Thanksgiving turkey. Football. Pumpkin pie. Mariah Carey's “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on every speaker. Nintendo sets Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Exchange packs on sale for Black Friday. All of these have become beloved holiday traditions — but this year, one of those traditions has ended, perhaps for good. Nintendo's Black Friday sale has officially begun, running from November 23rd to November 29th, and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the Switch console bundle is nowhere to be seen.
The Mario Kart 8 bundle was a standard throughout the life of the Switch
For seven years without fail, Nintendo has offered the bundle of a Nintendo Switch console and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe games as part of Black Friday deals. The bundle first appeared in 2018 and reappeared every year, always costing $299.99. Sure, sometimes it sold out, as games and consoles on Black Friday inevitably do, but it was always there.
Now, this year, the bundle is no more. Nintendo's offers include heavy discounts on titles such as Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Luigi's Mansion 3, as well as several third-party offerings such as Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and that Final Fantasy 1-6 Pixel Collection. Amiibos are also on sale, with buyers up for grabs The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's Sage amiibos for just $9.99 each. But there are no console offers. Nobody really expected a deal on the new Nintendo Switch 2 console, but not having one for the Switch 1, which has happened every year, is surprising.
The lack of console offerings isn't unexpected, but it's disappointing
With the Switch 2 so new, Nintendo fans didn't expect to see a discounted version on the virtual shelves on Black Friday. We've got less than a year left in the console's lifespan and sales are still high, so it's way too early for Nintendo to drop the price. But the original Nintendo Switch is still actively for sale pretty much everywhere, and there are probably more than a few gamers who would still be happy to see the older console wrapped under the tree. Discontinuing the bundle seems like an odd move – especially as Nintendo wasn't yet ready to replace it with a Switch 2 equivalent, such as a discounted version of Mario Kart World console package.
The Switch 2 is a major factor, but it's not the only one
The release of the Switch 2 may not be the only reason why Nintendo is discontinuing the popular Black Friday bundle in 2025. Recently, Nintendo Switch consoles have seen a price increase, with a standard Switch now selling for $339.99 and an OLED model for $399.99. While Nintendo cited vague “market conditions” in its official announcement of the changes, increased tariffs in the US are likely a major contributing factor to the change.
Now the Nintendo Switch retails for over $300 and offers it and Mario Kart 8 for $299.99 on Black Friday would likely not be a financially sound decision for Nintendo. The decision to remove the package entirely instead of offering a slightly more expensive version is odd, but that may be because its seven-year legacy would mean the price increase would be viewed particularly negatively. It's also interesting to note that there are no deals on recently released exclusive Switch 2 games, and few on physical accessories or console peripherals, which isn't unexpected. Reports indicate that Switch 2 microSD cards will be discounted during the Cyber Monday period that begins on November 30.
Currently, Nintendo's available Black Friday deals are listed on the official Nintendo Store website. More are coming on November 30 for Cyber Monday, but a Switch or Switch 2 discount seems highly unlikely. It seems that 2025 is indeed the end of an era – perhaps a new discounted Switch 2 bundle will debut on Black Friday 2026 to replace it?
