Amazon’s annual sale event is a fantastic time to pick up some cheap games, and this year’s discounts are just a few weeks away. I’ve been covering these offers for years now, and watching those game prices falling year-round at the same time. There are a few Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals I’m going to be watching particularly closely in 2024, though.
There are plenty of newer releases to keep track of, but a couple of older titles that look set to make waves this Prime Day as well. Of all these games, I’ve narrowed my watchlist down to five big’uns that I don’t want to miss this year. These are games I expect will either see larger discounts than they have done in the past or will almost definitely be on sale in some form or another. Whether that’s because they’ve already seen unseasonable discounts in 2024 so far, they’re due some heavier savings, or previous Prime Day offers have already been beaten this year depends on the game. One thing’s for sure, though, this year’s sale has more games on the shelves than ever, and plenty of titles are aging their way to some heavier discounts.
You’ll find the five Nintendo Switch games I’m watching particularly closely in this year’s Prime Day deals just below. If you’re interested in more offers across a range of platforms, though, check out my guide to this year’s Prime Day gaming deals in full.
1. Super Mario RPG
Switch ports don’t always escape their launch prices too quickly - Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury has proven that, sitting close to MSRP for most of its life. However, Super Mario RPG has seen discount after discount in 2024 so far, despite only launching late last year. All that finally culminated in a $39.99 / £29.99 record low in the spring, a rate that has stuck around in the US but jumped back up slightly in the UK. That’s a full $20 / £20 off a recent Mario release, a rarity in the world of Nintendo.
I’ll be watching this like a hawk on Prime Day - not, like other entries on this list, because I’m expecting it to drop further. I’m just really hoping it might. This is a long shot, I’ll admit it, but considering the gradient of this game’s pricing nosedive it could well be possible should the winds point in the right direction.
2. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
The other Mario game to launch over the holidays last year, Super Mario Bros. Wonder has broken the mold this year so far. Unlike the port above, this is a brand-new entry with traditional precision platforming gameplay and new mechanics in play. That’s usually a recipe for a stubborn MSRP - but this title has been surprisingly flexible in 2024.
The game has already dipped as low as $45 / £35 in recent sales - that’s impressive considering I still regularly see launch games from 2017 struggling to break past the $50 hurdle. Wonder is generally on the shelves for around $52 / £37 these days - but it’s regularly dropped far further than that, and I expect it will do so again later in the month. While we might not break $40 / £30, we could be in for a rare discount on a major release.
3. Princess Peach: Showtime
I’m watching Mario games on Prime Day because they have a track record of dropping their prices. I’m watching Princess Peach: Showtime because it doesn’t - well, not really. So far, we’ve only ever seen $5 or so off the newest first-party release in the US, but the fact that that price tag is wiggling could mean it’s ready to give way. I wouldn’t normally expect a game like Showtime to take a serious discount in its first few months - this is Nintendo we’re talking about. But with games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder bending its price a little further than previous titles would have, I’m optimistic.
Prime Day is a big enough sale that we could see the first real saving here - potentially down to a $49.99 position. This is where we’ve already seen UK prices landing in recent months, with a £49.99 RRP dropping to £39.99 regularly. If that happens Stateside, I’m going to make sure I’m on board.
4. The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
I know, I know - what about Tears of the Kingdom? Honestly, I don’t think ToTK is going to shave much more off its price from what we see on a daily basis on Prime Day, sticking close to the $50 / £44.99 sale prices that are fairly easy to find right now. Link’s Awakening might make some moves, though.
September will see the next installment in the dungeon-crawling style of Zelda games, with The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom taking us back to this cartoon vibe. It’s a return to the franchise’s bones, but one some players may need a reintroduction to - cue Link’s Awakening. This is a port, and an older port at that, that regularly reaches $39.99 / £35 on sale - $20 / £20 down from its launch price. I can see why retailers might want to get this colorful, Echoes of Wisdom-style game in front of punters during the sales season. We’ve been in full open-world Zelda mode for some years now, only now rolling back towards traditional mechanics. Considering it’s spent nearly five years on the shelves we could see those rates drop even further in 2024.
5. Octopath Traveler 2
I’m watching Octopath Traveler 2 this Prime Day for no other reason than it did particularly well over Black Friday last year. This then-recent release seemed to be constantly trickling down in price during the holiday sales event, with a $20 discount holding out well throughout the entire weekend (and sometimes dipping a little further). Of course, there were plenty of games on offer in last year’s Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals, but this seemed to be a staple offer. That means its distributors are more than happy to slash its price to get it moving. Combine that with the fact that it’s got more than 90 hours of content to run through and you’ve got excellent value for money overall.
There’s also the small fact that Octopath Traveler 2 has only just beaten its Black Friday record low. A couple extra dollars were shaved off that final price in mid-June, which means things could be gearing up for a larger discount in July.
We’re also getting you prepped for all of this year’s Prime Day PS5 deals. For more portable play, check out our guide to 2024’s Prime Day Steam Deck deals and Prime Day Asus ROG Ally deals.
