Summary
Collecting games for popular systems is already a mammoth task; doing the same for systems that flopped is debatably harder. On the bright side, the library’s smaller, but since the system wasn’t popular, its games are going to be rarer.
The Sega Saturn is a great example of this withhow jacked up the prices for its gamesare. The Wii U isn’t as ridiculous as the Saturn, but it’s still quite expensive to collect for. Its rarest games go into the thousands of dollars, which you’re able to’t say about every system’s library.
All values are based onPriceCharting’scomplete price at the time of writing.
10The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD Amiibo Bundle - $149
The Amiibo Hunt Begins
One of the few remaining big Wii U exclusives is the HD version ofThe Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It’s the best version of the game to play today, but there was a special variant that included the Wolf Link amiibo figure, which is important because it’s used to unlock a special dungeon in this HD edition.
Thankfully, the figure was sold separately, but regardless, this game bundle is still worth a pretty penny. This is the kind of product that’s tough to find complete because many are likely to throw out the original box and just keep the amiibo and game.
9Skylanders Swap Force Dark Edition - $149
A Blast From The Past
Toys-to-life games were big business back in the early to mid-2010s, as these required the use of toys that you scanned in, so they appeared in the actual title. Certain bundles have wild price tags, and one of the big ones on Wii U is Skylanders Swap Force Dark Edition.
This was exclusive to GameStop, and the Dark Edition on all platforms will cost over $100 if you want to buy it today. It’s very telling that the bundle is expensive on all platforms, which signifies a low print run, adding significantly to the value.
8The Book Of Unwritten Tales 2 - $201
A Lowkey Rare Game You Could Get For Cheap
When you look at The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, you wouldn’t see a rare game, as the cover just has that shovelware feel to it, but you would be dead wrong. While all other physical versions aren’t worth very much, the Wii U port is worth over $200.
The port was released in 2016, near the end of the system’s life, and came out after all the other ports, minus the Switch. These two factors likely contributed to the high price, and due to the game’s rare nature still being obscure, you’re able to find this game for cheap easier than other rare titles.
7Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Walmart Edition - $228
Walmart Of All Places?
Retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses were very common back in the day, but what wasn’t common was exclusive retailer editions.Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flaghas a Walmart-exclusive edition for all original platforms, and while most of these editions aren’t worth very much at all, the Wii U version is.
Considering the Wii U version of Black Flag was most certainly the product the least amount of people picked up, the rarity is understandable. Especially, because Black Flag is one of the most revered games in the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
6The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Limited Edition - $249
A Limited Edition To Make Your Friends Jealous
Since Twilight Princess HD received a variant, it only makes sense for Wind Waker HD to get the same treatment. This Limited Edition, however, is far more valuable and desired by collectors, and the first reason is because of how it was sold.
It was exclusive to GameStop, which isn’t a big problem as that retailer still had a strong presence in 2013 as opposed to today. The issue was that it sold out incredibly quickly, and Nintendo never reprinted it anymore, so, along with the sick Ganondorf figure that comes inside, you can see why this LE is so desired.
5Devil’s Third - $277
An Underground Cult Favorite
The most expensive standalone game on the Wii U is the 2015 action title Devil’s Third. It received terrible reviews at launch but has since had a notable cult following due to its cheesy story andfun action gameplayonce you fully learn the mechanics.
It was localized for North America seemingly at the last moment and had a very low print run. With it being a Wii U exclusive and a future release incredibly unlikely at this point, it remains the crown jewel of the system’s library, unless you count special variants, in which case, you should get your pockets ready.
4Skylanders Trap Team Starter Pack Color Alive Version - $285
“From Bikes To Trains To Video Games, It’s The Biggest Toy Store There Is”
The rarest Skylanders product on the Wii U is the Color Alive variant of the Trap Team Starter Pack, a bundle that includes all the contents of the standard Starter Pack and also crayons, of all things. This was a Toys R Us exclusive and, as such, didn’t have as wide a market as the earlier GameStop exclusive products.
Not to mention, Trap Team came out in October 2014, just under three years before Toys R Us first filed for bankruptcy, so it’s an incredibly rare product to find today. Unless you managed to snag it during the Toys R Us going-out-of-business sale, you’re unlikely to find it for cheap.
3Nintendo Land Luigi Wii Remote Bundle - $289
Rare In Every Way
Nintendo Land was the Wii Sports equivalent of the Wii U. Being a pack-in game, most didn’t buy it separately, especially as it already came with a case, and that’s only one of the reasons why this Luigi Remote bundle is so desired.
The controller inside looks good and demands a high price on its own, which creates the same issue as the Twilight Princess Amiibo in terms of packaging. A lot of the buyers at release likely threw the box away and just kept the contents, and all of these factors make for one expensive Nintendo game.
2Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition - $1,099
Truly Limited
Do you know how certain fast food special items are limited to one location and one day alone? Nintendo decided to do the same, and onMario Kart 8’slaunch day, you could buy a limited edition version of the game at Nintendo New York. This is Nintendo’s specialty store in the US, and you could only imagine the frenzy this caused with such a big game like Mario Kart.
You’d be lucky to leave with it, considering the low quantity at the store, but if you did, you essentially got a piece of solid gold. Its rarity is already off the charts, but along with Mario Kart 8, often being hailedas the best in the series, truly makes this product earn its over $1,000 price.
1Hyrule Warriors Limited Edition - $2,003
Nintendo didn’t just do one exclusive release at Nintendo New York; they also made a Limited Edition ofHyrule Warriors. The total quantity is around the same as the LEs for Mario Kart 8, but it does contain a more premium offering with a nice scarf included instead of a Blue Shell.
Launch day at the store was a disaster, as you might expect, with a line of people far longer than the number of copies shipped, so everyone towards the back of the line was essentially wasting their time. This is the kind of product you simply don’t see for sale due to its rarity and the fact that many owners would rather keep it.
