Welcome back to our in-depth exploration of the history of amiibo! In our previous segment, we delved into the first half of 2015, covering the releases of Waves 3 and 4 of the Super Smash Bros. amiibo line, as well as the debut of the Super Mario Bros. amiibo series. If you missed out on Part 1 of our look back at 2015, you can check it out below!
Splatoon amiibo Join the Party
Yesterday, we covered Wave 4, which featured eight new Super Smash Bros. amiibo along with a special Silver Mario. But we left something out: a brand-new line of amiibo coinciding with the launch of an exciting new shooter for the Wii U. That’s right — Splatoon amiibo joined the fray!
On May 29th, 2015, Splatoon officially launched, accompanied by three brand-new amiibo: Inkling Boy, Inkling Girl, and the coveted Inkling Squid. While the Boy and Girl figures were sold separately, the only way to snag the exclusive green squid was by purchasing a 3-pack. Just like with future entries, scanning these amiibo in Inkopolis Plaza unlocked exclusive in-game outfits. While these figures didn’t quite match the fervor of the Smash line, the 3-pack was definitely in high demand for some time after launch.
Wave 5: A Unique Approach
Wave 5 of the Super Smash Bros. amiibo line didn’t stir quite as much chaos as the previous waves but did see a rather unusual release. This wave was split into two parts: 5A and 5B.
Wave 5A arrived in July, introducing Palutena and Dark Pit. Both figures were retail exclusives — Dark Pit was exclusive to Best Buy, while Palutena could only be found on Amazon.
Wave 5B dropped on September 11th, 2015, with a lineup that included Dr. Mario (Target exclusive in the US), Bowser Jr. (Toys”R”Us exclusive), Zero Suit Samus, Ganondorf, and Olimar from Pikmin. A few days later, in September, GameStop would also be getting the Retro 3-Pack, which included R.O.B, Mr. Game & Watch, and Dunk Hunt Duo! This wasn’t the first time we saw a three pack, but it was the first time we saw one in Smash!
While pre-orders for this wave went smoother than previous ones, each figure still sold out quickly. Dark Pit, in particular, caused headaches for fans, but fortunately, Best Buy restocked it several times before the end of the year.
Amiibo Take on a New Form!
At E3 2015, Nintendo showcased a plethora of upcoming amiibo, but the ones that truly stole the show were the Yarn Yoshi amiibo set to release alongside Yoshi’s Woolly World. Unlike the typical plastic figures, these amiibo were adorable plushes, adding a fresh twist to the lineup.
This was also the first year I attended E3. I vividly remember practically begging the Nintendo attendant to open the display case so I could hold one of the Yarn Yoshi amiibo in my hands. To my delight, they obliged! Holding the plush amiibo months before its official release was love at first sight—I knew I had to collect them all. They were in fact… Cuter in Person.
Cuter in person! pic.twitter.com/xflF97DPqx
— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) June 16, 2015
Though scheduled to release in North America on October 16th, the Japanese versions hit the market a full three months earlier. So, like any impatient collector, I imported mine from Japan. This wasn’t my first time importing an amiibo for early access, and trust me, it wouldn’t be my last!
September Brings a New Wave—and a New Form!
September was a busy month beyond just Wave 5B. Two additional amiibo were released alongside it, and once again, they took on a bold new form!
8-Bit Mario Time!
Super Mario Maker launched in North America on September 11th, 2015, bringing with it two new amiibo figures celebrating Mario’s 30th anniversary. The first was a retro-inspired 8-bit Mario amiibo, complete with his classic NES colors. This pixelated design made it one of my all-time favorite amiibo releases.
But Nintendo didn’t stop there — it also released a Modern Color variation with a vibrant red and blue outfit. The catch? At launch, the only way to get your hands on this amiibo was by purchasing a Super Mario Maker Wii U console bundle. Locking an amiibo behind a $300 paywall felt a bit… extreme. But surely, no one would buy an entire system just for an amiibo, right?
We unboxed the Super Mario Maker Wii U bundle with Modern 8-Bit Mario & Classic 8-Bit Mario! https://t.co/jeYwepXgoa pic.twitter.com/70eY2cSplQ
— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) September 11, 2015
Yeah… I bought the system just for that amiibo.
Dawn of the Skymiibo
The next release deserves an entire article of its own someday because of the sheer amount of drama that surrounded its announcement. At E3 2015, Nintendo and Activision made a surprising reveal: Skylanders and amiibo were joining forces for a special line of figures exclusive to the Wii U version of Skylanders SuperChargers.
Enter the Skymiibo—a crossover that brought us two Nintendo-themed figures: Hammer Slam Bowser and Turbo Charge Donkey Kong. Each character also came with their own unique vehicle: a clown car-inspired airplane for Bowser and a barrel-blasting motorcycle for Donkey Kong. The coolest part? These figures had a switch on the base that allowed players to toggle between amiibo and Skylander functionality. It was an impressive feature that set them apart from other figures.
However, there was a catch. These figures were not available for individual purchase for quite some time after their release. The only way to get them was by buying two separate Skylanders SuperChargers starter packs: one for the Wii U (which included Donkey Kong) and another for the 3DS (which featured Bowser).
In true Skylanders fashion, Dark Editions of each set were also released. To get your hands on those, players had to purchase the more expensive Dark Edition starter packs. So, if you were a die-hard collector aiming to snag all four variations of the Skymiibo, you were looking at buying four starter packs in total. That would set you back a hefty $350! But who would actually buy four starter packs just for the amiibo, right?
Skylanders SuperChargers launches today. We will go hands on with the exclusive amiibo soon! Anyone else pick it up? pic.twitter.com/pL0QNlK5IX
— Amiibo News (@AmiiboNews) September 20, 2015
Yeah… I bought four starter packs.
Animal Crossing amiibo: Not Quite a Hit
After the success of the Skymiibo, Nintendo must have thought they had the golden touch — every amiibo they made seemed destined to sell like hotcakes! That confidence was likely at an all-time high when they announced Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival along with a huge assortment of new amiibo figures. The game and its corresponding figures hit the US on November 13th, 2015.
The Animal Crossing amiibo line included seven characters: Isabelle, K.K. Slider, Mabel, Tom Nook, Digby, Reese, and Cyrus. In addition, Nintendo introduced the first wave of Animal Crossing amiibo cards, which could also be used with amiibo Festival. Unfortunately, as many fans know, the game itself was… underwhelming, to say the least. For the first time in amiibo history, figures weren’t flying off the shelves. In fact, stores were flooded with Animal Crossing figures, which eventually ended up on clearance racks and even liquidated to discount retailers like Five Below and Goodwill.
On the other hand, the amiibo cards were an instant hit! Even though most players didn’t actually use them as amiibo, collecting them was a blast. Wave 1 included a total of 100 cards, featuring several special editions. The joy of collecting these cards caught on quickly, and the series continued with new waves up until just a few years ago with Wave 5.
While we’re on the topic of Animal Crossing, it’s worth mentioning the Lottie amiibo, which was released exclusively at Target stores in November 2015. Sadly, like the other Animal Crossing figures, Lottie didn’t sell particularly well.
November Releases
November brought yet another wave of Super Smash Bros. amiibo, featuring Mewtwo and Falco. While Mewtwo was widely available at most retailers, the retail exclusivity curse struck again with Falco, who was limited to Best Buy. As expected, both figures sold out quickly, with Falco being the trickier one to get your hands on. But other than that, there wasn’t too much drama this time around.
However, November wasn’t done yet — it also introduced a new series to the amiibo family! Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash launched with an exclusive Chibi-Robo amiibo. Initially, the only way to get this figure was through a special game bundle. But a bit later, Amazon jumped in with an exclusive release of the amiibo on its own, making it easier for collectors who weren’t interested in the game.
And that’s it… right? Or am I forgetting something big here?
Go Big or Go Home!
The final amiibo release of 2015 just so happens to be one of my all-time favorites. Toys”R”Us announced one last addition to the Yarn Yoshi lineup, but this one was BIG! The Mega Yarn Yoshi amiibo was released in the US on November 15th, exclusively at Toys”R”Us, and came with a hefty price tag of $40.
Functionally, it worked just like the standard Yarn Yoshi amiibo, but its sheer size was something to behold. These gigantic plush figures flew off the shelves during the 2015 holiday season and even today can command prices north of $200 for a new-in-box version!
That’s a Wrap for 2015!
And that concludes our journey through the amiibo releases of 2015. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s installment, where we’ll dive into the amiibo lineup of 2016!
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Written by Jason Ganos
Nintendo super fan since birth, Jason is the creator of Amiibo News and editor-in-chief at Nintendo Wire. One of his life goals is to provide the latest Nintendo news to fellow gamers with his natural know-how.
