Do you have a loved one on your holiday gift list who is perpetually attached to their Switch? Are they always trying to save a princess, pay off their debt to an anthropomorphic raccoon, or catch ‘em all? Are they so busy upholding the monarchy and putting cute little creatures into ball prisons that they aren’t telling you what they want for presents? Well, we’ve got a few suggestions to help you find the perfect gift for the Nintendo fan in your life.
The biggest game of 2023 for the Switch was easily The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and anyone who somehow didn’t buy the game in the past six months will be overjoyed to see it under the tree come Christmas morning. Link and Zelda’s latest adventure is huge in scope, designed around experimentation and creativity, and has some really affecting story moments that rank among the series’ best. It’s a lovely next step in Breath of the Wild’s open-world evolution of the series and remains one of the most frequent mentions in conversations about what deserves to be 2023’s Game of the Year. If your loved one hasn’t played it and owns a Switch, this is the kind of game that makes a holiday morning memorable.
A sequel to the 2018 3DS game, Detective Pikachu Returns is a simple, but really solid adventure game set in the Pokémon world. If you’re buying this for a younger child, just know that it will require some reading to get through, but it’s otherwise easy to parse. The game follows the titular Pokémon sleuth and Tim Goodman as they solve mysteries in Ryme City. It has puzzle solving, deduction, and an actually pretty great story without all the competitive battling that Pokémon typically centers on.
Much like Detective Pikachu Returns, Pikmin 4 is a pretty approachable take on a genre that can often be hard for people to get into. Nintendo’s take on the RTS genre is cute (if secretly harrowing in premise), and finds a welcome balance between challenge and accessibility. The first three games are also available on Switch, as well, so if you wanted to spend roughly $170 for four games, you could buy someone the entire set.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an absolute delight. It riffs on the series’ sidescrolling formula in innovative ways, and is all the fresher for it. Wonder can also be played cooperatively with a group of four, so it makes for a great family activity right after the presents have been opened.
When the Switch comes out of the box, the only way to charge its detachable Joy-Con controllers is by attaching them to the device itself. That means if you’re trying to play on your TV but your controllers are dying, you have to switch to handheld mode just to charge them. You have a few options in this scenario, including buying multiple sets of controllers, but even then, you won’t be able to charge them all at the same time. That’s why it’s worth investing in a dedicated Joy-Con charger like the Charging Dock Nintendo sells for $30.
But if you want something more immediate, the Joy-Con charging grip lets you charge your controllers while using them like any other controller. You can find those for as cheap as $20.
If you want something really tailored to someone’s interests and are willing to shell out a bit more cash, there are artists who make custom Joy-Cons on sites like Etsy. The options range from choosing distinctive colors to getting original designs on your controllers. Speaking personally, I’d love a custom set of Joy-Cons to put on display rather than play with, but to each their own.
While it might have been divisive, there’s no denying people showed up in droves to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie this year. The film is available on digital storefronts, but if you want something to put under the tree, the Blu-ray version has a bunch of special features to watch through after you’ve heard Jack Black croon for Peach.
The Amiibo craze isn’t quite what it used to be, so it’s pretty easy to find Nintendo’s small, high-quality figures for a reasonable price. That includes the Tears of the Kingdom set, which has figures of Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. All three make for lovely display pieces, but they also unlock materials and other doodads in Tears of the Kingdom.
Nintendo’s collaboration with Lego has brought several building sets featuring Mario, his friends, and his enemies to store shelves over the years. Every time a new one sprouts up I’m reminded how expensive Lego sets can be, but also once again I see how high-quality the final product is. Nintendo has a whole page on its store for the Mario Lego line, ranging from smaller, $10 sets featuring maybe a character or two, to an elaborate, $270 one to build a giant Bowser. You can also see Super Mario sets highlighted on the Lego website.
If you like playing your Switch in handheld mode but find the Joy-Con form factor lacking, the HORI Split Pad Pro gives you a better grip and bigger buttons. It even has back buttons you can assign to whatever you like. It’s frankly a steal at $50 considering Joy-Cons retail for $80 and feel worse.
Are you looking for something for the Pokémon trainer in your life? The Pokémon Company has spent the last few years in an ongoing effort to make an affordable plush for each of the 1000+ Pokémon with the Sitting Cuties line. Right now they’re about halfway through the Pokédex. As the name suggests, these plushies sit, which makes them perfect to place on a desk or shelf. This is one of the few merch lines in Pokémon history that is making something for every Pokémon. Statistically speaking, each Pokémon is probably somebody’s favorite, so this is a great pick if your loved one’s fave doesn’t get a lot of attention.
They’re high quality, cheap, and right now you can get one of any of the first 649 Pokémon from the first five generations. Some of them can be found on the Pokémon Center website, but others might not be in stock. Your best bet in that scenario is to check something like eBay.
A lot of people don’t realize Nintendo started out as a manufacturer for Hanafuda cards. These are for traditional Japanese card games, and while Nintendo has since become a giant in the video game industry, the company still pays tribute to its roots with modern, Mario-branded cards like the ones it made in the late 1800s. If your gift receiver-to-be might appreciate something that feels like a part of Nintendo’s history, this is a perfect, inexpensive gift.
Satoru Iwata, the late president of Nintendo from 2002 until his passing in 2015, took part in a regular interview series called “Iwata Asks,” in which he would discuss game development, the industry, and leading Nintendo with candor and insight. These interviews have since been translated into English and compiled into a book called Ask Iwata. The book offers a lot of behind-the-scenes knowledge into Iwata’s thinking during his tenure at the company, and even if you think you know the stories discussed, it’s worth reading it all in one place to get a sense of his storied career and what others can still learn from his life.
The best part about making your home in Animal Crossing is furnishing something that feels uniquely yours. We know the people who poured their heart and soul into their New Horizon islands are all about interior decorating and giving their space a personal touch. So why not combine those things and give the Animal Crossing lover in your life a sign that welcomes people into their home, bedroom, or establishment, all in the style of Nintendo’s beloved life sim? These wooden signs are handmade by WayforkWoodworks on Etsy by commission, so you’ll definitely want to get an order in as soon as possible.
Is someone on your list a squid that’s also a kid? It turns out there are some pretty cute Splatoon-like squid hats on places like Etsy that will keep their head warm while they also cover the sidewalk with paint to mark their territory. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper than buying any of the Splattershot replica water guns that it’s too cold to play with anyway.
While it might not be as exciting as having something for them to rip open on Christmas day, a Nintendo eShop card is probably the safest bet for buying a Switch owner a gift this holiday season. They can buy their own games, and you don’t risk getting them something they don’t like and resent you for. Now, the power is in their hands to waste their own money and you get to know you did your part and are not responsible for what comes after. These cards are valued at $10, $20, $25, and $50, so choose what’s in your budget and let them figure it out.