More Marth Amiibo Set To Arrive Post-‘S.T.E.A.M.’ Launch
Nintendo has promised amiibo fans and collectors that Marth will return to stores sometime in late April. Unlike the recent Super Mario amiibo – Gold Edition announcement, an exact release date has not yet been specified.
Planning to pick up Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. and don’t have a Marth amiibo? More are headed to stores in late April! pic.twitter.com/3CV0EkFWt1
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 2, 2015
As noted in the official tweet from Nintendo of America, the Marth re-release is particularly good news for gamers planning to play Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., an alternate history tactical strategy game developed by Intelligent Systems. Known for developing the tactics heavy Fire Emblem series, Intelligent Systems is making what may turn out to be quite the smart cross-over by including Fire Emblem characters in their newest IP through the magic of amiibo.
Using the Super Smash Bros. series amiibo, players can unlock four Fire Emblem characters in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. just by tapping the amiibo to the New Nintendo 3DS XL (support for the original Nintendo 3DS systems are still pending the release of an amiibo peripheral device). Marth, perhaps most recognized as a fighter in the Super Smash Bros. games, is also the hero of the very first Fire Emblem game. Other Fire Emblem amiibo characters include Lucina and Robin from Fire Emblem: Awakening, and Ike from Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
Although the Marth re-release is good news for gamers, the timing makes it a bit bittersweet, as the figure is not scheduled to coincide with the Code Name S.T.E.A.M launch on March 13, 2015. Fans hoping to unlock Marth before the re-release will only be able to do so if they were lucky enough to get one from its original launch in November 2014. Otherwise, it is reasonable to expect about a month-long wait.
Despite the announcement from Nintendo, some major retailers like Toys R Us and Target have yet to make Marth available again on their websites. Best Buy has taken down most of the ordering options on their Marth amiibo page, but the product number of 8887016 remains visible. At the very least, with the SKU, it may be possible to ask about the product in-store.
Walmart.com has a listing but does not offer the option to sign up for an email alert when the product becomes available, as it does for other out-of-stock amiibo like King Dedede or the Gold Edition Mario. However, you can still search inventory of nearby stores, which could come in handy if mid-to-late April rolls around without the opportunity to pre-order. If that does turn out to be the case, GameStop.com also has an active listing with the ability to search nearby inventory.
Although Marth has an official re-release scheduled, hunting down the other Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. compatible amiibos may prove difficult as demand continues to outweigh supply. Ike amiibo hit store shelves at the end of February and have already become hard to find. It is unknown when Robin and Lucina will become available, as they are part of the yet-to-be released Wave 4. The official amiibo site currently only lists “Spring 2015” as a potential release window and major retailers have yet to begin accepting pre-orders for any Wave 4 amiibo.
[Images courtesy Nintendo]
