Nintendo Black Friday deals: Get a new Switch OLED bundle and a bunch of discounted games

Nintendo has formally rolled out its set of Black Friday deals for the year. While there aren't any straight cash discounts on Switch hardware, the company is offering a new Switch OLED bundle that pairs the $350 console with a digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a three-month individual Nintendo Switch Online subscription for no extra cost. The console's Joy-Con controllers feature a Smash Bros.-themed design as well. This bundle is available at several retailers, including Walmart, Target, GameStop, Best Buy and Nintendo's own online store.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate typically retails in the $50 to $60 range and the Switch Online membership goes for $8, so that's about what you're saving here. We've seen the console go for less on its own, but if you've been meaning to give Smash Bros. a shot, there are much worse options for a free pack-in game. Although Ultimate was released way back in 2018, we still consider it the quintessential fighter for Nintendo's system, and it currently holds a spot on our list of the best Switch games.

Speaking of, Nintendo has also discounted a handful of its own Switch titles. Some notables include the cutesy adventure game Luigi's Mansion 3 down to $40, the 3D platformer Kirby and the Forgotten Land at a new low of $42 and the 2D platformer Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze down to a new low of $30. (Cue the memes.) Luigi's Mansion and Tropical Freeze are both included in our roundup of the best couch co-op games, while Forgotten Land is on our aforementioned list of best overall Switch games. Elsewhere, the RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is on sale for $40, while Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe and Mario Strikers: Battle League are each available for a low of $30. A couple of these deals aren't all-time lows — and it's hard to call games like Battle League and Return to Dream Land essential — but each is at least a little cheaper than usual.

Among Switch games that aren't published by Nintendo (in America), the turn-based strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is on sale for $15, the recently released Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is $20 off at $40 and the hardcore RPG Shin Megami Tensei V is back at an all-time low of $20. A couple other acclaimed RPGs in Persona 5 Royal and Octopath Traveler II are also on sale for $25 and $39, respectively. (Though you can get the PS5 version of the latter for $9 less.)

The Nintendo eShop, meanwhile, is now running a "Cyber Deals" sale through December 3. Many of the deals noted above are also available there, but other highlights include Portal Companion Collection (which includes the all-time great puzzlers Portal and Portal 2) for $6.79, the moving management sim Spiritfarer for $7.49, the throwback platformer The Messenger for $5, the beat-em-up Streets of Rage 4 for $12.49 and the superbly written Kentucky Route Zero and Disco Elysium for $12.49 and $14, respectively. All of those match the lowest prices to date for the Switch versions of each game.

Unfortunately (and perhaps predictably), many of Nintendo's newest hits aren't officially part of these sales, so we don't expect to see major discounts on 2023 games like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Pikmin 4 or Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Staples is technically listing Zelda and Wonder for $40 each, but it doesn't have either game in stock as of this writing. You can also take $5 off Wonder at GameStop if you order online and pick up in-store, though that's hardly a deal. The older Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are on sale for $40 each, though Walmart says it'll have both of those available for $30 on November 22, so it's worth waiting if you've yet to play either of them.

There's also a bundle that pairs a red and blue set of Joy-Cons with a digital copy of Super Mario Party for $100. Since the controllers usually go for $80, the deal effectively brings the game down to $20. That's roughly $30 less than it typically costs on its own. It's worth noting that this isn't the latest Mario Party game, though — that would be Mario Party Superstars, which came out two years ago. Still, if you want a few new boards to play and need a set of Joy-Cons anyway, it might be worthwhile.

If you'd rather not pay up for the Switch OLED, Nintendo is still selling holiday bundles for the standard Switch and Switch Lite as well. The systems themselves aren't any cheaper at $300 and $200, respectively, but the Switch is available with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and that same Switch Online membership at various retailers, while the Switch Lite now comes with Animal Crossing: New Horizons at Walmart and Target. 

These bundles have been available for a few weeks, and the included games are again on the older side — Mario Kart arrived way back in 2017, while Animal Crossing hit in 2020. The Mario Kart bundle in particular is one that Nintendo rolls out just about every holiday season, so it's not an amazing deal. Still, both titles tend to retail between $40 and $50 on their own, and both are included in our Switch games buying guide. If you're late to the Switch train, they're strong starting points. 

The big caveat to all of this is that we may be nearing the end of the Switch's life cycle. The original console arrived nearly seven years ago, and various reports have suggested that we're likely to see some sort of follow-up in 2024. A recent Eurogamer report, for instance, said that Nintendo demoed a possible "Switch 2" for developers in August. If you aren't dying to catch up on Switch games you missed, it might be wise to wait. 

That said, the Switch's library is still excellent. If you (or your kid) have been looking to finally hop on the bandwagon, these deals provide at least a little extra value — even if we'd have preferred to see more substantial discounts on the consoles by this point.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-black-friday-deals-get-a-new-switch-oled-bundle-and-a-bunch-of-discounted-games-155016053.html?src=rss