Nintendo Badge Arcade: Tips for the Savvy Collector – Part 1

Pikmin

Theme: Launcher Icons

Count: 4

Badges: Blue Pikmin (Settings), Red Pikmin (3DS Camera), Blue Pikmin (eShop), Red Pikmin Head (StreetPass Mii Plaza)

What to Avoid

As tempting as it might be to go for the StreetPass Mii Plaza badge, thinking it will knock the others out of place, you’re better off trying to raise the Red Pikmin with the 3DS Camera icon and hoping the Blue Pikmin with the eShop icon doesn’t land sideways between the open slot.

Pikmin

Theme: Olimar’s Crash Landing

Count: 7

Badges: Red Pikmin x2, Blue Pikmin x2, Yellow Pikmin x2, Olimar

What to Try

Go for the trio of Yellow, Blue and Red Pikmin near the center, as disrupting those three will likely cause everything else to jostle, including Olimar. Depending on the position he’s in, it might be a good idea to focus on grabbing him by his antenna. Otherwise, trying to bring him upwards may cause the badge to jostle once the claw reaches the top.

What to Avoid

It’s awfully risky to shoot for Olimar first, since the right pincer won’t be able to register a secure hold. You're better off focusing on removing the Pikmin that are holding him up.

Pikmin

Theme: The Impact Site

Count: 4

Badges: Red Onion, Blue Pikmin Head, Red Pikmin Head, Yellow Pikmin Head

What to Try

Use the Red Onion to try jostling the Red and Blue Pikmin Heads underneath, which you will have more success at if rather than positioning the claw in the center, you have it so that the left pincer has a little bit of a gap in space while the right pincer will latch onto the edge.

What to Avoid

Trying to use the Yellow Pikmin Head to lift the Red Onion isn’t bound to be a successful strategy for your first move. If a pincer collides with it, the badge will tip over to the left from the weight of the leaf. Even trying to arrange it so that the left pincer prevents it from falling in the slot isn’t likely to work.

Pikmin

Theme: Encounter with a Bulborb

Count: 9

Badges: Fallen Red Pikmin x2, Red Pikmin, Fallen Yellow Pikmin x2, Yellow Pikmin, Fallen Blue Pikmin, Blue Pikmin, Bulborb

What to Try

You’ll need about three tries to get everything on this Catcher. Bring the Hammer Crane all the way to the left and have the crane’s base drop on top of the Bulborb’s left eye. Repeat this process until you force the Bulborb, along with the Pikmin badges in front of it, into the slot on the right.

What to Avoid

On your first move, be careful that the crane’s base doesn’t stop between the Bulborb’s right eye and the Fallen Yellow Pikmin, as it will bring the badge to an awkward position.

Pikmin

Theme: Retrieving the Blue Pellet

Count: 6

Badges: Yellow Pikmin 1, Yellow Pikmin 2, Blue No. 5 Pellet, Blue Pikmin, Red Pikmin, Blue No. 1 Pellet Posy

What to Try

Since this Catcher uses a Hammer Crane, your most valuable asset is the No. 5 Pellet, as it can act like a puck with good knock-back potential. You can either try aiming the crane between the No. 1 Pellet Posy and Blue Pikmin, or if you’re worried that you’ll just get the Blue Pikmin and nothing else, use the Pellet Posy as your “enforcer” for the first turn.

What to Avoid

Despite the setup, note that all of the badges are individual – nothing is attached. And although it’s on the highest layer of the collection, avoid going for the Blue Pikmin as the weight of it won’t be sufficient to knock other badges out of place.

Pikmin

Theme: Retrieving the Red Pellet

Count: 6

Badges: Red Pikmin 1, Blue Pikmin, No. 5 Red Pellet, Yellow Pikmin, No. 1 Red Pellet Posy, Red Pikmin 2

What to Try

Focus on extracting the Red Pellet first so as to try knocking the Pikmin around it into the side holes, and to prevent it from covering the middle slot.

What to Avoid

Like the preceding Catcher, note that the three badges huddled together are not all one piece. Grabbing the Pellet Post as your first move won’t afford you much in the way of collision advantages. And be aware that it’s possible for the Red Pellet to get stuck in the middle slot, so it’s best you don’t extract the Yellow Pikmin first as this will cause the Red Pellet to fall on an angle and cover the hole.

Pushmo

Theme: Launcher Icons 1

Count: 4

Badges: Corin (Mii icon), Boppo (eShop icon), Children (StreetPass Mii Plaza icon), Poppy (3DS Music icon)

What to Try

Position the claw in the middle of the eShop icon and the Mii icon so you can grab them both in one shot.

What to Avoid

Don’t go for the StreetPass Mii Plaza icon first, as it’ll just bounce down from the obstruction of the eShop icon and get stuck underneath.

Pushmo

Theme: Launcher Icons 2

Count: 4

Badges: Papa Blox (Settings icon), Pig (Activity Log icon), Green and Blue Bird (Download Play icon), Mallo (3DS Camera icon)

What to Try

If you want to pick up the Mallo badge on the far left, you’ll need to time the crane perfectly so that it aligns against the left edge of the screen without bouncing off the wall. It should lift the badge enough to cause a domino effect that will net you the Pig and Papa Blox badges, leaving only Mallo and the Birds.

Pushmo

Theme: The Robots of Stretchmo

Count: 6

Badges: Beppo/Red Robot, Bippo/Pink Robot, Boppo/Blue Robot, Buppo/Green Robot, Bappo/Grey Robot, Mallo

What to Try

Go for Bappo first (grey) to leave Mallo on his own and in a better position for the crane, then grab the rest either by using Mallo or going for Boppo (blue).

What to Avoid

Don’t go for Buppo (green) first, as the pincers won’t be able to get a good grip on it, resulting in only Beppo (pink) falling into the slot. By Mallo’s pose, the Catcher almost gives the impression that you can slide him down the bumpy slope to knock the rest out, but chances are you’ll only end up flipping Mallo upside down.

Pushmo

Theme: The Children of Stretchmo

Count: 7

Badges: Corin, Pig, Mallo, Blue Child, Yello Child, Pink Child, Red Child and Corin Train

What to Try

For your first move, position the claw as though you were aiming to wrap the pincers around Mallo at the bottom. Even though the children are in the way, following this process will cause three of them to fall, with the possibility of knocking the train over too. If the pig rests against Mallo on the next turn, don’t go for a centered wrap. Have the claw positioned more to the left so that trying to grab the Pig will also tip Mallo in. From there, all that should remain is Corin.

What to Avoid

If you’d rather go for the train on the far left, be very careful not to touch the green edge on the far right. Make sure you give yourself enough space for the pincers to open freely.

Pushmo

Theme: The Birds of Stretchmo

Count: 7

Badges: Green Bird 1, Green Bird 2 (Flying) x2, Papa Blox, Blue Bird, Poppy, Orange Bird

What to Try

The key is to position the left pincer right at the left edge of each block so the claw doesn’t interfere with their tumble. Also, if you keep scrolling left and right on the Catcher menu with an active play, it’s possible for the lonesome bird to fall in on its own.

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There are plenty of goodies with this batch — the Pikachu, Olimar, and Karate Joe badges are among the most attractive — several of which are not shown above (e.g., Mewtwo). Focus on acquiring the badges that you actually plan to use, rather than the nice-to-haves. And be careful not to get too caught up in completing sets, as there are still mountains of badges to come!

If you've already made it your daily ritual to return to Nintendo Badge Arcade to earn your Practice Badges, then I don't need to tell you that Nintendo has a mostly successful formula with this addictive free-to-start title. Guided by a similar philosophy of rabid collection as their physical merchandise (i.e., amiibo), Nintendo Badge Arcade has 3DS owners operating crane cabinets to stock up on digital badges for customizing slots and folders on the Home Menu. Pair these with 3DS Themes that have uncluttered bottom screens, and you can do some mixing and matching to create fun displays that showcase your favorite Nintendo IPs.

Unlike real-life crane games, the Badge Catchers (individual scenes or windows that house badges) seen in the arcade are more fair than they are unbeatable, and their designs often reveal a need for planning in how you go about using your turns. Sometimes domino effects can be created to topple multiple badges out of place, and in other cases, uprooting a specific badge in the wrong order may have awkward ramifications. Knowing what you're getting into ahead of time could save you some free plays — and potentially money, if you decide to go that route — hence why this collection of tips was prepared.

Here are some pointers on how to navigate some of the badges currently available this week in North America. Note that the Badge Catchers operate on individual cycles and will refresh every few days (sometimes lasting only one or two before disappearing), so aim for the badges you can't do without before you need to wait for who-knows-how-long to see them again.

Pokémon

Theme: Electric Pokémon

Count: 5

Badges: Zapdos, Pikachu, Raichu, Heliolisk, Helioptile

What to Try

It will take some precision on your part, but try to line up the claw so that the right pincer, in its descent, will latch onto the nose of the Heliolisk. In so doing, Pikachu will also get jostled as the claw moves to the left. If you adjust it right, the Heliolisk’s tail can knock Raichu to the right, which in turn will knock over the Helioptile into the open slot.

This is a Catcher where I’d recommend going for only what you actually want, because otherwise, you may be spending each turn focusing on netting a single badge, and it’s not even a guarantee.

What to Avoid

Beware: the Zapdos situated on the far left is a trap. It looks stable, but as soon as the claw touches it, it will fall, so don’t try to position the claw in the center of it, thinking the pincers will grab it by the sides. If you’re really hoping to grab this badge, you’ll need to undershoot a bit so that when it tips over, you can compensate a bit for the drop.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: Flipper-Flop from Rhythm Heaven Fever

Count: 4

Badges: Captain Tuck, Seal 1 (Neutral), Seal 2 (Mid-Roll), Seal 3 (Open Eyes)

What to Try

Situate the claw’s center at about the same position as the left flipper of the first seal from the right. In so doing, the right pincer will grab the seal on the right and the left one just might touch the seal in the center, saving you an extra turn.

What to Avoid

Don’t go for the one on the far left as your first move, as it’s liable to get stuck where Captain Tuck is after he gets knocked asunder. Furthermore, going for the center seal will just cause it to fall with a single touch, making the right seal your most reliable option.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: Flock Step from Rhythm Heaven Fever

Count: 10

Badges: Yellow Bird x2, Blue Bird x2, Green Bird x2, Orange Bird x2, Pink Bird x2

What to Try

Thanks to the fair physics with this Catcher, it’s possible to complete this set in two turns. For your first turn, stop the claw when it’s in the center of the green and blue birds on the top layer of the right batch. For your second turn, aim the claw in the center of the pink bird on the top layer of the left batch.

What to Avoid

Don’t do the left set first; do the right set. If you do it in this order, then all you’ll need from the left batch is the pink one in the middle for the set to be considered complete. Once the claw is lowered and all the birds drop, it’s possible for the feet of one to prop up against the small barrier in the center. So if you follow the suggested method, you won’t use extra turns needlessly.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: The Clappy Trio from Rhythm Heaven Fever

Count: 3

Badges: Clapping Lion 1, Clapping Lion 2, Clapping Lion 3

What to Try

There’s really only one way to do this: position the claw so that the left pincer presses down on the right edge of the block closest to the right. Once this block falls in, this will create the space for you to replicate the process on the second block.

What to Avoid

When doing the left block with the two characters, be careful that the crane is positioned further to the right (in other words, have the left pincer fall as close to the edge as you can). Otherwise, the crane may inadvertently stop the block prematurely as it rolls to the right.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: Blue Birds from Rhythm Heaven

Count: 7

Badges: Bird 1 (Neutral) x2, Bird 2 (Pecking) x2, Bird 3 (Outstretched Neck) x2, Captain

What to Try

Start with the birds closest to the right – in particular, focus on the pecking bird on the top layer – and work your way to the left.

What to Avoid

The beaks of the birds with outstretched necks can cause problems: the claw can’t pick them up by these means, and they can prematurely halt the claw’s descent. In either case, they can get in the way of being able to retrieve the Captain. For that reason, you might be better off retrieving the Captain only after there’s enough of a clearing on the path.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: Karate Man from Rhythm Heaven

Count: 7

Badges: Rock, Pot, Soccer Ball, Bomb, Barrel, Light Bulb, Karate Joe

What to Try

If you’re big on the Rhythm Heaven badges, Karate Joe will be tough to resist – and judging from the conniving setup of this Catcher, Nintendo was well aware of this. You basically need to grab all the other items before even touching Joe (lest you make matters worse for yourself in the long run). Clear a path by individually removing items, and when you do have access to Karate Joe, hook the right pincer under his outstretched arm. The idea is not to grab him out of place using both pincers, but instead to lift him by the arm.

What to Avoid

Using the claw’s left pincer to simply bump Karate Joe out of his position is not a foolproof strategy, so don’t waste previous turns trying to make it work. It’s easy to make more headache for yourself than necessary on here, and the quickest way to do that is by trying to force-carry multiple loads when only one badge can be managed. For example, avoid grabbing both the soccer ball and the barrel in one go, as you’ll be asking for disappointment.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: Glee Club from Rhythm Heaven

Count: 4

Badges: Conductor, Chorus Kid 1 (Singing), Chorus Kid 2 (Neutral), Chorus Kid 3 (Screaming)

What to Try

You’ll need three turns to get all four badges. For the first, stop the claw at the middle-point between the two Chorus Kids near the center so the weight of the claw will cause them to slip out. To gather the badges closest to the edges, aim the claw so that the right pincer will latch onto the raised side of the left seesaw. The idea is to lift the seesaw at such an angle that the badge at the other end will pop out due to gravity. Once that’s done, do the opposite for the right seesaw (i.e., left pincer against the raised left side).

What to Avoid

It’s very important that you’re not off with positioning the claw in the center for your first move. If you are, only one of the two will fall as the seesaw tilts. Make sure you time it right. Also, going for one of the two badges closest to the screen edges for your first move isn’t a good plan.

Rhythm Heaven

Theme: Assorted Rhythm Heaven Characters

Count: 6

Badges: Hairy Onion, Hairy Beet, Hairy Potato, UFO, Barista 1, Barista 2

What to Try

It’s possible to clear this Catcher in two moves. Don’t allow the claw to go beyond the UFO for your first move. Stop it so that the right pincer will jab into the top of the red beet, which should create a domino effect that will leave only the two badges of the Barista in the left corner. Subsequently, try grabbing the top badge of the Barista with both pincers, and if you manage it right, the slight push against this badge will be enough to push the other one to roll down the slide.