Celebrating 10 Years of Amiibo: Year Three (2016)

Welcome to Part 4 of Our Deep Dive into the History of Amiibo!

In today’s installment, we’re exploring the amiibo releases of 2016—a year that saw the introduction of new franchises, an influx of collectible cards, and some highly sought-after Japan-exclusive releases!

Raise Your Shovels!

The first amiibo release of 2016 came not from Nintendo itself but from Yacht Club Games with the iconic Shovel Knight amiibo! This marked a significant milestone as it was the first time an amiibo was developed by a third-party company. The Shovel Knight amiibo was just the start of a series that would expand over the years.

 

 

Using this amiibo in Shovel Knight on the Nintendo 3DS or Wii U unlocked exclusive content such as challenge stages, a co-op companion, and brand-new costumes. For fans, it added significant replay value to an already beloved game.

Despite the initial buzz, stock remained relatively stable, making it accessible to most fans for months after release. All in all, a solid entry from an equally solid developer!

Just One?

 

 

Just a few days later, on January 22nd, Nintendo released Lucas from Mother 3 as part of the Super Smash Bros. amiibo line. It was a bit surprising that only Lucas was released for the Smash series on that date, but it was certainly a welcome addition for fans, especially those who had been hoping for more Mother series representation.

Animal Crossing Takes Center Stage

Although Lucas was the only Smash amiibo release that month, January 22nd was also a big day for Animal Crossing enthusiasts. Nintendo expanded their amiibo card lineup with the release of Series 2 in North America, adding 100 new cards to the collection. Additionally, figures for Blathers, Celeste, Resetti, and Kicks hit store shelves. Unfortunately, these figures didn’t generate the same level of excitement as the Smash series, often sitting on shelves for weeks after release.

 

 

Later in the year, Series 3 and Series 4 of the Animal Crossing amiibo line would also release, bringing the total number of Animal Crossing amiibo cards to 400.

 

 

Personally, I found collecting the cards less thrilling than the figures, but I did grab a few packs just to experience the excitement of opening them. There’s just something satisfying about hoping to pull your favorite villager!

I Like Gold!

On February 23rd, a new gold amiibo hit the shelves, and it probably wasn’t one you were expecting. To coincide with the release of the Mega Man Legacy Collection, Capcom released a gold version of the Super Smash Bros. Mega Man amiibo. This exclusive figure was bundled with the 3DS game and for some reason, came packaged in a plain white box. Definitely unique, but in-box collectors weren’t really feeling this one.

 

A closer look at the generic white box that Gold Mega Man comes in. The exact dimensions as a typical Smash box. pic.twitter.com/qIcYcqhPfF

— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) February 23, 2016

 

To this day, the Gold Mega Man amiibo remains highly sought after, with complete-in-box versions often selling for around $100.

The Legend of Zelda and It’s Really Rad

 

 

The next major amiibo release in 2016 is one of my personal favorites. Bundled with Twilight Princess HD, the Wolf Link and Midna amiibo unlocked a special gauntlet mode in the game. But it didn’t stop there—this amiibo could later be used in Breath of the Wild to summon Wolf Link as a companion. If you completed the gauntlet mode in Twilight Princess HD with full hearts, you could summon a super-powered Wolf Link in Breath of the Wild. It’s still one of the best amiibo unlocks ever in my humble opinion!

Another Card?

 

Shadow Mewtwo amiibo card coming to Poken Tournament! pic.twitter.com/UPppi2gso1

— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) November 12, 2015

 

March 18th saw the release of another unique amiibo card. Bundled with the Wii U version of Pokkén Tournament, the Shadow Mewtwo card unlocked the character right from the start without requiring gameplay progress. While a niche addition, it was a nice to get an amiibo as a freebee. Honestly, after this release, I was expecting loads of games to come bundled with amiibo cards. Sadly, with the exception of a Japanese baseball series (We’ll talk about that one soon), that never happened.

Roy’s Your Boy! And Ryu Too

 

 

Another mini-release for the Super Smash Bros. line came on March 18th with the arrival of Roy and Ryu. By this point, the hype around amiibo had begun to settle, but these figures were still somewhat hard to find unless pre-ordered.

More Animal Crossing Figures

This mini Smash release was accompanied by a new wave of Animal Crossing figures, including Timmy & Tommy, Kapp’n, Rover, and a summer outfit Isabelle. While they didn’t fly off shelves, they were a nice expansion to the lineup. Not a lot more to say about these…

Same Characters, Different Line

 

 

On June 10th, to celebrate the release of Kirby: Planet Robobot, Nintendo released a wave of new Kirby amiibo featuring Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee—all with updated designs on dark blue bases. Unsurprisingly, Waddle Dee became the most sought-after figure, as he hadn’t previously been part of the Smash line. The designs were fantastic, with Kirby riding a Warp Star being a standout! In Japan, they also released an amazing diorama to go along with this release. Check out the video above as we assemble it!

More Splatoon!

 

 

On July 8th, the second wave of Splatoon amiibo launched, including a two-pack of the popular Callie and Marie. These were incredibly popular and sold out almost instantly. Nintendo also released a new three-pack featuring recolored versions of the Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and Orange Squid. While not as exciting as entirely new designs, they were still a nice touch.

Japanese Exclusives

Though there weren’t many region-exclusive amiibo, the ones that did release in Japan are now highly prized. On October 8th, Capcom launched three Monster Hunter Stories amiibo, including riders with Rathalos and a boy/girl variant, along with the adorable Navirou. These figures are some of the best-designed amiibo and remain rare collectibles today.

 

 

Two months later, a second wave of Monster Hunter Stories amiibo dropped, featuring riders like Cheval with Rathian, Ayuria with Barioth, and Dan with Qurupeco. Sadly, these never made it to the U.S., so be prepared to pay a premium if you want them! Oh yeah! Best of all, all the riders in this collection come off their mounts, so feel free to mix and match at your hearts content!

It’s Mario Time (Again)

In November, with the holidays fast approaching, Nintendo knew they needed a big hit. And what better way to deliver than by giving fans what they truly wanted? That’s right—they released Waluigi.

 

Wave 2 of the Mario series amiibo featured an all-star lineup, including Wario, Rosalina, a glow-in-the-dark Boo, Donkey Kong, Daisy, Diddy Kong, and, of course, Waluigi himself. The announcement of Waluigi’s amiibo caused absolute mayhem. I vividly remember the frenzy—pre-orders sold out almost instantly, and the community was absolutely ecstatic. Those were truly golden days for amiibo collectors!

One More Wave of Amiibo Cards!

December 2nd saw the release of the final batch of amiibo cards, coinciding with the Welcome amiibo update for Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the 3DS.

 

 

This update introduced new villagers and items, along with special crossover characters like Ganon, Wolf Link, and Splatoon-themed villagers. The Sanrio card set, which introduced Hello Kitty-themed characters, was also released in Japan but wouldn’t see a U.S. release until nearly five years later.

 

30 Years of Zelda

 

Nintendo closed out 2016 with a bang, celebrating The Legend of Zelda’s 30th anniversary with a wave of four special amiibo: 8-Bit Link, Ocarina of Time Link, and Toon Zelda & Toon Link from Wind Waker. This release was a fitting tribute to the legacy of the Zelda franchise and set the stage for even more Zelda-themed amiibo in the following year.

Stay tuned for Part 5 tomorrow, as we venture into the Nintendo Switch era of amiibo!

Leave a Comment