Nintendo Games Keep Being Switched With Googly Eyes, Fans Report

Newsweek

16-05-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Customers who have bought Nintendo Switch games from third-party retailers have reported that some cartridges have been replaced by googly eyes.
The trend, which was first reported around six months ago, has baffled customers, as many of the googly eyes were found in sealed packaging.
Newsweek contacted Nintendo for more information on the issue via email.
The Context
The strange occurrence has prompted questions about the integrity of the supply chain, especially with high anticipation surrounding major Nintendo releases. The fact that sealed retail boxes were affected indicates the possibility of tampering at the distribution or retail level, or a bizarre prank that somehow bypassed packaging protocols.
What to Know
Buyers of Nintendo games have been reporting something odd: a rattling sound inside what should have been a sealed, brand-new game box.
Instead of finding a cartridge inside, several customers discovered a single pair of large googly eyes staring back at them, sitting where the game cartridge should be.
The first reports of this started 4 months ago, when people on the official Nintendo Switch subreddit starting making posts about finding the eyes in sealed game boxes.
One person said: "What if people start doing this to get extra copies of games? Buy the game, swap it for a googly eye, bring it to target and say 'I never got the game, just this weird googly eye!'
An announcement for the Nintendo Switch 2 is displayed at a GameStop store in Union Square on April 04, 2025 in New York, New York.
An announcement for the Nintendo Switch 2 is displayed at a GameStop store in Union Square on April 04, 2025 in New York, New York.
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"Then they get either a refund or a second copy for free. I feel like retailers might have to address this soon if it's as big as Reddit is making it seem."
"Are these happening on a manufacturing level? Like way too many people getting google eyes with these black clips for it to not be," another person asked.
The list of games affected by the issue includes Luigi's Mansion 2, Mario Vs Donkey Kong, Echoes of Wisdom, and Animal Crossing. The issue has been reported across several retailers, including Walmart and GameStop.
What People Are Saying
Jon Downey, founder of gaming news service Spawn Wave, said: "For Nintendo, it's probably like a small thing they think they can figure out quietly. It's not very good working for them.
Nintendo has acknowledged the issue after speaking to certain customers, and sent an additional copy of the missing game on at least one occasion.
What's Next
The source of the googly-eye swap remains unknown. Customers affected by the mishap are able to contact retailers and provide purchase documentation for potential replacements.