Should Nintendo Make An Amiibo-Powered MOBA?

When we think of MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas), our minds gravitate toward the isometric, RTS-inspired offshoots that have come to prominence on the PC scene – titles like League of Legends, Dota 2, and Heroes of the Storm. But upcoming titles like Gigantic, Battleborn, and the Xbox One version of Smite all speak to the potential of the genre to move into new spaces on console territory, with third-person shooter elements melding with parts of the traditional MOBA formula. Nintendo has a unique opportunity to take this genre to new heights of accessibility with a focus on casual fun.

Nintendo already has a fascinating framework to capitalize on with the existing Amiibo line, and while I doubt that anything the company comes up with would fit snugly into the current definition of what a MOBA is, there’s certainly the intriguing possibility of a MOBA-like game fueled by Amiibo fervor.

So what could it look like? Like the more console-centric iterations of the genre, the game would likely be third-person for tighter controls. It would also probably adhere to a 5v5 free-to-play model, as players would ostensibly be shelling out cash for Amiibos in order to play; if you have the Amiibo, you can access the character. I doubt the game would be as mechanically hardcore as Dota 2, with denying elements and creep-pulling in the woods, and this would actually speak to Nintendo’s strengths and create a MOBA for everyone. Like Heroes of the Storm bringing more accessible elements while leveraging the strength of existing Blizzard IPs, the “NintenMOBA” could serve up amazing battles with iconic characters – much like the Smash Bros. series does, but in a completely new way.

Characters could be built much like standard genre conventions define, with core abilities and ultimate skills – Link could have access to sword, boomerang, bomb, and an ultimate hookshot that could get him up close and personal with an opposing Samus. In the interest of keeping things super-accessible and plug-and-play, characters could simply have a single loadout, so there would never need to be any sort of difficult decision interfering with gameplay. Stuff like item shops and last-hitting creeps would be left out, with the focus on team-vs-team battles and map objectives. Games would be fun and fast, lasting around 10-15 minutes.

Nintendo could even go the Heroes of the Storm route and have themed maps based on existing IPs that function differently, and draw upon some of those cool Smash Bros. call-ins for limited-time pets that could be accessed by beating monster camps or finding the game’s version of the Dota 2 river runes. I’m not sure that the vision for a Nintendo MOBA would include traditional roles for characters in games like DPS, support, or initiators – or if it would even adhere to lane structure at all, going for something completely different and purely objective-based like Gigantic.

At the core of everything would be the Amiibos. While the availability of certain Amiibos and limited supply could cause problems, especially if certain hard-to-find rare characters get popular, the notion that you can just plug in your favorite character and have it appear in the game is fairly enticing.

Level ups and currency acquired through gameplay could unlock alternate color schemes or skins, but it would certainly be an experience to riff through a collection of Amiibos and go full Pokémon “I choose you” and fling a Yoshi into the game. This would be a sort of natural progression for toys-to-life, with the genre’s fast-paced single-session structure lending itself to quick matches with your favorite characters catapulted directly into the game. If a lot of this sounds like the same impetus behind Smash Bros., that’s true – but it’s a new potential avenue for the IP-blending, toy-tinkering masterminds at Nintendo, and one that I think they could make truly accessible for everyone by injecting their signature style into a developing and transitioning genre.