amiibo News
News Satoru Iwata Will Return as Nintendo Direct Host, Apologises Again for amiibo Shortages
Splatoon stock seems to be short in Japan, too
Nintendo fans following today's Japanese Nintendo Direct will have seen a new presenter in action, Morimoto-san. The younger face held his own, fitting in with the often formal nature of the Japan-only broadcasts, taking on the tough role of filling the shoes of our most regular presenter - Nintendo...
It's actually quite pricey
Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer remains a bit of an oddity, at least in the opinion of this writer. It appears to be a rather simplistic game in which you decorate homes to satisfy cute characters, adopting one small part of AC charm into one package. It's also a vehicle for the first range of amiibo cards, which will...
News Fire Emblem If Allows You to Build and Manage a Town, All Four Current FE amiibo Supported
Ten minute presentation video released
It may not be coming to the West until 2016, but Fire Emblem If is hard to ignore as a result of its rapidly approaching release in Japan. With two distinct versions - and a third arc available via download - it's a title ambitious in scope, expanding upon the excellent Fire Emblem: Awakening. Today's Japanese...
Video Obsession, Violence And Shameless Scalping - amiibo: The Movie Has It All
"How far will you go to complete your collection?"
The amiibo stock situation has been in the headlines for the majority of 2015, with Nintendo seemingly incapable of meeting demand for its highly-desirable plastic, NFC-enabled figurines. This has left many collectors feeling particularly disgruntled, as rare amiibo are impossible to find in stores...
News Amazon Confirms US amiibo Pre-Order Times for Wave 4, Splatoon and Silver Mario
One per customer, speed is everything
With more amiibo waves comes great pressure for collectors, with pre-order stock typically disappearing within moments of arriving. With scalping being particularly problematic Various retailers have tried to even the score and help dedicated fans get hold of the figures, and now Amazon in the US is joining in...
Weirdness Lorry Thieves Make Off With Splatoon Special Editions in Europe
These guys were pros
Update: Nintendo UK has now provided the following statement: We can confirm that the lorry transporting the Splatoon stock from Nintendo's European warehouse to GAME UK has been stolen. Included as part of this delivery was GAME's allocation of the Splatoon + Squid Inkling amiibo and as a result we are unable to honour...
Video Discover What Happens When Yoshis Meet amiibo In This New Yoshi’s Woolly World Trailer
Turn that cuteness dial up to eleven
Yoshi's Woolly World is only a month away from its European launch, which takes place on the 26th June. As we said in our preview yesterday, when you throw in the stunning visuals, quirky and charming design and a lovely soundtrack, it becomes apparent that Woolly World is the real deal - a game crafted with care...
News NPD Survey Outlines Bright Future For amiibo And Other Toys-To-Life Franchises
These toys mean business
Despite plenty of ongoing issues with stock shortages and sudden cancellations, we think it's fair to say that the amiibo range has been a fairly lucrative venture for Nintendo. Pre-orders for the latest wave sold out within an hour on the official UK store, and recent NPD Group findings show that this frantic interest among...
News This Is The Ultimate Way To Display Your Treasured amiibo
Aim for the flagpole
When you've got a massive collection of hard-to-find amiibo, you want to show them off as much as possible. Simply standing them on a shelf will do the job, but if you desire something with a little more flair, then may we politely suggest the Power A End Level Display? It's a replication of the famous flag jump from Super...
Update: now sold out
Update: These amiibo pre-orders sold out within an hour of publishing this article. Whether it's high demand, low stock levels or a mix of both, that's another wave of figures with pre-orders that have disappeared rapidly. Original Article: The waves of Super Smash Bros. amiibo keep coming, and UK collectors should certainly...
Rumour Customisable Mii Fighter amiibo Could Be On The Way
Keep a pinch of salt handy, just in case
Nintendo's range of amiibo toys has been a runaway success, shifting over 10 million units worldwide. It's hard to conceive of a way in which Nintendo could make the range even more commercially viable - aside from actually, you know, having stock - but this particular rumour has us thinking. An image has...
News Official Nintendo UK Store Bundles Fire Emblem amiibo with Code Name S.T.E.A.M.
Sneaky strategy
Capitalism has some simple rules, one of which is to balance demand with strategy; if something's rare then you can get more money for it, or use it to promote other goods. A notorious example was GameStop's insane 'Massive Bundle' for a Majora's Mask 3D New Nintendo 3DS XL, which had a price tag of $500. Nintendo's not quite gone...
Next two waves also dated
Following the recent US news, Nintendo has today announced the gold and silver Super Mario edition amiibo figures will be arriving soon in Australia and New Zealand. The silver amiibo will be available exclusively from EB Games from the 30th of May and is able to be pre-ordered from the EB Games website right now. With...
News Silver Edition Mario amiibo Hits North American Stores on 29th May
Grab one for $12.99, if you are lucky
Following hot on the heels of the Super Mario Gold Edition amiibo is the slightly less precious Silver Edition. This isn't a massive revelation, as they were spotted only last month on a Chinese website, but regardless this will come as good news to those who missed out on the Gold Edition... or simply m
Available at EB Games & JB Hi-Fi in limited stock from 21st May onwards
Nintendo is always looking to improve 3DS system sales and one of the best ways to achieve this is by enticing potential new owners with fancy themed bundles. Following on from the recently announced Splatoon Wii U bundle, Nintendo Australia will be offering a
News Don't Hold Your Breath On Those Marth amiibo Restocks
Figure reportedly limited to "1 to 2" units per GameStop store
Marth has always been one of the most sought-after amiibo figures since Nintendo's toys-to-life range launched a while back, but the company has tried to fix the stock situation and promised a new wave of toys towards the end of April. We're now in May and Marth figures have hit North...
News Nintendo Unable To Promise When It Can Remedy amiibo Stock Nightmare
"It is difficult to precisely predict the exact amount of overall demand"
Nintendo's toys-to-life concept - amiibo - has been a runaway success, with over 10 million figures being shipped worldwide and demand remaining robust throughout 2015. However, many collectors are beginning to question Nintendo's approach to amiibo, with every figure...
News You Don't Need A Yoshi amiibo To Unlock Stuff In Yoshi's Woolly World
Other figures will also be supported
Nintendo revealed some amazing yarn-based Yoshi amiibo toys recently, as well as confirming how they would work with the forthcoming Yoshi's Woolly World. Standard Yoshi amiibo were also confirmed as compatible with the Wii U platformer, but thanks to a leak of the Australian packaging, we now know that other...
News Nintendo Has Shipped 10.5 Million amiibo Worldwide
amiib-whoa
It's pretty safe to say at this point that amiibo has definitely proven to have been a profitable venture for Nintendo. While it may be that some figures are extremely difficult to find in stores, it cannot be understated that demand has been high all across the board; especially considering that, with new games being released each month...
News Official Nintendo UK Store Launches Splatoon Wii U Bundles with amiibo and a GamePad Skin
If you're happy to wait until June
Nintendo's clearly keen to make a success of Splatoon, as shown not only by broadcasting a special Nintendo Direct but also in the previous announcement of a Wii U hardware bundle for the game. It's a smart move, though the downside in Europe is that - oddly - the bundle won't arrive until 19th June, a few weeks...
News Updated Documents Point to Multiple amiibo Restocks for North America
Includes Shulk, Toad and Mario
Nintendo of America and amiibo have a complicated relationship - the toy range is a commercial success, but has also fallen victim to stock issues in the region that frustrate plenty of dedicated fans. Entire websites and Twitter accounts are devoted to tracking stock and pre-order launch times as the scrabble for...
News Nintendo of America Apologises for amiibo Shortages and Promises More Re-Stocks
"We understand how frustrating it can be at times"
We don't think any dedicated Nintendo fan would disagree that the company's had plenty of problems with stocking and distributing its amiibo range of toys. While there's an abundance of certain 'main' figures, some options sold-out at the pre-order stage and have never returned, while tales of...
News Fire Emblem If Box Art Confirms amiibo Support and 15 Years and Up Age Rating
Now we just need to find Fire Emblem amiibo in stock...
Fire Emblem If is already shaping up to be one of the most intriguing entries in the popular series to date. Though it's not due in the West until 2016, it's raising eyebrows with its approach to two separate retail releases + DLC for its Summer release in Japan, which will be combined through...
News Listings and Rumours Point to a Silver Mario amiibo Release on 29th May
In North America once again
It's pretty clear that the limited silver edition Super Mario amiibo is very real, with a sample bought from a Chinese auction site having been demonstrated in Mario Party 10. Its original leak was alongside the golden Mario that caused amiibo collectors to sweat over their complete collections, and this silver variation...
News amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits Bringing Retro Freebie Fun to North America on 30th April
Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition demo on the same day
For those in North America with a Wii U and 3DS that fancy some free gaming, the upcoming Nintendo Download update - on 30th April - will certainly deliver. First up will be amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits, the quirky Wii U app that serves up 30 demos of retro Virtual Console...
"We hope to be able to do a better job of satisfying these needs"
The life of an amiibo collector isn't easy - getting some of the figures is simple enough, especially if you're not picky, but when it comes down to grabbing specific and less common toys the going gets rather tough. Pre-orders sell-out in minutes and can often be left unfulfilled,...
News amiibo Tap Gets A New Title In Europe, Available For Free At The End Of The Month
Say hello to amiibo Touch & Play: Nintendo Classics Highlights
Nintendo's next free-to-play download is launching on the Wii U eShop at the end of this month in Europe, it has been revealed today. amiibo Touch & Play: Nintendo Classics Highlights - known in North America as amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits - is an app which works in...
Video Nintendo Shows Off amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits as it Launches in Japan
30 demos to get stuck into
One of the quirkiest uses of amiibo to date is amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits, a free download on the Wii U eShop that'll allow you to play quick-fire demos of Virtual Console games by tapping one of the figures on the GamePad. It's out today in Japan and Nintendo has released a new video that shows it off. As you...
News Tales of More Super Smash Bros. amiibo Pre-Order Woes and Cancellations Emerge
ShopTo among the offending retailers
While the release of wave four Super Smash Bros. amiibo is due in May for North America, the latest toys are set to arrive this week in Europe. Not that they'll be gracing store shelves, of course, as pre-orders sold out a long time ago, in many cases within hours of going live. Unfortunately we've had multiple...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Yarn amiibo Now Available for Pre-Order on the Nintendo UK Store
You'd better be quick!
We've seen lots of delightful amiibo over the past few months from the Super Smash Bros. and Mario Party ranges, however it's the yarn Yoshi amiibo figurines which tie in with the release of Yoshi's Woolly World on Wii U which really seem to be exciting collectors at the moment. They're amiibo made of wool and ridiculously...
News Custom Metallic Mega Man amiibo Will be Prize at Upcoming Super Smash Bros. Tournament
Trophy Rush
Super Smash Bros. players and amiibo collectors alike will have the chance to win a rather neat customized Mega Man amiibo at the Wizard World Comic Con in Las Vegas, running 24th to 26th April. A Super Smash Bros. tournament will be held at the event on 25 April at 1pm, with the winner walking away with a custom Metallic Mega Man...
Actually seems legit
Back in early February documentation was found for special edition Gold and Silver Super Mario amiibo, and after a few months of pretending the rumours didn't exist Nintendo of America confirmed the gold figure. A Walmart-exclusive limited edition in North America, it was released alongside
Greninja and Jigglypuff pre-orders go live today
Though the situation with stock and pre-orders for much-desired amiibo is still far from ideal, Nintendo and retailers have slowly been learning lessons. In addition to many introducing one-per-customer rules, outlets have started to announce when pre-orders for new toys will open, giving eager fans...
News Those Yoshi's Woolly World Yarn amiibo Are Up for Pre-Order in the UK, and They're Pricey
Holy Knit!
When it comes to amiibo, it's hard not to be charmed silly be the yarn toys that are being released along with Yoshi's Woolly World on Wii U. They're amiibo made of wool - let's just digest that for a moment... Of course, stock will probably be harder to come by than an original Call of Duty concept, so the race will be on. UK gamers...
Poll Is Splatoon a Blockbuster That'll Help Revive the Wii U?
We want your thoughts on its online play, amiibo and lack of voice chat
The Wii U has a small batch of highly promising titles on the way, though only one notable arrival is currently expected worldwide in the first half of this year - Splatoon. European gamers do have Yoshi's Woolly World to look forward to on 26th June, admittedly, but that title...
News Each Splatoon amiibo Will Unlock 20 Special Challenges
Worth splashing the cash?
The most recent Nintendo Direct broadcasts unsurprisingly devoted a segment to Splatoon, a major release on Wii U that's arriving at the end of May. Part of this segment was confirmation that the rumours of Splatoon amiibo were accurate, with three toys on the way - Squid, Boy Inkling and Girl Inkling. Clarity on what...
News Clear Display Cases Show Off amiibo in Style
Trophy collection
All Amiibo collectors looking for a good way to store their trophies are in luck. Play Asia has posted a listing for an amiibo Clear Case. The HORI created case is comprised of a shallow stand, deep enough to fit the Amiibo disk, and a clear, square covering case to show off the various fighters in style. The case is available in...
News GAME Launches UK Pre-Orders for Splatoon amiibo and New Wave for Super Smash Bros.
Let the rush begin...
The amiibo train can't stop, and shoppers in the UK have some more thinking to do with GAME opening pre-orders on a range of options - all of which are still available at the time of writing. First-up, pre-orders are open for the first six figures above - Jigglypuff, Dark Pit, Palutena, Ganondorf, Zero Suit Samus and...
News Nintendo's Official UK Store Opens Pre-Orders for Splatoon Bundles and amiibo
Inking out deals
Splatoon is an important upcoming arrival on the Wii U, with the new IP looking to win over Wii U owners and newcomers with its release at the end of May. Nintendo's official UK store has now jumped in well ahead of time with pre-orders for the game, including bundles with the special edition (with a Squid amiibo) and various...
News North American Retailers Confirm Super Smash Bros. amiibo Exclusives and Pre-Order Times
Details you need to know for a fighting chance
During its most recent Nintendo Direct broadcast Nintendo confirmed more Super Smash Bros. amiibo toys that are due in the coming months. It also confirmed a 29th May release date for wave 4, which will have grabbed the interest of ke
News Splatoon amiibo 3-Pack Will Cost $35, According To Amazon
Pre-orders opening soon
Yesterday Nintendo hosted a pretty action-packed Nintendo Direct, followed by a really entertaining Treehouse session solely based around the forthcoming Wii U title Splatoon. This Nintendo Direct was absolutely bursting with amiibo fun. With a brand new wave of arriving later this year and the first images of a
News Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. Update Will Speed Up Enemy Turns, More Stock Of Marth amiibo Promised
Fast forward
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is an excellent strategy title for the 3DS, but it's really handicapped by the slowness of enemy turns. Waiting for your opponent to move their units is a real drag, and makes the game hard to enjoy to its fullest. Thankfully, Nintendo is aware of this issue and during yesterday's Nintendo Direct confirmed that a...
News Splatoon Release Date, Modes and amiibo Information Splat Into View
Ranked online matches and three special amiibo toys
We've known for a long time that Splatoon would arrive in May, and it seems that previous - and hastily removed - official web pages were correct; the new third-person shooting IP for Wii U arrives on 29th May. During today's Nintendo Direct broadcasts we were given more information, too. To start...
News Yoshi's Woolly World Knits Up Some Release Details And An Adorable Range Of amiibo
Will release on June 26th in Europe, and 'Fall' in North America
Today's Nintendo Direct brought further info on Yoshi's Woolly World, the latest platforming title to feature our egg-tossing hero, and went into some detail on two different difficulty modes to suit players of all skill levels. 'Classic' mode will have a similar feel to traditional...
News Mario Kart 8 Animal Crossing DLC Pack Brought Forward to April, More amiibo Outfits on the Way
Track changes with the real-world seasons
Mario Kart 8 was saved for the finale of today's Nintendo Direct broadcasts, and with good reason. Satoru Iwata unveiled a free update that'll introduce a 200cc mode, but we also got more details on the upcoming Mario Kart 8 X Animal Crossing DLC pack and additional amiibo support. To start with the DLC...
News Welcome to amiibo Tap, Nintendo's Retro Box Of Chocolates
Use your amiibo to unlock "Nintendo’s Greatest Bits"
Today's Nintendo Direct held a neat surprise for fans of the company's amiibo toy range. amiibo Tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits is a free downloadable title which uses amiibo figures to unlock snippets of classic Nintendo titles. Tapping an amiibo unlocks a 3 minute "scene" from a range of retro...
Video New Nintendo TV Commercial Focuses on amiibo and Support for Multiple Games
Mention of Yoshi's Woolly World makes us hope for a release soon
We're finally getting to the stage that, beyond the inevitable 'rare' figures, amiibo toys are readily available in various stores. They may not often be the figures that die-hard collectors want the most, but there's decent stock of standard characters to catch the eyes of shoppers...
Video Marvel At The Fabulous amiibo Unlocks In Style Savvy Sequel, Girls Mode 3
Accessorise with a Kirby handbag, darling
The latest entry in Girls Mode series (known locally as Style Savvy or New Style Boutique depending on where you live) will strut its stuff on the catwalk later this month when it debuts in Japan on 16th April. As with all of Nintendo’s current releases, Girls Mode 3: Kira Kira Code will receive the...
Breaking out of bundles
The Super Mario series of amiibo toys has, in some cases, been just as hard to find as the Super Smash Bros. run, though gamers in Europe have at least had options with the full range. While the Mario toy has been for sale individually and as part of a Mario Party 10 bundle in PAL territories, in North America this figure has...
Parent Trap Mario Party amiibo Toys Get Both Genders Battling
Family Gamer's Andy Robertson talks Toys to Life
While my family have well and truly been bitten by the deadly amiibo collecting bug, until now this had been the territory of my two boys rather than my daughter. Although we all play Super Smash Bros. she rarely gets the game out herself. However, the arrival of Mario Party 10 and the related Super...
News Collector Cases for amiibo Secure Kickstarter Funding
They're just customised plastic, but they work
For collectors and those that enjoy getting a little more out of key Nintendo releases, amiibo have been a revelation. Keeping them safe and in good condition is a challenge though, along with the decision of whether to unbox them, keep them in their packaging or to unpack carefully for the best of both...
Video Using amiibo With Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Toad has never looked cuter!
Last week, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker received an update to make it compatible with the recently-released Toad amiibo figure, and the result is quite a fun little minigame where you must find a tiny Pixel Toad in each of the game's levels. It's strangely addictive and brings new life to the game, which is exactly...
News Style Savvy Sequel Lets You Accessorize With Your amiibo Figures
19,000 different types of clothing promised, too
If you're a Style Savvy fan (or New Style Boutique, depending on where you happen to reside) then you'll be glad to hear that Girls Mode 3: Kira Kira Code will soon be out in Japan - on April 16th, 2015 to be exact. In case you've never heard of the name, Girls Mode is the Japanese title for Style...
Rising to $15.99 CAD from April 1st
Nintendo's toys-to-life concept has been a roaring success, despite stock shortages and the nefarious actions of re-sellers online. However, if you're in Canada you'll need to dig a little deeper next time you go shopping for that elusive amiibo figure, as Nintendo's office in that territory has decided to raise...
Video Mario Party 10's Bowser Party & amiibo Party Modes
Take a look at the new modes in Mario's latest celebration!
Mario Party 10 is upon us, and after so many entries you'd think Nintendo wouldn't have anything more to add to the formula. Enter Bowser Party and amiibo Party, two modes that make the most of some of the Wii U's hardware features to shake up the Mario Party formula. In Bowser Party, one...
Video Here’s How amiibo Will Work in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Hide ’n’ seek
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was a perfect example of a “Budget AAA" title done right. For a cheaper price tag than the average Nintendo release, it expanded upon a unique, camera-centric puzzle mechanic with light platformer elements and offered up a creative, surprisingly content-heavy package. We awarded it an 8/10 in our...
News Nintendo to Host Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Tournaments in Japan, but for amiibo Only
Leave your pads at home...
Starting this Saturday (14th March), Nintendo is holding a series of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournaments across Japan, with the first wave of matches being held in video game and toy stores in the Chiba prefecture, Osaka, and Ibaraki prefecture. However, Nintendo has thrown a spanner in the works, for these...
News Splatoon eShop Listing Continues Speculation of amiibo Support
Kudos for a dramatically filmed Vine
Late last week we shared a rumour that Splatoon will have its own range of amiibo, with listings from a South African retailer emerging to that effect. We used the rumour tag along with a few buckets of salt, but it was fun to consider how amiibo could be used in the title. A fan keen to see amiibo support for...
Video This Rap Perfectly Sums Up The Roller-Coaster Ride That Is amiibo Collecting
The pain is real
Nintendo's amiibo toys have been a real hit with consumers, but issues with stock have thrown up some proper headaches for fans. Demand for figures has been incredible - in many cases outstripping available stock - and some of the more collectable ones are now fetching insane prices online. A great many of you reading this right...
Poll Which 2015 Nintendo Blockbusters Should Have amiibo Support?
A welcome extra or occasional option?
Since the launch of the first 'wave' alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U in November 2014, Nintendo's wasted little time in promoting and expanding amiibo. Continual waves have continued to take us towards coverage of the full cast in the brawling title, while an upcoming Super Mario range will accompany Mario...
Rumour South African Retailer Lists Greninja, Jigglypuff and Splatoon amiibo for May Release
Prepare a bucket of salt
It's pretty obvious that Nintendo's keen to make the most of amiibo, through including NFC support in the New Nintendo 3DS and lining up a host of figures for future arrivals in stores. With that in mind a rumour started by a South African retailer listing is plausible, albeit we urge caution due to the somewhat random...
"Preorders are just a part of the Mario amiibo Gold Edition story"
The Super Mario amiibo Gold Edition has been the latest desirable Nintendo product to sell out rapidly online, with pre-orders disappearing almost as fast as they appeared. That may have led some in North America that want the limited edition amiibo to give up or consider over-priced...
News New amiibo Stock for Villager, Captain Falcon and Little Mac Heading to Japan in May
Reacting to demand
In Nintendo's recent Investor Q & A it was emphasized that, in addition to amiibo cards coming this year, particularly popular figures would have additional manufacturing runs in an attempt to meet demand. Just this week Nintendo of America announced more Marth stock on the way, and now Nintendo has confirmed a few key toys...
Weirdness Fan Creates Custom amiibo of Sonic Characters
They're comin' at the speed of sound...
It really doesn't seem like the custom amiibo hype train will put on the brakes anytime soon, with new figures and high demand still prominent. Fans have also gone from giving the existing Nintendo NFC figures a total paint job, to creating their own using toys of both actual Smash Bros. characters and others...
Weirdness An amiibo Fan is Living the Dream With This Goku Figure
Dragon Ball is the talk of the town
Dragon Ball is a hot topic right now, with the recent release of Dragon Ball XenoVerse being much-discussed over on our sister-site Push Square, with high interest and sales being accompanied by some inevitable issues with online servers. When you take a hugely popular franchise and mash-up a range of its...
News More Marth amiibo Stock Heading to North America in Late April
Count the days
Nintendo's well aware of the stock issues with some amiibo figures, even if it's not actually able to resolve some of the problems affected the toys' availability in stores. We expect amiibo in card-form later this year, and some key figures will get additional runs of stock to meet demand, though we suspect it'll be difficult for the...
Weirdness eBay Trolls amiibo Fans With Gold Mario Tweet
Unbelievably stupid and from the official account
It's old news, at the moment, that whenever Nintendo announces a limited edition product the following will happen - online pre-orders will sell out in minutes, and scalpers will sell the goods (often pre-orders, not the actual product) on eBay. It's an unescapable reality at present, though we did...
Yep, Super Mario amiibo - Gold Edition pre-orders are flooding eBay
Today brought a familiar turn of events in the realm of amiibo and anything that's 'limited edition' of late from Nintendo. The best-known toy secret was announced with confirmation of Walmart exclusivity for the Super Mario amiibo - Gold Edition, and then they were gone before...
Standard Mario Party 10 amiibo available with the game for a 'limited time'
Earlier this year a Gold Mario amiibo was leaked, and a subsequent image of Walmart advertising suggested it was going to be exclusive to the retailer in the US. As retailers have been known to get it wrong there was still a slight chance that wouldn't be the case, but...
News Iwata Doesn't Feel amiibo Has Shown Its Full Potential Yet
"amiibo will become a precious possession for our consumers"
Nintendo's take on the "toys to life" concept - amiibo - has been a roaring success, even if the lack of stock has proven to be an annoyance for serious collectors. The figures are selling well and consumer awareness is high - and, with the introduction of the New Nintendo 3DS, the number...
Feature Tales From the Front Line of amiibo Collecting
The good, the bad and the ugly
Nintendo's amiibo have been a hit at retail, with around 5.7 million sold through January, and counting. Yet that sales success doesn't mean that supply is plentiful, and for the most eager of fans collecting some of the toys - particularly those that are a little most niche - have been a tale of endurance. This wasn't...
Pre-order customers aren't all feeling it
Update: Nintendo UK has provided us with the following statement on the issue of cancelled Shulk amiibo pre-orders. Nintendo UK can confirm that the Nintendo Official UK Store has had to cancel a very limited number of pre-orders for the Shulk amiibo. Nintendo is in the process of contacting those...
News Amazon UK Delays Some Shulk Pre-Orders to Later in the Year
Offers £2 in credit, break out the bunting
We apologise for being the bearers of bad news, but that seems to be the trend with amiibo pre-orders and shipments. While some have been lucky enough in recent days to get hold of a Shulk amiibo, it's proving problematic for many others, with delayed or cancelled pre-orders doing the rounds. Amazon UK is...
News Nintendo España Appears to Confirm Super Mario amiibo for Rosalina, Donkey Kong and Wario
Picking up on previous speculation in Japan
Update: Nintendo España has, unsurprisingly, now informed Nintenderos that this press release was in error; we've also received a similar message after enquiring on this with Nintendo UK. As suggested below there have been instances like this out of Nintendo's Spanish divisions in the recent past, so...
News Nintendo Will Replenish amiibo Supplies in Australia & New Zealand Over the Coming Months
Some figurines will be sourced from other regions
The sheer demand for Nintendo’s amiibo figurines has been unprecedented since they were released in stores late last year. Being able to provide an array of unique gaming experiences across multiple titles including Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Mario Kart 8, and Hyrule Warriors, the 29 currently...
News Reported GameStop Memo Shows Massive Delay in Delivering Some amiibo Pre-orders
Hope you're patient for heavy hitters
If you love amiibo, then odds are good you have been hurt by amiibo - or the lack thereof. Those odds seem even higher if you live in North America, where you're lucky to have even laid eyes on certain figures in the wild, let alone purchase them. Some are speculating that a port strike on the west coast of the...
News Gold Mario amiibo Set to Shine as Walmart Exclusive in North America
What about Europe?
Not long ago a credible rumour emerged of Gold and Silver Mario amiibo toys being prepared for sale, with web pages discovered showing documentation for health and safety testing on these figures, specifically in the Super Mario design. The pages related to Nintendo of America, and it now seems that the gold figure is certainly on...
Reaction Satoru Iwata Holds Off on Major Announcements as Investors Appear Settled
A comfortable, unremarkable Investor Briefing
As those that follow Nintendo closely know only too well, major announcements and shocks aren't just reserved for E3 and the occasional Nintendo Direct. The company has a habit of dropping major news like it's a minor affair, and in the past couple of years has also reserved some notable news for...
News Card Format amiibo Confirmed to be Heading our Way This Year
Link proves to be the most popular amiibo, too
The recent investor briefing has brought us a megaton of information on amiibo, including the news that Nintendo will be introducing free software with NES and SNES experiences activated through amiibo. Satoru Iwata also confirmed that a cheaper range of amiibo will be made available this year in the...
News Nintendo to Introduce Free Software With NES and SNES Experiences Activated Through amiibo
North America shown to be dominant in amiibo shipments
Nintendo's Investor Briefing and Q & A is underway after its postponement of a couple of weeks, and Satoru Iwata's Presentation has been uploaded to the company's Japanese website. It's heavily focused on sales patterns rather than outlining new products or core strategies, but one new...
News Mario Party 10 Official Website Prompts Speculation of Three New Super Mario amiibo Figures
New versions of Rosalina, Donkey Kong and Wario
Nintendo has launched a pretty substantial website in Japan for Mario Party 10, which arrives on Wii U rather soon, and some details and images have prompted speculation that more unannounced Super Mario range amiibo toys are on the way. As you can see in the image below special boards for Rosalina,...
News Meta Knight amiibo Hits Best Buy in US on 20th February
Expect a scramble for stock
The release trends for amiibo waves have varied per territory, though it's arguably been the most chaotic in North America, with formal release dates coming at late notice and plenty of instances where stock has vanished as quickly as it's supposedly arrived. Those planning on hunting down a Best Buy-exclusive Meta Knight...
Reaction Super Smash Bros. amiibo Support Shows That NFC For The New Nintendo 3DS Is No Gimmick
Part of a long term plan?
Today Nintendo provided a pretty meaty update for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, which adds some rather neat data sharing options that'll no doubt see thousands of Mii characters and funny images ping around the internet for our viewing pleasure. Beyond those additions of data swapping and Miiverse posts there was also...
News Super Smash Bros. 3DS amiibo Update Drops Tomorrow
Just in time for the New Nintendo 3DS launch
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U was the game which unleashed the power of amiibo on the world, but it's easy to forget that the title was preceded by its 3DS sibling - which still doesn't have support for Nintendo's interactive figures. However, that is set to change tomorrow as Nintendo is releasing a free...
News GameStop Pushes Back Some Wave 3 amiibo Pre-Orders
Cross those fingers
The next wave of amiibo figures is due in the coming weeks in North America, though like with those previous releases there are expected to be challenges for all keen fans to get hold of the figurines they want. Already there have been delays to Amazon pre-orders for the Mega Man amiibo and others such as Toon Link, with orders...
News Mega Man amiibo Pre-Orders Reportedly Delayed Into March By Amazon in North America
Some Toon Link orders also affected
The next wave of Super Smash Bros. amiibo is due to roll out in the coming weeks in North America, with figures such as King Dedede, Sonic, Ike, Sheik and more on the way. It seems that pre-order stock issues are emerging once again, however, with a number of Amazon customers receiving notifications that orders...
News Nintendo Fan Creates a Mewtwo 'amiibo' That Works With Pokémon Rumble U, Bids Pass $250
Puzzling, to say the least
Mewtwo is one of the Pokémon series' most popular legendaries. A powerful psychic type with an interesting and rather tragic background, fans have come to revere the Genetic Pokemon. While Mewtwo was popular enough back in the early 2000's to earn itself a coveted slot on the roster of Super Smash Bros. Melee, it was...
Rumour Nintendo Plotting amiibo Super Mario Collection Meltdown With Gold and Silver Editions
Surely not...
Nintendo's enjoyed some success with amiibo so far, amassing millions of sales and seeing demand remain sky-high on the Super Smash Bros. range, to the point that it's struggling to provide enough stock of specific rare figures. In March we'll see the Super Mario range join the ranks, of course, but it seems that there may be even more...
News GameStop Source Suggests That Super Mario amiibo Range Will be Available in "Abundance"
We'll see Nintendo, we'll see
When it comes to product launches, amiibo is full of contradictions. Millions of units - about 5.7 million - have been sold: that's great. Fans have been frustrated by low stock, especially of particular highly sought after toys: that's bad. They've been a success as fans can't buy enough, yet Nintendo's struggled to...
News Target Won't Be Restocking Rosalina amiibo, Selected Wave 3 Figures Won't Be Available In-Store
Target exclusive figure is likely to be in high demand
Amiibo - Nintendo's stab at the "toys to life" concept - has been a massive success in commercial terms, but the Kyoto giant has caused a lot of ill-will amongst fans by failing to meet demand and discontinuing figures almost as soon as they hit store shelves. Get ready for some more disappoi
News Super Mario amiibo Series Can Now Be Preordered On Nintendo UK's Store
Get ready to Mario party!
amiibo collectors will no doubt be rushing to their keyboards to preorder the latest Super Mario series of amiibo which got listed on Nintendo UK's online store today. The following six amiibo can currently be reserved for the reasonable sum of £10.99 a piece, delivered to your door: Mario amiibo
Weirdness Even Masahiro Sakurai Struggles to Get the amiibo He Wants
Master Hand is left empty handed
As you may be aware at this point, Nintendo has been doing a relatively below-par job of keeping amiibo supply up with the voracious demand. Whether this is an intentional ploy to drive the demand through the stratosphere or just a simple, recurring failure to accurately predict the sheer volume that the masses...
News Official Nintendo UK Store Limits amiibo Purchases to One Per Customer
Wave 4 pre-orders sold out, some wave 3 toys still availalbe
With this week's release - in Europe - of the first batch of wave 3 amiibo, the topic of stock and getting hold of our favourite figures is back on the agenda. A common issue - with rare amiibo and limited edition hardware - has been eBay sellers buying up goods to sell on at a profit;...
News Official Nintendo UK Store Kicks Off amiibo Pre-Orders for Wave 4
Re-stocks on Marth, too
Just last week Nintendo outlined its next line-up of Super Smash Bros. amiibo that's due in April, and with a certain Ness in the roster some of them will be fiendishly hard to get hold of. Those in the UK may want to hurry up, then, as the Nintendo's Official UK store is now taking pre-orders. At the time of writing...
Rumour Wave 3 amiibo Release Dates Revealed for North America
GameStop memo apparently shows that figures will arrive in waves
So many have been eagerly awaiting an official release date announcement for wave 3 amiibo in North America, rather than the vague "February 2015" that has been floating around; now we're finally one step closer. Earlier today, a Reddit user by the name of KingOfRedLions posted on the...
Talking Point Nintendo's Had a Strong Start With amiibo, But Evolution's a Priority for 2015
The Super Mario range doesn't stir the soul like Smash Bros., it seems
When it comes to amiibo we often discuss stock issues, and the fact that acquiring specific toys is akin to obtaining an interesting quote from a politician - difficult and mostly fruitless; yet there's perhaps not enough focus on the concept itself. Until last week its...
News GameStop Cancels European Rosalina amiibo Pre-Orders as the Scrabble for Stock Continues
Pre-order stock for upcoming wave also woefully short in North America
Wave three of the Super Smash Bros. amiibo is almost upon us, arriving in Europe on 23rd January and North America on 1st February, but we've just been reminded that - while they're lovely in principle - actually getting hold of these figures is a challenge in itself. A member...
Poll As amiibo Expands and Evolves, Which Features Are You Most Excited About?
Super Mario range, Mario Party 10 compatibility and more
Last week's Nintendo Direct broadcasts brought a host of fresh details on amiibo, taking us beyond the launch period's tales of Super Smash Bros. support, relatively minor features in Hyrule Warriors and Mario Kart 8, and the ongoing shenanigans of painfully limited stock. Well, the latter may...
Gallery Feast Your Eyes on the Super Mario and Super Smash Bros. Wave 4 amiibo
Bank balances, beware
In the first Nintendo Direct broadcasts of 2015 the amiibo brand played its part, with new figures announced to keep the action going in both Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, and a fresh range to make an impact in Mario Party 10. Many of the toys will support a wide range of games in different ways, but it's in these two...
News Nintendo's amiibo Website and Compatibility Chart Has All The Answers
Confusion and fan-made infographics begone! (Mostly)
With the amiibo figures - and upcoming Super Mario wave - becoming increasingly diverse in both the ranges on offer and the games they support, it's very easy to get mixed up in terms of which toy works in which games. Which games need to save data? Does it matter if I have a Smash Bros. Mario...