Nintendo has made it clear that the Amiibo are here to stay, and customers have agreed: the company can barely keep the figurines in stock, with exclusives like the Gold Mario Amiibo selling out within minutes of going online. They're not just video game accessories, they're collectibles - and even those without a Nintendo console have taken to hoarding Amiibo.
It's only been a few months, but it's already clear that Nintendo struck gold.
However, one of Nintendo's consoles was left out of the loop: the original Nintendo 3DS didn't originally support the Amiibo, and those who held onto their older consoles had to watch as the New 3DS XL launched with Amiibo support out of the box.
Well, there's good news for original 3DS owners: Nintendo's latest system update officially introduces Amiibos to all 3DS models.
Version 9.6.0-24U starts rolling out today, and users will receive a prompt to download and install the update. The biggest draw here is for older 3DS and 2DS users, as the Amiibo settings menu will appear on the Home Screen once the handheld is reset. This gives handheld users the same menu as New 3DS XL owners, though there is a bit of a catch...
Unfortunately, original 3DS owners still won't be able to use Amiibo with their handhelds, as the figures will require a separate peripheral to connect to the device. Nintendo hasn't released a lot of info on this peripheral, only promising that it will be released sometime later this year. No pricing, no release window - the peripheral doesn't even have a name yet. With any luck, it won't be much longer before it hits store shelves.
There are a few other updates to the entire 3DS family, most of which include updates to the Home Screen and system stability:
Changes to the HOME Menu:
A Home Menu Layout setting has been added to HOME Menu Settings. Users can save and load up to 8 layouts of the HOME Menu with different theme and software icon arrangements
Changes to the Theme Shop:
Additional categories have been added under "View More" for easier navigation of the Theme Shop
Improvements to system stability and usability:
Further improvements to overall system stability and other minor adjustments have been made to enhance the user experience
Version 9.6.0-24U has already started rolling out: as soon as you see that little blue light start to blink, check your 3DS for the update. It should pop up as soon as you open the device, and the 3DS should take care of everything else after that - and let's hope that the Amiibo peripheral isn't too far behind.
Photo: Farley Santos | Flickr
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