Amiibo

amiibo is a brand of "Toys to Life" products consisting of near field communication-based figurines that can have data read and written on them, used as add-ons to games with amiibo compatibility. Originally referred to internally under the working title "Nintendo Figure Platform" ("NFP") in development, the first line of amiibo, based upon Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, launched on the same day as Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the first amiibo-compatible game, and there are amiibo lines based upon various games and franchises , such as the Super Mario and Yoshi's Woolly World lines.

Features
amiibo can be used with Wii U software by placing a figure on the near-field communicator built into the Wii U GamePad under the D-pad; the console must also be updated to at least version 5.3.0. A peripheral for the Nintendo 3DS has also been stated to be released in the fall of 2015 that will wirelessly connect to the 3DS to send and receive data ; the New Nintendo 3DS, however, features a built in near-field communicator on the bottom touch-screen. amiibo come with data already on them, but data can also be written on them by the hardware. Several figures will be compatible with multiple games; for example, the Super Smash Bros. line Mario figure can also be used in Mario Party 10. Multiple games can read an amiibo's data, while only one game's data can be written to the figure at a time.

In addition to figurines, a card format for amiibo has also been announced. Additionally, an app has been released for the Wii U that allows players to unlock demos of certain NES and SNES titles by scanning an amiibo, titled amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits.

Non-Mario games compatible with Mario-related amiibo

 * One Piece: Super Grand Battle! X: Unlocks costumes based on amiibo scanned (compatible with Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi).
 * Hyrule Warriors: Any non-The Legend of Zelda-based amiibo gives the player a random item, weapon, or Rupees. Up to five amiibo can be scanned per day.
 * Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Legacy +: Unlocks plane designs based on amiibo scanned (compatible with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Bowser).
 * Girls Mode 3: Unlocks outfits and accessories that are designed by the respective character (compatible with Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Toad, and Bowser).
 * Skylanders: SuperChargers: Allows use of the playable characters Donkey Kong and Bowser by scanning the Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser figures.

amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits
In a Nintendo Direct, a new game entitled amiibo tap: Nintendo's Greatest Bits was announced as a free-to-play game in which tapping amiibo figures on the GamePad unlocks demos of classic games. These demos will be randomly chosen and assigned to the player's specific amiibo, and will allow the player 3 minutes to traverse through "gameplay highlights." By tapping an amiibo during the demo, the player can change the scene and also reset the timer.

Figure list
The official Japanese Mario Party 10 website shows game pieces for Donkey Kong, Wario, and Rosalina in the style of Super Mario amiibo, appearing in amiibo Party mode. It is unknown at this time if these will be released as actual amiibo, or if these are only variants that are accessible in the game.

Yoshi's Woolly World
Unlike other amiibo, the Yoshi's Woolly World amiibo are made of yarn rather than plastic, with an NFC chip and scan point in the underside rather than having a base with the chip in it. The Mega Yarn Yoshi, however, has the NFC chip underneath its left foot instead of its underside.

Skylanders: SuperChargers
While they are primarily meant to be Skylanders figures, the bases of these figures act as a switch that, when twisted, switches between the Skylander mode, and an amiibo mode which allows the figures to be used in amiibo-compatible games compatible with other versions of the figure. These figures are included with the Skylanders: SuperChargers starter packs for Nintendo consoles; Turbo Charge Donkey Kong comes with the Wii U versions, while Hammer Slam Bowser comes with the Wii and Nintendo 3DS versions; each figure also comes with a personal vehicle.

Controversy
The availability of certain amiibo have been subject to criticism. For example, the Target exclusive shipments of the Rosalina & Luma amiibo have been stated to be ceased permanently, limiting the availability of the amiibo in the U.S. until a restock at Target.com came mid July 2015. Immediately following the preorder release of the Wave 4 amiibo, GameStop servers experienced a major overload and shut down temporarily for nearly an hour. The incident has been met with intense criticism and frustration by fans who wished to purchase the amiibo. John Vignocchi, the executive producer of Disney Infinity, another game that uses NFC figures, has stated "[An intentional shortage] is irresponsible and rude to your hardcore fans.", referring to the amiibo shortages. Satoru Iwata has noticed the issue and has apologized for it; he has promised that more will be manufactured to meet the demand in the future. The amiibo cards, which are confirmed to be released in the near future, are intended to address the amiibo figurine shortages.

Trivia

 * The word "new" in the new Nintendo 3DS logo is stylized similarly to the amiibo logo.
 * The Mr. Game and Watch amiibo is the only amiibo so far that has more than one pose for the amiibo.
 * The R.O.B. amiibo is currently the only amiibo whose colors differ by region.