Some Nintendo Switch game buyers say they’re getting googly eyes instead of cartridges

An unfortunate trend has been happening at retail in which consumers hoping to get a new Nintendo Switch game are instead receiving googly eyes inside the case, rather than the actual cartridge.

Reports appear to have picked up during the holiday season even though it’s been an ongoing issue. Posts on places such as Reddit and X note that this is happening despite getting the games new and still sealed.

At this point, you might be wondering what’s up with the googly eye here. Fans have come up with the theory that when you shake the case, it makes a sound similar to that of a cartridge rattling around inside. A black piece of plastic is also being found inside, which apparently fools those attempting to look through the cracks on the top or bottom to see if the outline of a game is visible without unwrapping it. All of this is done to trick consumers and make them think that they’re getting the game they purchased – which is obviously not the case.

Note that this isn’t limited to any particular game. Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom are among the affected titles. However, they’re surely not the only ones. Best Buy, Walmart, and Target are among the retailers were the googly eyes were found, but there’s also been an individual who said they purchased their googly eye game online.

IGN reported on all of this and isn’t ruling out it being an online prank. That is technically possible, but it would seem unlikely given that the issue seems to go as far back as 2023. We’re also unsure how many people are impacted – it could be a very small percentage. Either way, the best way to approach this could be opening the game in store right after buying it or immediately after receiving it in the mail if you go with an online order.