Though Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars will be a digital-only release in the U.S. and Europe, the pack shots released today by Nintendo of Europe show that they plan to sell download codes at retail stores as well.

Releasing a game case just to hold a download code might seem silly at first, but having something physical in stores will help drive more sales. And with its bold red background and a Mini Mario that seems to be popping out of the cover, this package is sure to catch the eyes of shoppers.


In Japan, Nintendo will include the actual Wii U game disc or 3DS game card in the cases, which means that the neat artwork won't be obscured by the "Hey, you're only buying a download code!" notices.


And now, a question for our readers: Would you rather buy the game case for a code, or save the extra step and order it from the eShop?