The Nintendo Switch is getting harder and harder to find, with practically every retailer already selling out their stocks and availability falling into the hands of unscrupulous scalpers on Amazon and eBay.
Despite the promise of Reggie Fils-Aimé, Nintendo of America's president, this scenario is somewhat reminiscent of what happened with the NES Classic Edition, but GameStop is looking to turn the tide by putting up the Switch Starter Bundle One and Starter Bundle Two for preorder.
GameStop Switch Starter Bundles
Going straight for the details, the Starter Bundle One includes the Switch, of course, a The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild cartridge and its Expansion Pass (digital), a Super Bomberman R cartridge, and a set of gray Joy-Con controllers, according to GameSpot.
This first bundle is only available for preorder at a GameStop brick-and-mortar store, and it's coming in with a $510 price tag.
Next up is the Starter Bundle Two, and aside from the console itself, it's packaged with a copy of Breath of the Wild and its Expansion Pass (digital) and strategy guide, Just Dance 2017, Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together! (digital), a 64 GB SanDisk microSD card, a Nyko Power Kit, a Joy-Con Charging Dock, and a Hybrid Cover.
Unlike the Starter Bundle One, this is not only available for pre-purchase at a physical store, but it's also up for grabs at GameStop's website. This bundle will hold buyers back by $600.
The best thing is, they'll start shipping out and arrive at customers' doorsteps no later than Easter (April 16, Sunday). However, that might also be spelling out some bad news.
Since the delivery date is set to be before April 16, it could be an indication that wide availability of standalone Switch units is far from happening, so those looking for just the console may be out of luck.
Breaking Down The Switch Starter Bundles
Based on GameStop's listings, the Starter Bundle One can be broken down as $300 for the Switch, $60 for Breath of the Wild and $20 for its Expansion Pass, $50 for Super Bomberman R, and $80 for the Joy-Con. That boils down exactly to $510.
Meanwhile, the Starter Bundle Two can be itemized as $300 for the system, $60 for Breath of the Wild and $20 for its Expansion Pass and $25 for its guide, $60 for Just Dance 2017, $20 for Snipperclips: Cut It Out, Together!, $40 for the 64 GB SanDisk microSD card, $20 for the Nyko Power Kit, $30 for the Joy-Con Charging Dock, and $25 for the Hybrid Cover. That also adds up exactly, totaling to $600.
In other words, anyone can get a good deal out of the two bundles and get their money's worth.
Other Switch News
Before wrapping things up, it's also worth noting that 3DS and Wii U owners can trade in their consoles to get up to $125 store credit at GameStop if they use it toward the purchase of a Switch. The retailer is holding this promo until March 19.
More than that, Netflix binge watchers are in for a treat, as Fils-Aimé recently said that Nintendo is bringing support for it along with other streaming services "in time."
With all said and done, what do you think of what GameStop brought to the table? Feel free to hit us up in the comments section below and let us know.
