So, you've picked yourself or a family member up a new Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite and you're curious about all those little amiibo figures that interact with the games. If you’re new to Switch, it can be tough to know where to start. The full roster of amiibo is daunting and nobody wants to get stuck with a dud which only works in a game or two.

Fear not – we’re here to help you wade through the dozens of available amiibo figures with a selection which will not only look great on the shelf, but also offer great value for money in terms of Near-Field Communication functionality.

Nintendo’s take on the toys-to-life genre launched in 2014 into a frenzy which saw scalpers reselling the amiibo with huge markups. Nintendo eventually sorted the supply issues and produced more of some of the rarer characters, meaning you can generally get hold of the amiibo you want these days without resorting to ludicrous prices on eBay.

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A Word On Compatibility

While certain games have bespoke unlocks tied to a specific amiibo, there are a great many games with more general compatibility that'll reward you with a nominal bonus by tapping any amiibo figure, even if the game doesn't register them specifically. By far the largest amiibo collection is the Smash Bros. series, and that game enables you to save (or 'write') fighter data to the amiibo itself. Other titles such as Super Mario Odyssey simply 'read' the figures and unlock, say, a costume or a consumable item.

Many games have broad compatibility, even if the rewards tend to be less exciting. Unlocks vary from one-time, daily or unlimited bonuses depending on the game and there are far too many to list here. This is not an appendix – Nintendo’s own list will give you the rundown of every single compatible title – this is more a nudge in the right direction for those starting out.



So, the following are a handful of amiibo to get you started - with some alternatives to suit all tastes - for the next time you’re faced with a display wall of options and no clue what to pick…

Yes, we could go on. We could talk about Olimar or Ness or the cute Animal Crossing amiibo series – who wouldn’t want a K.K. Slider? – but that's more than enough to begin with. With upcoming games very likely to have amiibo support, the functionality of the figures only increases. Ultimately, you should just go with your gut and get whatever you think looks nice – the in-game bonuses are just that: bonuses.

Be warned, though: the first amiibo might be innocent, but it will lead to more if you’re not careful. They’re great little figures, so by all means, dive in and start an amiibo collection, but if you’re short on space, be careful; these things are addictive.

Hopefully that's helped get you on the right track if you're just starting out. If you're a veteran, what was your first amiibo? Has your collection ballooned or were you able to control yourself (unlike us)? Will the eventual Banjo-Kazooie amiibo render this entire list obsolete? Let us know with a comment.