Best Amiibo Figures from Wave 3 for Future Game Compatibility

Third-Party Fighters and Niche Heroes

Nintendo’s third wave of Amiibo figures, released in early 2015, expanded the lineup with 11 new characters from the Super Smash Bros. roster. This set included a mix of first-party icons and third-party guests. For collectors and players considering future game support, some figures presented a clearer value proposition than others based on announced and anticipated titles for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.

Mega Man The inclusion of Mega Man in Super Smash Bros. was a welcome event for fans of the character, especially given Capcom’s perceived neglect of the franchise in the years prior. Despite the character’s popularity and dedicated following, there were no new Mega Man games announced at the time, casting doubt on the figure’s immediate utility beyond Smash Bros. The hope among the community was that the Amiibo’s release might signal a renewed partnership between Nintendo and Capcom, potentially leading to new projects. Without any confirmed compatibility, however, the Mega Man Amiibo was primarily a purchase for fans of the character rather than one based on broad software support.

Sonic the Hedgehog Sega’s iconic mascot, Sonic, was another third-party addition to the Amiibo line. Sega had previously partnered with Nintendo for three Wii U exclusive titles: Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Sonic Lost World, and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric. Despite this existing relationship, none of these games received updates to support the Sonic Amiibo after its release. The ongoing Sonic Boom animated television series suggested that Sega would continue to produce games featuring the character, making future compatibility a strong possibility. However, in early 2015, no specific plans had been announced, leaving the Sonic figure’s potential uses entirely speculative.

Ike Representing the Fire Emblem series, the Ike Amiibo faced an uncertain future regarding game support. At the time, Nintendo had announced a crossover title, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, for the Wii U. This project was still in early development with very few details and no release window, making it a distant prospect for Amiibo integration. As the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, Ike is a popular character, but with no other Fire Emblem titles on the immediate horizon for consoles, his figure’s use was limited almost exclusively to Super Smash Bros.

Shulk In contrast, the Shulk Amiibo appeared to be one of the most promising investments from Wave 3. Nintendo demonstrated significant support for the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise. This was a notable turnaround from the fan campaigns required to bring the original Wii game to North America. A port of Xenoblade Chronicles was announced for the New Nintendo 3DS, a hardware revision that included built-in NFC support for Amiibo. A new, separate title, Xenoblade Chronicles X, was also slated for a 2015 release on the Wii U. It was widely expected that both of these RPGs would feature direct compatibility with the Shulk figure. The Shulk Amiibo was a GameStop exclusive in the United States.

Super Mario and Kirby Universe Figures

Characters from Nintendo’s most established franchises, Super Mario and Kirby, also joined the lineup. Their potential was tied directly to upcoming first-party releases, some of which had already confirmed Amiibo support.

Rosalina and Luma Rosalina and Luma, who had recently appeared in major titles like Super Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8, seemed like a natural fit for wide Amiibo support. However, neither of those games was updated to include compatibility for their figure. Nintendo appeared committed to raising the characters’ profile, and there was strong speculation that the figure would be supported in upcoming games like Mario Party 10 and Mario Maker. Without official confirmation, their utility remained a future possibility. The Rosalina and Luma Amiibo was a Target exclusive in the U.S.

Bowser As Mario’s primary antagonist, Bowser is one of Nintendo’s most recognizable characters. Surprisingly, at the launch of Wave 3, there was no announced direct support for his Amiibo outside of Super Smash Bros. Similar to Rosalina, it was anticipated that his figure would be compatible with major 2015 releases like Mario Party 10 and Mario Maker. Given his central role in the Mario universe, future support seemed inevitable, but the lack of specific announcements made his figure’s value less certain at the time.

Meta Knight The Meta Knight Amiibo had confirmed utility right out of the gate. Nintendo announced that the figure would be compatible with Kirby and the Rainbow Curse for the Wii U. Scanning the Meta Knight figure allowed Kirby to don Meta Knight’s mask, granting a boost to attack power. This provided a tangible, immediate benefit for owning the figure. No other games with support were announced, but this existing compatibility made it a more attractive purchase for Kirby fans. In the United States, the Meta Knight Amiibo was sold exclusively at Best Buy.

King Dedede Like his rival Meta Knight, King Dedede’s Amiibo also had confirmed support in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. Scanning the figure gave Kirby King Dedede’s signature hat and an increase to his maximum health. This direct, in-game unlock was a significant selling point. The last mainline Kirby title before this, Kirby: Triple Deluxe, had been released for the 3DS the previous year, so it was unclear when the next opportunity for compatibility would arise. Still, the guaranteed functionality in a new release placed it higher than many other figures in the wave.

The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon Representatives

The final group of figures represented two of Nintendo’s most consistently active franchises, The Legend of Zelda and Pokémon, suggesting a high likelihood of long-term use.

Sheik Sheik, the alter ego of Princess Zelda from Ocarina of Time, was a unique case. Despite appearing in only one mainline Zelda game, her figure received immediate support in the spin-off title Hyrule Warriors. Scanning the Sheik Amiibo would unlock a weapon for the character rated at three stars or higher. It was also widely assumed that the figure would have some function in the next major installment of The Legend of Zelda, which was announced for the Wii U and targeting a 2015 release. This combination of existing and highly probable future support made Sheik a solid choice.

Toon Link Toon Link, the cel-shaded hero from The Wind Waker, was treated by Nintendo’s systems as functionally identical to the Wave 1 Link Amiibo for compatibility purposes. This meant he also unlocked the Spinner weapon in Hyrule Warriors. This precedent suggested that the Toon Link figure would likely be supported in any game that recognized the original Link Amiibo. With the new Wii U Zelda title on the horizon, owning either Link figure was a good bet for future compatibility.

Lucario The Lucario Amiibo was arguably the safest investment of the entire third wave. The Pokémon franchise is one of Nintendo’s most prolific, with multiple games released almost every year. This created many potential opportunities for Amiibo integration. More specifically, the arcade fighting game Pokken Tournament, which featured Lucario, was expected to receive a Wii U port. It seemed almost certain that a home console version would incorporate Amiibo support. The Lucario Amiibo had high potential for long-term compatibility. The figure was exclusive to Toys “R” Us in the United States.