Do you remember when hunting for amiibo was something you didn’t have to plan for weeks, if not months, in advance? Yeah, we don’t either. There are murmurs going around the sporting community that amiibo hunting is up for consideration to be qualified as an Olympic sport in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. It is definitely serious business, and while the random restocks and individual releases of new figures are stressful enough, nothing induces more anxiety in collectors than “Black Amiibo Friday.”

We saw the first true Black Amiibo Friday back with Wave 4, when we had nine separate amiibo released on one day, with three of them being retail exclusives. Since that fateful Friday, we’ve had a couple of single character releases, but that was just the calm before the storm, as another huge release day is upon us. Heading into amiibo hunting unprepared on launch day is not recommended at all, even for trained professionals. Don’t worry, potential Olympic participants; Nintendo Inquirer and Amiibo News are here to help you prepare as best as possible for the 11th of September!

Hunting gear

Even if you have the best plan on paper going into an amiibo release day, everything will crumble around you if you aren’t physically prepared for the long hunt. There are several key items you don’t want to leave the house without. Running around to store after store will get tiresome, but so will standing in lines waiting for each store to open.

• H20 – but be mindful of a lack of restrooms when you’re waiting for stores to open!
• Snacks – Something to perk you up in the morning and give your blood sugar levels a boost, but nothing TOO good, or fellow hunters will expect you to share!
• Entertainment – 3DS is obvious, since you’ll be surrounded by Nintendo fans, but tablets can help pass the time as well.
• Headphones – No one wants to listen to whatever device your eyes are glued to.
• Cell phone – To keep up with the amiibo hunting landscape across the country.
• Hoodie/Jacket – Fall is approaching quickly; don’t underestimate chilly weather.
• Smash Supremacy T-Shirt – It may not improve your chances at getting the figures you want, but you’ll definitely be the coolest hunter in line.

• Trade bait – If you have any extra or doubles of rare, hard-to-find amiibo, take them with you and keep them in your car. Who knows, you may meet someone in line who would rather have the extra one you have than the one they grab ahead of you that you really want.
• Good attitude – Be pleasant, respectful, kind and friendly, to everyone you come across on Black Amiibo Friday. You would be surprised what a smile will do.

The game plan

This wave of amiibo releases may not be as big as the previous Black Amiibo Friday, but that doesn’t mean a solid game plan isn’t necessary. There are a couple of retail exclusives to be mindful of, and some highly sought after characters as well, so not having a strategy going into the hunt would be a horrible idea.

After checking out the store details below, you can also refer to this handy list of (estimated) in-store inventory stock numbers that /r/amiibo has compiled. The chart is very helpful!

Open: Most locations open at 7 a.m. Some stores are open 24 hours and allow you to purchase amiibo at midnight.
Exclusives: There are no exclusives for Walmart, unless you count the Modern 8-Bit Mario exclusively in the Wii U + Super Mario Maker bundle.
Stock: It is unknown what locations will receive which amiibo. No word on how many of each figure will be available.
Limit: Walmart has not set an official limit on amiibo purchases at this time.

Open: Target locations will open at 8 a.m.
Exclusives: Dr. Mario is an exclusive to Target stores.
Stock: Target should receive a number of each figure.
Limit: Target is limiting the sale of each figure to two per customer. (This could vary by location, however.)

Open: Toys ‘R’ Us locations open at 10 a.m.
Exclusives: Bowser Jr. is a Toys ‘R’ Us exclusive.
Stock: Toys ‘R’ Us will receive an allotment of all figures.
Limit: Toys ‘R’ Us generally limits one of each amiibo per customer.

Open: GameStop locations open at 10 a.m.
Exclusives: There is no GameStop exclusive.
Stock: GameStop is receiving a limited supply of each amiibo figure.
Limit: GameStop generally has a one figure per customer policy.

Open: Best Buy locations open at 10 a.m.
Exclusives: There is no Best Buy exclusive, but there quite possibly be a restock of Dark Pits in some locations.
Stock: Best Buy is confirmed to have a small allotment of each amiibo.
Limit: Best Buy generally has a one figure per customer policy.

Go home and create

Normally, we would suggest going home, relaxing and resting after a long morning of amiibo hunting, but the 11th of September also happens to the be the release day for Super Mario Maker for the Wii U. Treat yourself and all your hard work to an awesome game, start building some levels, and be sure to scan in all those new amiibo you professionally hunted down earlier in the day!

Download the official 11th of September Wave 5 amiibo wallpaper!

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