Summary

• Scanning Amiibos through the box is possible using a Joy-Con or by performing subtle surgery on the box. Get ready for an adventure!
• Avoid damaging the box unnecessarily when scanning Amiibos. Start with a Joy-Con, as it seems to work best for scanning through the box.
• Removing the protective foil from the Amiibo underside can help improve scanning capabilities. Always handle the box gently to preserve its value.

Purchasing new Amiibos i🍃s an exciting adventure in and of itself, not to mention the fantastic rewards that come with each figure. These can range from new content like characters or extra items to accessing new challenges and even changing the ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚlook of in-game characters.

But, if you're a collector, you likely don't want to open the box as this could ruin it. So, how do you scan an Amiibo without opening the box? Is it even possible? The answer is yes, it's possible. However, with some Amiibos, you may need to perform some surgery on the box. This guide will tell you everything you need to know about scanning an Amiibo without opening the box. Ready? Let's begin!

What Do You Need?

There are two methods you can use to scan an Amiibo without opening the box, and depending on the technique, you're going to need three things:

• A Joy-Con that uses an NFC touchpoint under the right stick
• A scalpel or any thin blade
• Long, thin tweezers or a long stick with a point

Controllers that are not Joy-Cons, even if they have an NFC touchpoint, don't seem to work well when scanning through the box. It might have something to do with the plastic blocking the connection. For whatever reason, Joy-Cons seem to scan easier through the box.

Scanning With A Joy-Con

This method may or may not work, depending on your Amiibo. It seems that many Amiibos released in 2023 scan far easier, probably because many don't have the protective foil underneath the Amiibos. This method is simple; all you need to do is:

• Open the Amiibo scanning menu, which may be in-game or in the device's settings, depending on if you're using a WiiU or Switch, etc.
• Hold the box at a slight angle over the right stick.
• Voila, it should scan.

However, you'll have to move on to the second method if it doesn't.

Performing Some Surgery On The Box

If your Amiibo isn't scanning through the box, it's likely because a protective film of foil is blocking the bottom of the Amiibo. This isn't a cause for concern, since you can:

• Use your cutting tool, preferably a scalpel, and make a thin incision on the back of the box, between the back and bottom cardboard, right where they join together.
• Then insert tweezers or a thin, pointy stick, and scrape away the foil from the bottom of the Amiibo.
• Next, proceed to follow the steps listed in the first method.
• If you've removed the foil, it should scan easily through the box.

Once you've removed the foil, you should be able to use any Nintendo console with an NFC touchpoint to scan through the box. Also, when removing the foil, be as gentle as possible, so you don't damage the box further than necessary.

Summing Things Up

You should always try to scan through the box first, just in case it works. There's no reason to damage a perfectly good box, especially if you plan on selling the Amiibo in the future. Also, as a reminder, try using a Joy-Con to scan first, as these seem to work best.