With its closure in the coming months, Club Nintendo is heading well into its swansong period. The Stars Catalogue in PAL regions is still a little underwhelming, with desirable items selling out and fairly mediocre recent additions including a Mario hat, while the North American Club Nintendo has some nice physical rewards and over 100 download games. The Japanese Club Nintendo may not be as packed with content as its North American equivalent, but it has some truly awesome items to choose from.
It's worth checking out the full range, but some examples that we've picked below are a Mario 3D puzzle / model, a really cool 3DS HOME Theme that celebrates Nintendo systems, the Mario Kart 8 soundtrack and some lovely designs on clothes and storage. Storage may be boring, but that doesn't mean it can't be stylish.
Some of the items have made appearances in the West, but plenty certainly haven't; yep, Japanese gamers do get a lot of the coolest stuff.
Thanks to Benson for the heads up.
[source nintendo.co.jp, via tinycartridge.com]
Comments 84
Well of COURSE Japan's Club Nintendo rewards are better than North America's, even for the entire system's last hurrah. At this point I'm so used to it that I can't even get upset anymore.
(I really, REALLY want that SNES shirt and the Mario Kart 8 OST...)
I'd rather have that MK8 Soundtrack than anything on the US CN... : /
I got the NOA CN green canvas box, which I love. Wouldn't mind having the Japanese one. But that pop-up book. I want that for my son in the worst way.
Meanwhile in Europe...
The cardboard puzzle model looks neat but would be better if it was colored, also wish that we would get a Club Nintendo 3DS theme.
SNES shirt FTW!
Well this seems exceptionally cruel.
AAAAAAAGH!(punches wall) Then again I guess it doesn't matter, seeing as how I'll never have enough coins for these even if they were available here. (I don't even have enough for Doc Louis's Punch-Out!!)
@Tsurii897 They're not crappy at all, I just own practically all of the games they have on offer, give or take a few i'm not interested in, and with the environment I live in a shirt or soundtrack CD would fare better than a poster.
There's a very good chance that the Mario Kart 8 sound track will make it over here as the last four have. To be honest, that is what i REALLY REALLY REALLY want. Since the cut off date is March 31st to register codes, i think these may come after that date.
The only other thing i'd want is the club Nintendo top and maybe the Mario Pop up book. But if i could only choose one, it would be the sound track. Talking of which, any news on the Smash Bros one? Not heard a peep since it closed.
That shirt.
THAT SHIRT!
I NEED THAT SHIRT!!!
And that Nintendo systems theme!
...At least I got Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D for free....
My life won't be complete 'til I get that Mario Kart 8 OST
Meanwhile in Europe... a Mario cap that looks so, so poopy NL didn't even bother writing the usual news article about it.
@Inkling
LOL.
Anyway, the Game & Watch is gone in Europe. I was gonna get it but held on to wait what'll be Europe's last hurrah. They better bring some cooler stuff or they should restock that G&W.
@Tsurii897 Yeah it's cool, but I like shirts that have symmetry, rather than a design on the side of the shirt. I'm crazy like that. XD
I was actually really pleased with the final NA rewards. I was only a little surprised they didn't offer the Zelda LBW OST over here, but seriously, they had some good stuff.
Everyone of us can still get all this stuff on eBay.
@manu0 Gross
@TeeJay Who/what? Why?
Mario Kart 8 OST is too awesome for NOA I did receive a notice that my Smash CD's shipped tho!
The animal crossing pouch ;_____;
@bouncer0304
I got an email from Club Nintendo a couple of hours ago telling me that my reward has shipped. So that must be the soundtracks finally.
I want that Club Nintendo 3DS theme...
@outburst Knowing Nintendo Europe, the rewards currently available will be the last ones
So much silly complaining...
Europe has had a whole bunch of great Club Nintendo rewards that never came out in North America. The same is true in reverse, and I think the "end of life" digital rewards in particular are fantastic in North America. Yet so many seem focused on finding greener grass instead of appreciating what is right in front of them.
This article should be good for helping us all move past that pettiness though: clearly the grass is greenest in Japan, and we should all be jealous of gamers from that region.
I'm not complaining, cuz the US's Zelda-related stuff was pretty cool, but I'd really like that MK8 sound track. I wouldn't ever pop it into a CD player, or rip it, or whatever, I just think it's cool to collect them if the music was good.
@Inkling I do love how sleek and modern the site looks. And the updates are so frequent, especially with the latest 'Super Mario Hat'. Totally worth 4000 stars!
Hope that MK8 CD makes it to Europe before the whole stars catalogue ends. Already picked up 4 CD's from there. I only wish the Smash one would have made it as I couldn't really afford to get both games at the time.
Roslina on disc 2 of the MK soundtrack - Nintendo still pushing her as a character it seems. It just makes it all the more baffling as to why they manufactured about 50 units of her amiibo -_-
I appreciate what Club Nintendo did for NA at the end, I got a couple of games that I wanted.
My biggest disappointment with NA Club N though was the lack of physical rewards. I really would have liked more soundtracks and physical Platinum level rewards. Seems like games are going to be the Platinum reward again this year, I would have loved to have seen a special amiibo or something.
I hope the Mario Kart 8 soundtrack comes to Europe, I wonder if DLC pack 1 is included as not including Mute City doesn't do the soundtrack any justice.
I've been wondering why NOA didn't post any 3DS themes.
Wow, there's a lot of great stuff there. Hopefully some of it will come to europe since I've still got plenty of stars to use up.
@Grumblevolcano
Ditto. I'd love another cd for my collection
@TwilightV : Agreed, so sweet!! Of course, I might get a little carried away (read: drive like Morton) listening to that on my daily commute. : )
@Inkling
Be happy you guys got the second best region.
Looks pretty nice. As much as I'm jealous of those themes, I'm pretty satisfied with the re-distribution of Doc Louis's Punch-Out!! so I'm fine.
And here in Europe?
The same like we've had SINCE YEARS! Why Nintendo...WHY?!?!
@ikki5 You mean Club Nintendo? Our Club Nintendo sucks.
Scandinavian Club Nintendo is the worst hands down, yall got it good compared to us. Cant wait to see if we will be included in the future
Looking back a bit closer, Europe got a better selection of physical rewards while North America got better digital rewards and (I think) better prices most of the time. In both cases, there was a lot of "not so great" options and people usually didn't appreciate what was being offered.
But yeah, I think ringtones and wallpapers were the worst rewards of all.
(Yes, I actually did buy one of the wallpapers... Yes, it was a waste.)
Of course Japan gets the good stuff
They should re-release these for Club Nintendo.
I wonder how much that cardboard Mario sells for on eBay..50$ 80? Lol geez scalpers are going nuts in Japan..
I'm jealous of the people that has access to Club Nintendo at all.
They actually acknowledge the existence of the Virtual Boy?!?!?!
I just want every Club Nintendo soundtrack really. That's probably the one thing I get upset about not being anywhere but Japan are the soundtracks (though Europe got some too).
The Mario Kart 8, Kirby Triple Deluxe, and the A Link Between Worlds soundtracks are all ones NA missed (or at least as of right now) and I would die for all three of those (Along with many others). At least I got the Super Smash Bros. CD (I haven't gotten a email telling me if it's shipped yet though, it that unusual?) and I can't complain about missing the 2013 Majora's Mask C... I didn't have enough coins.
Drool...
Might even be tempted to get some stuff on Ebay if someone could let the Japanese know that it would be best not to have free shipping. When shipping is included in the purchase price, it means that something worth about £10 goes up to over the threshold for customs VAT so then I get stuck with say £17 cost (item and shipping), then £8 customs processing and then 20% of the £17. I'd rather pay £14 for an item and £6 shipping to avoid those unnecessary customs fees. Can't speak Japanese though...
Need that canvas bag! Have the luigi one. Fits NES games perfectly. Guess I'll be searching ebay for one.
@DarthNocturnal I really hope the new program is standardized across all regions and that they don't abandon physical merchandise.
you are right I am so happy with my canvas bag, but I still need 85 coins for Mario paper for 3DS. They got good stuff in Japan I am not hating on them. I'm so satisfied with What I'm going to receive. I still need to buy more games to get me 85 coins. I'm thinking about getting fire emblem. I never played that one on the 3DS. Possibilities.
I WANT THAT SOUNDTRACK I LOVE MARIO KART 8 MUSIC AND I DON'T WANT TO PIRATE!!!!! oh hey my caps were on.
Just a little jealous?
@Inkling
It was far better than what NoA was for the last two + years.
@Tsurii897
Well, they have like 6 different t-shirts designs, ranging from Mario, Zelda and Link to a Game & Watch, which I'm dying for.
Hope that some may pop in ebay!
Oh nice, that G&W shirt is beautiful and something I'll never ever own. So great.
I want that Mario Kart 8 OST and that portable console theme. So badly.
Are you poping me
They look cool, but considering I got "New SMB 2" for free from the the North American Club Nintendo, (a $30 game) I can't complain to much.
I have managed to amass over 5000 stars since getting my Wii U 3 months ago which is not bad going at all.What can I get for it in these final days before I lose forever? A flaming Mario hat and some ringtones and wallpapers that I could download from Google images.What a joke! I cant understand the NA users complaining with all the games that's been added.Have you seen the European shop and its prices?
Out if all that id say id have: the mario thing, the snes controller shirt, mario kart 8 cds, the blue 3ds theme and the box.
We're jealous of Japan, period. No need to state the obvious any further.
What is the last item? Looks just like a hard cover book but I've been fooled before.
@OorWullie
The rage about club Nintendo of America is or the past 4 years of them offering absolutely nothing. If they had any special items up, they'd literally last a minute before sold out (scalpers heaven). There are more people who've had their accounts terminated for no reason than who've actually gotten items. So yes their swan song releases far out do Europe, but it doesn't take away the years of nothing.
@OorWullie
The fact that 4 years ago is when they start reducing heavily restocking anything and then about 2 and a half years ago, when something was gone, it was gone. Yeah, we got games, but it was the same 15-20 games over and over again with nothing else being added except for once or twice a year, we'd get a limited edition item that would be gone in less than 10 minutes of it being added. Also the fact that the Europeans complained constantly about how we were so much better because we had reused and recycled game rewards every month and never had anything ever restocked or added out our Club Nintendo unlike what was offered in Europe. Also, the games were technically still available in Europe only they had the entire Wii e-shop library to choose from. Though it cost about 50% more, it at least gave them something to use their points on instead of them being expired. Last year I had 1300 coins expire, the year before, 900. The year before that was 300.
@TheRedCap30
We didn't have physical rewards except for limited stuff for almost 2 years until February
Figures...
That SNES shirt is gorgeous!
Club Nintendo was fun while it lasted. I got platinum every year. I'm drooling over that Mario sculpture and the MK8 soundtrack though...
WHAAAAAT!? MK8 soundtrack CD? Awwww.... I wish I could have that
@Vriess
If anyone should be complaining, its us in the USA. We have only had a crappy download for grill off: with ultra hand, and a few greeting card sets for the past year and a half. lol!
(BTW I'm not accusing you of complaining, just trying to be funny
So in US there have some good offers in Japan they have great offers oh in the UK we get wait last time I looked on the uk site it was just crap I stop putting me Nintendo points on ages ago.
List of US club gifts
http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Club_Nintendo_items_%28America%29
Vs European gifts
http://nintendo.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Club_Nintendo_items_(Europe)
I know the European list is incomplete as it doesn't include the Mario Kart Wii cap and Animal Crossing cap. I'm not sure about the US list though, but the majority of items should be listed on the links I've posted.
@FX102A
Oh and make it digally downloadable!
Meanwhile Europe gets nothing new, The Nordic Countries are still left out like all this time CN existed. Yes, we get codes from games but no use - with Wii you could use stars to get Wiipoints, since with Wii you could change your country. I think I have some 8000 stars...
@rdrunner1178 still haven't heard nothing. Now Australia has had the cd delayed i wonder if the whole of europe will as well since Nintendo class us as the same region for some odd reason...
that NES shirt on a cute girl would go nice
but yeah japan has always had nice rewards but oh well i guess im surprised they never came out with a nintendo wallet or something as a reward that would of been popular
I'll keep my eyes open for reasonable resale. I'd like the Animal Crossing pouch and the storage bin for my second setup-the GCN, N64, and SNES that seem to have controllers and cartridges everywhere.
...Club Nintendo Japan has always made me jealous.
The only new thing here in Germany is a Mario hat... that's it. Nothing new, nothing special. Just a dumb polyester Mario hat... You know, I would kill to get one of those downloadable games or other rewards, but since I got myself a Mario Kart 8 shirt lately, I have no stars (the currency at the german Club Nintendo) left. I really hope that whatever will come next, will be better or Nintendo should put CN to rest forever.
Any soundtrack is a definite if i have the stars needed.
None of the rewards listed in this article are particularly interesting to me. Except maybe the MK soundtrack. On the actual website they have a Link Between Worlds Soundtrack, I'd love that!
@Kaboom yeah, those would be my top choices too, but seeing as Nintendo don't release shirts above a XL, the Mario Kart 8 soundtrack would definitely be my pick of the liter
I would love the Mario Kart 8 OST and that Systems theme.
MEANWHILE IN EUROPE....
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