started life as a free-to-play mobile game with a heap of microtransactions, but it's now making the bold transition to being a premium game.
Although there's sometimes reason to be cynical about monetization changes, this switch isn't just the original game getting a price tag slapped on it.
Rather, the original game is being taken down completely, with fans being urged to transfer their save data to the new version.
Once it has been officially shut down, the premium version will take its place. The new premium has been met positively by fans, largely thanks to its swathe of new features.
More largely, the switch to a premium model is an important one, as it almost defies the trend of monetized free-to-play mobile and live-service gaming. Nintendo's decision to make a pay-to-play game is a great one, and hopefully one that helps shift the industry in the right direction. will cost players $9.99 so long as they buy it before January 31, 2025, which is during the early discounted price period.