The Amiibo toy line launched in 2014 alongside the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros. Despite the demise of the toys-to-life genre in the late 2010s, Amiibo has somehow found a way to thrive for nearly a decade after its debut. While their in-game functionality isn't nearly as prevalent as it used to be, many people still enjoy collecting figures of their favorite Nintendo or third-party characters.
Many of Nintendo's biggest releases like Metroid Dread or Splatoon typically launch with new Amiibo alongside them. However, certain Nintendo games seem to have been snubbed over the years and didn't receive any whatsoever. It's hard to tell how the company decides which games get new Amiibo, but these titles would have made excellent foundations to create new figures of all shapes and sizes.
Updated on August 22, 2022, by Kyle Chamaillard: The amount of Amiibo released year by year has decreased dramatically. While games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are still receiving new figures for its DLC characters, it's becoming more common for Nintendo games to be released without them. We've decided to update this list with more Nintendo games that should have had Amiibo alongside them when they launched.
15 Bravely Default 2
Bravely Default 2 was one of the best RPGs of 2021 and was also published by Nintendo. After the success of the original Bravely Default and its sequel on the 3DS, it could have made a lot of sense to work with Square Enix on producing Amiibo for the four main characters in this latest entry.
A series of figures featuring each of the main characters in one of the many job outfits would have been a good idea. The chibi-style character models would be awesome as Amiibo and could be used either during battle sequences or while exploring the magnificent continent of Excillant.
14 Deadly Premonition 2
Imagine this: an Amiibo of Agent Francis York Morgan riding a skateboard. How about a version of him drinking a cup of coffee? Deadly Premonition and its sequel - launched as a Switch console exclusive - are full of hilarious scenarios that could have been turned into an Amiibo figure.
When the re-release of Deadly Premonition (known as Deadly Premonition Origins) launched on Switch, a collector's version included amazing pins, but this game got absolutely nothing alongside its physical release. A Deadly Premonition Amiibo would have been incredibly niche, but one can dream, can’t they Zack?
13 Cadence Of Hyrule
Like Animal Crossing and Splatoon, The Legend of Zelda series has been blessed with a plethora of Amiibo. The franchise has been represented on the Switch from the beginning through games like Breath of the Wild and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and tends to receive a new Amiibo with every appearance.
Cadence of Hyrule is one of the rare Zelda games not developed by Nintendo, and also one of the few Zelda games in recent memory to not have any Amiibo. To be fair, a single one would cost more than the game itself, but it would have been great to see the trio of heroes receive their own figures.
12 No More Heroes III
While the No More Heroes series has appeared on nearly every platform, many people associate the long-running series with Nintendo. The first game debuted as a Wii exclusive and found innovative and creative ways to use the Wiimote's motion controls.
No More Heroes III launched exclusively on the Switch in 2021 and a single Amiibo of Travis Touchdown could have made the release extra special. It's likely the last time we will ever see the katana-wielding assassin star in a game and an official figure would have been an excellent way to celebrate his final adventure.
11 Pokemon Sword/Shield
Even though Pokemon is one of the best-selling series in the industry, Nintendo has surprisingly never capitalized on its popularity with a bunch of cute Amiibo figures. At least, not for anyone that hasn't appeared in Super Smash Bros.
It would be incredibly easy for Nintendo to manufacture and sell a series of Amiibo based on starter Pokemon, the Eeveelutions, and more. The figures could be used to help your team gain experience, learn new moves, or even allow you to catch Pokemon that aren't native to the continent you are exploring.
10 Xenoblade Chronicles
Nintendo has had many opportunities to make Xenoblade Amiibo figures since the release of Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U. Shulk is only available thanks to his appearance in Super Smash Bros. Pyra and Mythra will also receive figures eventually, but the release date is still unknown.
From Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition to the excellent Xenoblade Chronicles 3, Nintendo has missed the mark. Almost every character from any of these games would look great as an Amiibo with their stylish outfits and magnificent weapons in hand. An even better idea would be to have a Detective Pikachu-sized Amiibo of the Titans from Xenoblade Chronicles 2.
9 Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
It's hard to believe that it's been nearly a decade since Donkey Kong's last adventure. While Tropical Freeze for the Wii U was released before the invention of Amiibo, the game's re-release for the Nintendo Switch felt like a great opportunity to finally release the Cranky Kong Amiibo fans have been dying for.
Despite the lack of new Amiibo around Tropical Freeze's re-release, there is still a variety of Donkey Kong figures to find. You can collect popular characters like Diddy Kong from the Smash Bros. and Super Mario series, as well as the Skylander version of Donkey Kong that turns into an Amiibo with the flick of a switch.
8 Kirby And The Forgotten Land
Kirby and the Forgotten Land was a surprise hit for many. After Star Allies failed to capture the public's attention, Forgotten Land finally iterated on the series by including 3D worlds full of new and exciting gameplay mechanics.
While Kirby is mostly known for his ability to absorb his enemy's abilities, Forgotten Land provided the pink hero with a new power known as Mouthful Mode. It would have been amazing if Nintendo released a series of Amiibo inspired by the many shapes that Kirby takes during his adventure. From Ring Mouth Kirby to Water-Balloon Mouth Kirby, these figures could have been some of the most hilarious and unique items on any shelf.
7 Astral Chain
It's a shame that Bayonetta is the only character from Platinum Games' excellent roster to receive an Amiibo so far. Most of their games are multiplatform, but Astral Chain was developed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch and would have been the perfect game to develop high-quality figures for.
It would've made a lot of sense to release Amiibo of the two protagonists with their Legions by their side. Because there are five different Legions with their own unique looks, they could have also released each one as their own figures with new outfits on the heroes for each one. Honestly, though, just an Amiibo of Lappy - the police mascot - would have been perfect.
6 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
In hindsight, it's very strange that Nintendo released new Amiibo for Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia for the 3DS and not for the extremely successful Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The series peaked in popularity after its launch, but the only character with an Amiibo is Male Byleth from his appearance in Super Smash. Bros.
It would be pretty absurd if Nintendo released Amiibo for all the students of the Garreg Mach Monastery, but it would have been great to see the House Leaders - Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude - receive figures. The Amiibo could have featured them as they appear when you first meet them, or they could be designed to showcase the characters in their unique classes.
5 Ring Fit Adventure
If the Wii Fit Trainer can get an Amiibo then surely there should be one for the Trainees of Ring Fit Adventure. It's incredible that the game has sold over 14 million copies - it's one of the top ten highest-selling games on the Switch - and that milestone should be celebrated with a series of figures.
Not only could Nintendo manufacture a line of Amiibo that feature both Trainees doing a variety of exercises, but there is a slew of other characters that would also make great candidates. The enemies throughout Ring Fit Adventure are pretty adorable, but the best outcome would be an Amiibo of the big bad Dragaux.
4 Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
It's still almost hard to believe that a video game starring characters from the Super Mario universe and Ubisoft's Minion-like Rabbids not only exists but that it's actually an amazing turn-based adventure. While Ubisoft released figures of the Rabbids, zero Amiibo were created for Kingdom Battle's release.
There are already a ton of Mario Amiibo, but none of them feature the plumber with a gun. An Amiibo for every playable character would have been expensive to make (and even more expensive for consumers to purchase) but if they picked only a few, they could have made excellent additions to anyone's collection.
3 Luigi’s Mansion 3
Mario has been lucky enough to have more than a handful Amiibo designed after him. Like always, Luigi has been left in the shadows and has only been turned into one of Nintendo's popular figures twice. Luigi's Mansion 3 was one of the most anticipated games of 2019 and a few Amiibo would have done well if they were available
An Amiibo of Luigi with the Poltergust would look so cool, but there are so many other great characters that could've been amazing figures. A Gooigi Amiibo with a similar texture to the Metroid Amiibo would have been excellent, and Polterpup would be amongst the cutest figures in the entire toy line.
2 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
Plenty of Marvel characters were turned into tiny figures when Disney Infinity was reaching the peak of its popularity. Each of them was a high-quality model of everyone's favorite superheroes, but the toys never seemed to be popular enough to mirror the longevity of Nintendo's Amiibo.
It's still baffling that Nintendo published Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 as a Switch exclusive. If they put the money towards the game's development and success, it might have been a good idea to also spend some cash on a series of Marvel Amiibo. They would have been the oddest set in anyone's collection, but a Wolverine or Groot Amiibo would've looked great standing beside Olimar or Ganondorf.
1 Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars was one of the many ways Nintendo celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise. The collection featured improved versions of Super Mario 46, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. It's a nice compilation of the plumber's greatest adventures, but it would have been so much better with a series of Amiibo alongside it to mark the major milestone.
Each of the three games in Super Mario 3D All-Stars features Mario in different scenarios that could've easily been adapted into figurines. A 64-bit Mario to represent the first game, Mario with F.L.U.D.D. for Sunshine, and a flying Mario surrounded by Lumas would've been a perfect 3-pack to pair alongside the game. There are already so many Amiibo for Mario, but these could've been essential for even casual collectors.