Nintendo's toys-to-life amiibo have been extremely popular since their introduction. Some buyers enjoy them just to have a collectible of their favorite game or character, but most players likely purchase them to use them in tandem with associated games.
Unfortunately for collectors, amiibo need to be completely removed from their packaging to be used in a game. This is a problem for those who would like to keep their collectibles in mint condition, but it seems as though that may be a thing of the past going forward.
Recently, collectors of amiibo have noticed that something has changed with the packaging of the collectible figurines. Previously, amiibo packaging included a small foil strip at the bottom of the package. It had no impact on the appearance of the amiibo or its box, but this strip prevented users from scanning the amiibo into their games without first unboxing it. However, the foil has been absent from recent amiibo releases.
Specifically, the recent re-release of the Kirby amiibo is missing its foil lining. The amiibo was re-released to celebrate the release of the Kirby and The Forgotten Land Switch game, which is compatible with amiibo. The reasoning behind this removal is unknown; it's not clear at this time if it's an intentional decision on Nintendo's part, or some kind of manufacturing error. The Min Min Smash Bros. amiibo is also missing the foil, so fans seem hopeful that the change is a permanent one.
This change has potential pros and cons for both Nintendo and fans. Not having to unbox one's amiibo is a great opportunity for collectors that keep everything in-box. However, it means that everyone who ever purchased an amiibo and was forced to unbox it may be a little resentful that the change wasn't made a long time ago. Of course, die-hard fans likely purchased more than one amiibo to begin with, with plans to use one and keep the other purely for display or collecting purposes.
On the con side, the lack of a foil strip could pose problems with selling the collectibles. Theoretically, a user could scan an amiibo and then return it, cutting Nintendo out of a rightful profit and, depending on the amiibo's use, potentially causing problems for a future buyer. Most games require repeated use of the amiibo in order to unlock or earn everything they have to offer, but it's not outside of the realm of possibility for someone to unlock everything within a return window. This could be particularly problematic when one considers the existing amiibo scalping problem.
For now, fans will have to wait and see if this continues to be the norm for future amiibo releases. In the meantime, anyone who wanted to use a Kirby amiibo and keep it in the box should consider buying one of the re-releases.
