The Best Deals to Grab During the Nintendo eShop Summer Sale

Nintendo’s Summer Sale is now live, with hundreds of discounts available on everything from beloved indie gems to first-party titles that rarely ever go on sale. The sale kicked off just a day after our last list of highlighted deals on the Nintendo eShop and runs until July 9. We’ve sifted through page after page of the available discounts to highlight essential titles to pick up during the event, ultimately landing on 10 games that are either on their first-ever sale or back down to their historically lowest prices.

• Release Date — October 6, 2022
• Developer — Platinum Games, Virtuous
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Action RPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $15.99 (Normally $39.99, 60% off)

The Switch version of NieR: Automata is arguably one of the better versions of the game to grab, if for nothing else than it being a faithful port of an already incredible game that you can take on the go. The End of YoRHa Edition also includes plenty of post-launch content and reworks elements of the base experience, making it the definitive release of one of the best titles of the 2010s. NieR: Automata regularly goes on sale (and is even currently on sale on other platforms), but the Switch version has the lowest price of just $15.99, beating out other versions by $1.

• Release Date — September 17, 2020
• Developer — Supergiant Games
• Publisher — Supergiant Games
• Genre — Action Roguelike
• Review Aggregate Score — 93% (Universal Acclaim)
• Price — $8.74 (Normally $24.99, 65% off)

It’s easy to forget that Hades wasn’t originally available on every single platform under the sun, considering how widely celebrated the game is for being one of the best action roguelikes ever made. The Switch version was actually the original console release of the game, arriving about a year ahead of other platforms’ versions of Hades and becoming a major seller on the Nintendo eShop. Hades owes a large portion of its success to its incredible Switch port, and it’s currently down to its lowest-ever price of just $8.74 as part of the Nintendo Summer Sale.

• Release Date — February 16, 2023
• Developer — indieszero, sAs
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — Music/Rhythm
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $24.99 (Normally $49.99, 50% off)

While plastic peripherals and the Rock Band/Guitar Hero craze may have fallen by the wayside, music and rhythm games are still alive and well. One of the best music games to release in recent years is Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, which packs an insane amount of content into a thoroughly enjoyable package chronicling the iconic music from across the Final Fantasy series. Nobuo Uematsu is one of the greatest composers to ever live, and Theatrhythm does a great job of showcasing his genius, all while being a fun and easy-to-learn rhythm game. Arguably the best $25 you could spend on the eShop right now.

• Release Date — September 27, 2019
• Developer — Square Enix
• Publisher — Square Enix
• Genre — JRPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 91% (Universal Acclaim)
• Price — $19.99 (Normally $39.99, 50% off)

Speaking of Square Enix, a large number of the studio’s titles are heavily discounted as part of the Nintendo Summer Sale, and Dragon Quest XI S‘s Definitive Edition is back down to its historic low of just $20. Dragon Quest XI is pure JRPG comfort food that ranks among the best games in the iconic series, and its Switch version is arguably the definitive release of the title. There are a lot of JRPGs to choose from as part of the current sale, but Dragon Quest XI might be the best “bang for your buck” proposition.

• Release Date — June 16, 2022
• Developer — Tribute Games
• Publisher — Dotemu
• Genre — Beat ’em Up
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $23.09 (Normally $32.99, 30% off)

The beat ’em up genre has had a bit of a modern renaissance on PC and Switch thanks to a slew of indie games calling back to its heyday, with one of the best being Tribute Games’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge. Shredder’s Revenge feels like a perfect follow-up to the SNES classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time and has both couch and online co-op to help you relive the glory days of playing beat ’em ups with your friends. The Ultimate Edition is definitely the way to go, as it adds plenty of new characters and exclusive stages that enhance the experience.

• Release Date — March 20, 2020
• Developer — Nintendo EPD
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Simulation
• Review Aggregate Score — 90% (Universal Acclaim)
• Price — $41.99 (Normally $59.99, 30% off)

There was a time when it seemed like everyone with a Switch was playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and though the game’s viral popularity has faded in the 5 years since its launch, it’s still an effortlessly charming and relaxing game worth owning. First-party Nintendo titles rarely ever go on sale, even as part of the regular deals on the eShop, so Animal Crossing‘s current 30% discount feels special. You can currently grab this essential for the Switch library for just $42.

• Release Date — October 24, 2024
• Developer — Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
• Publisher — Sega
• Genre — Beat ’em Up, Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 77% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $13.99 (Normally $19.99, 30% off)

The Switch will hopefully get the rest of the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series down the line, but for now, we have one of the best entries in the entire franchise available on the platform. Yakuza Kiwami is a ground-up remake of the original Yakuza game, and it’s the perfect jumping-on point for one of gaming’s greatest franchises. If you happen to have a Switch 2, you can start with Kiwami and then jump straight into the incredible Yakuza 0 Director’s Cut for more sweeping crime drama starring everyone’s favorite leading man, Kazuma Kiryu.

• Release Date — May 29, 2020
• Developer — Monolith Soft
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — JRPG
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $41.99 (Normally $59.99, 30% off)

Having played every single version of Xenoblade Chronicles from its original Wii release up through the Switch’s Definitive Edition, I can confidently say that the Switch version lives up to its “definitive” name. More than just a visual refresh of an aging classic, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition preserves and improves one of the greatest JRPGs ever made, and it’s currently on a sizable discount as part of the Nintendo Summer Sale. Like most other first-party Nintendo games, Xenoblade Chronicles rarely ever goes on sale, so act now if you’ve been on the fence about picking this one up.

• Release Date — September 20, 2019
• Developer — Grezzo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Action-Adventure
• Review Aggregate Score — 87% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $41.99 (Normally $59.99, 30% off)

Another first-party title that’s currently on sale and a must-have for fans of the franchise is The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Learning that we were getting a Switch remake of one of the best 2D Zelda games was exciting enough, but getting to play it and see just how much it improves on the original was truly impressive. Thanks to the benefits of modern hardware (including having more than two face buttons to work with), Link’s Awakening plays and looks better than ever before, and it’s one of the greatest adventures in a series that rarely ever disappoints.

• Release Date — February 12, 2021
• Developer — Nintendo EAD Tokyo
• Publisher — Nintendo
• Genre — Platformer
• Review Aggregate Score — 89% (Generally Favorable)
• Price — $39.99 (Normally $59.99, 33% off)

Alongside some surprising discounts on Legend of Zelda titles as part of the Summer Sale, we also have a slew of Super Mario games with rare discounts. One that I have yet to grab for my personal library but will absolutely be picking up before the sale is over is Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, which remasters the excellent Wii U title Super Mario 3D World and adds a brand-new game mode that shakes up the experience. Super Mario 3D World strikes a near-perfect balance between the 2D and 3D eras of Mario, and its current $40 price makes it one of the best games to grab as part of the eShop sale.