Forgive the clickbait title, but this blog isn’t terribly well known, so I must employ some SEO tactics to try and get it to show up in Google! That being said, I promise this is a legitimate list, and should hopefully contain some good information for those looking to snag Wii U titles while you still can.

The Wii U was an interesting experiment, which is a nice way of saying it was a failure. It’s sad because Nintendo was clearly close to hitting on a good idea: an iPad-esque tablet geared around playing games either on the pad itself or on the TV. The obvious problem is that the unit was not a self-contained device (instead streaming from the base console), and not anywhere close to the specs of the PS4 and Xbox One, to which the ever more interested in visual quality gaming crowd have been flocking towards.

Short story: everyone has an HDTV now (some have a 4k!), and people want devices which put their awesome televisions to use. Breath of the Wild on Wii U will run at 720p. Hard sell.

Anyway, while the Switch looks to be everything the Wii U wishes it was, it will NOT be backwards compatible with the previous console’s titles. This is both good and bad news for collectors: good because it bars the chance of any Wii U re-releases bringing the value of your game collection down, bad because… well, if you haven’t completed your collection yet, you better act fast.

(Note: There is a strong chance some Wii U games will be re-released as Switch titles, which would definitely drive the values of the originals down hard. That being said, I only expect already common games to get that Switch treatment: Mario 3D and Smash Bros. for instance).

SO! Now is the time to move, while Wii U games are still on shelves and not yet feeling the full brunt of collector’s demand. Here are what I believe are the top ten rarest games to be looking for:

#11 – Super Luigi U ($30-$40)

Oops! I wrote out the list and accidentally made it 11 items long instead of ten. Well, whatever!

Anyhow, though obviously many regular Wii U games sell for more, the original MSRP on this game was #19.99. To be selling for 50%-100% above retail just a few years past release is notable. The game was later packed in with the original Super Mario Bros U, but this separate printing with the green case is the one to snag. I think it will definitely hold its value.

#10 – Game & Wario ($40 – $60)

I believe this was a launch title, making it subject to a rather low print run. Prices were soaring above $60 for a hot minute, but have settled down for the moment. I don’t see prices going lower however, so if you can find a decently priced copy, go for it.

#9 – Bayonetta 2 First Printing ($50-$70)

I gotta be honest and say buying this game was a misstep by me, as I snagged it when prices were floating over $70. Demand has dropped a bit, and it’s now a rather respectable price, considering that it includes two games (only the first printing came with a copy of the original Bayonetta).

I don’t expect another re-release of the original Bayonetta, meaning this will forever be the best-looking version of the game. As such, expect the prices to slowly creep up over time, I’d lock in now.

#8. Wii Sports Club ($60-$70)

An updated version of Wii Sports and another one you wouldn’t have thought would be rare. That being said, those early Wii U print runs were apparently rather low (as was the demand for the console itself). You may still be able to get lucky and find one of these at GameStop for a more respectable price, but they are drying up!

#7. Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Avg. $75-$125)

You never expect a Mario or Sonic game to be hard to find, but put ’em together and you get the current subject of intense eBay speculation.

That being said, I’m seeing a TON of listings for this game as compared to other titles, which leads me to believe there might be more copies of this game than people think.

#6. Super Smash Bros. Controller Bundle (Avg. $80-$120)

A nice little package that comes with the game, a branded Gamecube-esque controller, and the Gamecube controller 4-player adapter. There’s a few “Buy it Now”s going for $120 or so, but $80-$100 seems to be about the average.

#5. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD Limited Edition (Avg. $120-$150)

I’ve personally given up on collector’s editions for the most part: they take up too much space on a shelf and tend to ruin the nice-looking ascetic you get with a bunch of games of the same size arranged in neat little rows (I think I have OCD).

That being said, I do kind of kick myself for canceling my pre-order on this guy, even if only to use it as trade bait. It’s Zelda, so don’t expect

#4. Nintendo Land w) Luigi Controller (Avg $150)

This is a weird one! I didn’t even know this existed until I started writing this article. Right now I see only two of these on eBay, so this might actually be worth the price-tag (if not more)

#3. Hello Kitty Kruisers – (Avg $80-$250)

Here’s the current holy grail, and what an odd one it is. If you a copy at auction, you may be able to get it for under $100, but some ‘Buy it Nows’ are selling for upwards of $200. Speculation seems to be driving the current prices but the jury is out on where the price will settle. We’ve seen a lot of Wii U games have a moment of feverish speculation only for those prices to drop once it dies down, and I really can’t imagine a terrible Hello Kitty racing game (3/10 on IGN) holding that $200 and up price forever.

That being said, this is the hot game at the moment. If you really are a “gotta catch ’em all” kind of collector, keep an eye out for one of these at auction and prepare to bid up to $90-$100 to ensure you win it. If you only want to collect games you might actually… you know, play, maybe let those with the deeper pocketbooks fight over the Kitty.

#2. Mario Kart 8 Limited Edition (Avg. $500+)

A Nintendo World exclusive with a blue shell statue. I see two that sold on eBay at auction for $550, so I’m gonna say that’s about where it’ll stay.

Let’s touch on this more with our #1…

#1. Hyrule Warriors Limited Edition – (Avg. $1000+)

Look man, I gotta be real with you: you don’t need this in your life. It’s a copy of Hyrule Warriors (which is already a lame Dynasty Warriors spinoff) in a nice box with a Koei-produced scarf you can buy for $35 on eBay.

To be fair, I was a bit bitter when I couldn’t get this item a few years back. I paid a NYC line-standing service $50 to snag me one, only for them to throw me a “the line was too long” excuse and refund half my money. That being said, I’m personally over collector’s editions, especially when about 1000 of them are produced and only sold at one store on the opposite side on the continent. Forget it.

If you really need one in your life, good luck. If Mario Kart 8 is selling at $550, anything with the Zelda tag is gonna be selling for about twice that. There’s exactly one copy I see on eBay right now, and it went for $1,100 which confirms my suspicions. I think it might be possible to get one cheaper than that if you hit refresh for the rest of your life but man… you really don’t need this thing.

If you’re pulling in six figures a year, sure, blow 1% of your income on a scarf and a cardboard box. If you’re an average Joe like me, pay off your car loan a few months early or something.

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Anyway, I hope this article helps out those of you looking to fill some holes in your Wii U collection! Real quick: one game I would also consider worthy of speculation is Pokken Tournament, another game unlikely to be reprinted due to the rights complications between Nintendo and Bandai Namco. Most Pokemon titles tend to retain their value, and often go up over time, as we saw with the $120 copies of Heartgold and Soulsilver that popped up around the time of Pokemon Go frezny.

Right now the game is hovering around $50 on Amazon, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it start to rise as the Wii U (and its games) start disappearing from shelves. As always, if you use the below link I get a small kickback, so if you hate me, just search for it on Amazon.com yourself!

Take care!

-Vito Gesualdi
@vitogesualdi