Oh, Nintendo, you’ve done a sneaky trick this time, haven’t you? Nintendo has been vociferous about doing DLC right, avoiding the perils of on-disc DLC, retailer-specific preorder bonuses and all that sort of nonsense. Well, now it’s taken a dark road of its own… and not the one you’re thinking of. Sure, the Wolf Link Amiibo for The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD unlocks an exclusive dungeon. That’s not an issue. But it also unlocks exclusive content for Zelda Wii U, and that, my friends, may push Nintendo into sketchy territory.
Zelda Wii U And The Twilight Princess Wolf Link Amiibo
Nintendo recently confirmed the rumors that the Wolf Link Amiibo would unlock a new dungeon in Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It also dropped a pair of bombshells: First, the Wolf Link Amiibo will also work with Hyrule Warriors Legends and Zelda Wii U. Don’t believe me? Here’s the press release: “Some of the data stored on the Wolf Link amiibo figure can also be used with The Legend of Zelda game for Wii U, which launches this year.” Second, the Wolf Link Amiibo will only be available through the Twilight Princess bundle. Nintendo again: “Purchasing The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD and Wolf Link amiibo bundle will currently be the only way to get this amiibo figure.”
So. Let’s think this through. The Wolf Link Amiibo has functionality with Zelda Wii U, but it’s only available if you buy the Twilight Princess bundle for $59.99. For people who want to play Twilight Princess, it’s a great deal: The Amiibo basically comes as a pack-in, putting the cost the same as any other retail game. But if you only want it for Zelda Wii U or Hyrule Warriors Legends, you have to shell out the full $60 for Twilight Princess just to get the Amiibo.
That’s a little sneaky on Nintendo’s part, but I wouldn’t attribute it to malice. In fact, Nintendo did something similar before with the green Yarn Yoshi Amiibo and Yoshi’s Woolly World, but the company eventually rereleased the Amiibo as a standalone. Nintendo may well do the same with the Wolf Link Amiibo when Zelda Wii U actually comes out. But for now, the only way to get it, and use it for Zelda Wii U, is to buy Twilight Princess HD when it launches on March 4. Well played, Nintendo. Well played.
