On alphainvestor, it was announced the release of a second batch of lovely icons for Nintendo Switch Online users featuring Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 characters and elements. The icons can be collected with MyNintendo Platinum Points, until October 15th, and are renewed weekly with new icon elements. Following Nintendo’s trend of adding more and more value to its online subscription service, the announcement has been largely criticized by players as a slapdash reward against FOMO.
So Nintendo drops this tweet, right? Talking about how you can use your Platinum Points to get these custom icons from the Super Mario Galaxy games. And on the surface, yeah, that sounds kinda neat if you’re a big fan of those Wii classics. On the icon front, that clearly is a future-proof move, since it will be available on both the regular Switch and the upcoming Switch 2. There will be a new batch refreshed every week until mid-October, meaning you have about two months to keep checking back for that special character or background. But, what I tell you, online player reactions were… damning. It was like Nintendo poked a beehive with a stick made of pure corporate greed.
The negative comments started flooding the comic immediately after the spread. One user under the handle of memhisk simply stated “trash.” Another person in response, jazc007, on the other hand: #DoBetterNintendo #StopTheGreed #DropThePrices #VoteWithYourWallets. Some of these gamers are pretty sick of Nintendo’s awkward reward system. Like, Platinum Points are mostly earned by doing little tasks on their apps and site, and the best thing you can usually get are wallpapers or, you guessed it, more icons. It’s not exactly the most exciting loot. One person, WhySoSerious | GG💎, summed it up perfectly: “Platinum Points? Oh cool, a loyalty program that rewards you with JPEGs instead of dignity.” Ouch. But also, true.
Then there’s the FOMO angle. The icons are only available for a limited time. That’s an old method to harvest engagement, and the players are now putting it on the chopping block. The user R.Alsuwaidi commented: “Make it reward for playing the game instead of FOMO.” That really is a great point. Why not tie these cosmetic items to actual achievements in the games themselves? It would feel way more rewarding to unlock a cool Rosalina icon by, I dunno, collecting all the stars in Galaxy, rather than just remembering to log in and spend points before a deadline. It just feels like a cheap trick to get people to regularly check the Nintendo Switch Online app.
Let’s ask ourselves this… Backlash. Not all of it was bearish, though. For some, there was real excitement. User J proclaimed in all caps: “BLESS NINTENDO! GALAXY ICON S!!!!” That caption, though. Another user named Mr.Bowser just said they were glad it landed on his birthday. SeaBrick simply adds, “Gonna enjoy putting some galaxy profile picture.” So for some, it’s a harmless bit of fun. A little cosmetic flair for their profile. But the critical voices were definitely louder and more passionate this time around.
By this entire scenario, the bigger frustration about Nintendo’s overarching business decisions is catapulted into the limelight. Several replies cite the company’s greed, with realnitrozeus stating, “Your greed sickens me…” Then, DrU went even further, saying, “If you support this company still ur(misspelling of “your”) actively contributing to the complete fall of the gaming industry.” That… is pretty intense. It would seem as though this icon announcement became the lightning rod for far too many other complaints about exorbitant game prices, questionable value for Nintendo Switch Online, and Nintendo being overzealous to protect its IP via lawsuits. It’s not really about the icons themselves though, but what they mean: a company that a lot feel is out of touch with their player base.
Some confusion, some speculation. User plumbberfan asked, “Why do 3 waves, for only 2 games? Lots of association between galaxy and the number 3 right now,” followed by a thinking emoji. The comment prompted some players to jokingly hope it was a secret announcement for Super Mario Galaxy 3. David H Brown joked, “No chat, buying all the icons will give you Super Mario Galaxy 3 for free… The game still won’t happen anyway.” That’s that eternal loop of Nintendo fan hope and instant self-deprecation. We’ve all been there.
A practical concern came from Vichilltime: “Wish you didn’t need switch online to claim these.” And that’s a pretty valid point. These are just profile pictures. Locking them behind a paywall on top of requiring points you have to earn does feel a bit excessive. LadyBowser, meanwhile, is thinking ahead and asking for a Bowser icon. Now that’s constructive feedback!
So, where does this leave us? Nintendo’s attempt to offer a little bonus for its subscribers has kinda backfired, laying bare a significant rift between the company and a chunk of its many players. On one side, you have the folks that are just happy to decorate their profiles with aesthetically pleasing art from beloved games, and on the other, a growing number of players who view this as the symbol of a bigger issue—a lack of meaningful rewards and reliance on cheap FOMO tactics. The landscape of gaming today is the ugly stepmother of corporate manipulations used to hold their attention, and players have never been louder in expressing their dissatisfaction about feeling fake or manipulative. Whether Nintendo will even pay any attention or just keep rolling these icons out week after week is still an unanswered question. One thing is certain, every voice asking “Are Nintendo’s online services really worth it?” just gets louder with each passing day.
