“Nintendo Badge Arcade” is the follow-up to previous free-to-play, microtransaction-based digital 3DS eShop titles that Nintendo has been experimenting with lately like Pokemon Shuffle; and re-invents the popular Crane Game as a game in which your UFO Catcher/Crane collects badges. Which, once caught, allow you to customize your Nintendo 3DS Home Menu, and even rewards you with exclusive badges & unlockable exclusive Home Menu Themes. Pretty cool idea!
Take a look at Nintendo Badge Arcade in this Nintendo Direct Video:
Following the likes of “Pokemon Shuffle” (February 2015) & “Pokemon Rumble World” (April 2015), as well as the recently announced “Pokemon Picross” (Out now, November 2015). However it is the first non-Pokemon title (not counting the “StreetPass Mii Plaza” games & “Rusty’s Real Deal Baseball” [April 2014]) in the recent freemium series.
In Nintendo Badge Arcade, you will find all kinds of classic Nintendo items, characters and objects to catch using your crane. You start out with only five chances to catch Badges. After that, you get five more chances per day in the Practice Catcher, however doing so can earn you Free Plays at playing the real game. And Free Plays are also offered via events.
Normally, you will have to spend $1 in real money to earn an additional five Free Plays. So if you want to play a lot, you’ll need to pay for more tries. However, at no point, is it required for you to pay-to-play; that’s only for the hardcore, as Badges can be earned quite frequently without paying.
What’s unique about this game, are the themed levels, which are based on Nintendo properties like Super Mario Bros., Splatoon, Zelda, Animal Crossing, Pokemon, etc. And these themes all offer differently designed stages, where the layout of the land can be vastly different per level.
The mechanics of the game have you not only trying to pick up a badge and drop it into the Reward Hole. But the Reward Hole can be in the middle, or can be at the top of a small hill, or can be in any number of places depending on the level and them. There can even be more than one Reward Hole! This, combined with the huge variety of different Badges to earn, offers the player tons of variety and something new to see every time they try the game!
The physics of the game allow Badges to bump into each other, and the game is very generous in rewarding you with new Badges, allowing other Badges to easily be knocked into the Reward Hole.
Once you earn Badges, they can be placed on your Home Menu, either as “Blocks” (taking up free space where games or apps would otherwise be) or atop folders as new designs. This can be combined with background themes to create cool, unique, custom designs for your 3DS Home Menu!
For example, you can have a Mario Badge, a Buzzy Beetle or Goomba Badges, and Badges for Coins & Blocks, and arrange them to create a 8bit 2D classic Super Mario level design! You can do the same with characters from Animal Crossing, Zelda, Pokemon or Splatoon, offering endless variety and the ability to truly customize your 3DS to your exact liking with the characters & objects you find most appealing. Very, very cool!
The game also features hilarious and witty writing via the Bunny who tries to convince you to spend more money… But is quick to remind you that you are, indeed, going to be spending REAL MONEY.
Here’s the official trailer for Nintendo Badge Arcade:
While Nintendo Badge Arcade is a simple concept, it’s an ingenious idea!
Reinvent the Crane Game, allow fans to spend real money (if they want), and create a unique method of earning your way to customizing your Nintendo 3DS Home Menu.
And further enticing players with hard-to-get and rare Badges; forcing them to play every day or risk missing something cool!
Personally, I think this looks absolutely awesome. It’s the kind of game that is perfect for a portable system.
So far, I’ve really enjoyed all of Nintendo’s free-to-play offerings. They have that Nintendo touch, a tinge of innovation or a neat little twist, and while they aren’t full-on experiences, they are time-wasters in which you can literally pump dozens of hours into whenever you have some free time.
The “day to day” nature of them also keeps you playing. I know for me personally, I’d make sure to play Pokemon Shuffle every single day, just as I do with the StreetPass Mii Plaza games. It’s truly a great little system Nintendo has going, and keeps your mind & hands glued to your 3DS daily. Which is just what Nintendo wants.
Here’s the Nintendo Badge Arcade image gallery.
Click on any of these image thumbnails to see the full-size photos:
What do you think about Nintendo Badge Arcade, and have you tried it yet yourself?