Club Nintendo coin values changes

Oh man... I just finished registering a bunch of Wii & DS Lite games on Club Nintendo because I read that starting July 1, 2012, most of the coin values for those games are going down. Qualifying (first party) Wii games are worth 50 coins right now, but starting July 1, they seem to drop to between 40/30 & 20 coins! What a rip. And many DS games are dropping from 30 to 20.

But here is the weird part... some first-party games coin values are going UP-- the Pokemon series all seem to be increasing as are the main Mario games-- excluding Super Mario Galaxy (1), the Selects version that is MSRP $19.99 is worth less coins that the original Super Mario Galaxy 1 sold at full price. But don't be fooled, there are far fewer games going up compared to the number going down.

Also incredibly annoying, many of the download games like classic Gameboy titles get cut from 10 coins to 5.

I was squirreling away a bunch of Nintendo game codes from games I'd bought awhile back.... but Nintendo has forced me to register them now if I want the full coin values. I'm now at Platinum status for the second year in a row, but I've almost spent my wad..... I'm holding onto a couple of Mario codes that will inexplicably go UP in coin value after July 1.....

I think it's really douchey of Nintendo to decrease coin values like this. Bad enough they have expiry dates-- some countries have made such practices ILLEGAL as in gift cards, and points slip through the cracks on the technicality that they aren't real money... but still. Expiry dates for gift points is an immoral practice.



later
don

Kid Icarus Club Nintendo AR Cards

Last week or so I went to their site, signed up for them and I just got the cards from Nintendo this morning!

Came from Nintendo of America which kinda surprised me I thought they would have come from Nintendo Canada. But NoA is still located relatively close to me so it didn't take long. Don't know why the envelope is so dirty, it looks like it's been stepped on-- a lot-- but the cards themselves seem in good shape.






I think these fall into the category of kinda useless junk that will get dumped into a drawer somewhere... but it was free!

I'm on the fence about Kid Icarus: Uprising. Shooter games are right up my alley but the stylus aiming controls really make me wary. I did not enjoy the controls on the DS game Metroid Prime Hunters. I know that Kid Icarus: Uprising allows use of the face buttons for aiming but people are saying it isn't precise enough, probably because it isn't tuned for that kind of control (same problem with Metroid Prime Hunters actually)... I just wish more shooter/action games were coming out for 3DS.



later
don

Wii sound issue

I just downloaded Super Mario Kart for the Wii Virtual Console.... it's fun. Cashed in some Club Nintendo coins. I definitely have a love/hate relationship with the Mario Kart & Mario franchise in general. I slammed Mario Kart 7, but I have to admit I'm still playing it a lot.

It's interesting to see how the franchise began in Super Mario Kart, even though it can be hard to look at.... I wonder how gamers in the 1990's managed to keep their eyes from getting wrecked....


Anyway, this post is more about a Wii issue that I've been having for awhile but since I haven't turned on my Wii for a long time I didn't think about how persistant it is. Sometimes when I go back to the Wii Menu, the sound becomes all scratchy. I'm pretty sure this issue popped up after a recent update. It's kind of annoying. just another example of what I hate about firmware updates, especially FORCED firmware updates. This is a problem that stretches across different platforms, from Nintendo to Sony to Apple & so many companies.... it could be one of the biggest gadget problems to consumers. We need to be more aware of what companies are doing to our products & hold them more accountable to any damage they might do.



later
don

Club Nintendo Super Mario shoelaces

[UPDATE 1/02/2012] - I've noticed that the designs on the laces are NOT WATERPROOF. So if you're thinking of ordering these, be aware of that important fact.


So I ordered the Super Mario shoelaces from Club Nintendo earlier this week. As usual with Club Nintendo Canada, shipping was fast, I got them today.... I was hoping that they'd come this week, but you never know.

They came with the Thank You card that typically accompanies these coin purchases, but I expected the packaging to be just a simple plastic bag. Instead, there's a little light cardboard design decorated with Mario characters. A somewhat more fancy presentation than past Club Nintendo rewards, in line with the Platinum Reward I got last week. Maybe Club Nintendo is trying to dress up their stuff a bit, maybe they're getting the hang of Club Nintendo better now that they've gone through some growing pains.... on one hand, I like the little touches... I don't want to throw away this stuff... but on the other hand, flourishes like this are not much use to me and only serve to clutter up my space. I'm sure I'll lose it or it'll end up in the recycling bin.





2 sets of laces: 2x white, 2x yellow. Ok, I'm really stupid-- until I looked at this picture, I had no idea that each set of laces has DIFFERENT characters on them. The yellow has "bad guys" while the white ones have "good things" (power ups)... I thought both sets of laces had the same characters on them.




I went for the yellow ones right away because I figure they go better with my shoes. But now that I'm aware that the white ones have different characters... in fact, probably more recognizable Super Mario characters to the general public.... maybe I will try the white ones out next week.




The yellow laces on my shoes. Not sure how good this actually looks... I don't wear anything yellow though I do wear a purple hoodie so maybe they do complement that....




These last 2 weeks have been pretty darn awesome for Club Nintendo and 3DS Ambassador early adopters. Having those games be bought using coins, the 10 free GBA games, and even these laces rewards, now is a good time to be a Nintendo fan. Thanks Nintendo!

I'd like to save up for the T-shirt, but right now all my coins are going towards the downloadable games.



later
don

Club Nintendo Elite Status Reward 2011

Cool... my Club Nintendo Elite Status Reward came in the mail yesterday.

Doesn't seem as good as the previous years Elite reward, that Mario statue, which I didn't get-- however I *DID* see it for sale at a night market in Hong Kong... though I'm pretty sure it was fake. It was somewhat cool-looking, but not worth the effort of trying to drag it home with me so I didn't buy it.

So back to the 2011 reward... these are a series of pins. Hanh??? Pins? Doesn't seem all that "elite" to me. But this reward is all in the presentation.

Frontside:




Backside:







As you can see, the packaging is very prim and a lot of care went into the design.

On one side there's even a classic Mario image.



Opening it up, the pins are fitted on top of the thin cardboard packaging.




The bottom:








The pins themselves are thick & bubbly... somewhat resembling, dare I say... a mushroom top??







The overall package has a minimalist elegant design, and the pins are nice. But I can't really see myself wearing them. I'm not sure what to do with it. This whole package feels like it was meant to be unopened & kept on a shelf to be admired from afar. But when I think about it, had I gotten a statue, that's pretty much what I'd be doing with THAT as well. And can't beat the price (free)


Thanks Nintendo.




later
don

Club Nintendo pouch arrrived

Yeaahhh.... ordered on Monday, shows up on Thursday! I love how fast Nintendo Canada sends me stuff!

True to Nintendo form, it came in a very basic package-- just the pouch in a clear plastic bag, but with one addition: a little thank-you note from Club Nintendo:

It says, "THANK YOU for your feedback! We hope you enjoy your Club Nintendo reward. Your valuable input helps us create new opportunities to bring smiles to our fans."




The pouch is a bit big compared to my DS Lite, but it's not freakishly so.




This is what it looks like with my DS Lite inside:





The pouch is reversible. As can be seen in the pics, the red side has a little 8-bit Mario and the word "Nintendo" on a patch that is stitched onto the pouch. The inside is a beige-ish colour that has the "Club Nintendo" logo printed on the corner. I think the Club Nintendo logo actually looks a bit better than the Mario one...




Both sides feel very velvety & soft. It's simple but this is what a gadget pouch should feel like. I can't wait to put my 3DS in this thing.

Thanks Club Nintendo!



later
don

ordered Club Nintendo pouch

Wooo... a few months ago I was cleaning up around the house, sorting among other things my games stuff, like Gameboy Advance cartridges & PSP UMD games paraphernalia that was laying around.... and some of that was a bunch of Club Nintendo game registration codes.

So last week I pulled some of those out of the drawer and entered them into my account. Yesterday I went back into my account to fill out some followup surveys for those games I registered (had to wait 7 days) so I could get some more Club Nintendo coins. And yesterday I had enough to get the pouch they're offering!

250 coins for it. I ordered the red, and it's reversible. I ordered it to go with my upcoming Nintendo 3DS that I'll need a pouch/case for since I don't think it comes with one... it does come with a charging stand though......

The only thing about this pouch is that it says it's for the DS Lite, DSi, DSiXL..... DSiXL? The pouch must be big if it fits that thing. I think the pouch dimensions are listed as 8" x 5"... so that does seem rather large. I'd prefer it be more sized to go with my upcoming 3DS, which from what I can tell will be about the same size as the DS Lite. Sure, that means I could probably use a DS Lite case for it... but at least this one's free. And kinda snazzy.

I ordered the case 2/21/11, and I think it ships from Richmond, BC.... I remember the stuff I've ordered previously from Nintendo Canada arrived very quick. So I'm hoping it will arrive in a few days. Oh well..... just have to wait & see.



later
don