About
Non-Specific Action Figure (NSAF) is a digital companion character for Nintendo’s upcoming gaming system Wii U.[1]
Origin
The character was introduced in a promotional video for Nintendo’s Mii Universe, a new user-interface that will be available on the Wii U system, screened as part of the Nintendo Direct live broadcast[2] event on June 3rd, 2012.
The trailer begins with a video gamer playing a zombie game and attempting to use the Mii Universe for tips on how to beat the boss he is stuck with. Throughout the clip, the gamer talks to a blue, yellow, and red action figure he calls “Non-Specific Action Figure.” Later that day, the video was uploaded to YouTube on a handful of different channels, including Nintendo World Report[3] and IGN[4] in addition to individual user uploads.
Spread
Discussion about the Non-Specific Action Figure began appearing immediately on gaming forums including The Wii U Forums[4] and GameFAQs.[5] Later that day, “Non-Specific Action Figure” became a trending topic on Twitter.[9] Also on June 3rd, a Twitter novelty account[6], Facebook page[7] and single topic Tumblr[8] were created to celebrate the oddly named character. GoNintendo[10] published an article on why Non-Specific Action Figure should be a character in the next Super Smash Brothers game.
On June 4th, Nintendo Gamer[11] published a tongue-in-cheek article with a faux history of the character and photoshopped images placing the figurine in a variety of historical events to argue that he had been around since the 1940s.
On June 7th, Nintendo’s official YouTube channel uploaded a video of Nintendo executives Satoru Iwata, Shigeru Miyamoto and Reggie Fils-Aime in their last meeting before the end of E3 2012. In the video, Iwata tells Miyamoto and Fils-Amie that they did a good job, before the camera pans out to show he had been covering the ears of Non-Specific Action Figure. After uncovering them, Iwata tells the toy that it did the “best job.” Following its release on YouTube, a handful of fan art has appeared on deviantArt.[12]
Notable Examples
External References
[2] Examiner – Nintendo to reveal Wii U information on Sunday via Nintendo Direct broadcast
[3] YouTube – Nintendo World Report
[4] Wii U Forums – Yea or Nay: Non-Specific Action Figure?
[5] GameFAQs – Let’s list 500 games non-specific action figure should star in
[6] Twitter – @NonSpecificAcFg
[7] Facebook – Non-Specific Action Figure
[8] Tumblr – F Yeah Non-Specific Action Figure
[9] Twee.co – Non-Specific Action Figure stats
[10] GoNintendo – Time to get the Non-Specific Action Figure a slot in the next Smash Bros.!
[11] Nintendo Gamer – Non-Specific Action Figure – a history
[12] deviantArt – Search results for “non specific action figure”
