It doesn’t matter how far into the lifecycle it is, the Nintendo Switch is going to continue dominating the holiday season. If the stacked roster of new games wasn’t already enough to ensure consoles flew off shelves bundles like this Nintendo Switch OLED package with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate would make it even more compelling. And with the fighting game’s 5th birthday, Nintendo sent one of these bundles over for me to check out to ensure I could getting in on the celebration.
Nintendo has had another amazing year. It doesn’t matter that the Switch is into its seventh year as a platform, we continue to get some of the best titles of the year released exclusively for the hybrid.
In 2023 alone I’ve fallen in love with 2D platformers games thanks to the release of Super Mario Wonder, gushed a little too much about why Pikmin is the best game franchise to ever grace the planet thanks to its fourth installment, and even managed to walk away more delighted than confused by the antics of WarioWare Move It. Please, don’t even think about getting me started on the Tears of the Kingdom.
All of those games make a case for why it’s more important than ever to have a Switch – even if you’re a devout PlayStation or Xbox loyalist. But it’s none of those that are making the cut to Nintendo’s big holiday bundle this year. That would be Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month. And like clockwork, Nintendo is out with diving right into the festivities with its newest starter package.
The company sent one of these Nintendo Switch bundles over for me to unbox and check out, adding to my collection of themed consoles. At the core of the set is the Nintendo Switch OLED, and with a $349 price tag you’d think that the hybrid is all you’re getting – but there’s more! It of course comes with all of the essentials you’d find with the standard console, including the HDMI dock for playing on the big screen TV or monitor you have, two themed Joy-Con controllers which I’ll circle back to, and then all the cables you need to plug in.
To celebrate the the tie-in game’s 5th birthday, there’s also some goodies for diving into the latest Nintendo fighter. Suprise! You get a digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! There’s quite a bit of extra documentation in the box for this one, detailing how you can redeem yourself a copy of one of the console’s most tried and true games – not to mention one of its most popular. I would have loved to see a physical edition of the game included, but this is the same thing Nintendo has been doing with these bundles for ages.
Nintendo also ensures that even if you don’t have anyone to play with around you, or your family is sick of getting three-stocked by you and your shenanigans as Steve from Minecraft, that you can at least boot up the online features. A 3-month membership to Nintendo Switch Online makes the cut in the box as yet another one of these digital codes found on a flier. It gives you access to playing titles online against other opponents, and even more importantly incudes all of the NES and old school Nintendo games.
Value aside for a first-time Switch owner, there’s also the theming of the Nintendo Switch OLED bundle. This is based around Super Smash Bros. Ulitmate, and everything from the packaging to the actual console you get is sure to remind you. But a lot more subtly compared to some other versions of Switch. The box comes covered in this gorgeous artwork from the fighting game with a whole host of iconic characters. Spin it around back, and you’ll be reminded that Everyone Is In Fact Here thanks to a breakdown of all the different fighters in the game. It’s such a fun love letter to the five years of Smash Ultimate.
Then there’s the actual console. The included Switch OLED is on the more basic side as far as the custom coat of paint is concerned. Nintendo hasn’t done anything too in your face like we’ve seen with past limited-edition collaborations – I’m looking at you, Splatoon 3. The Joy-Con are the only part of the hybrid that gets any custom design, with a very classic Super Smash Bros. logo printed onto both sides of the split controller.
I personally love how vibrant some of the past Joy-Con designs have been, let alone the actual printing on the Switch OLED itself. But after gushing a little too hard at cool the squid theming was on the Splatoon 3 edition was and having readers tell me it was too ugly for them, I get why Nintendo went with something a bit more subtle. The dock just has a classic black design and so does the back of the console. But as someone who loves a pair of themed Joy-Con, this is right up my alley.
9to5Toys’ Take
I know that most big purchases for Christmas, Hanukah, and the greater holiday season have likely been locked in already by most of you. But for the rest of you, at least consider gifting a little Smash Bros. Ultimate action with this year’s holiday Nintendo Switch OLED bundle. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the game’s 5-year anniversary, and also happens to arrive ahead of the 24th when you buy it on Amazon.
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