Nintendo has once again locked a major feature of a Metroid game behind amiibo, as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond's bike is missing a radio until you pay up.
As much as I enjoy a good amiibo, one of the most annoying things about them is the lack of consistency. Some games introduce fun little extras – like the costumes and gliders found in Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, others are basically useless – like in Hyrule Warriors, where you get a pitiable single rupee or some other lame crafting material.
However, the actual worst implementation is any time Nintendo locks actual substantial content behind it (well, the real worst are games like Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival where they're required to play, but that game is widely considered so ass that I'm not sure anyone wants to play it anyway). One of the biggest examples of this was for Metroid: Samus Returns, where you need the now extremely rare Metroid amiibo to unlock Fusion Mode, locking a difficulty level behind it.
For whatever reason, Metroid seems to be the biggest victim of this, as Metroid Prime 4 has once again locked content behind amiibo. The Samus on the Viola amiibo lets you see how far you've travelled on the bike and unlock some new skins based on milestones, while Sylux unlocks a special scene (which you get for 100% completing the game normally).
But the worst offender is the new Samus amiibo, which gives the Viola bike a radio functionality, allowing you to play tunes while riding around the desert. Not only is this amiibo $30 (or a slightly less painful £17 in the UK), but it's specifically for the Metroid Prime 4 version of Samus. If you're a long-time fan who has the Smash Bros, Samus Returns, and Metroid Dread versions of Samus, they won't unlock this.
So what is the reward for those fans who have all of the previous Metroid amiibo, you ask? Well, if you scan any Metroid series amiibo you're treated to one of five sound effects from the game playing… and that's it.
