In recent years, figurine-based gaming peripherals have become a hugely successful part of the video game industry. The pioneer in this gaming spin-off was Activision, with the hugely popular Skylanders series. Charging players with bringing "toys to life" through the use of a power portal, the franchise has managed to toe the line between physical toys and video games to great effect, resulting in a brand with billions of dollars' worth of sales.
It's unsurprising, then, that other major players in the worlds of both video games and toys decided to create their own versions of the series. Disney launched the highly successful Disney Infinity range, bringing the media powerhouse's most famous characters to life through small models, as well as involving a number of other iconic franchises. Nintendo also revealed its own range of amiibo figurines, with the publisher breaking out of its comfort zone to huge commercial success.
Amiibo has gone on to become one of the most popular ranges for Nintendo, with sales over last year's holiday period matching those of the highly-anticipated Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and beating its Infinity and Skylanders rivals in terms of units sold. It's unlikely that Skylanders is going to be dropping out of the race any time soon, however - particularly after the launch of an extremely interesting partnership. During Nintendo's E3 2015 Digital Event, the publisher revealed that certain Nintendo amiibo figurines would cross over into Skylanders SuperChargers.
[gallery columns="2" link="file" ids="261526,261527,261524,261525"]
The surprise team-up begins with a new wave of amiibo figurines with bases that will be compatible with both Skylanders and amiibo - starting with Donkey Kong and Bowser. The two Nintendo giants will have brand new amiibo figurines, and will include companion vehicles in the form of Donkey Kong's Barrel Blaster and Bowser's Clown Cruiser. A number of tantalizing screenshots have now been revealed, showcasing both the figurines themselves and their role during in-game action.
Starter packs will be available for both the Wii U and 3DS versions of Skylanders SuperChargers. The Wii U starter pack will include Turbo Charge Donkey Kong, and will retail for $74.99. Meanwhile, Hammer Slam Bowser will feature for the original Wii and 3DS starter packs, which are set to sell for $74.99 or $64.99 respectively.
[gallery columns="2" link="file" ids="261530,261531,261532,261533,261534,261535"]
With the unveiling of this unlikely team-up, the toy-to-game peripheral craze is unlikely to dry up any time soon. Nintendo's amiibo range is growing constantly, with the publisher looking to release a figurine for every Super Smash Bros. fighter. With Disney bringing Star Wars to Disney Infinity, the move to combine Nintendo characters with Skylanders could be a savvy way for Activision to keep a strong grip on the genre that it helped bring to such massive popularity.
Skylanders SuperChargers is set to arrive on September 20, 2015 for Nintendo 3DS, Wii, Wii U, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and iPad.
Source: Nintendo Life