There’s a lot of talk about Amiibos lately. Namely, everyone is wondering about their rarity. Certain figures have disappeared from store shelves. While Nintendo hasn’t offered concrete answers, it’s looking like when a figure is gone, it’s gone forever. This is sad, of course, because it means collections could have gaping holes or people may miss out on their favorite characters.
However, there’s something else to consider that hasn’t even come up yet. What kind of support will there be for Amiibos that are no longer produced? We’ve seen Nintendo seem to go out of its way to push Amiibo support into forthcoming Wii U games. The question is, will that same support extend to figures that aren’t legacy characters?
Take Marth, for example. He’s considered to be the rarest Amiibo from the first wave. His price has skyrocketed, and clearly won’t get another run. One has to wonder if his data will be able to unlock things in future games or provide new abilities. As a friend mentioned when I was having an Amiibo conversation with him, “What incentive is there to code content for a figure most people won’t have?” Even if Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem eventually features Amiibo support, will it support Marth?
I think it’s safe to assume the Wii U incarnation of Animal Crossing will likely have Amiibo support too. Perhaps scanning various figures will give certain outfits or decorative items. The Villager is another rarity in the first wave. Of course it should be compatibile with the game, but again. If people don’t have the figure, would it be worth the trouble? Or perhaps it wouldn’t and a later, different Amiibo could be created to go with it.
The Lucario Amiibo is also looking as though it could end up being rare. Which could prove troublesome if the rare Amiibos don’t end up getting the same level of support in future games. It seems as though it would be a natural for Pokken Tournamment , since Lucario is confirmed to appear in that fighter.
It’s something to think about when collecting Amiibos. Nintendo isn’t saying much about the figures yet, but one has to wonder. If a NFC figure is rare, is a developer really going to put in extra effort to put in content exclusive to it? And how fair is it to people who don’t own one, if they do? We’ll have to wait and see what 2015 brings.