Let's Talk About Nintendo's Amiibos

Today during Nintendo's E3 digital event, Nintendo of America President and COO, Reggie Fils-Aime, showed viewers a new, unique way for Wii U players to interact with their games.

Designed after characters from a variety of Nintendo games, toy figurines called amiibos are built to be used with the Wii U. Called "no ordinary toy" by Reggie, each amiibo has a chip embedded within it, and when touched to the Wii U gamepad, the characters data is downloaded into supported games.

Amiibo's are more than just a toy; they are playable characters, and as their data changes throughout play, new gameplay and features are unlocked. Furthermore, the console can send information back to the figure, with stats, customized moves and other features saved to the amiibo, making it unique to each player.

 The first game to support these "toys to life" figurines will be Super Smash Bros., releasing this holiday with the first amiibos. Amiibos entering Super Smash Bros., will not only be playable, but players will also have the option to team up with the amiibo or pit their Mii against the character.

A slew of amiibo characters are on their way including Mario, the Wii Fit Trainer, Link, Kirby, Pikachu and many more. As of this afternoon, Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8, Mario Party 10, Captain Toad Treasure Tracker and Yoshi's Wooly World are all confirmed amiibo compatible games.

So, what about the 3DS? The handheld's fans will be excited to hear that amiibos will be coming to the 3DS, with a peripheral in the works, releasing next year.

To see amiibos in action, view the amiibo E3 2014 Trailer here, and stay tuned for further Nintendo E3 news.

Megan Bethke (@XboxBetty), NoobFeed