Nintendo Switch Online Surprises Mario Fans With 8 Free Downloads

Nintendo Switch Online subscribers across Switch, Switch Lite, and Switch OLED have been surprised with eight free, Mario downloads. 2024 is shaping up to be a weird year for Nintendo fans. Right now, the year is missing major Nintendo Switch releases, and this may have something to do with the rumored Nintendo Switch successor, which according to extensive reporting, is going to be revealed and released this year. As a result, it is safe to assume there are some major Nintendo Switch 2 games Nintendo has in the corner waiting. In the meantime, Nintendo Switch fans are going to have to settle for smaller releases, such as the recent Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a remake of the first game in the Mario vs Donkey Kong series. 

If you are enjoying this game, or just enjoy Mario characters, you will be happy to know that Nintendo has released some freebies related to it. Unfortunately, you need a Nintendo Switch Online subscription to access these free downloads. If you don't have a subscription, you are out of luck. Unlike some Nintendo Switch Online free downloads though, these are not locked behind the Expansion Pack tier. A regular ol' Nintendo Switch Online subscription will suffice. 

According to an official tweet from the Nintendo of America account on X, formerly known as Twitter, the release of these icons will be done via two waves, with each wave dishing out four icons. The first wave is available now and until February 22. The second wave will become available on February 22 and be available until February 29. As always, each icon will cost between five and ten Platinum Points, depending on the style of said icon.

As you can see via the image above, if you specifically want a Donkey Kong icon, which are harder to come by compared to a Mario icon, you need to take advantage of the first wave. Meanwhile, once these icons are gone, they are gone. In other words, don't expect to see these to be re-released in the future. There is no written rule against this happening, but it rarely happens, and when it does, it is usually for major releases, aka releases bigger than this one. 

For more Nintendo Switch Online coverage --- including more Nintendo Switch Online news, Nintendo Switch Online rumors and leaks, and Nintendo Switch Online deals -- click here. Meanwhile, let us know what you think via the comments. Will any of these icons be your profile icon going forward?