An eSports writer at EssentiallySports, Soumyadyuti Ghosh is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Business Management. Before becoming an eSports writer for EssentiallySports, he worked as a freelance content writer, editor, and proofreader and primarily worked on projects revolving around insurance, travel, and gadgets. An unquenchable thirst to learn about all things eSports, a rather unhealthy obsession with playing video games, and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the gaming industry make him a video game aficionado. He still fondly remembers his first game, which would pave the way for thousands more, released way back in 2001 by Bungie. The name of the game was Ao Oni and it bore a significant resemblance to the anime movie Ghost in the Shell. More recently, Soumyadyuti has found himself enjoying various titles like Call of Duty Mobile, Doom, Counter-Strike, and PUBG. His hobbies include playing the guitar and reading.

Nintendo keeps bringing great titles to fans who are always looking to get exciting content from the developer and publisher. While the catalog of its games is vast, and when they are available for free, that’s a moment to celebrate. And speaking of free games, Nintendo has offered two amazing Switch games for absolutely free at the moment. READ MORE: Why Nintendo Fans Should Consider the 3DS Instead of the All-Conquering Switch As Their Next Console [https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-why-nintendo-fans-should-consider-the-3ds-instead-of-the-all-conquering-switch-as-their-next-console/] NINTENDO MAKES THESE TWO GAMES FREE FOR THE SWITCH BEFORE MARIO KART 8 DLC’S ARRIVAL! Famous YouTuber Zach, on his channel SwitchForce, revealed two brand new games available for free right now. While one is Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, the other is Chocobo GP. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel [https://www.konami.com/yugioh/masterduel/us/en/] was released earlier this year on January 18. Apart from Nintendo Switch, it also arrived for the PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, iOS, and Android. Basically, it is a collectible card game, developed by Konami. So far, it has managed to attract millions of players. Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has a quick matchmaking system but the experience might feel a bit imperfect. Simply because the optimization for the Nintendo Switch is not done properly, as per Zach. The second free game from Nintendo is Chocobo GP [https://square-enix-games.com/chocobo-gp] was released on March 10. Right now, players can grab it without paying the usual price of $50 for this kart racing title. Developed by Arika and published by Square Enix, it is basically a spin-off of the Final Fantasy franchise, in celebration of its 35th year anniversary. [https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/chocobo-gp.jpg] Chocobo GP has an online mode that offers a tournament in which 64 players can compete at once. It begins with eight-player races and then the winners advance to the succeeding rounds. Ultimately, one player emerges as the true champion. Although, according to SwitchForce, Chocobo GP is not up to the standards of a game like Mario Kart 8 [https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-prominent-nintendo-insider-hints-at-the-next-mario-kart-being-different-from-mario-kart-8/]. Still, it’s a good, competitive title for what it offers. What are your thoughts on these two free games offered by Nintendo? Are you going to play them on your Switch while waiting for the Mario Kart 8 DLC? Let us know in the comments. WATCH THIS STORY: Ranking The Highest-Selling Nintendo 3DS Games Of All-Time [https://www.essentiallysports.com/stories/esports-ranking-the-highest-selling-nintendo-3ds-games-of-all-time/] 

Nintendo drops another surprise involving two amazing games available at an
unexpected price for Switch ahead of the launch of Mario Kart 8 DLC.

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Nintendo Spices Up Its Collection of Free Games Ahead of Mario Kart 8 DLC Launch

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<h3>Nintendo Switch - History, Sales, Current Market Value, Popular Games</h3>
Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular gaming consoles on the face of this planet. The reason behind this is not just the legacy that its creator holds but also the fact that the console captures a majority of a market that is not very passionately captured by others, or it would be better to say that not many consoles had the potential to do the same. Although there are a number of competitors in the market now, back when Nintendo Switch was released in 2017, no one stood even close.

[caption id="attachment_1680207" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="wp-image-1680207 size-full" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Nintendo-Switch-1-4.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1285" /> Image Courtesy: IMAGO[/caption]
<h2>History of Nintendo Switch</h2>
Nintendo Switch is <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/category/nintendo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nintendo</a>’s latest Primary console. It is the first home console ever to provide its users with a hybrid functionality. This console was released on March 3, 2017 worldwide.  The console was instantly met with a positive reaction all thanks to its innovative functionality and launch library. The most popular among its launch titles was <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/the-legend-of-zelda-breath-of-the-wild/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</a>, which usually gets credit for its success.

Popular Games

However, the most popular Nintendo Switch game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe This kart racing game from the Mario franchise was released at the same time as the Switch. Thanks to the hype of the console and the game, it has gone on to remain their undisputed leader in sales. As per the reports from the end of 2022, Mario Kart remains at the top of the best-selling Nintendo Switch games with a mammoth 52 million copies sold.  

The top position was at risk at one point, but the end of the pandemic stopped that wild run. At one point, in Switch's journey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a game that gained instant popularity thanks to its chill nature and its availability during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Many credits this game for keeping them happy during this trying time. Released during the lockdown period, this game was unstoppable and was easily the favorite to topple Mario Kart 8. 

However, that pace dropped due to many reasons, with <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-animal-crossing-new-horizons-fans-give-up-on-the-game-despite-nintendo-scheduling-a-maintenance-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unimpressive updates being one of them</a>. Nevertheless, the brilliant fame saw it become the second most successful game with a little over 10 million short of taking the top spot. And all this in a short span of two years.

Further down the list, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/pokemon-scarlet-and-violet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pokemon Scarlet and Violet</a>, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Super Mario Odyssey prove their popularity as a few of the Switch favorites with their sales.

COVID-19 turned out to be a boon for Nintendo

The COVID-19 pandemic only helped raise the popularity of the Nintendo Switch. The console sold more, and it is the newly launched game <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/animal-crossing-a-new-reality-in-the-pandemic-new-horizons-esports-news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal Crossing: New Horizons broke several sales records</a>. It broke the record at Nintendo for being the fastest-selling title in Europe after one year of sale.

If that wasn't satisfying enough the next one will do the job. New Horizons had<a href="https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/animal-crossing-has-broken-nintendos-first-year-sales-record-in-europe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> sold 31.18 million copies</a> dated December 31, 2020. In the same year, Nintendo Switch sold 27.3 million consoles. It is also to be noted that ACNH was not out till March 2020, making this stat even more stupendous.

[caption id="attachment_1680216" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1680216" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Animal-crossing-.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1280" /> Image Courtesy: IMAGO[/caption]

Although the game has won many hearts doesn't mean it was flawless. Even the record-breaking console had its flaws. The biggest criticisms of the Switch are its low graphical power, a commonly known issue with its Joy-Con controllers, and its lack of a customizable user interface. While there was no fix for the graphical power, Nintendo failed to <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-nintendo-games-takes-the-first-step-to-improve-the-joy-con-experience-for-its-users-free-of-cost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">address the Joy-Con-related issues</a> for the longest time and they have yet to do anything about its simplistic user interface.

Paying heed to these problems could have won more hearts, but they did their best and produced new things. Since its release, Switch has received several new features such as Bluetooth headphone connectivity, media transfer, and game folder creation through numerous updates.

 Nevertheless, the hybrid console has done what it was intended to do. Since its release, the Switch has sold 122.55 million units as of December 2022, making it the third best-selling game console in the world, and the second best-selling Nintendo console behind Nintendo DS, which stands at 154.02 million units sold. The top of the overall list is the PlayStation 2 with over 155 million sales.

Although untouchable, Switch might finally have competition

The Nintendo Switch has been untouchable in the market for a long time. Its uniqueness has been the major reason why it stood out when compared with other consoles in the market. Nintendo sells to its own niche, hence its popularity is never threatened by its several rivals. 

However, new players have entered the race and the one threatening it is <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/steamdeck/">Steam Deck</a>, which can now be considered a better alternative. An <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-is-steam-deck-in-trouble-asus-rog-unleashes-a-game-changer-in-portable-gaming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even better player is set to step into the field</a> as ASUS 'ROG Ally' is said to be the 'best in the world' after boasting its features recently.
<h2>Nintendo Switch Components - Details, Costs and Differences</h2>
Nintendo Switch comes in three variants, Original, Switch Lite, and OLED. The original is the first model ever launched for this console which costs $299.99. Switch Lite is a lighter model that comes without a dock and an extended battery life costing $199.99. The OLED model comes with a larger OLED display and an updated Dock with a LAN port. Along with these, the price increase is also not small. The expensive of the lot, the OLED variant costs $349.99.

(Note: The above-mentioned price are subject to change from time to time depending on the offers)

[caption id="attachment_1680206" align="aligncenter" width="1920"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1680206" src="https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/Nintendo-Switch-2-1.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1222" /> Image Courtesy: IMAGO[/caption]

The Standard Switch package comes with basic accessories such as a charging adapter, a dock, and a pair of Joy-Con controllers. Switch Lite only comes with a charging adapter. The adapter is used for charging the console and powering the dock in dock mode. Joy-Cons can be detached from the console and used as individual controllers for offline multiplayer game sessions, adding to the flexibility of this system.

Nintendo <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-after-a-year-of-its-release-is-the-nintendo-switch-online-expansion-pack-worth-it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced an online connectivity feature for Switch</a> called Nintendo Switch Online. Users can purchase this service in tiers and receive various perks with more expensive tiers. For example, its most expensive tier called Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass offers a bunch of DLCs and a library of its older systems to subscribers.
<h2>What are some of the best games to play on Nintendo Switch?</h2>
<ul>
 	<li>The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild + DLC - One of the largest games on Nintendo Switch and its first blockbuster. It was a launch title and many purchased Nintendo Switch to take this game on the go.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Splatoon 3 Bundle (Game + Expansion Pass) - Prime multiplayer-only franchise for Nintendo gamers.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Metroid Prime Remastered - Nintendo decided to bring their most popular classic franchises to their hybrid console. Hence they remastered<a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/metroid-prime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Metroid Prime</a> and released it on this console.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Pokemon Scarlet and Violet - There's a reason every new Pokemon game created new sales records when it launches. These games add a new open-world twist to this classic series.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Persona 5 Royale - Persona 5 Royale had been a long time coming to Nintendo Switch. This critically acclaimed Japanese Role-playing Game should be played by anyone with a love of story-based RPGs.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Complete Edition) - World renowned monster hunter comes to Nintendo Switch. And this game looks way better than anyone would have expected.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Animal Crossing: New Horizon - <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/animal-crossing-new-horizons/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Animal Crossing</a> makes a transition to base building and crafting with this latest entry. What's best is that its release window was such that its peaceful nature made it very successful.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Super Mario Odyssey - The only mainline <a href="https://www.essentiallysports.com/tag/super-mario-bros/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Super Mario</a> game that launched on Nintendo Switch. The game is still considered one of the best platformer titles ever made. Its fanbase is such that they still await a sequel.</li>
 	<li>Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - The latest in Nintendo's long-running assemble fighting series. The cast of this fighting game really does justice to its ultimate moniker. Featuring almost all characters ever seen in this series.</li>
 	<li>Metroid Dread  - Metroid Dread made the original sidescrolling series mainline. Fans were really blown away by the visuals gameplay and style of this game. So much so that there are already rumors of the sequel.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Nintendo Switch Specifics</h2>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Product</td>
<td>Video game console</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Type</td>
<td>Home Console, Hand-Held Console</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Owner</td>
<td>Nintendo</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Country</td>
<td>United States, Japan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Introduced</td>
<td>March 3, 2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Official website</td>
<td><a href="https://www.nintendo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.nintendo.com/</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Models</td>
<td>Nintendo Switch Original, OLED, and LITE</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo Switch &#8211; History, Sales, Current Market Value, Popular Games Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular gaming consoles on the face of this planet. The reason behind this is not just the legacy that its creator holds but also the fact that the console captures a majority of a market that is not very passionately captured by others, or it would be better to say that not many consoles had the potential to do the same. Although there are a number of competitors in the market now, back when Nintendo Switch was released in 2017, no one stood even close. Image Courtesy: IMAGO History of Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch is Nintendo’s latest Primary console. It is the first home console ever to provide its users with a hybrid functionality. This console was released on March 3, 2017 worldwide.  The console was instantly met with a positive reaction all thanks to its innovative functionality and launch library. The most popular among its launch titles was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which usually gets credit for its success. Popular Games However, the most popular Nintendo Switch game is Mario Kart 8 Deluxe This kart racing game from the Mario franchise was released at the same time as the Switch. Thanks to the hype of the console and the game, it has gone on to remain their undisputed leader in sales. As per the reports from the end of 2022, Mario Kart remains at the top of the best-selling Nintendo Switch games with a mammoth 52 million copies sold.   The top position was at risk at one point, but the end of the pandemic stopped that wild run. At one point, in Switch&#8217;s journey, Animal Crossing: New Horizons was a game that gained instant popularity thanks to its chill nature and its availability during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Many credits this game for keeping them happy during this trying time. Released during the lockdown period, this game was unstoppable and was easily the favorite to topple Mario Kart 8. However, that pace dropped due to many reasons, with unimpressive updates being one of them. Nevertheless, the brilliant fame saw it become the second most successful game with a little over 10 million short of taking the top spot. And all this in a short span of two years. Further down the list, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Super Mario Odyssey prove their popularity as a few of the Switch favorites with their sales. COVID-19 turned out to be a boon for Nintendo The COVID-19 pandemic only helped raise the popularity of the Nintendo Switch. The console sold more, and it is the newly launched game Animal Crossing: New Horizons broke several sales records. It broke the record at Nintendo for being the fastest-selling title in Europe after one year of sale. If that wasn&#8217;t satisfying enough the next one will do the job. New Horizons had sold 31.18 million copies dated December 31, 2020. In the same year, Nintendo Switch sold 27.3 million consoles. It is also to be noted that ACNH was not out till March 2020, making this stat even more stupendous. Image Courtesy: IMAGO Although the game has won many hearts doesn&#8217;t mean it was flawless. Even the record-breaking console had its flaws. The biggest criticisms of the Switch are its low graphical power, a commonly known issue with its Joy-Con controllers, and its lack of a customizable user interface. While there was no fix for the graphical power, Nintendo failed to address the Joy-Con-related issues for the longest time and they have yet to do anything about its simplistic user interface. Paying heed to these problems could have won more hearts, but they did their best and produced new things. Since its release, Switch has received several new features such as Bluetooth headphone connectivity, media transfer, and game folder creation through numerous updates. Nevertheless, the hybrid console has done what it was intended to do. Since its release, the Switch has sold 122.55 million units as of December 2022, making it the third best-selling game console in the world, and the second best-selling Nintendo console behind Nintendo DS, which stands at 154.02 million units sold. The top of the overall list is the PlayStation 2 with over 155 million sales. Although untouchable, Switch might finally have competition The Nintendo Switch has been untouchable in the market for a long time. Its uniqueness has been the major reason why it stood out when compared with other consoles in the market. Nintendo sells to its own niche, hence its popularity is never threatened by its several rivals. However, new players have entered the race and the one threatening it is Steam Deck, which can now be considered a better alternative. An even better player is set to step into the field as ASUS &#8216;ROG Ally&#8217; is said to be the &#8216;best in the world&#8217; after boasting its features recently. Nintendo Switch Components &#8211; Details, Costs and Differences Nintendo Switch comes in three variants, Original, Switch Lite, and OLED. The original is the first model ever launched for this console which costs $299.99. Switch Lite is a lighter model that comes without a dock and an extended battery life costing $199.99. The OLED model comes with a larger OLED display and an updated Dock with a LAN port. Along with these, the price increase is also not small. The expensive of the lot, the OLED variant costs $349.99. (Note: The above-mentioned price are subject to change from time to time depending on the offers) Image Courtesy: IMAGO The Standard Switch package comes with basic accessories such as a charging adapter, a dock, and a pair of Joy-Con controllers. Switch Lite only comes with a charging adapter. The adapter is used for charging the console and powering the dock in dock mode. Joy-Cons can be detached from the console and used as individual controllers for offline multiplayer game sessions, adding to the flexibility of this system. Nintendo introduced an online connectivity feature for Switch called Nintendo Switch Online. Users can purchase this service in tiers and receive various perks with more expensive tiers. For example, its most expensive tier called Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass offers a bunch of DLCs and a library of its older systems to subscribers. What are some of the best games to play on Nintendo Switch? The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild + DLC &#8211; One of the largest games on Nintendo Switch and its first blockbuster. It was a launch title and many purchased Nintendo Switch to take this game on the go.  Splatoon 3 Bundle (Game + Expansion Pass) &#8211; Prime multiplayer-only franchise for Nintendo gamers.  Metroid Prime Remastered &#8211; Nintendo decided to bring their most popular classic franchises to their hybrid console. Hence they remastered Metroid Prime and released it on this console.  Pokemon Scarlet and Violet &#8211; There&#8217;s a reason every new Pokemon game created new sales records when it launches. These games add a new open-world twist to this classic series.  Persona 5 Royale &#8211; Persona 5 Royale had been a long time coming to Nintendo Switch. This critically acclaimed Japanese Role-playing Game should be played by anyone with a love of story-based RPGs.  The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Complete Edition) &#8211; World renowned monster hunter comes to Nintendo Switch. And this game looks way better than anyone would have expected.  Animal Crossing: New Horizon &#8211; Animal Crossing makes a transition to base building and crafting with this latest entry. What&#8217;s best is that its release window was such that its peaceful nature made it very successful.  Super Mario Odyssey &#8211; The only mainline Super Mario game that launched on Nintendo Switch. The game is still considered one of the best platformer titles ever made. Its fanbase is such that they still await a sequel. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate &#8211; The latest in Nintendo&#8217;s long-running assemble fighting series. The cast of this fighting game really does justice to its ultimate moniker. Featuring almost all characters ever seen in this series. Metroid Dread  &#8211; Metroid Dread made the original sidescrolling series mainline. Fans were really blown away by the visuals gameplay and style of this game. So much so that there are already rumors of the sequel. Nintendo Switch Specifics  Product Video game console  Type Home Console, Hand-Held Console  Owner Nintendo  Country United States, Japan  Introduced March 3, 2017  Official website https://www.nintendo.com/  Models Nintendo Switch Original, OLED, and LITE

Nintendo Spices Up Its Collection of Free Games Ahead of Mario Kart 8 DLC Launch

Nintendo makes these two games free for the Switch before Mario Kart 8 DLC’s arrival!