What are amiibo?
Introduction to amiibo
Amiibo are figurines and cards that can be utilized within various Nintendo games. The first set of Amiibo were initially released in late November, 2014. To this day, Nintendo are still manufacturing Amiibo. Releases for Amiibo differ based on their utilization, and some can be used for multiple games.
Types of Amiibo
There exist many Amiibo, differing based on the series in which the character(s) originate from. Considering that Amiibo stem from Nintendo, the majority of the figurines and cards are solely based on popular Nintendo properties, such as Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Animal Crossing. However, there are also quite a few third party Amiibo, such as 'Solaire' from Dark Souls, a non-Nintendo property.
How does Amiibo work?
Amiibo utilize Near Field Communication (NFC) in order to interact with compatible Nintendo hardware and software. The supported hardware includes Nintendo Switch, 3DS, and WiiU. In order to get started with using Amiibo, you place the figurine or card onto the hardware (where the NFC hardware is present). By doing so, a user may unlock unique features, content, or exclusives within their games.
Benefits of using amiibo
Utilizing Amiibo allows the user to unlock exclusive in-game content, such as costumes, levels, challenges, and various other features.