It’s the time of year again when Nintendo chooses to reward fans who have blown hundreds of dollars on their products with Mario themed trinkets! That’s right, the Club Nintendo 2010 elite member status rewards have been announced, and though they still aren’t on the same level as the T-shirts and game soundtracks that Japanese gamers can receive as regular prizes, the items are respectable.

Platinum members of Club Nintendo, or those of us who managed to gather enough Nintendo merchandise to earn 600 club coins over the course of the last 12 months, get the chance to receive a figurine of the cast of the Mario games. The figurine will be nearly 4 inches in height and Nintendo has made the intensely thrilling promise that it will arrive in “decorative packaging.” Regardless of any sarcasm you may have detected in the previous few statements, however, this brightly colored and detailed figurine ought to make a very nice desk accessory for anyone devoted enough to Nintendo to have actually earned Platinum membership in Club Nintendo.

Just like last year, Gold members of Club Nintendo will be able to send away for an exclusive Club Nintendo 2011 desk calendar. Nintendo states that it features artwork from Nintendo games, which certainly seems like one of the more logical choices they could have made, and will have its own display stand.

Although there aren’t any prize options for Platinum members like there were last year, when gamers could choose between a plush Mario hat or downloadable content for Punch-Out!!, they do get to pick whether they receive the Mario figurine or the desk calendar. Both choices are quite nice, especially considering that ordering them doesn’t put any drain on the coins Club Nintendo members have saved away for items on the standard list of rewards. Still, it’s likely that many gamers are hoping for the North American Club Nintendo rewards to match up to their Japanese counterparts in years to come.