Nintendo Badge Arcade

 3DS
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 27
  3. Negative: 16 out of 27

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  1. Action_Critic
    Feb 1, 2016
    1
    Nintendo Badge Arcade is an attempt by Nintendo to grab whatever is left of your wallet. This "game" is really bad. I put "game" in quotation marks because it isn't really a game; it is a 1-to-1 crane machine simulator. The odds of winning are slim and you pay almost the same amount of money for 5 plays as a real crane machine (How realistic). Even though the badges are great, they don'tNintendo Badge Arcade is an attempt by Nintendo to grab whatever is left of your wallet. This "game" is really bad. I put "game" in quotation marks because it isn't really a game; it is a 1-to-1 crane machine simulator. The odds of winning are slim and you pay almost the same amount of money for 5 plays as a real crane machine (How realistic). Even though the badges are great, they don't come even close to saving this sorry excuse of a "game". Also, the bunny is very annoying.

    Final Score: 1 out of 10 (Absolute Trash!)

    Positives:
    + Nice Badges

    Negatives:
    - Cash Grab
    - Luck-Based
    - The Bunny is Annoying!!!    … Expand
  2. Wiljami
    Nov 16, 2015
    1
    What a horrible attempt at a cash-grab this game is. The amount of plays you can get daily is a bit on the low side and if you want to play more, it's 1€ (or equivalent) for 5 plays. And good luck making those five chances to count as most stages are made so that you will fail (just like carnival games - So realistic!). And the "mascot" of the game tries it's best to make you (or your kid)What a horrible attempt at a cash-grab this game is. The amount of plays you can get daily is a bit on the low side and if you want to play more, it's 1€ (or equivalent) for 5 plays. And good luck making those five chances to count as most stages are made so that you will fail (just like carnival games - So realistic!). And the "mascot" of the game tries it's best to make you (or your kid) pay for those plays so hard it's not even funny. The only redeeming factor for this "game" is that some of the badges look pretty cool and that the daily plays can be enough to get those ones.… Expand
  3. OwtDaft
    May 10, 2018
    2
    + It is actually fun to play.
    - The game takes forever to start up.
    - 90p doesn't sound like much, but it gets you 5 tokens that last less than a minute.
    - The game is a complete rip off.
    - The badges are low quality looking on the home screen.
  4. EpicLadySponge
    Jun 7, 2016
    4
    I want to play this game to get a lot of badges, but thanks to the pink bunny telling me I have to pay real-life money such as $1 to add another 5 plays, I've decided to stay my own back from this game. Nintendo, you're not Microsoft, get your backs straight. You can do better than that.
  5. pikachuyann
    Dec 11, 2015
    1
    It's a crane game simulation. You might win elements for decorating your 3DS home screen playing this, but on the other side, it's asking you to pay similar prices to the real crane games : 1€/1$ for 5 plays, which is launching the crane 5 times.

    Sure it has some training spot, but at best you will have one play everyday. At best. It is a real cash-grab.
  6. Digibutter64
    Oct 12, 2020
    5
    Nintendo Badge Arcade is an addictive game, and it's nice to unlock little badges for your 3DS Home Menu. However, microtransactions impede the experience.
  7. Terrastrike
    Jan 6, 2016
    1
    This "game" is complete **** It tries to grab money out of your wallet to be spent on a mediocre crane game. Nintendo really messed everything up with Nintendo Badge Arcade. At least you can get some free badges at the beginning...
  8. PaperboyDan
    Jan 17, 2016
    8
    Badge arcade is a free-to-play crane game in which you try to grab prices (badges you can place on your 3ds home menu). Everyday you get 5 practice plays with which you can also win free plays for the real thing. I haven't spent a single buck on this game and played it nearly everyday for more than a month now. I don't even care for the badges all too much but operating these cranes justBadge arcade is a free-to-play crane game in which you try to grab prices (badges you can place on your 3ds home menu). Everyday you get 5 practice plays with which you can also win free plays for the real thing. I haven't spent a single buck on this game and played it nearly everyday for more than a month now. I don't even care for the badges all too much but operating these cranes just gives me small thrills every time. I'll win one or two free plays on most days, but have won up to four on some days. This game is only good for about 5 minutes of fun everyday (when you don't buy extra credits), but I think it's precisely the limited nature of this game that keeps me coming back. The game takes about a minute to load on an 'old' 3ds, but even this I don't really mind because the music it plays while loading is just so amazingly cheerful and uplifting. I never would have guessed I would like this game so much but I do. It's just very well made. I doesn't feel like money grabbing to me, like some other reviewers suggest. I think it's very fair actually. You can try it for free and even enjoy it for free if you want. If you do decide to pay for it, you know what you are getting into and get exactly what you pay for. I'd recommend giving this one a try at least.… Expand
  9. VivaChiba
    Feb 4, 2016
    2
    The game's a con. The bunny is just after your kids' money - money that you put into their account to buy REAL games with!

    We also have a 2DS and none of the badges stick to the desktop! We've tried everything, but they just ping back into the little collection/display box as soon as the stylus is lifted from the image. Yes, granted, if it were a free "game" it may give the kids    The game's a con. The bunny is just after your kids' money - money that you put into their account to buy REAL games with!

    We also have a 2DS and none of the badges stick to the desktop! We've tried everything, but they just ping back into the little collection/display box as soon as the stylus is lifted from the image.

    Yes, granted, if it were a free "game" it may give the kids something extra to do, but they're coaxed by a cute little pink rabbit into wasting money on - wait for it - PICTURES.

    I honestly could not recommend this title to anyone. The abhorrent loading times when switching the "game" on should be a red flag for the what's to come.    … Expand
  10. DeltaPeng
    Mar 15, 2016
    4
    This app is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the idea really is pure gold, Nintendo fans tend to be creative, and giving options to customize / personalize their 3DS is brilliant. The badges are great, collectible, the mascot bunny can say some pretty witty fun things, though most of it is advertising and he can be pushy about paying to play (it really isn't necessary to ask the user ifThis app is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the idea really is pure gold, Nintendo fans tend to be creative, and giving options to customize / personalize their 3DS is brilliant. The badges are great, collectible, the mascot bunny can say some pretty witty fun things, though most of it is advertising and he can be pushy about paying to play (it really isn't necessary to ask the user if they want to pay to play EVERY time they play). Badges are updated on a daily basis and they do a good job at making you want to collect them all. The potential for free badges and seeing new ones is a daily highlight for me (can practice 5 catches once per day to try to earn freebies, resets each morning after 3am).

    Major downsides though is that it requires real cash to play. Yes, you get a fair number of free plays by using the practice catcher and listening to the occasional advertisement. And I realize it takes some effort to actually update the badge machine. But the way they implement this and the pricing scheme feels like a cash-grab and that Nintendo is trying to nickel and dime you, which does not leave a good feeling in the gut, which is never good (particularly for the paying customers).

    I'm all for the concept, which again is fantastic, but as you get acquainted with the system, you'll note that oftentimes the good looking badges are buried under the 'ugly' or less desirable / more generic ones. Other times, the badges are positioned in such a way where you think you can get them (in a single play or otherwise), but in actuality it doesn't play out as you expect i.e. other badges fall and get in the way. While a bit of challenge is normally fun in a game, make it too difficult or bury a badge requiring multiple plays to reach in a pay-to-play game, and you'll just tick off your customers. That's the unfortunate feeling I get. If I had kids, I would be very wary of letting them pay play this game, as doing poorly can net nothing (which would only decrease the feeling of actual value obtained from obtaining optional digital content).

    That all said, this game can be particularly bad for those with gambling problems or completionists. I've already put a fair amount of money into the game, but the overall feeling I get was that it was not worth it (bad). I'm glad there are free plays and that one has an opportunity to partake in the 3DS customization even without paying, and the general concept is great and one I look regularly look forward to, I can't justify putting more money into it when the value is just not there for the money spent (some for the concept and continuation of it, but past a certain point the diminishing returns are too great). Regardless of the actual work put into this app to maintain it, and particularly because this is a free to play game, the paying customers should be satisfied with their purchase(s). The current setup does not do this, and has lately been giving me frustration (when paying) over value / enjoyment.

    RECOMMENDED CHANGES:
    This could be easily improved by giving more free plays per $1 spent, better themes (would be nice if they had music), but mainly: improving the design of the badge catchers not to so often 'trick' players into thinking they can get a good badge when they can't (badge placement and odd shapes) and not hiding nice looking badges behind several plays, and making it so that each official play (or, just paid plays) ONLY GET SPENT if you actually catch a badge that turn. That would guarantee some value is obtained per each play and each dollar spent (unless you catch a copy of a badge you had), and it adds to the strategy cause then a player may try to just 'move but not catch' badges on said plays in order to get the badges they want most. [This should be no problem at all to implement since all the content/prizes are completely digital, there's absolutely no harm in guaranteeing a user to catch at least 1 measly badge per play. It hurts Nintendo in no way at all, and instead makes paying customers more likely to feel good about the purchase, and it would make parents more apt to let their kids try paid play from time to time and again, feel like they're not just burning their money.] As is, paid plays can easily get foiled due to odd badge shapes and badge placement, and just puts Nintendo in a bad light (for designing said catchers to cash grab and nickel and dime those actually supporting them).

    4/10, the idea is great and the customization option provided by this app is awesome, implementation is bad and very cash grabby, enough to overall make the score below worthwhile (for those who pay). If you have self control and only do freebies, completely worth getting the app.    … Expand
  11. CL86
    Aug 18, 2019
    1
    Nintendo should be ashamed. This is the most embarrassingly predatory “game” I have ever played on a nintendo platform, and for it to be made by Nintendo themselves? Awful. Most people above elementary school age will find the rabbit salesman terribly obnoxious as well. The only redeeming quality is the badges that can decorate your home menu icons, but those are behind the literalNintendo should be ashamed. This is the most embarrassingly predatory “game” I have ever played on a nintendo platform, and for it to be made by Nintendo themselves? Awful. Most people above elementary school age will find the rabbit salesman terribly obnoxious as well. The only redeeming quality is the badges that can decorate your home menu icons, but those are behind the literal paywall. The worst thing is that its marketed towards children - if you have a child who has credit card info on their 3DS, keep them away from this cash grab at all costs.… Expand
  12. ente2ente
    Dec 20, 2021
    1
    This is just a way to sneak out money of the pocket of gamers. The same fraud as in the arcades, but even more worthless prices to win.
  13. tkirb
    Jul 26, 2021
    0
    This game sucks. Its crane games aren’t fun, the bunny is abysmally annoying, the music sucks, and the fact that you have to pay $1.00 for 5 plays is not good.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
56

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. CD-Action
    Mar 4, 2016
    90
    Remember to remove your credit card information before launching Nintendo Badge Arcade, because the game might be free, but it will convince you to cough up money. [02/2016, p.67]
  2. NintendoWorldReport
    Dec 29, 2015
    60
    I'd be lying if I said Nintendo Badge Arcade wasn't addictive; it was clearly designed that way. That said, this is the most disgustingly blatant, money grabbing game Nintendo has ever released.
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  3. Cubed3
    Dec 13, 2015
    20
    Nintendo Badge Arcade is the bare minimum of what could be sold as a game. It is a watered down digital crane game at the price of a full-sized one with physical prizes.
    Read full review
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