Christmas Gift Guide 2024: The best gifts for Nintendo fans

Nintendo has had a surprisingly busy 2024, with the Nintendo Switch’s twilight years still comprising some absolute smash hits, from Princess Peach: Showtime! to Super Mario Party Jamboree, Mario & Luigi: Brothership, and more. Regardless of age or changing tastes, Nintendo continues to put out bangers, and it’s fantastic to see.

It’s no wonder the company has such a dedicated, passionate fanbase. In fact, you might just know a massive Nintendo fan, and you might even be shopping for one this Christmas. Whether they’re an older, nostalgic player, or a relatively new one, the good news is there’s plenty of great options for solid Nintendo-themed Christmas gifts.

From books, to plushes, to gaming accessories, and more, Nintendo excels at fun merchandise. If you’re looking to get started on your shopping, here’s a few suggestions to get the ball rolling.

Note: All prices are listed in Australian Dollars ($AUD).

Nintendo Strategy Guides and Reference Books

Gamers love to know things. Whether it’s how to overcome the latest dungeon in The Legend of Zelda, or how to catch every butterfly in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The good news is you can help teach them exactly what they need to know, with a variety of Nintendo and third-party-published books.

There’s plenty around, including handy encyclopaedias, art books, biographies, and strategy guides. If you know the Nintendo fan in your life loves a particular franchise, check out the books on offer. They could make for delightful Christmas gifts.

Here’s a few options to peruse:

• The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia – AUD $47.59
• Super Mario Encyclopedia: The Official Guide to the First 30 Years – AUD $57.58
• The Legend of Zelda Encyclopaedia – AUD $43.38
• The Legend of Zelda: Art and Artifacts – AUD $38.00
• Disrupting the Game by Reggie Fils-Aimé – AUD $41.04
• Ask Iwata: Words of Wisdom from Satoru Iwata – AUD $33.99
• Console Wars – AUD $28.35
• NES Encyclopedia – AUD $59.13

New Nintendo Joy-Cons

Nintendo Joy-Cons (AUD $59.00) are a great Christmas gift, for a number of reasons. They ensure everyone in your family or friendship group can play games together, and they can jazz up consoles with fresh new colours.

If you’re keen for a more affordable gaming accessory gift, you can also purchase something simpler – like a charging base for Joy-Cons (AUD $19.19) or a fun Zelda-themed game cartridge holder (AUD AUD $26.63).

CRKD Nitro Deck

For the nostalgic Nintendo fan in your life, the CRKD Nitro Deck (AUD $119.95) could be a very novel Christmas gift idea. This handheld deck is a replacer for the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons that essentially allows you to transform a regular Nintendo Switch console into an aesthetically retro-style gaming machine.

Pop the console into the deck’s base, and you’ve got a fresh new, ergonomic chassis available in a range of colours – including a GameCube-era purple, and a mint green.

The Nitro Deck also comes with a neat carrying case, making it a snazzy and very portable “outfit” for any Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo Hallmark Christmas Ornaments

It’s not Christmas without a few festive decorations – and the good news is these can be gamified. In recent years, Hallmark has opened its hallowed doors to more ‘nerdy’ pop culture figures, with an array of games like Super Mario, Animal Crossing and Pokemon getting official Hallmark ornaments to hang on trees, and around the house. They make for delightful little gifts, and should light up any room.

Here’s a few of the best Hallmark Nintendo ornaments:

• Isabelle – AUD $22.39
• Mario with Kart – AUD $39.68
• Yoshi – AUD $16.03
• Luigi – AUD $21.08
• Link – AUD $14.58
• Question Block – AUD $25.72
• Pikachu – AUD $17.92
• Pikmin – AUD $42.90

Animal Crossing and Mario Plush Toys

You’re never too old for a plush toy – and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Nintendo is well-known for being a proprietor of delightful plushes, with each of its major franchises having tie-in toys for kids and adults of all ages. You can buy a plush Mario with a cute Goomba companion, or an array of Yoshis, or even lovely plush Animal Crossing folks. They make for soft and adorable gifts, and look great on beds, couches, or mantlepieces.

Here are a few of our favourite plushies from Nintendo:

• Link – AUD $44.22
• Pikmin (Yellow) – AUD $40.72
• Bob-omb (red) – AUD $21.99
• Kirby – AUD $25.30
• Goomba – AUD $19.41
• Luigi – AUD $24.98
• Yoshi – AUD $30.00
• Blue Yoshi – AUD $21.49
• Bowser – AUD $45.00

Pokemon Plush Toys

Pokemon plush toys are also massively popular – which is why they get their own entry. After years of new releases and countless new Pokemon – nearly every one with their own plushie – there are simply far too many of these cutesy toys to collect. Do some sneaky reconnaissance or make an informed guess, and any of these Pokemon toys would be well received for Christmas:

• Charizard – AUD $38.00
• Eevee – AUD $32.00
• Plusle – AUD $25.55
• Charmander – AUD $38.00
• Sylveon – AUD $39.00
• Umbreon – AUD $39.00
• Mew – AUD $32.00
• Mudkip – AUD $38.77
• Sprigatito – AUD $36.21
• Squirtle – AUD $34.78
• Celebi – AUD $37.69
• Psyduck – AUD $45.36

Nintendo Board Games: Monopoly and More

Nintendo has a long history with board games – and the sheer variety of licensed titles is impressive. We’ve tried and tested Monopoly: Animal Crossing (AUD $44.04) and loved it, but there’s also a range of other exciting and frantic Nintendo board games around, including:

• Monopoly Gamer – AUD $60.89
• Super Mario Chess – AUD $95.35
• Mario The Game of Life – AUD $49.99

Super Mario or Animal Crossing Lego

Everybody loves Lego. No matter your age, there’s something so satisfying about sitting down and putting together tiny little brick dioramas – and so, you can’t really go wrong with a Lego gift. In even better news, there’s plenty of modern Nintendo Lego that will delight the Nintendo fan in your life, including sets representing Super Mario and Animal Crossing. Here’s what we’d recommend as gifts:

• Lego Animal Crossing: Isabelle’s House Visit – AUD $47.20
• Lego Animal Crossing: Fly with Dodo Airlines – AUD $35.99
• Lego Animal Crossing: Nook’s Cranny and Rosie’s House – AUD $88.00
• Lego Super Mario Adventures – AUD $61.00
• Lego Super Mario: Battle with Roy at Peach’s Castle – AUD $75.00
• Lego Super Mario: The Mighty Bowser – AUD $319.99
• Lego Super Mario: Piranha Plant – AUD $139.90

The Best Nintendo Games of 2024

As we all know, Nintendo‘s had a cracking year, launching a range of stellar video game adventures, including the best Mario Party yet. There’s a fair chance your Nintendo-loving pal hasn’t played every Nintendo release this year – but they really are all worthwhile. Check out what your pal already has, and consider gifting them any recent release to bulk out their collection.

Here’s a few of our favourite Nintendo games of the year:

• Super Mario Party Jamboree – AUD $79.95
• Princess Peach: Showtime! – AUD $64.00
• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom – AUD $64.00
• Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD – AUD $59.00
• Mario & Luigi: Brothership – AUD $64.00
• Mario vs. Donkey Kong – AUD $59.00
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door – AUD $64.00

If you’re looking for other gift guides in the lead-up to Christmas, check out:

• Christmas Gift Guide 2024: The best gifts for PC gamers
• Christmas Gift Guide 2024: The best gifts for Xbox players
• Christmas Gift Guide 2024: The best gifts for PlayStation fans
• Christmas Gift Guide 2024: The best gifts for fans of board games

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