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Nintendo's losses, your gain: gaming deals for Nintendo fans and detractors

Nintendo presented its abysmal 2014 Wii U sales forecast this week, to the collective laughter of Xbox and PlayStation fans. Show our Nintendo solidarity/pile on the criticism with this roundup of five gaming deals. 

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Yuya Shino/Reuters
A boy seated behind a Super Mario figure watches a monitor displaying Nintendo Co Ltd's Wii U game console at its showroom in Tokyo January 29, 2014.
  • By Marcy Bonebirght Guest blogger

This month, Nintendo presented its abysmal 2014 Wii U sales forecast to the collective laughter of Xbox and PlayStation fans. We've decided to show our Nintendo solidarity/pile on the criticism with a roundup of five Editors' Choice console gaming deals. Pick Nintendo's side by taking advantage of lower prices on titles like Scribblenauts Unmasked, trade in your old Nintendo games for a $20 PlayStation credit from Amazon, or let your Wii U gather dust when you score an Xbox One bundle for as little as $520.

Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate Downloads for Nintendo Wii U
Store: Nintendo eShop
Price: $19.99
Lowest By: $15
Is It Worth It?: Haters gonna hate, but you love your Wii U and you're proud of it. Do your part to perk up Nintendo's flagging sales by downloading Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate from the Nintendo eShop on your Wii U. "Targeting, camera controls, item management, and certain attack controls can all be mapped to the touchscreen interface and moved about to suit you," Gamespot's reviewer said, referring to Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate's integration of the Wii U's GamePad. "This interface is never intrusive, or mandatory, but it's a subtle and welcome use of the hardware."
If you're rocking the 3DS, the Nintendo eShop also offers downloads of Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for Nintendo 3DS for $19.99. (To purchase this game, click the "download" link and then scan the on-screen QR code using your 3DS.) Tied as the lowest price we've seen, it's also $12 below a physical copy of this game.

Scribblenauts Unmasked for Nintendo 3DS
Store: Amazon
Price: $19.99 with free shipping via Prime
Lowest By: $1
Is It Worth It?: Ever since you laid hands on your first GameBoy, Nintendo has always ruled your portable gaming world. Let the living room players have their struggle; you'll be playing Scribblenauts Unmasked for just $20. Although Inside Gaming Daily's reviewer was disappointed by the title's silly side quests, they noted that DC fans will be thrilled at the sheer number of comic characters they can conjure: "From Aquaman to Zod, near every important (and some unimportant) person, weapon, and object can be created."

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, or PC
Store: Amazon
Price: $29.99 with free shipping via Prime
Lowest By: $3
Is It Worth It?: Much like Edward Kenway, the protagonist of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, you don't like to choose sides unless you're forced to. If you're siding with Switzerland in the console wars, here's a deal on a game you can play on just about anything. Amazon offers the latest title in the Assassin's Creed series for $30, which is tied as the lowest price we've seen on any platform.

$20 PlayStation Digital Content Credit
Store: Amazon
Price: Free with $20 worth of trade-ins
Lowest By: $20
Expires: January 31
Is It Worth It?: Should you be tired of even looking at your old Nintendo games, you can trade them in to Amazon for PlayStation digital content. All you have to do is trade in $20 worth of video games, consoles, or accessories (any qualifying item is eligible, not just Nintendo stuff), and you'll earn a $20 credit that you can use to buy PS4, PS3, and Vita games, DLC, and more. It's the best trade-in offer we've seen from Amazon since last spring, but it only lasts until January 31.

Microsoft Xbox One Game Console bundled with an Xbox Live 12-Month Gold Membership
Store: Best Buy
Price: $519.98 with free shipping
Lowest By: $19
Is It Worth It?: The Wii U wasn't the next-gen console you hoped it would be, and you're ready to take your money elsewhere. Consider grabbing this Xbox One console bundle from Best Buy, which includes a 1-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold. You'll save $19 on this bundle, but more importantly you'll get the whole Xbox One experience: Xbox Live is required for Xbox One features such as streaming Netflix and game DVR functionality.
If you're looking for more ways to leave Nintendo behind, Best Buy is offering a couple other Xbox One console bundles, with prices starting at $569.97. With free shipping, you'll save between $16 and $20 on these bundles.

Marcy Bonebright is a features writer for Dealnews.com, where this article first appeared: http://dealnews.com/features/Nintendos-Losses-Your-Gain-Gaming-Deals-for-Nintendo-Fans-Detractors/971016.html

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