Nintendo has made a big move into the plastic-statue market, and fans are swarming stores to collect every single one.
Last month, Nintendo introduced its line of interactive toys alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. You could pick up a Mario, Pikachu, or Donkey Kong and zap those figures into your game and train them up. It’s a neat idea that the publisher obviously borrowed from Activision’s Skylanders franchise.
But putting together a complete collection of Amiibos — or even finding particular ones — is quickly turning into a nearly impossible task. So, to help our gaming amigos find their favorite Amiibos, I’ve put together a list of where you should look to find every figure Nintendo has released so far.
This list will change a lot. If you see something that is out of date, please feel free to let me know by emailing jeff.grubb@venturebeat.com.
First wave
Mario
Where you should check first:
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- Best Buy
- GameStop
- Target
All of the stores listed above have Mario in stock both at their stores and online. You could also try Walmart, but it is sold out online.
Where you should avoid:
- Amazon
Amazon only has Mario from third-party resellers who have jacked the price up to more than $13.
Link
Where you should check first:
- Amazon
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- Target
Where you should avoid:
- Walmart
- GameStop
Link is hard to come by at Walmart and GameStop.
Pikachu
Where you should check first:
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- Target
Where you should avoid:
- Amazon
- Walmart
- GameStop
Link and Pikachu are in the same situation except you may have an easier time finding Pikachu at Walmart.
Kirby
Where you should check first:
- Amazon
- Toys ‘R’ US
Where you should avoid:
- Best Buy
- GameStop
- Target
- Walmart
Kirby is hard to find in all the above retailers’ stores, but you might have better luck with their websites.
Yoshi
Where you should check first:
- Best Buy
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- Target
- Walmart
Where you should avoid:
- Amazon
- GameStop
GameStop stores are running low on Yoshi. Amazon gets him in intermittently, but he’s only available via resellers right now.
Peach
Where you should check first:
- Everywhere
Peach is widely available. Here’s the Amazon link.
Donkey Kong
Where you should check first
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- Amazon
Where you should avoid:
- Best Buy
- GameStop
- Target
- Walmart
Like Kirby, Donkey Kong is hard to find in stores, but you’ll have a much easier time getting him online.
Fox
Where you should check first:
- Toys ‘R’ Us
Where you should avoid:
- Everywhere else
Fox is really starting to sell out at a lot of places. If you want to go online for him, try GameStop — but Toys ‘R’ Us is still your best bet.
Samus
Where you should check first:
- Amazon
- Toys R Us
- Target (in-store only)
Where you should avoid:
- Best Buy
- GameStop
- Walmart
Best Buy, GameStop, and Walmart may have Samus available online, but don’t try their stores.
First-wave goners
Animal Crossing Villager, Marth, and Wii Fit Trainer
These are all gone, and everyone is rushing to find them. If you see one in the back of some dimly lit Target and you’re in the market for it, you shouldn’t wait.
Wave two
Zelda
Where you should check first:
- Toys ‘R’ Us
- GameStop
Where you should avoid:
- Everywhere else
Zelda is sold out just about anywhere that isn’t Toys ‘R’ Us.
Luigi
Where you should check first:
- Amazon
- Best Buy
Where you should avoid:
- Everywhere else
Wave two near-goners
Diddy Kong, Little Mac, Captain Falcon, and Pit
These are all really hard to find. They aren’t as rare as Villager, for example, but people are already selling Diddy Kong for more than $30 on Amazon.
Wave three preorders
Bowser, Toon Link, King Dedede, Megaman, Ike, Sheik, and Sonic
The wave-three Amiibos are set to debut in January and February, but you can start preordering them now.
All of the wave-three Amiibos (not including store exclusives) are available for preorder online at the following stores:
- Best Buy
- GameStop
- Walmart
Wave three store exclusives
Meta Knight
Meta Knight is exclusive to Best Buy, but it is sold out.
Shulk
Shulk is exclusive to GameStop, but it is sold out.
Rosalina
Rosalina is exclusive to Target, but it’s not available for preorder yet. The site says it is “sold out,” but that isn’t the case. You can preorder it here once it’s available.
Lucario
Lucario was available at Toys ‘R’ Us, but the preorders have sold out.
Second-hand market
Nintendo has confirmed that it is discontinuing some Amiibos, but it has not said which ones, but it seems likely that Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, and Marth won’t find their way back to store shelves. If you want any of those three figures, you may better off going to eBay or Amazon’s resellers. For everything else, we’re probably not at that point yet.