Just a reminder that the New Year sale on the European Switch eShop is coming to an end this Sunday (14th January). If there's something on your wishlist that you wanted to tick off, don't miss out.
Because your backlog's not long enough already, right? Carry on!
Blimey, another one? Hot off the back of Nintendo's Festive Offers eShop sale, a brand-new bunch of bargains are available in the European 2024 New Year sale.
Kicking off at the start of the new year, this eShop sale is bringing discounts of "up to 75%" until 14th January 2024 — so you've got a couple of weeks to check it out if your wallet hasn't quite recovered from the last sale.
As is always the case, there are a lot of games receiving a tasty discount and with so many titles to wade through, it can be difficult to pick out the diamonds from the doo-doo. But worry not, we're here to help! Below, we have listed every game in Nintendo's 2024 New Year eShop sale that we awarded a 9/10 or higher, so you can find the very best of 'em at a glance.
We have presented the following discounts in GBP, but you can find EUR savings by checking out your respective eShop.
If you are keen to stock up on some eShop credit to use in this New Year sale, then we can help with that one too. Check out our store or follow the links below for all available eShop credit options.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
Stocked up and ready to go? Let's check out the cream of the New Year sale's crop...
Disney Illusion Island (Switch)
£24.49 (-30%)
While you could certainly argue that Disney Illusion Island is perhaps more of a Metroidvania than it is a straight-up 2D platformer, we reckon it strikes a wonderful balance between the two genres that it could honestly fall into either category. Its focus on combat-free exploration makes this an excellent gateway into the genre for younger audiences, and its ability to support up to four players via local co-op means that it's an excellent option for families who want to spend a bit of time with some of the most iconic Disney characters imaginable. You can also hug each other to regain health. What more could you ask for?
![Disney Illusion Island [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/25509/100x100.png)
Persona 5 Tactica (Switch)
£38.49 (-30%)
Persona 5 Tactica is a thrillingly varied tactical RPG that fans of the Phantom Thieves and the genre should take note of. It's a little on the easy side, but the varied gameplay, excellent soundtrack, striking visuals, and lovable characters all make for a very easy recommendation here. We’d especially suggest you pick this up if you really enjoyed the original Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, as we noticed a lot of parallels that can be drawn between the two. It remains to be seen if this is the last time we’ll be seeing the Phantom Thieves don their masks, but if this does turn out to be their finale, Persona 5 Tactica is a massively enjoyable sendoff for the beloved crew.
Florence (Switch eShop)
£1.79 (-64%)
Florence is an evocation of the beauty, sadness, and hope that comes from any human connection we make in our lives, whether with art, nature, or another person. It's a succinct and incredibly successful exploration of moments you'll recognise from your own life, and the way it mirrors thoughts and feelings through small gameplay mechanics makes it one of the most affecting experiences we've enjoyed on Switch, or any other platform.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider (Switch eShop)
£9.79 (-30%)
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an absolute triumph in 'neo-retro' game design. It boasts fluid combat with plenty of variety in environmental and enemy design and an art style that looks like it beamed straight over from the early '90s. While its overall short length might be a bit of a sticking point for some, those looking for an action title that is not only a fantastic experience but also feels like an authentically retro one will find this to be an absolute no-brainer.
Return to Monkey Island (Switch eShop)
£13.49 (-40%)
Return to Monkey Island reaches into your heart, rips out your desire to know THE SECRET, and clenches it in front of your face. As hard as it would be to concede that The Secret of Monkey Island™ might always have been a MacGuffin, it’s agonising to contemplate that your 30-year longing for the Monkey Island 3 might be just the same. Delighting as you tremor, Return presents to your transfixed gaze a phenomenal point-and-click adventure, bubbling with passion and fun. All the way through, you will hope, achingly, that the big reveal is coming – and then…
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
£33.29 (-33%)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe repackaged the original for the hybrid handheld for all of the millions of people who didn't play on Wii U and added in that excellent (and sorely missed) Battle Mode for good measure. This is the pinnacle of the entire series; a fast, attractive, sublimely playable romp which has to rank as one of the best racing games of all time. It's the definitive Mario Kart experience, content-rich and a delightful feast of comedic, cartoonish karting action. Essential.
And the addition of 48 more courses with the awkwardly named Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass DLC? Well, that's just more icing on an already-grand cake, isn't it?
![Mario Kart 8 Deluxe [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/25515/100x100.png)
Quake (Switch eShop)
£2.63 (-67%)
Quake returns in a feature-rich remaster that delicately updates the classic FPS, adding lots of optional bells and whistles, packing in a ton of content, and delivering the definitive way to play this 25-year-old masterpiece in the process. There's a wealth of online and co-op options here, a glorious new expansion to blast through from MachineGames, super slick performance in both docked and handheld modes and it's all available at a cracking price point. This really is a stellar port of one gaming's true greats and an absolutely essential addition to your Switch library.
Downwell (Switch eShop)
£1.80 (-33%)
This is an excellent port of a game that feels like it’s found a natural home on Switch thanks to a plethora of control options and the console’s natural facility with vertical orientation. Short of popping your 4K TV on its side, Switch offers the very best way to play Downwell. Its roguelike structure and twitch platforming might not be for everyone, but you should really give it a chance. For our money, it’s a modern classic that should be in everyone’s collection.
Wargroove 2 (Switch eShop)
£14.23 (-15%)
It isn’t often that war is a cozy affair, but Wargroove 2 manages to pull it off. We loved the game’s colourful, vibrant art and playful writing, and there is enough depth and variety in the main campaign to satisfy most tactics fans while the Conquest mode will offer an even greater challenge for those seeking it. It doesn’t change much from the previous game; it just tightens up some of the existing mechanics and adds a couple of extra wrinkles to an already great formula. It's a brilliant sequel, and yet another worthy successor to Advance Wars.
Enter the Gungeon (Switch eShop)
£3.29 (-70%)
Enter The Gungeon is a brilliantly tactile, endlessly replayable twin-stick roguelike that sits right up there with the very best indie games on Nintendo Switch. With satisfying combat, random levels, and an endless supply of inventive weapons, items and secrets, it's always a total joy to play. Yet another modern indie classic found a natural home on Nintendo's console.
Jack Move (Switch eShop)
£9.29 (-40%)
It may not last terribly long, but Jack Move manages to pack in all the important elements needed for an excellent cyberpunk JRPG adventure. The inventive battle system, enchanting world, and appealing graphics all come together to make for a perfectly paced, gripping, and memorable release that no RPG fan will want to miss out on, and that goes double for time-poor genre aficionados. It’s not often that you see a JRPG that leans so hard into science fiction tropes, and Jack Move makes the most of every minute of its runtime. Highly recommended.
A Short Hike (Switch eShop)
£3.77 (-40%)
A Short Hike is a fat-free experience from top to bottom – or should we say bottom to top? It's the kind of game that makes us just sigh with happiness when we recall our time with it, and even having played it through to its ostensible conclusion multiple times, we know for a fact there are still things to see and do on that mountain. What we have here is something of an apotheosis – a milestone in indie games akin to Cave Story, or Spelunky. The very best bits of multiple game genres, stripped of all padding and bloat, mixed perfectly into a delicious video game stew that only gets richer and richer the more you play. An exploration in every sense of the word, A Short Hike is cute without being twee, challenging without being obnoxious, and emotional without being cloying. A landmark game for all ages. Don't miss this one.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Switch)
£33.29 (-33%)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury takes everything that made the cat-filled Wii U original special and throws in various small gameplay tweaks to make it even more enjoyable. The first four-player 3D Mario game fuses the freedom of the third dimension with the spirit of the tighter, more constrained (yet no less imaginative) courses from his 2D games to wonderful effect. The cooperative multiplayer element brought Princess Peach, Luigi, and Toad back into the fold of playable characters, mirroring the lineup of Super Mario Bros. 2. Cat Mario and Captain Toad were also introduced here, with the latter's special levels leading to a standalone adventure in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
![Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury [Digital Code]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/13286/100x100.jpg)
![Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury [Download Code - UK/EU]](https://images.nintendolife.com/products/18468/100x100.png)
Rogue Legacy 2 (Switch eShop)
£13.49 (-40%)
Rogue Legacy 2 is — to put it simply — a banger. While it’s not a game-changing revelation, it manages to follow up on everything that made the original great and makes it bigger and better. Even once you've bested the bosses, you've barely scratched the surface of what this has to offer, considering the in-depth New Game Plus mode and the wealth of content contained across all available classes and options. Whether you loved the original Rogue Legacy (which is also on sale) or never played it but like a good roguelike, this is a game you simply can't afford to miss.
Comments 22
The only one on this list is Lumines Remastered. Which I'm gonna buy physically. Cause I'm pretty much adverse to digital. Weird enough but it is what is.
Picked up Astral Ascent earlier which makes up 40/67 of these games that I own on Switch (although I'd only agree on the 9/10 score for around half of those). Most of the others don't appeal to me too much.
Goddamnit I JUST got off of a massive eShop splurge during the last sale, yet I'm extremely tempted to pick up a bunch of beatemups I've had my eye on for the past long while here like Streets of Rage 4, TMNT: Shredder's Revenge and Lego DC Super Villains. WHEN WILL IT EVER END 😭
I would love to see de Blob on sale, my daughter loved it on the Wii / Wii U, and I’d definitely buy it again on Switch with a discount.
@AmplifyMJ Not sure if the first one is on sale (already own it) but de Blob 2 is. So I would think the first likely is too. Just a heads up.
@XenoShaun well thank you, I appreciate that!
I think there is 50-52 of those games I own. Astral Ascent is on my wishlist and hasn't been downloaded yet so it's good to know it's on sale. I think that's the only one that I have left of this list that I really want and don't own already
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@XenoShaun just checked, it is, downloading as I type this! Thanks again ☺️
@AmplifyMJ Hope you and your daughter get to re-enjoy this great game
I just come to say that Disney Illusion Island was a very dissapointing platforming and metroidvania game for me. I'd go for others much better and more interesting ones.
I mean, unless you're a kid or you're planning to play with them. Too easy and simple.
Is Bowser’s Fury worth £33 on its own? I already played through the entirety of 3D World on the WiiU. It’s fantastic but I don’t have the time or inclination to do it again (backlog is waaay to big to be doing that right now), but I would like that Bowser content.
@Ogbert I'd say, no, it's not worth it at that price, although I did enjoy it back then and am actually hoping for 3D Mario moving in this direction. Caveat is that it runs at 30fps in handheld mode and 60fps docked.
Worth mentioning is that the Switch port of SM3DW increases movement speed, so it plays somewhat differently. I prefer the Wii U version.
@Ogbert my brother and I had already played the original game on Wii U as well. Got Bowser's Fury and never touched the port part of the package. It's short on it's own, but it was one of my favorite gaming experiences of its launch year. And I think we paid full price. I recommend it, but it depends on how much you value time for your dollar.
@the_beaver I was going to recommend Disney Illusion Island. The first boss was just so creative and a joy to play. We haven’t finished it yet, but I agree with NL’s review and score (9/10).
However, you are not wrong. It is on the easier side and it is a great game for kids and families.
Get it in the sale or buy a physical copy (that you can resell when you are finished).
Finally got Just shapes and beats for which I've been waiting for a discount for ages.
It's absolutely awesome but I could not get myself to buy it for more than 10. That's done.
Got Downwell from this sale, probably picking up Rogue Legacy 2 and The Messenger as well. Nintendo Life + Deku Deals make me feel like I'm getting quite the bang for my buck, but the library is filling up quickly so I end up spending more than I planned anyway. Oh well. Now to find the time!
Ghost Trick 10/10 is not on the list, but also on sale.
Is Skyward Sword worth it even without the amiibo? How frustrating does the lack of fast travel get?
@Ogbert It will depend on you, personally I enjoyed it so much despite its short length for it alone to be worth my purchase of this version slightly discounted at launch similar to @Zaruboggan , but do keep in mind the fair points @Qwiff made, too.
I'd like to add that if you ever feel like replaying the 3D World part they added online play and a photo mode, also available in Bowser's Fury, where you can use the stamps which where originally for Miiverse.
@GrowingWings Your mileage may vary, but I didn't have the amiibo at the time and didn't have any issues without that feature as the original ways to go back to the sky were more than enough for me.
@Qwiff @Zaruboggan @JohnnyMind Thanks for the feedback! Online play and Photo Mode are good additions but not ones I’ll personally use. The increased movement speed is an odd one, I didn’t find the original slow in any way.
I sounds BF isn’t a huge addition but it’s a quality one, which is the most important thing, and it is giving me FOMO! But I think I’m going to hold out a little longer. Hopefully there will be another sale like this next year at which point if it’s this price or lower again I’ll be sure to pick it up!
@Ogbert I didn't want to sound too negative with my first comment, but the increase in movement speed in SM3DW has a noticeable effect on gameplay. As the level layouts are left untouched, the faster movement results in a tendency to overshoot jumps. Maybe the change is related to online play, who knows? If you ask me, the original plays much better.
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