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Cash out of Club Nintendo by trading Coins for games
So Club Nintendo is closing down in just a few months, and you've got a huge stockpile of Coins. What's a gamer to do? Well, Nintendo is helping members of its soon-to-be-dead loyalty program spend their accrued currency by adding 117 Wii U, 3DS and Wii titles to the rewards catalog. Pricing varies drastically between games, starting at 150 Coins for Super Mario Land and other 3DS virtual console titles and ranging all the way up to 850 Coins for Wii Party U. There are some seriously great games to be had in the promotion, which runs through June 30th. You can browse all the titles on offer over at Club Nintendo.
Club Nintendo closing, 'new loyalty program' on the way
'Club Nintendo is dead, long live the new loyalty program,' is the message from Nintendo this morning, after the company announced it's closing its current rewards service. Users in the US and Canada have until the end March to earn Club Nintendo Coins and until the close of June to redeem them, signalling when the service will finally hang up its brown boots. "We thank all Club Nintendo members for their dedication to Nintendo games and their ongoing love for our systems and characters," said Nintendo of America executive VP Scott Moffit in the company's press release. "We want to make this time of transition as easy as possible for our loyal Club Nintendo members, so we are going to add dozens of new rewards and downloadable games to help members clear out their Coin balances."
Mewtwo may become premium DLC for Super Smash Bros.
Nearly one month ago, Nintendo revealed legendary Pokemon Mewtwo as a playable fighter for Super Smash Bros, available only to those that own both the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game. Expected to arrive in spring 2015, the downloadable character will be free to the dual-Smash players, but new information on Club Nintendo notes that all players may have access to Mewtwo down the road. While it's no guarantee, the promotion page includes a footnote that the "Mewtwo DLC may be available for purchase in the future," as corroborated by the game's Japanese site. To make the prospect of purchasing the Pokemon character in Super Smash Bros. cloudier, Game Director Masahiro Sakurai told Video Gamer this week in regards to paid DLC for the games that the development team isn't "working on anything at the moment." Those looking to guarantee that they'll get a download code for Mewtwo will need to register their copies of both Smash Bros. games on Club Nintendo by March 31, 2015. Super Smash Bros. will launch on Wii U tomorrow in North America and November 28 in Europe. For more information on the game, be sure to check out our review. [Image: Nintendo]
Super Smash Bros. posters up for grabs from Club Nintendo
Sitting on a pile of Club Nintendo coins, just waiting for some worthwhile physical goods to show up in the program's online store? Hopefully you've got some open wall space, because a new, Super Smash Bros.-themed poster set appeared earlier this week, offering the above spreads in exchange for 700 coins. The set features familiar art with a few crossover tweaks. Sure, you've seen Rosalina and Mario soar through space, but ... hey, which yoga pose gives you the power of flight, Wii Fit Trainer? Isabelle also seems keen on Mayor Villager snatching up a Smash Ball to banish Link, Mario and Kirby from the homely Animal Crossing town. Each poster is 22" x 28", with sets due to ship two to three weeks after coins are cashed in. For those that have never used Club Nintendo, coins can be earned by registering Nintendo games and systems with a Club Nintendo profile. Reward amounts vary, but registering 3DS and Wii U games generally grants 30 and 60 coins respectively, with post-play surveys and smaller, eShop-only games serving up smaller coin stacks. If you've already lined your walls with past poster sets, well ... at least there's still that Smash Bros. soundtrack to earn. [Image: Nintendo]
Buy Smash Bros. 3DS, Wii U, earn epic public entrances
After Super Smash Bros. launches on 3DS, you can walk along to your personal anthem from its soundtrack. If you're lucky enough, your song might land on the dual-disc sampling offered to Club Nintendo members, which would ensure you'd have a copy to lend audio personnel whenever a triumphant public entrance is needed. In order to get the soundtrack selection seen above, fans in North America and Europe will need to register codes from both the 3DS and Wii U versions of Smash on their Club Nintendo account. A track list and estimated release date are currently unknown, but the NA Club Nintendo page fittingly teases that further details are still coming. [Image: Nintendo]
Hyrule Warriors in the club get two legendary Ganondorf outfits
Nintendo introduced Ganondorf as a playable character for Hyrule Warriors during last night's Nintendo Direct livestream dedicated to the game. As it turns out, Club Nintendo members will have access to two special outfits for Ganondorf in the game as well. Those that buy Hyrule Warriors and register the game with Nintendo's loyalty program between September 26 and October 23 will receive a download code for the DLC, which features costumes inspired by Ganondorf's appearances in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. As the primary villain of the Legend of Zelda series, "The Demon King" Ganondorf will annihilate hordes of enemies with dark magic-like moves and his great sword. Hyrule Warriors will launch on September 26 for Wii U and will feature local cooperative multiplayer and some form of online play, though it won't have an online campaign. [Image: Nintendo]
This year's Club Nintendo elite rewards are all downloadable games
Marking a change from the calendars, posters and other Nintendoodads, the 2014 Club Nintendo elite rewards for North America are all downloadable games. While that'll disappoint some of you, as a European I have to note on our side of the ocean it's all physical - and personally, not the most appealing selection either. So if you want to swap places... well, we can't, but you get the drift. As before, qualifying Platinum members can have their pick of one Gold or one Platinum gift, while Gold members have to make do with the golden selection. If I were so lucky, I'd pick one of Game & Wario, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Dr. Luigi and Earthbound from the Platinum games. On the Gold side, I'm totally in the mood for some Zelda 2. Sigh.
Paper Mario, Kid Icarus 3D now available as Club Nintendo rewards
Club Nintendo has added a new set of downloadable games to its rotating lineup, allowing members to redeem their collected Coins for copies of Paper Mario, 3D Classics Kid Icarus, and other featured offerings. July's Club Nintendo games include the remade NES platformer 3D Classics Kid Icarus and vertically scrolling shoot-'em-up Metal Torrent for the Nintendo 3DS, along with NES-ported arcade conversion Donkey Kong Jr. and classic Nintendo 64 RPG Paper Mario for the Wii U. Kid Icarus, Metal Torrent, and Donkey Kong Jr. are available for 200 Coins each, while Paper Mario will set you back 250 Coins. All featured games are available through August 3. [Image: Nintendo]
Club Nintendo adds accessory box, pouches, eShop games to catalog
Club Nintendo is offering new rewards for loyal customers, namely the sort of rewards you put other items in. Those with 700 free coins can pick up a green Mario-themed accessory basket that measures just under a foot wide. Don't be fooled by the name, as Nintendo can't stop the rebels among us from putting anything other than accessories in the basket, like cats. Or other, smaller baskets. Club Nintendo's two other new physical rewards are Animal Crossing-themed pouches. Available in both pink and blue, the pouches store handheld systems as large as the 3DS XL for 500 coins. We're eyeing up one of the pouches to store candy instead, because Nintendon't tell us what to do. As for the loyalty program's featured eShop game downloads, players can pick between four games until April 6: Kid Icarus of Myths and Monsters on 3DS (150 coins), Number Battle on 3DS (200 coins), Yoshi on Wii U (200 coins) and Bonsai Barber on WiiWare (250 coins). [Image: Nintendo]
Rumor: Free Pokemon X/Y with purchase of 3DS XL or 2DS and a game
A supposed scan of a Toys R Us ad indicates a new Pokemon X and Y sale is on the horizon. The ad, courtesy of a GoNintendo tipster, states that new 3DS XL or 2DS buyers who additionally pick up one of six games and register their gear on Club Nintendo in March will receive a download code for Pokemon X or Y. The six eligible games buyers may be picking from are Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Yoshi's New Island, Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins, Super Mario 3D Land, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and Mario Kart 7. As it stands now, there's no confirmation of the deal on either Club Nintendo or Toys R Us' sites. We've reached out to Nintendo for more information and will update as we learn more. [Image: GoNintendo]
F-Zero and 1080 Snowboarding are the latest Club Nintendo rewards
Nintendo's fan service-fueled Club Nintendo program has added a few new interactive items to its limited rewards program. For 200 coins each, players can grab Wii U ports of F-Zero and 1080 Snowboarding, which regularly sell on the eShop for $8 and $10 respectively. Nintendo 3DS's featured games are Game & Watch: Cement Factory (100 coins) and Spin Six (150 coins). Club Nintendo coins are easy enough to come by, acquired by purchasing Nintendo products and participating in purchase habit surveys. Featured games, like those listed above, are available for a limited time. Coins can also be used to get your hands on a bevy of other Nintendo-themed products, such as t-shirts for wearing and screensavers for installing on your computer trapped in the year 1998. [Thanks, Todd]
Here is Club Nintendo's favorite Wii U and 3DS games of 2013
Nintendo compiled a list of 20 games that Club Nintendo members noted as their favorites from 2013 recently. Nintendo featured ten games for each for 3DS and Wii U, with Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as the lone game that landed on both lists. Among the Wii U games selected by Club Nintendo members are the obvious Nintendo-published choices in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Super Mario 3D World, The Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3. The best-of list also includes Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Rayman Legends and Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien, the latter being the single eShop-only game of the Wii U group. The list of 3DS favorites are marked by both Pokemon X and Y, Fire Emblem: Awakening, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. Head past the break to see the full Club Nintendo-selected Wii U and 3DS list of favorites from the year.
Wii U Virtual Console games added to Club Nintendo Rewards
This month's Club Nintendo Rewards lineup offers up Wii U Virtual Console games for the first time, sunsetting the service's Nintendo Wii offerings in favor of Nintendo's latest console. This month's selection includes the classic NES Joust-alike Balloon Fight and notoriously difficult Japanese import Super Mario Bros. 2: The Lost Levels. The Wii U versions of these games offer additional features not found in their previous Wii Virtual Console releases, adding savestate support and configurable controls. Digital copies of all featured games can be purchased with Club Nintendo coins, which members earn by registering 3DS, Wii and Wii U software. The Lost Levels is available for 150 Club Nintendo coins, while Balloon Fight can be redeemed for 200 coins. Also up for grabs this month are the 3DS Virtual Console version of Mario's Picross (100 coins) and the 3DSWare tower defense game Starship Defense (150 coins). [Update: Players report that Club Nintendo is actually offering the Wii version of Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, despite what the Rewards page claims. Take note before spending your coins.]
Club Nintendo adds a rainbow of 3DS XL charging cradles
Those bored of staid black will find the selection of charging cradles for the 3DS XL handheld greatly expanded come Halloween, though none of these new colors will be available to you if you aren't a Club Nintendo member. Like the original, black cradle, this new line of more colorful cradles makes charging the 3DS XL slightly more convenient. Instead of having to plug a small cord into your handheld, the cradle allows players to charge their device by simply dropping the machine in place. The only new addition found in these new cradles is their appearance; new models are available in blue, yellow, red, green and white. Those of you who are already Club Nintendo members will be able to order the newly-colorful cradles for 500 points once they go on sale on October 31. If you aren't a Club Nintendo member, the process of signing up is quick and fairly painless, but keep in mind that those points are based on how many games you have purchased and redeemed through Club Nintendo. If you're only signing up to grab a new cradle, you'll need to buy at least six games to earn the necessary points.
Club Nintendo 2013 elite members get swanky rewards
Nintendo has announced the elite rewards for its platinum and gold level Club Nintendo participants. Platinum members may choose between a three-poster set or a The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask soundtrack, while gold gifts include a 2014 calendar or a download of Super Smash Bros., Warioware D.I.Y. Showcase, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX, Super Mario Land or Sakurai Samurai. Club Nintendo is an incentive program where coins are earned through registering Nintendo products and participating in surveys. Those coins are then redeemed for gifts – platinum status is achieved when a Club Nintendo member gathers 600 coins through the program, while 300 coins achieves gold status.
Club Nintendo Japan hacked
Japan's Club Nintendo service was hacked following thousands of unauthorized accesses across the last month. Nintendo announced that an internal investigation confirmed just under 24,000 illegitimate logins between June 9 and July 4, from over 15 million attempts. As translated by Kotaku, Nintendo said customer information compromised in the attack includes full names, phone numbers, and home and email addresses. Happily, the service doesn't hold credit card information. Kotaku notes the attack is apparently limited to Japan's Club Nintendo, and other countries don't seem to be affected. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo is strengthening Club Nintendo's security as a result, starting off with making users' old passwords invalid and requiring them to make new ones.
Register Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS in Europe, get free download for a friend
Europeans who purchase and register Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the 3DS before 11pm UK time on June 30 will be eligible for a recommendation code good for one download of Capcom's game. If your pal registers a Nintendo 3DS or 3DS XL through Club Nintendo between 11pm UK time tonight and 11pm UK time on July 31, and enters the recommendation code before 11pm UK time on August 5, then they'll be able to download the game. So what if you already registered Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS? Check the Club Nintendo site tomorrow after 3pm UK time, at which point you should find your recommendation code available and can continue the rest of the process. The promotion only applies to the 3DS version – the Wii U game is not eligible – and Nintendo has announced no plans to extend the promotion outside of Europe.
PSA: 3DS XL free game promo ends today
A quick reminder to prospective 3DS XL buyers: Today is the last day you can snag a free game with a new 3DS XL. The catch is that you'll have to buy and register either Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon in order to do so. Once you've registered both your 3DS XL and either game on Club Nintendo, you can choose a free download of Super Mario 3D Land, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!, Star Fox 64 3D, or Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive!One word of warning if you plan to buy the downloadable versions of either Luigi's Mansion or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Be sure to link your 3DS XL to your Club Nintendo account before downloading either game. The deal applies to any 3DS XL purchased on or after February 14, 2013.
Buy a 3DS XL and Luigi's Mansion or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, get a free game
If you were thinking of buying a 3DS XL to play either Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon or Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, Nintendo is offering you a little extra incentive. If you register a 3DS XL on Club Nintendo starting today, and register one of those two games, between March 21 and April 30, you'll get a free downloadable copy of Super Mario 3D Land, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask, Art Academy: Lessons for Everyone!, Star Fox 64 3D, or Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! Your choice, so you aren't stuck with Freakyforms.
PSA: Wii Shop purchases don't get Club Nintendo coins through Wii U
Here's an annoying situation that could cost you a few of the "Coins" used as currency on Club Nintendo. If you transfer your Wii content to your new Wii U (or just start fresh on the Wii U) then buy WiiWare or Virtual Console games through the Wii U's "Wii Mode," you won't get the Coin value of those purchases.This is because you can't link your Club Nintendo account to the virtual Wii within your Wii U, which you'd use to buy legacy games.The easiest solution would be to buy whatever you want on Wii, and get the Coins, before transferring your Wii data to Wii U. But if it's too late for that, you have the choice either to buy on Wii U and forfeit the potential Coins, or realize it's 2013 and that you've likely been pretty much caught up with WiiWare for the past two years, with the possible exception of La-Mulana.
