Extended Cyber Monday Deal: Pokemon Sword or Shield under $50

Look for Gigantamax Pikachu in Pokemon Shield and Sword.

Nintendo/Screenshot by Corinne Reichert/CNET This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2019, your source for the season's best gifts and deals, hand-picked by the experts at CNET.

The stress of the holidays make this time of year prime for checking out and immersing yourself in your favorite games. And what games are more beloved than Pokemon? You can catch a super-hot Nintendo Switch Pokemon game for under $50 with eBay seller Rushhourwholesaler's tempting Black Friday deal, which is still going strong: get Pokemon Sword or Shield for $47.99. 

There's yet another option worth considering: Geek Alliance (via Rakuten) has Pokemon Sword or Pokemon Shield for $55.49 -- and through this Friday, December 6, your purchase also nets you Rakuten points worth $8.25. Those points (which require you to have a Rakuten account) are nearly as good as cash: They can be applied to any other purchase you make from the online store. In fact, you could purchase one of the games for $55.49, claim your points, then come back and get the other for $47.24. (The math: $55.49 minus $8.25.)

These two new Pokemon game s sold more than 6 million copies over launch weekend. I won't suggest which one to get; it depends on which exclusive Pokemon you want: Monsters like Deino, Hydreigon and Farfetch'd come in Sword, while Tyranitar, Goodra and Galarian Ponyta are exclusive to Shield. 

So, are these games the answer to all your Pokemon hopes and dreams? That depends upon how you want to feel about them: The internet is outraged, as it often is, over seemingly inconsequential details, like the fact that Sword and Shield don't include, you know, every Pokemon ever. But if you're OK with that, rest assured that GameSpot rated the game "Superb" with a rating of 9.

Now playing: Watch this: Nintendo shows latest Pokemon game, Sword and Shield

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Originally published last week. Updated to reflect new sale prices and availability.

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