After speculation and leaked promotional materials hit the web earlier this month, Nintendo has now confirmed that the Gold Edition Mario Amiibo will be exclusive to Walmart.
The interactive figure will retail for $13 and will release the same day as Mario Party 10 on March 20. The golden Mario Amiibo will work in any game that features Amiibo support, according to Nintendo.
While Nintendo has confirmed the existence of the golden Mario, the company didn't shine any light on the silver Mario Amiibo that was seen in leaked Nintendo documents. Prior to confirmation that the golden Amiibo would be Walmart exclusive, many fans believed the golden and silver edition Mario's would be some kind of reward for golden and platinum status Club Nintendo members.
It appears that isn't the case. The Club Nintendo reward program is officially no more. Might the silver Amiibo be another retailer exclusive? Several retailers have already sold exclusive figures, with Target selling Rosalina and Lumba, Gamestop selling Shulk, Toys R Us selling Lucario and Best Buy selling Meta Knight. The golden Mario will be Walmart's first exclusive Amiibo figure. There aren't many mainstream retailers left in the United States that don't already have an exclusive figure.
Fans can only hope Nintendo shines some light on the situation soon. With many Amiibo in short supply, preordering the figures has become one of the only ways to guarantee snagging fan-favorite characters upon release. The sooner fans know the situation and can plan accordingly, the better.
The latest Nintendo title to feature Amiibo support is the recently released Kirby and the Rainbow Curse for Wii U. Players who own Kirby, Meta Knight or King Dedede Amiibo figures can use them in game to give Kirby special abilities. Two Amiibo-compatible games will release in March. Codename S.T.E.A.M. for the Nintendo 3DS releases March 13 and will support Amiibo figures from the Fire Emblem series, while Mario Party 10 will support all Amiibo in some form.
Be sure to check out our comprehensive Amiibo guide for details on which games support Amiibo and what using them will unlock.
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