Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
  1. Games
  2. Simulation
  3. Animal Crossing

Yes, you'll need amiibo to play Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival

News
By Ashley Reed published 23 October 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

With players snatching up amiibo faster than Nintendo can fire up the molds, a full-blown amiibo game was as inevitable as a two-hour line to nab a Ness. Now Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is on its way, replete with adorable mini-games and a board game in the style of Mario Party - with a fraction the strife.

As you can probably guess, you need to accessorize with an amiibo of your own to play this game, though it's not as simple as that. Each mode in the game has its own special amiibo/card requirements, and you're going to have to make sure you're full set if you want to take advantage of all the game has to offer. Check above to see what you'll need for the different modes, and what amount.

That might seem like a lot of extra buy-in to play just one game (notably one that will have no online capabilities, though there's plenty of space for couch co-op), and if amiibo aren't really your thing then you might not want to bother. But if you have an amiibo problem like some of us here at GR, you're already going to own all these amiibo and cards anyway, so what's the difference?

Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival is bringing its cuteness to bear in December 2015.

amiibo figures

Where they're used: the main stage board game, and mini-games

You'll need at least one amiibo to take part in the boardgame, and will have to scan it in at the beginning of the game to start things off. The amiibo is what you use to roll your dice, tapping it on the gamepad and pulling it back when you want to let your dice loose. However, you'll only need one amiibo regardless of how many people are playing; the game supports up to four players who can either load up their own own amiibo or just play as themselves. As long as one amiibo remains, the show can go on.

amiibo cards

Where they're used: Mini-games, quiz show

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

amiibo won't cut it for every game, and you'll have to get some amiibo cards if you want to play Festival's mini-games as well. Only two cards are required for the quiz show (and you'll tap them on the gamepad in order to buzz in at the right moment), but every other mini-game requires a minimum of three. These are the same cards used in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer, so if you already have cards from that, you're golden.

Controllers

Where they're used: Pretty much everywhere

While this may seem like a no-brainer, it's worth knowing that you won't need as many controllers as you're probably thinking. No matter how many humans you have playing along, all amiibo- and card-tapping action happens on the Wii U gamepad (as well as basic things like moving your character around), so any other controllers are pointless. Basically, you'll be passing the gamepad around from person-to-person through the whole game - I think Nintendo might be trying to teach us a lesson in sharing.

CATEGORIES
Wii-u Platforms Nintendo
Ashley Reed
Ashley Reed

Former Associate Editor at GamesRadar, Ashley is now Lead Writer at Respawn working on Apex Legends. She's a lover of FPS titles, horror games, and stealth games. If you can see her, you're already dead.

Latest in Animal Crossing
A player character sat surrounded by books in a cozy room in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons update ensures Timmy and Tommy never let you out of their sight again, stops fence cloning
 
 
Celebrating the opening of the resort hotel in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Nintendo says those Animal Crossing and Splatoon updates are there so players can migrate to Switch 2 at their own pace
 
 
Photo of a pile of official Animal Crossing amiibo cards, with an Isabelle card in the middle.
UK Nintendo fans this is not a drill, Animal Crossing amiibo cards are back
 
 
Photo of an official Animal Crossing Brewster cup and rubber keychain sitting on a white surface.
The new Animal Crossing New Horizons merch at Nintendo is too cute to handle, but it's UK only for now
 
 
Animal Crossing: New Horizon On the Radar special
I love Animal Crossing: New Horizons Slumber Islands, but it could’ve been so much better if they added these features
 
 
Tom Nook from Animal Crossing New Horizons on the GamesRadar+ On the Radar hub branding
On the Radar with Animal Crossing: New Horizons
 
 
Latest in News
Palworld Pal with shocked expression
"I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation"
 
 
Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
 
 
Peak mesa biome
Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads to see whose game would sell more
 
 
Jin, Mugen, and Fuu standing in a row
Samurai Champloo is getting a live-action Netflix series from One Piece studio, and the original creator is on board
 
 
Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise in the It: Welcome to Derry finale
It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is officially in the works, as showrunner promises "something greater" than season 1
 
 
Mass Effect
"F***ing Colonel Shepard dies in Mass Effect 3, and that makes us the Worst Company in America," former EA exec laments
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Dafne Keen brandishing her claws as Laura/X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine
    1
    Marvel fans are debating whether Dafne Keen should become Wolverine or stay as X-23, and I've already chosen a side
  2. 2
    "I wouldn't rule out a Palworld 2.0," says Pocketpair publishing head, but don't expect a "No Man's Sky situation" with a "decade of continuous, massive updates"
  3. 3
    "Whoever sells more copies pays for the other's therapy": Peak came about after a bet between Content Warning and Another Crab's Treasure leads, and ironically the friendslop collab that followed sold more than both games combined
  4. 4
    Samurai Champloo is returning as a live-action Netflix series from One Piece adaptation team, and the original creator is on board: "We've learned" after Cowboy Bebop
  5. 5
    It: Welcome to Derry season 2 is definitely in the works, as showrunner promises to "deliver something that is greater" than season 1

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...