Lead: Nintendo’s Black Friday 2025 promotions have pushed deep discounts on several Switch exclusives at major U.S. retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Walmart. Over the Thanksgiving sales period, key titles such as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario Odyssey have been marked down to roughly 50% off their usual $60 MSRP. Target applied additional cuts on a few titles that Amazon quickly matched, bringing several physical editions to $30. The sale also includes low-price Amiibo offers tied to the Switch 2 launch, with certain Zelda figures listed at $10 at Best Buy.
Key Takeaways
- Six Nintendo Switch exclusives are effectively available at roughly 50% off, with physical editions as low as $30 (regularly $60) at Amazon, Best Buy, Target and some Walmart listings.
- Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario Odyssey—two high-profile Nintendo titles—are offered for $30 at multiple retailers (down from $60).
- The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom and Princess Peach: Showtime were reduced to $30 at Target and matched by Amazon, though digital codes may be priced differently (Echoes digital listed at $40).
- Best Buy lists several Switch 2-era Amiibo at steep discounts, with many Zelda figures at $10 each (originally $30) and Street Fighter 6 Amiibo at $15 each.
- Nintendo is not discounting Switch 2 launch titles, but all nine discounted games are playable on Switch 2 and three (Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 3, Echoes of Wisdom) have free Switch 2 updates that enhance performance and visuals.
- Physical copies may sell out and digital codes will follow Nintendo’s official price points; availability and price parity vary by retailer and format.
Background
Nintendo traditionally uses the Black Friday window to move large volumes of evergreen first-party software and accessories, often leveraging limited-time retail partnerships rather than sitewide price cuts from Nintendo itself. In 2025 that pattern continued: retailers independently trimmed prices on Switch exclusives to attract holiday traffic. Retailers such as Target and Best Buy have a history of occasional extra markdowns that other sellers later match, creating short-lived but meaningful price differences for consumers.
The Switch and its successor, Switch 2, complicate holiday pricing: while Nintendo has largely held Switch 2 software at full price since launch, many Switch-era exclusives remain key purchases for families and collectors. Amiibo—collectible NFC figurines that unlock in-game content—have become another leveraged item in holiday promotions, with retailers using steep cuts to drive in-store and online visits. Third-party retailers control most Black Friday discounts; Nintendo’s official store rarely undercuts its partners during this period.
Main Event
This Black Friday cycle saw Target cut an extra $10 from three titles—Echoes of Wisdom, Princess Peach: Showtime, and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD—bringing those physical copies to $30. Amazon matched Target’s deeper discounts on several of those SKUs shortly after, increasing the number of effectively half-price deals to six across the participating retailers. Best Buy and Walmart also appear across multiple listings, with occasional $40 price points where only a $20 reduction was applied instead of $30.
The headline half-price titles include Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario Odyssey, each listed around $30 at Amazon, Best Buy and Target (regularly $60). Other discounted entries include Splatoon 3, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Nintendo Switch Sports, with some SKU prices reflecting $30 or $40 depending on the seller and format.
Amiibo tied to the Switch 2 era registered unusually steep reductions at Best Buy; the four newest Zelda figures that launched with Tears of the Kingdom were marked as low as $10 apiece, while Street Fighter 6 figures landed at $15 each. Best Buy’s price cuts were large enough that Amazon began matching several of them, though stock levels and exact model availability vary by store and region.
Analysis & Implications
Retailer-driven markdowns of first-party Nintendo titles signal two concurrent dynamics: persistent consumer demand for proven Switch catalog staples, and retailer willingness to use marquee Nintendo IP as traffic drivers in a competitive holiday market. Deep discounts on older but highly rated titles like Odyssey and Thousand-Year Door reaffirm how valuable Nintendo’s back catalog remains for driving seasonal sales and console engagement.
For Nintendo the trade-off is typical: sustained full-price sales on Switch 2 launches versus episodic retailer markdowns on legacy Switch titles. Free Switch 2 updates for three discounted games—Odyssey, Splatoon 3 and Echoes of Wisdom—help maintain relevance for older games on the new hardware while preserving the perceived value of Switch 2-native releases. That approach can extend lifetime revenue for first-party titles even as retailers capture short-term promotional gains.
From a consumer perspective, these Black Friday prices present a strong buying opportunity, especially for households that prioritize local multiplayer and family-friendly co-op. Collectors should weigh the Amiibo discounts against long-term secondary-market value: while some figures drop during promotions, others regain value once supply tightens. For scalpers and resellers, ultra-low unit prices can make short-term arbitrage tempting, but limited quantities and regional stock variance limit reliable bulk acquisition.
Comparison & Data
| Title | Amazon | Target | Best Buy | Walmart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | $40 ($60) | — |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | — |
| Princess Peach: Showtime | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | $40 ($60) | — |
| Super Mario Odyssey | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | — |
| Donkey Kong Country Returns | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | $40 ($60) | — |
| Splatoon 3 | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | $30 ($60) | — |
| Nintendo Switch Sports | $30 ($50) | $30 ($50) | $30 ($50) | — |
The table summarizes advertised physical-price cuts at the time the sale was reported: prices are retailer-listed and subject to stock and regional variation. Digital codes can differ because they follow Nintendo’s official storefront pricing, which is why Echoes of Wisdom appears at $40 digitally in some channels despite $30 physical offers. Shoppers should compare format availability and consider whether enhanced Switch 2 patches apply to the version they purchase.
Reactions & Quotes
Retailers and media coverage framed the discounts as aggressive holiday positioning. Observers noted that Target’s extra $10 reductions effectively created short windows of deeper savings that competitors then matched, which is a common pattern during big seasonal events.
“Only three of the nine games featured in the sale were supposed to be 50% off, but Target cut an extra $10 from Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Princess Peach: Showtime, and Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.”
GameSpot (media)
The GameSpot summary emphasized retailer-driven variability and the speed with which competitors respond to one another during Black Friday. That dynamic benefits consumers briefly but can cause rapid sellouts, pushing many buyers to digital alternatives or second-hand markets.
“The four latest Zelda Amiibo carried $30 price tags at launch. They have been discounted a few times since June, but never to as low as they are now.”
GameSpot (media)
GameSpot’s coverage also flagged Amiibo price movements as unusual; industry watchers often monitor collectibles discounts to gauge both short-term demand and potential long-term collector behavior. Reduced launch prices can increase immediate unit sales while complicating later resale valuation.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Amazon will extend the $30 physical pricing on the full set of Amiibo lines beyond the initial matched listings remains unconfirmed.
- Exact nationwide stock levels for $30 physical copies at each retailer are not verified and may vary by store and region.
- Whether Nintendo will apply any additional official discounts before year-end is not confirmed and appears unlikely based on historical patterns.
Bottom Line
Shoppers seeking high-value Switch exclusives will find some of the strongest prices of the season during Black Friday 2025, particularly on evergreen titles like Super Mario Odyssey and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The best deals are driven by retailer markdown strategies—Target’s extra cuts and Amazon’s rapid matching—so price and availability can vary quickly and may be short-lived.
Buyers should compare physical and digital pricing, check whether Switch 2 performance updates apply to the version they purchase, and consider Amiibo discounts as opportunistic purchases rather than guaranteed long-term investments. For families and collectors alike, this sale window offers a credible chance to add high-profile Nintendo titles and accessories at significantly reduced prices.