Nintendo Badge Arcade: Tips for the Savvy Collector – Part 2

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Theme: Majora’s Mask Essentials

Count: 5

Badges: Deku Mask, Goron Mask, Zora Mask, Majora’s Mask, The Moon

What to Try

It’s possible to grab all four masks in one move, but the key to doing so is leaving The Moon untouched. Stop the claw shy of touching The Moon, and as it lowers, it will get pushed slightly to the right, latching onto the thin point of the Majora’s Mask. The lift won’t carry it all the way to the other end, but it will be enough to give it a bit of momentum when it falls, thus pushing the other four to the right and leaving just The Moon (which in itself may take two, possibly three plays to get.

What to Avoid

If you want The Moon, use the pincers to drag against the surface, rather than wrapping around it – which, even with a centered claw, won’t yield results.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Theme: Musical Instruments

Count: 4

Badges: Guitar of Waves, Pipes of Awakening, Drums of Sleep, Ocarina of Time

What to Try

This is a very stubborn Catcher, particularly if you’re aiming for the Ocarina. Think ahead and consider if spending five plays for the chance (i.e., not a certainty) to get the Ocarina is worth it. If it is, then proceed. If not, you may want to direct your efforts elsewhere.

Note, first of all, that the Drums of Sleep badge is hard to get a handle on, hence why it’s directly on top of the Ocarina. Rather than going for a centered wrap, have the claw’s left pincer slightly over to the left of the Drums of Sleep badge so that the right pincer will fit snugly between the Drums and the Pipes badges, which should allow you to retrieve the item in question. Unfortunately, the Pipes of Awakening badge is similarly tricky to extract, and you’re better off setting the claw in an uneven position (i.e., where one side has extra breathing space) or scraping the surface, to account for the lack of sharp edges.

What to Avoid

Don’t go for the Guitar of Waves first, as the positioning is too awkward for a secure claw hold. And grabbing the Ocarina by the mouthpiece won’t work – you need to clear a path to it so that you can grab it from the sides.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Theme: Equipment

Count: 4

Badges: Hero’s Bow, Hero’s Shield, Kokiri Sword, Mirror Shield

What to Try

Work from left to right, beginning with the Mirror Shield. If the claw’s grip on the item loosens, the fall can knock the Hero’s Bow badge into the slot.

What to Avoid

Don’t try getting the sword and shield in one swoop, as the weight will be too much for the claw to lift securely.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Theme: Masks 1

Count: 6

Badges: Mask of Scents, Romani’s Mask (Cow), Bremen Mask (Eagle) Keaton Mask (Yellow), Bunny Hood, Don Gero’s Mask

What to Try

For your first turn, aim for the Bunny Hood and the Bremen Mask at the same time – the latter has a notch that’s ideal for the right pincer. In doing so, you’ll jostle adjacent masks and bring them down to the lower level, which is slippery enough that a minor brush with another mask will send anything stagnant down the slope.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Theme: Masks 2

Count: 7

Badges: Kamaro’s Mask, Blast Mask, Kafei’s Mask (Purple), Postman’s Hat (Red), Couple’s Mask (Beige), Troupe Leader’s Mask, Stone Mask

What to Try

The strategy employed in the preceding Catcher will work just as well here. Your targets for the claw’s first drop are the Postman’s Hat and Blast Mask badges. Stop the claw at the gap between the two to knock the bomb over to the right and the Stone Mask down. From then on, use the triangular ice blocks as center points for subsequent turns, ensuring that the pincers can pass through the openings on either side.

What to Avoid

Do not poke the Troupe Leader’s Mask badge with a pincer, as it will block the hole. To prevent this from happening, you may want to try fitting the claw’s right pincer between the aforementioned mask and the Postman’s Hat.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask 3D

Theme: Masks 3

Count: 7

Badges: Mask of Truth, Giant’s Mask, Garo’s Mask (Orange), Gibdo Mask (Mummified), Fierce Deity’s Mask, All-Night Mask

What to Try

If you position the claw in the center of the Gibdo Mask, the descent will tip Garo’s Mask to the right and the All-Night Mask to the left. Subsequently, grabbing both Garo’s Mask and the Giant’s Mask will prompt all four on the right side to fall below. From here, you may want to consider resetting if the current state of the Catcher’s left half puts you in an unsteady position (see below).

What to Avoid

It’s possible for the Fierce Deity’s Mask and Gibdo Mask badges to block the left-most slot, so you may want to focus on taking the Gibdo Mask out of play first and foremost, perhaps by positioning the claw with the right pincer near the All-Night Mask’s right edge. So long as the claw isn’t prematurely halted, a slight touch should knock the Gibdo Mask into the slot while you also get to carry the All-Night Mask to the right.

Last week’s extended period of Pokémon badges meant a loop of unchanging, stock greetings from Nintendo Badge Arcade’s otherwise jovial host. But now we’ve returned to a groove where his personality (and thus, the game’s personality) is re-emerging.

This week, we move further away from the 8-bit palooza that was the first two weeks of Badge Arcade’s release window, with current 3DS and Wii U titles taking center stage. The most surprising discovery? That food items from Tomodachi Life are oddly alluring. Who knew! While we await badges from Kirby: Triple Deluxe and the hero's retro adventures, these badges can serve as creative additions to your developing Kirby scenes. But who says your Home Menu needs to be all cheery? With several Badge Catchers based on Majora’s Mask 3D making their debut, there are a number of resources for darker customizations, with The Moon badge being especially irresistible for such a purpose.

Following up last week's guide for anyone hesitant to stretch out their neck, here’s a collection of tips to guide you through this week's varied batch of new and returning goodies.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Theme: Museum Exhibits

Count: 6

Badges: Yellow Perch, Koi, Appraised Fossil, Blathers, Fossil, Horned Dynastid

What to Try

Make Blathers your first priority so that other items will be easier to remove. On your first move, try using the claw to grab both Blathers and the Appraised Fossil at once, aiming for Blathers’ right eyebrow as the place to stop.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Theme: Nookling Junction 1

Count: 11

Badges: Timmy, Bell Coin x2, Large Bell Bag x2, Medium Bell Bag x2, Small Bell Bag x3, Tommy

What to Try

Focus on the Bell Bag badges that will clear a path to Tommy – your best bet would be to try retrieving the two Bell Bags (1 Small, 1 Large) that are to the left of the first Large Bell Bag from the right. If you position the claw just so, you’ll be able to knock over the Large Bell Bag along with the Bell Coin, which are both at the edge of the slope. If they don’t knock Timmy into the slot, the badges you pull from your first play will. Remember that if you’re going for completion, you don’t need to collect all the Bell Bags – only one of each denomination.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Theme: Nookling Junction 2

Count: 6

Badges: Carpet, Fishing Rod, Flowers, Lolly, Alfonso, Tommy

What to Try

It’s risky, but if you try nabbing all three characters at once, it’s possible that the brief lift will be enough to send Lolly down to the lower plane, thus knocking some of the shop items into the slot. But in general, focus on one character at a time so that should they fall, the items below are susceptible to falling into the slot.

What to Avoid

Because of the curved slope in the left quadrant, it’s a pain to get the three characters. Aiming for two at a time is not a wise strategy, as they’ll always slip out sideways and flip-flop in the area you tried taking them from.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Theme: Launcher Icons 1

Count: 4

Badges: Cyrus (Settings), Rover (Download Play), Isabelle (Activity Log), Blathers (3DS Camera)

What to Try

This Catcher isn’t conducive to combos, so you’re better off being precise in terms of centering the claw over the icons you actually want. That being said, it’s possible that Cyrus’ wrench will provide enough weight for the badge to fall in if he’s tipped over while trying to grab Rover.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Theme: Launcher Icons 2

Count: 4

Badges: Reese (Mii Maker), Tom Nook (eShop), K.K. Slider (3DS Music), Digby (StreetPass Mii Plaza)

What to Try

Unlike the former Catcher, you can try grabbing two in one go here to save you some plays. You’ll have a better chance of success if you were to try lifting Tom Nook and Reese first, than if you were to do the same with the other pair.

Tomodachi Life

Theme: Fruits

Count: 13

Badges: Tangerine x3, Cherry x2, Apple x3, Strawberry x2, Orange x3

What to Try

The key here is to use the first turn to clear an opening to the bottom layer, which can be accomplished by moving the Hammer Crane until the circular part is a smidge beyond the stack of oranges. As the Crane lowers, it will rub against the top-most orange. From there, you can get your sights on the bottom orange as your landing point for the next move. If you time your moves right, you might be able to complete the set in two turns.

Tomodachi Life

Theme: Exotic Cuisine

Count: 6

Badges: Meal 1 x2, Meal 2 x2, Meal 3 x3

What to Try

Aim for the item on the top layer that’s closest to the left, and try to center the crane so that as the right pincer tries to grab hold of the item, it will also push the badge on the right. Thereafter, go for the badge on the bottom layer that’s two from the left, so as to accomplish the same effect where the items on the right get pushed by the right pincer. Keep in mind that if you’re going for completion, there are only three badges that you need to focus on, and all three are situated closest to the slot.

Tomodachi Life

Theme: Fast Food

Count: 5

Badges: French Fries x2, Cola x2, Cheeseburger

What to Try

It’s possible to get all five badges into the slot with only one play. Try to line up the Hammer Crane with the gap between the two cola drinks. Right before it reaches the gap, the circular part of the crane will touch the right cola, and the resulting effect will likely have the badge bounce off the edge of the screen and return to the center, where other badges can be knocked out of place.

BOXBOY

Theme: Superhero Qbby

Count: 11

Badges: Outline x3, Outlined Block x2, Black Block x2, White Rectangle, Jagged Block (Left), Jagged Block (Middle), Jagged Block (Right), Superhero Qbby

What to Try

Focus on the left side of the screen – namely, getting the jagged squares to fall through the slot. Don’t aim for the sole Black Square on the top layer; instead, aim the claw for the middle of Superhero Qbby and the Outline badge next to it, where the right pincer will fit into the small gap without rubbing against the Black Block.

BOXBOY

Theme: Ponytail Qbby

Count: 11

Badges: Door, Circular Hinge x2, Black Block x3, Grey Bar x4, Crane, Ponytail Qbby

What to Try

Shoot for the Crane badge and Ponytail Qbby at the same time as you position the claw, so that as it descends to retrieve the Crane, others badges will fall down to the lower plane and form a pile. Use the Door to send it flying down the ramp on the right, knocking any remaining badges loose.

Mario Kart 8

Theme: Baby Racers

Count: 7

Badges: Pylon, Baby Rosalina (Kart), Baby Daisy (Kart), Baby Peach (Kart), Baby Luigi (Kart), Baby Mario (Kart), Cow

What to Try

Since everything is to snug, there aren’t any major chain reactions to be afforded here (pulling Baby Daisy out, for example, won’t do much so don’t bother). However, trying to lift both Baby Luigi and Baby Mario, may just nudge some of the other racers out of place and into more favourable positions. Rather than situating the claw between the two, focus on Baby Luigi by aligning the right pincer against its back and the left pincer hanging out, which will touch the top of Baby Mario’s hat as it descends.

What to Avoid

Despite any inclinations you may have to remove Baby Rosalina and the Pylon, your energy is better spent extracting the individual babies as your interest level permits. Also, trying to grab the cow by the horns will be a futile exercise, and you’re better off waiting until it’s been jostled from its original position before going after it.

Mario Kart 8

Theme: Metal Racers

Count: 6

Badges: Metal Mario (Bike), Pink Gold Peach (Bike), Freezie, Starman, Music Note 1, Music Note 2

What to Try

Truth be told, this is one of the easiest Catchers so far. All it takes is one move. Without bringing the claw out too far, the trick is to use the left pincer to latch onto the front part of Pink Gold Peach’s hair. The claw won’t be able to get a secure hold; instead, it will continue dragging until the entire block of six badges falls into the slot on the right. Easy!

What to Avoid

Following the above steps, you’re guaranteed to get them all in one shot. Don’t risk following the same strategy but with the music note as the catalyst.

Mario Kart 8

Theme: Star Racers

Count: 5

Badges: Bowser (Kart), Donkey Kong (Bike), Luigi (Kart), Mario (Kart), Lakitu

What to Try

While working from left to right and one character at a time is a good idea, you might want to take Bowser out first so he doesn’t stop any rolling badges in their tracks due to his weight.

What to Avoid

Since Mario and Luigi are situated at the edges of their respective cliffs, you may consider the idea of having Lakitu knock them over on his way over to the open slot, but at best you’ll only nudge Mario a tad. Going all the way to the screen’s left edge (without bouncing off the wall) will only get you Lakitu, and that’s it. Also don’t try picking up both Mario and Luigi or DK and Bowser at the same time (even if they’re right up against the edge), as you’ll end up with neither.

Mario Kart 8

Theme: Launcher Icons 1

Count: 4

Badges: Toad Crew Member 1 (Activity Log), Toad Crew Member 2 (Download Play), Toad Crew Member 3 (Settings), Lakitu (3DS Camera)

What to Avoid

Stopping the claw at the letters “N” and “E” in “New” will only result in Lakitu getting removed from play, so don’t think that pulling him out first will cause a chain reaction that will send the three Toads into the slot. Like other Catchers that feature software-launching badges, your best bet is to pick and choose which badges you plan to use and go after each one individually.

Mario Kart 8

Theme: Launcher Icons 2

Count: 4

Badges: Toad Crew Member 1 (Mii Maker), Lakitu (eShop), Toad Crew Member 2 (3DS Music), Toad Crew Member 3 (StreetPass Mii Plaza)

What to Avoid

Don’t go for the Toad with the StreetPass Mii Plaza icon, as the way its neighbouring Toad is positioned, there’s a good changes it will block the hole rather than falling straight through. For that reason, you may be best served by taking the Toad with the 3DS Music icon out of play first, although there’s no distinct notch for the claw to hook onto. Also don’t bother trying to take both Lakitu and the Toad with the Mii Maker icon at the same time, as they’ll both just slip out from the claw’s grasp.