Nintendo Badge Arcade Free Plays Missing on 3DS—Possible Error Reported

Nintendo Badge Arcade Free Plays Disappear on 3DS — Possible Error Identified Nintendo Badge Arcade, the beloved free-to-play app on the Nintendo 3DS, has been a staple for fans eager to decorate their system’s HOME Menu with digital badges.

Since launching on the portable platform in 2015, Nintendo Badge Arcade attracted players with its daily allotments of free plays and charming arcade experience—cementing itself as a fixture among the Nintendo 3DS ecosystem. However, as of March 23, 2023, Nintendo 3DS users across various regions began to notice that their daily free plays had abruptly stopped.

Reports flooded the Nintendo 3DS subreddit and social media, with users detailing their experiences of launching the app only to discover there were no free plays available for the first time.

Players in both Europe and other territories quickly joined the discussion, signaling that the issue was not isolated to a single region. Despite this disruption, it remains possible to purchase additional plays through the app’s paid service.

However, another notable change accompanied the vanishing free plays: the removal of all 'FINAL DAY' indicators from the machines within the game, adding further confusion for fans who believed the Nintendo Badge Arcade was entering its final chapter ahead of the Nintendo 3DS eShop closure on March 27, 2023. Upon further examination, Pretendo Network—a project dedicated to preserving online functionality for the Wii U and 3DS through open-source solutions—investigated the Badge Arcade’s configuration files.

According to their findings, the download data in the app lists March 23, 2023, as the last valid date for free plays.

The configuration files, generated earlier than usual on March 16, contained a date error that led to the current lack of free plays.

As Pretendo Network described in their analysis, this situation appears to be a simple administrative mistake rather than a deliberate phase-out of free features. At this stage, it is unclear whether Nintendo will correct the error before the 3DS eShop closure on March 27.

While players can still enjoy the Badge Arcade by purchasing plays, long-time fans hope for a resolution in these final days of the eShop’s lifecycle. Nintendo Badge Arcade, developed and published by Nintendo exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, holds a unique place in the platform’s history for its engaging mechanics and creative badge content.

As the community navigates the app’s uncertain future, the hope remains that free plays will return, even briefly, before the curtain falls on this iconic 3DS title.

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