Nintendo Points

Nintendo Points
User(s)	Wii Shop Channel Nintendo DSi Shop
Plural	Nintendo Points
Banknotes
Freq. used	1000 Nintendo Points 2000 Nintendo Points 3000 Nintendo Points (Not in Australia or New Zealand) 4000 Nintendo Points (Japan only) 5000 Nintendo Points (North America and Japan only) 7500 Nintendo Points (Comes with a Classic Controller)
Central bank	Nintendo

Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively. Consumers can purchase points by an online credit card transaction or by purchasing a Nintendo Points Card at retail stores.

Nintendo Points were originally named Wii Points, though with the introduction of the Nintendo DSi and its own download service, they were renamed and new Nintendo Points Cards with new values distributed.^[1] Once purchased, Nintendo Points must be converted into either Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points before they can be used, locking the points for use on one platform only.^[2] However, some countries still have Wii Points Cards that can also be used as Nintendo Points cards.

The Nintendo Points currency system is not supported on the Nintendo 3DS, and will eventually become fully obsolete on the Wii and Nintendo DSi as well when Nintendo's real currency-based system becomes standard. In Japan, the Wii and Nintendo DSi shops already converted to the new currency system that is used by the Nintendo 3DS.^[3]

Redeeming points

Nintendo Points are redeemed through the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop. With Nintendo Points Cards, there is a concealed panel on the back of the card which, when scratched, reveals a code. The code is then entered on to the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop and the requisite number of Nintendo Points are added to the user's account. Points can also be purchased directly through the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop using a credit card.^[4] These points may then be redeemed on downloadable games and other content in the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, but are not interchangeable between the two systems.^[5] In other words, when one redeems their points on one of the two consoles, they are locked to that same console and cannot be transferred to or used on the other. Also, there are some Wiiware-only games that have add-on content that the player can buy with their Wii Points (for example, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King).

On December 8, 2006, Nintendo Europe announced that Star Points, which people collect when they buy first-party Nintendo DS and Wii games in Europe, would be able to be used to buy Nintendo Points.^[6] On December 7, 2007, the Nintendo Points Card Shop was launched which allows users to purchase virtual Nintendo Points cards with values of 100, 300, 500, 1000, or 2000 Nintendo Points;^[7] the shop has faced criticism for going "out of stock" of the virtual product.

Pricing and conditions

At retail, Nintendo Points Cards are generally sold in the form of codes on scratch-cards providing 1000, 2000, or 3000 Nintendo Points (in Japan, there is no card which provides 2000 Nintendo Points, though there is one which provides 5000 Nintendo Points). These codes are specific to systems in that region and may not be used elsewhere. Pricing for the points varies by retailer: they may charge a premium above the normal pricing (below) or may clear old stock at a discount. When purchased in either the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo DSi Shop, Nintendo Points have fixed prices that will not vary except by region.

When bought via either the Wii Shop Channel or the Nintendo DSi Shop, 1000 Nintendo Points cost US$10 in the United States, €10 in Europe, £7 for Wii points (£9 for DSi points) in the United Kingdom, and ¥1000 in Japan. When bought retail, the original Nintendo Points Cards, which had values of 2000 Nintendo Points, cost US$19.99 in the United States, €24.99 in Europe, £19.99 in the United Kingdom and A$34.99 in Australia.

Purchasable content

Nintendo Points are used to purchase a variety of software on the Wii Shop Channel which is divided into two sections: Virtual Console for older games, and WiiWare for new games designed specifically for Wii. They can also be used to purchase games and applications from the Nintendo DSiWare section of the Nintendo DSi Shop.

Virtual Console

Main article: Virtual Console

The Virtual Console lineup consists of titles originally released on past consoles. These titles are run in their original forms through software emulation.

Prices

The starting prices of the Virtual Console games depend on the system for which the game was originally developed. Some titles, usually import titles, cost slightly more than these base prices.^[8] All prices below are in Wii Points (100 Points = $1). Wiiware games vary from 500 (Family Ping Pong) to 1000 (Dr. Mario Online RX) to 1500 (Pokemon Rumble).

Original Format	Default Price	Premium Price	Other Prices
NES/Famicom	500	600	400 (South Korea)
SNES/Super Famicom	800	900	600 (South Korea)
Nintendo 64	1000	1200	800 (South Korea)
Sega Genesis/Mega Drive	800	900	600 (Japan)
TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine	600	700	800 (Europe/North America)
TurboGrafx-CD/Super CD-ROM² System	800	900
Neo-Geo	900
Sega Master System/Sega Game Gear	500	600
MSX (Japan only)	700
Commodore 64 (North America and PAL regions only)	500
Virtual Console Arcade	500	1000	800 (Japan)

Note: Most premium games are imports from other regions.

Wii Channels

Main article: Wii Menu

All Wii Channels currently available in the Wii Shop Channel are free of charge. The final version of the Internet Channel, a modified Opera web browser, became available on April 11, 2007 and was free until June 30, 2007. After that period, the browser had a price of 500 Wii Points.^[9] On September 1, 2009, the Internet Channel was updated to include improved Adobe Flash support and was once again made free.^[10] Those who had purchased the Internet Channel for 500 Wii Points would be given a free NES Virtual Console purchase (not a refund) between October 1 and December 31, 2009.

Nintendo DSiWare

Main article: DSiWare

Nintendo DSiWare is currently the only section of the Nintendo DSi Shop and is where downloadable games and applications can be found for purchase using Nintendo DSi Points. Unlike in the Wii Shop Channel, Nintendo DSiWare has fixed price points: DSiWare Free, DSiWare 200, DSiWare 500, and DSiWare 800+.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play

A number of Wii and WiiWare games feature additional downloadable content which are purchased using Wii Points. Some of these games include Mega Man 9 and LONPOS on WiiWare, as well as Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero 5 on Wii. Though these games use an in-game interface to purchase content, the user must have previously bought the necessary Nintendo Points through the Wii Shop Channel.

See also

• Wii Shop Channel
• Xbox Live Marketplace (Microsoft Points)
• PlayStation Store (PlayStation Network Card)

References

1. ^ "DSi digital content shop announced". MCVUK. 2008-10-02. http://www.mcvuk.com/news/31919/DSi-digital-content-shop-announced. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
2. ^ "Nintendo Points Are Either Wii Points Or DSi Points, Not Both". Siliconera. 2008-10-03. http://www.siliconera.com/2008/10/03/nintendo-points-are-either-wii-points-or-ds-points-not-both/. Retrieved 2008-10-09. 
3. ^ "Mario and Link Make eShop Cards Look Good". NintendoLife. 2011-05-31. http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2011/05/mario_and_link_make_eshop_cards_look_good. Retrieved 2011-01-01. 
4. ^ Nintendo. "Virtual Console at Nintendo :: Wii. Step 4.". http://www.nintendo.com/wii/virtualconsole. 
5. ^ Melanson, Donald (2008-10-08). "Nintendo Points won't make the leap between Wii and DSi". Engadget. http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/08/nintendo-points-wont-make-the-leap-between-wii-and-dsi/. Retrieved 2009-02-03. 
6. ^ "Europe buy Wii points with stars". Kotaku. 2006-12-08. http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/wii/europe-buy-wii-points-with-stars-220243.php. Retrieved 2006-12-08. 
7. ^ "Europeans Can Now Trade Star Points For Wii Points". Kotaku. 2007-12-07. http://kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo-wii/europeans-can-now-trade-star-points-for-wii-points-331154.php. Retrieved 2007-12-07. 
8. ^ "Live at Nintendo's NYC Wii press conference". Engadget. 2006-09-14. http://www.engadget.com/2006/09/14/live-at-nintendos-nyc-wii-press-conference/. Retrieved 2006-11-20. 
9. ^ "In-Depth Regional Wii Coverage". wii.nintendo.com. Nintendo. http://wii.nintendo.com/internet_channel.jsp. Retrieved 2007-12-26. 
10. ^ http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/nintendo-now-offering-wii-internet-channel-for-free