Given how eventful 2020 ended up being for the world, you may or may not remember thatNintendoreleased a couple of limited-time games that year that have since disappeared and were never made available again. These limited-time deals included theSuper Mario 3D All-StarsBundleandFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Lightand expired in 2021.
Both of these releases were intended to promote the games' anniversaries, but, since this was also the only way to play them on modern consoles, players didn’t particularly respond well to Nintendo’s decision to remove them. Although Nintendo isn’t the first company to use FOMO, or fear of missing out, as a sales tactic, it’s a bad way to build a positive relationship with players.
Super Mario & Fire Emblem Releases Were A Major Misstep From Nintendo
Of course,I’m not saying that companies shouldn’t be allowed to offer limited-time products.Collector’s Editions of gamesare often just that: limited quantities of items that are released around the launch of a game. However, the difference is that while players might miss out on additional in-game items or something they can display in their room, the game itself remains up for purchase for anyone who couldn’t get their hands on the collector’s edition.
In the case ofSuper Mario 3D All-StarsandFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light,these games cannot be played on the Nintendo Switch if you did not purchase them during this limited-time sale. Since not everyone had a Nintendo Switch at the time, and 2020 was a particularly challenging year for everyone, prohibiting anyone who didn’t purchase the games then from being able to play them doesn’t feel right and is a deterrent for new Nintendo fans.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Lightwas not just a Switch edition release like theSuper Mario 3D All-Starsbundle that made it easier to play;it was the first and only time this game was ever officially localized for Western audiences. So, not only is it just inconvenient to play it otherwise, like the3D Mariogames, the only version you may even find access to is one without the QOL updates and localization.
While the same can’t be said forFire Emblem,Super Mario 3D All-Starsdid at least have a physical cartridge release as well, so it is still possible tofind the3D All-Starsbundle second-hand, but as you’re able to imagine, it won’t be cheap.
That being said, the loss of access to theSuper Mario 3D All-Starsbundle, which included HD remasters ofSuper Mario 64,Super Mario Sunshine, andSuper Mario Galaxyoptimized for the Nintendo Switch, is still a disappointment. Aside from the originalSuper Mario 64on NSO’s retro consoles, which is not the HD version, these games are not available on the Nintendo Switch at all. Which is even more absurd when you find out they still receivedNintendo Switch 2 updates.
Nintendo Seems To Have Learned From This Mistake
Hopefully, Limited-Time Releases Are A Thing Of The Past
Although I can see the obvious financial motivation forNintendo’s limited-time games, the full extent of this decision still doesn’t make sense. As mentioned, selling limited quantities of a game aspect is a relatively normal business practice, soI can imagine it would’ve been acceptable to most players if the time-limited release had been exclusive to just the physical editions, but not the digital versions.
This is not the first time Nintendo has done this, either, asThe Legend of Zelda: Four Swordsalso had an anniversary remaster released on the Nintendo DS for a limited time, but that one was a free download.
Removing the digital versions from the eShop has no doubt caused Nintendo to miss out on hundreds, if not thousands, of potential sales of these games. Even I, who didn’t own a Switch in 2020, would happily purchase it now if I had the option, and I’m certain that I’m not alone.
Additionally, it appears that video games are the only media format that suffers from this issue. A film studio or an author likely wouldn’t go through all the effort to create something, only to tell people that if they don’t watch the movie or read the book within a limited time, then they’ll never be able to.Nintendo went to the effort of making these ports, but is refusing to let players enjoy them.
That being said, it thankfully seems as thoughNintendohas learned from the backlash of this and hasn’t done it since. So, hopefully, these limited-time releases are finally behind us.
Nintendo
Nintendo is one of the world’s most successful and popular video game companies. It was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, who started the company by making Japanese playing cards. When Nintendo broke into the video game industry, it exploded in popularity. Nintendo has released several consoles over the years, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Wii, and the Nintendo Switch. The company has also created several iconic franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon.
