Super Mario Bros. Wonder: Are Amiibo on the Way Out?
Missing in Action The Curious Case of Mario Wonder and the Absence of Amiibo Figures
Why Doesn’t Mario Wonder Have Amiibo Figures? It’s Weird!
You stepped into the Mushroom Kingdom once again, ready to jump, stomp, and slide through Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest masterpiece from Nintendo. With its spectacular and imaginative new levels, it’s a return to form for 2D Mario platformers. But wait…something’s missing. Where are the Amiibos? Those adorable collectible figurines that have been giving us bonuses and shortcuts since 2014? Well, my fellow gamers, it seems Nintendo has decided to hit the pause button on them for this high-profile game. Are we witnessing the end of Amiibo mania?
Amiibos, those little plastic heroes, made their debut in 2014 alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Since then, they’ve become a staple in almost every major Nintendo release. They’re not essential for gameplay, but they sure give us a helpful boost. Tap the figure against the sensor, and voila! Power-up activated! It’s like having a secret sauce for your gaming prowess.
Usually, Amiibo support comes in two flavors. First, we get brand new figurines that immortalize those memorable characters, adding functionality in-game. Second, we have the compatibility with our existing Amiibo library, granting bonuses for those older figurines – usually from the same franchise.
Take The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, for example. It introduced a shiny new Link Amiibo with a glowing arm, which you could buy alongside the game. Zelda and Ganondorf were promised to join the party later on. Even if you didn’t grab the new Link Amiibo, fear not! Your trusty old Zelda Amiibo would still work their magic and summon themed treasures. And let’s not forget the release of Super Mario Odyssey, which had Mario, Peach, and Bowser decked out in white wedding formalwear, ready to take on the Koopa Troop in style.
Now, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a game bursting with new Wonder effects and fashionable power-ups, one would expect a whole line of new Amiibo figurines. I’m talking about a jumbo-sized Elephant Mario (imagine an elephant in a Mario costume – hilarious!) or a regular-sized Drill Mario, to name just a few. The possibilities are endless! But alas, Nintendo decided to leave us hanging. No new figurines, no compatibility with existing ones. It’s like Mario forgot to invite his Amiibo friends to the party.
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Don’t get me wrong, Super Mario Bros. Wonder is still an absolute blast without the Amiibo. It boasts some seriously thoughtful online features in both multiplayer and asynchronous single-player modes. So, we can’t really complain about the absence of a Super Mushroom power-up from tapping our favorite figures. Yet, this omission does make us ponder the future of the Amiibo. Have they lost their sparkle? Are they slowly disappearing into the gaming abyss?
Once upon a time, Amiibos flew off the shelves faster than a majestic winged Koopa Troopa. Nintendo responded by churning out figurines for practically everything they could. But times have changed. The release of new Amiibos has slowed sGameTopicificantly. In fact, we’ve seen more waves crash on the beach than new releases in 2022 and 2023 combined. Most of the recent releases seem focused on completing the Super Smash Bros. character roster, rather than expanding into new games.
Why the sudden slowdown? Well, it could be that these little plastic wonders aren’t selling like they used to. Producing new ones may not be as financially enticing as it once was. Another headache could be the licensing chaos that would follow if Nintendo continued to support older Amiibos. Let’s face it, the library of Amiibos has grown to massive proportions. Lastly, maybe Nintendo has an unspoken agreement to avoid making Amiibos for new 2D Mario games. It’s a strange pattern, considering they embraced them for Odyssey and Bowser’s Fury but stayed mum about New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Mario Maker 2. Thus, in the current generation, Nintendo is batting zero for three on Amiibo support for 2D Mario games.
So, my gaming comrades, what lies ahead for our beloved Amiibo? Only time will tell. Perhaps they’ll rise again like a Phoenix Mario and grace our shelves with new figurines. Or maybe they’ll fade away like a defeated Goomba, never to return. Either way, we’ll remember the good times, the bonuses they gave us, and the joy they brought to our gaming experiences. Farewell, Amiibo. May you find a cozy spot in the annals of gaming history, next to our nostalgic stash of retro consoles and secret cheat code manuals.
