Nintendo is selling downloadable packages of two of its most popular games: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Both of these games got post-launch support, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe will get more content in the near future.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was published less than two months after the Switch was introduced, and it quickly became the best-selling racing game of all time, attracting new players to this day. Animal Crossing: New Horizons would achieve comparable popularity following its March 2020 release, selling around 40 million copies. According to these numbers, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are the two best-selling Switch titles, with the former selling more than the latter.
Both of these games would later get paid DLC in the form of Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass, the latter of which would offer new circuits to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the rest of 2023. Players who wish to enjoy the DLC for these games now have a new option. When purchasing any of these titles via the Nintendo Switch eShop, gamers now have the option of purchasing a digital package that contains the game as well as the corresponding DLC.
Escape to your very own paradise in this #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons bundle that includes both the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game and the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC, available now on #NintendoSwitch #eShop.https://t.co/zUCoko0acU pic.twitter.com/BKEIsGyDrW
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 31, 2023
Players could previously get this DLC by purchasing it separately or by subscribing to the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, which also included the Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion. Players who do not want to upgrade their Nintendo Switch Online subscription to the Expansion Pack may now acquire more access to each game’s DLC with this new package. However, it is worth noting that these bundles do not provide considerable savings over purchasing the games and DLC individually, however, future deals may alter this.
DLC for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Splatoon 2 has contributed to the games’ lifespan and sales success, particularly for those prioritising multiplayer. While several of these DLCs are available as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack, Nintendo seems to be aware that not everyone is interested in making that upgrade and would like to purchase them separately. Offering these packages gives gamers additional ways to obtain this DLC digitally, perhaps opening it up to new players and Switch owners.
