Amiibos are all the rage these days, and Nintendo couldn't be happier. The success of these computerized figurines was the topic of much discussion during last night's investors meeting, where Nintendo execs discussed new functionality details, as well as which of the money-printing pieces of plastic are selling the best in various regions.
Right now, you can't really use Amiibos for much other than lining them up across your desk, hosting pretend battles of Smash Bros. when nobody is looking, or making a buttload of cash via ebay when a factory default comes off of the assembly line.
As far as game implementation goes, I'm pretty sure that Smash is the only game that actually utilizes the figurines just yet, allowing you to call some extra fighters into the brawl or swap customized combatants with friends. We know that Code Name S.T.E.A.M. will utilize the Fire Emblem Amiibo to unlock in-game characters and that future titles like Mario Party will offer some sort of functionality but, other than that, people are mostly buying them at the moment because they're a thing to collect.
According to Satoru Iwata during last night's investors meeting, however, they're about to get at least a little more useful. Later this year, an app will launch for the Wii U that will basically let you play a demo of a game featuring the Amiibo character simply by tapping it on your game pad. Like I said, it's a “little” more useful, as I doubt being able to dive into world 2-1 of Super Mario Bros. via your mustachioed Amiibo will be all that exciting. Games included in this plan will hail from the NES and SNES, though which games/Amiibo will function within this app have not been specified. You can also tap the Amiboo again to experience a different chunk of the game, but don't expect to play the full title like that. Gameplay sessions are for a limited time.
Also up for discussion during the meeting was the popularity of specific Amiibos. From best-selling to best sell-through (most sold out of their production run), Nintendo provided the specifics for four regions including North America, Japan, Europe and Australia.
In the US, the top five best-selling Amiibos are Link, Mario, Pikachu, Kirby and Samus, respectively. The best sell-through, however, goes to Marth, Animal Crossing Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, Pit and Captain Falcon. In other words, the limited run Amiibo that could sell out completely have sold out completely, hence their top rankings.
In Japan, Link leads the best-selling pack again, followed by Kirby, Mario, Marth and Pikachu. Best sell-through included Captain Falcon in first place, followed by Pit, Little Mac, the Villager and Fox.
Over to Europe and the top sellers include Link, Mario, Pikachu, Yoshi and Samus holding down positions one through five. As for best sell-through, our friends across the pond are digging on Little Mac, Rosalina, the Villager, Princess Zelda and Marth.
Finally, in Australia, top sellers include Mario, Pikachu, Link, Kirby and Yoshi, while best sell-through figures are Ike, Mega Man, Sonic, Marth and Little Mac.
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