me. You have more than 50 unlockable characters that will come sooner or later anyway trough cheer playtime. It would be nice for the people with old Smash 4 amiibos to be able to play as their favorite characters from the very beginning as a small reward.
Bloody hell that Ike figure looks rough
Talking about amiibo surviving as toys-to-life kind of misses the point as Funko Pop is starting to do Pokémon figures.
amiibo are Nintendo collectibles. Full stop.
I have so many figures I don't tend to buy much amiibo these days, I've always only bought the ones I thought looked good over buying the whole collection. I know the dlc side of it has been majority light, but I prefer not locking out major content from the game, and like the figures as collectibles. Some of them decorate my office space at work and my coworkers have fun rearranging them.
I think the figures are of great quality and well-priced (pre-amiibo, good looking videogame figures tended to range more like $40+), so it definitely hit a needed spot in the market. I think the $13 price point was golden, unsure about the price increase
I love the figures I do have, and wouldn't mind buying more based on the figure (still waiting for ARMS amiibo)
10 points for the mention of the Billy bookcase!
I was only into Amiibos for a short while. I thought it was cool when they were introduced on the Wii U and I remember using them quite a bit back then, but that was then and ever since I got the Switch I noticed how I pretty much never use them anymore. The fact that the Smash Bros for Wii U series is the main time I collected them says a lot.
Here's my set.
Full collections for:
Super Smash Bros. series(original release)
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary series
The Legend of Zelda series
The Legend of Zelda 30th Anniversary series
Splatoon series
Animal Crossing series(didn't want to but they're Amiibos)
Yoshi's Woolly World series
Kirby series
Fire Emblem series
Metroid series
Shovel Knight series(got the Knight-waiting for the 2019 preorder)
Monster Hunter series(released on 3DS)
Other series(Chibi-Robo, Pikmin, Detective Pikachu-talk about big, Solaire of Astora)
No Qbby
NO Skylanders couldn't find myself liking it.
Animal Crossing card series(haven't opened them yet)
Here's the site listing all the Amiibos figures and card are at.
https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_amiibo
We’ve got six amiibos here. Like a lot of you, I’m seeing less and less in the wild being sold. The exception being a Target near us having a small display and GameStop used inventory. I’m hoping with the clearance on Animal Crossing amiibos, I can slowly keep adding more to our collection
As for their use in games, I wouldn’t have minded if they provided more than cosmetic rewards or replenishing your health. I mean, we all have our idea of what’s significant content. I’m not suggesting New Donk City be only accessed via a Pauline amiibo or anything that is necessary to progress in the game. But I wouldn’t have been mad if, for example, they released a Mario and F.L.U.D.D amiibo that gave you F.L.U.D.D in Odyssey and provided a different way to play, but not necessarily needing it to beat the game. I do understand that it might not go well with people who would like the extra content, but not the figures themselves.
I own every Smash Bros one released so far and a number of others. I’ve probably used two of them one time each.
Originally i kept hoping for a Skylanders type game but with Amiibos! Imagine all the Smash Bros characters in a dungeon crawler! Unfortunately as the years moved on so did my hopes of an amazing Amiibo game.
That "untapped" stealth pun isn't getting past me, Lane.
I love amiibo
The main draw to me regarding amiibo is that you can use them in multiple games. An amiibo game would've/would be interesting, but not having your amiibo tied to one game is great.
The other companies didnt push their toys enough; Disney in particular was sitting on a gold mine and could've capitalized way more. The design of DI characters were ugly as heck imo.
I love displaying my Amiibo collection. At least they are cheaper than Ridley statue from first four figures!
I think Starlink likely failed because the definite version of the game (the Switch version) required a mandatory download. The whole point of toys to life is to appeal to collectors and collectors prefer physical.
@Kriven eh, they complained about the free-to-play Mario Vs DK game which needed most of the then-available Mario-themed amiibo to play the majority of the puzzles. Could be avoided by making the amiibo usage not locked to specific amiibo though.
I've got to say...I kinda like the amount we get with amiibo at the moment. I know that might be unpopular, but I like that I can NOT use my amiibo and eventually get the sage things, for the most part. Personally, I've only got 2 amiibo at present. One is a Peach so I could get past a few difficult bits of Super Mario Odyssey I kind of couldn't be bothered working through, frankly. Yeah, little things like that...awesome. I might collect them at some point. I've resisted pretty much so far, but can understand doing that for just the figures themselves.
cant wait for my piranha plant and king krool amiibos to arrive.
It's too bad about Starlink. They were the only T2L series that felt like actual toys. So much so that could've run it as a toy line first. Just imagine, replace the controller dock with a powered handle that knows the attachments and played appropriate voice and sound effects with button presses (basically what Kamen Rider has been doing forever). Then turn around and go "those toys that are already around? Use this little controller dock and our tie-in game actually uses them!"
But they botched the launch pretty hard and wanted too much for more pieces. I didn't go after more until the drop.
Wish they offered a special outfit in Smash Bros. Nothing game changing but a reason to get the characters you play
How long will it be until the NFC chips start to “die”?
I think Smash has the right idea of what to do with amiibo, that being a personal CPU player. But expand on it by letting you use amiibo as a co-op partner for things like Classic or online teams, or even an online game mode to pit different players' amiibo against each other and spectate the outcome. They have so many games that are still 100% single player-only (for whatever stupid reason) where adding an extra AI companion wouldn't be along the lines of 'pay-to-win'. Unlocking special costumes, dungeons, challenges, etc. would also add reason to own them, but it seems Nintendo's just given up trying anything new with them at this point.
But here's the REAL question: When is someone going to combine the T2L fad & the Battle Royale fad?
@Kriven free to play but uses amiibo to progress is a brilliant idea
@Hordak Don't think NFC chips will ever fail.
amiibo are just crack.
@Luke937 @Rect_Pola what StarLink failure those physical parts aren't even Amiibos. There a few Fox Amiibos but not sure how you equate Starlink game parts with Amiibos of which the two are so different from each other. This is about Amiibos so you to are so far out in Left field no can figure how you came to be born.
Have a LOT of amiibos....and let me tell you, we used them a LOT in Breath Of the Wild.....so many free chests....a huge run before every game started. Also, the personalized USE for each Zelda amiibo...the Guardian one would give you metal boxes with guardian stuff, each other had it's unique stuff.....Used the crap out of them on Bayonetta 2, and most recently on Diablo 3. The treasure goblin gives you(and everyone on the couch gets to make their own run as well and you ALL get to share the run) gives you a trip through the treasure goblin vault. To say these things aren't functional/offer you good loot is not accurate. We LOVE the amiibos and the quality of them is pretty outstanding.
@Hordak "How long will it be until the NFC chips start to “die”
They'll be here long after you are dust and debris.
@purpleibby
"Have a LOT of amiibos....and let me tell you, we used them a LOT in Breath Of the Wild.....so many free chests....a huge run before every game started. Also, the personalized USE for each Zelda amiibo...the Guardian one would give you metal boxes with guardian stuff, each other had it's unique stuff.....Used the crap out of them on Bayonetta 2, and most recently on Diablo 3. The treasure goblin gives you(and everyone on the couch gets to make their own run as well and you ALL get to share the run) gives you a trip through the treasure goblin vault. To say these things aren't functional/offer you good loot is not accurate. We LOVE the amiibos and the quality of them is pretty outstanding."
It's those fanboys that are dissing the Amiibos because their consoles don't have them and man does that turn their bung holes. Wait the Amiibos might fulfill their dreams after all. lol
Toys-to-life is the stupidest retail phenomenon in recent history. Truly the Beanie Babies of the 2010's.
I laid back a little bit after completing the Smash Bros set with the odd pick up every now and then instead of that "OH GOD I GOTTA PREORDER ASAP BEFORE THE SCALPERS BUY THEM ALL!!!" fear I used to get. I'll get them all eventually, but in no hurry.
Course, now that Ultimate has expanded the Smash set, gotta start "re-completing" that collection. Sure they thankfully are not restarting from the beginning, but they are giving characters like Squirtle and Ivysaur their own figures.......here we go again.....
Amiibo are nothing to do with "toys to life". They're about owning and displaying some really high quality Nintendo characters in your home. I've only bought the ones I really like, with the most recent Ridley and Wolf, because Metroid and Star Fox are two of my favourite games. I only own the original Mario and the 8-bit one, only the BOTW Link on a horse, no Animal Crossing (only just started playing the game recently), and none of the less iconic ones like Wii Fit Trainer and Little Mac. Some that I bought were because they were half price, notably Diddy Kong and Ryu, plus spares of Samus, Fox, Falco and a few others.
I don’t care what functions they have, cos I’m a collector
@SwitchForce Indeed, the Amiibos are very functional. We have about 14 Zelda specific Amiibos we used during our Breath Of the Wild gameplay(including the awesome guardian one, which is very beautiful)....that's 13 chests and other drops...the guardian dropped 4 metal crates that had guardian weapons, parts all the goodies. Was a mother load each time. Again, the Diablo 3 treasure goblin vault is jewels and gold like crazy with tons of legendary/set item drops EACH RUN for both players....and each player got to take a turn opening the vault(and all players are included to go in)! Bayonetta's gave good rewards too. Cool thing about the Bayonetta 2 amiibo functionality, is that you get the good stuff and message for the two Bayo amiibos, but all of the other amiibos give you stuff too! So before each game we used about 35 amiibos to get loot!(whatever the limit per day was).....was super fun. The rewards are there, the quality of the figurines is top notch, and collecting is fun. There's no downside to Amiibos. Fun Fun Fun! I'm also a collector. There's a cool way to open the box if you're patient with an exacto through the bottom of the box plastic. All of our amiibo boxes are intact and saved with no tears and the amiibos can be put back in the box if you like! BTW, man I wish I had that wolf link amiibo...the wolf companion looks so awesome! CANNOT WAIT to see the Bayo 3 Amiibo and New Samus Amiibos for MP4(don't hold out on un ninty, they'll need their own!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qumXL6QfX_Q
Nice collectable tat I guess. Off on a slight tangent but I'm not enjoying all the limited runs of games being marketed as collectible. Almost like fuelling an economy of scarcity and increasing fear of missing out on their customer base. It used to be, that people collected stuff that wasn't designed with the intention of being collected in the first place. Strange reading this back to myself and have no idea if this applies to Amiibo, but I wanted the write this...so there!
I'll always remember the day I gave my amiibo collecting friend a box of cereal.
I'd just like amiibo to carry on long enough to fill some of those last few gaps in the collection of missing Nintendo characters.
If, when amiibo is all said and done, we have one for Dark Pit or Incineroar, but yet not one for: Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, Pig Ganon, Impa, Toadette, Samurai Goroh, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare, Jimmy T, etc, I'd be pretty miffed.
Why? Because they're the best in the buisness!
@HalBailman "Amiibo are nothing to do with "toys to life". They're about owning and displaying some really high quality Nintendo characters in your home. I've only bought the ones I really like, with the most recent Ridley and Wolf, because Metroid and Star Fox are two of my favourite games."
That's the point but those hatin on Amiibo couldn't come to understand it and never will. They can't seems to wrap their heads around comments like yours but keep spouting the same NintenDoomed propaganda that they live in. But then again the Amiibos will live long after they are gone so it's got no worries.
@big_bad_bob "I don’t care what functions they have, cos I’m a collector "
Only Amiibo collectors knows the extent of this and those Hatin Amiibos wouldn't know this.
I think the Amiibo are great! I have the 3 new Smash Amiibo arriving to my house on Friday.
The best use of amiibo in my opinion, is Mario Kart 8. It would be awesome for Nintendo to release an update for that game that added new costumes for another batch of Amiibo in that game. When I race, I almost always pick my Mii character and outfit him with one of the amiibo costumes.
Two other games that don't do too much other than cosmetic, are Yoshi and Mario Maker. Both of those get it right too. I loved scanning in the Amiibo into Mario Maker to see what the sprite looks like. In that game they had unique movements for each character sprite too. The down direction turned the Splatling into a squid.
@Luffymcduck That item was a missed opportunity. They should have at least made Mario eat a bowl of cereal in Odyssey when scanned or unlocked a giant cereal box costume!
I don't really collect stuff yet I've bought Isabelle, my only amiibo. She stands next to where I put my house key now.
@dkxcalibur "The best use of amiibo in my opinion, is Mario Kart 8."
The Amiibos can be used across many platform games not just one.
@SwitchForce Of course Amiibo can be used in other games, and I agree 100%.
I was just stating that "IN MY OPINION" the best use of Amiibo is Mario Kart 8. Nowhere in my post did I say "the only use of Amiibo is in Mario Kart 8".
@dkxcalibur not saying that either, just stating that Amiibos works in any games that uses it - it might not do the same on multiple games.
Wolf in The Legend Of Zelda, both with the Wii U remake and Breath Of The Wild is the best use of Amiibo. Having hearts in one game earned in another was cool. Hoping for more features like this. Don’t recall many whiners complaining about that one like they do with so many other features they’ve tried.
@SwitchForce Did you actually read the article? It was marveling that Amiibo is successful despite all other toys-to-life series had failed and died. Starlink was called out by name.
@SwitchForce I know, right? People have different perspective on things. Some people see amiibo as tools thus expect functions out of them (which is disappointing). Other people see amiibo as figurines, only expect them to look good on their shelves (which is excellent)
I never got into the toys to life figurine games. Amiibo on the other hand I was buying them up for my son... He decided to trade ,most of them and I was heartbroken. Only to find my favorite amiibo a week later Zero Suit Samus in my entertainment system. Now I have to get more because she looks lonely and they'll be mine, all mine..
@SwitchForce So just to clarify, you're saying Amiibos work in any game that uses them???? What's your point? Do you think that by me saying that my favorite use of Amiibo in a game is how Nintendo uses them in Mario Kart 8, that I didn't know that they're used in other games too? Did you think that I thought that Amiibo "must" be used in one way only?
Again, "in my opinion" the best use of Amiibo was how Nintendo used them in Mario Kart 8. This statement is my opinion. This statement does not mean that Amiibo can't be used in other games. This statement does not mean that Amiibo can't be used in other ways. This happens to just be my favorite way.
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