In Nintendo’s Digital Event, Reggie Fils-Aime sat down with Karthik Bala from Activision to discuss a new partnership on some hybrid products the companies are releasing.
Alongside the release of Activision’s Skylanders Superchargers in September, Nintendo is releasing new Hammer Slam Bowser and Turbo Charge Donkey Kong amiibo figures as well as a new vehicle for each (Bowser gets his Clown Cruiser while Donkey Kong gets the Barrel Blaster). The vehicles will be the first non-character amiibo that Nintendo has worked on as well and the entire set will be the first set of amiibo that another company is producing and selling.
The twist here–no pun intended–is that a turn of the base of the figure will let players use them as Skylanders figures or as amiibo, depending on the game that’s being played. It’s the first time we’ve seen this kind of functionality from any NFC-enabled game, let alone from Nintendo who is typically quite rigid with who can use their characters and properties.
We don’t know what kind of amiibo functionality will be included nor which games will be compatible with the new Skylanders and amiibo figures, but we expect to hear more about compatible games by launch. We also expect the game to be Nintendo 3DS-compatible but nothing has been announced on that front, either.
The Skylanders Superchargers bundle for Wii U will come with both a character and their corresponding vehicle in a set with the game for $74.99 in the U.S. when Superchargers lands on Wii U September 20th.