What’s that in the distance?
The sound of new amiibo. There will be several new figures hitting store shelves starting on September 11. The full list of amiibo launching that day is:
- 30th Anniversary Mario Classic Color (AKA, 8-bit Mario)
- Zero Suit Samus (Metroid)
- Ganondorf (The Legend of Zelda)
- Olimar (Pikmin)
- Bowser Jr. (Super Mario Bros.)
- Dr. Mario (Dr. Mario series)
30th Anniversary Classic Color Mario
The 8-bit Mario is special not just because it’s his 30th anniversary, but also because it comes out in tandem with Super Mario Maker for the Wii U. Super Mario Maker lets players use classic Nintendo game assets to create and play their own Super Mario levels. You can also play games created by other players. Super Mario Maker won “Best Family/Social Game” at E3 2015. Designing game levels is a challenging activity no matter what your age, so this could definitely be an interesting game to add to family game night. We’ll be reviewing it once it comes out.
The 8-bit Mario amiibo will unlock Mario in the game, and when you tap him on the GamePad you you get a giant mushroom power-up. There’s another version of this 8-bit Mario called the Modern Color variant. Nintendo apparently has other plans for it, and we’ll hear more about its release details later.
That’s not the end of September’s amiibo releases though.
On September 25th, Nintendo is releasing the Retro Amiibo 3 Pack, which includes R.O.B., Duck Hunt, and Mr. Game & Watch amiibo. In case you were looking for a sign that amiibo aren’t just for kids, this is it.
Nintendo has plans to release another 3 pack in November, this time with Mii fighter figures. Previously they released a 3 pack for Splatoon that included two Inklings, and an Inkling squid amiibo. The squid was only available in the 3 pack. It’s unclear if the amiibos in the Retro 3 Pack will also only be available in that bundle.
Amiibos have been wildly successful since their debut. Over ten million have been sold, and certain figures are often hard to find. Happy hunting!
