As Nintendo's internal software focus has switched to games for its as-yet-unannounced hardware, we've been enjoying a wave of lower-key ports, remakes, and remasters over the last year or so, in addition to the tentpole TOTKs and Mario Wonders of the world. The sun may be slowly setting on Switch, but quality revisits such as Metroid Prime Remastered, Super Mario RPG, and Paper Mario: TTYD hardly feel like stop-gaps. Even less exciting games like Mario vs. Donkey Kong and the upcoming Luigi's Mansion 2 HD represent hearty late-gen fare, especially for players who never played the originals.
Still, if you are a returning player, you might be looking at the price tag for these games and raising an eyebrow. Nintendo has said in the past that it looks at pricing on a "case-by-case" basis, so here's a look at the MSRP of all the recent Switch remasters/remakes/ports it's published since the beginning of 2023:
| Game | Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| Metroid Prime Remastered | $39.99 |
| Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe | $59.99 |
| Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp | $59.99 |
| Pikmin 1+2 | $49.99 |
| Super Mario RPG | $59.99 |
| Another Code: Recollection | $59.99 |
| Mario vs. Donkey Kong | $49.99 |
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door | $59.99 |
| Luigi's Mansion 2 HD (upcoming) | $59.99 |
That selection represents a wide spectrum of development approaches to old titles, from straightforward ports with minor enhancements (the Pikmins) to total overhauls that rework everything (Super Mario RPG) — and as we discussed last week, the line between remaster and remake isn't always clear.
Obviously, Nintendo charges what it thinks people will be willing to pay, which is why TOTK cost 70 bucks. Looking at the list above, there's sure to be a range of opinions when it comes to value. For our money, personally, $40 felt like excellent value for a remaster of Metroid Prime's quality and the Pikmins feel a tad overpriced given the straightforwardness of the ports — especially if you buy them separately, in which case they're $29.99 each.
It's worth considering that Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can buy pairs of Game Vouchers for $100, which reduces the price of the more expensive games to $50 a pop. That's only for digital versions, mind, and you have to buy two vouchers at once (you have up to a year to redeem them).
Pricing is a topic we've touched on several times in recent years. Back when Activision upped its RRP to $70, we asked if you'd be prepared to spend that on a new video game. When Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's $70 price was announced, we asked how you felt about it, as we did when Red Dead Redemption was ported to Switch and Rockstar charged $50 for it.