Update: A reminder that this sale wraps up on 10th September at 11:59pm PT. Nintendo sent us an email saying, “20 games from your Wish List are on sale!”…which, even with juicy discounts, would stretch our purse strings past breaking point – but there’s still time to pick off a game or two. Or are you all just knee-deep in Silksong?
And since publication, Nintendo announced a similar Blockbuster sale in Europe with a different lineup (although that one runs until the end of the weekend). Anyhow, carry on!
Nintendo of America is back at it again with yet another eShop sale to round out the summer.
Yes, the ‘Blockbuster Sale’ is now live on the North American eShop, and will be bringing discounts aplenty to a bunch of sweet Switch 1 titles (and a Switch 2 game or two) until 10th September at 11:59pm PT.
There’s a lot to get through in this one, so much, in fact, that we’ve assembled the following alphabetical list of every game in the sale that we scored a 9/10 or higher, accompanied by the all-important discount price.
And if you want to know what this writer would personally recommend checking out (from the masses of great titles that fall outside the 9/10+ criteria, no less), you’ll find that at the very end!
If you’re hoping to stock up on these slashed prices, you can pick up eShop credit from our store or by checking out the links below.
$14.99 (-75%)
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a wonderful achievement for dynamic storytelling, as it puts forth a compelling and multifaceted narrative that’ll keep you guessing right up until the very end.
This excellent story, combined with enjoyable combat portions, a striking art style, and some top-notch voice acting make for an experience that you won’t want to miss out on. It’s the kind of game that’ll have you wishing that you could play it again for the first time, just so all its best elements could be new again.
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$29.99 (-50%)
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the absolute pinnacle of the series and despite coming to Switch over five years after other platforms, this ‘impossible’ Switch conversion does very little to degrade the experience. Long-time franchise players and military aviation enthusiasts will be overwhelmed by the fan service at every turn, from craters on the ground to airplanes, liveries, callsigns, and emblems shouting out to previous entries.
We understand the genre is uniquely niche, but if this is your first foray into the franchise, this conversion is a perfect gateway into this rich, revered series. You get tons of content and an epic single-player campaign wrapped up in triple-A presentation that delivers the most comprehensive portable experience ever from Project Aces.
$9.99 (-75%)
AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative is one of the most interesting visual novels we’ve played through in a while. The murder mystery at its heart is brought to life by some great writing and quirky characters alongside the satisfyingly integrated, beautifully balanced Psync puzzle elements.
Even with some minor control issues, there is a lot to love in this game, even if you never picked up the original. Highly recommended if you’re even a little bit curious.
$14.99 (-25%)
Alien: Isolation is a survival horror masterpiece and straight-up one of the very best horror video games ever released.
It’s a nerve-wracking affair — a slow, methodical game of cat and mouse against a brilliantly clever recreation of one of cinema’s most infamous killers — but if you’re up to the task you’ll find one of the most satisfying gameplay experiences in the genre; a brilliant and beautiful homage to one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time.
Feral Interactive has done a stellar job with this Switch port and the excellent motion controls and inclusion of all previously-released DLC only go to sweeten the deal. This is essential stuff for survival horror fans.
$4.99 (-75%)
Axiom Verge on Switch is truly an outstanding port of an outstanding game, no more and no less. We would strongly urge those of you who missed this game on other platforms to pick it up here; this is the full Axiom Verge experience and it’s available in a format that supports both handheld and home play.
For those of you who have played it before on other platforms, it’s ultimately a question of just how much you love this game. This is the exact same, excellent game that you’ve played before, so whether or not you want to buy it again is personal choice.
Regardless of which side you fall on, Axiom Verge is a fantastic example of how to do a Metroidvania right.
$9.99 (-50%)
Axiom Verge is a remarkably tough act to follow, but Thomas Happ managed to do it again in producing a pitch-perfect, excellently paced Metroidvania adventure
Axiom Verge 2 perfectly balances familiar elements that made the original great and trying out new ideas that give the sequel its own identity, and while lovers of the first game may take some time to adjust, everything comes together and makes for a potent experience that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on.
The mysterious atmosphere, thrilling pace, and fantastic world design all come together to make for a worthy follow-up that stands well on its own.
$18.74 (-25%)
It looks like The Witness and it plays a bit like StreetPass Garden, but Botany Manor blooms into something that’s not only entirely its own, but also something quite special. Don’t let its cosy aesthetics fool you — Botany Manor is packed with nicely challenging, well-designed puzzles, and isn’t afraid to tackle heavy subjects, too.
$4.99 (-75%)
Card Shark is the kind of game that at first blush seems like it just won’t work. Lots of dialogue bookended by brief, simplistic minigame sequences seems like it would make for an experience that would lose its lustre quickly, yet we couldn’t put it down. Witty writing, high-stakes gameplay, and a gorgeous art style all come together here to make for a game that’s well-executed and unique in its appeal.
If you’re looking to try something awesome that notably bucks most modern gaming trends, Card Shark is absolutely something we’d recommend, well worth your time and money.
$9.99 (-80%)
Catherine: Full Body is a fantastic revamp of a bona fide cult classic. With an excellent new character and several new endings slickly inserted into an already highly entertaining narrative – not to mention a slew of fun new modes – this is the definitive version of an outstanding game.
If you’ve never played Catherine befor,e then you’re in for an absolute treat, and if you have, we’d say there’s enough new content here to make it worth diving in all over again.
$6.99 (-65%)
An extremely impressive first game from The Wild Gentlemen, Chicken Police – Paint it RED! is one of the best visual novel/adventure games we’ve played in a long, long time and one hell of an absorbing tale. It looks and runs great on the Switch, with only a couple of really minuscule interface issues which are easily ignored.
At roughly eight or nine hours, the story is surprisingly lengthy, but we were never bored and wanted to investigate every little thing just to wring out more precious droplets of banter and fascination. Chicken Police is a polished, captivating experience and we’re very excited for whatever’s coming next from this team.
$9.99 (-50%)
As an adventure game, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is quite sincerely up there with the very best of the genre.
There’s plenty to see and do and a full completion run will probably take you 25-30 hours. The characters and their travails are rich and likeable, the game’s sense of humour is generally inspired, and it’s all very sweet without being sugary-twee and talking down to the player. It’s also an affecting little tearjerker that will definitely strike a chord if you make art, and almost certainly will even if you don’t – so long as you’re capable of pretty basic empathy.
Chicory is simple to play but impressively long and complex, with perfect controls, performance and visuals. Throw yourself into painting the world and you’ll be left with a game that’s very much your own and speaks to you directly – a beautiful marriage of mechanics, themes and visuals.
$59.49 (-15%)
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is a remarkable launch-day port for Nintendo’s console. Its deep, diverse, and tangible world is fully realised with impressive performance for such a low-powered device.
If you’ve not taken your first steps into Night City already, or you’re a long-time player with a portable-play itch that needs scratching, you’re in for a serious treat, choom.
$4.99 (-75%)
Death’s Door is a modern classic, utilising old gameplay ideas in a new setting to make for a short and sweet experience you won’t want to miss. The snappy combat, rewarding exploration, and relaxing music will stick with you once you’ve finished, and while it may not have anything ‘new’ to offer, Death’s Door is so high quality that you’ll hardly have time to think about its lack of innovation.
We’d give this one a very high recommendation, especially to any fans of Zelda or Soulslike games — Acid Nerve has crafted an experience that’s absolutely worth your time and money.
$6.49 (-50%)
Detention is another horror classic that deserves a place on your Switch. Its story has an important message as it introduces themes through the eyes of a child that only escalate the horror.
Through a terrifying atmosphere, chilling ghouls, and a soundtrack that will sink its teeth into you, Detention is a suitably horrifying title that needs to be experienced firsthand.
$7.49 (-50%)
An attractive art style, strong combat system, and meaningful player choices make Dicefolk a brilliant addition to the library, as it manages to feel fresh without getting too far away from the core ideas that make these sorts of games so addictive and popular.
Dicefolk is a good entry point to the genre, in fact; approachable without being patronising and it’s tons of fun once you get a grasp of its various quirks.
$11.99 (-70%)
Disco Elysium’s narrative and dialogue, which was already wonderfully compelling in the base game, was given a massive boost thanks to the excellent voice acting introduced for the Final Cut.
The gameplay features a host of branching paths for you to explore, and while the slow, methodical approach may turn a few people off, this is nevertheless one of the most well-told stories in any medium from the last few years.
The performance issues at the time of our review slightly took the shine off things, but even with them present, Disco Elysium: The Final Cut was and is a triumph and stands as one of the best RPGs available on Switch.
$9.59 (-84%)
Dragon Ball FighterZ on the Switch is, simply put, one of the best fighting games we’ve seen on the system. Arc System Works went the extra mile in capturing the essence of the source material and distilled it into an incredible brawler that has lost nothing in the transition to Nintendo’s hybrid console.
The stunning visuals, intense action, and easy-to-master controls make FighterZ a game all fans of the genre should have in their library. If you only play this kind of game casually, it remains a must-own.
$3.49 (-77%)
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.
$14.99 (-25%)
Fight’N Rage is one of the must-own action games on Nintendo’s console. Its surprisingly deep and satisfyingly weighty combat engine, combined with three strong and varied player characters and a host of cleverly-designed enemies, elevate it above the usual button-mashing experience perhaps expected of entries in this genre. It’s got an excellent arcade mode that branches off in various directions as you make your way to the final boss battle, as well as a ton of unlockable modes and extras to keep you coming back for more.
Whether you’re a learned fan of old-school beat ’em ups or you just like pummelling the life out of mutant punk pussycats and monkeys dressed as Bruce Lee, you owe it to yourself to experience what Sebastian Garcia has created here; it’s easily one of the best beat’em ups we’ve played.
$7.49 (-50%)
The blend of all-out action, deep strategy, and Ancient’s irreverent humour is as enjoyable as ever in Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness, and smashing a huge castle-tank into evil things never stops being fun.
This ’80s-loving game — which goes beyond standard tower defence territory and ends up somewhere that can only be described as “strategic mayhem” — plays its story for laughs, but the game itself is an expertly crafted challenge with lots to do and plenty more to keep coming back for.
$3.74 (-75%)
Grapple Dog is one of the most refreshingly unfussy platformers we’ve seen in a long time. The central mechanic (other than, well, being a dog) is the titular grapple which allows you to traverse the game’s perfectly-sized levels using said hook to swing from ceilings, build momentum, attach to enemies and Donkey Kong Country-style cannons, and generally add a whole layer of mechanical complexity while maintaining extremely simple three-button controls.
It isn’t quite perfect, but developer Medallion does precisely what it sets out to do: deliver an unpretentious platformer that’s a hell of a lot of fun to play. And then there’s…
$8.99 (-50%)
Grapple Dogs: Cosmic Canines is everything fans could hope for in a sequel, as it improves upon every aspect that made the first Grapple Dog so great. Strong level design, a fantastic soundtrack, high gameplay variety, and lots of replayability make this one an easy recommendation to anyone looking for an excellent, pure platformer to add to their Switch library. It’s the most fun platformer we’ve played in quite a while.
$3.74 (-75%)
The fact you’ve been able to play Grim Fandango Remastered on your TV and in handheld form elsewhere for years doesn’t matter one bit, because this gem of a game is still as enchanting and evocative as it was the first time you popped open that oversized cardboard box back in PC in 1998.
Here and now on Nintendo Switch, this port looks and runs noticeably smoother thanks to Double Fine’s deft adjustments, so whether you’ve already joined Manny on his afterlife odyssey or this is your first time among the dead, Switch’s library is 100% better for its inclusion.
