Topic: Club Nintendo Elite Status 2014 Gifts: A Mixed Reaction

[Webmalfunction]

Alex and Justin face off once again to judge the merits of this year's new rewards.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/38083/club-nintendo-elite-status-2014-gifts-a-mixed-reaction

Another year means another series of Club Nintendo Platinum and Gold rewards. Previous years offered a mixture of physical and digital options, but in 2014, Club Nintendo awarded its users exclusively with digital game options. A big change always results in a big reaction, with opinions ranging from this being the very best offering in the promotion's history to the very worst.

Previews Editor Alex Culafi and Features Editor Justin Berube have two of these big reactions, and ended up writing two opposing opinion pieces on the matter (without knowledge that the other was working on theirs).

Who do you agree with? Are you excited about Club Nintendo's digital future or repulsed by it? Sound off in the comments below.

[Adrock]

I like getting free stuff. I'll take it.

It would be nice if the people who already have all the downloads could contact Nintendo to work something out.

[AV]

It's not unique, in fact it sort of asks to be compared to PSN and Sony since they give away digital games on a more regular basis .


I never played DK3D before and I never really tried that franchise anyway so I got that, I heard too much bad about wario.  I like my physical stuff even if they just collect dust its nice.


Having a Custom Mii Ammibo was a golden chance to get these out to people EARLY and get buzz around it, its both digital and physical and would have been great. I would be very happy to have a figure of my Mii . That's the kind of stuff I want, but I'm glad to get free games regardless

[UncleBob]

The Custom Mii amiibo was never going to happen.  I'll be completely flabbergasted if there is ever a legitimate way to acquire a custom Mii amiibo.

But seriously, even giving away digital downloads, they could have done better (and, as the very half of the article that argued in favor of this point out, they have done better with the exclusive Doc Louis game).  Heck, it would have been really odd to release it at this point, but how about this even?  Never released in the US, not something anyone would buy by itself on a big scale and something that would be neat to finally own.

[Soren]

Custom Amiibos as a reward was always going to be an unrealistic reward. Specially if the company is trying to cut costs. I do think the production of Amiibos did cut in to production of physical rewards this year. I expect things will even out again next year.

I play Nintendo video games. Not playing cards, or CDs or anything else. That's a distant second. So Nintendo rewarding me with a free video game during the summer is fine. Could they have done better? Of course. But Nintendo hasn't done better in years now. We're all becoming Sisyphus at this point with Club Nintendo rewards.

[NWR_insanolord]

If they wanted to do what they did in Japan with Advance Wars they should have gone all-out and given us Zangeki no Reginlev.

[UncleBob]

Or even Devil World.

[NWR_insanolord]

Another way they could give out a game no one in America played is with Excitebots.

[Triforce Hermit]

The gold gifts were insulting. The Platinum had retail and that was fine, but even then we could have been offered better. If Nintendo is just going to go full on digital, just let us choose what game we want instead of presenting us with a list of stuff. This way, almost everyone gets what they want. Donkey Kong Country wasn’t exactly the one game I’ve really been wanting, but I’m happy with it. I would have much rather preferred to have got Animal Crossing New Leaf or Kirby Triple Deluxe though.

[Triforce Hermit]

The gold gifts were insulting. The Platinum had retail and that was fine, but even then we could have been offered better. If Nintendo is just going to go full on digital, just let us choose what game we want instead of presenting us with a list of stuff. This way, almost everyone gets what they want. Donkey Kong Country wasn’t exactly the one game I’ve really been wanting, but I’m happy with it. I would have much rather preferred to have got Animal Crossing New Leaf or Kirby Triple Deluxe though.

Not sure what happened there.

Anyways, I advocate for just letting us choose what digital title we want instead of giving us a list to choose from. I'm happy I got DKC, but would have preferred a different title.

[NWR_insanolord]

I would have much rather preferred to have got Animal Crossing New Leaf or Kirby Triple Deluxe though.

Given the series and that specific iteration's reception I imagine Animal Crossing's still selling fairly consistently, and Kirby's way too new for them to put it in this. Maybe next year, if they do the same thing.

[UncleBob]

Here's a list I threw together of games they could (re-?)release with little-to-no-effort, offering all fans a selection of stuff that they virtually can't get elsewhere, while not costing Nintendo a dime.

Code: [Select]

Donkey Kong: Original Edition - 3DS or Wii VC
Previously only available when you purchased a select 3DS download title (in US) or the Red Wii (in EU).  Features the "Pie Factory" level that was removed from the initial NES Release.

Mario Bros.: Original Edition - 3DS or Wii VC
This one would require a little bit of effort - it's a more better version of the arcade port - it was only released on the FDS in Japan and had a physical release on the NES in EU.

Super Mario Bros. 25th Anniversary Edition - Wii VC
Previously only available when you purchased a Red Wii in Japan.  Has all the ? Blocks replaced with blocks that have the number 25 on them.

Doc Louis' Punch-Out!! - WiiWare
Previously only offered as a 2009 Club Nintendo Platinum reward.  Lets you fight Doc Louis.

Grill Off with Ultra Hand - WiiWare
Previously only offered as a general Club Nintendo reward.  Features a digital version of Nintendo's classic "Ultra Hand" toy.

Devil World - 3DS or Wii U VC
Never before released in the US.  Released on both the 3DS and Wii U VC in Japan and the 3DS VC in Europe.

Any of the ten GBA Ambassador Titles - 3DS
Previously only available for individuals who bought the 3DS before the first initial price drop.

Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition - DSiWare
Previously only available during one of two select time periods where it was given away for free.

Nintendo Video Downloads (Dinosaur Office Remix, Kirby 3D, Meat or Die) - 3DS
Each has been given away as downloads during Nintendo Video contests.

Of those, there's three things I want off of that list easily and would be offering folks $20 eShop cards in exchange for them.  These could be offered in addition to any selection of VC/eShop titles that would make folks happy.

[broodwars]

You could also throw in all the games Europe's gotten that are already translated into English that NoA just never got, such as Disaster: Day of Crisis, Fatal Frame 2 Wii, Tingle's Rosey Rupeeland, etc.

Hell, if Nintendo put Terrangima up as a Club Nintendo reward I'd be thrilled. That's a Virtual Console game that was never released in North America because...reasons.

[UncleBob]

True - but each of those games would require something akin to effort (for example, removing stuff that's lost in translation to the US culture, etc.).  With the possible exception of Devil World (with all that horrible, horrible, religious content!), everything in this list is stuff that's virtually ready to go and pre-approved for anyone.

[NWR_insanolord]

I don't think adjustments for American culture are necessary if they're just doing it for Club Nintendo. The kind of people who qualify for Platinum could probably deal with having a bunch of extra unnecessary "u"s everywhere.

[Mythtendo]

It's not unique, in fact it sort of asks to be compared to PSN and Sony since they give away digital games on a more regular basis .

Except with this, you will own the game. With PSN, you are essentially just renting the game while you are a PSN subscriber. The moment your subscription ends, you lose access to all those games.

[ejamer]

Echo Uncle Bob's argument.


The rewards aren't bad, but with a little more thought/effort they could have been much better.

[Ceric]

1. Nintendo is rewarding people by giving them the very thing they need to buy in order to earn these rewards.

2. The rewards aren’t special. In the past all the physical rewards Nintendo has sent members have been unique and only available through the program. This time Nintendo is giving something that is available to anyone.

3. The rewards aren’t that valuable. I can get almost anything here for under $14.99 on the eShop. The exceptions here are Game & Wario and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. Again, I already own both.

That's my argument for this.  If it was pick one from each tier and there was currently unreleased content my opinion be vastly different.

[Stratos]

If they wanted to do what they did in Japan with Advance Wars they should have gone all-out and given us Zangeki no Reginlev.

That could have been this generation's Sin & Punishment.

[UncleBob]

Ooh... another idea for an option.

Hyrule Historia Wii U download.  Previously included with the Wii U Wind Waker bundle.  I have two copies of this (regular and Collector's) and I'd be THRILLED if this were an option.

See how easy this is, Nintendo?  Offering virtually free stuff you already have sitting there that you won't let me give you money for.

[ClexYoshi]

I like getting free stuff. I'll take it.

It would be nice if the people who already have all the downloads could contact Nintendo to work something out.

Funny thing about that, I ended up making my final decision towards Mario Kart 8 because in the end, I calculateed with the game itself, the game I got through the Mario Kart 8 promotion, and a virtual console game with the $5 I got via digital deluxe, and whatever 200-coin game Nintendo had for the month of June would be just -BARELY- Enough to put me over the Club Nintendo platinum status by the 30th.

I went out of my way to spend money and credit I honestly could have saved for different free games to get a selection of free games that I am... tepid feeling about at best. the only other year I got Platinum waso 2011 when they did the Mario Buttons, but although I don't really use buttons, I really liked that because they at least had to go through the effort of designing such a cool box art design and printing up pieces of paper with ripped Mario Sprites and plaster them onto buttons. XD

[pureval]

I am pretty upset about the rewards. There are pretty much 0 games I am interested in at all. Even the few that are I would rather just outright buy then waste a reward on. I was hoping for something like that Luigi statue. I am a collector and I enjoy having exclusive "crap" decorating my house. I have even gone out my way to purchase previous prizes I have missed in the past. Now I am not sure if I will even bother to enter the codes I have been saving for next year. The fact that I hate digital games and prefer physical when I can does not help at all.

[TrueNerd]

The last two years I passed on the physical Club Nintendo platinum rewards and got Virtual Console games. So I'm pretty okay with this direction they're going in. Sure the selection could be way better, but I'm not going to complain about free Game and Wario.

[Shaymin]

Another way they could give out a game no one in America played is with Excitebots.

Based on the sales of Game and Wario, they pretty much did that with a Wii U game.

Also, just wanna point out that as of right now, Ultra Hand is actually the most appealing (to me) coin reward they have on Club Nintendo right now. It's STILL THERE.

[pokepal148]

How about a downloadable Mario All Stars with some optimization so that if your playing mario 3 on smas you can go on the regular version's miiverse community and mock the lowly peasants who dare come forth to you with their lowly 8-bit versions,