LONDON: It is in the air that the Super Mario amiibo Silver Edition will be released on May 29, the same day Splatoon launches on the Wii U and many other Wave 4 amiibo are being released. Unlike the Gold Edition Mario amiibo, the Silver Edition Mario is not retail exclusive. Nintendo confirms it is coming to both physical and online stores at a suggested retail price of $12.99 USD.
Silver Edition marks the fourth figure featuring the iconic mustached plumber in the amiibo lineup, and the third paint option made available for the “wave” Mario figure, which is already available in classic and gold editions. Originally, the classic paint “wave” Mario was available exclusively in a special edition Mario Party 10 bundle that packed the amiibo with the game. It has since been made available as a standalone figure and is now sold separately, making it much easier to find. Collectors seeking to collect the classic, gold and silver editions of this one figure are doing so for purely cosmetic purposes since all four amiibo figures currently share the same functionality across all compatible games.
Despite having the same functionality as its predecessors the hunt is already on for the Silver Mario amiibo, with Amazon.com being one of the first online retailers to add the product to their website. It is not currently available for pre-order, but it is possible to opt into the email notification that will let you know when the product is available for purchase. Best Buy also quickly updated their website with a product page with a “coming soon” notice instead of a pre-order button.
As far as brick and mortar stores go, GameStop is also preparing for the Silver Mario amiibo rush. According to an internal memo from GameStop that was leaked on Reddit, each store will be finding out their allocations one week before the Silver Mario amiibo goes on sale. However, GameStop is not taking pre-orders due to “limited availability” and they “do not expect to receive any replenishments.”
As with any newly announced amiibo, the question in collectors’ minds is: “How rare will this amiibo be?” The Walmart exclusive Gold Edition Mario amiibo has become increasingly hard to find, despite being released as a standalone figure and in a Mario Party 10 package available exclusively through the mass retailer. Gold Mario amiibo are still selling three to five times the suggested retail price on third-party websites like eBay.
Those lucky enough to take home a silver-colored Mario amiibo will be able to play with it on several compatible games, including Mario Party 10, Super Smash Bros. Wii U, Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Super Smash Bros. 3DS. If you are daring enough to take it out of the collectible packaging, that is.
