Nintendos answer to Disney Infinity and Skylanders, Amiibo is a range of figurine toys for the Wii U that can be used in game. The first toys will be released alongside Super Smash Bros. later this year, allowing players to touch the Wii U GamePad and have their statues appear as avatars in game. They can fight against enemies and level up, with more experience being collected if two Amiibo figurines fight against one another. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime demonstrated the toys, explaining that they have unique features and functionality that can only be found on the Wii U. Activated by connecting the special chip embedded in every figure to the GamePad, these characters spring to life in a variety of ways, and are sure to be highly collectable. Characters released with Smash Bros. include Mario, Link, Wii Fit Trainer and Pikachu, whilst more characters are being announced for compatibility on Mario Kart 8 and the upcoming Mario Party 10. While some may pass this off as a blatant copy of the two pre-existing figurine brands, perhaps Nintendo are heading in the right direction with Amiiibo. Its a brand-new form of interactive gameplay that they have not demonstrated before. Launching this winter with the Wii U version of Super Smash Bros., Amiibo will change your figures data as you play, allowing you to evolve their stats, work out their strengths and level up, meaning that every players figure will then have its own personal touch. A peripheral to allow Amiibo characters to work on 3DS games is currently in the works, thus expanding the gameplay further.
