# Non Specific Action Figure

> Non Specific Action Figure is a 2012 Nintendo meme from the Pre-E3 Direct video, featuring a featureless mascot with a red-white-and-blue color scheme that inspired fan campaigns for Super Smash Bros.

Non-Specific Action Figure is a fictional mascot character that appeared in Nintendo's Pre-E3 Nintendo Direct video on June 3, 2012, introduced as a tongue-in-cheek companion for the Wii U console[2]. The featureless, generic-looking action figure with a big grin and red-white-and-blue color scheme instantly became a fan favorite, sparking campaigns to include it in Super Smash Bros. and generating a wave of fan art across DeviantArt, Tumblr, and gaming forums[7].

## Origin
Non-Specific Action Figure debuted during Nintendo's Pre-E3 Nintendo Direct broadcast on June 3, 2012[2]. The character appeared between the 12:40 and 16:40 marks of the video, popping up during a promotional segment about the Wii U's Miiverse social network[9]. Nintendo described NSAF as a brand new character that would be "an integral part of the Wii U experience," though the company was clearly being playful[2].

Vooks, an Australian Nintendo news outlet, played along with the bit, writing that NSAF "won't be included in the Wii U box but we think it should be" and expressing hope to "see him in his own game tomorrow at Nintendo's E3 Conference"[2]. The character was designed as a one-off gag for the presentation, but fans had other plans.

- **Platform:** Nintendo Direct (source video), Gaming forums and Tumblr (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Nintendo (character design, E3 2012 presentation)
- **Date:** 2012

## Overview
Non-Specific Action Figure is a plain, smiling humanoid figure with no distinguishing characteristics beyond a vaguely superhero-like appearance. It has a blue body, red boots, white teeth, and small wings on its back. The joke is right there in the name: it's an action figure that is deliberately non-specific, a blank slate with zero backstory or purpose. Nintendo presented the character completely straight-faced during the Wii U reveal, describing it as "your companion while playing on the Wii U" that would give you a thumbs up and flash its "glowing teeth" when you did well[2].

The humor came from Nintendo treating this obviously disposable joke character with total sincerity, and the internet responded by treating it with even more sincerity.

## How It Spread
The reaction was immediate. GoNintendo declared the Non-Specific Action Figure "the star of E3" and noted that a campaign to get the character into the next Super Smash Bros. game was "already picking up steam" within hours of the Nintendo Direct airing[7].

Fan communities picked up the character quickly across multiple platforms. A dedicated Tumblr blog, "F Yeah Non Specific Action Figure," launched and began collecting fan content, with users comparing NSAF to Captain America due to its red, white, and blue color scheme[8]. On DeviantArt, artists created original illustrations, approval stamps featuring NSAF alongside Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, and crossover art with other Nintendo characters[6].

The Wii U Forums hosted polls asking whether the figure should be packaged with console hardware[5]. On GameFAQs, a thread titled "Let's list 500 games non-specific action figure should star in" saw users proposing mock game titles like "Non-Specific Action Figure's Mansion 2" and "Non-Specific Action Figurebound," riffing on existing Nintendo franchises[3]. Some users even speculated that NSAF might be the unnamed character in Shigeru Miyamoto's rumored new IP[3].

Nintendo Gamer published an elaborate satirical biography for the character, inventing a backstory about "Alfredo Russo," born in San Marino in 1943, who became a "small-claims superhero" and rice collector before landing his role in the Nintendo Direct video. The piece described how "Alfredo" met Reggie Fils-Aimé, who told him: "Kid, you've got natural acting ability and a great ass. You've got the gig"[9].

By January 2013, a modder demonstrated how to create a physical Non-Specific Action Figure using a toy figure of wrestler Mark Coleman, some paint, and a pair of attached wings[1]. The video tutorial gained attention on My Nintendo News, though commenters were more interested in debating the character's potential as a Super Smash Bros. fighter[1].

## How to Use
Non-Specific Action Figure works best in Nintendo fan discussions as a joke candidate or absurd suggestion. Common uses include:

- Proposing NSAF as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. roster wishlists, typically delivered deadpan
- Creating fan art that treats the featureless character as a legitimate Nintendo hero
- Using NSAF as a reaction image (particularly a thumbs-up) to express generic, non-specific approval
- Inserting the character into mock game titles by replacing existing Nintendo characters with NSAF

The humor comes from the contrast between the character's intentional blandness and the passionate sincerity of the fan campaigns around it.

## Fun Facts
- NSAF's brief appearance in the Nintendo Direct lasted roughly four minutes, but it generated more fan enthusiasm than several actual Wii U game announcements from the same presentation[7].
- The Nintendo Gamer biography claimed NSAF's alter ego collected over 13,000 types of rice and missed three of his sisters' weddings due to playing Silent Hill: Shattered Memories on Wii[9].
- The Wii U, the console NSAF was created to promote, sold only 13.56 million units and became Nintendo's lowest-selling home console[4].
- Some fans suggested NSAF could work in a game similar to Skylanders, using the Wii U's NFC technology for a toy-to-life experience "with a unique Nintendo vibe"[2].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Non-Specific Action Figure?
Non-Specific Action Figure is a deliberately generic, featureless action figure character that Nintendo introduced during its Pre-E3 Nintendo Direct broadcast in June 2012 as a humorous companion for the Wii U console[2].

### Where did Non-Specific Action Figure come from?
The character first appeared in Nintendo's Pre-E3 Nintendo Direct video on June 3, 2012, during a segment promoting the Wii U's Miiverse feature[9].

### What does Non-Specific Action Figure mean?
The name is the joke. Nintendo intentionally made the most generic, undefined character possible and presented it with complete sincerity, poking fun at the concept of branded mascots and companion characters[2].

### How do you use Non-Specific Action Figure?
Fans typically use NSAF in joke Smash Bros. roster predictions, fan art that treats the bland character heroically, or as a thumbs-up reaction image for expressing vague, non-specific approval[7][8].

### Is Non-Specific Action Figure still popular?
The meme peaked during the Wii U era (2012-2017) and faded after Nintendo moved on to the Switch. It occasionally resurfaces in nostalgic Nintendo fan discussions[4].

### Was Non-Specific Action Figure ever in a real game?
No. Despite enthusiastic fan campaigns to include the character in Super Smash Bros. and other Nintendo titles, NSAF never appeared in any playable game[3].

### Who created Non-Specific Action Figure?
Nintendo's marketing team created the character for the June 2012 Nintendo Direct presentation. No individual designer has been publicly credited[2].

### Can you make a real Non-Specific Action Figure?
Yes. In January 2013, a modder showed how to build one using a Mark Coleman wrestler action figure, paint, and small wings[1].

## References
1. [Here’s How To Create Nintendo’s Non-Specific Action Figure - My Nintendo News](<https://mynintendonews.com/2013/01/06/heres-how-to-create-nintendos-non-specific-action-figure/>)
2. [Nintendo announces Non-specific Action Figure - Vooks](<https://www.vooks.net/nintendo-announces-non-specific-action-figure/>)
3. [Let's list 500 games non-specific action figure should star in to boost his chan - Super Smash Bros. for Wii U](<https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/633202-super-smash-bros-wii-u/62996239>)
4. [List of Internet phenomena](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Internet_phenomena>)
5. [Wii U - Wikipedia](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_U>)
6. [Yea or Nay: Non-Specific Action Figure? - Wii U Hardware - Wii U Forums](<https://thewiiu.com/topic/3825-yea-or-nay-non-specific-action-figure/>)
7. [Search 'non specific action figure' on DeviantArt - Discover The Largest Online Art Gallery and Community](<https://www.deviantart.com/?qh=&section=&q=non+specific+action+figure>)
8. [Time to get the Non-Specific Action Figure a slot in the next Smash Bros.! | The GoNintendo Archives | GoNintendo](<https://www.gonintendo.com/?mode=viewstory&id=178481>)
9. [F YEAH NON SPECIFIC ACTION FIGURE](<http://fyeahnonspecificactionfigure.tumblr.com/>)
10. [Non-Specific Action Figure - a history | Nintendo Gamer](<https://web.archive.org/web/20120712111440/https://www.nintendo-gamer.net/2012/06/04/non-specific-action-figure-a-history/>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/non-specific-action-figure
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