Winter is around the corner which means we don’t have to feel guilty anymore when we stay inside all day playing video games. Hang out on your couch with Mario, Link, Kirby, and all your other Ninten-friends during the coldest month of the year. Here are the best deals for Nintendo games this December.
Kirby and the Forgotten Land (Physical) | $55
Kirby’s latest endeavor gave us a taste of something completely different—Mouthful Mode. Along with swallowing his enemies whole to take their powers, he can now wrap his giant gob around inanimate objects to control them in a Super Mario Odyssey fashion. The most notable is a straight-up car, making for an image that manages to be cute, funny, and unsettling all at the same time. Hats off to the designers on this one.
Sonic Frontiers (Physical) | $40
Sonic makes the leap into open-world (or technically open-zone) gameplay in his latest game. It’s only been out for a couple of weeks but it’s already down to $40.
Mario Strikers: Battle League (Digital) | $40
We’ve been blessed with a handful of Mario sports titles this generation on the Nintendo Switch—the latest of which is a new entry for Mario Strikers. This Soccer-adjacent high-octane contact sport is a blast to play online or locally with friends. It’s had a few free DLC drops since its release—adding characters like Birdo and Shy Guy to the roster. Hop in and see if you have what it takes.
Super Mario Odyssey (Digital) | $40
Our mustachioed friend in overalls has never felt so good to control. Packed with several unique and thematic kingdoms to explore, with New Donk City being the standout, this game is a wonderful tribute to Mario’s history from the original Donkey Kong arcade, to his side-scrolling NES classic, to his first time in a 3D space with the N64.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Physical) | $50
Now on the Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword first debuted on Wii and is a fully-fledged fantasy adventure that can keep you busy while we wait for next year’s Breath of the Wild sequel.
Hot Wheels Unleashed (Physical) | $20
When it comes to kart racers, Mario and his crew seem to have a near-monopoly, but there’s some really cool stuff going on elsewhere. Hot Wheels Unleashed has systems built around drifting and boosting (as you’d expect), but also gravity. There’s an elaborate track builder which is the heart of playing with Hot Wheels toys.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Physical) | $40
If you own a Nintendo Switch, but don’t have Breath of the Wild, first of all...huh? Second of all, physical versions are just $40 right now. It’s been out for four years at this point and remains the best open-world game on current consoles. Put down 1-2-Switch and pick up the game you were supposed to buy first when the console launched.
New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe (Physical) | $40
Mario is back to his roots ... running from the left to the right while stomping on koopas and goombas. This sidescrolling platformer is one of the best local co-op experiences you will have on the Switch. It’s also still just as good playing solo.
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze (Physical) | $40
The brutal and beautiful Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is one of the best games you can play on your Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking for a fun platformer to play either solo co-op that’s a bit tougher than the latest Super Mario Brothers 2D sidescrollers, definitely give this ported Wii U title a shot.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Physical) | $30
The LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga covers the three main trilogies we have now and does so with all the jokes and charm we’ve come to expect in the LEGO games. This is not to be confused with LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga—an incomplete story of the Star Wars movies. I know, it’s confusing—but it’s not LEGO’s fault the other game came out before Disney bought the IP.