Nintendo also shed light on their interactive figurine line, which they are calling Amiibo. Like the toys used with Skylanders or Disney Infinity, Amiibo figures can be used to send data to certain games. Taking the form of popular Nintendo characters, the figures will also be able to store data, meaning gamers can take their own personal saved games or information with them to play on the machines of their friends via Amiibo. The figures will launch later this year and will initially be compatible with Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

A Mario Amiibo figurine is used with Super Smash Bros for Wii U. Credit:Nintendo

Between the quirky humour of plasticine skits provided by the team at Robot Chicken, Nintendo's pre-recorded event also gave various game developers the chance to speak directly to fans. Good Feel checked in from a yarn shop to detail Yoshi's Woolly World, a free-exploration platformer set for release in 2015, starring the iconic dinosaur in a knitted and stuffed form. The team at Tecmo Koei appeared from a house in the Japanese countryside to give an update on Hyrule Warriors, a mash-up between their Dynasty Warriors franchise and The Legend of Zelda, releasing in September, where players can play as Link, Zelda or a number of other characters and act as a general in huge battles.

New games announced to be coming this year for Wii U included Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, starring the reluctant Indiana Jones-like explorer from Super Mario 3D World and Devil's Third, a graphically violent shooter from a developer famous for reimagining the Ninja Gaiden franchise. Devil's Third was previously thought to be cancelled following the closure of its then-publisher THQ last year.

New details were also given for 2014 games Pokemon Omega Ruby and Pokemon Alpha Sapphire (which will bring all-new mega-evolutions to classic monsters), Platinum's Bayonetta 2 (which will come with a full version of the original game) and both Wii U and 3DS versions of Super Smash Bros. (which will feature the ability to play as customisable Mii characters).