How to use amiibo in Super Smash Bros on New Nintendo 3DS

Super Smash Bros just got an update on 3DS, which lets you scan in your amiibo figures and turn them into fighters inside the game.

You can kit out your characters with custom moves and stats, and then fight against or alongside your figure player in smash matches. When the brawl is over, your figure might even give you gifts of gold, trophies, and custom parts.

In this guide we'll teach you everything you need to know about registering, customising, using, and resetting amiibo. What we can't tell you is how to get a Little Mac amiibo for a sensible price…

You'll need at least one amiibo, a copy of Super Smash Bros, and a New Nintendo 3DS. This is the only handheld right now that has the NFC capabilities to read amiibo. Nintendo will release a peripheral for the previous 3DS consoles later this year.

First things first, you need to register your amiibo. From the main menu of Smash Bros choose 'Games & More', and then 'amiibo'. Now touch the figure against the touch screen.

You'll get a chance to register an owner and nickname. Your default Mii is picked, but you can choose another. Then enter a nickname and hit save. Now hold the amiibo to the touchscreen until the data is saved to the toy.

You can now choose which skin the figure player for this amiibo will use, and then choose its specials and equipment. More on that in a sec. Press start and then hold the amiibo on the 3DS until the data is written to the figure.

Remember that if you've already registered the amiibo on your Wii U, you don't need to do it again.

If you want to change your figure player's skills, go to the amiibo section from the 'Games & More' menu and touch your registered toy to the touchscreen.

From here you can feed any equipment you've collected to your amiibo. This will change your figure player's attack, defence, and speed stats - but because each item both increases and decreases stats, you won't be able to make a super overpowered character.

Equipment can also give your figure bonus effects, for a maximum of three.

You can also choose custom specials, provided you've unlocked them in the game. Go into 'Specials' and open each special move to see if there are alternatives to use. If not, you'll have to keep playing until you get them.

Once you're done hit start and hold the figure on the screen until the menu says that writing is complete.

You can use amiibo in Smash mode. When you're on the character select screen, hit ZR to enter amiibo mode and then tap the figure on the touchscreen. It will enter the battle as another fighter.

Depending on how you set up the match it will be either a partner or a rival fighter.

As your amiibo brawls it will level up (to a maximum of level 50) and learn new battle strategies based on what other characters are doing. It's said that figure players can become quite formidable foes after a lot of training…

When you go to exit the Smash screen you'll be asked if you want to tweak your amiibo (hit yes to go to the equipment / special screen). If you press no, simply hold your amiibo on the touchscreen again to save your information to the figure.

At the end of a match, you'll see a list of 'Pending' amiibo that need to be saved. If the icon for an amiibo has a present next to it, this means it has a gift for you.

So when you've finished writing to the amiibo, head back to the amiibo section under 'Games & More' and scan that figure in. You'll see how many trophies, custom parts, and gold that amiibo is carrying, and you can hit A to receive them.

When you save data and write it back to the amiibo those presents will be saved to your game.

The number of presents you receive is largely based on the length of a game so if you want loads of trophies and parts, put as many amiibo as you can into a match of 99 minutes or 99 stock. The match must end properly to get presents - so don't go for an infinitely long match and quit out later.

Want to use that amiibo in another game or sell it on eBay? The best way to reset data on the figure is to open the 'Home Menu Settings', which you can get to by pressing the wrench button on the 3DS home screen.

Scroll down and find 'amiibo Settings'. Pick 'Delete amiibo Game Data' if you want to remove its Smash progress but keep it registered to you. Chose 'Reset amiibo' if you want to wipe everything.