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Screenshot via Nintendo webcast

Activision’s Skylanders franchise, an early leader in video-game figurines, announced a surprise partnership with Nintendo this morning to create new figures that can switch between Nintendo amiibo and Skylanders figures for different games, by twisting the base.

Under the partnership, the amiibo figures Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and Hammer Slam Bowser will work with the upcoming Skylanders SuperChargers for Wii U, unlocking digital versions of the characters to play in the game. They will also work as amiibo in other Nintendo games for Wii U, Wii and Nintendo 3DS.

The Skylanders game and one of the hybrid characters will cost $75 in a starter pack for Wii U.

The announcement at the E3 game convention is a surprise because the companies have been otherwise pursuing competing platforms for game figures. By partnering with Activision, Nintendo is tapping into a rabid fan base that could help to fuel the growth of its own amiibo strategy.

Nintendo is looking to regain momentum after a lackluster launch of the Wii U console. The company said it wouldn’t be giving any information this year on its next-generation console, a project dubbed the Nintendo NX.

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