With absolutely no fanfare and little warning, Nintendo has released the final batch of free downloadable titles promised back in July to early 3DS buyers in the U.S.
Customers who logged into the portable's online eShop prior to August 12th and automatically signed up for the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program can now re-download (that's cyber slang for "free") the following 10 Game Boy Advance titles: "F-Zero: Maximum Velocity," "Kirby & The Amazing Mirror," "The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap," "Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones," "Wario Land 4," "Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3," "Mario Kart: Super Circuit," "Metroid Fusion," "WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$" and "Mario vs. Donkey Kong."
Each title requires anywhere from 45 to 172 blocks of space from the system's included SD card. Downloading all 10 titles takes a matter of minutes, similar to the original 10 free NES titles offered in September.
Unfortunately, Nintendo ignored our suggestions for streamlining the process, so players must still log into the eShop, click into the leftmost "Settings/Other" tab, hit the "Your Downloads" button and find the games listed in their download history. Again, not difficult or time-consuming, but needlessly convoluted.
The Ambassador Program was announced at the same time Nintendo broke the news it would cut the price of the 3DS from $249 to $169 on August 12. The portable launched in North America on March 27.
Since the price cut, the 3DS has experienced a surge of hardware and software sales abroad, leading Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime to proclaim that the glasses-free 3D handheld will beat the Nintendo DS' first-year sales figures.
