By Matthew Walden on May 12, 2015 06:27 am
1. Legless Princess Peach
Nintendo's Amiibo toy figurines have become quite the rage in the collectible market. While the typical retail price for an Amiibo is only $12.99, their relative scarcity has caused prices to skyrocket. For example, this legless Princess Peach, the result of a manufacturing defect, sold for $25,100 on eBay.
2. Dual Cannon Samus
Metroid's famous bounty hunter, Samus, gets a serious price upgrade when she dual-wields her iconic arm cannon. For thrifty shoppers, two-can Sam can be found for a mere $2,500–ten percent of the cost of her compatriot, legless Peach.
3. No-Lefty Luigi
Rounding out the collection of top-tier manufacturing defects, this Luigi Amiibo showed up on eBay missing his left hand. The auction winner is now out $500. Beyond Peach, Samus and Luigi, though, most defects don't seem to positively impact the value of Amiibo figures.
4. Villager
If you're not into factory mistakes and want to focus on collecting intact Amiibo, finding the Villager from Animal Crossing is a quest in itself. Unless you spot one in the wild, expect to pay upwards of $70 on auction sites to grab the little guy.
5. Greninja
Good luck grabbing a pre-order for the elusive Pokemon ninja. As is often the case with Amiibo figures, Greninja sold out long before he even hit store shelves.
6. Little Mac
Little Mac became one of the most popular Nintendo fighters after his inclusion in the new Super Smash Bros. That new stardom led to his Amiibo becoming a hot commodity, too. Pro tip for winning him in an auction: Dance like a fly, bite like a mosquito.
7. Gold Mario
He's not quite worth his weight in gold, but if you manage to find a Gold Mario Amiibo, he's currently valued at around around $60. Mama mia.
8. Marth
Marth's come a long way. He flummoxed many players in his first Smash Bros. appearance, but after the surprising success of Fire Emblem in the West, Marth has received a huge popularity boost. Acquiring his coveted Amiibo will cost you more than $50.
9. Pit
After languishing on the sidelines for more than a decade, Kid Icarus has officially made a comeback, thanks to the tireless efforts of Nintendo designer Masahiro Sakurai. Some Amiibo figures are rare because they're relatively unknown. Other characters, like Pit, are rare because they're so loved.
10. Wii Fit Trainer
That's it, feel the burn ... in your wallet, that is. Considered a rare unicorn by serious Amiibo collectors, the Wii Fit Trainer still goes for more than three times her retail price.
11. Ness
In a more just universe, the words "rare" and "Earthbound" would never appear together, but sadly, this is the timeline we inhabit. The consummate yo-yo artist Ness is an upcoming GameSpot exclusive. If you didn't pre-order, though, you'll need to cast PSI Hypnosis to persuade someone else to fork him over.
12. Meta Knight
Meta Knight got an avalanche of nerfs in the recent Smash Bros. game, but his weaker range didn't affect his popularity as a toy. Rumors abound that he'll be restocked in stores, but expect to pay close to $40 until then.
13. Ike
If you've kept your ear close to the ground, then you know the mercenary Ike is rumored for a summer restock. The smart bet would be to wait out his current price spike–$40–until then, just in case this royal bodyguard becomes a mere commoner.
14. Shulk
Behold the power of the Monado! Thanks to his rabid fanbase, Shulk's Xenoblade title became a bonafide hit in the West, and his Amiibo proved just as popular. Unfortunately, like the Wii game from which he hails, Shulk is a difficult man to track down.
15. Captain Falcon
Winning isn't about being lucky. It's about being bold. And you'll need to be bold to hunt down your very own Captain Falcon figure. Once you do, he'll cost you close to $35.
16. Rosalina
Who knew Rosalina would become such a lightning rod for controversy? One collector managed to frustrate the entire Amiibo collecting community by purchasing huge numbers of Rosalinas simply to keep her off store shelves. Luckily, the truly committed can still find her for around $30.
17. King Dedede
For the longest time, Dreamland's king has been unfairly maligned. Maybe Nintendo fans are finally celebrating his heroic nature, because his Amiibo has been one of the most popular.
18. Lucario
A well-trained Lucario can identify creatures more than half a mile away. We wish we had the same telepathic ability to spot which Toys "R" Us has the fabled Amiibo in stock. Expect to pay twice his retail price for a Lucario in the wild.
19. Fox
Fox McCloud may have what it takes to save the Lylat Galaxy, but you'll have to find him first. He's not impossible to discover, but he still remains one of the less common Amiibo originals.
20. Dankey Kang
What's a collector to do after tracking down the rarest and most valuable Amiibo figures? Well, there's a cool niche market of custom painted Amiibo characters to explore. Creators offer unique spins on classic characters, like the famous Jeopardy-themed meme "Dankey Kang," pictured above. While not officially produced by Nintendo, a custom painted work can be truly one of a kind.
By Matthew Walden on May 12, 2015 06:27 am
15. The Interceptor
It's not so outlandish as other vehicles in Mad Max: Fury Road, but this beat-up Ford Falcon with a classical rust patina is one of the most iconic cars in the Mad Max series, appearing in all four of the films.
14. The Nux Car
Nicholas Hoult stars as the psychopath Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road, but his ancient, turbo-charged Chevrolet may steal the show. The prominent front grill looks convenient for catching roadkill.
13. The Big Foot
It's only natural that the WWA World Heavyweight Champ Nathan Jones would drive this massive, reconfigured Dodge pickup for his role as Rictus Erectus. When you need to cross the desert after catastrophic worldwide calamities, this beast is your top choice.
12. The Dodge
The Dodge is a junkyard attack dog: a modified hot rod that spews flames across the citadel.
11. The Mack
The Mack is an R-series wrecker with mounted harpoons. It's tasked with bringing up the rear of the Australian armada, scooping up the spoils of war left behind.
10. Buggy #9
Buggy #9 looks like a Corvette that's been to hell and back. It's got a custom gunner seat mounted to the rear for fending off all the maniacal death gangs of the desert.
9. The War Rig
The War Rig strikes a formidable pose. A semi-truck with precious cargo needs an Apocalypse-Now-esque number of skull trophies to scare off plundering bandits.
8. Prince Valiant
This muscle car comes equipped with an outlaw arsenal of molotov grenades and a rear-mounted flamethrower. Those fierce licks of fire across the hood aren't just for decoration.
7. The Cranky Frank
The Cranky Frank is a chopped-top rat rod with a mean tower of carburetors. This vehicle also serves as the trailblazer in the main villain's military entourage, a predatory gang known as the War Boys.
6. Elvis
With nitrous injection and twin GMC V6 engines to power it, Elvis boasts the top acceleration of the war rig convoy. Not bad for the ghost of a three-window coupe.
5. The Ploughboy
The Holden EH Station Wagon was a popular Australian car in the 1960s, but after the apocalypse, it was necessary to outfit it with a hydraulic plough and an off-road frame.
4. FDK
Punch buggy brown! The first thing that jumps out about this rugged Volkswagen monstrosity is those fuel barrels attached to the side, perfectly engineered to spew flames into the face of any bloodthirsty fugitive daft enough to come near.
3. The Peacemaker
The Peacemaker belongs to the Bullet Farmer, and it's another piece of classic Mad Max iconography. This vicious vehicle looks like a roadster mashed up with some makeshift tank tracks.
2. The Gigahorse
The Gigahorse is like the conjoined twins of Cadillac Coupe DeVilles. They're both carried aloft on the chassis of a giant monster truck with two massive V-8 engines spilling forth from its intestines. It's truly the stuff of nightmares.
1. The Plymouth Rock
If Beetlejuice drove a Plymouth sedan through a field of sand worms, we imagine it might look close to this. This nasty piece of work scavenges the desert hunting for the decaying flesh of dead animals, and it's officially the wildest we've seen so far from Fury Road.
By Anonymous on May 12, 2015 06:26 am
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Almost a year ahead of the March 2016 release date, Team DC has dropped all kinds of teases and head shots to kick off the fan frenzy.
A new Batman
Ben Affleck will take over the role of the Caped Crusader. His new suit and Batmobile made all kinds of waves when released by director Zack Snyder.
Wonder Woman
Gal Gadot (maybe you saw her in Furious 7?) will bring Wonder Woman to the big screen in the Man of Steel sequel. Whose side will she be on?
Superman returns
Of course. And Henry Cavill will reprise his role as the Man of Steel. But still, can't stop wondering...why are he and Batman battling each other?!
Lex Luthor's very calm, very evil face
Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) will play the iconic role of Lex Luthor, as seen in this sneak peek first revealed by Entertainment Weekly.
Batsuit reveal
The new suit and smaller ears have been a hot topic since the reveal of Ben Affleck's Caped Crusader outfit.
Teased Batmobile
The filmmakers let us catch a glimpse of the new Batmobile before we even got to see the new guy behind the wheel.
The Batmobile
Batman's new ride looks sleeker, faster and (a little) less militarized than Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight-era Batmobile.
Jason Momoa as Aquaman
Good news! Everybody's favorite Dothraki, Jason Momoa, will bring Aquaman out from the deep. To unite the seven, apparently.
By Matthew Walden on May 12, 2015 06:25 am
1. Mortal Kombat
You knew this one would be on here. Mortal Kombat tops our list with official bans in Brazil, Germany, South Korea, and Australia. With this year's new release easily earning the distinction of the most violent game in the series, we wouldn't be surprised if even more bans followed.
2. Red Dead Redemption
John Marston's gritty adventure through the Wild West was banned in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for scenes containing nudity. The UAE ultimately repealed the ban two months later, presumably because officials actually played the game and realized how great it was.
3. Left 4 Dead 2
A German court outlawed the original version of L4D2, saying it "trivializes violence due to its high killing rate and explicit graphical representation of mutilation." Australia also refused to classify the game for commercial sale, citing "copious amounts of blood spray and splatter."
4. Sonic Blast Man
America has a strong tradition of free speech, but it doesn't tolerate safety hazards. The unique arcade game Sonic Blast Man was recalled because of injuries and safety concerns about its punching pad. It was never redistributed. (Image via Arcade Flyer Archive)
5. South Park: The Stick of Truth
South Park is known for pushing buttons, and The Stick of Truth is no exception. Ubisoft censored the European, Russian, and Australian releases of the game, while Lebanon and Saudi Arabia banned the game outright. Turns out the world's just not ready for that level of alien probing.
6. Injustice: Gods Among Us
Injustice itself is pretty tame for a fighting game, considering it was designed by the creators of Mortal Kombat. However, it still received a ban in Kuwait for including the word "gods" in the title.
7. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
GRAW 2 was banned in the Mexican state of Chihuahua after Juarez Mayor Héctor Murguía Lardizábal labeled the game "a crime against the intellectual capacity of Juarez residents." The problem originated with a mission in the game depicting a battle with Mexican rebels.
8. Pokémon
Pokémon seems like the least controversial game, but that didn't stop Saudi Arabia from banning it for promoting gambling and for featuring religious iconography and Freemasonry symbols. This may be a case of looking for something that was never there.
9. Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Black Ops II sold more than 24 million copies worldwide, but very few of those purchases were made in Pakistan, where the game was banned. A local manufacturers association recommended the injunction for showing "the country in a very poor light."
10. EA Sports MMA
Denmark has a law restricting the use of energy drink product placements in games. Rather than sacrifice the game's "authentic recreation" of MMA corporate sponsorship, EA refused to alter the game and did not ship it to that region.
11. Mass Effect
BioWare's space opera epic was initially banned in Singapore for featuring a cross-species alien love scene. Who knows what the government would do if they watched an episode of Farscape?
12. Battlefield 3
Iranians were upset with a plotline involving an invasion of Tehran, leading the deputy police chief to prohibit stores them from selling the game. The Global Islamic Media Front later reskinned an anti-US version of the game titled "Night of Bush Capturing."
13. Bully
Anti-video-game attorney Jack Thompson isn't the only one with a grudge against Bully. The country of Brazil banned the game because its violence takes place within a school setting. A Brazilian state prosecutor called the milieu "unacceptable."
14. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
BlazBlue is a victim of the United Arab Emirates' restrictive National Media Council, which proclaimed the fighting game's sexy costumes too raunchy. The artsy relationship puzzle game Catherine was also banned in the UAE because of its sexual themes.
15. Football Manager 2005
FM05 was prohibited in China because "Taipei of Taiwan, the Hong Kong-Macao region, and China's Tibet are represented as independent countries," instead of Chinese territories, according to China Daily.
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