Topic: Club Nintendo Rewards: Mario Pins

[Halbred]

As usual, the Platinum reward is pretty pimp.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/blog/28964

I'm usually pretty hard on Club Nintendo's "rewards," although that attitude has eased up since I've been able to get actual games with my coins. But their Platinum rewards are usually awesome: the Mario hat, that Mario 'n' Friends figure, and now these cool SMB-themed pins. Technically, you can take the pins off the boxes and, you know, pin them to other things, but I really like how they look in their case, especially given the different ways the boxes can be arranged.

When in their original arrangement, there's a nice little picture of Mario riding a flagpole on the side.

The boxes are stacked in a plastic "frame" case, but you can take them out and rearrange them. In their original arrangement, the back of the boxes makes a picture: Mario!

Flipped and stacked a different way, though, you get a Super Mushroom.

The last option is a Goomba. This might be my favorite one.

The individual boxes are simple folded cardboard. To get the coins off, you just unfold the boxes and...

Another piece of cardboard slides out. I was pleasantly surprised to see that each pin is labeled. They're actually pretty nice pins--if I needed some more pieces of flair on my outfit, I'd certainly wear these.

Here's Mario, freed from the confines of that horrible prison...to which he'll soon go back in. For some odd reason, these pins remind me of the old Sesame Street skit "Teeny Little Super Guy." And THAT reminded me of another gaming-related Sesame Street skit.

So there you have it, folks, the Mario Pins. This was a great Platinum reward, and while I never intend to actually USE any of these pins (I'm a collector, can't be helped), they look damn good on my "Club Nintendo Rewards" shelf.

[TheFleece]

I have the pins, but I haven't touched them I'm afraid that I'll destroy or lose whichever one I wear like all my other pins, but I'm always tempted.
Also I LOVE Teeny Little Super Guy and the pinball skit is a straight classic. Nice stuff.

[Jonnyboy117]

My problem with all the Platinum rewards is that they really only appeal to collectors like Zach. I qualified in 2011 but didn't bother redeeming because I don't want this kind of useless junk filling my apartment. Looks nice, costs nothing... but it takes up space and does little else.

[TheFleece]

I can think of better stuff like special peripherals like the SNES controller or maybe better apparel or special books like Hyrule Historia and right now they are letting us redeem coins for games and I think that's great, but what would you want for a Platinum Reward?

[Shaymin]

Multi-disc soundtracks like the Galaxy one that's bundled with the new Wiis, exclusive limited-run games (Last Window! Disaster! Exclamation points!)... or for this year, a localized version of Hyrule Historia.

[StrawHatChopper]

I'm in the same boat as Zach, since I love to collect this kind of stuff. I really like these pins, and the box really ties the entire package together nicely (not to mention it looks real nice with all my other Nintendo swag on the shelf.)

[Webmalfunction]

I'm with Metts on this one. I redeemed it, but I only took it out once to rearrange the boxes a few times. It now sits on top of my game box shrine in my room.


The point is, I didn't even have a reaction when I woke up early that morning to see the big reward. I'm not the douche who wears Nintendo pins so they can try to be "geek chic", and I've never been one to collect anything either. At least the Mario statue looks cool (I put my Chris Redfield RE5: CE figure in the middle of it so it looks badass now). I was really pulling for a plastic ocarina or something. This was Zelda's year, and it's a damn shame  CN didn't even put forth an effort until the Zelda posters in December.

[Tizona]

I guess I'm the weird guy but, I took mine out right away and lined my laptop bag strap with them. Now I take them to work with me everyday, and everyone knows I'm a Nintendo guy. I even have some 3D pics on my 3DS I've swapnoted around. I did put the boxes back together and have it displayed on my Nintendo shelf though.

WEAR THE PINS WITH PRIDE PEOPLE!

[pureval]

I think the pins are cool, although I can not manage to fit them onto my shelf right now. I have not intentions of wearing them unless I manage to pick up a second set cheap some where. I was hoping for a Zelda item, but hey, maybe next year right?


I am kind of curious what everyone else's Nintendo shelf looks like, I thought I was the only one with one.

[Razorkid]

I was pretty miffed about the prize until it arrived and, like Zach, was pleasantly surprised by the whole package.  I have mine currently in a bin full of Nintendo/anime/nerd things that will one day decorate my man-cave in the near future.  For now it remains in stasis until then.

[TrueNerd]

I recently achieved Platinum status. How does one acquire these pins?

[TJ Spyke]

You can't, it was the reward for people who got Platinum status between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. You will get whatever the award is for this year (that ends June 30, 2012). If you want the pins, you will have to get them from somebody who has them.

[ejamer]

My problem with all the Platinum rewards is that they really only appeal to collectors like Zach. I qualified in 2011 but didn't bother redeeming because I don't want this kind of useless junk filling my apartment. Looks nice, costs nothing... but it takes up space and does little else.

You should still grab the reward while it's available. The schwag is pretty decent, and (if nothing else) tends to have trade/eBay value after the fact. I was able to sell my first two platinum rewards for $100 last year... which went a long way to support my gaming habits.

[TrueNerd]

Ah, damn.

[TJ Spyke]

My problem with all the Platinum rewards is that they really only appeal to collectors like Zach. I qualified in 2011 but didn't bother redeeming because I don't want this kind of useless junk filling my apartment. Looks nice, costs nothing... but it takes up space and does little else.

You should still grab the reward while it's available. The schwag is pretty decent, and (if nothing else) tends to have trade/eBay value after the fact. I was able to sell my first two platinum rewards for $100 last year... which went a long way to support my gaming habits.

I haven't checked for this year, but I am pretty sure it's too late to do that. I know the first year you had to redeem your prize by a certain date or you wouldn't get anything, same last year.

[ejamer]

I believe that you are right - it's too late this time. But my intent was to suggest that people don't just turn down rewards in the future. Even if you don't want it, it costs nothing to receive and (in the worst case) makes an interesting gift.

[LittleIrves]

I, too, was pleasantly surprised. But I understand Jonny's reluctance. My apartment certainly doesn't need any more "junk" lying around, and while I wouldn't categorize this package as such, they're technically not very useful...  but I still aim to make a neat 3D stop-motion video with them soon. And my girlfriend likes wearing a new pin every week or so. So...   I'll take it! (But yes, SNES controller or game soundtrack CDs or something else would be nice, too.)