Super Mario Odyssey Collector's Edition Strategy Guide and amiibo

The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild: Game Case, Collector's Edition Strategy Guide, and Full amiibo Set

Hammer Slam Bowser Upgrades & Attack Damage Numbers

Skylanders SuperChargers Research - Hammer Slam Bowser

So, my first full Upgrade Set on the Nintendo Wii U was of course, Bowser.  We took Hammer Slam Bowser down Koopa Commander and Dark Hammer Slam Bowser down the Molten Monstrosity Upgrade Path.  Since they are special, we went ahead and logged SuperCharged Attack Damage as well.

However, that is where the item of interest emerges!  Did you know that SuperCharged DARK Bowser (and DK) does slightly more damage than SuperCharged REGULAR Bowser, despite doing the same Attack Damage in non-SuperCharged form?

I will get the spreadsheet and final video up later tonight, but check the vids for reference...Interesting stuff!

Hammer Slam Bowser Base Upgrades:

Dark Hammer Slam Bowser Base Upgrades with SuperCharged Attack Damage:

Hammer Slam Bowser Koopa Commander Upgrade Path:

Dark Hammer Slam Bowser Molten Monstrosity Upgrade Path:
Video Releasing Soon

Attack Damage Spreadsheet

^Coming Soon

Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser in Skylanders SuperChargers

Bowser and Donkey Kong in Skylanders SuperChargers!

SKYLANDERS® SUPERCHARGERS INTRODUCES

DONKEY KONG™ AND BOWSER™ AS SKYLANDERS GUEST STARS

Landmark Creative Collaboration between Activision and Nintendo
Offers Fans New Skylanders that Also Work as amiibo Figures -
Available in all Nintendo Starter Packs

Fans Attending E3 2015 will be First to Get Hands-On with the
New Skylanders and their Vehicles!

Santa Monica, Calif. - June 16, 2015 -Today Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), and Nintendo announced during Nintendo's Digital Event at E3 2015 an unprecedented collaboration designed to deliver to fans an amazing gameplay experience never before seen. Skylanders® is packing some major star power with the introduction of two of Nintendo's iconic characters -- Donkey Kong and Bowser -- as guest stars in Skylanders SuperChargers. 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. E3 2015 attendees will be the first to get their hands on the characters and their specially created vehicles.

Developed by Vicarious Visions, Skylanders Superchargers introduces Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser, which usher in a first-of-its-kind collaboration for the Skylanders franchise. These new characters will be exclusive to the Nintendo platforms.  As the pioneers of the toys-to-life category, Skylanders is innovating yet again by infusing magic into the Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser figures, enabling them to be playable in both Skylanders SuperChargers and select amiibo compatible games with a simple twist of the characters' bases.

"Activision Blizzard has always cherished our collaboration with Nintendo, and we are grateful for decades of partnership," said Bobby Kotick, Chief Executive Officer of Activision Blizzard. "Since we made the first toys-to-life game, some of our most dedicated players have been Nintendo fans around the world. Skylanders is delighted to welcome beloved guest stars Donkey Kong and Bowser into its magical world."

The goal with this creative collaboration is to honor the personalities and heritage of Donkey Kong and Bowser that fans have come to love from previous games, while creating a fresh look and feel for the guest stars in Skylands. For example, Turbo Charge Donkey Kong's powers and attacks include barrel throws and exploding bongos and other classic Donkey Kong powers that pay homage to the lore of the character, as well as exciting new moves for the iconic character. Hammer Slam Bowser's powers range from commanding Koopas, summoning Warp Pipes as well as fierce fire-breathing attacks.

"Activision's Skylanders games have been very popular on Nintendo platforms, and we hope this collaboration will delight fans of the franchise," said Satoru Iwata, President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. "We believe this unique approach will help expand the entire category and make it appealing to even more players."

The trailblazing vehicles-to-life innovation of Skylanders SuperChargers is realized when players take the helm of powerful, tricked-out land, sea and sky vehicles.
Skylanders SuperChargers is a high octane action-adventure videogame where fans have the freedom to speed across Skylands' roads in vehicular combat, race down roaring rapids and engage in aerial dogfights as they barrel roll through enemy swarms.

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.

In Skylanders SuperChargers, the evil Kaos has unleashed The Darkness to take control of Skylands. Fortunately, a special team of Skylanders known as the SuperChargers has been assembled to pilot an incredible fleet of vehicles with the power to travel through the destruction - over land, sea, and sky!  But with Skylands on the verge of collapse, the Skylanders have reached out across all dimensions to call for reinforcements.  Answering the call is the most unexpected duo - Donkey Kong and Bowser!  Using their own elite vehicles to magically travel between worlds, they have joined the epic battle against Kaos and The Darkness!

Skylanders is bringing another trailblazing innovation with the launch of Skylanders SuperChargers on September 20, 2015 in North America. The new gamesupports all 300+ Skylanders toys from previous games, enabling all Skylanders characters to pilot land, sea or sky-based vehicles. The vehicles are playable in-game and many feature moving parts, making them also fun to play with in the physical world. Players will also have the ability to customize all vehicles in-game with super cool modifications and upgradeable weapons.

For the ultimate gameplay experience, players can pair a SuperCharger Skylander with its signature vehicle to create a SuperCharged combination, unlocking exclusive mods that rev up the performance of the vehicle and abilities of the character.  Players can also have fun seeing Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser pilot any of the 20 SuperCharger vehicles available in the new game.

Fans can pre-order Skylanders SuperChargers at select retail destinations worldwide. The Skylanders Wii U Starter Pack's suggested retail price is $74.99 and includes Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and his signature vehicle, Barrel Blaster. The Skylanders Wii and 3DS Starter Packs' suggested retail prices are $74.99 and $64.99, respectively, and include Hammer Slam Bowser and his signature vehicle, Clown Cruiser. All three Skylanders SuperChargers Starter Packs for Nintendo platforms also include Super Shot Stealth Elf, newly designed Portal of Power®+ and the full AAA game*.

Wii U Starter Pack with Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Barrel Blaster

Wii Starter Pack with Hammer Slam Bowser and Clown Cruiser

3DS Starter Pack with Hammer Slam Bowser and Clown Cruiser

Nintendo Amiibo: Everything You Need to Know

Friday, November 21st, 2014 was a BIG day for Nintendo fans here in the US.

In addition to Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire releasing on the Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. released for the Wii U.  Right along side the "smash hit" (no pun intended) were the Amiibo.

Amiibo Basic Info and Day 1 Haul

Amiibo figures are similar to Skylanders...They are cool, collectible, and function in-game.  While Skylanders work in Skylander games, Amiibo will be able to hop titles within the Nintendo framework.  Obviously, not all games will integrate Amiibo, some functionality will be minimal, most will fail in comparison to the content rich Smash Bros., but nonetheless it is a selling point.

The Amiibo figures work with NFC (Near Field Communication).  That funky looking gray rectangle on the Left Hand side of your game pad that seemed like wasted real estate...It is the NFC pad.  You use it to scan Amiibo into the respective games.  It works just like the Portal of Power in Skylanders.  The 3DS lacks this NFC pad and will have a peripheral device released at a later date to allot for Amiibo functionality on 3DS titles.

To cliff note that, the Amiibo look cool and offer in game functionality via NFC.  See, simple.

As of right now there are 29 Amiibo slated for release.  There have been no "Chase" or Special Edition made known at this point, although in a Twitter Q&A Nintendo would not discuss the possibility either way.  At this point in time, these figures will drop in 3 Waves.

Release Dates

Wave 1: Friday, November 21st, 2014.
Wave 2: December 2014 (I've seen 12-12 as a ship date on some sites)
Wave 3: February 2015

Pricing

All Amiibo have an MSRP of $12.99.

Characters By Wave

Wave 1 (Friday, November 21st, 2014) Includes 12 Characters:
-Mario
-Yoshi
-Princess Peach
-Link
-Donkey Kong
-Kirby
-Fox
-Pickachu
-Samus
-Villager
-Marth
-Wii Fit Trainer

Wave 2 (Mid December 2015) Includes 6 Characters:
-Luigi
-Captain Falcon
-Diddy Kong
-Zelda
-Pit
-Little Mac

Wave 3 (February 2015) Includes 11 Characters:
-Bowser
-Ike
-King Dedede
-Lucario
-Mega Man
-Meta Knight
-Rosalina & Luma
-Sheik
-Shulk
-Sonic
-Toon Link

Functionality 

Super Smash Bros. (Wii U)
--All Amiibo (as of this writing) are supported in Super Smash Bros.
-Level Up: Go up to Level 50 with your Amiibo
-Customize: Tweak Attack, Defense, and Speed Stats
-Fight: You + Amiibo, You vs Amiibo, Amiibo vs Amiibo
-Train: Increase Stats and Abilities

Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)
--10 Are Supported
-Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Link, Donkey Kong, Captain Falcon, Star Fox, Kirby, and Samus
--Each of the above unlocks a special character themed racing suit for your Mii

Hyrule Warriors (Wii U)
--All Amiibo are supported, but in limited capacities
-Link: Unlocks the Spinner from Twilight Princess
-Zelda: Get a 3 Star or Higher Weapon (Can be used ONCE DAILY)
-All Others: Unlock crafting material bonus, Rupee bonus, or 3 Star or lower weapon

*I will update this post with pictures and more information as it becomes available.*

You can keep up with all my Amiibo Unboxings here:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWU7DXRZFRMvsY6jk49OYRYFnpoUI27w-

Nintendo Amiibo Showcase at E3

I promised I would release this video after all of the Skylanders SWAP Force stuff was wrapped up, and that time is now!

This is footage I shot from the excessively epic Nintendo Booth at this year's E3.  I have to say that the pre-order shots you have seen on Amazon, GameStop, and Toys'R'Us etc., come nowhere near doing these figures justice.

Nintendo Amiibo Showcase at E3

The Amiibo line is very impressive with incredible detail, and that is just based on my look thru the glass display case.  I really wish I could have gotten some hands-on time with them, or an interview, but time was tight and I was happy just to get a good look at them.

The Amiibo figures honestly look more like a high dollar display piece than a video game accessory, but that is the beauty of it I suppose.  The most surprising part, given the size and detail, is that they retail for $12.99!

I plan to pick a few of these up and unbox/showcase them upon their release.  I will also use them in the compatible games and look forward to seeing how they interact in titles past Super Smash Bros. Wii U and 3DS.

If you haven't checked them out yet, or put in any pre-orders, here is a link to their Amazon Page:
Amazon.com Amiibo Listings

They are a big step up from the Pokemon figures used in Pokemon Rumble U.

Stay tuned for much more coverage on Nintendo's Amiibo figures!