The Mario Vs. Donkey Kong franchise is getting a new title for both the 3DS and the Wii U, and it's a game that may set the foundation for a new Nintendo initiative: cross-buy capability. It's about time.

Those who purchase Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars on one system will receive a download code for the other version, free of charge, regardless of which one is purchased. Also, any created levels can be shared between the two versions of the game via Miiverse, so a day's worth of level creation on the 3DS while on the go can be instantly transferred to the Wii U version and enjoyed on a big screen. That's pretty awesome, and introducing this in a comparatively low-key title like this can let Nintendo work out the kinks in its cross-buy delivery system before debuting it for bigger titles.

Playing Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars also has an interesting new mechanic in "tipping" other players. Stages are created using stars as currency, and the more stars a player has the more elaborate his or her stage will be. If there's a particular fan-created stage that players enjoy, they can "tip" the creator with stars from their own currency in order to give the creator access to better stage parts. Letting players support those who have great ideas is an excellent way of helping the gaming community, and we wonder if we'll see it again in the future.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars launches March 5 on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U with cross-buy functionality.

A great Mario song to play when you're Tipping Stars:

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