Software:Nintendo Badge Arcade

Nintendo Badge Arcade
Opening Menu showcasing the Arcade adorned with many Nintendo characters.
Developer(s)	Nintendo SPD
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Director(s)	Shohei Mizutani
Producer(s)	Kouichi Kawamoto
Designer(s)	Hiromi Sugimoto Koji Sonoyama
Programmer(s)	Hirotake Matsushita Masanori Unno
Artist(s)	Koji Sonoyama Hiromi Sugimoto Arisa Yanagi
Writer(s)	Atsuto Yagi David Davoodi Paul Merrill
Composer(s)	Masato Onishi Daisuke Matsuoka
Platform(s)	Nintendo 3DS
Release	JP: December 17, 2014 NA: November 10, 2015 PAL: November 13, 2015

Nintendo Badge Arcade, known in Japanese as Badge Torēru Center (バッジとれ〜るセンター, Bajji Torēru Sentā, lit. "Collectible Badge Center"), is a soon-to-be-defunct freemium application developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS , allowing players to customize the 3DS home menu with badges. The game launched in Japan in December 2014, and worldwide in November 2015.

Gameplay consisted of playing arcade crane-like games in hopes of acquiring badges, the game's main collectable. Badges were usually themed around other Nintendo properties, and once collected could be used to apply in the 3DS' HOME Menu. In addition to being decorative, some badges had special functions to them, such as launching applications and were compatible in other software as well.

In June 2017, due to constraints on the size of software save data, it was announced that updates to the service would be discontinued, although the service itself is still operational. As of March 23, 2023, with the closure of the Nintendo 3DS eShop, it is no longer possible to buy additional plays & themes, as well as receive daily free plays. However, it's still possible to receive free plays from the game’s Practice Catcher, and play for a very limited range of badges that are currently remaining. On April 8, 2024, the game will completely shut down due to the discontinuation of online play on 3DS and Wii U.

Gameplay

Nintendo Badge Arcade takes place in an arcade filled with machines known as badge catchers, each containing badges based on various Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario, Animal Crossing, The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and Pokémon (as well as third-party franchises such as Yo-Kai Watch and Mega Man) which are reorganised regularly. The arcade is hosted by a pink, anthropomorphic rabbit character called Arcade Bunny, who always greets the player, and often introduces promotional events. The badge catchers are viewed from a 2-D side-on perspective. Similar to real-life claw machines, players must move the catcher's crane using a button, pick up badges, and try and drop them off into a prize pit. They can accomplish this by simply picking them up, or use other techniques such as pushing them or causing landslides (this only works if there is a big pile of badges). Most badge catchers use a claw to pick up the badges, but some badge catchers use alternate means of obtaining badges. The hammer crane knocks badges to the right, the explosive crane blasts badges away in all directions, and the stick crane (which originally went unused, but was first revealed on April 28, 2016, in Japan) uses an extendable arm to move the badges. Any badges that the player obtains can be placed on the Nintendo 3DS's HOME Menu, with certain badges able to launch some of the 3DS's built-in applications. Most badges can also be used as decorations for the Swapdoodle messaging app.

First-time players begin the game with five free plays, after which they must purchase additional plays via the Nintendo eShop. Special themes for the HOME Menu, and one set of badges based on Arcade Bunny, can also be unlocked by purchasing enough plays during certain periods. Once per day, players can use the Practice Catcher to practice catching dummy badges. Players earn a free bonus play for every ten dummy badges they collect, plus additional plays should they uncover a bonus badge. Prior to the discontinuation of updates in 2017, additional plays could be available to the player through occasional events. Since discontinuing the updates, the game gives players two additional plays as a daily log-in bonus. These additional plays must be used when the game is loaded. All activities require a constant online connection as obtained badges are cloud saved via users' Nintendo Network ID.

However, the ability to purchase plays for the Badge Catchers, purchase themes, and receiving the daily log-in bonus ended on March 27, 2023 due to the closure of the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Although you can't purchase badges, you can still earn free plays by playing the Practice Catcher, and playing through a very limited selection of badges. On April 8, 2024, the service will shut down for good, coinciding with the shutdown of the Nintendo Network. Badges that were earned through the Badge Catchers must be downloaded to the 3DS console and placed in the Badge Box before then, as you will not be able to re-download the badges after the shutdown date. When the service shuts down, it will show an error message, making the software unusable.

Reception

Nintendo Badge Arcade has received "mixed or average reviews" according to the review aggregator Metacritic.

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 56/100 Review score Publication Score Nintendo World Report 6/10

Legacy

Arcade Bunny appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Assist Trophy and Spirit. Two music tracks from this game are also included, being the title theme and Arcade Bunny's theme.