PSA: 'Nintendo 3DS Ambassador' (free games) program ends at midnight Eastern

by Alexander Sliwinski on Aug 11th 2011 11:45AM

Listen, it doesn't matter to us (or Nintendo) if you paid $250 for the 3DS or grabbed it this week for $170, following some early price cuts. What we care about (Nintendo, not so much) is that you get those free games you're entitled to as part of Nintendo's early 3DS adoption apology.

Those who own a 3DS must connect to the Nintendo eShop before 11:59PM EST tonight to be enrolled in the "Nintendo 3DS Ambassador" program. You'll obtain 10 free NES Virtual Console games on September 1 (including The Legend of Zelda, Balloon Fight and Ice Climber) and 10 more Game Boy Advance Virtual Console games (Yoshi's Island, Metroid Fusion and Mario vs. Donkey Kong) by year's end.

So, just make sure you log in before midnight tonight. Procrastination will not be rewarded.

Tags: 3DS, ds, nintendo, Nintendo-3DS, PSA

Reader Comments (100)

Got my $80 price drop and looking forward to getting my 20 free games too. :) The only worrying thing is that regular websites are now starting to pop out of the screen at me. Joystiq has never looked so vivid. o_o

@squallgengar

Had that problem too, 3-Ditis.

@Raffi256

Problem? That's a *feature* my friend.

Heading to target right now to get it. Question is what game should I get?

@Wizardsofwaverly

Ghost Recon or OoT.

@Wizardsofwaverly

Zelda. There's not much else yet, really. The 3d does look really nice in it too. :)

@Wizardsofwaverly
RE: The Mercs.

@Typhonic I dunno, that game even when it was announced didn't feel like it was worth $40. Maybe $20, but definitely not $40 for a mode that was taken out of two other games and made into it's own separate entity.

@Wizardsofwaverly

Zelda. That's a must buy.

BlazBlue and Street Fighter are probably good secondary choices though.

@Wizardsofwaverly

Ghost Recon is awesome and underappreciated.

@Wizardsofwaverly

Ghost Recon is really really really good if you like SRPGs. Like A Sandwich said, that or Zelda.

@Wizardsofwaverly

I recently watched GiantBomb's coverage of Ghost Recon 3DS and I have to say I'm impressed! Seems like it will hold me over until the next Advance Wars.

@Wizardsofwaverly Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions is more fun than you would think. I can play Pac-Man: CE for HOURS!

@Wizardsofwaverly Same here, and the only game on sale there that interested me was Rayman. Any "yea"s for it?

That would suck if people miss it.

aww man, i was going to hop on the early price cut 3DS but i thought nintendo was going to have something preventing the $170 3ds from getting the free games that the $250 3ds customers were promised. I am a sad pedojokerbear.

@PedoJokerBear -Pats your back-

@PedoJokerBear

You have till midnight man. Go to Target or Walmart. Some still have systems in stock around here at least. The Target I got mine at though is sold out.

Very excited for Yoshi's Island and Metroid Fusion. Hope the rest of the GBA games are just as good.

@A Sandwich

I'm super stoked for those games too. Never played either one of them and I've only heard great things about Fusion.

@squallgengar

You're in a for a treat my friend. Metroid Fusion is pretty damn amazing.

@squallgengar
Fusion is brilliant. It takes a different route to the other Metroid games, its much more linear and story-driven and only really opens up towards the end. But its a really good ride and has one of the best stories of any Metroid game.

It's more like Castevania than Metroid. But both are amazing (in 2D) so you can't really complain.

@A Sandwich

I'm hoping for one or both of the Fire Emblem GBA games.

@A Sandwich I'm hoping for Pokemon !

@A Sandwich
Personally I'm hoping for Advance Wars 1 and/or 2, Metroid Zero Mission, the other three Super Mario Advance games (especially 4), Fire Emblem 2, Wario Land 4, and both Golden Suns. Any Nintendo-developed games I'm forgetting? (I left out The Minish Cap and Mario & Luigi on purpose.)

@NaeemTHM Except for the parts with SA-X *shivers* Those were nervewracking nightmares.

@A Sandwich

Thanks. Personally, this one's hoping Zelda: The Minish Cap is one of those ten free games. It's a really awesome game that unfortunately I could never finish, and it has some of the best music in Zelda history. I want to play it again...

@gatotsu911

I know that this is just me nitpicking, but Fire Emblem 2? Do you mean Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones? Its actually number 8, 2(Fire Emblem Gaiden) was for the NES.

Also, I know this is Nintendo that we're talking about here, I would love to just see all three GBA FEs show up, even 6 translated or not.

@Suichimo
Yeah, I meant Sacred Stones. I am not familiar enough with the Fire Emblem series to know the Japanese numbering of each entry, I just know the ones that have been released in the US. Also, I specified Sacred Stones because I've already played the first one and am not burning with desire to play it again.

I too would love to see some import titles show up on the 3DS VC (Mother, anyone?) but if it ever does happen, I seriously doubt they'll be part of the free-game promotion. Hence I did not mention them.

@A Sandwich
Absolute shame Nintendo isn't cashing in on their whole gba library. They've gotta be sitting on loads of sales on just that alone. I'm pretty sure many of the people who are excited about Metroid Fusion would have gladly paid for it too. I know I would.

@ A Sandwich
Went with Oot , anyway target has about 10 3DS games for $17 ghost recon , rayman 3D, asphalt 3D and some other third party ones.

People should note, because everyone who mentions the games we'll get are too stupid to understand this (including Joystiq):

Super Mario Advance 3 IS Yoshi's Island. This article has a comma after Yoshi's Island, which implies that they're separate games, when in fact the games full title is "Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3".

Stop misleading people.

@Maxx the Slasher

They used a comma instead of a colon! Those scoundrels! Where's my pitchfork and torch?!?

@Maxx the Slasher

In all seriousness, many, many people get that confused. Lots of people get confused by other Nintendo game titles thinking they're different games too (example: "Super Mario World" and "Super Mario Bros 4" are the same game). If you know the truth, awesome. But if someone makes a mistake, it's really not that big of a deal.

@Maxx the Slasher
I would have instantly upvoted you had you not been such a dick in saying what you did.

@Maxx the Slasher

I love Nintendo so much that I want to marry Nintendo and have a litter of little Gameboys and girls and live in house shaped like a GameCube with a little Pikmin garden out back and eat nothing but magic mushrooms and Metroid Prime Rib. But even I can agree that the naming scheme for the Mario Advance games is borderline r*tarded.

@A Sandwich
Have you no morals?! Don't you go visit the Temple of Time every Sunday?!

I went out last night and bought a 3ds for my gf. yea the games will be out eventually. and the 3ds will get another price cut a year later, but heck the games are free and it all works out in the end.

Can't afford one for awhile anyway. So meh.

I got mine full price maybe three days before Walmart dropped the price. -.-

@wthomas1121

If you still have the receipt, you should be able to take it back to Walmart and get credited the difference.

@wthomas1121 u should go back most places honor price drops within 30 days.

Thank you both! I didn't even think of that!

I'm super stoked for those games too. Never played either one of them and I've only heard great things about Fusion.

@squallgengar

Joystiq reply fail.

@squallgengar

According to a NOA Tweet, Fusion should be available tonight to celebrate Metroids 25th anniversary.

If you still have the receipt, you should be able to take it back to Walmart and get credited the difference.

@squallgengar

Oh, you have got to be kidding me...

@squallgengar
we still love you

inb4 someday come along and say he thought it will end at midnight according to the local time of some godforsaken island and he missed it.
and will complain how nintendo scammed him ....ect

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

PSA: 'Nintendo 3DS Ambassador' (free games) program ends at midnight Eastern

Reader Comments (100)

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:49AM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:32PM Raffi256 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 6:29PM Bighouse said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:51AM Wizardsofwaverly said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:55AM A Sandwich said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:55AM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:04PM Typhonic said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:35PM Ryguy226 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:54PM Shockwave said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:33PM Raffi256 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:34PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:50PM NaeemTHM said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 2:43PM LittleMofreaky said

Posted: Aug 12th 2011 9:27AM TJF588 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:53AM Themariohenri said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:54AM PedoJokerBear said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:57AM Themariohenri said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:55PM Shockwave said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:54AM A Sandwich said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:12PM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:36PM NaeemTHM said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:40PM Tihn said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:42PM Xiegfried said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:08PM Tommy758 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:32PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:44PM Jetleo1 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 2:22PM llllFlREBlRDllll said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 2:53PM Suichimo said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 5:02PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 5:28PM Tab said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:42PM Wizardsofwaverly said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 11:55AM Maxx the Slasher said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:56PM killerjuice said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:02PM killerjuice said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:35PM gatotsu911 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:37PM A Sandwich said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 4:46PM The Only Girl said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:01PM KiDPANDA said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:02PM Faceless Troll said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:03PM wthomas1121 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:11PM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:12PM Th3commoncold said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:08PM wthomas1121 said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:08PM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:09PM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:38PM teamnintendo said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:10PM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:11PM squallgengar said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 1:05PM Measlesopolis said

Posted: Aug 11th 2011 12:12PM alzeer said

Info

Description

MSRP

Release Date

Genre

Developer

Publisher

Rating

Breaking News

WB conjures up Harry Potter for Kinect this fall

Featured Stories

Weekly Webcomic Wrapup is a stranger in a strange land

Silver Lining: I Am Alive's unfeeling world

Game Of Thrones and the paradoxes of adaptation

Engadget

TUAW

Massively

WoW