During the Nintendo E3 Digital Event, Nintendo unveiled amiibo – figures of Nintendo characters that can interact with various Wii U and 3DS titles via the Wii U gamepad and NFC reader/writer.

As shown during the digital event, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be the first title to support these interactive figures. According to Nintendo, “In Super Smash Bros. players can battle alongside or against their amiibo characters, levelling them up in the process. They can then bring them to a friend who has a Wii U and the game to show off how they’ve trained and customized their characters.” Other planned Wii U titles to support the interactive figures include the newly released Mario Kart 8, and recently announced titles: Mario Party 10, Captain Toad: Treasure Tacker and Yoshi’s Wolly World.

3DS support for the interactive figures will begin in 2015 with the release of a new NFC reader/writer.

For more information on amiibo, visit http://e3.nintendo.com/amiibo/.