In today's Nintendo results meeting, Nintendo President Iwata revealed that NES/SNES Virtual Console timed trials on the Wii U will soon be available for unlock via everyone's favorite money sink: Amiibos.

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Tapping an Amiibo on the Wii U GamePad will allow you to play a famous 'scene' from the Virtual Console's NES/SNES library. Tapping it in quick succession will reveal several different trials, allowing you to pick which one you'd like to play as if changing cartridges at rapid fire speed. Like Super Smash. Bros Masterpieces, the trials are timed.We should expect to see the functionality appear during the first half of the year. While limited to the Wii U for now, Nintendo did mention that Amiibo support for 3DS "is progressing" in general.Via Nintendo. Thanks to @Cheesemeister3k for the translation.

Lucy O'Brien is Entertainment Editor at IGN AU. Follow her ramblings on Twitter.