Nintendo recap: Switch Black Friday deals revealed and NASCAR racer uses GameCube game tactic to get ahead

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another Nintendo recap. I took a few weeks off from reporting on Nintendo news as I was on vacation, but now I'm back and jumping right back into the fray. First off, Nintendo has already revealed its Black Friday deals for participating retailers as we tick down the days to the release of Sonic Frontiers and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet later this month. So check these deals out to save money on games and consoles this year. 

In other news, a NASCAR driver used a tactic in real life that he used to employ in a GameCube game to pull ahead and prevent him from getting eliminated in the Championship 4. Of course, there's plenty of other news to cover, so let's dive in. 

Nintendo reveals Switch Black Friday deals

Black Friday is fast approaching, and companies are gearing up for the year's biggest sales event. As part of this, Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals were revealed this week, and there was no surprise for the primary offering since it's the same one the gaming company has been doing since the Switch was first released in 2017. Yep, you guessed it. The Nintendo Switch bundle with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a Nintendo Switch Online subscription is back. Here are all of the official Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals this year:

• Nintendo Switch Bundle — $299.99: Includes the console, a digital version of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a 3-month Nintendo Switch Online Individual Membership. You get the racing game and the membership free at this price. 
• Save up to $20 on select Switch games: This applies to digital and physical versions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, Mario Party Superstars, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and Bravely Default 2. These games cost $60, so expect about $40 for each. 
• Save $40 on Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit: Mario and Luigi's sets have an MSRP of  $100, so this likely brings them down to $60 each. The Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit box includes a remote control car with a camera and cardboard cutouts to create a track. 
• 33% off select Switch games: This includes physical and digital versions of WarioWare: Get It Together! and Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain. 
• 20% off select LEGO Super Mario sets: This deal runs through November 16, so it's technically a pre-Black Friday sale. However, LEGO Mario sets are rather clever and often include fun mechanics for kids and collectors. 

As you'd expect, these offers are only available at participating retailers, but big chains like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy will likely participate while stock is available. We'll also be covering Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals that week, so check back then to get the latest updates. 

Bayonetta 3 sells well despite calls to boycott

Despite calls for boycotts in October, Bayonetta 3 seems to be off to a good start regarding sales. When writing, it's listed as the second best-seller in the US Nintendo eShop, right behind Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope. Of course, we'll have to see precisely how numbers shake out as physical copies, and other sales numbers come in.

Anyone paying attention to the Bayonetta 3 drama from the last few weeks understands why we're curious about the sales for this third installment. Via a tweeted video released on Oct. 15, the original voice actor for Bayonetta, Hellena Taylor, alleged that PlatinumGames only offered her a meager salary of $4,000 for her lines in Bayonetta 3. She explained that this is why she turned down reprising the role. She went on to ask fans to boycott the game when it came out later that month to support better pay for people in the voice-acting industry. Many fans responded that they were eager to comply. 

Shortly after that, PlatinumGames vice president Hideki Kamiya responded on Twitter, stating that Taylor's claims were untrue. His tweets were met with several angry fan responses, to which Kamiya responded by blocking several people. Unfortunately, this didn't paint him in the best light. However, after a few days passed, it became known that Taylor had not revealed the whole story regarding her salary offer.

As Jason Schreier reported, Taylor "was offered at least $15,000," and that $4,000 she'd spoken about previously had been for a Bayonetta 3 cameo. Despite this news, Taylor continued to post a thread explaining her position further while asking fans to boycott Bayonetta 3. However, her line did not help her claims. So if you feel guilty about buying and enjoying Bayonetta 3 because of what Taylor said, you don't have to worry. 

Pokémon sends cease and desists for Scarlet and Violet

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are just a couple of weeks away from launch. If you recall from the 2019 release of Sword and Shield, this is about when several leaks made their way online, including leaks for all of the new Gen 8 Pokémon. In response, The Pokémon Company sent out several cease and desist notices to gaming outlets and users who posted about the Pokémon leaks.

Well, now it seems that The Pokémon Company isn't just sitting on its hands and waiting for Scarlet and Violet leaks to appear. Instead, it's reportedly taken a preemptive approach and has already reached out to several potential leakers. 

As explained by the famous Pokémon leaker Twitter account, Centro LEAKS, "Nintendo has sent threatening letters to other leak accounts, potentially in anticipation of C&Ds if they post any leaks." Nintendo and The Pokémon Company don't mess around regarding leaks. As Centro LEAKS so succinctly stated, "Nintendo does a good job of catching [leaks from reviewers] and making sure they lose their job (and never get one again in the industry)." 

We'll have to see if these preemptive moves are good enough to stifle Gen 9 leaks before Scarlet and Violet's release on November 18, 2022. For many leakers, the call for attention is too great, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that information makes its way online early anyway. But if so, Nintendo will do everything it can to shut things down. 

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope DLC roadmap

Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope was released near the end of October with positive reviews. A few months back, Ubisoft revealed that the game would be getting a decent amount of DLC, but now a roadmap with a few more details has been revealed. You can access the DLC by purchasing a Season Pass or the DLC phases separately.

DLC 1: The Tower of Doom — This first batch of extra content is available exclusively to those who purchase the Season Pass. The promo image makes it look like this content takes place at a carnival and features, Spawny, the Rabbid that fused with the SupaMerge headset in the first game. A short snippet reads, "face your doom in a new combat game mode." It will be released "in early 2023."

DLC2 — No title has been revealed for this content yet, but the promo image shows a sharp-toothed Rabbid in a forest with a Bob-omb behind her. Heroes confront a mysterious foe on a new, enchanting planet" when it releases sometime "in mid-2023."

DLC 3 — Lastly, this is the DLC most people are waiting for because it's the one with Rayman! The promo reads, "Rayman, Rabbid Peach & Rabbid Mario, embark on their adventure," and shows the three characters coming through some portal with various random items. It is planned to launch "in late 2023."

It's been a long time since Rayman games hit the top of the charts, but this is the franchise that Rabbids come from. They initially served as the protagonist's enemies but have become better known via the Mario + Rabbids games as loveably silly characters. So bringing Rayman into Mario + Rabbid DLC feels right and is a fitting way to wrap up this extra content. 

Mario Party 1 & 2 Expansion Pack warning

A few months ago, Nintendo revealed several more N64 games for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. As of Wednesday, the original Mario Party and Mario Party 2 party games, which were part of that announcement, finally game to Switch. However, a warning pops up when you first start the fun. 

"CAUTION: Some individuals may experience skin irritations and damage to the Control Stick if they rotate it with the palm of their hand. Nintendo recommends the Control Stick be rotated with the thumb only." 

Anyone who played the first game back in the 90s might recall that Nintendo got sued because several kids were getting blistered or otherwise injured palms from rotating the N64 controller joystick with the middle of their hands during the competitive mini-games. As part of the settlement, Nintendo lost the lawsuit and sent out sports gloves to any Mario Party owner that requested them. Unfortunately, these same actions can still result in injuries on Switch, so don't do it while playing either Mario Party game, regardless of how tempting it is. 

NASCAR driver attributes win to GameCube tactic

Stock car driver Ross Chastain went from 10th to 5th place in the final lap of a race last Sunday by employing an unprecedented tactic he says he pulled straight from NASCAR 2005, a GameCube game he played when he was eight. So what exactly did he do? First, he drove against the wall, which allowed him to turn faster to get ahead of the competition. 

He was going so fast that he managed to do that last lap in just 2.5 seconds. He was about to get eliminated from the playoff series, but this move allowed him to advance into NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4. It wouldn't be surprising to see this video-game-inspired tactic used more often or even banned in future races. But, if more than one driver uses it, it won't be as effective. 

Switch games to play this week

Mario unites with Rabbids once again

It's been a couple of weeks since it released, but Mario and the Rabbids' latest game is a fun choice. Take on tactical turn-based battles using each character's unique skills and abilities.

Buy from: Amazon | Best Buy | Walmart

Bayonetta 3

This witch is back and ready to beat up some big baddies.  Meet new characters, explore new places, and see what new abilities Bayonetta has in store. 

Buy from: Amazon | Best Buy | Walmart

Sonic Frontiers

Technically, Sonic's new game doesn't release until next Tuesday, but if you preorder it you'll be all ready to jump into the adventure. In Sonic Frontiers, the blue blur finds himself on the Starfall Islands where he must encounter large machines and work to save his friends. 

Buy from: Amazon | Best Buy | Walmart

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet are just two weeks away!

I am counting the days until I can pop the Pokémon Violet cartridge into my Switch OLED and choose Sprigatito as my starter. With so many new Pokémon and brand new open-world gameplay, it's set up to be a Pokémon game like no other. Of course, before then, I'll be diving into Sonic Frontiers, which releases next Tuesday. So things are about to get very exciting for Nintendo owners, but we'll be here to write up guides and report on Black Friday or other holiday deals in the coming weeks.

Until next time.

-Rebecca Spear