Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge (2016)

As a free app that provides an incentive to explore amiibo, Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge is a good effort. It offers a nice taster for those with non-Mario-themed toys, with 12 levels to tackle, and adds enjoyable twists and extra content for those with the correct figures. It's a fun if not premium experience, with some rather uninspired level designs mixed in with moments of greater quality - for amiibo fans it's well worth a look.

Anyone with an amiibo should download this to try it out, especially if he or she enjoys puzzle games and/or Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. Everything has been created with the same care that is found in other Nintendo titles and each of the abilities gives their collectible counterparts probably their best use yet. The mission to get gold trophies means that even the most hardened gamers will find a challenge, while those looking for a more relaxing time can complete each stage at their own pace. This makes it accessible to a range of people, as skill isn't an immediate barrier to enjoyment. The only real barrier is the cost of amiibo, but it could be enough to tip those who were interested in buying one over the edge. Anyone who already has a sizeable collection is sure to relish the extra content that is now available for no additional charge.

t’s a good game, with some clever, creative puzzle design that takes the Lemmings-like inspiration for the series about as far as it would be possible to push it, and all those different amiibo special abilities do give a lot of variety to the puzzles, but it’s little nasty for Nintendo to hold back a full experience unless you’ve got over a hundred dollars worth of toys.

Not a bad way for Amiibo collectors to put their plastic people to some use, but a bit of a wash for everyone else

Mini Mario and Friends: Amiibo Challenge is delightful, relaxing, and still remains challenging enough with its puzzles.