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It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I love Nintendo games! I’ve been playing them ever since the mid 1980’s and have owned every Nintendo system.
From the time I played the arcade game version of Super Mario Bros. at a Pizza Hut to now playing the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has captured my attention and provided a fun and entertaining outlet for my creativity.
I now have four kids of my own and you can be sure that I shared my love of Nintendo games with them as well. With this background in mind, I’d love to share with you my 2020 Nintendo gift guide.
2020 Nintendo Gift Guide
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
- This bundle includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy.
The release of Super Mario 3D All-Stars was exciting for our entire family for different reasons. I was a teenager when Super Mario 64 was released, and even though the gameplay and graphics are dated now, back then the game was groundbreaking and exciting.
Playing Super Mario 64 again, aside from being nostalgic, is a pure pleasure for me, and the ability play it on a hand-held device is so cool. My oldest son is most thrilled about Super Mario Sunshine, while the rest of my kids really enjoy Super Mario Galaxy.
These re-releases have higher resolutions than their original versions, and they’ve been optimized for a smooth gameplay experience on Nintendo Switch. This bundle also features a music-player mode that allows you to select and play individual songs from all three games.
Nintendo has announced that Super Mario 3D All-Stars is on a limited production run and will be available until approximately March 31, 2021. Don’t miss out on this awesome game bundle!
Nintendo Switch Online
I’d like to present what I consider to be an amazing value from Nintendo. The Nintendo Switch Online membership features a lot of bang for your buck, including online play, access to a nice library of retro Nintendo games, and much more.
Our Nintendo Switch Online membership gets plenty of use in our home. The main reason we own it is being able to play 70+ NES and Super NES games, including The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest.
We also love the ability to play games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with family and friends online (they also own that game and a membership).
There are also cool exclusives like free-to-download games (such as Super Mario Bros. 35), and access to buy original NES and Super NES controllers for the Nintendo Switch.
We have the 12-month individual membership which is good for our family, for now. Currently, it only costs $20 for 12 months, which as I mentioned, is crazy cheap for what we’re getting in return.
There are other benefits too! This is a gift any fan of Nintendo would love.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is without doubt the most-played game of 2020 in our home. Once again, Nintendo has created a masterpiece for players of all ages.
It’s no secret or surprise that sales of this game was likely fueled by the COVID-19 quarantine across the world. People simply had a need for escapism, and the timing of the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons coincided with the onset of the terrible effects of this devastating and tragic pandemic.
This game, though, provides countless hours of relaxing entertainment, with or without COVID-19. Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been and still is fun for each member of our family, ranging from 5-years-old on up.
In this game, the objective is to set up camp and enjoy life on a peaceful and gorgeous island. You are in complete control of how developed the island will or will not be. That may sound a little boring but, let me assure you, this game is far from boring. There is so much you can do and accomplish in this game, and every bit of it is fun and satisfying.
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury
Ok, I know Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury isn’t scheduled to be released until the beginning of next year, but hear me out as to why this preorder is a great gift now.
Like Super Mario 3D All-Stars mentioned at the beginning of this article, Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury is a re-release of a previous game, this time from the Wii U.
Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U is arguably the best Mario game ever created. In fact, that game is still played almost daily in our home. The gorgeous graphics, immersive level design, stunning music, and replay value keeps us playing again and again.
I am very confident that this enhanced re-release and the new content, Bowser’s Fury, will be another major hit for Nintendo. Your Nintendo fan will be thrilled knowing that this game will be in their hands on release day!
Nintendo Switch
Yes, the Nintendo Switch is nearly four years old. That doesn’t prevent me, though, from recommending it as a great gift in 2020. It represents the best that Nintendo currently has to offer and any Nintendo fan should experience it firsthand.
Of all the descriptive titles one could bestow upon this console, one of the most apt would be versatile. There is so much that you can do with this console and so many games to play!
As the name suggests, the Nintendo Switch allows you to switch between playing on a hand-hold console to displaying them on a TV. You can also release the attached kickstand and rest your Switch on a table. The controllers disconnect from the console and allow you to operate them in the traditional way.
There’s also the Nintendo Switch Lite variant, which is handheld-only.
We’ve taken our Switch everywhere… even out-of-state trips. As a kid I dreamed to be able to take my Nintendo consoles and play them in the car… now my kids get to do just that!
The Nintendo eShop, accessible through the Switch menu, has literally hundreds of games available for purchase, and that number seems to increase weekly. This is, of course, in addition to any physical copies you purchase along the way.
The Nintendo Switch is an awesome game console that makes for a sweet gift!
2020 Nintendo Gift Guide Feedback
I hope my 2020 Nintendo Gift Guide was helpful to you and provided you with awesome gift ideas! Please let me know in the comments below if, after reading my recommendations, you purchased any of these items listed above.
Got a great Nintendo experience? I’d love to hear about it in the comments too!