Nintendo is catching up to the likes of Apple and Sony in terms of cross-platform digital services, announcing on Wednesday that a cross-buy feature is officially coming to Wii U and 3DS later this year.

　　Downloadable puzzle game Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars will be the company's first cross-buy game. Once purchasing it on Wii U, the 3DS version will be available for free (or vice versa).

　　The $20 game, which was announced at least year's E3, launches March 5 via the eShop. Nintendo lists the cross-buy deal as a "special offer," which suggests this is more an experiment than a permanent system-wide feature.

　　Cross-buy is already supported on PlayStation consoles, while Apple, too, allows users to buy something on one iOS device and use it on another without any extra charge.

　　Another new digital content initiative that Nintendo is taking on is free-to-play. The company's newly-announced free game Pokemon Shuffle is coming to 3DS in February, allowing users to spend real-world money on virtual items if they want to.

　　For more on Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, check out the image gallery below.

Nintendo Direct: All The News