When introduced at E3 earlier this year and in the marketing materials that followed, Nintendo’s little plastic figures looked fantastic, but some of the finer details seem to have been lost to the production process.
Joystiq posted a set of photos featuring the finished figures earlier this week, which have been making the Reddit rounds over the weekend. Some think they look fine for $US13 figures with tech embedded inside them. I think they look fine for what they are. It’s just what they are isn’t quite what we’ve been seeing at retailers for preorder — they have been using the prototype pictures.
Take Princess Peach, for instance. The brocade pattern on her dress looked inlaid in the original shot. Now it’s just paint. The fine detail around her pendant has changed colours, the hands seem a little chunkier, and overall the plastic looks like its of much lower quality.
Then there’s Link.
The thing, translucent plastic pole that held aloft the hero of Hyrule is now this strange amber thing, as if he were borne aloft on a column of urine. The thicker post makes sense. The flimsy thing in the original pictures wouldn’t have held up to rigorous play. Perhaps that’s why the Wii Fit Trainer now has a foot cast.
Similarly, the sad shape of Marth’s sword could probably be explained by softer plastic having to be used for a sharp object aimed at children. Or maybe he’s just not feeling it today.
I still say the figures look fine, and plan on breaking myself buying each of the initial batch of 18 figures. I’m one of the toy guys here, I pretty much have to — but I would anyway. I just hope my Kirby doesn’t wind up with subtly off-center eyes. That would drive me nuts.
This is pretty much how all action figures work. A prototype is made, some high-quality samples are produced, and then they are sent off to be mass-produced, a process that often isn’t up to reproducing the exact look of those early gems.
Besides, those little flaws won’t matter much at all once your Amiibo is packing a level 50 Super Smash Bros. fighter you’ve raised from a pup.
Check out more images of the figures at the link below.
Super Smash Bros. Amiibo figures are part trophy, part protégé [Joystiq]
Comments
29 responses to “Nintendo’s Amiibo Figures Look A Little Bit Different In Production”
Can’t complain based on the price, but this is pretty disappointing.
As disappointing as McDonalds food not looking the same 🙁
Wow that’s totally f%#ed
I was going to buy them all…
now I am going to be super selective
The quality difference is shocking, the original images look incredibly detailed whereas the production ones look like happy meal toys
This is a dumb comparison.
The production images are from a crappier camera/lense, with bad lighting and aren’t even be properly in focus.
yes
A little disappointing. I wish they had used Truer marketing images to begin with. Kirby looks fantastic though 🙂
Edit: OK make sure you check out the joystiq link… most of them look pretty fantastic. i love Pikachu and DK. and Mario looks like a badass. They look way cooler without pose requiring the stupid rod haha.
Just saw that myself and completly agree – The big plastic thing up DK’s arse isn’t very noticable from the front at least unlike Link lol. Really want to see how Fox and Samus turned out now
Your picture Is EA, you must be pretty used to disappointment.
but on a serious note yeah they are pretty disappointing, I won’t be buying one.
On closer inspection you will see my picture says “EA Sucks”, I also wont be buying any but thats because i gave up on my Wii U long ago and at this point i can’t be arsed getting anything to try and revive it.
Damn.. I was expecting to buy most/all of them, with this quality I might just get the ones I really want. Kirby looks good, Marth really looks dissapointing – the face, the hair, the sword 🙁
Same here. I’m quite disappointed in particular with the Wii Fit Trainer, it looks pretty poor. Seems the more humanoid ones suffer but the more ‘basic’ ones (DK, Kirby) look good.
It’s a real shame :/
Same as above. If that is how they’re going to look, I suddenly don’t feel like buying them all any more.
Now you’ve brought it to my attention I can’t stop seeing Kirby’s off centre eyes! AAAARGH!!
Exactly! Some things are better left unsaid!
Looking at the joystiq article, some of them look great quality and others look terrible/cheap. Really disappointing.
Is level 50 the Max?
yes from everything i have seen.
That prototype Fox looked waaaaay too good to be true. But, while they’re no longer figma good, they’re still miles better than the alternatives.
Gotta see that Fox.
I really don’t see this as a big deal.
It’s not. It hasn’t broken Skylanders or Disney Infinity, plus you don’t really sit there over-reacting to the detail, you just sit the figure down. *shrug*
Depends. For me a good deal of the draw was that they were all so nice-looking, they stood on their own as being desirable without even really knowing what the whole NFC side of things would involve exactly. To have that taken away kills a lot of the enthusiasm for them.
This exactly.
Can you assign any character to your amiibo or do I need a Mario amiibo to get an ingame Mario companion
You need Mario amiibo to get the mario in game. Otherwise there is no point in them making them all.
dam
Expecting the quality shown in those initial pictures in the final $13 figures was always hilarious. The prototype ones look like limited edition $50-75 figures.
The apparent quality doesn’t bother me very much. the up & down prices on certain websites does though.
Oz Game Shop says they’re selling for $22 each (plus postage) whilst JB said it was $18 but not they’re revising their prices.
I may get one or two, if they prove to be handy for game transfers & such.
If not, can wait for price drops really.
I’ve heard $17.50 was the official price.
It has seemed to fluctuate but ordering online seems to be the more expensive option surprisingly enough.
What were these photos taken with, a potato?