‘Kirby Battle Royale’ Release: How To Pre-Load In 3DS eShop

Nintendo’s “Kirby Battle Royale” is finally coming to North America next week. For fans who are eager to get their hands on the latest addition to the Kirby series, here’s how you can pre-load the brawler video game in your Nintendo 3DS eShop.

“Kirby Battle Royale” is not arriving to the U.S. market until next Friday, Jan. 19; however, fans can already pre-load the game as early as this week, so they could jump right in as soon as it officially goes live.

For fans who are willing to download the game before its release, Nintendo Everything says they need to free up around 1,688 blocks of space or 211MB to make room for “Kirby Battle Royale.” Pre-loading will download most of the required data of the digital copy, so players will only need to download a small update on launch day to start playing.

Below are the steps on pre-loading the game ahead of its release:

1. Connect your 3DS to a stable internet connection.
2. Use your Nintendo Network ID (NNID) to access the Nintendo eShop on your 3DS.
3. A Nintendo Account is required, so you need to create one (if you haven’t yet) and link your NNID to it.
4. Visit www.nintendo.com/games and search for “Kirby Battle Royale.”
5. Click the game’s title in the search results to display more information about it.
6. Click Digital Buy.
7. When prompted, enter your Nintendo Account sign-in details.
8. “Kirby Battle Royale” costs $39.99, so expect for this amount to be deducted from your existing Nintendo eShop account balance.
9. Click Pre-purchase to complete the process. This will pre-load the game to your 3DS and you’ll be able to play it starting at 12 a.m. ET on the day the game is released.

Pre-loading the game has its perks. Those who pre-purchased the new game ahead of its Jan. 19th release will be receiving codes for a “Kirby Battle Royale: May the Best Kirby Win!” 3DS theme from Nintendo.

“Kirby Battle Royale” is a brawler that accommodates up to 4 players in local wireless or online battles. There are 10 battle types to complete in various matchups. Players can hoard treasures in Ore Express, fight opponents in Slam Hockey and shoot missiles at Robo Bonkers.

Other battles include Apple Scramble, Coin Clash, Attack Riders, Crazy Theater, Rocket Rumble, Flag Ball and Battle Arena. In Apple Scramble, players will be split into teams, and each can earn points by snatching apples. Meanwhile, players will have to run from a ghost and collect coins in Coin Clash. In Attack Riders, players need to attack their opponents and steal their chips.

Crazy Theater comes with all sorts of crazy challenges. Completing them will give players points and a chance to mess with their opponents. As for Rocket Rumble, this is the battle where players need to fly as high as possible by securing the most fuel for their rocket ship. On the other hand, Flag Ball is as simple as throwing balls at an opposing team’s flag. Finally, players need to join a fierce battle in a colosseum when they enter Battle Arena.

Aside from the different battles, the game comes with a single-player story mode, too. The main goal in this mode is to foil King Dedede’s plan and win the Cake Royal Tournament. By playing the story mode, players will have the chance to equip Kirby with battle skills and earn Boost Orbs. This could also help them unlock a new playable character.