AU Deals: Mario, Monsters and Multi-Platform Mayhem Lead Today’s Gaming Must Buys

Every week I tell myself I’ll resist the siren call of sales pricing, but then a stack like this lands and my resolve crumbles. If you’ve been meaning to pad out the collection or revisit some heavy hitters, now’s the moment. Today feels reasonably spicy, with old favourites, fresh blockbusters and even a few cult classics sneaking in at eyebrow-raising discounts. So get amongst ’em!

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I’m lighting a 32-candle cake for Jurassic Park on Mega Drive. Back in ’93, this wasn’t just another licenced movie tie-in for gaming grommet me. It was one of those cartridges you’d rent for a weekend and then think about all week at school. The choice to play as either Dr. Grant or a rampaging velociraptor gave it an identity unlike anything else on the shelf, making the game feel like two experiences packed into one. Why you’d ever pick the squishy hoo-man is beyond me.

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

– Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) 1991. Get

– Jurassic Park (MD) 1993. Get

– Lost Planet 3 (PC,PS3,X360) 2013. Get

– Killer Is Dead (PS3,X360) 2013. Get

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

On Switch, Super Mario Odyssey is still pure platforming joy. I can’t play that Cap Kingdom intro without humming along, and seeing Mario in a snappy fedora never gets old. Meanwhile, Sonic Forces is worth grabbing just for its bizarre character creator, which once spawned an entire meme wave of fan-made hedgehogs.

• Super Mario Odyssey (-20%) A$64 A modern Mario masterpiece that blends nostalgia with bold new ideas. Easily one of Switch’s finest adventures.
• Animal Crossing: New Horizons (-20%) A$64 The cosiest island life sim going. Build, design, and relax with Tom Nook while pretending your mortgage is optional.
• Sonic Frontiers (-40%) A$59.70 Sonic’s open-zone experiment turned out surprisingly fun. Boosting around fields and fighting kaiju-sized bosses is a thrill worth this discount.
• Super Mario Party Jamboree (-20%) A$64 More mini-games, more shouting at friends, more Mario. The ultimate recipe for friendship destruction on a Saturday night.
• Sonic Forces (-33%) A$40.20 Create your own edgy OC, run through fast-paced levels, and rescue Sonic. It’s messy, silly, and oddly charming at this price.
• Owlboy (-80%) A$5.90 A pixel-perfect indie darling with heartfelt storytelling and sky-high platforming. One of those hidden gems you’ll be glad you grabbed.

Expiring Recent Deals

• Mario Kart World (-21%) – A$95
• Split Fiction (-23%) – A$54
• Hogwarts Legacy (-80%) – A$17.90
• GTA Trilogy Def. (-63%) – A$29.90
• Mortal Kombat 11 (-90%) – A$6.90
• Celeste (-75%) – A$7.50

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

Over on Xbox Series X, Doom: The Dark Ages is id Software flexing its muscles yet again. Those developers famously run their games on toasters during testing, which probably explains why their demon-slaying runs like a dream. I also have a soft spot for Monster Hunter Wilds, because the franchise once convinced Capcom to hire a full-time food artist to make in-game meals look delicious.

• Doom: The Dark Ages (-34%) A$79 Doom goes medieval with swords, shields, and still plenty of gore. Rip and tear never looked so metal.
• Monster Hunter Wilds (-62%) A$44 Hunt towering beasts in living ecosystems. Monster Hunter’s newest world is massive, beautiful, and brutal. A real steal here.
• Grand Theft Auto V (-60%) A$24 Los Santos chaos never gets old. Story mode still holds up and GTA Online is basically endless mayhem.
• Terminator: Resistance (-80%) A$19.90 Surprisingly decent Terminator fan service with shootouts, survival, and Skynet lore. A budget-priced love letter to Arnie’s universe.
• Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (-80%) A$17.90 All nine Star Wars films remade in charming Lego form. A galaxy of gags and collectibles at a pocket-money price.

Xbox One

• Ace Combat 7 (-65%) A$34.50 Dogfights rarely feel this slick. A blend of arcade thrills and heartfelt storytelling in the skies.
• Borderlands: The Handsome Col. (-53%) A$32.80 Two looter-shooters with a zillion guns and even more jokes. Borderlands at its most chaotic, bundled neatly.
• Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (-65%) A$24.40 Kart racing with bite. Tighter, harder, and sassier than Mario Kart, with insane drift mechanics and nostalgia aplenty.

Expiring Recent Deals

• Space Marine 2 (-45%) – A$59.30
• Persona 5 Tactica (-70%) – A$28.40
• Mass Effect Leg. Ed. (-90%) – A$9.90
• Shin Megami Tensei V (-55%) – A$44.90
• Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (-85%) – A$14.90
• LEGO Harry Potter Col. (-75%) – A$7.40
• Sonic Colors: Ult. (-70%) – A$17.90
• Unravel Two (-75%) – A$7.40
• LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 (-90%) – A$8.90

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

PS5 owners should circle Dragon’s Dogma 2, which hides one of gaming’s most underrated systems: pawns who memorise dungeons so you never get lost. Also, NBA 2K25 is a reminder that Spike Lee once wrote a story mode for the series, and yes, it was gloriously awkward.

• Metaphor: ReFantazio (-45%) A$63.20 From the Persona team, a fantasy RPG dripping with style, surreal enemies, and deep systems. Atlus fans, feast.
• Grand Theft Auto V (-60%) A$24 Somehow still the kingpin of open-world chaos. Better graphics, faster loading, same wonderfully dumb Trevor.
• Dragon’s Dogma 2 (-34%) A$70.80 Epic monster-slaying with pawns that feel smarter than real co-op buddies. A cult classic reborn and absolutely worth it.
• Ghostwire: Tokyo (-68%) A$32 Tokyo is haunted by yokai and neon vibes. It’s spooky, stylish, and surprisingly zen between ghost battles.
• NBA 2K25 (-80%) A$24 Slam dunks, sweat tech, and MyCareer drama. The most realistic basketball sim remains dangerously addictive.

PS4

• Assassin’s Creed Mirage (-70%) A$23.90 A back-to-basics return to sneaky parkour and blade-in-the-dark assassinations. One of the best recent Creed entries.
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (-65%) A$20.90 A stylish Metroidvania take on the classic prince. Tight combat, tricky puzzles, and buttery platforming.
• Bioshock: The Col. (-80%) A$19.90 Three genre-defining shooters packed with atmosphere, choice, and Big Daddies. Rapture and Columbia still stun today.

Expiring Recent Deals

• Alan Wake 2 Del. Ed. (-70%) – A$36.20
• Live A Live (-60%) – A$30.30
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (-80%) – A$9.50
• Gris (-75%) – A$4.40
• Star Wars Outlaws (-55%) – A$49.40
• The Last Campfire (-90%) – A$2.20
• Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (-75%) – A$13.70
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (-80%) – A$13.90

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Aug 1 with this subscription

• Lies of P | PS5, PS4
• DayZ | PS4
• My Hero One’s Justice 2 | PS4

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

Lastly on PC, Alien: Isolation remains the best argument for hiding under desks since primary school drills. Creative Assembly actually built a virtual alien brain to keep its behaviour unpredictable. Pair that with Sonic Frontiers, which is proof Sega’s hedgehog still has fresh tricks up his gloves in the open world era.

• Alien: Isolation (-80%) A$11.90 A masterclass in tension. Outrun the Xenomorph or cry in a locker; either way, it’s pure horror gold (and a great companion play for Alien: Earth, kinda sorta)..
• Ready or Not (-40%) A$44.10 Hardcore SWAT tactics where every room could be your last. A tough but rewarding co-op thrill ride.
• Ace Attorney & Mega Man Humble Bndl. (-85%) A$59.10 Objections and blue bombers in one pack. Hundreds of hours of classic Capcom fun for spare-change money.
• Streets of Rage 4 (-65%) A$12.50 Beat ‘em up bliss. Punch, kick, and groove to a soundtrack that slaps harder than the combos.
• Bayonetta (-70%) A$7.40 Platinum’s witchy spectacle fighter. Ridiculous combos, campy charm, and demons bigger than your house.
• Sonic Frontiers (-70%) A$28.40 Sonic’s best 3D outing in years. Surprisingly soulful, occasionally weird, and definitely worth this bargain.

Expiring Recent Deals

• RoboCop: Rogue City (-92%) – A$5.80
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut (-78%) – A$12.50
• Dying Light: Def. Ed. (-84%) – A$15.50
• Lies of P (-50%) – A$44.90
• Uncharted: LoT Col. (-64%) – A$26.90

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Legit LEGO Deals

• The Mandalorian Ambush (-50%) – A$17.60
• Moana 2 Kakamora Barge (-34%) – A$99
• Ahsoka Death Trooper Pack (-33%) – A$20
• Technic Kawasaki Ninja (-32%) – A$68

Expiring Recent Deals

• Icons Fountain Garden (-51%) – A$88
• City Scrapyard (-38%) – A$80
• 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline (-36%) – A$159
• Icons Tranquil Garden (-31%) – A$124

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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.