Nintendo has issued a system software update for the Wii U that will make the console compatible with its Amiibo figurines. The patch notes for Wii U firmware version 5.3.0 were brief, suggesting that not too many changes will be made aside from the Amiibo tech implementation.
Installed onto the Wii U will be a new Amiibo Settings page, which allows users to register an Amiibo owner and nickname, delete data written to an Amiibo, or reset an Amiibo.
Nintendo said the 5.3.0 patch also adds improvements to system stability and usability, along with “other minor adjustments to enhance the user experience”.
Amiibo figurines are plastic miniatures of some of Nintendo’s most iconic characters. With a built-in NFC technology, these toys can interact with certain Nintendo games in various ways. A previous example cited by Nintendo is, when a Link Amiibo is adjoined to Mario Kart 8 on Wii U, that character then becomes playable in-game.
In the UK, each figurine will cost £11 each, while in the US the price is $12.99 each.
The first Nintendo game set to support Amiibo is Super Smash Bros for Wii U, and Nintendo has now revealed an initial list of other games that will support the toys in some form. They are:
Mario Kart 8
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Mario Party 10
Yoshi’s Woolly World
Currently, the 2DS, the 3DS, and the 3DS XL do not support Amiibo technology, which is why Nintendo is set to release a new version of the handheld with NFC capability built in. On Monday, Nintendo announced the third wave of Amiibo figurines, including Mega Man and Sonic. This comes despite the first and second batch of figurines yet to arrive in stores.
