The dog days of summer are officially here. Whether you’re trying to take your mind off the heat or the bad headlines, you’re in luck: Nintendo is currently running a major sale on digital Switch games. Cool off with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze or mind-meld with a sentient hat in Super Mario Odyssey for 30% off the normal sticker price.
That’s not a giant discount in the larger world of gaming, but it’s a big deal for the notoriously stingy Nintendo eShop, where first-party games especially remain full price years after launch (unlike, for example, PlayStation where you can currently get God of War for just $20). The handheld hybrid’s current promotion is called the Nintendo eShop Big Ol’ Super Sale, and while it’s not as sweeping as last year’s Black Friday discounts, there’s still a lot of decently priced stuff if you’re looking for something to play while lying in front of the box fan or lounging in the pool.
Here’s the first-party stuff, discounted 30% off the normal $60 MSRP:
- Super Mario Odyssey - $42
- Super Mario Maker 2 - $42
- Paper Mario: The Origami King - $42
- The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening - $42
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - $42
- Pikmin 3 Deluxe - $42
Why is Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, a 2018 port of a 2014 Wii U game, still regularly full price? Who can say. But Tropical Freeze remains a gem and one of the best platformers of the modern era. Here are some other standouts from the sale:
- Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore - $42
- Astral Chain - $42
- Daemon X Machina - $42
- Bravely Default II - $42
- Shin Megami Tensei V - $42
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga - $45
- Monster Hunter Rise - $31
- Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - $35
- Dark Souls Remastered - $20
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story - $20
- Tetris Effect: Connected - $24
- No More Heroes 3 - $30
- Hades - $15
- Persona 5 Strikers - $30
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - $30
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - $12
- Diablo II: Resurrected - $24
- The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - $30
There are also a few fantastic indies with some nice discounts right now, including Loop Hero ($10.50), Death’s Door ($13), and Chicory: A Colorful Tale ($14), all 2021 standouts on several people’s game-of-the-year lists. I personally will be taking this opportunity to pick up Castlevania Advance Collection ($13.50) and Eastward ($20), because June is usually when I get that itch to go back and play something classic or retro-influenced.
The Big Ol’ Super Sale will run until July 6 just before midnight and eShop purchases net you 5 percent back through gold coins, so you’ll get a few bucks off future games as well.