Nintendo characters can now come to life in new ways as amiibo figures. These are interactive figures that have the ability to communicate with specially designed amiibo-compatible games, simply by touching them to the Wii U GamePad. Amiibo figures can interact with games that support amiibo by reading data and storing data on the figure.

In Super Smash Bros Wii U, players can battle with or against the amiibo figures they own, upgrading them in the process. They can transfer them to another Wii U console and showcase how they have trained and customized them. Different games that are compatible with amiibo will use them in different ways. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will be the first game to use amiibo. Games like Mario Party 10, Mario Kart 8, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, and Yoshi's Woolly World are also expected to support amiibo.