It’s hard to believe but Amiibo is now a decade old. They launched alongsideSuper Smash Bros.on the Wii U in 2014. Among the first wave of figures was Link in his adult form as he appeared in the game. Other characters included Mario, Kirby, and Pikachu.
Many Amiibo waves would continue after this supportingSuper Smash Bros.for the Wii U but other games gained support too. Out of the many Nintendo franchises,The Legend of Zeldaprobably has the most figures. What do the best ones do? Let’s dive into thehistory ofZeldaAmiiboto find out.
Switch fans are still waiting for theWii U exclusiveThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HDto come to the system. It was more than a remaster for many as it included a lot of additional mechanics and content. For example, with the Wolf Link Amiibo players could unlock an extra dungeon called Cave of Shadows. It was mostly a combat-based dungeon focused solely on Link’s wolf form but it was something new and players could get a great item by completing it via the Colossal Wallet.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwas a surprise to all because of how open it was. It was also a hard game because that freedom could lead players into territories with massively strong enemies that could destroy Link in a single hit.
Those with the Super Smash Bros. version of Link could summonEpona to get through the open areas faster with this trusty horse fromThe Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. While great, it’s not as cool as getting the Wolf Link as an AI-driven co-op partner by using the corresponding Wolf Link Amiibo fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Hyrule Warriorsis an offshoot of theDynasty Warriorsfranchiseand fans of those games know they have tons of characters who are equipped with a varied amount of weapons. The same is true for the Zelda characters in this spinoff. Link, for example, has a sword while Linkle, his female counterpart, uses two crossbows. Characters can also get sub-weapons like bombs. One sub-weapon that the Super Smash Bros. Amiibo for Link or Toon Link can unlock is the Spinner fromThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. With this, players can zip along the battlefield and destroy enemies.
Super Mario Makerwas one of the best games on the Wii U because it used the gamepad well. Players could create levels with ease thanks to the stylus.The Amiibo supportwas great too if players liked costumes. Nearly every Amiibo released up to that point could be used to give Mario a skin corresponding to classic Nintendo characters. For example,Zelda-based Amiibo like 8-Bit Link, Toon Link, Zelda, Sheik, and Ganondorf could be used to play through levels as these iconic characters but in 8-Bit form. It was a cheap way to spread smiles across fans from many generations before.
Bayonetta began as a multi-platformseries from PlatinumGames. While it was reviewed well, sales weren’t as great making many believe it would never get a sequel. Then Nintendo swooped in to help fund the sequel and with it the Wii U got an enhanced port of the original game. With Amiibo, Bayonetta could unlock costumes for Princess Peach, Samus, and Link who is the strange outlier since he is the only male hero there. Switch the normal Link or Toon Link Amiibo, Bayonetta’s tunic-based costume also changed one of her weapons, the Shuraba, to look like the fabled Master Sword.
Animal Crossing: New Leafwas the 3DS entry for the series. It gave players more ways to interact with their homes and friends online. Besides a bevy ofZelda-themed items from furniture to decorations, players could recruit four exclusive NPCs with Amiibo. Wolf Link could get players W. Link who looked like a wolf-man.
Toon Link could bring in Medli based on the same bird character fromThe Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. A Ganondorf Amiibo would bring in Ganon as a classic blue pig-man, the original villain of the series. Finally, the Sheik Amiibo could get players a personification of Epona inAnimal Crossing: New Leaf.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildowes a lot toThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimwho helped create a new standard for open-world RPGs. It seemed fitting that the Switch port ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimshould get some exclusive items then. Most Zelda Amiibo work in the game, especially theThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildones. With Zelda-linked Amiibo, players can unlock the Champion’s Tunic, Hylian Trousers, Hylian Shield, and Master Sword to equip onto their Dragonborn. Wieldingthe Master Swordalone is cool enough to check this Amiibo support out.
