1st September 2011: Fans who have shown their support to Nintendo 3DS and purchased the console before 12th August 2011 will be pleased to hear that as a thank you from Nintendo they can today download their ten free classic NES games from Nintendo eShop as part of the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Programme*. All your old favourites are back and completely free - Super Mario Bros™, The Legend of Zelda™, NES Open Tournament Golf, Donkey Kong Jr.™, Metroid™ and Mario & Yoshi™ to name a few! Your trip down memory lane does not stop there, however, as ten further free Game Boy Advance games for Virtual Console will be made available for your Nintendo 3DS system by the end of 2011.

All those who purchased Nintendo 3DS and accessed Nintendo eShop or conducted the recent system update prior to 12th August are eligible for the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Programme and will simply have to visit Nintendo eShop, tap on the “Menu” button, select “Settings / Other” and download your ten free games from the “Titles You’ve Downloaded” option. Remember to also download your “Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Certificate” as you will then receive further information on your ten remaining free Virtual Console Game Boy Advance titles via SpotPass later in the year.

Check out more information on each of the free NES games, available on Virtual Console for Nintendo 3DS, for Nintendo 3DS Ambassadors:

Super Mario Bros.™
For more than 20 years, Mario and Luigi have been tirelessly running and jumping across these caves and castles to put a smile on every player's face. Squash Goombas and crawl down pipes. Swallow mushrooms and Fire Flowers. Discover or rediscover one of the most popular video games of all time.

The Legend of Zelda™
The brave Link begins his hazardous journey in the fantastic world of Hyrule. Using your sword, your shield and your wit, retrieve the eight fragments of the Triforce and save Princess Zelda from the evil Gannon in the game that started one of the most critically acclaimed series of all time.

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
This direct sequel to the original The Legend of Zelda™ is famous for taking the series in a new direction, while also introducing elements that would go on to become standard in future Zelda games. In Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Link is on a quest to seek the Triforce of Courage and awaken Princess Zelda from a sleeping spell placed upon her by an evil wizard.

NES Open Tournament Golf
Tee off with Mario (and Luigi, too, in two-player mode) in this classic sporting simulation from 1992. In NES Open Tournament Golf, choose from three international courses – UK, US and Japan – and three different game types – Stroke Play, Match Play and Tournament.

Donkey Kong Jr.™
Donkey Kong™ has finally been captured by Mario! Reverse roles and help his son Junior avoid many dangers to save the giant ape. Here is another smash hit of the early Eighties in which, for the first and only time, Mario plays the role of the "bad guy".

Balloon Fight™
Originally a hit in the arcades of the early ‘80s, NES classic Balloon Fight puts you in control of a heroic balloonist. Simply pop the balloons of your enemies before they pop yours! Falling enemies will deploy a parachute, so hit them again to knock them into the water below or into the jaws of a hungry fish. But watch out, the fish has its eyes on you, too!

Ice Climber™
Conquer treacherous mountain peaks, leap across icy chasms and swat snow-dwelling beasts – solo or with a friend – in this NES classic from 1984. Use your hammer to bash blocks from below and to defend yourself from the wildlife as you jump from floor to floor towards the summit.

Mario & Yoshi™
Mario & Yoshi is a fast-paced NES puzzle game in which you must mix and match falling characters and piece together eggshells to free the Yoshi trapped inside. Simply move Mario back and forth to catch the falling Goombas, Boos, Bloopers and Piranha Plants.

Wrecking Crew™
In NES classic Wrecking Crew, Mario swaps his plumber’s cap for a hard hat as he takes on the unique role of a demolition engineer! Your aim is to demolish every obstacle in each enemy-infested level, while working out the most destructive route through the networks of ladders and scaffolds.

Metroid™
Metroids – the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy – have fallen into the hands of Space Pirates! As bounty hunter Samus Aran, battle through the depths of planet Zebes to take out the pirates’ leader Mother Brain and restore peace to the galaxy.

Make sure you don’t forget the other latest offering which is also available for download this week via Nintendo eShop and Nintendo DSi Shop.

1950s Lawn Mower Kids™ (Zordix)
Platform: Nintendo 3DS (Nintendo DSiWare) / Nintendo DSi (Nintendo DSiWare)
Available on: Nintendo eShop / Nintendo DSi Shop
Price Point: €5 / 500 Nintendo DSi Points respectively

*Please be advised that if many users attempt to download titles in the first few days from September 1st, it could make the downloading process run very slowly. Therefore, if download times do appear to be lengthy, we would advise trying again at a later date.