Today is the day that North American Club Nintendo participants have been waiting for -- Nintendo has announced their annual Gold and Platinum Club Nintendo Awards.

For those of you who gathered 300 coins and earned the Gold Status can look forward to a Nintendo themed calendar, but those who were able to rake up 600 coins and gain Platinum Status have earned the holy grail of Nintendo memorabilia. It's an exclusive/super rare/eBay delicacy Mario statue that features not only the pudgy plumber, but his pro-green brother, Yoshi, Toad, Peach, Bowser, and a lone Goomba peeking out of a warp pipe.

The figure measures "approx. 3.9 inches in height and 4.6 inches in diameter, and comes enclosed in decorative packaging." All you have to do to claim your prize is log on to your Club Nintendo account (make sure you had either a Gold of Platinum status), give Club Nintendo your address and shipping info, and claim it -- it's as simple as that.

But now that the Club Nintendo year is over you can start registering those other games that you have either thrown aside or have just forgotten to register, I mean it would be a shame if you missed the free Platinum award two years in a row.

If you're so dedicated to Nintendo that you've acquired 600 of their coins in a single year, then you absolutely deserve such an impressive award. Gold members should be proud as well, with their impressive new Nintendo calender. You'd hope Nintendo would be a bit more considerate and create a level somewhere between 300 and 600 coins though, for those hardcore fans that just couldn't reach that final plateau.

What do you think of the Club Nintendo Awards? What do you hope next year's awards will be?

Source: Club Nintendo