When Nintendo announced their plans to release a line of interactive, toys-to-life collectible figurines called Amiibo, it really had no idea what the future would hold. Fans went crazy, scrambling to collect their favorite Super Smash Bros brawlers, bringing down store websites and demolishing the available stock in minutes every time there was a release.
Initially, Nintendo only planned to re-release sold-out Amiibo in card form, but fans revolted at the idea, wanting the opportunity to have a collectible figurine for themselves. Nintendo listened, and is now in its second phase of making it a reality for collectors who missed out.
In a tweet today on the official Nintendo of America Twitter account, Nintendo announced that six currently sold-out Amiibo would be making a comeback to store shelves in the near future. Veteran Smash Bros. fighters Captain Falcon, Fox, and Lucario will be re-released, as well as newcomers Greninja, Little Mac, and Shulk. Unfortunately, Nintendo remained a bit vague on when gamers could expect to scoop up these re-released Amiibo, and where. However, with the holiday shopping season rapidly approaching, it would be reasonable to assume that they'll be on their way very soon so Nintendo can capitalize on that opportunity.
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This is the second set of Amiibo re-releases, following the more limited re-release of the Wii Fit Trainer and Pit in June. While Nintendo initially didn't expect Amiibo to become so outrageously popular, it's been scrambling to make Amiibo fans happy ever since. While gamers who want to plan on where to hunt down the Amiibo may be frustrated by the lack of info, deciding to not announce in advance what stores will have the new Amiibo may be wise. Nintendo's decision to make certain Amiibo exclusive to specific stores has created chaos in the past, crashing GameStop's website and in-store systems due to the rush for the Ness Amiibo. Other retailers have had to place strict restrictions on the pre-orders for Amiibo, to stretch the stock to as many fans as possible.
In any case, Nintendo has been carefully listening and is showing that it's willing to learn and be flexible. Buying Amiibo at huge mark-ups from resellers doesn't help Nintendo's financials any, and it has made some fans feel sour towards the company for not foreseeing the problems with their limited stock. Rewarding patient fans with a re-release of the Amiibo they couldn't get the first time around, in their full three-dimensional collectible figurine glory as opposed to a flat piece of paper with a computer chip is undoubtedly a relief to many. If Nintendo can continue to make savvy business decisions like these that please their fanbase as well as their stockholders, their future will look bright.
Did you miss out on Captain Falcon, Fox, Greninja, Little Mac, Lucario, or Shulk on the first time around? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Nintendo of America