Nintendo Apparently Enforces Policy to Prevent Game-Key Cards From Full-Cart Reprints

Image: Jim Norman / Nintendo Life

After Nintendo seemingly introduced smaller cartridge size options earlier this year, many wondered whether favourite Game-Key Card releases might get a proper full-cart physical reprint down the line. According to Canadian retailer Video ゲーム Plus, that might not be possible (thanks for the heads-up, Nintendo Wire).

In a now-deleted post on social media, VGP said the following: “As we’ve stated many times, we’d actively try to get existing Game-Key Card titles reprinted as full-on-cart versions, but at the moment, there’s a Nintendo policy preventing that.” Hmm.

“The policy is in place for certain reasons that make sense,” the company continued in another response (also deleted), “Nintendo is not intentionally stopping publishers just for the sake of it, there are legit reasons for this policy to be in place at the moment.”

While VGP wouldn’t provide details on what those exact reasons are, it could be as simple as trying to avoid customer confusion. If every GKC immediately got a full-card reprint months after launch, we’d end up with two of every game box on the shelf — and nobody needs that extra stress as we head into the festive season. That’s not to mention the ire from all those who’d be forced to double-dip on their GKC purchases just to build a proper physical collection.

Nintendeal seemed to confirm as much on social media last week. Following the news that the original code-in-a-box Split Fiction physical was getting a GKC upgrade, the deals account was asked whether such a transition would be possible between GKC and full-cart releases. “If my understanding is correct,” the account replied, “a publisher would need to submit a completely new build.”

Nintendeal used the example of Bloober Team releasing something like a ‘Cronos: The New Dawn – Complete Edition‘ to give the game a proper game card physical, “but I don’t think they could simply re-release the base game on card.”

It’s worth bearing in mind that none of this has been confirmed by Nintendo itself, but it does start to make sense the more we think about it. So, if you’re holding out hope for a full-cart upgrade to some of your GKC releases… you might be waiting a while.

What do you make of this policy? Let us know in the comments.