Following the reveal of Super Mario Maker 2’s ridiculous India price of Rs. 5,000, The Mako Reactor decided to check out options for buying the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive in India at a cheaper price. Granted some of these aren’t as convenient as paying Games The Shop or MCube nearly two PS4 game’s worth of cash, they’re worth considering if like us, you find Rs. 5,000 for Super Mario Maker 2 to be a complete rip-off. Here’s what you need to know to buy Super Mario Maker 2 cheap in India:
Super Mario Maker 2 price in India is cheaper outside of MCube and Games The Shop
Outside of MCube and Games The Shop, several independent retailers and parallel importers are bringing Super Mario Maker 2 to India as well. We’ve been given to understand that the reason for the high price has to do with the customs duty levied on games that have been officially imported. It’s something local retailers are also aware of, and the more enterprising of these have made their own arrangements as parallel imports of course.
Speaking to The Mako Reactor, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi-based retailers confirmed that the game would be available from the Super Mario Maker 2 release date of June 28 for anywhere between Rs. 3,900 to Rs. 4,500. This of course would depend on which store you buy from and where you’re located in the country. None of them would say which region of the game they’d get or if it would be bundled with the one year Nintendo Switch Online subscription like it is in the US and Europe. Though with a lower price tag than Rs. 5,000, it’s a feasible option if you’re fine with a parallel import product.
Super Mario Maker 2 price on the Nintendo eShop
If you don’t want to deal with ridiculous ‘official’ markups or possibly shady stores, you can get it digitally. At the time of filing this story, the Nintendo eShop Super Mario Maker 2 price is $60 (around Rs. 4,200). For $70 you get the game and a full year of Nintendo Switch Online ($20 value), so you’re saving $10 when you’re buying both together. You could get a better deal from other eShop regions, though it is unknown if the game files are the same across eShops like they were for The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild or different like Splatoon 2. Suffice to say, your mileage may vary. You can check out the Super Mario Maker 2 prices across Nintendo eShops here. You do get a bit back through gold coins or points on the eShop.
Super Mario Maker 2 price with Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers
Another option is buying Super Mario Maker 2 as a part of the Nintendo Switch game voucher program. This brings the price of the game down to $50 from $60 for a savings of $10. The catch is, you’ll need to buy another game from Nintendo’s list of eligible titles too for a combined savings of $20 on what usually is a $120 purchase for both games digitally. The Super Mario Maker 2 + Nintendo Switch Online bundle isn’t a part of this promotion so you’ll be spending $70 regardless of buying that online or offline right now.
Super Mario Maker 2 price from third-party key sellers
CD Keys has European codes for Super Mario Maker 2 going for around Rs. 3,700. It doesn’t include the one year Nintendo Switch Online subscription though. Amazon US has digital codes too going for the MSRP of $60 as well as the Super Mario Maker 2 + Nintendo Switch Online bundle for $70.
The best Super Mario Maker 2 deals in India
Probably the least effort you can exude on your way to playing Super Mario Maker 2 is buying it used or waiting for a discount. The former is likely thanks to the likes of Gameloot, CEX, Gamexs, and the Indian Video Gamer forums (disclosure: the editors of this site are forum administrators on Indian Video Gamer). In our experience, we were able to net Nintendo Switch releases like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for around Rs. 2,000 months after release.
As for buying Super Mario Maker 2 at a discount, sites like MCube are currently running sign-up offers that give you in-store credit of Rs. 3,000 for simply creating an account or logging in again. The catch is, you can’t use that entire amount on a single purchase. At any given point in time, the most you can use is Rs. 400 and it’s not valid for pre-orders. Perhaps post-release, it should see the retailer selling Super Mario Maker 2 for Rs. 4,600. It’s not as cheap as it should be, but it is something.
With the Nintendo Switch 2019 line-up filled with heavy hitters like Super Mario Maker 2, Pokemon Sword and Shield, and The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, it’ll be interesting to see if Indian retailers take an aggressive approach towards selling games for the system. For now however, you have multiple options, though they’re nowhere as convenient as buying a game for PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.
