It's literally the first I've heard of it though, just watched a video posted 7 hours ago from GameXPlain that still says you need the amiibo to unlock the fusion difficulty. If it is indeed misinformation and people are that upset about it, it's kind of on Nintendo to clear up that confusion.
Edit: Ah you're wrong actually:
From Eurogamer
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-07-26-metroid-samus-returns-has-exclusive-content-for-four-amiiboQuote:
UPDATE 8/8/17 1.50pm: Metroid: Samus Returns will include a hard mode accessible without the need for amiibo - separate to the one unlocked using the "squidgy" Metroid figurine.
Nintendo shared the news with our friends across the ocean at USGamer. It makes the whole amiibo situation seem a little fairer - although you'll still be missing out on some fun extras without the game's four compatible figurines.
So, to be clear, there are two hard modes in the game. Hard mode, which will unlock normally after you complete Samus Returns, and then Fusion Mode, which is even harder and grants Samus' Metroid Fusion suit. The latter is the one you need amiibo for.
http://www.usgamer.net/articles/nintendo-addresses-the-metroid-samus-returns-amiibo-controversyQuote:
Here's the lowdown of what Nintendo told USgamer. When I asked Nintendo representatives at the preview event if hard mode was locked behind amiibos, they were clear to make the distinction. "Fusion Mode," they corrected me. Yes, Fusion Mode—which will give players access to Samus' Fusion Suit as well as a more challenging difficulty in the game—is indeed locked behind the Metroid amiibo. This content will not be offered as a separate DLC in Nintendo's digital eShop. However, there will be a standard hard mode that will be unlockable once players complete the game on regular difficulty. This mode, which is confusingly separate from the Fusion Mode's harder difficulty, is said to be harder than the standard difficulty but not as hard as that found in Fusion Mode.
So you DO need the amiibo to unlock and play Fusion difficulty.
It's literally the first I've heard of it though, just watched a video posted 7 hours ago from GameXPlain that still says you need the amiibo to unlock the fusion difficulty. If it is indeed misinformation and people are that upset about it, it's kind of on Nintendo to clear up that confusion.
Edit: Ah you're wrong actually:
From Eurogamer
[url]http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-07-26-metroid-samus-returns-has-exclusive-content-for-four-amiibo[/url]
[quote]UPDATE 8/8/17 1.50pm: Metroid: Samus Returns will include a hard mode accessible without the need for amiibo - separate to the one unlocked using the "squidgy" Metroid figurine.
Nintendo shared the news with our friends across the ocean at USGamer. It makes the whole amiibo situation seem a little fairer - although you'll still be missing out on some fun extras without the game's four compatible figurines.
So, to be clear, there are two hard modes in the game. Hard mode, which will unlock normally after you complete Samus Returns, and then Fusion Mode, which is even harder and grants Samus' Metroid Fusion suit. The latter is the one you need amiibo for.[/quote]
[url]http://www.usgamer.net/articles/nintendo-addresses-the-metroid-samus-returns-amiibo-controversy[/url]
[quote]Here's the lowdown of what Nintendo told USgamer. When I asked Nintendo representatives at the preview event if hard mode was locked behind amiibos, they were clear to make the distinction. "Fusion Mode," they corrected me. Yes, Fusion Mode—which will give players access to Samus' Fusion Suit as well as a more challenging difficulty in the game—is indeed locked behind the Metroid amiibo. This content will not be offered as a separate DLC in Nintendo's digital eShop. However, there will be a standard hard mode that will be unlockable once players complete the game on regular difficulty. This mode, which is confusingly separate from the Fusion Mode's harder difficulty, is said to be harder than the standard difficulty but not as hard as that found in Fusion Mode.[/quote]
So you DO need the amiibo to unlock and play Fusion difficulty.