I always like to think New Year’s Eve is for reflection, but in practice it is also when my willpower collapses and my wishlist wins. While everyone else is arguing over fireworks positions and sparkling wine, I am quietly locking in deals I will absolutely be playing into January. This batch feels like a proper end of year send off, stacked with games that reward long nights and bad sleep decisions.
Contents
RetroNintendoXboxPlayStationPCPC GearLEGO
This Day in Gaming 🎂
In retro news, I’m using this fire flower to ignite a 30-candle cake baked for Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, a SNES must-own. If it were any other series, Yoshi’s Island would just be a long-forgotten spin-off. But since this is Nintendo we’re talking about, this SNES game made a much bigger impact on the wider Mario universe, with the features Yoshi’s Island introduced still influencing Nintendo games of today.
I can remember being thoroughly delighted with Yoshi’s moveset expanding him from being a simple steed to a flutter-jumping, ground-pounding, and egg-chucking hero in his own right. Likewise, the shift from obstacle course platforming to collectathon progression was right up my kleptomanic alley. Throw in a bold crayon-based art style, and I was coloured Tickled Pink with the entire package.
Aussie birthdays for notable games.
– Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (SNES) 1995. Get
– Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense (PS) 1999. eBay
Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch
On Switch, these picks balance absurd value with games that feel perfectly at home in handheld mode, whether you are planning ten minutes on the couch or three hours you did not schedule.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (-90%) – A$7.90 A shockingly good tactics sequel that smooths out the combat, adds real freedom, and proves the Rabbids can behave when Miyamoto is watching.Need For Speed Hot Pursuit Rem. (-83%) – A$10.10 Criterion’s high speed classic with Autolog still doing half the trash talking for you.It Takes Two (-50%) – A$29.90 A co-op masterclass that constantly reinvents itself and absolutely refuses to let you play alone.Burnout Paradise Rem. (-83%) – A$6.70 Open world crashing at its peak, with takedowns that still feel illegally satisfying.Unravel Two (-70%) – A$8.90 Gentle platforming built around cooperation, whether that second Yarny is a friend or your own stubborn hands.Gris (-82%) – A$4.20 A wordless, watercolour journey through grief that still lands emotionally every single time.
What’s Big on the Radar?
Current hotcakes selling
Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2 – $79Pokémon Legends: Z-A – $78Super Mario Party Jamboree – $64
Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.
Switch Console Prices
How much to Switch it up?
Exciting Bargains for Xbox
On Series X, this batch leans hard into cinematic scale and systems heavy RPG design, the kind of games that quietly eat entire weekends.
Metaphor: Refantazio (-50%) – A$57.40 Atlus finally cuts loose from Persona’s school gates and builds a lavish fantasy RPG with politics, time pressure, and absurdly stylish menus.It Takes Two (-80%) – A$11.90 One of the best co-op games ever made, built entirely around communication and shared problem solving.Ni No Kuni: Wrath Of The White Witch (-80%) – A$13.90 Studio Ghibli charm wrapped around a classic JRPG, complete with Joe Hisaishi’s music.Triangle Strategy (-60%) – A$36.30 A tactics RPG obsessed with consequences, branching politics, and hard choices that actually stick.Red Dead Redemption II (-75%) – A$22.40 Still Rockstar’s most detailed world, right down to horse behaviour and campfire conversations you will miss if you rush.Star Wars: Dark Forces Rem. (-50%) – A$22.40 A respectful polish of a cult shooter that laid groundwork for Jedi Knight long before lightsabers stole the show.
What’s Big on the Radar?
Headed out the door quick
Battlefield 6 – A$89Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds – A$89Borderlands 4 – A$99
Or just invest in an Xbox Card.
Xbox Console Prices
How many bucks for a ‘Box?
Pure Scores for PlayStation
PS5’s selection mixes modern spectacle with razor sharp writing, all running smoother and sharper than their last gen counterparts.
God Of War Ragnarok (-63%) – A$46.20 A blockbuster sequel that somehow balances bombast with quiet character work and surprisingly dry humour.Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (-75%) – A$14.90 A detective RPG powered entirely by dialogue, dice rolls, and your own terrible decisions.Monster Hunter Rise (-80%) – A$11.90 Faster, more agile hunting built around wirebugs and monsters that never stop fighting back.Alan Wake II (-70%) – A$27.20 Survival horror as experimental art piece, complete with musical numbers and meta narrative tricks.Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (-85%) – A$16.40 Bigger worlds, tougher combat, and a Cal Kestis who finally feels comfortable in his boots.Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (-85%) – A$14.90 A sprawling Viking epic that rewards slow exploration more than checklist chasing.
What’s Big on the Radar?
Fast movers shifting
COD Black Ops 7 – A$89Battlefield 6 – A$89Borderlands 4 – A$99
Or purchase a PS Store Card.
What you’ll pay to ‘Station.
Purchase Cheap for PC
On PC, the value here is borderline silly, especially for games that only just stopped dominating the charts.
Hogwarts Legacy (-91%) – A$8.30 A lavish wizarding RPG with secrets tucked into nearly every corridor and classroom.Hades (-70%) – A$10.90 A roguelike that somehow makes dying feel productive, thanks to peerless voice work and pacing.Red Dead Redemption II (-75%) – A$22.40 Technically stunning on PC, with mod support keeping it alive long after launch.Ori And The Will Of The Wisps (-75%) – A$9.90 One of the most fluid platformers ever made, backed by a devastatingly good score.It Takes Two (-80%) – A$9.90 Even cheaper here, and still one of the smartest co-op designs of the last generation.
Or just get a Steam Wallet Card
PC Hardware Prices
Slay your pile of shame.
Legit LEGO Deals
The Mandalorian Ambush (-43%) – A$20 A compact Star Wars set that nails the show’s early scrappy energy.Andor Rebel U-Wing (-41%) – A$65 A rare LEGO set pulled from the grittier corner of Star Wars, and better for it.Horizon Adventures Shell-Walker & Sawtooth (-40%) – A$41.90 A surprisingly faithful brick translation of Guerrilla’s robo wildlife.Marvel Captain America Vs. Thanos (-35%) – A$39 A straightforward Marvel face off with two iconic minifigs and zero filler.
Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that’s worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.
