Anyone who’s ever tried buying or selling a used first-party Nintendo game knows they retain their value more than any other brand in gaming. So when Nintendo games go on sale, people sit up. Not to mention a new price drop for the New Nintendo 3DS! The Back-to-School Sale begins August 26.

“Those back-to-school deals are some of the best and most varied we have ever offered,” said Doug Bowser (yep!), Nintendo Senior VP of Sales and Marketing. “Now is clearly the best time to get started on your essential Nintendo game collection.”

Several titles have been given the Nintendo Selects treatment. This is similar to when other companies put out a Game of the Year edition. Instead of bundling with DLC, however, the Nintendo Selects come in at the lovely price point of $19.99.

  • Animal Crossing: New Leaf (3DS)
  • Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (3DS)
  • Tomodachi Life (3DS)
  • Nintendogs + Cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends (3DS)
  • LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins (3DS)
  • The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)
  • Nintendo Land (Wii U)
  • LEGO City Undercover (Wii U)

back-to-school saleAlso coming on August 26 is a new, cheaper New Nintendo 3DS XL bundle. The Super Mario 3D Land Edition includes a digital version of Super Mario 3D Land along with two spiffy Mario and Nintendo themed face plates. It has a suggested retail price of $149.99, which is about $50 cheaper than it’s ever been.

The New Nintendo 3DS XL was released last year with an upgraded processor, additional analog stick, and amiibo support.

Speaking of amiibo, Nintendo is packaging several Wii U games with amiibo. The amiibo unlock some minor gameplay functionality, such as customization and new challenge levels. These bundles will be available starting September 9, and priced starting at $39.99.

  • Yoshi’s Woolly World (with Pink Yarn Yoshi amiibo or Light Blue Yarn Yoshi)
  • Mario Party 10 (with Peach amiibo or Bowser amiibo)
  • Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (with Toad amiibo)

One could argue that going back to school means playing less games. But with these prices, maybe some new Nintendo games could provide the perfect reward for kids finishing their homework.


This article was written by

Eric has been writing for over nine years with bylines at Dicebreaker, Pixelkin, Polygon, PC Gamer, Tabletop Gaming magazine, and more covering movies, TV shows, video games, tabletop games, and tech. He reviews and live streams D&D adventures every week on his YouTube channel. He also makes a mean tuna quesadilla.