This custom Satoru Iwata amiibo is making smiles for charity

Most of the time, super-expensive amiibo on eBay are a frustrating product of scarcity and scalping. But this custom Satoru Iwata amiibo, with a current bid of $5,000, is another case entirely.

The entire sale price of the item - which could get a lot higher, considering it still has three days left - will be donated to Child's Play, as assured by the auction's eBay Giving status. If you're not familiar, the main remit of Child's Play is donating video games to hospitals and therapy facilities to give kids entertainment and distraction during a difficult, yet often pretty boring, time.

The amiibo itself is built on a Mii Fighter from Super Smash Brothers for Wii U & 3DS. It's been carefully repainted and resculpted with Iwata's (Mii) features, as well as various artifacts from the series he touched over the years: a Master Sword and Hylian Shield from Zelda, a Pokeball from Pokemon, a 1-UP Mushroom from Mario, Diddy Kong's cap from Donkey Kong, and a Star Rod from Kirby.

Iwata often spoke about trying to make people smile with Nintendo's products, so I'm glad to see this custom amiibo will do the same - both for whoever adds it to their collection, and for the kids who will benefit from the proceeds.

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Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.