Nintendo's Massive Switch Sale Ends Sunday: 9 Games Worth Buying

Nintendo doesn't do discounts the way everyone else does. While Sony and Microsoft slash prices on blockbuster titles within months, Nintendo guards its first-party games like family heirlooms. A $60 Mario game from 2017 is still, somehow, $60 in 2025. That's exactly why this week matters. Nintendo's "Jump into Summer" eShop sale is live right now and runs through Sunday at 11:59 p.m. PT, and it's one of the rare windows when the company actually loosens its grip on the vault. Hundreds of digital games are marked down, including a handful of first-party titles that almost never drop. If you've been waiting for a sign to finally clear your wishlist, this is it. **The Deals That Actually Matter** The headliners are the first-party discounts, because those are the ones that vanish fastest and return least often. *The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom* is down to $39.99 from $69.99 — a rare 43% cut on a game Nintendo still sells at full price most of the year. *Super Mario Odyssey* sits at $29.99, its lowest price in over a year. *Kirby and the Forgotten Land* and *Splatoon 3* are both hovering around the $30 mark. Third-party publishers go deeper. *Hades* is under $10. *Hollow Knight* — arguably the best dollar-to-hour ratio in gaming — drops to $7.50. *Stardew Valley* is $9.99, and *Persona 5 Royal* hits $24.99, a steep fall from its $59.99 sticker. The pattern here is simple: first-party games get modest cuts, third-party games get aggressive ones. If you want a Mario or Zelda title, this is as cheap as it gets. If you want indie darlings, you can walk away with three or four for the price of one full-price game. **How to Stack the Savings** Here's the part most shoppers miss. Nintendo Switch Online members get additional perks through "Game Vouchers," which let you buy two eligible games for $99.99 total. That's $50 per game, and it stacks with sale pricing in some cases — meaning a pair of $70 titles can effectively cost you $50 each. If you're buying two big games this week, do the math before you check out. You can also earn Gold Points on every eShop purchase — roughly 1% back in store credit — which quietly funds your next sale haul. And if you're sitting on a gift card from the holidays, now is the time to burn it. One warning: these prices are digital-only. Physical copies from retailers like Walmart and Amazon sometimes undercut the eShop, so if you want a cartridge, check both before buying. **The Clock Is the Real Story** Nintendo sales have a way of sneaking up on people. The listings go live, the good stuff sells through wishlists, and then Monday arrives and everything snaps back to full price. There's no extended window, no "one more day" email. The practical move: open your Switch, filter the eShop by "Deals," and sort by discount percentage. Anything above 40% on a game you've been eyeing is worth grabbing now. Anything below 20% can wait — Nintendo will run another sale, probably around the next major holiday. **Our Take** Nintendo's refusal to discount is frustrating, but it's also why these sales feel like actual events rather than background noise. When *Tears of the Kingdom* drops below $40, that's not marketing — that's a genuine window. Buy the two or three games you'll actually play, skip the impulse purchases, and let the rest expire on Sunday night. Your backlog will thank you.