Gaming history is full of weird handshakes. Sometimes they work. Sometimes they feel like two corporate giants forced to dance at a wedding they didn't want to attend. But when Activision and Nintendo sat down to figure out how to put Skylanders Bowser and Donkey Kong into the same game, they actually created something that shouldn't exist: a functional, cross-platform hybrid that broke the rules of the "Toys-to-Life" era.
Think about it.
Nintendo is famously protective. They guard Mario and his crew like the crown jewels. Yet, for Skylanders: SuperChargers in 2015, they let two of their biggest icons jump ship into a third-party franchise. It wasn't just a cameo. It was a weird, physical engineering feat that hasn't been repeated since.
The Physical Twist Most People Forget
If you weren't there in 2015, it’s hard to explain the hype. The "Toys-to-Life" market was a gold rush. You had Disney Infinity and LEGO Dimensions eating into Skylanders' lunch. Activision needed a nuke. Nintendo needed a way to keep amiibo relevant.
The solution? Hammer Slam Bowser and Turbo Charge Donkey Kong.
These weren't just plastic statues. They were mechanical transformers. At the base of each figure, there’s a rotating ring. Twist it one way, and the figure functions as a standard Skylanders character. Twist it the other, and it becomes a functional amiibo. It’s a genius piece of low-tech engineering. Honestly, it’s kinda shocking Nintendo allowed their proprietary tech to be housed in a base that says "Skylanders" on the side.
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Why This Crossover Was Actually Stressful
Developing these characters wasn't a walk in the park. Vicarious Visions, the studio behind SuperChargers, had to respect Nintendo's strict brand guidelines while making sure Bowser and DK didn't feel underpowered compared to Spyro or Stealth Elf.
They succeeded by leaning into the vehicles.
Bowser got the "Clown Cruiser," a riff on his iconic flying machine. Donkey Kong got the "Barrel Blaster." If you paired the character with their signature vehicle, they went into "SuperCharged" mode. It gave players a reason to buy the dual packs. But there was a catch—a big one that still irritates collectors today. These figures only work on Nintendo consoles. If you try to put Skylanders Bowser and Donkey Kong on a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One portal, the game simply won't recognize them.
It makes sense from a licensing perspective. Mario and friends are the "walled garden" of gaming. But for kids back then, it was a source of endless confusion. You’d go to a friend’s house who had the Xbox version, bring your cool Bowser toy, and... nothing. Total silence from the portal.
The Design Philosophy: More Than Just Skins
Let's get into the weeds on how they actually play. Often, guest characters in games feel like "skins" stretched over an existing skeleton. These didn't.
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Bowser plays like a heavy-hitter. He summons Koopas. He breathes fire. He feels like the boss fight he’s supposed to be. Donkey Kong is all about rhythm and impact, throwing barrels and utilizing his "Primal Punch." The developers didn't just port the models; they ported the vibe of the characters.
The inclusion of these two was a tactical strike against Disney Infinity. While Disney had Marvel and Star Wars, they didn't have the "Nintendo Factor." For a brief window in 2015, it felt like Skylanders was the center of the universe because it was the only place you could see Donkey Kong fighting alongside a dragon like Cynder.
The Rarity and the Market Today
If you're looking to pick these up now, the market is surprisingly stable, but weird.
Most people own the standard versions. Bowser is gold and green; DK is his classic brown. But then there are the "Dark" versions. These were packed into the Dark Edition Starter Packs, which were significantly more expensive and limited. Dark Hammer Slam Bowser and Dark Turbo Charge Donkey Kong are the ones collectors hunt for. They have a sleek, monochromatic aesthetic that looks incredible on a shelf, even if you never intend to play the game again.
Finding these complete with their vehicles is the real challenge. Because the toys-to-life bubble burst so spectacularly around 2017, many of these figures ended up in the bottom of toy chests or at the back of thrift stores, often missing their corresponding planes or bikes.
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What This Taught the Industry
The legacy of Skylanders Bowser and Donkey Kong is really a story about the end of an era. Shortly after this, Disney Infinity was canceled. LEGO Dimensions faded out. Skylanders went on a "hiatus" that has lasted nearly a decade.
It taught us that even the biggest IPs in the world can't save a genre if the physical costs are too high. Buying a $70 game is one thing. Buying twenty $15 plastic toys to see all the content? That’s a harder sell for parents.
But for a moment, the walls between consoles came down. Sort of. It was a glimpse into a world where platform holders were willing to share their toys for the sake of a better player experience. We see bits of that today with cross-play in Fortnite or Minecraft, but we rarely see physical collaborations this deep anymore.
Actionable Steps for Collectors and Players
If you're dusting off an old Wii U or Switch to revisit these characters, here's what you need to know:
- Check the Base: Before you buy used, ensure the twist mechanism at the bottom clicks firmly. If it’s loose, the NFC chip might fail to register between Skylanders and amiibo modes.
- Version Compatibility: Remember that Skylanders Imaginators (the game after SuperChargers) also supports these figures. If you want to play as Bowser in a more modern Skylanders RPG setting, Imaginators is actually the better experience.
- The Switch Factor: Skylanders Imaginators on the Nintendo Switch is one of the rarest and most expensive games for the system. However, it's the only way to play with these characters on a modern handheld. The Switch version doesn't require a portal; it scans the figures directly into a digital library. This makes Bowser and DK much more "portable" than they were on the Wii U.
- Amiibo Functionality: Don't forget these work as standard amiibo. You can use Hammer Slam Bowser in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe just like a regular Bowser amiibo. It’s basically a 2-for-1 deal that still holds value today.
The era of toys-to-life might be over, but the weirdness of seeing a Nintendo icon on an Activision base remains one of the most interesting "what-ifs" in gaming history. It was a bridge between two worlds that usually don't talk to each other. Even if we never get another Skylanders game, these figures stand as proof that sometimes, the biggest rivals can actually play nice.