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Club Nintendo has finally unveiled this year's Elite Rewards, and they're all very well worth it. All eight rewards are listed below in list and picture format. Keep in mind that some rewards are exclusive to Platinum members and you must be at least Gold to get any rewards at all. The list shows what the lowest tier is to be able to recieve the prize next to the prize name. You must also redeem your reward by August 15th before the offer expires.

• 2014 Club Nintendo Calendar (Gold)
• Super Smash Bros. (Wii VC [N64]) (Gold)
• WarioWare D.I.Y. Showcase (WiiWare) (Gold)
• The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX (3DS VC [GBC]) (Gold)
• Super Mario Land (3DS VC [GB]) (Gold)
• Sakura Samurai (3DS) (Gold)
• Triple Poster Set (8-bit Luigi, Pikmin 3, LoZ: The Wind Waker) (Platinum)
• The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Original Soundtrack (Platinum)

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The classic Game Boy Color game Shantae was planned to have launched on the North American 3DS Virtual Console earlier this year, but was delayed for unknown reasons. Doesn't matter anymore, because Shantae will now officially launch next week on July 18th. Judging by other GBC Virtual Console games, it will most likely be $6.

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Square Enix has announced the preorder bonus for the PS3 version of the HD remake of Final Fantasy X and X-2: and upgrade to the limited edition of the bundle that comes with a special art book. Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster doesn't have a definite release date yet, but it will launch by the end of the year for $40. This preorder bonus seems to only be in effect for the PS3 version, but the remaster is getting a Vita release at some point, only as two seperate games.

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Shin Megami Tensei IV hits the Nintendo 3DS on July 16th, and as a promotion for both SMTIV's launch and the previously-announced crossover with Fire Emblem, Club Nintendo is giving out $30 eShop credit codes to those who have registered both SMTIV and Fire Emblem: Awakening on their account. While it doesn't seem like FEA must have been registered after a certain date, both games must be registered by August 31st to qualify for the bonus. The code given can be used for either the 3DS or Wii U eShops, and the code must be redeemed by December 31st, 2013 and aquired by September 30th. The promotion is aplicable to both the physical and digital versions of both games; just remember to link your Club Nintendo account to your 3DS before purchasing either game digitally. Click here for the official info page. The promotion kicks in on SMTIV's launch date.

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As the Club Nintendo year draws to a close, a new set of games to redeem with Club Nintendo coins rolls in as well. The games been given this time around are listed below.

• Aura Aura Climber (3DS [DSiWare], 100 Coins)
• Donkey Kong (3DS VC [Game Boy], 100 Coins)
• Super Punch Out!! (Wii VC [SNES], 150 Coins)
• Star Fox 64 (Wii VC [N64], 200 Coins)

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UPDATE: The official page regarding the changes to the policy is now live here. It flat-out describes removal of DRM and used game policies. The below bullet points in the original story are still relevant, however.

While still in somewhat of a vague manner, Microsoft has announced through Xbox Wire that the DRM policies that plagued the Xbox One will no longer be present and reselling games will now be available to consumers instead of having the ridiculous restrictions previously in place.

The announcement is here.

The main points to take from the announcement are the following, pulled straight from the above site. Important points are italicized and/or bolded.

"Q:    Does Xbox One require an “always on” Internet connection?
A:    No, it does not have to be always connected, but Xbox One does require a connection to the Internet. We’re designing Xbox One to be your all-in-one entertainment system that is connected to the cloud and always ready. We are also designing it so you can play games and watch Blu-ray movies and live TV if you lose your connection."

This means the removal of the 24-hour online check.

"Q:    Can I use my current gamertag on Xbox One and will my Gamerscore and Achievements transfer?
A:    Yes. Your current Xbox Live Gamertag will stay with you on Xbox One if you choose to keep it, and your hard-earned Gamerscore and Achievements will indeed carry over from Xbox 360."

Gamerscore and achivements are now transferrable to the Xbox One from your Xbox 360.

"Q:    Will Xbox One allow players to trade in, purchase and play pre-owned games? 
A:    We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games. We’ll have more details to share later."

That last one is the kicker. You will not be restricted in terms of reselling your games or playing pre-owned games; whether this affects the forced download of your retail games remains to be seen.

However, the website also mentions that a Gold membership is still required for online play, and you are still forced to have the Kinect permanently plugged into the console.

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An update to the PS3 firmware is now available, which is meant to add the feature to disable trophy-get notifications. However, users are experiencing bricking issues after updating, so it would be wise to not update your PlayStation 3 console until a fix is launched.

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Through Miiverse, the director of New Super Mario Bros. U has announced that an update is now available that allows players to play the game using the Wii U Pro Controller. This is meant to coincide with the release of New Super Luigi U, which is launching June 20th.

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For those planning on buying the first DLC for New Super Mario Bros. U, called New Super Luigi U (which is essentially a massive challenge mode with Luigi as the main character), at launch, Club Nintendo is giving out the chance to win a special Luigi pin if you complete the registration survey for the content by August 1st. The form for the giveaway will pop up after finishing the survey. Filling it out before this deadline will also land you 40 reward coins instead of 20. New Super Luigi U will launch on Wii U on June 20th for $19.99, and a special retail version of the content will be available for $29.99 on August 25th. Keep in mind that NSMBU is required to play the DLC.

Click here for the official information page on Club Nintendo.

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After the E3 Direct, Nintendo has pushed out loads of trailers for us to watch, giving more info for various games. A Link to the Past 2 is being given the official title of The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Two Worlds, and the 3DS Yoshi's Island sequel will be called Yoshi's New Island.