Since their reveal at E3 2014, the amiibo line of figures have been a major success for Nintendo. Even just last month it was announced that 5.7 million units have shipped worldwide, so (with the popularity of these figures continuing to climb) Nintendo plans on releasing even more in 2015.

Looking to capitalize on a number of upcoming WiiU titles and the ever popular Super Smash Bros series of amiibo, new characters are being prepared to release over the coming months.

Detailed in the recent Nintendo Direct presentation, additional characters based on the previously released Super Smash Bros. are heading to retail over the next couple of months. The first upcoming wave of Smash amiibo is set to begin in May with Lucina, Robin, Wario, Pac-Man, Ness, and Charizard with Greninja and Jigglypuff being added as well. Meanwhile, Dark Pit and Palutena are following in July, with Ganondorf, Zero Suit Samus, Bowser Jr, Dr. Mario, and Captain Olimar planned for a September release.

Nintendo is also preparing a line of amiibo for its upcoming Wii U platforming title, Yoshi's Woolly World. Unlike previous figures, however, these collectibles are actually made of yarn and come in three colors: green, light blue, and pink. When placed on the Wii U gamepad, a second Yoshi will appear in game that players can use to help attack enemies or cross long chasms. Along with the recently announced "mellow mode" difficulty, this amiibo functionality will certainly come in handy for players looking to overcome the title's planned challenges.

Not content with stopping there, the Big N also announced a line of amiibo for Splatoon, as well as cards that'll interact with the newly announced Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer. Each will have varying impacts on their respective games, they should all make for interesting additions to anyone's shelf.

There's no questioning the success these highly collectible figures have had at retail – especially when considering that characters such as Marth, Wii Fit Trainer, and the recent Gold Mario figure have sold out within minutes online. Unfortunately for fans and consumers, these rare Amiibo can only be found online where prices have skyrocketed. Since the demand is still very high for these figures, Nintendo is planning on recreating certain rare characters such as the aforementioned Marth and releasing card based Amiibo to satisfy fans.

With the popularity of these figures continuing to surge with console owners and collectors alike, Nintendo seems willing to add new franchises to the amiibo family of characters. Based on recent additions to the Japanese gaming giant's recent toys-to-life initiative, it wouldn't be surprising to see a lot more characters and franchises make an appearance down the road.

What other characters or franchises would you like to see turned into amiibo?

Source: Nintendo Direct