Amiibo Rewind – Player 2 amiibo have entered the game

Welcome to amiibo Rewind! Each week, we take a look back at an amiibo event or release from the past 10 years to celebrate 10 amazing years of amiibo. Today, we’re taking a look back at the short lived introduction of the Player 2 amiibo line of amiibo for Super Smash Bros.

The Long Wait:

For those of you new to the world of amiibo collecting, the Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta figures were among the most eagerly awaited additions of all time! Originally announced to be in development back in December of 2015, it took a staggering 16 months before we caught our first glimpse of these amiibo during a Japanese presentation back in April 2017. But, after a long wait, it’s finally official! The release date for Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta was finally set for July 21st, 2017! But hold on… What’s this…

Cloud, Corrin and Bayonetta amiibo announced via Japanese stream! Coming this July! IT'S HAPPENING! pic.twitter.com/CKchToZxeC

— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) April 12, 2017

To make up for the extended wait, Nintendo made an unprecedented move by announcing not just one, but two figures for each amiibo, introducing a brand-new category known as “Player 2.” Let me tell you, the excitement was palpable. I mean, if these three amiibo were receiving alternate versions with fresh costumes, surely Nintendo was hinting at Player 2 amiibo for the entire Super Smash Bros. lineup! Right?

Retail Exclusive BS

Blinded by the excitement of a brand-new line of amiibo to potentially add to my collection, nothing could dampen the amiibo high I was riding. Or so I thought. However, during the English version of the presentation, Nintendo made a quiet yet chilling announcement: some of the amiibo would be… (cue dramatic music) retail exclusive!

Nintendo has confirmed that some of the upcoming Smash amiibo will be retailer exclusive. No word on which retailers will be included! pic.twitter.com/r7vUroaYFu

— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) April 12, 2017

For those of you who weren’t into amiibo collecting at the time, the idea of a retail exclusive might not seem too terrible. But let me tell you, retail exclusive amiibo back then were synonymous with one word: pain. It wasn’t a new concept, that’s for sure; amiibo enthusiasts had been contending with the dreaded “Retail Exclusive BS” for quite a while. But nearly every retail exclusive amiibo from that era, whether it was Greninja or Ness, presented a challenging experience, to say the least. (Stay tuned next week for our retrospective on Wave 4’s Black Amiibo Friday.)

Smash Bros. amiibo bundle up for pre-order at GameStop. https://t.co/UQyY0MhRJg pic.twitter.com/jd2M7D7EFQ

— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) April 15, 2017

This time around, the standard amiibo would be released at all retailers as usual, but the Player 2 versions would be divided among three different retailers. Amazon would exclusively carry Corrin Player 2, GameStop would have Cloud Player 2, and Bayonetta Player 2 would be available exclusively at Best Buy.

Player 2 amiibo Finally Release

The long-awaited release date of July 21st, 2017, had finally arrived. I vividly recall walking into GameStop and Best Buy that day to collect my pre-orders, only to be greeted by lines of eager fans hoping to snag an extra amiibo on launch day. Unfortunately for them, this wasn’t the case. Nearly all stores had no additional stock beyond pre-orders on launch day. However, for those of us fortunate enough to have pre-order receipts in hand, it was undeniably a magical day.

 

Even though there were sporadic restocks of these amiibo in the weeks following the launch, they were far from sufficient to meet the overwhelming demand. At its peak, Corrin Player 2 alone could be found selling online for well over $150, showcasing just how insane the frenzy had become.

That is one expensive amiibo.

Disappointment

Now that we’ve navigated through the frenzy of the launch, all that remained was for us to sit back and eagerly await the next announcement for more Player 2 amiibo. And wait we did. Unfortunately, it never materialized beyond this point. Although we did receive a Steve & Alex amiibo 2-Pack, which could be loosely considered a Player 2 variant to some extent, that was as close as we got to witnessing a revival of the Player 2 concept.

 

Stay tuned to Nintendo Wire throughout 2024 as we celebrate 10 years of amiibo memoires!