The Nintendo Switch 2 costs $449.99, and the newest Mario Kart game coming along with it, Mario Kart World, costs $79.99. It’s not the only one with a hefty price tag. New versions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Super Mario Party Jamboree and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom are all receiving the same price tag on the console, and the newest entry in the Donkey Kong series, Donkey Kong Bananza, costs $69.99.
Nintendo had foreshadowed this price increase. The original Tears of the Kingdom for the Nintendo Switch, released May 12, 2023, cost $69.99, which was $10 more than most of Nintendo’s other releases at the time. However, no other game for the Nintendo Switch has cost as much since.
Frankly, the $10-20 jump in the average Nintendo game price between the Switch and its successor is over-the-top. Nintendo believes their games justify their cost. In an interview with IGN about Nintendo’s pricing strategy for Mario Kart World, Nintendo of America’s Vice President of Product and Player Experience Bill Trinen said, “We just look at what is the experience, and what’s the content, and what’s the value?”
Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Super Mario Party Jamboree are receiving additional content, and Tears of the Kingdom and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are going to become compatible with the Nintendo Switch smartphone app. However, particularly with the The Legend of Zelda Switch games, these changes do not justify a $10-20 price increase, even alongside improved performance. Across the internet, people have been complaining about the rise in Nintendo’s prices, even in Nintendo livestreams.
This isn’t just a problem because the games aren’t worth their cost. This price increase demonstrates the control that Nintendo has over its consumers. If the company didn’t expect that people would pay such high prices, these games wouldn’t cost as high as they do. Even though the cost of these games is ridiculously high, Nintendo is still able to get away with it because their brand image is so strong that people purchase their games anyways. The best we can do as individuals is vote with our dollars.
The additional content Kirby and the Forgotten Land will receive is called “Star-Crossed World,” and for Super Mario Party Jamboree, it’s called “Jamboree TV.” Star-Crossed World features a new story with new abilities, though it’s unknown just how much new content there will be. Jamboree TV will feature new minigames utilizing the Nintendo Switch 2’s new features. (Image/Nintendo)
