The Best Physical Switch Games Under $30 – Kotaku Australia

With eShop sales a weekly event, plenty of Switch owners have gone digital only. But if you like the feel of a physical cart, or want games you can more easily swap between actual Switch consoles, it can be hard to snag a real bargain. Which isnt to say that you cannot get cheap Switch games but which ones are actually worth buying?
Im something of a traditionalist (if not outright retro gaming fanatic, its been five minutes since my last retro games purchase, I may have a problem, etc) in that I like owning games. Is that a somewhat anachronistic concept in an era of always-online games and day one patches?
Yeah, it probably is.
There are some advantages to owning actual physical Switch games that go beyond having a shiny, generally red-spined box to throw onto your shelves, however. While digital purchases can be played on different Switch consoles, youve got to do the whole messy sign-in process and it can go awfully awry if someone else in your household starts playing a download game right when you wanted to play something else on the same account.
Having a cartridge you can pop in and just work solves those problems, and of course you can then share that game with your mates, sell it, or use it to test out that thing where Switch cartridges are flavoured to stop kids eating them by licking it.
Spoiler: They are, dont do that.
Cheap is relative, of course, but using $30 as my baseline, I set out to see what I could score out of Amazon Australia under that price point that might be worth buying.
I really dont like the Rabbids much, because theyre that kind of forced funny also found in pie fights and the worst sitcoms. Hans Moleman pretty much scored the definitive gag of this type with just a football, and its all been downhill from there.
Shooting the Rabbids as Mario, though? That never gets old. Mario+Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a title thats pretty frequently on special, and its not the newest Switch title of course, but its still a fine game.
Another oldie-but-definitely a goodie, Rayman Legends at $24 is well worth your while. Its definitely one of those Switch games that hovers around that lower price point, but unlike a lot of Switch shovel ware, its a quality title.
So, I already flagged this deal earlier today, but its worth repeating, really.
I mean, I figured Id be looking at really average games at this price point, and Amazon hits me with frickin Civilization VI?
There are a few small caveats here. Its coming from the US, and shipping is not included which does tip it ever so slightly over my $30 barrier, although you might be able to dodge that if you have Prime and include enough other stuff in an order. Obviously youd also have to wait a while for it to appear, stocks may be limited, etc, etc, etc.
It might be bending the pricing rules a little, but its Civ VI. Do I need to tell you why its worth buying?
Heres an oddity. A game that saw light of day on PS4 and Switch, but only the Switch had a regular physical retail release. As you can probably tell from the box art and title, its a traditional 1v1 fighter with plenty of fanservice on the side, and while its the recipient of some fairly mediocre Metacritic scores, there could be some fun here for under $20.
One part visual novel, one part match-3 puzzler, this is a game that got a mixed critical response, although that seems to be mostly around folks who either get or dont get the whole visual novel concept. If thats your idea of a good time, though, it could be a good and resoundingly cheap physical game option.
I am not into fishing, but it seems like if you are a prototype Rex Hunt, this is about your only pure option for a fishing game on the Switch. Folks who seem to like fishing games think this is fun, and who am I to judge them?
Toki: $25.01 + $4.99 delivery
There was no way I wasnt going to throw some kind of retro gaming angle into this roundup, and thankfully heres the remaster of Toki to keep me sated. Its not the easiest game it was always a coin-grabbing game in its original arcade form and it only just squeaks into the price bracket, but its a game about a spitting monkey. Do I need to say more?
There are some issues with the flow of Trials Rising in the way you unlock events, and you dont quite get the fine control youd enjoy on other platforms but then you cant as easily take a PS4 or Xbox One to another room as easily as you can with the Switch. At this kind of price, theres plenty of stunt and precision driving fun to be had out of Trials Rising.
OK, strictly speaking this is not a physical Switch game. However, its a cricket game, you should get at least a box, and I fear that Alex Walker will beat me with a cricket bat if I dont mention it, so here it is.
Its cricket, he was very excited for its existence, so it gets a nod.
Hahahahahahahahah no.
Although, at least this isnt WWE 2K20, so there is that.
Its not as though youre awash with wrestling game options on the Switch. Well, at least until they do a version of Fire Pro World for it.
What, I can daydream, cant I?
Technically the cheapest physical Switch game on Amazon right now, this twin-stick shooter didnt rate well in its PS4 or Xbox One editions, and garnered so little attention in its Switch form that it doesnt even have a Metacritic score.
Also, its Amazon blurb is hilariously awful.
Play as Vasily, once elite operative working for the biggest Cybernetic Weapon Manufacturer in the world, he narrowly escape to a secluded monastery when the corporation turned on him, willing to make him one of its cyborg soldiers. For 20 years he tried to find peace and harmony amongst fellow monks until the corporation eventually found his trace and is now closing-in on Vasilys location. In so doing, they have given him one last shot at redemption.
Im honestly not sure if thats a generic game description, or the plot for the last 20 or so direct-to-video Steven Seagal movies.
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