Amiibo are the latest addition to games from Nintendo and can be used with the Wii U and the New Nintendo 3DS for more interactive gaming and to unlock bonus packs from different games. Just because you buy a Mario Amiibo doesn't mean it can only be used in Mario games, some of these figures are compatible with a variety of different games. The Nintendo website is the best place to check out just what can be done with each Amiibo figure and the collectible Amiibo card sets. Keeping your kids content with a variety of different Amiibo characters to add value to games is an easy matter when you shop around for the best deals on the High Street, online, and in collector markets.
The first Amiibo figures were launched for the Super Smash Brothers game on Wii U, with patches issued simultaneously to support figurines on a variety of other games, including Mario Kart 8 and Hyrule Warriors. These cute figurines can interact with characters within the games and store data, as well as unlock different costumes and game features. In 2015 Amiibo capabilities were launched on Wii U and Nintendo 2DS, 3DS and 3DS XL, which allowed Amiibo figures to interact with these updated models.
Amiibo figures are collectible toys from Nintendo that were first released in 2014. These toys can interact with games on Nintendo 3DS console and on the Wii U. At present it's only possible to use one Amiibo figure at a time in one game, although you can erase the details from the figurine if you wish to use it another game. There are a variety of different ways these figures can be used within games, the types of interactions possible with different Amiibo figures include: bonus options, power-ups, accessing special features and different game modes.
The initial launch of Amiibo in November 2014 consisted of software updates and a variety of Amiibo figures, although the platform was also prepared to incorporate any kind of figurine, including soft toys, and cards for the variety of card games launched in 2015. By December 2015, Nintendo reported that 31 million Amiibo figurines had been sold and 21.5 million Amiibo cards from the Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer range, which was launched in 2015.
The Amiibo figures and cards can be used directly with the Wii U gamepad and New Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL consoles. If you want to use the figures or cards with products from the older 3DS range, you'll need to purchase an adapter.
Amiibo are very similar in appearance to the figures from the Skylanders or Disney Infinity ranges and are equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) so they can interact with games via the NFC readers on gaming devices. Each figurine is equipped with different capabilities, but will also store a range of data directly from the game within which it is used. The launch of figures for Super Smash Brothers in 2014 was followed by the release of figurines for Super Mario, these included Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and Yoshi. New releases followed from this date onwards, alongside trading cards and plush toys for the Yoshi Woolly World game. Activision also started to tie in with some of the Skylanders figures for the Superchargers game in 2015. Amiibo figures for the independent game Shovel Knight have also been released for use on Nintendo gaming devices.
Some of the different Amiibo characters available in stores and online include:
You can find a full list of the available characters, plus the ones that are going to be released, on the official Nintendo Amiibo website.
The Amiibo figures are available on the High Street at various retailers or online, and full instructions are provided with purchase. Tapping your new Amiibo figure close to the Near Field Communications Reader (NFC) on your Wii U device controller will unlock bonuses for all compatible games, but you may need software upgrades to access these. If you're using your Amiibo with the New Nintendo 3DS you just tap the NFC on the bottom screen to activate your new game’s features. If you want to activate features on games for Nintendo 2DS or Nintendo 3DS and 3DS XL you'll need to purchase an NFC Reader/Writer accessory to use these features fully.
Each Amiibo figure has different capabilities and features and will only work with the specified range of compatible games. Most figures will act as devices for saving game data and unlocking certain bonuses. Your figure can only be used within one game at any one time, so when you opt to use your Amiibo for another Nintendo game you first need to delete all the data contained on the figure. Some Amiibo work on more games than others, so you should always check compatibility prior to any purchase. The official Nintendo website is a good site to find out all the details on different Amiibo figures. Some games will allow you to play as the Amiibo character within the game itself and the Amibo settings screen on your Wii U console gives you the ability to link your Amiibo with your Mii.
In general, the games compatible with Amiibo characters will either support access to the NFC tag on individual Amiibo toys on a Read Only basis, which allows the toy to release added game content. An example of this is the Mario Amiibo which gives your Mii an extra racing suit when used within the Mario Kart 8 game. Amiibo with ReadWrite capabilities give added content and can also be used to save game data. The Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer cards and game are designed for ReadWrite capabilities.
How much gaming data can be saved to My Amiibo – Your Amiibo character can store the gaming data for one single ReadWrite game at a time. Please note, it's not possible to transfer game data between Amiibo characters. When you wish to delete the game data from your Amiibo, you need to access the settings on your Wii U system and select the option to delete Amiibo game data, you will then need to follow all the instructions on the screen. If you want to delete data from Amiibo and use the 3DS you need to access the “Home Menu“, by clicking the wrench icon at the top of the screen, then select “Delete Amiibo game data“ from the menu settings.
Will I need to put batteries in an Amiibo? – Amiibo characters are not battery operated.
Do I need to have Amiibo characters to play games compatible with Amiibo? – All Amiibo-compatible games can be played independently, without any need to purchase any Amiibo characters, with the exception of the party mode in Mario Party 10 which needs at least one of the compatible Amiibo toys to activate party mode.
Are Amiibo Region Specific? – Nintendo haven't region locked any of the Amiibo products so it's possible to use the figures and the cards on devices purchased anywhere in the world.
Amiibo have been hugely popular since their launch, pre-orders often sold out before the actual launch date and Nintendo have confirmed that there will be some time-limited products within the ranges which will be discontinued once they are fully sold out. Issues surrounding pre-order sell-outs and computer crashes online and at store checkout for new figures led to Amazon adopting a policy, whereby no pre-orders are taken on Amiibo figures and specific times are blocked for the exclusive purchase of Amiibo figures.
The scarcity of some Amiibo figures for sale in the United States was due to a labour dispute and resulted in some limited re-releases of rarer Amiibo figures in the United States alone. When the toys are launched in North America, New Zealand and Australia their sale is generally restricted to certain retailers only. This, coupled with the rarity of some characters, has led many Americans to import Amiibo figures directly. Some of the noted rarities in the Amiibo figurines that were initially launched include Marth, Villager and Wii Fit Trainer. Nintendo confirmed that Marth would be re-released in time for the launch of Code Name S.T.E.A.M. but will not comment on other rare toys.
The scarcity of some Amiibo toys led certain online retailers and High Street stores to raise prices above the recommended retail price and to even hold auctions for the figurines. Prices for toys can vary depending on the model specifications, for example Mega Yarn Yoshi is bigger than other Yarn Yoshi, with a price tag that's more than double to match. When it was launched the Mega Yarn Yoshi Amiibo was only available from Toys R Us and the price of the soft toy figure increased dramatically due to the fact it was in short supply.
Some of the figures were shipped out with manufacturing defects, which led to auctions on sites such as eBay fetching high prices for these bizarre toys, for example one Samus Amiibo had a cannon on both arms instead of the traditional one sold for $2,500 and a Princess Peach with missing legs went for $25,100. Some websites produce listings of the rarest Amiibo in the United States, with an idea of the kind of prices you'd need to pay to buy these figures from online markets such as eBay. So, if your Amiibo collection does become a drain on finances over the years it will be possible to sell the toys on at a later date.
If you plan to collect Amiibo figures you need to be aware that the Super Smash Brothers range features at least 55 models of Amiibo, one for each of the characters in the game. The 2015 launch of Amiibo cards was designed for the Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer game, which does not interact with any Amiibo toys, but cards alone.
Buyers of the Amiibo card sets also have some problems collecting certain characters and will often collect two or more cards for the same character. In this respect it's easy to see how an active market for swaps and purchases has developed, with online communities on sites like Reddit and Facebook groups. The rarer cards are silver and are highly prized within any pack, although it seems rarer cards may be location specific, and swaps or trades can sort out missing characters from any Amiibo card collection. The full listing of characters in the Amiibo cards collections can be found on the official Nintendo website. Card sets can retail from just a few pounds upwards, and may only contain a handful of cards.
You can buy games that are bundled with one or more Amiibo character and this can be a good way to begin a collection of Amiibo and to obtain some of the limited edition characters, which are not on general sale. Some of the games bundles featuring Amiibo compatible cards may include one or more Amiibo toy as well as collectible cards.
Some of the Amiibo compatible games include:
Kirby and the Rainbow Paintbrush
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Yoshi's Woolly World – compatible with the plush toys
Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival
A complete list of games compatible with Amiibo figures can be found on Nintendo’s official Amiibo homepage.
It's possible to buy displays and stands to store your Amiibo collections when not in use. Amiibo Card Collector Albums are also on sale. Some of the accessory retailers include Tesco, Game, Amazon, and the official Nintendo UK store.
Like all games and game accessories, children with a fondness for particular games are likely to want the new Amiibo as soon as they are released to the market. Different figures are launched at various dates in the year and will have features specific to their character alone. If you want to find discounted Amiibo and not worry about the latest fashions and trends, you can obtain the older figures and characters at discounted rates from stores and online retailers such as Argos and Game. However, if these are rare and collectible figures, don't be surprised if they're hard to locate or unavailable for purchase. It is difficult to make any definitive statements about the best times to buy certain Amiibo figures or cards, because collectors will want to realise their dream of owning a complete set and may need to buy from auctions and hold swaps online or with friends to achieve this.
When you have decided on which Amiibo figurines or card collections you wish to purchase, you can buy your products on the High Street at traditional games retailers, such as Argos, Tesco, Asda, and GAME. Alternatively, you can shop online with outlets such as Amazon. It's possible to find discounted figures on Amazon, as a number of different sellers market their products on the site. The entire Amiibo product range can also be purchased from the official Nintendo UK online store.
The best available prices for Amiibo figures and Amiibo cards are online at HotUkDeals. Our Amiibo pages are regularly updated with all the latest promotions so it's easy to keep track of available savings and possible to source some of the rarer and more collectible Amiibo.
