Super Mario Bros. Wonder is the latest mascot platformer from Nintendo, a spectacular and imaginative new entry that marks a return to form for 2D Mario platformers. But amid all of its secrets and surprises, it also brings a surprising omission: Amiibo support is nowhere to be found. The collectible figurines first released in 2014 have been getting at least cursory attention for years, even if they aren’t currently garnering the attention they did during their peak. But Nintendo chose not to release them for this high-profile game, raising the question: Are Amiibo finally winding down?
Amiibos were initially released in 2014 alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, but they’ve gone on to be used in just about every major Nintendo release since. Nintendo has been careful not to make them strictly necessary for gameplay, but they tend to provide helpful bonuses or shortcuts. Just tap the figure against the sensor and bam, you have a power-up, for example.
Amiibo support for a new game tends to come in two varieties. The first, of course, is the production of new figurines that immortalize memorable new characters from a game, while also providing Amiibo functionality in-game. The second is compatibility with your existing Amiibo library, granting bonuses for other, older figurines–usually within the same franchise.