Why on earth am I talking about amiibo on Skylanders Character List?
This is why…
That’s right. It was first announced via Nintendo’s E3 Direct, but was quickly followed up by an official press release from Activision.
Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser will be coming to the Skylands. DK will be rolling in his Barrel Blaster and Bowser flies in in his Clown Cruiser.
Nintendo Exclusives
The characters will be available exclusively in Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs for the Wii U, Wii and Nintendo 3DS family of systems, available now for pre-order.
Not only will these figures be exclusive to the Nintendo Starter Packs, but it seems that they can only be played with on Nintendo systems.
Skylanders SuperChargers gameplay is revved up on Nintendo platforms, as Portal Masters can also pilot and steer Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser’s custom designed, never-before-seen vehicles, Barrel Blaster and Clown Cruiser. The special Skylanders guest stars and vehicles will be playable, cooperatively or alone, in Skylanders SuperChargers on the following Nintendo platforms: Wii U, Wii and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Both characters and vehicles are playable in Skylanders SuperChargers across all three Nintendo systems.
UPDATE: I have had this confirmed multiple times now. Donkey Kong and Bowser will only work on the Wii U, Wii, and 3DS versions.
@sclmatt no. As Nintendo characters they will only function in Nintendo systems: 3ds, Wii, Wii U.
— Lou Studdert (@Gojira84) June 17, 2015
SuperChargers Racing
If you take a close look at the Wii and 3DS Starter Packs, you will see that the included game is actually called Skylanders SuperChargers Racing.
Every year the 3DS version of Skylanders has been completely different from the console version of the game. However, this year, as the Wii is dying out it will join the ranks of the 3DS and get the alternate version of the game.
Skymiibo or Amiibolanders?
So back at the beginning of this article, I mention amiibo, but I still haven’t really explained why.
As you might have expected, Donkey Kong and Bowser aren’t your average Skylanders. These characters will have a special base that swivels.
When it’s turned one way, it’s a Skylander, when it’s turned the other way, it’s an amiibo.
So not only will these two figures act as Skylanders SuperChargers (in the Wii U, Wii, and 3DS versions), but they will also work with certain amiibo-compatible games.
Wrap Up
There are a lot of new things going on this year, so I understand if it’s a little confusing right now, but rest assured that I will do everything I can to help you sort it out.
Enjoy!
Available exclusively in starter packs for launch? Or forever? Amiibos are already so hard to get. Now they’re making it so we can’t complete Skylanders without going to eBay?
Forever. This is how Nintendo is protecting their IP. It can only be used on Nintendo systems so they’re only packaging it with Nintendo products.
Personally, I have never seen a shortage of Starter Packs, so I don’t think getting your hands on these will be an issue.
Well, sure, the started packs are always out there, but if I don’t want to pay $75 for the second character/vehicle, what other option is there?
I get the IP protection. But now I get to go home and ask my child to choose because there isn’t another way to get both.
My wife doesn’t want me shelling out the money for 2 or 3 Starter Packs either.
So I plan on getting one at launch then either picking up the figures/games I’m missing on eBay or waiting until Black Friday or later when we get some nice sales.
Just look at Starter Packs right now. You can get SWAP Force for $20 or Trap Team for $40. I’d pay that just to get the exclusive figures.
Then if you really want you can sell off/trade the extra games and Portals etc…
Ugh. Will there be nintendo starter packs that have spitfire instead? The appeal of the skylanders to me is the originality of the characters. Not like the disney and amiibo, rehashing old characters that have been around for decades.
At this time no Nintendo Starter Packs will have Spitfire. Personally, I don’t expect that to change.
I think it’s much more likely that we’ll see Spitfire released individually.
They have ruined skylanders forever!!!!!
Huh, I thought one of the major points of Skylanders was to have figures compatible on all systems. That’s a bit of a bummer for me. I would have bought it on the 3DS, but I do not want a potentially racing only game. I get what they are doing, because I’d wager they will attract as many customers as this may push away, but I don’t really like it at all.
The 3DS pack is cool for my part I’d love an other Skylanders Than Stealth Elf in this pack … because I think all people who buy 3DS version have a Console version …
The WiiU version … is boring because if the people whant Spitfire AND hot Streak can’t if he have just a WiiU.
I Think I’ll buy the 360 Version first in a deal like a Black Friday(I don’t have Next gen console 😛 ) and later Buy the 3DS version … If this is just a Racing Game without exploration mode … I don’t think this will be very popular for this year …
If they’re going to do this, make a deluxe set that includes both Skymiibos, their vehicles and maybe another Skylander as well as Spitfire his vehicle and Stealth Elf. It makes for a nice sized starter set and people aren’t made to buy 2 sets to have both of these unique figures.
It will be interesting to see if they come out with some sort of “Collector’s Edition”. But as far as traditional Starter Packs go, it makes sense why they split it up this way.
Very upsetting that they would not work on the other game systems portals. I don’t get it!!
It’s Nintendo. They want to keep Nintendo characters on Nintendo systems.
ok I don’t have a wii or 3ds but will get the starter pack for my collection but my question is do you think we could see a halo xbox exclusive in the future
They have opened a door so anything is possible in the future.
Personally, I don’t think Halo is a likely choice, but you never know.
Bowser and Donkey Kong are playable in the standard Superchargers game. Not just the racing game.
This is on Wii U, this uses the normal game.
This is AWESOME!!!
Amiibo and Skylander…
Activision is really monetizyng Nintendo and viceversa..
A great concept, just a lot of variables involved. Like only Nintendo exclusives for instance, Maybe activision hit up Sony and Microsoft and they declined because of no solid numbers and data on such a thing happening in the toys to life genre. Nintendo is willing to gamble with there IP for multiple reasons, getting skylander fans into amiibos if they were not already, get more console sales, and to test how there fans and others react to there ip being skylanderized. Activision has always really wanted to work with Nintendo even offering Nintendo the opertunity to jump in the ground floor and heard rumors activision offered skylanders as a Nintendo only game. The multiple starters help activision get quick cash from the scalpers and hardcore collectors that got to have them all. With all the excitement some fans (my self included) plan on getting a wii u to play as the Nintendo exclusives and that’s a big win for both companies involved. Even the one and ps4 seen slight boosted sales because of the golden hot streak. Ultimately this will go two ways, a fractured skylander universe forever different with select heroes tied to certain consoles or be hailed as the greatest crossover to ever fail. Thank you for reading