To use or not to use Amiibos while playing Breath of the Wild, that is the question we ponder in this post.
Collectible Amiibos, small plastic figures that grant the user certain in-play items, generally cost from 15-50 dollars, depending on the retailer and type of Amiibo. The bottom of the figurine includes a Near-Field-Communication or NFC thingy (which sounds like a sports league to us). When scanned, an Amiibo “drops” the in-play items in a treasure chest or barrels with a smattering of other goodies, right out of the sky. They’re like magic! Or cheating. Depends on who you ask.
Question the first: Is it cheating to use Amiibos, or does it enhance game play and perhaps (for less expert or less frequent gamers) even make play possible in the first place?
This is the crux of the decision, and one that we expect engenders a rabid response from those who pride themselves on doing it the “right” way. Surely no self-respecting speedrunner would use an Amiibo. And even non-speedrunners of a certain ability would scoff at the edge that Amiibos give. For others, it can make the difference between slogging through the game or moving forward in an enjoyable, but still challenging, fashion.
When we first began playing, we (Demelza) ardently scrounged for mushrooms, gathered fruit, and hunted for crickets and lizards, and we (Itzal) shot at anything that moved in the hopes of acquiring some drumsticks or steaks that could be sold, cooked, or eaten when our hearts ran out – which was often, given how few hearts we had then and how limited was our skill and our armor. A great deal of every play session was spent looking for apples and herbs, and in battle we often found Link holding out his hand, empty palm up, as if to wonder, “Hey, where’s my weapon?”
After a dozen or so sessions (which translates to countless hours of shouting and a good 10 to 20 points in Itzal’s high blood pressure), we purchased our first Amiibo. We liked it, and gradually added to our collection over the next couple of months. Our onscreen larder filled much quicker, our wallet ranneth over with rupees, and we were less often reduced to using soup ladles for weapons and pot lids for shields. Instead, we spent more time exploring Hyrule – climbing towers, finding shrines, and completing quests. Better still, the craft cocktails that accompanied our play became craftier, because we had more time to create and savor them.
Amiibos made a difference to our enjoyment of the game, so we didn’t, and still don’t, consider them cheating. Don’t judge.
Question the second: Which Amiibos are the most useful?
Zelda-themed Amiibos compatible with BOTW include Links and Zeldas of various kinds; the four Champions; Ganondorf; a Bokoblin; and a Guardian. At the time of this writing, there are 24. We didn’t buy all 24, but probably close to 20. (Let’s not tell Demelza’s spouse.)
If you purchase just one Amiibo, we’d recommend the Guardian, which is modeled on the aggressive Stalker version you encounter in the Wild. We think the figurine’s kinda nifty looking, and you can move his arms around – something that’s not always possible with elder arms, ammiright? (Itzal gives a hardy-har-har laugh.) The Amiibo generously offers you one treasure chest and four banged-up metal boxes, but don’t let the condition of those boxes fool you. We became right fond of this Amiibo, unlike its in-game counterpart.
The Guardian Amiibo’s chest may contain an Ancient weapon, ranging from the humble but still effective spear to swords and battle axes of varying power; Guardian shields; Ancient cores; an Ancient arrow (once, oh happy day, it gave us a bundle of three); and, occasionally in a very, very, blue moon – a Giant Ancient Core. The metal boxes contain Ancient screws, springs, and gears, and also ordinary arrows and certain precious metals. (To be sure, Ancient parts are also obtainable by seeking out and defeating Guardians. But it’s not a given, particularly early in the game, that you will kill the Guardian before it kills you. And there’s no guarantee they’ll drop what you need. We’ve killed a lot of Guardian Stalkers and even some Skywalkers as we’ve wandered Hyrule, and we can only remember twice getting a Giant Ancient Core. Then again, sometimes we don’t remember breakfast…)
If one wishes to purchase other Amiibos, read our separate post on the various types for additional considerations.
Question the third: What about NFC cards?
There are Near-Field-Communication cards that, for the price of a single Amiibo, give the player all 24 Amiibo drops. These cards are available on various online sites. But they are not, to our knowledge, legal. Accordingly, we chose to purchase the Nintendo Amiibo figurines we did (mostly using credit card points, Demelza’s Spouse!), and we will not suggest or encourage the purchase of NFC cards and therefore (hello, FBI web readers) we will not go to jail).
And some final thoughts
By the time we freed all four Divine Beasts, it became less necessary to scan the Amiibos. How many Hyrule bass can one Hylian eat, after all? How many sapphires and opals are enough? Many days, we didn’t bother with Amiibos.
Indeed, it bears noting that in our second playthrough, we decided to go on an Amiibo diet, to see if we could do without manna from Nintendo heaven. We are chagrined to report that we are far better at restricting our Amiibos than our alcohol or potato chip intake; Itzal wields a mean pot lid now, and Demelza’s shouted instructions are more germane, so we’re doing just fine living off the land.
Thus, we recommend starting your play without Amiibos. Enjoy exploring Hyrule as it was meant to be done, by the seat of your pants (well-worn ones, even) and using your wits and your hunting and gathering skills. There’s nothing like it. Except possibly Eventide Island, but that’s a story for another day. After a few sessions’ play, then decide if you want to use one Amiibo, lots of Amiibos, or none at all.
Like Amiibos, craft cocktails have been known to enhance gameplay. If you decide not to use Amiibos, try one of our cocktails instead. Aw, heck. Even if you’ve decided to use Amiibos, does that preclude a beverage assist?