Nintendo
The best Club Nintendo gift was exclusive to Japan and changed the way you control your TV
Club Nintendo gifts were an important part of the company’s interaction with consumers until its closure.
Some things are never coming back. It’s like the time when physical games came with a detailed instruction manual. Club Nintendo was an important part of the consumer’s experience with the company. It was the place to celebrate the brand and receive unique prizes based on everything you had invested in your time as a gamer. The best gift was exclusive to the Japanese catalog during the Wii era: it was 2006 and Nintendo allowed you to get your own Wiimote-shaped TV controller.
This is what the Wiimote-shaped TV controller that took Japan’s Club Nintendo by storm looked like
Probably many of the players here in the West are not aware that this gift exists. Well, it did. This special Wiimote hid a universal TV controller that is still compatible with today’s top-of-the-line models.
The button layout is exactly the same as the Wii Remote. It is obviously different from the numbered buttons on a traditional TV remote. Nintendo’s solution was to indicate the function of each button in small letters. The layout is as follows:
- Red button: On/Off
- Up Arrow: Change channel forward
The details are complete. The body was that of a Wiimote of a lifetime. Even the back part keeps the trigger and the little Nintendo icons. Despite the similarities, it obviously could not be used to play games on your Wii. For some reason, the company did not export it to other territories. It arrived in Japan in 2006 and its availability lasted a whimper. Today, you can find some copies in the main second-hand sites of the sector for around 100 dollars.
The spirit of Club Nintendo lives on in My Nintendo Rewards
Club Nintendo began its journey in December 2007, after merging all of the company’s loyalty programs that had been launched in 2002. Eight long years of what many consider to be the best rewards system in the history of modern video games. But in 2015, it closed its doors. Say goodbye to collecting stars.
A year later, the current one, which has been accompanying Nintendo Switch since months before its launch, was launched. My Nintendo Rewards has not maintained the same level of gifts as its predecessors, but it has changed the way in which we can reinvest our play time and purchases around the Nintendo ecosystem. Platinum Coins for rewards, Gold Coins to add to a virtual wallet that can be used for discounts in the eShop.
My Nintendo Rewards, which you can track at this link, require a Nintendo Account profile to redeem. Currently on offer are cosmetic items such as a set of Mario & Luigi: Brothership magnets, Classic Games Postcard Set, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom - Wanted Poster Tote Bag or an Animal Crossing Coaster Set.
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